Cloud Backup - Any Advice?

[Bertie]

I have several local backups of all my important genealogy (and other) data, files, pics etc on a USB, iPod, and an external hard drive. However, I feel I should also store my data in the cloud just in case I have multiple loss of data and also to provide me with mobile access to the data.

I have about 25gb of genealogy data [not uploaded to the cloud] and I have used OneDrive and Google Drive in the past for a few hundred photos so I am familiar with its use. However, I am currently finding, in trying to upload backup FTM files and some photos, that the upload speeds are really far too slow to make this an efficient and effective mechanism for uploading and syncing. Upload speeds seems to be a common problem.

Does anyone have any good suggestions or experience in cloud storage that can help? Thanks

[Anne in Carlisle]

Dropbox is the one I use but I only use the free 3.5GB available. You can get more if you pay. Saving stuff to Dropbox seems very, very, quick.
Also I find i useful for sending someone a link to a file that is too big to email. It is very easy to get the link from Dropbox for them and they don't have access to any other of your files.
Anne

[Bertie]

Thanks Anne. I might try it out to see how fast it is from where I am with some large FTM files and then look at their pricing structure (from memory Google Drive is 15gb free and about £1.66 / month for 50gb so quite attractive)

[PhotoFamily]

I use FilesAnywhere.com to store files. Like Anne, I use a cloud storage to transfer large files - and to send faxes of documents that I've stored on FilesAnywhere.

I also use a thumb drive to store my genealogy offsite - in the bank safe deposit box. If someone opens it besides me, they'll probably just shake their head at the content, and pitch it.

[Guy]

The upload spped is dependant on your ISP service rather than the storage system.
For example BT Infinity 2 (fibre optic) has a download speed of 76 Mbps but an upload speed of only 19 Mbps whereas the copper cable system ADSL2+ broadband may only attain 20Mbps download about 1Mbps upload.

Cheers
Guy

[Bertie]

FWIW I tried DropBox and their upload speed was faster than the alternatives I have previously used but still barely acceptable for very large files on my copper wire ending network (Dropbox was uploading at about 40-50Kbps on my connection). So, even at 56Kbps with 10% overhead my 25GB would take some 182 days to upload! Clearly not a viable solution for me! (Although potentially faster upload speeds are available via my copper wire ending network, it is still only a miserable 0.39 Mbps).

I think my best current option is to continue to carry my USB drive with me [as I need it on hand for regular back-ups] and to think of a second site storage option for it when my trees are more stable / less changing.

[PhotoFamily]

I think my best current option is to continue to carry my USB drive with me [as I need it on hand for regular back-ups] and to think of a second site storage option for it when my trees are more stable / less changing.

Offsite storage doesn't just protect against PC/Hard drive breakdown: in the unfortunate event that your house burns down, floods, or some other catastrophic event, you would still have some of your work if a coppy were stored at someone else's home or at the bank or in the cloud.

[PeteW1959]

I have been using a service called SquirrelSave for about 3 years now; it costs £5.05 a month for unlimited storage and bandwidth. The files are stored in the UK at multiple secure data centres.

You install a program that runs quietly in the background, and once it has uploaded all your data (which may take several days if you have a slow upload speed and lots of data), it uploads files 'on the fly' as soon as they are created or edited. There will always be multiple copies of files going back several months, so if you make a mistake and want to go back to a previous version you can.

https://www.squirrelsave.co.uk/