Is anyone using the Cloud for data storage? If so which service, any issues, are you satisfied with it? TIA
The Cloud
- Thread starter 46er
- Start date
"The Cloud" could mean a lot of things... I have been using Apple's iCloud for my e-mail and phone for several years, but don't use it on my computer. It works very well with the phone, keeps it backed up whenever you are connected to wifi. Upgrading to a new phone is easy, it will transfer everything so it's just like your old phone. A friend had her phone stolen last year and was really happy when she saw how quickly she was able to restore it to her new phone. Of course, iCloud is a proprietary "Apple Thing" though.
I didn't see much value in online cloud storage for all the years I had slow DSL internet. But now that I'm on very fast FIOS, I have both my primary Mac and my Windows computer on BackBlaze, which constantly backs them up to their cloud. Seems to work very well, you would never even know it's there. I have two other computers that I may eventually add, it costs $50/year per computer. The real test of their service would be actually restoring from their backup, but I don't plan to do that anytime soon.
They caution that it will take a long time to do the first backup, but I set it for maximum speed and then just let it run. It backed up about 300gb on my Mac in less than a day and 700gb on my PC in a little over a day. Even though my FIOS can do 150/150mbs on other sites, the transfer speed was much slower for BackBlaze, something like 30mbs IIRC.
I already had several layers of backup for my important data. But BackBlaze gives me a little more confidence that it can be restored if there's some kind of disaster.
I didn't see much value in online cloud storage for all the years I had slow DSL internet. But now that I'm on very fast FIOS, I have both my primary Mac and my Windows computer on BackBlaze, which constantly backs them up to their cloud. Seems to work very well, you would never even know it's there. I have two other computers that I may eventually add, it costs $50/year per computer. The real test of their service would be actually restoring from their backup, but I don't plan to do that anytime soon.
They caution that it will take a long time to do the first backup, but I set it for maximum speed and then just let it run. It backed up about 300gb on my Mac in less than a day and 700gb on my PC in a little over a day. Even though my FIOS can do 150/150mbs on other sites, the transfer speed was much slower for BackBlaze, something like 30mbs IIRC.
I already had several layers of backup for my important data. But BackBlaze gives me a little more confidence that it can be restored if there's some kind of disaster.
Last edited:
Several offer limited storage for free, like Google Drive and the like. I use Dropbox, but mostly for photos and videos. I prefer not to keep personal docs and info on any cloud if I can.
I currently use carbonite backup which I can brose for files and recall. I am thinking of switching to IDrive. Besides backup, which is cloud storage, they offer 5GB free storage.
https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2288745,00.asp
https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2288745,00.asp
It would be used just for new photo's, tired of too many XHD's on the desk. At this moment in time I am favoring IDrive, free is nice but none I have seen go into TB's.
Check out Dropbox. I pay $9.99 per month for 1TB if storage. You can store quite a bit of photos.
Not an option, just 1tb and expensive. It appears the cloud isn't what I need. Going to go with three 4tb XHD's instead of the multiple 1tb's I currently use. Thanks for the suggestions.
Whenever people like to use the term "the Cloud", I remind them to replace that phrase with "Somebody else's computer"... and let them mull that over for a moment.
My PC is always on and has an incoming VPN set up, so I essentially have my own "cloud"... but I still end up carrying a thumb drive around with the keys on it, so I can connect to it.
My PC is always on and has an incoming VPN set up, so I essentially have my own "cloud"... but I still end up carrying a thumb drive around with the keys on it, so I can connect to it.
Well nothing worthwhile is free. Yesterday I signed up for IDRIVE free and ran it over night. It correctly identified all of my files and backed up 5GB. I did a restore on a video folder this morning and it was quick and the video's ran fine. This morning at 10:30 I got an email from IDRIVE offering first year $17.38 for 2T and 24.88 for 5T. I'm taking it!
Should I start charging for my worthless maps? And maybe Ben should start charging for access to his worthless site?
I use more hard drives for backup. And I avoid Windows... or at least FAT-based file systems, if I can... I use a program called FFS... Fast File Sync to mirror the changes to the backup on Windows computers.
I used to also keep some of my systems on UPSes... but consumer-level UPSes are all crap and need replacement on nearly a yearly basis... and I don't want to splurge on a good UPS.
Of course, I also have the ridiculous situation where I have two residences... so they are VPN'd together and actually do syncing over the internet, as needed. So if a meteor hits, I have a hundred miles of geographic redundancy. ;-)
Speaking of cloud storage, if you're into crypto currency, there are a few distributed cloud storage projects, such as Storj.io, Filecoin and Sia which use blockchain to secure your data and you can essentially join the project and rent out spare space on your computer. Don't expect to become a millionaire doing that, however... yet.
BKNJ