Online backup

[goblue171]

Hello, thanks for reading the post and I appreciate any help you can offer.

I am looking for a backup solution, online, to store about 700 gig of CR2 or RAW photo files. Basically I simply need to find the best reasonably priced service to online backup all of these files. There are some video files as well that will need to be backed up.

What do you work with ? I've looked over a few that are very expensive, but I have also noticed another like Backblaze (Internet Backup)

My issue with Backblaze is that it seems almost too easy in a sense because they simply back up your machine on the fly, all files all the time which I do not need. I simply have all these files on a secondary hard drive and do not want the program to clone my entire system. Also with Backblaze, if you delete files on your machine, they delete after 30 days on Backblaze from what I understand.

Id like to backup everything online, reformat my secondary hard drive and my external hard drives (my second backup of same files) so I can get organized. Knowing everything is safe in an online backup environment would allow me to sleep easier.

I'm sure many of you have run in to this situation and I will take any advice you may have to offer. I'm pretty much looking at an unlimited file storage site that will accept, CR2, CRW, RAW, JPG and PSD files and a few MVI.

Thanks again for reading I appreciate it.

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome to the forum.

Knowing everything is safe in an online backup environment would allow me to sleep easier.

Personally, I wouldn't trust some on-line storage site any more than I'd trust my own hard drives.
If you want to use on-line storage, I'd think that the biggest perk is convenience, and access from anywhere. But from a few photographers that I've talked to, the on-line storage sites they've used have been dreadfully slow. As in it takes days & days to backup their archive on-line.

I think that a more practical solution (for most) is just redundant storage on local hard drives...and then for added security/insurance, you routinely store a copy off-site.

 

[goblue171]

Thanks for the reply Mike I appreciate it. I do have externals all over the place and it is just becoming a bit monotonous. I always felt that was the way to go as well, but my other concern is simply possibly a fire , flood, or uncontrolled type situation or crashed hard drive. Not to mention I am simply overwhelmed with files due to these cameras lately (as you know) the files sizes are getting crazy. I really do not mind the speed factor and can deal with that part of it because I am working with 5 PC's. One would always be set or connected to the online interface, but it is just a matter of finding such a place to do so.

You're probably right about this and I am simply going to have to buy another external so I have two externals for backup. (I just don't trust external drives to only have just 1 backup) I'm not sure how many here use more than 1 external hard drive to backup their photos but I just don't feel safe using only 1.

 

[Big Mike]

Yes of course, using just one external drive for back up is not a great solution.

If getting another one will quell your fears, that is an easy solution. Just yesterday, I saw an add for a 1.5 TB drive for $45.

I'm no expert on this type of stuff, but since you're working with 5 PCs, you might consider some sort of network server. That way you could backup all your data and basically anything on all of your machines, in case any of them go down on you.

Have you looked into something like the Drobo? It's a 'box' that holds multiple drives and it automatically creates redundant back ups of your data.

If you want the added protection of off-site storage, then you can just backup to a portable drive, say once a week or once a month, and take it to a friend's house etc.

 

[goblue171]

No, I havent looked at the Drobo. However I have heard of it...maybe that is the answer. If you don't mind me asking, where did you pick up that 1.5 for 45? Im going to have to get after that one Again, I appreciate your time and input and believe that is probably the way to go. I may pick up both that 1.5 and the Drobo.

 

[Big Mike]

I didn't buy it, I saw it in a flyer for Staples.

I didn't check the brand...and I would be a little wary about something that was a lot cheaper than average. But regardless of that one...hard drives are getting bigger/cheaper all the time. You could probably find 1 TB dirves for less than $100.

I'm not sure where you're located, but you might check out a site like newegg. They usually have pretty good prices on this type of stuff (I think).

 

[480sparky]

I've seen 2tb hard drives selling new for $90 now.

 

[MLeeK]

I have used both backblaze and carbonite in the past without a problem ever. Both are pretty reasonable. The problem you are going to have with it is backing up 700G will take you 6 to 8 months. You may have unlimited storage with them, however the upload limits are what kept me from continuing to use them. I was shooting inexcess of 20G or more per week and it would take several weeks for one week to upload. Their upload limit is 3 to 4 Gig per day-running 24/7... Regardless of what my bandwidth would allow for upload, they limit to not so much. If you are shooting on a daily basis? It's pretty easy to go over that with the size of files on today's cameras.

With external hard drives be careful and buy a good one. I have heard more horror stories about the western digital hard drives failing for no apparent reason... Always keep 2 of each backup. I keep one on site and one off site-only because I am paranoid and we have survived a fire in the past...

 

[KmH]

Online backup

S.................. L...................... O................... Wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww...............

Like 'glacial'.

I think the 6 to 8 month estimate to back up the 700 GB you already have is conservative.

If you're concerned about drives crashing, look at external SSD - Iomega 64 GB SuperSpeed USB 3.0/USB2.0 External SSD Flash Drive 35141 (Black)

Newegg.com - Kingston SSDNow V100 Series SV100S2N/64GZ 2.5" 64GB SATA II Internal / External Solid State Drive (SSD)

 

[goblue171]

This is all great info and much appreciated. MLeek definitely cleared that up well about the upload factor and a lot better than their own website. Thanks for the tips sparky and KmH I will look in to those.

 

[CCericola]

I use Mozy to back up anything I'm currently working on. Long term storage of everything is on an external drives. So if I am working on a wedding or a design project and something happens here I can retrieve the files off of Mozy. When the projects are done I move them to an external hard drive and off of Mozy. I also have prints of the best of the best in archival albums.