CNET to the Rescue Ep. 26: Mass Storage for the masses

Hello everyone I'm Rick Adelman. Welcome to CNET to the rescue our weekly podcast where we tell you the truth about using tech product to try to solve all the problems you might have with your technology and our new format. We bring in a new guest every week to discuss a particular topic. And this week that topic is storage we have -- -- from the labs of -- the deep in the labs he. They let him out special not so deep is quite yet it well you're very Dee oh hey it. -- yes yes -- thank you very much for joining us thank you for having -- we're gonna have we're gonna talk about storage and some. The issues about managing your digital assets across multiple devices we have much questions that people have sent in so if you would like that and questions on. Actually other topics because next week we'll be covering something else and week -- that something else again. Send it to us at rescue at cnet.com or. And as the voice mail at 87743866888774386688. No question is -- basic. After the get tech problem with getting getting on your skin youth call. I do wanna say December 1 I know what the show us I don't know when -- because -- know December 1 in its gonna be cutting the court David Katzmaier and CNET. Just did a great story on dumping his yeah his bios. -- over his Verizon. Not cable the cable TV service and replacing with the Internet and using a series on that we're gonna have him on the show and talk about how you do that if -- questions by cutting record. For the December 1 show -- -- artistic start. -- don't think so much for joining us. He used to be if you needed storage for your computer you -- -- you bought a hard as you open up the case -- -- plugged it in now. That's not necessarily the best solution if you want to expand your your you're not -- -- -- real put stuff on and I see a lot of people myself included who. I don't want this in the computer or even attach the computer I want -- attached to my network. Is network towards the way to go over. Now I work I think definitely -- -- -- -- -- and as -- the the netbook at tech stories or next them so you have a NASA. That NASA basically is very much like an actual hard drive but is plucked who you'll route -- or you hop so -- in this way -- to -- -- able to old computer your network instead of just one computer and attack. Right so putting and stored on the network as opposed to attach directly with the -- doesn't make things slower. It's not that actually because you know you have alias beat 2.0 now and they have these B three point oh yeah and the fastest you know he has been through spring always a -- hundred megabits per second okay. And the fastest you know NASA over now is about 120 something megabits -- second. So is about the same as I -- yes because it is the limit here is -- actually the Gigabit ethernet them and the top speed of but if you you get the Nazis 128. I think they get me about the -- and -- -- five test -- NASA and they actually get to that. -- -- -- So far now I think you know we got to throughput speed that's no different issue and a good NASA -- and you know X -- How opera aren't so if speed is not a factor here what are some of the advantages of spending that little extra money to put a hard drive on my home network. Well though you -- the animated adventure is number one you can -- computer can access the net at its -- -- -- -- of your five computer you can access at the same task. With extra -- and only -- using one computer at attacked. That's the main thing -- -- so you can do many thing than just sharing data you can stream movies. Music folder rose and everything else you know it just like it's over you get those so -- -- NASA look you know so BA surveillance system you can hope you know. IP TV IP camera to it and you can just basically records you know based on most -- detection or have them and you have the whole -- -- -- -- the system in the house. And you get also have access to notes at the NASA go through the Internet the so you go to go to walked you'll you're travelling and many forget something at home right you've 050 or even say I -- some big show us some music Ke Ken. Get off the -- over okay now get new windows. That's several years ago needing. A solution to backup multiple computers in my home I bought a the first generation of the HP MediaSmart server which is -- Windows Home Server device. My particular product is from two generations old now and is very slow it this offers an updated it now in addition to backing up on windows windows machines. It also backs up. Mac OS-X machines it acts as a time capsule and time machine although you put it out our software on the -- do it. If I -- to this try to solve this problem today to say I need -- storage system for my home. That does all these things. Multiple computer access. Multiple platform access remote access it's that are -- what would you recommend AdAware -- usually get another WH OS box or or -- Well I think you know we don't homes -- -- -- HS to say what would hope so is really cool because windows so it's very windows friendly now what they'll say about this is. As an enclosure for -- network hard drive. But WA just -- horrendously expense. It is quite expensive and I think mostly because you know -- have to pay Microsoft so for the OS so. So but -- thing you know one other thing about window host of invasive quite limited in acute sense is number -- -- that. It's limited to ten computer at a -- so there's only