The most common reason people start thinking about backups is because something bad already happened or they feel something bad might happen soon. A hard drive fails, important files go missing, or a near-miss leaves them anxious. Yet most people don’t have clear mechanisms to determine what level of backup they really need. Instead, they often end up confused—vendors aggressively upsell expensive systems, sometimes quoting fifty thousand to hundreds of thousands of pesos.

This article is written from a Pro-Consumer rights perspective: don’t spend unnecessarily, but know when the cost is worth it. Backups are not only for corporations or SMEs—they matter just as much at a personal level. Family photos, property titles, and legal documents carry immense personal value. The principle we use here is simple: we approach backup based on what you can actually afford, not what you think you can afford. It is a pointless exercise to work outside your budget. Unless you have suffered real losses—in income, opportunity, or security—justifying costly investments in safety and peace of mind is difficult. Pain points are often what force people to act, and acknowledging that is part of making informed decisions.

Requirements Valuation

To understand what kind of backup you need, start by looking at two main areas.

Income Loss
How much income would you lose if your data disappeared today? This isn’t just about direct money, but the opportunities tied to your information. Lost invoices, collections that cannot be processed, contracts and proposals that never reach the deadline—these are all examples of direct losses. Missing the deadline alone can mean losing a deal outright.

Indirect Loss
Without access to past proposals, quotations, or project records, your team has to start everything from scratch. This slows down the velocity of projects and sales, reducing how many opportunities you can process per period. Older clients and leads may never be followed up because their records are gone, leaving you to work with incomplete information. Over time, this bottleneck adds up to serious financial leakage.

Additional Costs
Even if physical records exist, someone has to re-encode them. That usually means overtime for clerical or accounting staff. In a lean team where everyone is already juggling multiple roles, this added overhead can be crippling. The company may be forced to eat these costs, but they reduce efficiency and drain morale.

Increased overhead comes not only from overtime but sometimes from needing to bring in additional manpower just to catch up. For small businesses, this can mean pulling people away from productive work to do repetitive re-entry tasks. For larger firms, it could mean expensive contracts with temps or outside service providers.

There are also fines and penalties to consider. If you cannot present clear and timely records, auditors may impose penalties or flag compliance issues. Clients may also lose confidence when you cannot provide proof or documentation quickly. Another form of hidden cost is unused resources: projects or inventory that get stuck because you can’t reconcile data. These inefficiencies tie up capital and make operations sluggish.

Ultimately, these additional costs are often underestimated because they don’t appear as a single large loss, but instead as a steady bleed of money, time, and trust.

Who Needs a Backup

The first question to ask is simple: do you have data worth saving? For businesses this usually means quotations, proposals, inquiries, and sales opportunities. It also covers accounting records, inventory and resource information, legal requirements, compliance reports, and anything that required time and money to generate—like employee performance metrics or project status updates. All of these require cost to replace, and some may be impossible to recreate if lost.

On the personal side, many people consider their memories to be just as valuable. Terabytes of family pictures, videos, and mementos may not generate revenue, but they carry deep emotional and cultural value. For many, the thought of losing their ability to pass these memories on to the next generation is devastating. This makes backup not only a financial safeguard but also a matter of protecting personal history.

Various Valuation Exercises

1. Hypothetical Exercise

Try performing a normal workday task without documentation or access to your drive. How many of your tasks can you complete without fetching a file from your computer? If tomorrow all your data were gone, how many sales would you lose? What costs would you incur just to continue operations? This exercise reveals how deeply your workflow depends on stored data.

2. Data Priority

If the hypothetical exercise leads you to the conclusion that you would lose “a lot,” your next step is prioritization. Data priority requires a kind of value chain analysis. Begin with pain: what losses would cause the most suffering? These can be lost sales, added costs in time or money, wasted resources, or even lost peace of mind. Identify which gigabytes or terabytes of information would hurt most to lose. That becomes your baseline for backup planning.

Valuate Your Need Based on Size

We can surmise the needs based on the size of the business. The logic is the following: most assets accumulated by a business that’s been around five or so years represent about five times their annual revenue. This is a simple rule of thumb grounded in the Pareto principle. That means a business earns roughly one-fifth of its assets each year. Their opportunities are also about one-fifth of their assets (20%), while their costs sit somewhere below that. For this exercise, let’s assume costs are high at 80% of revenues. A painful problem that didn’t ruin the business could then be modeled as a loss of 5–10% of revenue or costs.

