Apologies if I’m off base here, but I have two issues I’m trying to solve and unsure where I should start - whether these are two separate issues to solve or if I should get something that can do both.
Needs:
- backup and safely store photos and videos from Android phones (in a raid array so it’s redundant storage).
- monitor a set of 2 exterior cameras and a) throw a notification onto a phone when there’s movement b) without giving footage or thumbnails to an external server.
About me:
I’m tech literate enough to Google things and copy/paste or troubleshoot based on what worked for others, but I’d like to avoid having to learn to code or run command lines. I have young kids and don’t really want to have to spend a whole lot of time on this to get it to work or walk my spouse through how to use it.
Options considered:
1a) a Synology product seems like the lowest barrier to entry, but the risk seems to be less ability to fix and potentially more risk of unrecoverable data (GN did videos about this). 1b) multiple hard drives on a PC - works but would suck if my PC fries. 1c) multiple external drives - seems wonky and easier for something to fail. 1d) all of the above and hope it somehow works.
2a) Eufy looked like a good option (local storage and push notifications), until the recent scandal. I am not interested in having pics of little girls on a server somewhere, even if it is only outside pictures. 2b) a wired camera connection - however I’m not going to know if anyone is doing something sketchy unless I know to review the footage. 2c) Synology has an option - however there are the issues mentioned above and I’d also need to drop $400 for the cameras, $200 for the station, and a couple hundred for the drives. 2d) make my own mini comp - however more likely for wonky stuff and higher power draw over the long term.
Any suggestions on where to go from here?
I’ve been using a Synology NAS for years. I use file and photo sync and it works pretty well. I just set up Surveillance Station (their security camera recording software) and connected an inexpensive camera to it. It works really well although it took me a while to figure everything out.
If you’re concerned about data loss, you can set up a backup to Amazon S3 or another backup/storage service or you can put a Synology NAS somewhere else and have it back up to that. You could also have it sync with a service like One Drive.
I like to tinker so I’ve set up a couple other things on it including a Plex server, pi hole, and a VPN Server. It’s a pretty versatile device.