How to enable NVIDIA G-SYNC support and unlock its full potential. Backup and synchronize files in FreeFileSync

BitTorrent has launched Sync 1.4, an all-new version of its file syncing app that makes folder sharing easy. The latest version of BitTorrent sync is easier to use. Here are three ways you can use the new app to sync files across all your devices.

This new version of Sync isn't just for power users, and we'd like to suggest three cool ways you could use to share photos, notes, and sync music across all your devices.

Just keep in mind two important points: all devices that you will use to share files must have Sync 1.4 installed (mobile or PC). Secondly, both devices must be turned on for synchronization, since the files are not stored on a third-party server (for example, Google Drive or Dropbox), but are shared between the devices through an encrypted peer-to-peer file sharing network.

SHARE PHOTOS WITH FRIENDS

If you don't want to share your photos in the cloud, BitTorrrent Sync 1.4 is a simple alternative.

Once the folder is shared, all you have to do is put the photos in the new folder and your family and friends will receive them automatically. Keep in mind that if you are sharing with someone who uses a tablet or smartphone, they will have storage limitations, so be careful.

SHARE MESSAGES

Create a folder on your computer with your name, for example, it will be “Yana’s Inbox”. Then add the folder to Sync and allow access to friends and family using read and write permissions.

Your friends should also create a similar box on their PC. Once this is done, you can share text notes, photos, documents by transferring them through this folder. The best part is that data transfer occurs without the use of email. Unlike other services, Sync does not limit file sizes.

MUSIC ON YOUR PHONE

There's a fun way to transfer music from your computer to your phone if you don't use Spotify or have an audio collection in the Google Music cloud. But it is a little more complicated than the previous two.

Now start your phone and download VLC from Google Play. VLC is still in beta, but it's the easiest way to access music downloaded to your phone via Sync. Open Sync 1.4 on your Android device and click on the menu icon (three vertical dots) in the top right corner. Click Settings->Advanced and then uncheck the box that says Simple Mode.

Once this is done, go back to the main screen synchronously 1.4 and click on the folder icon with the “+” symbol. This will open the camera and you are ready to scan the QR code we left on your PC display.

Once you're done scanning, Sync 1.4 will ask you to select a folder on your Android device. It's best to save it in your phone's default folder. Next, click “Select folder” then “Add folder” and that’s it. The Music folder should now appear on the main screen of Sync 1.4 for Android.

Whatever one may say, file sharing is one of the most popular operations on the Internet. Everything has been invented to make it as convenient and fast as possible! Sending as attachments by mail, special file-sharing services, and finally, services for synchronizing data between devices. The Bittorrent Sync service, which announced itself a little over two years ago, also occupies not the last place among modern methods of file exchange.

When the developers of the service had just released the first public version, we already told our readers about it in the material “BitTorrent Sync: a torrent client on a synchronization service.” This spring, the application reached its second version, and there was a reason to take a closer look at it again.

Let us remind you that BitTorrent Sync synchronizes files between devices directly, without copying them to a remote server. The service is based on the P2P protocol, which allows you to quickly transfer large files between computers and other devices.

Two years ago, Bittorrent Sync was only available for desktop systems. Today the application is offered for use with all major mobile devices. The list of supported systems includes not only the most popular Android, iOS and Windows Phone, but also Fire OS (Kindle). A desktop client is offered not only for Windows, Linux and Mac, but also for Free BSD.

Up until release 2.0, the service was completely free, but with the release of the second version this spring, the developers considered that the program could well become a commercial product. Currently, Bittorrent Sync is offered in two versions: free and Pro costing $40 per year. The privileges that users who pay for a license receive include an unlimited number of folders for synchronization (in the free edition, their number is limited to ten), the ability to change access rights to folders (read-only or read and write), as well as access to files on request.