Using this logic provides a framework to scale backup expectations:

• Micro enterprises: Assets up to 3M PHP. Potential revenue benchmark is about 600k PHP (1/5 of assets). A painful data loss could represent 5–10% of that (30k–60k PHP), or 1.5–2% in smaller cases (9k–12k PHP).
• Small enterprises: Assets of 3M–15M PHP. Revenue benchmark 600k–3M PHP. Data loss impact could be 5–10% (30k–300k PHP), or 1.5–2% (9k–60k PHP).
• Medium enterprises: Assets of 15M–100M PHP. Revenue benchmark 3M–20M PHP. Data loss could mean 5–10% (150k–2M PHP), or 1.5–2% (45k–400k PHP).

For individuals, the calculation is less formal but equally important. Think of the cost of losing family memories, legal records, or personal projects. Valuation by size isn’t about spending beyond your means; it’s about recognizing what a realistic loss looks like for your context and protecting yourself within the boundaries of your budget.

Here’s the expanded “Evolution of Backup” section—now in a flowing article format, including up‑to‑date annual cost estimates for common cloud storage options in the Philippines, followed by the portable drive stage:

Evolution of Backup

Once you’ve completed your valuation and feel the need for a backup solution, it’s time to understand how backup tools evolve with your data needs—and your budget.

1. Cloud Accounts: The Starting Point

Cloud services are frequently the first backup step. They’re simple and low hassle, especially when you’re just storing documents or photos. But pricing can rise steeply when you hit multiple terabytes.

• Google One (Philippines)
  Google raised its storage prices effective February–March 2025. The 100 GB plan now costs ₱119/month (~₱1,428/year), up from ₱89/month (WalasTech). The 200 GB plan now runs ₱179/month (~₱2,148/year) (YugaTech). The 2 TB tier is now ₱599/month (~₱7,188/year) (WalasTech).
• Microsoft OneDrive via Microsoft 365
  • Personal plan (1 TB): ₱4,899/year or ₱489/month (Microsoft).
  • Family plan (up to 6 TB): ₱6,099/year or ₱609/month (Microsoft).

These cloud tiers offer generous productivity and security value. But once your data grows to around 1–2 TB a year, annual cloud fees can eclipse what you’d spend on hardware outright.

2. Portable Drives: Cost-Effective, But with Risks

As storage needs grow beyond common cloud tiers, portable hard drives become attractive. They offer a one-time cost, no subscription, and local control.

• Pricing estimates:
  • ~₱2,000/TB for 1 TB drives
  • ~₱1,500/TB for 2TB (6k)
  • ~₱1,100–₱1,200/TB for 4–8 TB (so, approx. ₱9,000-10,000 for an 8 TB drive)

Portable drives use smaller 2.5″ mechanisms—lightweight and cheaper, but less sturdy. In contrast, 3.5″ NAS-grade drives cost about the same per TB but are bulkier, heavier, and designed to last. Still, even these robust drives have failure rates around 5% over a decade—making redundancy critical.

If 1–2 TB of annual data is becoming your norm, local storage—portable or NAS-grade—starts to make serious financial sense over recurring cloud fees. Yet each solution comes with trade-offs in durability, redundancy, and maintenance.

• Portable drives are affordable but prone to damage and loss.
• NAS-grade hardware is durable and reliable—ideal for redundancy—but heavier and still susceptible to failure eventually.ng estimates.

Still need help mapping out the progression from portable drives to full NAS solutions, Synching setups, or SMB clients? Just say the word—I can expand that next.

Summary at a glance:

3. Proto-NAS: SMB Drives for Everyday Convenience

Some of us hit a chopping point where managing backups with portable drives becomes tedious. You’re juggling phones, laptops, tablets—and shifting files manually just to keep things in sync. That’s when a Proto‑NAS (basically any shared network drive using a dedicated computer) becomes a smart, low-cost next step.

