Data synchronization can be useful in various scenarios. For example, you want to transfer the changed files on your laptop to your desktop when you get home, or automatically synchronize the data of all family members with a central medium. Encrypted data synchronization with a PC outside your own network is also possible.
Earlier, we introduced you to a smart backup strategy using the free Duplicati.
The first scenario of this article builds in a way on that setup: important data on each family member’s desktop, laptop, or mobile device can be synced to a centralized medium, such as a (dedicated) PC or NAS. You can then safely back up the sync folders on that media to other media (using Duplicati).
Later in this article, we’ll show you another scenario, where you sync files encrypted with a PC outside your home network.
Central medium
As you already understood from the introduction, for our synchronization-and-backup scenario we preferably have a central medium that can be reached at any time in your network. This can be a NAS (see box), but we assume that you want to use a (possibly no longer actively used) PC for this. That could in principle also be a Mac or a Linux machine – both Duplicati 2 and Resilio Sync also run on these platforms – but we’ll stick to Windows here.
Ideally you provide a clean Windowsinstallation based on a local account and only the necessary software (Resilio Sync and, for backup purposes, Duplicati). In the Explorer, create a subfolder for each user or PC for which you want to synchronize data, for example syncdesktop-office, synclaptop-Show and so on. This central PC is also continuously connected to your home network.
Resilio (and Duplicati) on NAS
If you have a NAS, you can enable it as a central hub for your synchronization and backup operations.
You can find Resilio Sync in the official QNAP App Center. Duplicati turns out to be a bit more difficult, but you can knock on the door of Qnapclub, a repository (in English ‘repository’) that you can first download on your QNAP NAS must add. Then you first install the Qmono app (with developer tools), after which you can install Duplicati on your NAS.
Resilio Sync is also available for most Synology NAS, but here too, the installation of Duplicati requires some extra work. For example, the Mono (hg59) package must first be installed from the Synocommunity.
Installation
On to the software side of our scenario. We will start with the free version of the sync and share tool Resilio Sync. you find it here. The paid versions do offer more options, but for our purposes the free edition will suffice (see also www.tiny.cc/resilio). The tool works on the basis of p2p (peer-to-peer) technology, so your files are not stored in the cloud. A comforting thought.
We choose the Windows version here, 64bit to be precise (you can find your PC’s system architecture via Windows key+Pause). Start the installation on your central PC, leave all options selected and be sure to check Install Resilio Sync as Windows service, so that you don’t always catch up Windows need to sign up. You confirm this with the ID of a Windows administrator account.
A few mouse clicks further, the Resilio Sync web interface appears, at the default address http://localhost:8888. You will then be asked for an ‘identity’. Confirm it with Create identity.
Basic configuration
Then click on the gear icon and, if necessary, put in the heading General the language on Dutch, after which you restart the session. In the section Web UI can you shield the interface with a User name and password. If you also want to access the interface from another network device, uncheck this Only allow connection from this device. You still have to restart the service: press Windows key + R and enter services.msc from. Scroll to Resilio Sync Service and click on the top left Restart the service.
Resilio Sync can now also be controlled from another network PC, at the address http://
Sync folder
You are now ready to synchronize the first folder from any computer in your network to the central PC with Resilio Sync. You add your (first) destination folder via the plus button at the top left. Select here Default folder, refer to one of the previously created subfolders on your central PC or NAS (see ‘Central media’), and confirm with To open. A dialog box will now appear in which you can: Authorization the option Read and write sets. If necessary, open this window by hovering the mouse pointer over the folder name and clicking en Share to click.
You now need to create a link to this destination folder on the desired desktop or laptop. To do this, open the tab Code and click To copy next to the code at Read and write. You can then paste this code into a text document with Ctrl+V and save it on, for example, a USB stick. There is also the QR code tab, but that is mainly intended to link with the Resilio Sync mobile app.
Create link
In order to do something with that link or code, Resilio Sync must be installed on your desktop(s) or laptop(s) – the ‘client installation’ of Resilio Sync, so to speak.
This is done in the same way as with your central PC (see ‘Installation’). You can leave the check mark this time with Install Resilio Sync as a Windows service, so that Resilio Sync can also be accessed from a normal program window on your PC.
Now you create a link on this device to the synchronization folder on the central PC. To do this, start the application Resilio Sync on your desktop or laptop, click the plus button at the top left, choose Enter a code or link at the bottom and paste the code from the text document you just created in the field. Press Next one, point to the desired source folder on your PC, click Select folder and on OK. The link is a fact.
Resilio Sync on the central PC may display a message requesting access to the PC. Confirm that request by clicking on the green check mark.
Synchronization
You can follow the progress in the main Resilio Sync window (press the buttondruk folders), both on your source PC and the central PC. You can get even more details about the data transfer when you click on the chart icon at the bottom right.
Mind you, the synchronization works both ways here. New files that you add on the one hand, therefore immediately appear on the other side. This also applies to files you delete.
When you hover the mouse pointer over a sync folder and click the Options (with the three dots), you can interrupt the synchronization. Via the option remove you permanently break the link between the two folders. Be sure to select the option here Preferences and make sure there is a check mark Save deleted files in folder archive.
If you ever accidentally delete data from such a synchronization folder, you can select the option Open archive and recover the deleted data. It is of course even safer if you regularly back up the synchronization folders on your central PC with a free tool such as Duplicati.
External device
Nothing stands in the way of synchronizing data between a PC from your own network and a computer of a neighbor or acquaintance, so that your data can also survive calamities such as fire or theft.
The method is largely the same as we described above, but this time you want to send your data securely encrypted.
Open Resilio Sync on the desired PC, such as your main PC or a network client, press the plus button, choose Encrypted folder and point to the folder you want to sync with the remote PC. In the corresponding pane, open the tab Code. Copy the code at Read and write (see ‘Recover encrypted data’) and the Encrypted code to a text file and save it. You only need to share the latter code with your acquaintance, for example via e-mail.
That knowledge also installs Resilio Sync, after which he opens the application, presses the plus button and Enter a code or link selects. Here he enters your encrypted code and points to a new, still empty destination folder on his PC (or NAS). Moments later, all your data will be synced to this destination folder, but everything will be firmly encrypted.
Restore encrypted data
Suppose for some reason you lose the data folder of which your knowledge has an encrypted version. Then you can still recover that data.
Open Resilio Sync on your PC, select the problematic sync folder and choose Options, remove, OK. Click the plus button and choose Enter a code or link, after which you enter the previously saved code Read and write and points to a new, empty folder on your own PC. Moments later, the encrypted backup data is retrieved from your knowledge and put in readable form in that folder on your PC. Your data has been saved.
