What version of OS X are you running, meara?

If your wifi access point is a fairly recent Apple model it has a USB port in the back into which you can plug an external drive. You can then use that drive for Time Machine. That's how we back up my wife's MacBook Air at our place.

If not, the previously mentioned Time Capsule is the easiest answer, if a bit pricey.

Yeah, I figured Time Capsule was pricey, and last I checked (granted, a year ago or so), a lot of people were complaining that theirs had failed quickly.

Sadly, my router, though somewhat recent, does not have a USB port, just ethernet. Can I get a (decently priced) hard drive with an ethernet port, does that exist? (I figure I should replace the hard drive anyway). Or should I get a regular cheap hard drive and buy a new router with a USB port? (I recall searching some websites for routers with USB, and it was surprisingly hard!)

-t, how would I get a hard drive "otherwise connected" than to the router?

ita, I've currently got 10.6.8, but I'm planning to update with Lion pretty soon, probably. But want to backup before I do that, just in case! :)

Mounted on a computer that can be counted on to always to be available in the network, for example. I don't recommend it.

Nope, no computer to do that with--they're all laptops that move. Or at least, don't want things hanging off of them.

So, found a decently cheap new wifi and hard drive, but the hard drive I was looking at is powered by the USB. Would that still work with the wifi bit? Any reason to think the power would not be available/sufficient?

The Seagate black armor NAS drives can just plug into your network and work with Time Machine. I use the NAS 220 with Time Machines for the MacBook Airs that K and I have.

Here's a link for the NAS 110:

[link]

I think that is probably way more than I need, ND (other than the "just plug into your network" part, which sounds great).

I was looking at this one, because it's $83, is pretty, and 500GB is more than I'll need for a long time (I don't keep TV shows on my computer, just on TiVO or streaming, so my current entire computer I'm using less than 100GB and I really just want to back up photos and music and a few documents)

Backing a Mac up wirelessly to a Time Capsule using Time Machine is super easy.

It's not a cheap fix but it is ridiculously efficient and there is no user input required. Once I had a laptop die without a recent backup (because I had the tech to backup but needed to shackle the computer to the drive and remember to do it, which I didn't do), I gave in and got one. Everything backs up there and I never have to lift a pinkie. I am hesitant that it will die and two pieces die at once but I think I extended the warranty so as long as multiple hardware isn't dying at the exact same moment, it's a risk I am willing to take. Apparently I backed up five minutes ago and I didn't notice or have to do anything. Wireless and automatic is the key for me actually having a backup when I need them.

I think the Time Capsule is worth the money. I never think about it and it has saved my ass two or three times.