Avoid Monthly Online Cloud Storage Fees with External Storage

In our digital age, our data is becoming more valuable and irreplaceable. With rampant cyberthreats, and increasing file sizes, keeping our photos, videos, and documents on just computers is no longer feasible (What if the computer crashes? What if it gets hit with a virus?), and many have turned to cloud storage to meet our needs, with no shortage of options—there is Apple iCloud, Google Photos, Amazon’s Prime Photos, to name a few. However, the myriad of cloud storage and backups services available online all face similar issues: the amount of storage offered for free is generally low, and higher storage capacities often require high costs. Even Google Photos, which used to offer free, unlimited photo storage, has recently sprung monthly fees onto its users. Dedicated backup services exist, but they are also costly, and backups put you at the mercy of your internet connection speed. Not to mention the myriad of well-known public cloud security issues.

It’s important to have a durable and hassle-free storage option that ensures your photos, videos, and other files are available to you when you need them. For hassle-free expansive storage (and security), Buffalo recommends keeping an offline backup copy of your data by utilizing either a simple external hard drives or more involved network-attached storage (NAS). You can set up your offline storage to meet your exact storage and backup needs and to give you that important peace of mind when it comes to your valuable data.

Large Capacities that Belong to You

External storage means larger and cheaper storage space at a straightforward price. Depending on your needs, you can purchase external storage devices at multiple increments of terabytes (TB). A large capacity is especially important when backing up photos and videos, as modern high-resolution media can take up quite a bit of space. For example, a one-hour 4K video alone will require 50GB of storage space. Even with a 1TB external hard drive, you will be able to hold quite a few videos. If you have an external SSD device, you will be able to take advantage of the blazing fast write speed and back up your photos and videos much faster than uploading it to the cloud. You can safely store all your most valuable photos, videos, and other data on your external drive and free up space on your computer and phone.

A key point about your storage device is that once you purchase it, it’s yours and you can control how to store and back up data as you see fit—no need to pay monthly fees or deal with convoluted pricing structures—and their versatility allows them to be used in any situation you set them up in.

The Right External Storage for You

You should always choose the best external storage that suits your needs. While a portable plug-and-play hard drive might suit your needs, you might get more out of external storage with more capabilities.

Portable Drives (HDD/SSD)

Standalone portable drives are straightforward, affordable, and easy-to-use. You can easily get a quality 1TB backup drive at very affordable prices. Standalone portable drives are usually USB, and are detected automatically as soon as they are connected to any standard computer. Portable drives offer versatility in that you don’t need to connect to the internet to back up or retrieve your files—simply back up your data and then disconnect the drive (or just take it with you!) to keep it safe from hackers. With an external drive, you will be the one in control of your data and know its status and location at all times.

Portable drives usually come in flavors of HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and SSD (Solid State Drive). SSD usually offers less capacity than their HDD counterparts, but they make up for it with increased durability and lightning-fast speeds that enables working with files directly from the drive. Buffalo’s SSD-PG series come in a compact form factor with cover-to-cover protection for instantaneous, on-the-go back up and storage. Its fast speeds even allow for multi-tasking, allowing you to edit files directly from the drive without slowing down your computer. From students to creative professionals, many appreciate the versatility of an affordable and powerful storage device that effortlessly fits in a bag or pocket.

USB Sticks

Similar to portable drives, USB flash drives have long been used as a flexible and portable file backup device. Although USB flash drives tend to offer lower capacities than an external drive, they also tend to be much more affordable as well. The highlight of USB flash drives is the portability, as you can easily carry multiple USB sticks in your pocket no matter where you are, and SSD USB sticks mean you get the same increased durability as an external SSD, so you can comfortably carry all your files in your pocket with peace of mind.

Network-Attached Storage

Network-attached storage (NAS) refers to specific storage and back up devices that remain on your home network. A NAS device loses the portability factor, but offers many additional benefits for those who want to take their file storage and backups to the next level.

Right off the bat, NAS devices usually offer RAID—allowing you to improve data redundancy and sometimes improve data access performance. With a NAS system, you will also be able to effect multi-layer data security, which is critical if you are serious about protecting your personal data from escalating cyberthreats such as ransomware. NAS devices also allow you to smoothly transition between online and offline backups, with many supporting popular cloud services so you can choose how to store and protect certain data.

Buffalo’s LinkStation 700 is a reliable and easy-to-use network storage solution and personal cloud that is perfect for storing your most important data in a central location. You can access your data from anywhere on the internet, securely share it with others, or stream your videos and music to DLNA devices on your network. You can easily back up multiple PC and Mac computers (and even mobile devices) to the same secure location, as well as offset your cloud storage to keep your data safe as you see fit.

Buffalo’s Versatile Storage Solutions

Buffalo Americas, Inc. prides itself in offering acclaimed data storage products that highlights security, stability, and simplicity, along with award-winning customer service and 24/7 North America-based support. Buffalo NAS are widely considered the most secure storage on the market, and Buffalo portable solid state drives offer the capacity, speed, and durability to meet your storage and backup needs, so you can enjoy top performance and versatility while keeping your data safe. For more information about Buffalo Americas Inc. and its products, please visit www.BuffaloAmericas.com.