anotherview Loc: California

I have been considering my need for consolidating all my photographs in one place. Drobo offers a line of raid format storage devices. They seem attractive. I have in mind one that can hold 20 terabytes.

I note that the negative comments regarding the performance of Drobo devices appear to come chiefly from users of Apple computers. I use the Windows 10 operating system.

I will appreciate hearing from others who have experience with Drobo storage devices.

Thank you.

nikonkelly Loc: SE Michigan

I have and use a Drobo B800fs... a little larger than you are speaking of. My son told me it would be slow because it simply cant pass data as fast as an internal drive. That may be, but i decided to correct that by using a ssd to host my images on the computer and after they were processed, send them to the drobo. That works at about the same speed as did working from the Drobo... a tiny bit faster but hardly noticeable. I found the real issue to be Lightroom's unexcusable slowness. even with the recent upgrades to lightroom, I don't see much performance improvements. If I had it all to do over again, I would only change the SSD and just work from the Drobo. it does a stellar job.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

NAS appliances are great for collaboration, fail-safe redundant backup and secondary storage - but not great if you use them as working storage. They are too slow. In addition to network attached storage, Drobo offers Direct Attached Storage appliances - which offer USBC or Thunderbolt 3 ports, making them nearly as fast as internal SATA drives. I am not sure about their support - it used to be awful. And their systems would fail and data would be lost. But that was about 4 yrs ago, the last time I looked at them as a possibility for my own use.

However, if you are considering a storage solution along these lines, you might want to take a look at what Synology offers. They do not have a DAS, but their NAS solutions are legendary for their performance, quality and support. They have a large number of options to choose from, many are scalable with accessory docks, they have dual redundant power supplies, hot swappable drives, dual and quadruple gigabit lan connections which can be ganged for greater bandwidth, etc etc etc.

anotherview Loc: California

Thank you for your reply. Yes, I've read the critical reviews of raid devices from Drobo and its inadequate customer service. Yet, my computer guy recommended Drobo. Maybe its customer service has improved.

Right now, I have terabytes of photographs on a number of external drives. Bringing all my photographs together in one storage setup would simplify access to them. I want "working storage." So I will look again at Synology offerings.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Since Synology does not offer a DAS - I don't think you'll be happy with the performance. NAS relies on Gigabit or dual or quad gigabit for throughput - which is considerably slower than USBC or Thunderbolt 2.

My suggestion is to get a fast DAS for your working storage, AND a backup NAS for storage forthe less visited files. There is no reason why the NAS can't hold your less active files along with a backup of your current work. They are really two different devices meant for two different tasks, though they do overlap a bit.

Smudgey Loc: Ohio, Calif, Now Arizona

Check out OWC ThunderBay raid systems. I have a 13 TB raid and has never given me a problem. Definitely worth looking into.

anotherview Loc: California

Thank you for your analysis and your suggestion for "a fast DAS for your working storage, AND a backup NAS for storage for the less visited files."

I appreciate learning of alternatives for storage of my photographs.

JackB

I use a Dropbo 5N in a mixed network of 2 Macs and 1 Windows 10 machine with no problems. The Drobo connects directly to my router via Ethernet cable. My windows machine seems to access the Drobo more quickly than the Macs. I store my raw photos in a separate folder from the jpgs on the Drobo. I had some problems at the beginning but Drobo has improved and updated the dashboard so problems are less frequent. Very satisfied with my set up. I can also access the Drobo online from any location.

JackB

I have called Drobo and spoke directly to a technical person with a very short wait on hold. They have always been very helpful and have even called me back with further helpful information.

anotherview Loc: California

Thank you for your suggestion. I note, however, that the OWC ThunderBay raid systems go with Apple products. I do not do Apple. I use only the Windows OS.

anotherview Loc: California

Thank you for addressing one of my big concerns: Drobo customer support.

Do you achieve access to "the Drobo online from any location" by connecting the Drobo "directly to my router via Ethernet cable"? This access sounds most useful, as I travel a lot on road trips. I suppose this access happens by way of an Internet connection of some sort. Please clarify.

Yes, I already separate my JPEG files from my RAW files.

Thank you for your reply.

JackB

During the set up process, you can set up a url such as: yournameserver.mydrobo.com. You then set up a log in password to access your personal site. Speed depends on your connection and can be rather slow without high speed connection.

I set up a file and add things which I think I might need on the road. Also great to add your photos while gone for a backup or to clear SD cards.

anotherview Loc: California

Thank you for your description of the setup process for accessing stored photos via the Internet.

JackB

Your are welcome. I forgot to mention there is also an app for your phone that will automatically upload your phone photos to the drobo when you are within range of the wifi network the drobo is on. I don't shoot many photos with my phone but it is a nice added attraction.