ten called coronal connection to -- and maximum. Animates so it is you know I think the way that windows manage files or manage the system is not -- -- optimize for that kind of application. I would actually recommend you know a system running Munich's and the company that recommend the most is Scientology -- they have -- you know they have system. I'm in the -- way is you you can you can manages several through the for the website -- -- web interface. But the firmware make it look like an OS -- alias -- and really at a mall multitasking kind of -- -- -- them. And he can do everything that that we know homes -- look and new and more. Really would hope so but I said that I don't think it can handle IP camera. That this technology can -- -- camera easily in the support so -- IP camera. -- IR IV camera that's a whole different topic but I have IP cameras hooked up to my home network and I I use my WH OS which has kind of a rudimentary. Portal page just to link to them from outside the web. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Began haven't seen played by candy can -- -- -- record based on motion detection. And that's -- the one future. You can also do many other thing you can stream you can use so Eskew that's escudos over as a web so as -- email service. Into many many inaccurate that. So are from serving storage. Dynamic mean drool here man as availability of digits -- both -- -- stuff but it's a slow and noisy that -- an expensive to upgrade to look into that now. We just a question from each night in the -- it says. Is it worth it to reaper personal laptop to be a file server. I don't think is good idea and a because you know to -- ought to increase the storage space of a laptop yeah the -- -- national opera -- -- little USB USB industries limited and most laptops have used B 2.0 which is limited to part of it the -- -- beat seconds is really slow and -- -- so now what I think is good idea it looks it looks but it's not a good idea when he went to shell on a file. Best I think -- two. If you wanna find any use from a laptop probably use it as maybe a media. Client in the living room yeah it has -- the playback something yeah into. But got to TV something on playback media like music player approach you didn't get that the the product that becomes popular -- it's analogy that's that's -- and OL is actually due -- -- -- and -- not to patsy -- and in in -- away. But I kind of you know -- -- technology because they came out with the third version of the -- where it makes it looks -- last night. So -- have been cute have anti delegates who companies that make you really really good it's an answer so these products in addition to doing all the stuff one of these the storage devices in the home network mean -- sort -- the stream to a client from I have -- someone else. Device and I have a Tivo both of them are streaming client. Will these devices. That's stores serve data to those streaming client yes as -- I think as well as the old days they based on -- -- -- -- which is I think. This -- UP NPO laud the analysts and Africa named Leo something standard via. And that it will together basically the same -- only three -- -- three had a pianist and which streaming. And though most of the NASA over the support all of them. Okay -- little idea and soon. -- think the LD EL -- yeah that's right exactly Africa when banks. So let's talk more products we talk about technology and Q that's right but those are some I don't net -- -- there are other products I'm familiar with. A little company that things I met with an X excise -- out there. They do enclosures the -- and my last. Content with -- -- enclosures people you're driving and and it becomes networks -- most of this I'm about activities -- enclosure by the way yeah by the -- by yourself okay and found them they actually include the story of -- different price. Storage is cheap these enclosure spent getting very Chia -- -- must I would -- by the -- -- because. We haven't three terabyte hard drive now you just you know it's huge and the problem is that you cannot use them -- we've you computer yet because the computer cannot boot. From a three terabyte -- you do if the partition it doesn't matter and you can boot from now we can with -- three camera outright because. You know back in eighties you know when people it's not making the bios you know the basic input output you know system. They did -- thing that that someday that B hard drive -- -- bar so they limited though top. Capacity for at a bios can -- two -- nineteen have a so you enemies those those are -- can not boot but windows machines this -- there's windows only it as we know it -- it now we cannot. But can they read at any rate but that's ludicrous story now acrylic -- that get a book which -- be credible entity use the new. The new bios which is the the you know the -- extensive phone way now interface. So if you run bios which is most computer most BC not use bios cannot boot moments which have a opera -- but it can -- So it can use them as a secondary hard drive if you if you use a new and you put in -- which is -- GG PT. If -- master boot record you cannot. We're going off -- -- yet here but this is interest except let me just say. My personal advice on this if you're we're talking here by desktop computers because laptop -- you have it three care problem getting -- five is -- if so my recommendation on on desktop computers is to keep. And this is a pain in the neck for for because windows doesn't really