The latter feature means that when synchronizing, only the names of files and folders are copied to devices, and the contents are transferred only when the user accesses the file. Similar functionality is available, in particular, in the Microsoft OneDrive service. Whether it is needed in an application that was originally created for data backup is doubtful. Probably, by offering such an opportunity, the developers are thereby suggesting that the scope of BitTorrent Sync can be much wider.

However, all users of BitTorrent Sync can work with the capabilities of the Pro version, because during installation the trial mode is automatically activated for thirty days. There is no way to refuse it and use the free version right away.

⇡ Setting up BitTorrent Sync 2.0

In the second version, the principle of operation of the application was changed. Previously, you had to create a unique key for each folder and copy it to all devices with which you wanted to synchronize content. Now such keys are created not for directories, but for devices. Accordingly, the application settings have changed. Immediately after installing BitTorrent Sync, you need to indicate whether this is the first device on which the application is installed, or whether you need to link another device to the existing ones.

In the first case, the user is asked to create an identifier and select a name for the device (it will not be possible to change it later), and then begin adding folders that should be synchronized with other computers. It's nice that despite these changes, Bittorrent Sync still doesn't require you to register, provide an email address, or create a password. The user ID is created using a public key infrastructure (PKI). Through it, data about access rights to folders is transmitted, communication with other devices is established, and information about the license for Sync Pro is stored in it.

When installing an application on a second device, you will be prompted to link it to the first. To do this, you need to either use a QR code, or enter the unique code of the second device on the first computer (this is done after selecting the “Manual connection” item in the client settings). Keep in mind that if you have a smartphone or tablet already linked to BitTorrent Sync and need to add another desktop computer, it is also convenient to do this using a QR code.

After the computer is added, you need to decide on two important parameters. The first is a way to sync new folders from other devices. Three options are available: copying in manual mode, synchronizing in automatic mode, using stub files, when only the names of folders and files are synchronized, and the content is transferred on the first access.

Secondly, you need to decide which folder will be used by default for copying files from other devices to it. The application offers the folder \Users\Username\BitTorrent Sync, but, most likely, it will be more convenient to change it to another one, so that you don’t have to search in the wilds of the system drive for photos automatically copied from your smartphone. Directories synchronized from other computers will appear in the same folder. It is worth dwelling on this point in more detail.

One of the features of the first version of BitTorrent Sync that many users complained about was the need to manually copy keys for all folders. On the other hand, with this approach the user had control over which folders were used to store data on each device. In the second version of the application, the process is automated, but because of this, you may not immediately understand where the files went. For example, if you added the \Photos folder on the first device, then on the second device the synchronized photos will not be located at this address at all, but in the \Users\Username\BitTorrent Sync\Photos folder. That is, you cannot manually set the destination folder each time before synchronization begins. All folders that were added on other devices are automatically copied to the directory specified in the BitTorrent Sync client settings.

But let’s say you still want photos to be on all devices in the \Photos folder, and, for example, the contents of the “Documents” folder are synchronized to the address \Users\Username\Documents. How to be in this case? BitTorrent Sync allows you to specify the synchronization path for each folder, but this is not very convenient. To do this, you need to add a folder to synchronize on the first computer, wait until it appears on the second device, then hover over its name in the list and call up the context menu. In it you need to select the “Disable” item and check the “Delete files from this device” checkbox.

After this, the folder will not disappear from the list, but a connection icon will appear next to it. By clicking on it, you can select the folder into which the files from the first device will be copied. By default, synchronization is enabled for all folders.

⇡ Interface features

The application window interface, compared to version 1.4, has become more modern. So, it searches through folders in real time, and folder controls remain hidden until the cursor is hovered over the desired directory. In addition, some menu items are multifunctional. So, when you select the “Manual connection” command, you can insert a new device key, enter a license, or add a shared folder.

The History section keeps a diary of all transactions, indicating what was synchronized, when and with whom.

Next to each folder, the number of peers is shown, that is, online users who have access to it. Each folder also has an icon, the appearance of which changes depending on its status (active synchronization or paused), the type of folder (directories created using the old version of the application are marked with the numbers 1.4) and whether editing of the contents is allowed.