Here’s what it looks like:

• Ease of access: A dedicated thin client on your network hosts a shared folder. No plugging or unplugging—just connect over Wi‑Fi or LAN and drop your files.
• Cost efficiency: Perfect when you’re hitting 4–8 TB of new data and want a more convenient one-time investment than recurring cloud fees (which could easily cost more annually).

Estimated Cost Breakdown (One-Time Setup)

Setup Simplicity

If you’re comfortable with Windows (paying for windows 11) or Linux, setting this up is as simple as:

1. Configure shared drive access on the thin client.
2. Connect your devices (phones, laptops, etc.) to your Wi-Fi or LAN.
3. Access the shared storage without shuffling cables.

The main limitation? Devices must be on the same network—and you need basic know-how to locate the shared folder. But compared to clunky drive juggling, it’s a huge convenience win.

Here’s the expanded section on Syncthing with ZeroTier (Free VPN), laid out in an article style that balances clarity with practical guidance.

4. Syncthing + ZeroTier: The First Step Toward Automatic Sync

If manually dragging and dropping files—even on a Proto-NAS—feels like a chore, Syncthing + ZeroTier is the next logical leap. It’s a DIY cloud without the subscription fee, giving you seamless synchronization across devices.

How It Works

• Syncthing is a free, open-source, peer‑to‑peer file sync tool that runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and BSD. It securely syncs files across your devices—with no central server required (Reddit, Wikipedia).
• ZeroTier acts like a virtual LAN (local area network), letting your devices see each other securely—even when apart (e.g., at work or a coffee shop). It handles NAT traversal, routing everything smoothly (Syncthing Community Forum).
• Together, they let you set up automatic backups at home or across locations—in an afternoon of setup by someone with basic IT comfort and curiosity.

Benefits

• Automated Syncing: Once set up, any changes on one device automatically reflect on the others.
• Cross-Device & Cross-Location: Phones, tablets, or laptops sync effortlessly—even when off-site.
• Privacy First: No vendor lock-in—your data stays under your control.

The Trade-Off: More Storage—and Redundancy

Automated syncing means all your connected devices start backing up. If your current storage footprint is around 4 TB, expect that to double quickly to 8 TB or more.

At that scale, a thin‑client-based Proto‑NAS may no longer be sufficient. It’s time to upgrade:

• Micro Desktop Setup:
  • Example: A refurbed Dell 3050 i5-8000 with 16 GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD (~₱15,000).
  • Add two matched portable drives to mirror your data. This doubles storage for redundancy—protecting against drive failure.

When It’s Time to Consider a True NAS

If redundancy, data safety, and scale become too large for mirrored portable drives (~₱18,000 or more), a proper NAS is worth considering. Unlike standard portable disks, 3.5” NAS-grade drives—like Seagate IronWolf or WD Red—are designed for continuous use in RAID setups and built to last a decade or more (binarylogic.com.bd, Syncthing Community Forum, Medium).

Summary Table

6. NAS: The Professional, Scalable Storage Hub

Once you find yourself managing 8 TB or more—especially with automatic sync tools like Syncthing—upgrading to a NAS (Network-Attached Storage) box becomes the smart choice. This is where convenience meets resilience.

Unbranded NAS Hardware (DIY-style)

You can assemble a robust NAS setup for ₱12,000–₱20,000. What does that include?

• Housing for 2–6 hot-swappable 3.5″ HDDs, sometimes with extra 2–4 NVMe slots.
• Typically ships with 16–32 GB RAM, dual LAN ports, and firmware like TrueNAS (with variants like HexOS, which offers a more user-friendly UI) (Reddit).
• Ideal for tech-savvy users who want flexibility and power without vendor lock-in.

Synology: The Household Name Worth the Premium

Synology remains a top pick for reliability and software polish. Entry-level DiskStations start at around ₱12,000, while pro-sumer models go up to ₱20,000. At the extreme end, enterprise-grade Synology units can approach ₱400,000 (Android Central, PCWORX, xbsasia.ph).

• Synology shines with features like user access control, sharable links, virtual machine hosting, and a rich ecosystem of apps.
• Recent policy changes: starting with the 2025 “Plus” series, only Synology-branded or certified third-party HDDs offer full functionality—standard drives may lose features like storage pooling or lifespan tools (NAS Compares, The Verge).
• In their defense, Synology cites improved reliability—testing certified drives for over 7,000 hours resulted in ~40% fewer issues (Reddit).
• Still, critics highlight the cost increase and reduced flexibility (NAS Compares).

