I have between 20-30 TB of data I want to keep a copy of in a firesafe. I do not want to use an online storage solution, I want to maintain my personal data at my home.

My current plan is to get (2) Mediasonic HFR2-SU3S2 PRORAID enclosures and (8) WD Red Pro NAS 16TB drives to fill them. The first would contain a full backup and be placed in the safe. The second would be attached to my machine and receive nightly backups. Periodically, I would rotate the enclosures, taking the one from the safe and swap it with the one connected to my machine.

Are there any problems with my plan that I am not thinking of? Are there better solutions?

Is anyone else keeping a rotating data backup in a safe? How is it working out for you?

  • Yendor@reddthat.com
    4·
    1 year ago

    You’ll need to get a fire rated media safe, not just a fireproof safe. A regular fireproof safe will keep the internal temperature below 175C if exposed to a 30 minute wood fire - what you’d typically experience in a home fire. The 175C is to stop paper from igniting, but at that temp your HDDs would be toast.

    A data/media safe should maintain an internal temp of under 60C if exposed to the same fire. That means it needs to have much more thermal insulation, and as a consequence it will be significantly bigger and more expensive. To fit in the whole enclosure, you’ll probably have to pay more for the safe than the HDDs.

    • tonynOP
      2·
      1 year ago

      I’m thinking of going with the Phoenix DataCare 2001 which is indeed a fireproof media safe specifically for keeping hard drives, discs, etc. safe in a fire for over an hour. I hope I never need to test it, but of all the non-living things in our home we couldn’t replace, it’s our personal pictures, video, and business related data. Western Digital is having a sale on their drives today and I picked up (8) 16TB WD Pro Red NAS drives for $219 each. WD Red Pro (normally $289.99)