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Build Time Machine supported NAS or TimeCapsule (cheaper) alternative?

lokiju

lokiju

Lifer
Is there a way to build a Time Machine supported NAS or DIY TimeCapsule?

I don't want to have to 1: pay way to much for the TimeCapsule function or 2: keep plugging in a usb external harddrive for my Macbook Air but also don't want to not have a fairly current backup of my system and files.

I'm handy and have no fear to take on any project, just looking for a starting place.

Can something like FreeNAS be used to make what a Mac will see as a TimeCapsule target?
 
Windows Home Server can be used for Time Machine, I know that much.

Past that, I don't know much of anything about it.
 
TheStu said:
Windows Home Server can be used for Time Machine, I know that much.

Past that, I don't know much of anything about it.
Click to expand...

Guess I should of noted I'd prefer a non-windows option. I could build a VM for something like FreeNAS (maybe) but would prefer a standalone option or something I can run from my always on iMac at home that my MBA can use.
 
As long as its a network connected drive on your MAC it should work I would think. But i never played with it.
 
Spineshank said:
As long as its a network connected drive on your MAC it should work I would think. But i never played with it.
Click to expand...

Mac.

It says so right on your laptop under the display...

There is also stuff that has to be fiddled with in order to get the network attached drive to work, at least that is what I remember reading in the past.
 
There are commercial NAS units that will work (Synology for example) as well as some networkable hard drives (Western Digital). It is important to check for Lion / Mountain Lion compatibility first because Apple broke Time Machine functionaility in a lot of these devices when they updated their networking storage libraries. I know Synology has updated firmware to handle this and I bet others have as well.

If you want to roll your own, I know that unRAID will work with a little bit of fudging. I have Time Machine backups working with my unRAID box but I am still running Snow Leopard so it might take a little more work to get Lion / ML working. I know people on the unRAID forums have it working though.

Unless you have the hardware sitting around or want to multi-purpose a machine the cheaper option would be to simply purchase a ready to go NAS unit that has Time Machine support built in.
 
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TheStu said:
Windows Home Server can be used for Time Machine, I know that much.

Past that, I don't know much of anything about it.
Click to expand...

Doesn't work with AFP. I think that is 10.7 and up.

I built a freeNAS server with AFP shares. It works great with Time Machine as long as the share permissions use the same credentials as your user account on the Mac.
 
joutlaw said:
Doesn't work with AFP. I think that is 10.7 and up.

I built a freeNAS server with AFP shares. It works great with Time Machine as long as the share permissions use the same credentials as your user account on the Mac.
Click to expand...

Cool. Thanks.
 
dude you realize that Mlion server is $20 and makes your device a time machine target?

you could run it in a VM 🙂 muahah or run LION server on an old mac mini 1,1(hacked to 2,1) and rock out.

Old mac's are great for this purpose.
 
Emulex said:
dude you realize that Mlion server is $20 and makes your device a time machine target?

you could run it in a VM 🙂 muahah or run LION server on an old mac mini 1,1(hacked to 2,1) and rock out.

Old mac's are great for this purpose.
Click to expand...

Never got around to replying to this but your comment sparked the thought of "why not just try connecting to my iMac with AFP?" which I did and damn it worked fine.

Just picked a drive on my iMac to use as a TimeMachine target for my MBA and let it run overnight.

Sadly my logic board died the very next day but because I actually got this working and ran a full TimeMachine backup the prior night I thankfully have all my data read to be restored once I get my MBA back from AppleCare repair.
 
lokiju said:
Never got around to replying to this but your comment sparked the thought of "why not just try connecting to my iMac with AFP?" which I did and damn it worked fine.

Just picked a drive on my iMac to use as a TimeMachine target for my MBA and let it run overnight.

Sadly my logic board died the very next day but because I actually got this working and ran a full TimeMachine backup the prior night I thankfully have all my data read to be restored once I get my MBA back from AppleCare repair.
Click to expand...

Nick of freakin' time.

Now what are you going to do to back up your iMac? 😀
 
dave_the_nerd said:
Nick of freakin' time.

Now what are you going to do to back up your iMac? 😀
Click to expand...

Actually using the same USB attached 1TB drive for both my iMac and was using it for the MBA. When it's not directly attached to a Mac like when I used it as a target for my MBA, it creates a sparsebundle file that you can then mount on another Mac like you would a dmg or iso.

Since it's directly connected to my iMac, from that you can see the folder structure without the need to mount a sparsebundle file.
 
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