NAS Competitors Worth Considering

Synology isn’t the only game—companies like QNAP, TerraMaster, and even DIY TrueNAS setups offer competitive alternatives, especially if you want control and cost-efficiency.

Is a NAS Worth It?

If you’re dealing with large data volumes and need:

• 24/7 uptime,
• redundancy (RAID, multiple disks),
• user sharing,
• remote access,

—a NAS becomes a worthwhile investment. It organizes your memory, automates backups, and keeps your operations running smoothly.

That said, watch out for Synology’s drive restrictions if you choose that path, and consider open, flexible alternatives if you want to minimize future cost increases or lock-in.

7. TrueNAS: Open-Source Power, Higher Skill Required

At Comfac‑IT, we prefer TrueNAS—not out of brand loyalty, but because it’s open-source and powerful. The trade-off? It comes with a steeper learning curve.

Why TrueNAS Is Worth Considering

• Totally Free & Open Source—no licensing fees.
• Built on ZFS, a file system with integrity-first design (checksums, snapshots, rebuilding mechanisms, RAID-Z) (TrueNAS Open Enterprise Storage, TrueNAS Open Enterprise Storage, TrueNAS Open Enterprise Storage).
• Offers full control and customization—for those with skill and patience.

Considerations and Trade-offs

1. Higher Complexity
   TrueNAS isn’t click-and-go. Setting it up properly—especially managing pools, datasets, SLOG/L2ARC, and system partitions—requires careful reading and configuration (TrueNAS Open Enterprise Storage).
2. Deduplication Demands—Use With Caution
   ZFS deduplication saves space by storing duplicates only once. But it’s RAM-hungry and CPU intensive, and one Reddit user notes, “The costs and risks of dedup vs its benefits make it useless for 99.99% of people.” (TrueNAS Open Enterprise Storage)
   Before enabling, be sure you understand the performance hit and memory requirements.
3. ECC RAM is Strongly Recommended
   • ZFS assumes reliable memory. Without ECC, random bit flips—due to cosmic rays or hardware glitches—can corrupt metadata or checksums unnoticed (TrueNAS Open Enterprise Storage, TrueNAS Open Enterprise Storage).
   • In fact, ECC RAM “corrects itself in most cases and alerts for all cases,” making ZFS safer (TrueNAS Open Enterprise Storage).
   • A Reddit summary puts it bluntly: “On a home NAS, ECC memory is nice to have. … If you need 100% guarantees… you need ECC RAM.” (Reddit).
4. Hardware Requirements Raise Costs—but It’s Worth It
   Building a TrueNAS box with ECC-capable motherboard, ECC RAM, and matching hardware might cost ₱18,000–₱30,000 for prosumer setups, or ₱200,000–₱300,000 at enterprise scale. Yes, steeper than non-ECC builds—but still significantly cheaper than buying Synology-branded drives with inflated multiples.

At Comfac-IT, We Believe in Community Learning

Yes, TrueNAS demands a learning curve. That’s why we’ve built a TrueNAS lab for staff and students—so anyone can build skill and become comfortable with the system. Open source thrives on shared learning, and once enough people understand it, the community grows stronger.

Summary: TrueNAS at a Glance

TrueNAS might not be for everyone, but for those with the drive to learn, it offers unmatched resiliency, transparency, and long-term value.

Summary & Empowered Decision-Making

We’ve walked through the full backup journey—from why you need it, through pricing, tools, risks, and real-world setups—so you can confidently assess any recommendation. If you’re revisiting the article, these are the key concepts to focus on:

This article is written from a Pro-Consumer rights perspective: don’t spend unnecessarily, but know when the cost is worth it. Backups are not only for corporations or SMEs—they matter just as much at a personal level. Family photos, property titles, and legal documents carry immense personal value. The principle we use here is simple: we approach backup based on what you can actually afford, not what you think you can afford. It is a pointless exercise to work outside your budget. Unless you have suffered real losses—in income, opportunity, or security—justifying costly investments in safety and peace of mind is difficult. Pain points are often what force people to act, and acknowledging that is part of making informed decisions.

