World Backup Day 2024 tips and NAS reccomendations

World Backup Day is here and like every year, it's reminding you that it's time to be smart about your data. Whether it's beloved family photos, Time Machine backups of your Mac, or your expansive media server, it's important to plan to make sure all your data is safe. The NAS plays an important role in this, and today on this occasion, we are taking a look at three different models Bring it to the table to join in on all the price cuts from Synology that are now live on hard drives and more. Head below for all our World Backup Day NAS recommendations, tips and tricks.

Why consider a NAS in the first place?

World Backup Day and NAS recommendations go hand in hand. Whether you already have a hard drive setup or have a preferred cloud storage provider, there are a few reasons why you should reconsider in favor of the network attached storage option. This is the main solution I want to highlight on World Backup Day this year.

Cost is easily one of the biggest factors in the entire equation. Paying Apple or Google each month to back up your photos and other important documents will likely set you back at least $10 per month. If you're reading this, chances are you're not on the basic free tier of iCloud+ or Google Drive and probably have one of Apple's or Google's $9.99 2TB plans.

As you build a NAS setup, you're paying for your storage. With cloud plans, you're simply renting space. So if you stop paying, you will lose access. But with NAS, you pay upfront to keep your storage locked up for years. These days drives last longer and the systems that run them can last even longer. This may cost more up front, but it also means you can avoid any pricing markups in the future.

Best World Backup Day Practices: The 3-2-1 Rule Supreme

Even if you already have a standard old hard drive plugged into your machine to handle backups, there's more to the whole game of keeping your data safe than just that. Of course, you'll want to find the setup that works best for you and your needs – but the most comprehensive way to keep files safe is known as the 3-2-1 plan. Adopting this strategy means you will need a total of three copies of your information, two of which are located on different mediums. That final copy should be installed offsite to ensure that even if your home floods or something else falls within the scope of the disaster, your data is safe.

Having a NAS like any of the following recommendations is a great way to get started on that plan, whether it's installing one in your home as a first line of defense or installing a second unit at a family member's location. yes. As far as ticking other checkboxes goes, 9to5Mac We broke down some of the popular ones Mac-friendly cloud backup solution It can definitely help to complement the hardware side of your kit.

Why Synology remains my top recommendation

The three NAS I have to recommend all come from Synology. There is a reason for that too! Easily the biggest takeaway is that these are options I either currently use or have made progress with myself. I've been running Synology gear in my personal homelab since 2017, when I first started writing for it 9to5toys, Now after more than half a decade, this is a brand I keep returning to again and again.

A big reason I like Synology is how reliable the hardware is. I've tried several different models, and one thing that's common is how good the build quality is. And not just on the first day. The company's releases continue to work well over the years.

They are also incredibly easy to use. You'll need to be a little technical to set things up on a Synology NAS, but the process is incredibly simple and quick too. In less than 30 minutes, you can unbox one of these NAS and be ready to handle your first backup.

Synology also has some of the strongest app and software support for its lineup of NAS. Whether you're looking for a simple Time Machine backup server or want to roll your own local Google Photos system, there are apps up to the task of replacing the cloud services I mentioned above. In addition to being easy to configure the first time, Synology also helps you get used to it without going through a lot of hassle.

The Synology DS223j is perfect for first-time NAS owners: $190 or less

For years, I've been recommending the entry-level NAS from Synology to anyone seeking a starter option in their personal life. This has also been my professional choice. But compared to last year's World Backup Day post, there is a new model in the market that is this year's choice – Synology DS223J NAS.

It's a slight upgrade from the DS220j that I've been rooting for for the past half decade but it still offers everything that made the previous model so remarkable. If you've never messed with always-on storage before and are looking for your first experience with a NAS, this is easily one of the best ways to get into the Synology game. Besides, it also has the advantage of being the most economical, cost of $189.99 – or less,

Ever since I got the Synology DS223j NAS for myself, I've been loving its value for the price. With support for up to 16TB of storage, it is a remarkable solution to handle Time Machine backups and with support for 112 MB/s transfer speeds. It's the least capable of the NAS we recommend but it serves as an ideal starting point.

enter into But $189.99, it's also a fairly affordable offering for those who want to perform regular backups. While you'll have to provide your own storage via a 3.5-inch hard drive, the Synology's easy-to-use interface and overall reliability make it a more attractive option than some cheaper NAS.

Get better performance with DS224+: $300

Like the entry-level models above, Synology also refreshed the mid-tier solution I typically recommend. In my review last August, I called the new DS224+ my “top NAS recommendation.” It is still absolutely true that World Backup Day 2024 has also arrived. If you're looking for something that has more power than the most affordable solution, this is it.

Of course, it's capable of regular backups just like the DS223J, but it can also offer faster transfer speeds for backing up media files. If you're someone who edits videos, whether it's for simple TikToks or more professional use cases, then this kind of NAS is perfect for you. It can easily handle serving content to more than just one machine at a time, and even passes on more basic workloads to taking care of running the Plex media server – not to mention other services like Docker. .

Its price makes it a solid offering for those who want a little more power than an entry-level model but don't need a more premium offering. but the clock is ticking $299.99 price point, the Synology DS224+ NAS is slightly more expensive than the entry-level models highlighted above. But we found that in our hands-on review this is more than justified by how capable the machine is.

The Synology DS1522+ is the perfect all-rounder for World Backup Day: $700

To rise to a more dire situation, Synology DS1522+ One of the most recent releases from the brand. We took a hands-on look at this NAS last time, where I called it “the last NAS you'll ever need.” This makes it easier to provide a little more power to setups that require more than a two-bay configuration. Everything starts with a Ryzen 2.6GHz R1600 dual-core processor and is supported by some other notable features like 8GB DDR4 RAM and up to 796MB/s transfer speeds. There are four Gigabit Ethernet ports that are perfect for link aggregation, as well as five hard drive bays that can hold far more storage than the two models above.

But the real reason to bring this machine home is its upgradability. Synology DS1522+ It's one of the brand's most customizable NAS to date, even letting you upgrade the network interface card A 10GbE option, The dual M.2 slots can be used to install some NVMe drives to set up hardware caching, and the RAM can also be swapped out if you need to handle more memory-intensive tasks. It's been a workhorse in my personal setup for the past several months, and I've recommended the NAS countless times since I got it back in August last year.

$699.99 price tag It's going to be a little harder to sell than other options, but to me it's worth the cash. spend a little extra to grab 10GbE version, and you're going to be set for the ages. Sure, it may not be the last NAS you'll ever have, but it'll continue to serve you for everything from Plex to backups and more for years to come.

World Backup Day 2024 is the perfect time to switch to NAS

All said and done, 2024 is the perfect year for change. With cloud storage services becoming less reliable, Google Photos Snappu of yesteryear immediately comes to mind; Amidst our growing data footprint from large files and videos, keeping a local copy is becoming increasingly valuable. And if there's one lesson to be learned from this year's World Backup Day, it's that there are a range of different options to consider.

Of course, if you're looking for storage to help kickstart your server or expand an existing setup, there are still plenty of discounts available today. We've got a roundup of all the best deals, including options from top brands like SanDisk, Samsung, WD, Seagate, and more. There are options for your NAS as well as standalone hard drives and SSDs – all of which are available 50 percent off For today's celebration.

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