How do I setup an external RAID array?

[mav2k11]

Hi All,

I am very new to Macs but am an experienced pc user of many years, so really need your help please.

I have a very large HD movie and music collection which I want to stream around my home which I am currently renovating. I know how I am going to stream around my home etc. but currently have little idea how to setup six 2tb external drives into a RAID (mirrored array) which would give me 6tb of usable file space for my HD movies and music files. I would also appreciate which brand and type of external hdd you would recommend for this task?

If you are wondering why I am not doing this on a pc it is simple, I want to use Mac mini's in each room I need to stream my movies and music to, using PLEX.

I would have opted for Apple TV but they only support 720p and are quite limited when compared to PLEX.

Can someone please help?

Many thanks in advance for your time,

mav2k.

 

[Badger^2]

RAID is a RAID, regardless of platform.

Are you running Cat5e throughout the house?

For $99, have you thought about giving the ATV a try to see if it works OK? I mean, do you really need 1080p in every room of the house? Could you maybe suffer with 720p? =\

dont get me wrong, plex is pretty awesome -- but maybe you could do ATVs in some rooms and minis only where it counts...?

 

[mav2k11]

Hi Badger^2,

Your right I don't really need 1080p in all the rooms I require a stream, but for the sake of it, I'd prefer to setup just one system for all, which for myself I think PLEX is most suitable.

I also know RAID is RAID regardless of platform, however I have never needed to setup an external RAID system before, as on a pc I would simply purchase a suitable case and install as many drives as I required and configure the RAID accordingly.

As the only way I am aware of to do what I require on an iMac is to setup some sort of external RAID system, I would like some advice and help from those who know more about apple systems and the best way to achieve this.

I would have considered the Mac Pro but they are so damn expensive it just isn't viable for my requirements, and the four drive bays would not be enough so I would still need some external drives anyway.

Yes I am running Cat5e throughout the whole house.

 

[EWDurbin]

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I have never configured external disks for software RAID under OS X and I'm not positive if it is feasible.

If you haven't purchased the external disk yet, I'd suggest you check out OWC's product line. They currently offer up to 3 TB mirrored under hardware RAID with FW800 connectivity.

 

[iMikeT]

I have never configured external disks for software RAID under OS X and I'm not positive if it is feasible.

Very feasible with Disk Utility.

 

[lavino]

I got a Netgear NV+ which has 4 bays. Basically you setup up the raid in that and hook up to the router. Most of these raid has a browser interface for config. I hook up mind with "afp://<IP>" under connect to server in Finder.

Not sure this is the info you are looking for? It is very very simple to setup. Of course there are more complex ways to do it. With the raid setup done. You can hook up wifi with Apple TV or Air Video for iPad or modded Wii with MediaPlayer.

 

[toolbox]

I got a Netgear NV+ which has 4 bays. Basically you setup up the raid in that and hook up to the router. Most of these raid has a browser interface for config. I hook up mind with "afp://<IP>" under connect to server in Finder..

Yeah i have one of these two, has served me well. Until i replace it with a thecus 5 bay nas

 

[mav2k11]

Thanks everyone for your help and feedback.

There are several options I now have to choose from, many thanks.

Can I also just say what a great site this is, I started receiving replies just a few minutes after my initial post and they have continued to come in since!!

Thanks everyone!!