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I'm planning in creating a backup storage, via rsync and SSH for all machines at home, using my new router that has an USB port (It's a TP-Link Tl-WR1043ND). I'm not planning to create a full-blown NAS storage: it's just backup. I would do a big first backup for each machine, possibly with disabled internet and disabled Wi-Fi (use a gigabit LAN for this first backup) to avoid CPU usage in the first place, then rsync is going to be used.

Has anyone here tried this approach? Is it feasible? Creating a different user on the box to connect by SSH just for this?

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This sounds fascinating - I want to see the results. – mjb Jul 12 '11 at 19:45
+1 for an interesting question. just a thought: is this supposed to be done on linux boxes? – dag729 Jul 12 '11 at 20:34
Backup all machines at home? I seriously doubt that the CPU of your router can handle that. – troels Jul 12 '11 at 20:47
@dag729: Linux and macs. Windows, probably not. – Somebody still uses you MS-DOS Jul 12 '11 at 22:01
I believe that all machines, at the same time, is not going to handle. But suppose I backup one at once, in a weekend, them after this full blown backup I just use rsync, each one in different times. – Somebody still uses you MS-DOS Jul 12 '11 at 22:02

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This approach should be feasible. The DD-WRT wiki provides detailed instructions and several options for setting up a rudimentary NAS.

If you find your router's CPU is too slow for rsync/ssh, try using duplicity. duplicity manages compression/encryption/rsync delta-ing on the source computer. Then CPU-heavy tasks are offloaded from the router, which basically just needs to be able to store files.

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