Inexpensive NAS solution

[Al_Borges]

had to replace my old DLink 655 router after ~ 5 years of good use -   it seem like all routers have an expiration date .   5 years is about the expected life for me.

 

Based on reviews on Maximum PC/ SmallNetbuilder  etc,  I purchased a ASUS RT65U model. 

 

I have been pleased overall with this as a router - but purpose of the post isn't a router review - but a mention of the very capable NAS qualities of this router

 

ASUS's firmware for this router is based on the open  "DD-WRT" router software.

 

What makes this interesting to the home server crowd is that is it able to serve a USB disk as a "SMB" compatible resource on your local network.

 

Hooking up a USB drive to a router isn't new -  but what is new in my opinion is not having to load a special client on each machine and the speed of the file transfers

 

I averaged  ( three runs)  18 mb/sec network transfer rate for both a small file set ( 1000 files totaling 400 mb) and a large file set  ( 1300 files , 40 gigs) 

Also able to  stream a blu ray rip in MKV format directly to my HTPC with no hiccups or stutters.  This is better than my first WHSV1 Box !

 

 

Now, these numbers are for a single user hitting the system -     Even though the Router has a fairly capable processor ( dual core Marvel Arm chip) for a router , its probably no match for a true server or perhaps a PfSense  Pc based router.  

 

but still a useful capability.  - especially those of us that have stopped using WHS and haven yet gotten a Synology or such NAS.

 

in my current layout,    I am backing up the 4-5 machines in my house ( depending on which daughter is home on any given day)  using  Acronis True image. I just back up restore images this way.    1 backup per week for each machine.

 

For my data, I am using a combination of crashplan and skydrive for continuous backup.

 

 

[ikon]

Interesting idea. I agree that consumer routers have about a 5 year lifespan (they're pretty much obsolete by then anyway IMHO), but I also agree that a PC running pfSense or Untangle or such will last much longer, and perform better.

 

Question re: Acronis: how do you handle automation of the backups, or do you perform them manually. For me, one of the biggest advantages of WHS is that I don't have to think about it. Can Acronis wake up a sleeping computer, perform a backup, and then put it back to sleep?

[Al_Borges]

Yes,  Acronis 12/13 run scheduler services that wake them up and I have them set to make the restore images at night

 

One of the side benefits of running SSD's  is that the restore images are much smaller -   50 - 100 gigs depending on the SSD

 

Each machine is schedule for a different night ( don't know what I would do if I had more than 7 boxes backing up !)

so the backup is easily finished while everyone is sleeping

[ikon]

If you did nightly Incremental backups you could likely get them all done while everyone is asleep. That's what my WHS2011 does. That way you could have more than 7 computers and gain the advantage of having more up to date backups.

[Al_Borges]

I only image once a week or so, so this is not a big deal

 

WHS2011 was not working for two of my UEFI based machines

 

So I moved on

 

Has the UEFI issue been resovled for WHS2011?

 

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[jmwills]

Yes, WHS2011 now supports UEFI with the update.

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2781272

[ikon]

My point about doing nightly backups was that each backup would be smaller and take less time, so you could backup more computers in a given time frame. And yes, WHS2011 does do UEFI now.