Cheers Guys for your responses - very useful I really don't want a wireless backup for timemachine - I currently use timemachine on a wired WD Drive for all the macs - they only back up the basics as all machines are used more as workstations and all the important created files are stored on a Lacie HD - this is my central hub drive (not a hub before anyone corrects me - I'm just calling it that for ease) I want a big drive using RAID to store all my design/photo/film work I create on.... access from my office Mac, but to also be safe with the backup potential of RAID - I like the Lacie 2GB option and I do like the DROBO, but it's so god damn expensive just for the casing without any drives in it - is it that good - the video on the siate makes it look ace. If anyone has any preference over big RAID drives I wouldn't mind knowing - I've heard lots of stuff though SMUG about the unreliability of Lacie drives - I have had 4 over the years and had no problems what so ever... but there's always a first time I guess...
Re the other question - So again I'm looking for a networked iTunes Server that can be hardwired direct into a Mac Mini plugged into our TV - the TV uses the Mac for internet etc, and then Front Row uses the firewire drive for it's films etc - it needs to be wireless for the rest of the network so that the other macs can access the iTunes library over the houses wireless network. So I've thought about a 1TB drive plugged direct into the Mac Mini, then a new Apple Extreme Base Station plugged into the drive to broadcast the iTunes around the house. Would I need anything like this - http://tinyurl.com/mqxm3c - a gig ethernet switch for over the network - I'm just currently using a Be Broadband ADSL Router at the moment - does the AEBS do this job for me? Is wireless networking that hard??? Or as my office is in the house - maybe a Drobo with 8GB drives and the Drobo wireless adapter - who knows!!!! has anyone else set up a similar set up???? I'd really appreciate any ideas.. cheers Liam On Aug 1, 1:02 pm, Paul Owen <[email protected]> wrote: > Sorry, my first para below should read 16TB and 4TB > > Paul Owen > > > > > From: Paul Owen <[email protected]> > > Reply-To: <[email protected]> > > Date: Sat, 01 Aug 2009 09:32:15 +0100 > > To: <[email protected]> > > Subject: [sussex_mug] Re: Networked Hard Drive for iTunes & a RAID for my > > office > > > I would recommend you to look at the DROBO (www.drobo.com). You can buy from > > Amazon UK, with some disk drives, minimum I suggest is 2x 500GB drives but > > the whole device can take upto 16GB over 4 disk drives (when 4GB drives > > become available!). > > > You can use USB or Firewire 800, (or Ethernet, to use as a NAS, if you also > > get the DROBOShare unit). > > > The basic model can take up to 4 drives, which you just slot in, (raw drives > > - no sled required) you can add extra drives while it is running, need two > > drives minimum to start with, you choose the sizes, can be any size you like > > and the drives don't have to be the same size. It completely duplicates the > > data on the drives it has available and if one fails, it tells you and you > > then just replace the failed drive - again while the machine is running - > > and it sorts itself out and duplicates the data again. A very safe system, > > you could argue it is better than RAID. > > > I have one in my office and it requires almost no attention. On the other > > hand I have a LaCie 750GB drive at home which is two years old and is just > > now making horrible noises and refusing to mount - aaaarrrrgggghhhh! > > > Paul Owen > > >> From: Liam Kelly <[email protected]> > >> Reply-To: <[email protected]> > >> Date: Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:07:23 -0700 (PDT) > >> To: Sussex Mac User Group <[email protected]> > >> Subject: [sussex_mug] Networked Hard Drive for iTunes & a RAID for my > >> office > > >> Hi guys I have two questions for you > > >> Firstly - I want to set up a RAID system in my office - it ill be > >> linked to one machine - I would ideally have a 2TB RAID - I've looked > >> at this one -http://www.lacie.com/uk/products/product.htm?pid=11140- > >> any thoughts even from those Lacie skeptics???? - I'd want it set up > >> as RAID 1 - I'm using it to store files, photos and video and as a > >> manageable backup combined in the same unit - I tend to not have any > >> of my documents on my Mac and use it more like a workstation - I > >> currently use a Lacie 500GB but am running out of space and want to > >> have that piece of mind a RAID is supposed to offer... > > >> Secondly - I want to centralize my families iTunes, AVI library and > >> iPhoto library in one place. We have an iMac, a Macbook Pro and am > >> intending on getting a Mac Mini for direct connection to our TV. I > >> want to be able to surf the web and work on simple domestic stuff on > >> the TV, like accounts, photo sorting etc - hence the mac mini - > >> thought maybe an older lower model one as it's only doing this - > >> however does anyone know if I'd need a faster one - maybe one of the > >> top end current ones, if I'm playing Movies through it - I want to > >> connect a large capacity 1/2TB Drive to it and have is accessible by > >> the other Macs in the house - primarily to access the iTunes and > >> iPhoto librarys. On this Drive I want iTunes Library of about 300GB, > >> iPhoto Library of about 20GB and our AVI library of about 5-750GB on > >> it. SO it is TV connected to Mac Mini, connected to 1/2TB HD library > >> and then the other Macs accessing the iTunes & iPhoto libraries > >> wirelessly over our houses network - Question really is, is a > >> Networked drive necessary - I would like to access the HD without the > >> TV & Mac Mini on sometimes - I've looked at - > >>http://www.lacie.com/uk/products/product.htm?pid=11089- but Amazon > >> has bad reviews saying it is slow - I don't want to wirelessly access > >> Video with the other Macs and the Mini would be direct connected to it > >> via Firewire or USB - maybe if I had a networked Drive I could attach > >> a Ethernet Switch to it and then have the Mini Ethernet into it and > >> have the network picking it up with something like this - > > http://www.amazon.co.uk/Netgear-5-Port-Gigabit-Ethernet-Unmanaged/dp/...>> > Q > > >> 4/ref=pd_bxgy_ce_text_b > > >> Any ideas on either issues would be greatly appreciated > > >> Cheers > >> Liam --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Sussex Mac User Group" group. 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