Core Concepts to Re-read

1. Valuation via Loss – Consider both income loss and additional costs when data disappears.
2. Hypothetical Scenario & Priority Mapping – Identify what data hurts most (“pain points”) and quantify how much storage that is in GB or TB.
3. Size-Based Framework – Scale backup investment using the rule: assets ≈ 5× annual revenue, cost at 80%, painful loss at ~5–10%.
4. Backup Evolution Path – See how your setup can grow:
   • Cloud → Portable Drive → Proto-NAS (SMB) → Syncthing + ZeroTier → NAS → TrueNAS.
5. Electricity + Reliability Trade-offs – Standby power costs of ~30W NAS units are modest but real; reliability comes from hardware choices like ECC RAM and ZFS. (UGREEN NAS US)
6. 3‑2‑1 Backup Principle – Always maintain three copies, on two different media, with one off-site copy. Essential for resilience and vendor accreditation.
7. Vendor Lock-in Watch-out – New Synology 2025 Plus series now requires Synology-branded or certified drives for full functionality. That can force 30–50% higher costs or loss of features if ignored. (The Verge)

When Someone Tells You What You “Need”…

Always ask: How did they reach that conclusion? What’s the basis or math behind their recommendation?

• Are they assuming high revenue loss? Have they quantified it?
• Are they quoting cloud costs without comparing hardware break-evens?
• Are they glossing over power draw, setup complexity, or future upgrade paths?
• Are they ignoring long-term costs like vendor lock-in or electricity consumption?

By challenging assumptions, you keep control—not just of the technology, but the cost, performance, and sustainability of your backup.

Final Thought: Solutions for Every Budget

Now that you’re armed with these tools and a critical mindset, you can make your own decision—and you’ll see there’s a backup path for every budget and skill level:

• Just need something simple and cheap? Cloud or portable drives work.
• Want local convenience without much cost? Go for a Proto-NAS.
• Need automation and cross-device sync? Step up to Syncthing + ZeroTier.
• Want robust uptime, shared access, and durability? NAS is your friend.
• Value full control, open source, and future-proofing? TrueNAS rocks.

The point isn’t to sell you a specific tool—but to empower you to build a backup plan that fits your reality. Because real resilience doesn’t come from hype—it comes from understanding and planning.

EXAMPLES:

Intel Alder Lake N100 Quad Core (6M Cache, up to 3.40 GHz)

• 1 x DDR5 SO-DIMM 4800Mhz Up to 16GB
• 2 x NVMe 2280 SSD
• 6 x SATA 3.0 / Support 2.5 inch / 3.5 inch SSD / SSD
• 4 x Intel i226 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet
• 1 x HDMI + 1 x DP
• 2 x USB 3.0 + 4 x USB 2.0

Intel Celeron N5095 Quad Core (4M Cache, up to 2.90 GHz)

• 1 x DDR4 SO-DIMM Up to 16GB
• 1 x NVMe 2280 SSD
• 2 x SATA 3.0 / Support 2.5 inch / 3.5 inch SSD / SSD
• 4 x Intel i226 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet
• 1 x HDMI + 1 x DP
• 2 x USB 3.0 + 4 x USB 2.0

Intel Celeron J6412 4 cores 4 threads 2.0GHz up to 2.60GHz

• Intel Celeron J6413 4 cores 4 threads 1.8GHz up to 2.60GHz
• 2 x DDR4, max to 32GB
• 2 x M.2 NVME
• 1 x Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5G LAN
• 2 x Intel i226-V 2.5G LAN
• 1 x RJ45 COM
• 2 x USB 2.0
• 1 x DP 1.4a
• 1 x HDMI 2.

