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+date = 2022-10-04
+title = "Syncthing: A Minimal Self-Hosted Cloud Storage Solution"
+description = ""
++++
+
+## An Overview of Syncthing
+
+If you've been looking around the self-hosted cloud storage space for a
+while, you've undoubtedly run into someone suggesting
+[Syncthing](https://syncthing.net) as an option. However, it is an
+unusual alternative for those users out there who are used to having a
+centralized cloud server that serves as the "controller" of the data
+and interacts with clients on devices to fetch files.
+
+This post is a walkthrough of the Syncthing software, how I set up my
+personal storage, and some pros and cons of using the software.
+
+## Installing Syncthing
+
+To install Syncthing, visit the
+[Downloads](https://syncthing.net/downloads/) page or install via your
+device's package manager.
+
+### Server & Desktop
+
+You can install Syncthing on servers and desktops via the Downloads page
+linked above or via the command-line.
+
+For Debian-based distros:
+
+```sh
+sudo apt install syncthing
+```
+
+For Fedora-based distros:
+
+```sh
+sudo dnf install syncthing
+```
+
+### Mobile
+
+Syncthing for Android is available on
+[F-Droid](https://f-droid.org/packages/com.nutomic.syncthingandroid/)
+and [Google
+Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nutomic.syncthingandroid).
+Syncthing does not have an official iOS client, but there is a
+third-party client called [Möbius
+Sync](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/m%C3%B6bius-sync/id1539203216).
+
+## How Does Syncthing Work?
+
+To start, I wanted to include the main marketing blurb from their
+website:
+
+> Syncthing is a continuous file synchronization program. It
+> synchronizes files between two or more computers in real time, safely
+> protected from prying eyes. Your data is your data alone, and you
+> deserve to choose where it is stored, whether it is shared with some
+> third party, and how it's transmitted over the internet.
+
+Let's break this apart and add in some other details to help explain
+what exactly Syncthing does in order to sync files between devices.
+
+### Local Syncthing Server(s)
+
+Syncthing syncs files between multiple devices by creating a local
+server on each device. These local servers handle a few different
+things, such as watching files and directories for changes, hosting an
+administrative GUI website, and authenticating with connected devices.
+
+You can also start, stop, and restart the Syncthing server via the
+command-line or web dashboard. If you're running Syncthing on a device
+with `systemd`, you can use the following commands:
+
+```sh
+sudo systemctl start syncthing@username.service
+sudo systemctl restart syncthing@username.service
+sudo systemctl stop syncthing@username.service
+```
+
+### Syncthing Dashboard
+
+This biggest part of Syncthing is the admin GUI website that runs on
+each device (note that mobile devices will use the Syncthing app rather
+than the web GUI). The admin GUI is available through the web browser on
+the local device that is running Syncthing - simply go to
+`http://localhost:8384` or
+`http://127.0.0.1:8384`. This web page is the place where you
+will change settings, add/modify synced files, and add/modify connected
+devices.
+
+Here's an example web GUI dashboard:
+
+![Syncthing
+Dashboard](https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20221020-syncthing/syncthing_gui.png)
+
+### Remote Devices
+
+A cloud storage solution wouldn't be very useful if you aren't able to
+share data among various devices. Syncthing does this by sharing Device
+IDs to connect servers, and then by manually sharing Folders with
+devices that have been connected.
+
+For instance, if you have a laptop running Syncthing and then install
+the Syncthing mobile app on a phone, you could scan the laptop's QR
+code for Device ID and then accept the authentication on the laptop's
+dashboard. Next, you can use either device to select a folder for
+sharing and dictating which device should send, receive, or both.
+
+When you connect devices, you can set one device as an "Introducer,"
+which can add devices from the introducer to the device list, for
+mutually shared folders. You can also configure Auto Accept,
+compression, rate limits, and more settings per device.
+
+## My Personal Cloud Storage Set-up
+
+Personally, I use a model similar to a traditional cloud storage
+service. I have a "centralized" server running 24/7 that acts as an
+Introducer for my Syncthing network. I think of this as my main storage
+and all other devices as tertiary client devices. I will likely add
+additional servers as backups as time goes on so that I don't have to
+rely on my laptop or phone as the only backups.
+
+Currently, I have one desktop and one mobile device connected to the
+network, both running intermittently as they are not powered-on 24/7.
+
+The initial set-up of the software was easy enough, but data transfer
+rates were incredibly slow for me due to the Wi-Fi. Instead, I plugged
+my laptop into the ethernet network that my server is on and manually
+copied my folders over to the server with `scp`. Once
+complete, Syncthing validated that all files were there and not missing,
+and it did not need to transfer any data through the WAN.
+
+As slow as the transfer was going, this probably saved me a few days of
+waiting for my ~100GB sync.
+
+## Pros & Cons
+
+I've put together a short list of pros and cons for Syncthing. I
+thought about my experiences with Nextcloud, WebDAV, proprietary
+services (Google Drive, iCloud, etc.), and privacy-focused cloud
+solutions (pCloud, Tresorit, etc.).
+
+**Pros:**
+
+-   I've faced no data loss at all through my two-month trial run.
+-   No third-parties store your data on their servers.
+-   You have full control over your data and can take your data and
+    leave at any time.
+-   It's possible to encrypt client-side easily with software like
+    Cryptomator.
+-   No proprietary clients or mounted volumes, just plain files and
+    folders.
+
+**Cons:**
+
+-   The learning curve is steeper than traditional cloud services and is
+    focused on a technical audience.
+-   If a device needs to modify files in a Folder, the devices will need
+    to sync ALL files from the folder, which may be large. To avoid size
+    restraints, split large folders into smaller folders for syncing.
+-   Syncing can be slow due to the clients/servers initially connecting
+    or re-connecting after sleeping.
+-   Multiple personal devices are required and require the user to own
+    or rent them as no third-party servers are involved in the storage
+    of data.
+
+Overall, I've had a great experience with Syncthing so far. I've had
+no data loss, syncing has been quick and easy when changes are made to
+files, device connections are reliable, and I love the freedom of
+controlling the clients and servers as I choose.
+
+Not to mention that I appreciate that I - or someone else - could pull
+the Syncthing [source code](https://github.com/syncthing) and continue
+development/support if the Syncthing Foundation decides to stop
+developing the software or sells the business.