In addition, it is worth noting the “Archive” function. It has existed in BitTorrent Sync from the very beginning, but has recently been added to the application interface. An archive is created for each synchronized folder and is a collection of files that have been changed or deleted within the last thirty days. The archive is a kind of analogue of the Windows Recycle Bin. If a file is edited or deleted by mistake, it will be modified or deleted on all devices. And the “Archive” function helps you easily recover accidentally lost data. You can find deleted files and old versions in the .sync/Archive folder, which is automatically created in the synchronized directory. In order to open this folder, just select “Open archive” from the folder’s context menu in the application window.

If the user actively works with large files, saving deleted copies for a month can lead to disk clogging very quickly. That is why in the settings of each folder there is a checkbox with which you can cancel saving deleted files.

Despite the fact that a lot of work has been done over the past two years to improve the usability of the interface, some old problems still exist. For example, in order to exclude individual files from a synchronization job, you still need to edit the text file (as in the very first version!).

To do this, you need to go to the folder whose contents are copied to other devices, and find the .sync directory created by the application in it. After that, open the IgnoreList file in it in a text editor and add a list of exception files to it. Here you can use wildcards * and?, with which you can, for example, exclude all files with a certain extension. After saving the IgnoreList, excluded files will not be copied. However, it is worth remembering that previously synchronized copies will remain on other devices, so you will have to delete them manually.

⇡ Share folders with other users

BitTorrent Sync can be used not only to backup large files between devices of the same user, but also to exchange data within work groups and any other groups. But with the transition to a new principle of authorization and connecting devices to a user ID, sharing folders with other people became not the main, but an additional function of the application.

But before other users gain access to the contents of the folder, you can still decide on access rights (remember that this feature is only available in the Pro version after the trial period has expired) and who will be able to work with the files and for how long.

The link can have a specific expiration date or be used a specified number of times. In addition, folders can become visible to other users only after the person who opened the access manually approves each person who connects.

In the process of constantly working with the same people, it may not be very convenient to approve a connection every time, so you can select the option to approve only new peers. This way, all users who previously accessed your folders will be able to access the new folders without approval. If a link to a folder is sent to a person who does not yet have the BitTorrent Sync client installed on their computer, then when they open it in the browser they will be prompted to download it.

When gaining access to a folder, the user has the opportunity to choose which path on his computer will be used to access the data from the open folder. It is worth keeping in mind that BitTorrent Sync can work with folders that have the same names. If, for example, the user selects the path \Users\Username\ to synchronize the Documents folder, where a folder of the same name already exists, the program will notify you about this and merge the contents of the directories. This, in turn, means that files stored in this folder on the local computer will be available to everyone who has access to the shared folder.

⇡ Android application

How many times have you heard from friends about photographs that have sunk into oblivion along with a stolen, broken child or a smartphone dropped into a bucket of water? Bittorrent Sync for Android is an excellent opportunity to take care of the safety of photos and video files taken with the device’s camera. Of course, there are a number of other uses for the app, but photo backup seems like the most obvious use case for it. The developers probably wanted to suggest this to users, so they added the ability to enable image backup directly on the title screen.

It is very convenient that by default mobile Bittorrent Sync does not copy anything anywhere, only at the user’s command. At the same time, you can specify which devices you want to copy photos to, and always pause or disable backup if necessary.

Bittorrent Sync can copy not only photos, but also any folders from a mobile device. To prevent less technically savvy users from having to spend a long time looking for folders with the necessary data, the application itself suggests where movies, music, podcasts, images and downloads are stored on the device. However, the user can specify any other folder that needs to be backed up.

Mobile Bittorrent Sync can not only transfer data from the device to computers, but also perform the reverse operation. If you have a large memory card on your device, you can use it to back up data from your PC. The application itself determines the list of folders that are available for synchronization and allows you to enable any of them.

