DIY version of Carbonite, Mozy, etc. Cloud Storage?

[godslabrat]

For over a year now, I've been using Mozy for my offsite backup needs. I still do copies onto CD and USB drive, but I like the idea of having one last line of defense, in case my data loss comes from the house burning to the ground. I like the way the service works-- I tell it which folders contain my important data and during the night, it backs it up to their server. It works reliably, and it's cheap.

But... Part of me keeps thinking "This is not that difficult a concept. This is essentially an automated FTP server with a crapload of encryption." And then I have to ask, is there any product that will let me do this on my own? If I had a computer set up at another house with a 24/7 internet connection, couldn't some program arrange a sync between my computers and that one, without a monthly fee and WITH me having more control over my own data?

It seems like everytime I ask if something can be done, someone's already done it and is eager to sell it to me. So... has anyone made such a service?

TIA,

 

[Weaselboy]

If I had a computer set up at another house with a 24/7 internet connection, couldn't some program arrange a sync between my computers and that one, without a monthly fee and WITH me having more control over my own data?

Crashplan allows you to use their software free to do exactly what you described. Read about the "offsite" function here. You run their app on both machines and you can use that machine as a backup destination over the Internet.