network attached storage vs time capsule

It can't be done without having some kind of program being installed in your computer to my knowledge.

I would recommend the iCloud solution called back to my Mac - it's streamlined, and pretty much hassle-Free. I believe you can tap into your Time Machine once you get hooked to your Mac that is connected to the time machine.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4907

^Get started with this page if interested.

WesternDigitial MyBook Live and/or Live Duo will do exactly what you are asking for.
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=620

I believe the ReadyNAS Duo is an inexpensive solution that works with Time Machine and is expandable to 4GB. It is also accessible remotely over the internet.

Note that all 3rd party NAS solutions are prone to needing software updates in order to maintain Time Machine compatibility. The ONLY officially supported Time Machine locations are a locally attached drive, a Time Capsule, or a locally attached drive shared on the network. Even an Airport Extreme with a usb drive is not officially supported.

That said there are all sorts of great backup options other than Time Machine and ways to do what you want.

Have you considered other sorts of cloud backups? This segment has really come into its own recently and is secure, inexpensive, and far more reliable, in my extensive experience than locally managed backups. It is well worth considering.

uncleMonty said:

I would like to have a storage device that automatically updates backups incrementally on multiple Macs over a local wireless network. And I'd like to be able to access this storage over the internet--not often, but when necessary--without having to use iCloud or any other service. I just want to be able to log in to this home storage device from work, and grab whatever I need from a recently stored backup, via sftp or whatever.

A Time Capsule won't let me do that last thing, will it? Has anyone set something like this up with a 3rd-party Network Attached Storage, interfacing with my Macs via Time Machine, and accessible at all times from anywhere on the internet?

Sorry if this is a newb question, I only learned yesterday that there is such a thing as NAS, so bear with me.

Click to expand...

Go to SmallNetBuilder to look at various NAS options. FTP services, VLAN etc are key players options you might want to explore. This is so you can get to your data at home from work.

There are various software solutions that are pretty good for incremental backups that include Carbon Copy Cloner, SuperDuper and more complex and powerful software like Retrospect. The advantage is that you will start by making a complete copy of your system (if you choose to do so) and incrementally update it. You can also chose to skip various directories if you choose. If your computer should fail, you will have a complete near up to date back up on your NAS.

The real work is setting up your NAS so it can be seen from the Internet but also be safe. Thus VLAN is a possible option, a good FTP server on the NAS and so forth. It is all doable. Companies like Synoptic and QNAP come to mind for robust solutions. - There are more.

Hope you find the best solution for your needs.