Local Network Servers

If, in your home or office, a computer is functioning as a file server, it's certainly worth considering whether you could use a network volume (AFP, SMB, or otherwise) as a backup destination. In general, if you have control over the server yourself, I recommend adding a separate physical hard drive and either using Time Machine or installing client-server backup software (see Network Backup Approaches, earlier). Otherwise, your backups will be commingled with other files, making it difficult to store them off-site and potentially creating a security risk.

If you do not personally have control over the server (i.e., if it's a shared company server), be circumspect about using it for backups. You could easily use up more space ...

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