Automatic Offsite Backup

CrashPlan Central

Backup

Restore

Security

Networking

Operational

Other

How much does CrashPlan Central cost?

You can store up to 50GB of data at CrashPlan Central for $5/month. We charge an additional $0.10/month per GB of data after 50GB. 60GB is $6.00 USD a month, and so on. We measure your usage at the end of your billing month, charging you what you are currently using. For example, if you started out using 0GB, then grew to 70GB after 10 days, but shrunk to 40GB at 30 days, we'd charge you $5 for the 40GB.

Why shouldn't I back up to CrashPlan Central?

There are three good reasons you shouldn't back up to an on-line backup provider like CrashPlan Central:

  • Time to back up, time to restore —The typical laptop can hold 150GB of data these days. From a typical home ISP, it can take 12 days to get all your data back! During those 12 days, you can forget about using your Internet connection or PC. Did we mention it'll take severalmonths before your initial backup is done?
  • Cost — We will charge you $15/month ($180/year) to store 150GB. You can buy a 750GB drive for $100 at time of this FAQ writing.
  • Security — You are trusting a third party to manage your backup. Depending on your security goals, this can be a good thing, or a bad thing.

Why should I back up to CrashPlan Central?

There are several great reasons you should back up to CrashPlan Central:

  • Outsource the headache — Pay us to worry about the details. It's easy to get started and you don't have to find another computer/device to back up to.
  • Time to restore — You don't have a lot of data to back up, you have a really fast internet connection, or you're ok with waiting to get all your data back if disaster strikes.
  • 24 x 7 — We're always on, we never run out of disk space, and we actively monitor everything.
  • Natural Disasters — If you live in areas prone to diasters, it's best to get your data out of that region. Earthquakes, floods, huricanes, fires, lightning storms, etc. CrashPlan central stores backup data in an underground bank vault in the midwest.

Do I have to purchase a copy to back up to Central?

Yes.

Can I back up to another computer that I own?

Yes, there are instructions on how to do this.

What about a friend's computer?

As we say in Minnesota, "You betcha!". Many times we see friends backing up to each other. Another thing we see are talented and bright individuals protecting their families by allowing them to back up to their servers. These trustworthy and giving individuals are entitled "Data Heroes." Remember, there is no cost for your friend to back up your files on her computer.

What if a friend gets a virus?

It stays with the friend and does not spread to your computer. During backup, your friend's files are changed (encrypted and compressed) before they are sent to your computer. This process disables any viruses that might be lurking in your friend's files, so your computer is completely protected.

If I back up to a friend, will he be able to see my files?

No. Your files (and filenames) are encrypted before leaving your computer, ensuring personal files are kept personal.

What type of encryption does CrashPlan use?

We encrypt your files using the Blowfish Encryption Alogorithm, a symmetric block cipher. This is done BEFORE your data is sent over the network using a private key that is unique to you. The PRO Version uses 448bit keys, the regular version uses 128bit keys. The key is locked with your account password which we don't store. What we DO store is a secure hash of it, so we know when you type it correctly, without actually knowing what it is. If you go to settings/advanced, you can set a seperate data password that is not stored in our data center, or a hash. This is doubly secure but risky - as if you forget your password, you cannot restore your data and your backup is useless.

Can I back up directly to my network attached storage (NAS) device?

Not directly yet. We're working on "local backup" and once we're done, you'll be able to. You can back up to it indirectly if you are running OS X or Linux and have more than one computer. Simply mount the NAS device on Computer A. Now specify that Computer B's backup archive should be stored on the NAS by selecting the mount folder in the CrashPlan Desktop. Now push start backup on Computer B. That's it!

Why does my backup stop at 4GB?

CrashPlan stores backup files in an archive. The archive file grows as your backup grows. USB / Firewire drives often ship formatted as FAT32 and unfortunately the maximum file size for FAT32 is 4GB. Simply reformat the drive as NTFS or HFS+ for Windows and Macintosh respectively.

Do I need to purchase another license to restore on another computer?

No, you do not need a license to restore files. You can restore in Free Trial mode if CP is installed under the same email account you want to restore files for.

When you need to restore on another computer (IE your old computer was stolen or not functioning anymore), simply install the free trial again on the new computer, under the same email account you created the original backup (Try to name the new computer something different). Then enter your license key into the Settings/Account at the bottom (if you are moving the key permanently). When you are ready to restore, go to the Restore tab. Once there you can choose which computer you want to restore files FOR (that would be your original computer or the one the files were originally on) and which destination you want to restore them from. Choose the files and click restore. This is exactly why the license keys are transferrable. However, only one computer can use the license at a time.

Do I need to leave my computer on all the time?

No. CrashPlan automatically resumes as soon as it sees the other computer on the Internet or LAN. This is one reason to back up to more than one destination, so there is a greater chance of a backup destination being available.

Do I have to have a static IP address?

No. CrashPlan Central runs a location service that helps your computers find each other.

Do I have to open up ports in my router or firewall?

Usually no, but sometimes yes. CrashPlan will do its best to connect you without making any changes to either your router or firewall. Sometimes we can't work through them, in which case, you should open up port 4242 on the side where you're backing up to. The folks at PortForward.com have great examples on how to open up ports for just about everything out there.

Your friend's computer is on-line, but CrashPlan shows them as off-line...

If CrashPlan shows your friend as a gray dot instead of green, it means your computer is having trouble connecting. If you're backing up to them, have them open up port 4242. If they're backing up to you, then open up port 4242 on your own firewall or router.

Can I back up a Mac to a Windows or Linux Server?

Yes, you can! No file information is lost either. We protect your Mac file information (i.e. resource forks) in a cross platform way.

Can I install CrashPlan on a linux server that doesn't have X installed?

Yes - it's quite easy. Run our linux installer and check out the readme. You can use your local desktop over SSH to configure crashplan running on a remote server.

If I quit/close CrashPlan, does the backup continue to run?

Yes. There is a background service that runs continually while your computer is on. Don't worry about it slowing you down! It's been set to run at "idle" priority so anything you do has priority over backup.

Can I schedule when CrashPlan runs?

Yes, under preferences you can schedule CrashPlan to run only during certain hours of the day.

I use Apple's Time Machine, isn't that enough?

We don't think so. Here is a list of the reasons why.

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