Any recommendations on a good >3TB external hard drive?

quote:

---

plug it into a USB and use it like a huge jump drive

---

So, portable externals only? I ask because there's a 4TB Desktop External (which means it requires external AC power) for $129, and the portable version (uses USB power only) is nearly double the price.

For wireless connectivity, the easiest way is to connect it to your router if your router has USB ports. Otherwise, you could use a dedicated NAS. I cannot find any portable hard drives of the capacity you're looking for that natively support wireless connectivity on their own. Western Digital makes the "My Passport Wireless" portable drive up to 2TB. Seagate has the "Wireless Plus" portable drive up to 2TB.

quote:

---

durability (I want to be sure it's going to save my shite and not crash & burn in a few years with all my stuff on it).

---

Impossible to predict. It doesn't vary brand to brand, but rather individual hard drive to individual hard drive. They will last somewhere between 15 seconds and 15 years. Anyone who tells you any generalizations about a particular brand being more reliable than another is full of shite, especially when comparing the main brands (seagate, WD, toshiba).

And that's reason you're getting a backup to your backup. Because either one of those backup solutions could fail at any time.