Does anyone do live off-site backups for their personal files?

[mtnbkr]

I'm looking at setting up a network accessible backup system at my inlaws' so I can automate backups from my home server.

Currently, I create compressed and encrypted tarballs of my logfiles, http directory, and my backup directory (where my laptop backs its data to weekly).  I would like to copy those files to an offsite system monthly to prevent data loss should my house get robbed or burn down, etc. 

I'm looking at various NAS options that I could run at the Inlaws' place and access via FTP or SSH over the Internet.  My plan is to write a script to backup the tarballs to this remote system late at night.

Does anyone do this?  If so, how did you go about it?  I don't want to spend a lot, but the NAS devices I'm finding for reasonable prices are pretty limited.  I could build a linux box, but I'd like something smaller and simpler that I can tuck away in a corner.

Chris

[Nick1911]

I use DVD media for offsite backups.

Takes more time, but it's cheap to set up.

[AZRedhawk44]

I make illegitimate use of company resources to do that.

If I didn't have such resources available, I'd do something like DriveHQ.  2GB for $3 a month.  Creating and uploading 2GB of information I actually care about would take around an hour, maybe more, I guess.  If I broke the 2GB threshold I could go to 6GB for $8 a month.

Bandwidth is a huge limiting factor to how much you can back up off-site.  Upload ain't the same speed as download for most home ISP's.

For $3 a month ($36 a year) I wouldn't have to worry about a hard drive failing, family on the receiving end screwing with the router or complaining about me sucking up their bandwidth, or turning off the NAS, or the cost of the NAS and its maintenance.

[41magsnub]

I make illegitimate use of company resources to do that.

If I didn't have such resources available, I'd do something like DriveHQ.  2GB for $3 a month.  Creating and uploading 2GB of information I actually care about would take around an hour, maybe more, I guess.  If I broke the 2GB threshold I could go to 6GB for $8 a month.

Bandwidth is a huge limiting factor to how much you can back up off-site.  Upload ain't the same speed as download for most home ISP's.

For $3 a month ($36 a year) I wouldn't have to worry about a hard drive failing, family on the receiving end screwing with the router or complaining about me sucking up their bandwidth, or turning off the NAS, or the cost of the NAS and its maintenance.

IDrive.com has 2GB for free...  above that you have to pay for it.

[mtnbkr]

My backups are 25gb+

Yeah, I'm doing full backups each time.  I could pare that down by doing incremental or differential backups, but full backups are easier for the time being.  Even if only doing incremental/diff, I'm looking at nearly a 1gig a month.

Chris

[AZRedhawk44]

Have you done the math to find out how long that will monopolize your bandwidth and that of your family on the receiving end?

[mtnbkr]

Yes.  About 15hrs, which is why I would only run it after 10pm and once a month or so.  The inlaws aren't heavy internet users (a few hours a week, frequently less), so they likely wouldn't notice. 

Chris