Advice Request Cloud Backup or Physical Backup? Which one do you prefer?

[Atlas147]

I use rClone for local backups, I write my own batch files and trigger them when I know I've added files into my folders (I'm a photographer). This copy is not encrypted, but this hard disk stays at home at all times.

For cloud backups I use ARQ backup, which automatically encrypts the uploaded files, and does incremental backups as well. ARQ is only the client, for the cloud service, I use google drive because it seems to be the cheapest and also I use google docs so it's a good integration.

Most of the files I upload to google drive is encrypted by ARQ backup, however there are some photo files that I upload to google drive using rClone that are unencrypted (mostly photo files)

 

[Aleeyen]

Both local storage and cloud storage have their own pros & cons, mixing and using them wisely can give good results like being able to store data forever.
But its better not to store too much sensitive data on cloud, you never know who can access your data and what type of computing power that person has. Moreover, the user doesn't know if the data gets stored anywhere else and can be decrypted later on with the increase of computing power.

 

[Weebarra]

I use both but can only vote for one. It's all the same stuff i have stored either in Onedrive (3 accounts) or on a Ext HD, i also back up to disks too but i think i'm the only one here who does that (or admits to it, lol) so at least if one of the 3 fail in some way, i have other options. None of my stored stuff is of real importance to anyone other than me but i try to cover all bases. :emoji_flushed:

 

[mlnevese]

I lost many pictures years ago due to a hard drive crash including all of my marriage pictures. If it wasn't for a copy I sent to my father-in-law they would have been lost forever.. For some reason I have always backed up my work files but I never did much of a backup with personal files. That incident changed it.

I now have two physical mirrors on different computers, a cloud backup and complete image files of all computers stored in a 4tb external disk. I will never risk losing those pictures again.

 

[Aleeyen]

If it wasn't for a copy I sent to my father-in-law they would have been lost forever.

Did the Sun rise from West that day.

 

[mlnevese]

Did the Sun rise from West that day.

It was quite a lucky day. We didn't even remember we had sent him that DVD some years before.

 

[Handsome Recluse]

Gotta follow that 3 + 2 + 1 rule

Hmmm. Wondering the empirical/mathematical basis for that.

 

[Thales]

Hmmm. Wondering the empirical/mathematical basis for that.

Simple:
If 111 users use this method then it is an evil backup solution.
111 users * (3+2+1) = 666

 

[Deleted member 178]

Simple:
If 111 users use this method then it is an evil backup solution.
111 users * (3+2+1) = 666

You mean the !!!111users?

 

[codswollip]

Off-premises NAS.

 

[Vasudev]

HDD and USB at the moment, I would prefer 256-512GB USB, but waiting for prices to drop a little. I recall buying 4GB for INR 1 401.
I recently bought waterproof Adata UV310 64GB for INR 1 401 (I wish, they would have at least 128GB), I also have a bulletproof Pretec.
By the way, I am also considering Backblaze. INR 3 503 per year for an unlimited storage and unlimited file size (very few services offer this).

Grab a yesteryear OEM SATA or NVMe drive with M.2 enclosure that can be connected to USB 3/3.1/Type C slot which is cheaper and produce less heat. Most bigger USB drives are SSDs anyways. With real SSD you have better endurance and you can use Win2Go or Linux OS on the drive itself.

 

[Ink]

Utilise both. Simple.

For online backups;

• Register with an email and password
• Enable 2 factor authentication
• Monitor account permissions (ie. some apps may Read/Write to Google Drive)
• Use an encryption tool for sensitive documents (ie. Boxcryptor or your own)
• Better for documents and photos.

For offline backups;

• Store in secure environment (ie. Fireproof safe, locked cupboard)
• If required, use a RAID configuration, but can be expensive
• Optionally look at NAS, but evaluate the pros/cons and potential risks
• Better for large video files and system images.

Don't be a dummy and rely on one service.

 

[ForgottenSeer 58943]

pCloud is turning out to be total crap. I had to stop using it.

The phone app is garbage and stops automatically uploading photos randomly, and each time requires a re-install of the app or a cache wipe, and it may or may not work for more than a few days. Support is garbage and keeps responding with the same statement 'which version are you on? Did you wipe the cache?' over and over and over.

I totally regret my decision to buy it and I am going to implement at credit card chargeback against them very shortly if they refuse to extend the refund policy to a month for me.

 

[SumTingWong]

pCloud is turning out to be total crap. I had to stop using it.

The phone app is garbage and stops automatically uploading photos randomly, and each time requires a re-install of the app or a cache wipe, and it may or may not work for more than a few days. Support is garbage and keeps responding with the same statement 'which version are you on? Did you wipe the cache?' over and over and over.

I totally regret my decision to buy it and I am going to implement at credit card chargeback against them very shortly if they refuse to extend the refund policy to a month for me.

Physical backup man.

 

[Cortex]

I have a 4TB spinner & a SSD in this PC. I also have 4 external drives one of which resides at my sons house & he also rotates his with me. Most of the data such as video & two thousand+ FLAC albums & many thousand MP3 files don't change unless I add to them. It's only Docs etc./Software/Images that change which I do daily on a drive easily connected to this PC, (Images maybe weekly unless I make a major change) takes minutes the rest are done weekly but on different days.

I have another drive I acquired with my music & photographs on that don't really get touched. If a drive starts to fail I replace it with a larger one. For me I see little point in cloud backup at this point. I've been using this system for many years & never let me down. I didn't buy the drives at once just when smaller (in the beginning tiny) drives gave up the ghost or it became to small to be usable. Most things in life are replaceable apart from people, keepsakes photographs & data (cats) - I imagine most won't agree with my system

 

[ForgottenSeer 58943]

Physical backup man.

Yup, got a Datto.

However I like to automagically pull photos/videos off our phones for safety reasons.. Back to Sync.com for that.

 

[Aleeyen]

pCloud is turning out to be total crap. I had to stop using it.

The phone app is garbage and stops automatically uploading photos randomly, and each time requires a re-install of the app or a cache wipe, and it may or may not work for more than a few days. Support is garbage and keeps responding with the same statement 'which version are you on? Did you wipe the cache?' over and over and over.

I totally regret my decision to buy it and I am going to implement at credit card chargeback against them very shortly if they refuse to extend the refund policy to a month for me.

This is one of the reasons I don't very much depend on Clouds. Any cloud provider even the biggies can do this kind of things, if they want to concentrate on some other business.
Cloud should be one of the many options for back up, like you have one physical backup and another cloud back of the same data. Its much more secure in the way that both may not go bad at the same time.
Also, as @Music4Ever has done, keeping one backup at some one else's place is a really good idea.

 

[Deletedmessiah]

I mostly use physical backups but some important files are stored on Google Drive.

 

[DeepWeb]

@Vasudev my boot disk is a simple 1TB Micron M600 which I got for $160 on ebay. My backup SSD is a strange 960GB Liteon ect-960n9s rated 1 disk write a day for 3 years, MTBF 2.5 million hours and power off data retention guaranteed for 1 year. They're not the fastest in benchmarks but they are fast enough.

 

[Mitchy]

Combination of both is best method. I agree with what "Spawn" commented.