newbie Question

[jwj74]

Hey everyone, sorry about this... I assume that this question has been asked a lot, but I was unable to find a post that showed my specific question:

I want to be able to sync data between different servers in different locations...

Can FFS use IP addresses to transfer data??? And more clearly, can it use public IP addresses??

[xCSxXenon]

If it can be reached via File Explorer, FFS can use it

[LeoW]

You have options:
1. if you have the ability and permission to do port forwarding on the external router you can designate an inbound port that forwards to the machine that you want to communicate with and all you need is the external IP address and port number.

2. You can create a private internet tunnel using free software. Nord vpn offers a Technology called Meshnet for free to everybody. you can create a private peer to peer tunnel over the Internet between the two machines that you want to talk to with free file sync.

3. You can create an encrypted tunnel using SSH Protocol and you will still have to port forward at the router but it will be encrypted end to end.

4. Free file sync supports SFTP which is a part of SSH so if you have SSH server running on one of the machines or both of the machines and you know their external IP address and port number for forwarding you can do it that way also.


I know how to do each of these, and can/will Answer any technical questions you have about implementing any one of the solutions. Personally I use number two Nord vpn meshnet (free). there's another open source software program that I use regularly called syncthing. It is a peer to peer open source synchronization program and it operates really really well over meshnet.

Hope this helps.

[JMcC]

Hi,

Thanks for the great information. I got the SSH option working but I can't work out how to get the Meshnet option working. I have Meshnet setup on my laptop and my android phone and they are linked. I don't know how to refer to the phone folders in FreeFileSync.
Any help is apreciated.

[xCSxXenon]

If it can be reached via File Explorer, FFS can use it

As stated above, if you can access Meshnet devices using File Explorer, you should be able select the location(s) in FFS as well. Meshnet is likely using its own proprietary authentication and access methods, meaning you likely won't be able to use both FFS and Meshnet together.

[JMcC]

OK. I didn't realise that you couldn't use them together. Thanks for the help.

[Greg12]

Actually, if you have a meshnet product this is exactly what it is designed to be used for.

I have a truenas scale Nas server at home that runs Joplin server and nextcloud and a bitWarden and it's running a mesh Network product from a company called tailscale. At the entry level it is free for up to three users and 100 devices.

Both computers would log into the mesh Network account and they would be given an IP address that's private and encrypted only available to those two computers. Then it is up to the user to add either Windows file sharing or SFTP via SSH. If the computer that you're trying to sync with has a private mesh IP address then you should be able to in Windows map a drive letter to that server using that private IP address. That's exactly what this technology is for. It goes through routers without needing port forwarding and it's secure.

Load the free openSSH server software on your computer and you can use the built-in SFTP feature of the backup software to make the connection to the private IP address.

The file explorer on my Android phone can access my server at home using Windows file sharing from anywhere in the world.

Tailscale installs as a VPN only it's not for encrypting your IP address so that your Anonymous on the Internet it's giving you an extra IP address just for your home network. 

Each of my computers at home has a private locally non internet routable IP address just like everybody has and each of them also has a tailscale Network address that is reachable only by the other computers that are logged into my account.

You can sign up for a free account and try it for yourself.

[JMcC]

Actually, if you have a meshnet product this is exactly what it is designed to be used for.

I have a truenas scale Nas server at home that runs Joplin server and nextcloud and a bitWarden and it's running a mesh Network product from a company called tailscale. At the entry level it is free for up to three users and 100 devices.

Both computers would log into the mesh Network account and they would be given an IP address that's private and encrypted only available to those two computers. Then it is up to the user to add either Windows file sharing or SFTP via SSH. If the computer that you're trying to sync with has a private mesh IP address then you should be able to in Windows map a drive letter to that server using that private IP address. That's exactly what this technology is for. It goes through routers without needing port forwarding and it's secure.

Load the free openSSH server software on your computer and you can use the built-in SFTP feature of the backup software to make the connection to the private IP address.

The file explorer on my Android phone can access my server at home using Windows file sharing from anywhere in the world.

Tailscale installs as a VPN only it's not for encrypting your IP address so that your Anonymous on the Internet it's giving you an extra IP address just for your home network. 

Each of my computers at home has a private locally non internet routable IP address just like everybody has and each of them also has a tailscale Network address that is reachable only by the other computers that are logged into my account.

You can sign up for a free account and try it for yourself.

Thank you for all this information. I will try it out.