Apple Time Machine - remote backup question

[octothorp]

So here's what I'm trying to do: I've got a wireless network in my house, and on it I've got a few machines, including a spare laptop that has a WD Passport drive connected to it via USB. I want to use this to back up my primary laptop via time machine across the wireless network. (I'm using WEP2 Personal security, and my network is hidden.)

However, so far I've been unable to get this to work consistently: I'll open the time machine settings, find the drive, and back it up. But then the next day, I'll try it, and Time Machine won't be able to find the drive, even when I've verified that the system is connected to the other computer. However, when I set a new Time Machine location, I'm able to specify the same location I was using before, but of course when I do this, Time Machine will want to create a new archive from scratch.

This is really frustrating me. It seems that as soon as my laptop loses its connection to that backup location, it considers that backup dead and refuses to use it even when the connection is restored. Any advice? Is it something to do with how I've got my security settings set up? Is there a better way I can configure backup across a wireless network?

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by octothorp

So here's what I'm trying to do: I've got a wireless network in my house, and on it I've got a few machines, including a spare laptop that has a WD Passport drive connected to it via USB. I want to use this to back up my primary laptop via time machine across the wireless network. (I'm using WEP2 Personal security, and my network is hidden.)

However, so far I've been unable to get this to work consistently: I'll open the time machine settings, find the drive, and back it up. But then the next day, I'll try it, and Time Machine won't be able to find the drive, even when I've verified that the system is connected to the other computer. However, when I set a new Time Machine location, I'm able to specify the same location I was using before, but of course when I do this, Time Machine will want to create a new archive from scratch.

This is really frustrating me. It seems that as soon as my laptop loses its connection to that backup location, it considers that backup dead and refuses to use it even when the connection is restored. Any advice? Is it something to do with how I've got my security settings set up? Is there a better way I can configure backup across a wireless network?

Is the remote system you are performing the time machine back up to a Mac or a PC?

[octothorp]

It's all Mac.

[MaxPower]

Which OS are you using?

[FanIn80]

Sometimes external drives have to be "woken up" before they can be accessed. If the backup process craps out, try browsing to the drive in Finder and going deep enough in the folder structure that you notice a stall that lasts a couple seconds, and then try restarting the backup process.

I used to get this issue when I had my music on an exteral drive. If the drive was sleeping when I opened iTunes, it would not find any of my songs. I'd have to close iTunes, wake up the drive as described above, and then reopen iTunes.

Not a solution, I know, but if it works then it will at least tell you what the problem is.