Link Synology NAS to Cloud with Cloud Sync


The NAS and the cloud are often seen as each other’s biggest competitors. That was also the case for a long time, but the practice is now different. In this article, we’ll explain how to connect your Synology NAS to cloud services of your choice, using Cloud Sync.

About options for storage and backups we have nothing to complain about these days. Besides the fact that we still keep many of our files on a PC, notebook or smartphone, the cloud is especially popular. Online storage is increasingly the first choice for many. The cloud feels like worry-free storage and, moreover, the free first gigabytes are often enough to store all your own files. And if you still need more space, you can expand the storage capacity considerably for a few euros per month.

However, the cloud is not always the best choice. With a NAS you can arrange your own storage. And the great thing is: a NAS is no longer the competitor of the cloud. Of course, both provide storage and easy access to the files and documents. And also they have similar options to share and edit it. But they also complement each other perfectly.

You get the convenience of always access and the offsite storage of the cloud and the speed, the much more extensive configuration options and the many times larger storage capacity of the NAS. In short, the best of both worlds.

Cloud Sync

A useful feature where the two reinforce each other is when synchronizing the cloud storage with the NAS. The latter is linked to an online cloud service, such as Microsoft OneDrive, Google Cloud, Dropbox, Amazon Drive or one of the many other providers.

For example, once mounted, all files stored in the cloud are automatically copied to the NAS. This of course depends on the choices made during the configuration. For example, you can copy in one direction while preserving the files that are deleted in the cloud. There are several options.

When your Windows PC and your smartphone use the same cloud storage and you connect it to your NAS with the cloud storage (under the same user account), all devices will always have the same files. This way you will never lose anything, even if one of the devices is lost.

Set up Synology Cloud Sync

To do this with a Synology NAS, open the Package Center and look for you All packages nasty cloud. click on Cloud Sync / Install and wait for the installation to finish. Then click To open. Cloud Sync immediately launches with the wizard to configure the first synchronization. The overview shows a large number of cloud storage providers.

Select the cloud storage you use, and choose Next one. A new browser window will now open in which you must arrange the registration of the NAS to the cloud service. Depending on the provider and the chosen security, you have to log in with the username and password from the cloud, but it may also be that only a confirmation is required by mail or if you use two-factor authentication, on the smartphone.

Once the login is complete, the wizard returns to the NAS. Now you can configure the link. In addition to a name, usually the default name is fine, it is important that the correct folders are chosen to synchronize and the synchronization direction.

Do you want to get the files in the cloud storage to the NAS? Then it is useful to create a separate folder for this. Start the part for this File Station and create a new folder via Create / Create New Shared Folder. name this CloudSync. Open the folder in File Station and create via Create / New Folder a subfolder called OneDrive. Now go back to the Cloud Sync configuration and click behind Local path on the yellow folder and select the OneDrive folder.

You have now indicated where on the NAS you want the copy of the cloud files. Do you want to properly synchronize an existing folder with files with the cloud? Then do not create a new folder. It is enough to select the already existing folder on the NAS.

Now you can indicate whether you want to synchronize all cloud storage or only part of it. If you want to sync everything, the Home folder the right option. For example, if you only want to sync photos, click on the yellow folder behind External path and select for example the folder Camera album.

Next important option is the sync direction. Default is this Bidirectional, which synchronizes changes in the cloud and in the cloud copy on the NAS in both directions. Both storage volumes are always the same. Do you only want to synchronize changes in the cloud with the NAS? Then choose Download external changes only. Do you want to make changes on the NAS and synchronize them with the cloud? Then choose Upload only local changes.

Synchronization schedule

The Schedule Settings is, along with any data encryption, one of the non-mandatory cloud sync options. A timetable can be useful, especially if your internet subscription has limited bandwidth. In that case, you can choose to unburden your internet during the day by synchronizing the changes at night.

Choose Switch and then create the schedule so that the synchronization is performed at the times that suit you. Choose OK / Next / Apply to complete the configuration and, depending on the schedule, start the synchronization. Especially if you already have some more storage in the cloud, the synchronization can take some time.

For an overview of the status and activities, click on at the top of the window bar Cloud Sync, then choose Recently changed files to see what the sync is doing. If you want to interrupt the synchronization, you can do so via Pause Sync. Then you can start everything again via Cloud Sync.

Cloud sync on QNAP NAS

Don’t have a Synology NAS but do you have a QNAP NAS? Then install on this HBS 3 Hybrid Backup Sync. This app is easily accessible from the AppCenter iinstall.

Start Hybrid Backup Sync and click Sync / Sync Now. Just like with Synology, choose the direction in which to process changes and then choose the cloud service you want to use. Log in to the cloud storage and choose To make. Select the local folder and the cloud folder and indicate what you want to do in case of conflicts.

Then complete the configuration steps where you will be given the option to filter files and choose a scheme again. These are important options, they are not mandatory. Once the configuration is complete, click on Sync Now.

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