By default, mobile Bittorrent Sync only works when there is Wi-Fi, but if your tariff package allows it, you can enable all synchronization tasks to be performed via the mobile Internet. Other settings include the presence of energy saving and sleep modes, the ability to automatically start when the device is turned on, displaying hidden files, using a proxy, and automatically copying new media files to the device’s gallery.

⇡ Syncthing: a worthy alternative to BitTorrent Sync

Perhaps the main thing that BitTorrent Sync brought to all of us was the great idea of ​​synchronizing data between devices over the Internet, bypassing a central server. And now, even if this service goes completely commercial, the idea will certainly have followers. The first builds of the completely open cross-platform Syncthing application are already available. Not only is it open source, but it is also built on the open Block Exchange Protocol.

Syncthing is available for Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, FreeBSD and Solaris platforms, and there are also unofficial (but excellent) clients for Android and iOS mobile operating systems.

Syncthing uses a browser as a shell. Once launched, the application opens the administration panel in a browser tab. If desired, access to this panel can be protected by adding authorization with a username and password. The control panel displays a variety of useful statistics: from download speed and CPU and memory usage to the number of synced files in a folder and their size.

In the panel settings, you can limit the data transfer speed (separately in each direction), and also, if desired, set up your own synchronization server.

Each device running Syncthing receives a unique fifty-six character identifier. In order to link devices to each other, you need to copy the identifier on one of them and paste it on the other. It is also possible to copy using a QR code. Unlike BitTorrent Sync, this application does not use a user ID.

When connecting a large number of devices, the Recommender feature can be useful. If the first device, which is a recommender, is connected to the second, then when other devices are connected to the first, they will automatically be connected to the second.

Linking devices to each other occurs only by mutual consent. That is, if you add the identifier of the second from the control panel of the first, a notification will appear in the control panel of the second, and you will need to confirm the connection.

Another difference from BitTorrent Sync is the manual configuration of each synchronized folder. When adding a folder, the user is asked to come up with a unique ID for it, specify the interval at which the files in it will be scanned, select the order in which files will be received (by date, by size, alphabetically, in random order) and one of the version control options.

The latter function is analogous to the “Archive” in BitTorrent Sync and can be especially useful if several people are working on files. With simple versioning, a deleted or modified file is placed in a special folder where the five most recent versions are stored. In staged versioning, files are deleted if the number of variants exceeds a specified number in a time interval, or if the statute of limitations has expired.

When adding a folder, directly in its settings you can select the devices with which it will be synchronized. The “Original Folder” function will protect files from writing - in this case, only those changes that are made on the first computer will be distributed to all connected devices.

Using Syncthing mobile applications, you can synchronize with smartphones and tablets. The Android application allows you to add devices to synchronize with by entering an ID or scanning a QR code.

When you add a folder for synchronization, you can determine which devices will be copied to, prevent changes, and also enable file version control and specify the number of modifications to save.

Like the desktop version of Syncthing, the mobile application allows you to manage traffic and use your own server, which is responsible for communication between computers.

In general, Syncthing is a fully functional project and is comparable in functionality to BitTorrent Sync. However, the browser interface and the need to constantly restart the client are not entirely convenient.

⇡ Conclusion

Due to the fact that the amount of data synchronized using Bittorrent Sync is unlimited, this service is still convenient to use, say, for backing up photos and other media files that may be of value. It is enough to configure the synchronization settings once on two or three home computers, and you no longer have to think about which one you last copied photos from the memory card to and where you copied the disk with the recording of the video of the children's party.

Of course, Bittorrent Sync also has disadvantages, which are a consequence of the peculiarities of the service. The main one is that in order to access the synchronized files, at least one of the computers must be turned on. It is also worth remembering that if stub files are used on the device, and there is a need to gain access to such a file, you will also need to turn on the computer where they are physically stored.

Despite the fact that the security of file transfer when using BitTorrent Sync has repeatedly become a reason for discussion, in any case, direct copying of data between computers is always safer than storing information on a remote server. In addition, BitTorrent Sync always chooses the fastest path for copying data, so, for example, when working on a home network, the Internet is not used at all. By the way, high transfer speeds are also achieved due to the fact that for files larger than 4 MB, the application copies only their modified parts.

