I do an honest job backing up information on all of the gadgets in my home. Pictures and movies taken on my telephone and my spouse’s telephone are uploaded to Google Pictures (within the storage saver tier), and the originals are saved to a DiskStation DS1522+. All the info that’s on my work machine and my spouse’s gaming rig can also be backed as much as the identical NAS, and all that is accomplished mechanically.
This information is then backed as much as one other NAS — a DiskStation DS3622xs+ — and from there, a piece of it’s saved on-line to a Google Drive occasion. I’ve been doing this for some time now, and I’m already utilizing over 150TB of knowledge regionally and about 40TB in Drive (which I will be migrating to a different cloud supplier quickly). A NAS supplies one of the simplest ways to retailer and entry your information, but it surely wants a hands-on strategy, and also you’ll should issue within the prices of the NAS server itself and the related onerous drives.
What in case you don’t need to do all that? Say you simply want a dependable method to again up your photographs, movies, and paperwork, and have that information obtainable wherever you go.
That’s the premise of the BeeDrive. At its core, it’s principally an exterior SSD that may be linked to your Home windows machine, and again up the info on that machine. However you are able to do that with any of the greatest exterior SSDs already obtainable out there at this time. The place the BeeDrive differentiates itself is the software program. It comes with {custom} software program options that allow you to again up photographs and movies out of your telephones and different gadgets, and one of the best half is that you just simply must configure it as soon as — after that, information is backed up mechanically
So in case you do not need to put money into a NAS and onerous drives however need a straightforward method to safeguard your information, the BeeDrive may be the product you want.
Synology BeeDrive: Specs, pricing, and availability
BeeDrive launched earlier this 12 months, and it’s now obtainable direct on its web site and at Amazon. There are two variants on provide: a 1TB mannequin that retails for $119 within the U.S. and £130 within the U.Ok., and there is a 2TB model that’s obtainable for $199 Stateside and £215 within the U.Ok.
Now, SSD costs have nosedived during the last 12 months, and the retail value of the BeeDrive is greater than what you’d pay for a standard moveable SSD. What you are paying right here is not for the {hardware}, however the software program options. As with the model’s NAS servers, you get an ordinary three-year guarantee for the BeeDrive.
| Class | Synology BeeDrive |
|---|---|
| Storage | 1TB/2TB |
| Connector | USB-C |
| Interface | USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) |
| Dimensions | 65 x 65 x 15mm |
| Weight | 43g |
| Worth | 1TB: $119, 2TB:$199 |
Synology BeeDrive: Design
At a primary look, the BeeDrive seems like another moveable SSD out there at this time. It is a diminutive puck-sized machine that simply suits in your palm, and coming in at simply 43g, it is designed for use wherever. The drive has a USB-C port that makes use of a USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface, and it goes as much as 10Gbps.
The design itself is unassuming, and apart from the BeeDrive emblem, you do not get any markings on the chassis. There is a white standing LED tucked right into a nook, and it lights up when the drive is in use. You get a USB-C to USB-C cable within the field in addition to a USB-C to USB-A dongle that allows you to plug within the BeeDrive to a full-size USB-A socket.
I used the BeeDrive for over a month now, and more often than not, it has been plugged into my gaming rig. Whereas I did not see any points with the design or construct high quality, the largest draw back to the BeeDrive is that the chassis is not rugged. Most moveable SSDs have aluminum casings that present a layer of safety to the SSD housed inside, however that is not the case right here.
The BeeDrive is made out of plastic, and whereas it has first rate construct high quality, I am unsure of its skill to face up to tumbles of any sort. It additionally lacks ingress safety of any sort, so that you’re higher off taking care whereas utilizing the SSD.
Synology BeeDrive: Software program options
Identical to Synology’s greatest dwelling NAS servers, the largest cause for choosing up the BeeDrive is the software program options. Simply plug the drive right into a Home windows machine and run the installer (the .exe is pre-installed), and as soon as it is accomplished, you may get to the house display screen. BeeDrive has three core options when plugged right into a Home windows machine: Pc Backup permits you to again up folders in your laptop with ease, File Sync lets you sync information between your laptop and the BeeDrive, and Cellular Backup permits you to mechanically switch photographs and movies out of your telephones to the drive.
Cellular Backup is especially nice as a result of it permits you to switch photographs and movies out of your telephone over Wi-Fi. Setting it up is simple; obtain the BeeDrive app — it is obtainable for Android and iOS — and scan the QR code that reveals up on the Cellular Backup web page of the desktop consumer.
Doing so will pair the app with the desktop consumer, after which you’ll be able to seamlessly switch photographs and movies over your house Wi-Fi community. You do not even want to make use of Wi-Fi; I plugged within the BeeDrive to my gaming rig that is linked to the router over Ethernet, and it had no points transferring information from my telephone.
That is all accomplished mechanically, and the truth that you needn’t join the BeeDrive to your telephone is a large differentiator. You’ll be able to set it as much as switch information from all of the telephones in your family — as much as 5 — and configuring to take action is about as easy because it will get. The very best half about all that is that each time I take a photograph or video on my telephone, it is mechanically backed as much as BeeDrive.