doesn't make this easy. But -- keep the boot drive and the data drive separate yet. Now for boot -- I happen to like the lost a raptor drives with the -- very -- in -- yet -- -- -- they're fast they're more expensive by far than a regular old hard drive but they're 101000 rpm drive. They're very quiet. And not that much more expensive so I put my windows and you know at some of the apps on the author raptor and then I have a giant multi terabyte hard drive the data on on the -- -- -- and it's a pain in the neck but that way in the other advantage of that is that. -- back up. Both drives but I backup the data drive and then if it fails they just replace -- -- drive and if the if the boot drive fails I still have my data is much easier to deal -- -- treat you separate data from blu. Eric got a fever the raptor is at the top the top storage over 600 gigabytes which is too small to get this on exists it's only -- try to there was I've brought up the three terabytes because all of these at NASA will this technology for the -- can handle three terabyte easily. Yeah parked in the three -- and you can use it. So but I you know most of the window homes of a NASA -- -- -- NASA agreed not -- to take the three terabyte opera. That's on top it's so easy so even my WH OS box on -- regular -- -- though because is is limited by the bios them and don't. So so you know so so another adventures abusing Munich space NASA over the fact that it can handle very large. Storage space and and and you know right now if you -- if you use technology can have the through terabyte hard drive so you can have the most possible matter and that would just look like a regular drive to windows -- the amount of the data to a netbook -- the -- I mean if you -- netbook and that's no. Imitation anything as fun as it -- with a host. So let's talk about a couple other network products and I wanna get in some other topics here related distort and hopefully have turned -- -- questions that we got. I have. A product at home that's very nice it's called -- -- plug. It's basically. It was the first -- with -- wall -- with the AC adapter ethernet adapter and USB plug in and you plug in your external USB drive and put them on the network. And also puts them on the Internet if under security. Usually with a -- Well yeah I think -- elbow plug actually Tuesday -- That the Toshiba machine actually which is made by model to the marvelous idea is that they put the whole computer into into the block. The hope that the block inside it should achieve that the -- says that there was some ram and and then -- the peripheral ports and you plug into the socket and -- have computer. Music -- the hard drive into it you know -- -- before and now we have the whole sort system and you met -- the computer through weapon effects. So -- the idea is I think his greatest fun because you can quickly. A tone any extra hard drive into a NASA right and you can access the you know the -- contents with the Internet there's a great idea. One of the great things about this product in them all the other -- department to by the way. Is if you want to share a big file with your family -- friends. A video home movie or something like that. But you don't wanna leave your computer -- I mean you don't wanna upload it to these services -- -- like prime gigs or whatever. You put it on your pogo plug. -- or the pull the -- -- -- -- -- -- right and then you can share that your friends animal economic and get it and upload it. When -- network out that way do it that it actually slow value connected to the Internet yes it does yeah I don't they don't send them only everybody you've gone to bed and I can get overnight -- I don't make -- in public published because you with a dollop of music and then you'll do connection goes faster than your hosts now there's one other product of very pop popular brand that we didn't discuss which is the Drobo. Yeah Drobo is one of the first devices that. It's not raid but it's it's it has written -- -- called beyond -- -- under what did -- special kind of really thinking that Windows Home Server does -- you know you put -- drive in and it -- it to distort pool and balances and replicates data I think is different though I think it -- -- -- the called the duplication. Whatever they call via -- let it -- The Japanese because you -- you can only duplicate. One they specially formed -- in window homes of yes Annan and and what I again you can duplicate a few -- that yet fully -- -- -- I don't. But I think that you don't McCain as Ross so so -- actually used quiet about space Odyssey. When the -- is different -- site had a balance between the space there and there and and the redundancy. That's the so -- so we've home server if you -- a few if you duplicate -- Hughes folder. Is not very affect you because you you so much space. Right and I guess the argument is that -- -- so cheap why not. But it is very inefficient and also it take it kills the performance of the WHS boxes that. Anyway so to speak about performance it's also -- I think the Drobo is a great year ending isn't actually -- and a great idea. Bad you know is not very good when -- comfortable form. It's alright -- is unity and the thing with the proposed that is as or -- -- that that direct attached or the network as a matter of -- I think a its nature of of of Drobo as special rate configuration. And I think is that it gets slowed the maw in forward in beta put in the slow death so if you have a nothing on the -- -- that I know for.