The second version of BitTorrent Sync is a big step forward, but its creators still have some work to do. For example, manually excluding files and subfolders from a synced directory is stone age. However, the developers are really actively engaged in the development of BitTorrent Sync. Therefore, we hope that in the future the application will be constantly improved, and not only by adding useful functions in the paid version. The current limitations of the free version are so insignificant that they are unlikely to scare away the majority of users from the program. Well, those who, in principle, do not accept proprietary software can switch to the alternative open Syncthing.

Do you have a G-SYNC capable monitor and an NVIDIA graphics card? Let's look at what G-SYNC is, how to enable it and configure it correctly in order to fully use the potential and capabilities of this technology. Keep in mind that just turning it on isn't everything.

Every gamer knows what vertical synchronization (V-Sync) is. This function synchronizes the image frames in such a way as to eliminate the effect of screen tearing. If you disable vertical synchronization on a regular monitor, you will decrease the input lag (latency) and you will notice that the game will respond better to your commands, but thus the frames will not be properly synchronized and it will end up with screen tearing.

V-Sync eliminates screen tearing, but at the same time causes an increase in the delay of the image output relative to the controls, so that the game becomes less comfortable. Every time you move the mouse, it appears that the movement effect occurs with a slight delay. And here the G-SYNC function comes to the rescue, which allows you to eliminate both of these shortcomings.

What is G-SYNC?

A rather expensive but effective solution for NVIDIA GeForce video cards is the use of G-SYNC technology, which eliminates screen tearing without using additional input lag. But to implement it you need a monitor that includes the G-SYNC module. The module adjusts the screen refresh rate to the number of frames per second, so there is no additional delay and the effect of screen tearing is eliminated.

Many users, after purchasing such a monitor, only enable NVIDIA G-SYNC support in the NVIDIA Control Panel settings with the belief that this is all they should do. Theoretically yes, because G-SYNC will work, but if you want to fully maximize the use of this technology, then you need to enable a number of additional functions related to the appropriate setting of classic V-sync and limiting the FPS in games to a number of frames less than the maximum refresh rate monitor. Why? You will learn all this from the following recommendations.

Enabling G-SYNC in the NVIDIA Control Panel

Let's start with the simplest basic solution, that is, from the moment you turn on the G-SYNC module. This can be done using the NVIDIA Control Panel. Right-click on your desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel.

Then go to the Display tab - G-SYNC Setup. Here you can enable the technology using the “Enable G-SYNC” field. Tag it.

You can then specify whether it will only work in full screen mode, or can also activate in games running in windowed mode or a full screen window (without borders).

If you select the “Enable G-SYNC for full screen mode” option, the function will only work in games that have the full screen mode set (this option can be changed in the settings of specific games). Games in windowed mode or full screen will not use this technology.

If you want windowed games to also use G-SYNC technology, then enable the “Enable G-SYNC for windowed and full screen mode” option. When this option is selected, the function intercepts the currently active window and overlays its action on it, enabling it to support modified screen refresh. You may need to restart your computer to activate this option.

How to check that this technology is enabled. To do this, open the Display menu at the top of the window and check the “G-SYNC Indicator” field in it. This will inform you that G-SYNC is enabled when you launch the game.

Then go to the Manage 3D Settings tab in the side menu. In the "Global settings" section, find the "Preferred refresh rate" field.

Set this to "Highest available". Some games may impose their own refresh rate, which may result in G-SYNC not being fully utilized. Thanks to this parameter, all game settings will be ignored and the ability to use the maximum monitor refresh rate will always be enabled, which in devices with G-SYNC is most often 144Hz.

In general, this is the basic setup you need to do to enable G-SYNC. But, if you want to fully use the potential of your equipment, you should read the following instructions.

What should I do with V-SYNC if I have G-SYNC? Leave it on or turn it off?

