Can Backblaze Backup Network Drives?

Quick Search:

• What is Backblaze?
• What Are Network Drives?
• Does Backblaze Backup Network Drives?
• The Pros and Cons of Using Backblaze for Network Drives
• Step-by-Step Guide: Setting Up Backblaze to Backup Network Drives
• What Other Backup Solutions Are Available?
• Conclusion
• Bonus Tip: Best Way to Backup NAS to Backblaze

What is Backblaze?

Let's quickly review Backblaze's definition before delving into its ability to backup network drives. Businesses and individuals can safely backup files to the cloud using Backblaze, an intuitive cloud backup solution. It is renowned for its simplicity, affordability, and top-notch customer service. Its user-friendly interface and limitless storage space for file backups make it the perfect option for anyone seeking simple data protection.

What Are Network Drives?

In essence, network drives are storage devices that can be accessed via a network, enabling file sharing and access by numerous computers from a single place. These drives are frequently utilized in homes or companies when several devices must access the same collection of files.

They are more efficient than using a local hard drive for every single computer. However, backing up data from these network drives can sometimes be tricky, especially when using traditional backup solutions.

Does Backblaze Backup Network Drives?

Now, for the big question—Does Backblaze backup network drives?

Technically, Backblaze does not automatically back up network drives out of the box. This implies that, unlike with your local hard disk, you are unable to choose a network drive in the Backblaze interface and have it backed up. Nevertheless, there are workarounds that let you backup data from network drives, so with the correct configuration, Backblaze is a good choice.

Backblaze and Network Drive Compatibility

Backblaze primarily focuses on backing up data from local drives, like your computer's internal hard drive or external USB drives. Unfortunately, network-attached storage (NAS) or network drives don't fall under the same category. However, if you have a local computer that can access your network drives, you can back up files from those network drives indirectly.

The workaround involves mapping the network drive to your local machine, allowing it to appear as if it were a local drive. This process essentially tricks Backblaze into backing up the network drive by treating it as a local file path

The Pros and Cons of Using Backblaze for Network Drives

It's crucial to balance the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing Backblaze for network drive backups.

Benefits of Backing Up Network Drives with Backblaze

• ✅Unlimited Storage: Backblaze offers unlimited backup storage, which is perfect for large files typically stored on network drives.
• ✅Ease of Use: Once set up, Backblaze requires minimal effort to maintain. The automatic backups run without requiring constant user input.
• ✅Cost-Effective: Compared to other cloud storage providers, Backblaze is very affordable. It offers excellent value for unlimited backup storage.
• ✅Data Security: Backblaze encrypts your files during transit and storage, offering high levels of security for sensitive data.

Potential Limitations of Backblaze for Network Drives

• ❌Requires Mapping: Backblaze does not support network drives natively, thus non-technical users may find it inconvenient to manually map them to their local computer.
• ❌No Direct NAS Backup: Since Backblaze isn't made to directly backup NAS devices, the procedure gets trickier if you're using a dedicated NAS (Network-Attached Storage) device.
• ❌Large File Transfers: Depending on your internet speed, uploading massive volumes of data over the internet might take a long time, and backups of large network drives may take a while to finish.

Step-by-Step Guide: Setting Up Backblaze to Backup Network Drives

Let’s walk through the setup process to get Backblaze backing up your network drive.

Step 1: Install Backblaze on Your Computer

Before anything else, you’ll need to download and install Backblaze on your computer. Follow the instructions on the Backblaze website to install the software. Once installed, open the application and set up your account.

Step 2: Set Up Network Drive Backup

Next, map your network drive to your local machine.

• On Windows, this can be done by going to "This PC" and selecting "Map Network Drive".
• On macOS, open Finder, select "Go" and then "Connect to Server" to mount the network drive.

Once the network drive is mapped, go to your Backblaze settings. Select the mapped network drive just like you would select any other folder or drive on your local machine.

Step 3: Verifying Backup Completion

After completing the setup, you can check the Backblaze interface to verify that your network drive’s files are being backed up. The status of your backups will be visible in the Backblaze dashboard, so you can rest assured that your data is being securely backed up to the cloud.

What Other Backup Solutions Are Available?

Even while Backblaze is a great option, if you're only wanting to backup network drives, there are alternative backup options that might be more appropriate for your requirements.

1. Carbonite: Carbonite is a wonderful option for users with NAS equipment because it provides immediate backup for network drives.

2. CrashPlan: Known for its business-level backup options, CrashPlan also offers network drive support.

3. Acronis: Supporting both local and network storage, Acronis is an excellent backup solution.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while Backblaze doesn’t natively support network drive backups, it’s still possible to back up your network drive by mapping it to your local machine. Once set up, Backblaze will treat the mapped drive like any other, offering unlimited storage and automatic backups. However, for users with dedicated NAS systems, you may need to explore alternative solutions like Carbonite or CrashPlan.

Bonus Tip: Best Way to Backup NAS to Backblaze

If you want to back up NAS to Backblaze directly without the mapping step, you can try the professional cloud backup tool --- MultCloud. This tool can help you connect NAS and Backblze, and even other popular cloud storage services, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud Drive, etc.

You need to use the "Cloud Backup" function provided by MultCloud, which can be very convenient for you.

• ✔️Automatic: You can set the time for the system to automatically run the backup task.
• ✔️Convenient: You can connect to the account and complete the data backup without the mapping and downloading steps.
• ✔️Version control: You can view the version of your backup and restore it at any time.