Yes, I definitely make use of rsync for backups of specific directories, so, in this case, no data would have been lost if I had relied solely on timeshift. But it’s a very convenient way of snapshotting the whole system.

Timeshift is essentially a gui on top of rsync anyway, if you look at what it’s doing behind the scenes.

You can just use WireGuard with their config. easy peasy

I mean, probably cheaper than a modern pi for a server…

https://www.techradar.com/how-to/portable-devices/gaming/handhelds/how-to-install-linux-on-your-psp-409951