Hi,
I am a long time user of FreeFileSync, and I am eager to try the new feature of synchronisation over SFTP.
I would like to give up my "old style" backing up on a hard drive, and change it to a backup on a cloud storage.
But so far, I did not find out any cloud storage provider which propose the SFTP feature.
Can some of you advise me with your own experiences ?
Which Cloud storage including SFTP option do you advise ?
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- Joined: 3 Apr 2018
- Posts: 51
- Joined: 13 May 2017
I do not advise using cloud storage, especially the free ones. Except for the really expensive ones, they are rarely encrypted and, especially the freebies, are subject to disappearing with no or inadequate notice, taking your data with it.
A good, paid cloud backup service, the other hand, is another story. They put their own software on your computer which will encrypt your data before it gets uploaded to the backup service's servers. The good ones are safe and reliable. The one I recommend now for most people is Backblaze. It's still only $50/year (the last time I checked).
However, I do not recommend depending solely on any one backup. This includes cloud backup services. I strongly recommend you continue to use your backup drive as an onsite backup and use Backblaze for an offsite backup.
A good, paid cloud backup service, the other hand, is another story. They put their own software on your computer which will encrypt your data before it gets uploaded to the backup service's servers. The good ones are safe and reliable. The one I recommend now for most people is Backblaze. It's still only $50/year (the last time I checked).
However, I do not recommend depending solely on any one backup. This includes cloud backup services. I strongly recommend you continue to use your backup drive as an onsite backup and use Backblaze for an offsite backup.
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- Joined: 3 Apr 2018
Thank you Lady Fitzgerald for your reply.
I totally agree with you on the fact that only One backup is not enough, especially if this backup is stored in the cloud.
For sure I will continue to copy my files locally on my external hard drive, but because I think it's useless to store this drive in the same place than my computers, then it's not possible to make daily or weekly backups.
That is the main reason why I would like to use a cloud service for the daily backup, and time to time to continue to dig up in the yard to grab my hidden hard drive ! ;-)
Of course I am looking for a paid service, and it must be a "well known" with a good reputation to avoid the disappearing or loss of data.
About Backblaze, I did not get interrested in it for 3 reasons :
- I would like to avoid the need of installing a specific software for this (I like te freedom of FreefileSync, that permits to record the task with all the tiny exceptions for specific files or folders)
- It is limited to 1 computer backup (I would like it to be more "opened" : They supply a specific amount of Gb, and I deal with it however I want)
- If I am not mistaking, it seems that the only way to retrieve the backup is by 1 huge file... That is not handy at all. Why can't we download a specific folder or file ?!
I totally agree with you on the fact that only One backup is not enough, especially if this backup is stored in the cloud.
For sure I will continue to copy my files locally on my external hard drive, but because I think it's useless to store this drive in the same place than my computers, then it's not possible to make daily or weekly backups.
That is the main reason why I would like to use a cloud service for the daily backup, and time to time to continue to dig up in the yard to grab my hidden hard drive ! ;-)
Of course I am looking for a paid service, and it must be a "well known" with a good reputation to avoid the disappearing or loss of data.
About Backblaze, I did not get interrested in it for 3 reasons :
- I would like to avoid the need of installing a specific software for this (I like te freedom of FreefileSync, that permits to record the task with all the tiny exceptions for specific files or folders)
- It is limited to 1 computer backup (I would like it to be more "opened" : They supply a specific amount of Gb, and I deal with it however I want)
- If I am not mistaking, it seems that the only way to retrieve the backup is by 1 huge file... That is not handy at all. Why can't we download a specific folder or file ?!
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- Joined: 11 Apr 2018
You should consider using peer-to-peer synchronization software like ResilioSync (proprietary) or Syncthing (open source).
The functional difference with the cloud is that you must have two machines on at the same time, or to fully simulate the cloud, have a dedicated machine on h24.
I just wrote my experiment of these in a message here (Multiple machine / single environment / no third parties)
The functional difference with the cloud is that you must have two machines on at the same time, or to fully simulate the cloud, have a dedicated machine on h24.
I just wrote my experiment of these in a message here (Multiple machine / single environment / no third parties)
- Posts: 51
- Joined: 13 May 2017
I actually recommend the opposite of what you are proposing: using the HDD for the local backup (store it in another room out of sight) and the cloud backup for the offsite backup. You get the best of both worlds that way: fast recovery from the onsite (local) backup and keeping the offsite backup updated.Thank you Lady Fitzgerald for your reply.
I totally agree with you on the fact that only One backup is not enough, especially if this backup is stored in the cloud.
For sure I will continue to copy my files locally on my external hard drive, but because I think it's useless to store this drive in the same place than my computers, then it's not possible to make daily or weekly backups.
That is the main reason why I would like to use a cloud service for the daily backup, and time to time to continue to dig up in the yard to grab my hidden hard drive ! ;-)...electron12, 11 Apr 2018, 17:01
Hmmm...never thought of burying an offsite backup... ;)
I don't know why you wouldn't want Backblaze's software on your computer. You should be able to make exceptions for certain files and folders. I currently have both Carbonite's and CrashPlan's software on my computer and they run invisibly in the background; I can't tell they are there except for their icons in the System tray (which can be hidden). I no longer recommend Carbonite to people because of it's limitations and CrashPlan because it is expensive (I'm switching to CrashPlan only because it is compatible with Linux, which I will be switching to by 2020, and the others are not). I was skeptical of Backblaze initially because of its unorthodox business plan but it has more than proven itself over time....About Backblaze, I did not get interrested in it for 3 reasons :
- I would like to avoid the need of installing a specific software for this (I like te freedom of FreefileSync, that permits to record the task with all the tiny exceptions for specific files or folders)...electron12, 11 Apr 2018, 17:01
All cloud backup services are limited to one computer per plan unless you pay for a more expensive business plan. I get around it by backing up my notebooks to my desktop. Backblaze has unlimited storage....It is limited to 1 computer backup (I would like it to be more "opened" : They supply a specific amount of Gb, and I deal with it however I want)...electron12, 11 Apr 2018, 17:01
This from Backblaze's website:...- If I am not mistaking, it seems that the only way to retrieve the backup is by 1 huge file... That is not handy at all. Why can't we download a specific folder or file ?! electron12, 11 Apr 2018, 17:01
"You can download a free restore of 1 file or all your files anywhere in the world."
Backblaze has a free trial available so why not take it for a test drive?