CPU Model Realtek RTD1619B

• CPU Quantity: 1
• CPU Architecture: 64-bit
• CPU Frequency: 4-core 1.7 GHz
• System Memory: 1 GB DDR4 non-ECC
• Drive Bays: 2
• Compatible Drive Type (See all supported drives): 3.5″ SATA HDD / 2.5″ SATA SSD (with optional 2.5″ Disk Holder)
• RJ-45 1GbE LAN Port: 1
• USB 3.2 Gen 1 Port: 2
• Internal Drives: Btrfs , EXT4
• External Drives: Btrfs , EXT4, EXT3, FAT, NTFS, HFS+, exFAT
• Size (Height x Width x Depth): 165 mm x 100 mm x 225.5 mm
• Weight: 0.88 kg
• System Fan: 92 mm x 92 mm x 1 pcs
• Fan Speed Mode: Full-Speed Mode, Cool Mode, Quiet Mode, Low-power Mode
• Operating Temperature: 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F)
• Storage Temperature: -20°C to 60°C (-5°F to 140°F)
• Relative Humidity: 5% to 95% RH
• Power Supply Unit / Adapter: 60 W
• Noise Level: 18.2 dB(A)
• AC Input Power Voltage: 100V to 240V AC
• Power Frequency: 50/60 Hz, Single Phase
• Power Consumption: 16.31 W (Access) | 4 W (HDD Hibernation)

Synology DS223j (Entry-level / Home Use)

• Bay Count: 2-bay
• CPU: Realtek RTD1619B (quad-core ARM)
• RAM: 1GB DDR4 (non-upgradable)
• Performance: Good for light file storage, photo backup, personal cloud.
• Use Case: Beginners, households, small personal backup solution.
• Limitations: No PCIe slots, limited apps, not great for virtualization or heavy multi-user loads.
• Price (Lazada PH): ₱11,800–₱12,300

Synology DS423 (Mainstream / Small Office)

• Bay Count: 4-bay
• CPU: Realtek RTD1619B (quad-core ARM)
• RAM: 2GB DDR4 (non-upgradable)
• Performance: Solid for multi-device file sharing, backups, surveillance.
• Use Case: Small offices, families who need more bays, centralized storage.
• Limitations: Less powerful than “+” series (no Intel/AMD CPU), limited app performance.
• Price (Lazada PH): ₱25,301 (PCWorx Official Store)

Synology DS923+ (Prosumer / Power Users)

• Bay Count: 4-bay (expandable with DX517)
• CPU: AMD Ryzen R1600 dual-core (x86, more powerful)
• RAM: 4GB DDR4 ECC (expandable to 32GB)
• Performance: Strong performance for virtualization, Docker, heavy multi-user loads.
• Special Features: Supports NVMe SSD cache or storage pools, 10GbE network upgrade option.
• Use Case: Prosumer tier—small businesses, IT hobbyists, media professionals.
• Limitations: No built-in GPU for Plex transcoding.
• Price Comparison:
  • Lazada Imports (China sellers): ₱51,000–₱54,000
    https://www.lazada.com.ph/tag/synology-ds923
  • Lazada PH Authorized / Metro Manila sellers: ₱86,900–₱87,400
    https://www.lazada.com.ph/tag/synology-ds923-plus
  • Amazon US: $599–$649 (~₱35,000–₱38,000)
    https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Synology+DS923%2B

Synology DS1621xs+ (Enterprise Workgroup)

• Bay Count: 6-bay
• CPU: Intel Xeon D-1527 quad-core
• RAM: 8GB DDR4 ECC (expandable to 32GB)
• Performance: High IOPS, supports virtualization, VMs, business workloads.
• Special Features: 10GbE built-in, PCIe expansion, ECC RAM, scalability.
• Use Case: Medium enterprises, design firms, data-heavy workgroups.
• Limitations: Higher cost, louder, requires UPS and proper infra.
• Price (Est. Lazada/PH Vendors): ~₱120,000–₱140,000

Synology SA6400 (Enterprise Grade)

• Bay Count: 12-bay (expandable up to 108 drives with expansion units)
• CPU: AMD EPYC 7272 12-core server CPU
• RAM: 32GB DDR4 ECC (expandable to 512GB)
• Performance: Handles petabyte-level storage, multiple VMs, enterprise backup solutions.
• Special Features: Scale-out architecture, high availability, multiple 10/25/40GbE options.
• Use Case: Data centers, large-scale enterprise, multi-site operations.
• Limitations: Requires rack-mount environment, high upfront investment.
• Price (Import Est.): ~₱1,180,000

Summary Table

Note: Importing typically adds ~30% cost plus the importer’s margin, which explains why Lazada local authorized sellers are significantly higher than Amazon baseline pricing.