After all, the machine it’s linked to must be powered on on the time, however apart from that, the feature-set is equivalent to what you get with Picture Backup in Synology’s NAS servers. I talked about how a Synology NAS server is the perfect various to Google Pictures, and I will now embody the BeeDrive in that checklist — the drive presents a seamless method to retailer your photographs and video of their authentic high quality.
One other function I like rather a lot is the flexibility to ship photographs and movies to your Home windows machine through a function referred to as BeeDrop. I used Pushbullet for this previously; these days, I switch photographs to a folder on my NAS after which pull them up on my machine, and it tends to be a bit tedious. BeeDrop is a way more elegant system, and I am persevering with to make use of the drive every day only for this function alone.
Pc Backup can also be a standout function, and it comes with versioning and the flexibility to delete archived information. You too can set it up in order that information that exceed a sure dimension aren’t included, and you may exclude information by their extension. File Sync is equally helpful in its personal proper, and it presents two-way sync — in order that any adjustments made in your machine shall be mirrored within the BeeDrive — or commonplace one-way add. You may discover the identical choices to restrict information based mostly on extensions or dimension, and the function mechanically syncs chosen information between the 2 gadgets.
Whereas there’s clearly rather a lot to love, the BeeDrive misses out on {hardware} encryption. Most merchandise on this class provide AES 256-bit encryption as commonplace, and that is lacking — there isn’t any method to encrypt the information saved on the drive. Synology must do higher on this entrance, and it ought to think about rolling out the identical degree of safety as its NAS servers.
And eventually, there isn’t any method to make use of the BeeDrive with a macOS consumer in the mean time; a local app is at present within the works, and it is stated to be obtainable earlier than the top of the 12 months. For now, in case you’re inquisitive about utilizing the BeeDrive, you may want to attach it to a Home windows machine.
Synology BeeDrive: Efficiency
I arrange the BeeDrive with my gaming rig, and configured it to again up photographs and movies from my telephone and my spouse’s telephone. I am additionally backing up two folders on my machine to the drive, and in simply over a month of use, I’ve already used up 150GB of knowledge. I used to be despatched the 1TB mannequin for testing, and in case you’re inquisitive about selecting up the BeeDrive, I extremely advocate going the 2TB route — you get a bit extra headroom that method.
As for the {hardware}, the BeeDrive makes use of a custom-built SSD paired with a USB controller, and it is touted to go as much as 1,050MB/s for transfers. In my testing, I discovered the drive to hit 972MB/s for sequential reads and 707MB/s for sequential writes, and these are broadly according to different moveable SSDs I’ve used.
There are completely zero points in every day use, and the BeeDrive persistently uploaded photographs, movies, and synced paperwork mechanically. It took simply over half-hour to again up all the info on my Galaxy S23 Extremely (round 60GB), and the drive took much less time than that to again up an analogous quantity of storage that is on my Home windows machine.
Now, whereas quite a lot of the options outlined listed below are much like what you may discover on a full-fledged NAS, the largest limitation for the BeeDrive is that it wants a number machine. The defining function of a NAS is that it runs 24/7, and that permits for information to be backed up immediately. With the BeeDrive, nevertheless, you’ll be able to solely accomplish that when the machine it’s linked to is powered on.
Synology BeeDrive: The competitors
Samsung is the largest participant with regards to moveable storage drives, and the T5 continues to be a stellar alternative. The drive has a rugged design, confirmed reliability, is simple to make use of, and reasonably priced. The draw back is that you just miss out on all of the software program options on provide with the BeeDrive.
Should you want an analogous feature-set, Amber X is a drive that has a software program suite that allows you to simply again up information from a number of gadgets. It has extra ports and would not have to be linked to a number machine, however the draw back is that it is far more expensive — the 500GB choice is accessible for $249.
Synology BeeDrive: Do you have to purchase it?
You should purchase this if:
- You want a straightforward method to again up information out of your Home windows machines
- You need to again up photographs and movies out of your telephones mechanically
- You need an exterior SSD with helpful software program options
- You need a moveable drive that is straightforward to arrange and use
You shouldn’t purchase this if:
- You want greater than 2TB
- You want a rugged moveable drive
- You need to use the BeeDrive with a MacBook
Whereas I don’t actually use exterior SSDs that a lot, I’ve a half-dozen mendacity round in the home. The most important concern with most of those drives is that it’s a must to manually switch information from the goal machine. That isn’t the case with the BeeDrive, and the convenience of use mixed with the portability makes it a stellar alternative for backing up information.
Synology deserves quite a lot of credit score for the software program options on provide right here; it managed to carry one of the best options from its NAS servers to a way more moveable type issue, and that’s the BeeDrive’s largest promoting level. The {hardware} you are getting with the drive is immaterial — you are shopping for this factor for the software program, and there’s a lot to love in that space.
Should you want a hassle-free method to again up your photographs and essential paperwork mechanically, I am unable to consider a greater choice than the BeeDrive. Positive, it is lacking out on encryption and solely goes as much as 2TB, however these shortcomings are simply offset by the stellar feature-set.
Due to its sturdy feature-set and moveable design, the BeeDrive is one of the simplest ways to again up photographs, movies, and different information out of your telephones and different gadgets in your house.
