External Backup HDD

[wwwscott]

Hi,

I'm looking for a backup drive to store all my pictures and files that can connect to my wireless router.

I'm looking to backup files from my imac and my PC laptop...perhaps also one that my xbox 360 can connect to and perhaps stream videos and music. I have a SKY wireless router which has ethernet capability.

Apple Time Capsule ?, other NAS drive ?, Any ideas would be very much appriciated.

Thanks.

Scott

 

[svkrzn]

sorry for using your thread, but since i need an external backup hdd, my question is a bit different: can i use time machine with a simple external drive rather than with time capsule that costs a lot?

 

[rekhyt]

sorry for using your thread, but since i need an external backup hdd, my question is a bit different: can i use time machine with a simple external drive rather than with time capsule that costs a lot?

It's just that with Time Capsule you can back up wirelessly and easier using the interface.

But yes, you can use your own external hard drive for the purpose of backing up using Time Machine. (I use my own external hard drive too for that. )

Just make sure that the external hard drive you're using is formatted is Mac (Extended).

 

[thegoldenmackid]

http://guides.macrumors.com/External_Hard_Drives

 

[mindquest]

http://guides.macrumors.com/External_Hard_Drives

Thanks for the link, great guide! Do you have a brand recommendation given your experience with mac's?

 

[3121]

I have 2 western Digital drives and they've never given me any problems.

 

[thegoldenmackid]

Thanks for the link, great guide! Do you have a brand recommendation given your experience with mac's?

As much as I was happy buying a G-Tech, I bought my G-Raid was the assumption that one of my other drives would fail like I read about online, every drive I have owned has worked flawlessly, so for me the G-Tech was not really completely worth it.

But everyone has their own experiences, but I imagine that most of them are positive. Sure, there are these threads about how person x's drive failed and person y wouldn't buy anything but them. I own three drives that there are plenty of horror stories about.

For the most part no one is going to post "I Love My _____ Drive" unless two things occur. Either: A. They just purchased the drive – hard drives fail, if it worked out of the box, that's a good thing; but, to give a positive rating takes at a bare minimum six months, if not a year in my book. B. Someone said that _____ Drive is bad. Remember these companies ship millions of drives. Western Digital, Seagate and Hitatchi all make tons of drives internal and external; a couple of users are going to have some problems, but for the most part – most customers drives probably work.

The best advice is to find one that has a good warranty and excellent customer service. And then avoid reading these threads so you don't lose any sleep.

Or you could be OCD, anal and paranoid like me and have two back-up drives...

Personally I have used Western Digital (a couple times), OWC, G-Tech and Iomega. My only problems have been with the Iomega which can be found in the guide.

 

[svkrzn]

It's just that with Time Capsule you can back up wirelessly and easier using the interface.

But yes, you can use your own external hard drive for the purpose of backing up using Time Machine. (I use my own external hard drive too for that. )

Just make sure that the external hard drive you're using is formatted is Mac (Extended).

Nice, but why when i try to setup a hard disk for time machine, it looks only for wireless HDs through the airport. Is there a way to select an usb drive?

 

[mindquest]

Or you could be OCD, anal and paranoid like me and have two back-up drives...

Have you ever tried using an external and an online back-up solution on the same machine? I wonder if they would be a problem doing back-ups at the same time. But I do love the idea of backing up offsite in case the building is compromised.

 

[AppleNewton]

I'd say if you dont want to find your own enclosure and drive, to grab a WD passport or one of the newer MyBooks; Preferred with FireWire 800

Or you could be OCD, anal and paranoid like me and have two back-up drives...

Personally I have used Western Digital (a couple times), OWC, G-Tech and Iomega. My only problems have been with the Iomega which can be found in the guide.

well Western Digitals have a pretty good reputable line up, i have had great drives from them from their 250GB to their 2TB drives.
The only qualms, is the Third-party manufactures listed use a wide range of drives from Fujitsu to WD to Seagate to Hitachi to Toshiba, etc etc.
So you never quite know what youll get in those third party solutions.

I also have multiple back ups of each back up.
I have a time capsule then every so often ill back that up to a separate disk.
then using SuperDuper, clone my internal and then clone that clone i made all to separate disks

Regardless of brand its always good to have multiple sources of backsups.

 

[Crawdad]

Avoid Maxtor

I have (or maybe it's time to say had) a Maxtor one-touch III 1.5 TB external drive attached by Firewire. It went bad in a few months, was replaced under warranty, and the replacement has failed also.