05-16-2025, 12:34 PM
Here are some suggestions:
Synology NAS is a solid choice here. It supports Active Backup for Google Workspace, which will allow you to back up your Google data directly to your NAS. Synology’s ecosystem also offers many apps and tools that could be handy as your needs evolve, from media servers to surveillance station if you add cameras later.
For your backup drives, if you upgrade to a Mac Mini M4 and want fast storage, you can definitely use external NVMe SSDs via Thunderbolt 3/4 or USB 4. That said, NVMe SSDs are great for speed but usually come in smaller capacities and can be costly for long-term storage/backup. A NAS with traditional HDDs in RAID will provide better capacity and redundancy.
If you want a simpler or more budget-friendly backup, CubeBackup is interesting, especially if you prefer a cloud backup solution or want a lightweight local backup without a full NAS. However, it won’t replace the flexibility and broad app support a Synology NAS offers.
Given your Starlink connection (which can have variable upload speeds), backing up large data sets offsite could be slow, so having a reliable local NAS for quick access and backup is important.
For RAID, a Synology NAS with SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID) offers flexible redundancy and easier drive upgrades.
Possible setup:
Synology DS423+ or DS923+ depending on budget and future scalability
Start with 1 or 2 HDDs in RAID 1 or SHR for redundancy
Optionally add NVMe SSDs for cache or fast storage tiers if needed
Synology NAS is a solid choice here. It supports Active Backup for Google Workspace, which will allow you to back up your Google data directly to your NAS. Synology’s ecosystem also offers many apps and tools that could be handy as your needs evolve, from media servers to surveillance station if you add cameras later.
For your backup drives, if you upgrade to a Mac Mini M4 and want fast storage, you can definitely use external NVMe SSDs via Thunderbolt 3/4 or USB 4. That said, NVMe SSDs are great for speed but usually come in smaller capacities and can be costly for long-term storage/backup. A NAS with traditional HDDs in RAID will provide better capacity and redundancy.
If you want a simpler or more budget-friendly backup, CubeBackup is interesting, especially if you prefer a cloud backup solution or want a lightweight local backup without a full NAS. However, it won’t replace the flexibility and broad app support a Synology NAS offers.
Given your Starlink connection (which can have variable upload speeds), backing up large data sets offsite could be slow, so having a reliable local NAS for quick access and backup is important.
For RAID, a Synology NAS with SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID) offers flexible redundancy and easier drive upgrades.
Possible setup:
Synology DS423+ or DS923+ depending on budget and future scalability
Start with 1 or 2 HDDs in RAID 1 or SHR for redundancy
Optionally add NVMe SSDs for cache or fast storage tiers if needed