this post was submitted on 28 Jan 2025
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How reliable/realistic is to use a laptop as a remote file backup server? (lemmy.world)
submitted 2 days ago by ZeDoTelhado@lemmy.world to c/selfhosted@lemmy.world
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I have an HP pavillion 15-bc235nd that, quite frankly, I don´t really like that much (way too loud of a fan, cannot adjust the fan curve, keyboard and trackpad are terrible, etc).

I was planning to replace with laptop with something else, but in the meantime, I was thinking of something. Instead of getting this laptop in the landfill or give to someone else (no one needs an emergency laptop right now), I could potentially use this has a server machine to be used as an off site backup location.

Right now I am missing the off site backup part out of the 3-2-1 backup strategy. Since this laptop has more than enough horsepower to do the job, it could be a solution. But personally, I am not sure how reliable a laptop turned into a server can be. This laptop would be around 3000km away from me, so I have to be really sure it works at a distance without much problem.

For those who turned a laptop into a server: what is your mileage? Are there any specific considerations about this setup that a regular desktop/server does not have or specific issues?

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[–] sxan@midwest.social 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Yeah, what they said.

OP, invest in a UPS - cheap or less cheap - you can get them as big as your bank account, and they're worth it. I tend to like Cyberpower for price, because they're common enough that I've never found a model that nuts didn't already know about, and they tend to have replaceable batteries. As parent said, the nightmare is if power goes out, and even though the laptop has a battery, you're buying yourself extra time. Plus extra surge protection and all that.

I'm not probably saying anything you don't already know, OP, but I feel there's a general under-valuing of UPSes when I hear about people's set-ups. They may mention a surge protector, but rarely do I see folks taking about their UPSes.

[–] ZeDoTelhado@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

I actually have contingencies for this. There is a ups around that I can use. It is good advice for sure, specifically for countries with fluctuations on the electric grid

[–] lka1988@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It would be nice if there was firmware available for the charge controller that turned the laptop's own battery into a UPS, avoiding the whole "spicy pillow" debacle.

One can dream...

[–] I_Miss_Daniel@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

A smart switch that turns off the power when the battery hits 80% and turns it on at 78%? Dunno if that would actually work.