OSX Server is overly complex when it comes to creating user accounts and setting up disk space quotas when it comes to Time Machine Server. I've also used OSX Server for Time Machine backups, and the Synology is still better. Does Time Machine backups really well, even better than a Time Capsule that I had earlier (performance is much, much better, and ease of use and reliability is the same). I have a Synology, also in a mixed environment, at home (Windows and Mac), and it's freaking awesome. So, in short, have only a single dedicated user in DSM with privileges to your TimeMachine folder, unselect the drive in Time Machine and then reselect it using. I then went back into the Big Sur Time Machine and deselected and reselected the appropriate NAS, entered the general admin user credentials and then initiated a Time Machine backup.
Best Nas Time Hine How To Set ThisSynology has a package to do email, by the way, so you can consolidate functionality into one device, and ditch the iMac. If you have existing backups, choose the option that best suits you.Certain 2016 models have BTRFS support, if things like snapshotting and data scrubbing are important to you (they are to me, but a 4 bay set up that supported BTRFS was out of my price range, so I went for a J model from the the 2016 series). Many major hard drive manufacturers provide Wi-Fi and Ethernet connected Mac compatible network drive products for Time Machine compatible network storage and backup.If youre setting up a new Mac with files from an old Mac, Time Machine can help. File sharing is simple, robust, and problem free, the rest of the functionality is just (very delicious) gravy.The Best NAS (Network Attached Storage) Devices for 2021 Network attached storage is the most versatile storage, but thats just one of the many benefits of buying a NAS device.Best Wireless Mac Backup Drives Apple users in homes or businesses with multiple Macs to backup love centralized wired and wireless Network Attached Storage - NAS storage. With DiskStation Manager, it was just a matter of a handful of clicks. I'm pretty handy with IT stuff on a casual basis (I'm a developer by trade), but I never got a real handle on how to set this up myself.It has a sturdy metal body, so it can handle drops of up to 2 meters.One super nice feature of Synologys that I haven't seen in competitors is that their support team can remote into your box in case something goes wrong (you can disable this functionality if you have data privacy concerns), and fix it. As any SSD drive, T5 has no moving parts. The device is so small that it can fit in your shirt pocket.It's a little bigger than a matchbox and weighs just 51 grams. Not sure for how much longer they will support the free version.My Recommendations for the Best External Hard Drive for Mac Time Machine Backup Best overall: Samsung T5 SSD.You can choose the OS that best fits your needs (e.g. The PC will be faster, more flexible and cheaper. They tend to be more expensive, but they have more features (HDMI out, Virtualization) and their boxes tend to be much more powerful (Core i3 processors are an option, for example, which I don't think any Synology has, other than maybe their rackmountable models).(This is pretty much my standard reply when people ask for a NAS suggestion)For the price of a low-end, RAID 5/6 capable, off-the-shelf NAS, you'll be better served by an off-the-shelf PC. I HAVE used their support, and it's very, very good (quick response times on tickets, resolves the issue quickly, don't have to keep pestering them to get things done).Network-attached storage (NAS) device that supports Time Machine over SMB Mac shared as a Time Machine backup destination AirPort Time Capsule, or external drive connected to an AirPort Time capsule or AirPort Extreme Base Station (802.11ac)Just for completeness' sake, you should also consider QNAP, as they are the other big name in preconfigured NASes. Of their 4/5 bay models, you really should only consider the 5 bay, because you'll want two parity drives. Again, for that price a PC will be much more powerful and flexible. If you have a $250 budget, you'll be limited to one of their two-bay models. But the Synology, QNAP, ReadyNAS or Drobo (shudder) will be easier set up and also, possibly, to maintain.IMO, of the common NAS boxes, the only one worth considering is Synology because it supports btrfs. Best external memory for macIf you're willing to dedicate a weekend or two to setting up a system, go for the PC.Just one caveat for Synology: DSM 6 may have borked my DS412+, and it seems I might not be the only one with the issues.Initially didn't want to start up properly after the update, there was one moment where I thought I lost all my data, can't get the drives to go to sleep anymore (even with it completely disconnected from the network), had some file transfers fail when it was working, and I'm still getting the admin interface stops responding issues. But once again, a much more powerful and flexible PC can be had for half that price.If you're not a tinkerer or don't have the time, go for the Synology. The DS1515+ is a fine box and can be had for $700. ![]() The Play is a little more flexible with iSCSI addresses as well. Because the file system is ext4/btrfs data recovery is possible if the hardware fails outright but the drives are good.So what difference does the "+" mean with Synology?Okay, let's start it off with the Play comparison, here's a comparison for the DS416 and DS416Play:The Play does transcoding on the fly, and also has a different processor in it (Play is 64 bit Celeron, 416 is a 32 bit Alpine AL-212). Anandtech did a writeup on one of them last year. The DS916+ has better read speeds.Long story short: This is more for a professional offering, with support for a lot more RAM, more drives, email server capability, and server virtualization.Some people can build their own chair out of wood they chopped down themselves in their backyard for a fraction of the price of a chair they bought in a store, and it will probably be better built, sturdier, and more fashionable, but just like most people aren't carpenters, most people aren't computer builders. Allows for server virtualization. It also adds an eSATA port on the back. External expansion is possible beyond the four bays up to 9 total drives. More RAM is offered with 2G or 8GB (DS416Play is only 1GB). The Play also supports faster read and write capability.Long story short: The Play has more power and more video options.The DS916+ moves up to a quad core Pentium for the processor. Synology's and QNAP's software makes a lot of typically technically fussy tasks dead simple to do. Bulletproof reliability and ease of use trump all else, IMO, when it comes to backups. I can't stress enough how important it is to have something that's easy to maintain, especially when its for a system that's presumably being used as a backup for all your other computers. Bulletproof reliability and ease of use trump all elseā¦The value of this cannot be overstated.Sounds like we're mostly in agreement, and it's not like I disagree with anything you wrote.Couple of points, when I'm saying "PC" I'm just as much talking about your off-the-shelf, warrantied Lenovo/Dell/HP (or whatever). I can't stress enough how important it is to have something that's easy to maintain, especially when its for a system that's presumably being used as a backup for all your other computers. The value of this cannot be overstated.Prebuilt systems sell more than homebuilt computers on several orders of magnitude more for a reason. I use it at home (home based business) in a mixed platform environment, mac's pc's laptops, mobile. Very solid machine, no issues, just works. Synology is different because they support btrfs, but I'd still trust the security and robustness of widely-used, open source software.But I do concur that an off-the-shelf NAS is easier to setup than say FreeNAS.I have a Synology DS1515+ which I got a couple of months ago. For my money (or lack there of in this case), when choosing what to entrust my backups to, I'd take nearly any BSD/ZFS distribution over what QNAP or Drobo produces. In terms of reliability, IMO they're at least as reliable as closed, commercial distributions.
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