This is the most common dilemma of G-SYNC monitor owners. It is generally accepted that this technology completely replaces the classic V-SYNC, which can be completely disabled in the NVIDIA Control Panel or simply ignored.

First you need to understand the difference between them. The task of both functions is theoretically the same - to overcome the effect of screen tearing. But the method of action is significantly different.

V-SYNC synchronizes frames to match the monitor's constant refresh rate. Consequently, the function acts as an intermediary, capturing the picture and therefore the display frame so as to adapt them to a constant frame rate, thereby preventing image tearing. As a result, this can lead to input lag (delay), because V-SYNC must first “capture and organize” the image, and only then display it on the screen.

G-SYNC works exactly the opposite. It adjusts not the image, but the monitor refresh rate to the number of frames displayed on the screen. Everything is done in hardware using the G-SYNC module built into the monitor, so there is no additional delay in displaying the image, as is the case with vertical synchronization. This is its main advantage.

The whole problem is that G-SYNC only works well when the FPS is in the supported refresh rate range. This range covers frequencies from 30 Hz to the maximum value the monitor supports (60Hz or 144Hz). That is, this technology works to its full potential when FPS does not drop below 30 and does not exceed 60 or 144 frames per second, depending on the maximum supported refresh rate. The infographic below, created by BlurBusters, looks really good.

What happens if the fps goes outside this range? G-SYNC will not be able to adjust the screen update, so anything outside the range will not work. You will find exactly the same problems as on a regular monitor without G-SYNC and classic vertical sync will work. If it is turned off, screen tearing will occur. If it is turned on, you will not see the gap effect, but an iput lag (delay) will appear.

Therefore, it is in your best interest to stay within the G-SYNC refresh range, which is a minimum of 30Hz and a maximum of whatever the monitor maxes out (144Hz is most common, but there are 60Hz displays as well). How to do it? Using appropriate vertical synchronization parameters, as well as by limiting the maximum number of FPS.

What, then, is the conclusion from this? In a situation where the number of frames per second drops below 30 FPS, you need to leave vertical sync still enabled. These are rare cases, but if it does happen, V-SYNC ensures that there will be no tearing effect. If the upper limit is exceeded, then everything is simple - you need to limit the maximum number of frames per second so as not to approach the upper limit, when crossed, V-SYNC is turned on, thereby ensuring continuous operation of G-SYNC.

Therefore, if you have a 144 Hz monitor, you need to enable the FPS cap at 142 to avoid going too close to the upper limit. If the monitor is 60 Hz, set the limit to 58. Even if the computer is able to make more FPS, it will not do this. Then V-SYNC will not turn on and only G-SYNC will be active.

Enabling Vsync in NVIDIA Settings

Open the NVIDIA Control Panel and go to the “Manage 3D Settings” tab. In the Global Setting section, find the Vertical Sync option and set the option to “On”.

Thanks to this, vertical synchronization will always be ready to turn on if the FPS drops below 30 FPS, and a monitor with G-SYNC technology would not be able to cope with this.

Limit FPS to less than maximum screen refresh rate

The best way to limit frames per second is to use RTSS (RivaTuner Statistics Server) program. Of course, the best solution is to use the limiter built into the game, but not everyone has one.

Download and run the program, then in the list of games on the left side, check the Global field. Here you can set a common limiter for all applications. On the right side, find the “Framerate limit” field. Set the limit here for 144Hz monitors - 142 FPS, respectively, for 60Hz devices -58 FPS.

When the limit is set, there will be no delay in activating classic vertical synchronization and playing will become much more comfortable.

A lot of good articles have already been written about BTSync on the Internet, most of them were written by admins for admins and advanced users. Therefore, I have nothing to add anything exclusive to what has already been said about how to install and configure it. Therefore, I’ll just give below direct links to the instructions. In this article, I, in turn, will reflect on scenarios for using such a useful and convenient program as btsync for both the administrator and the average user.

So what is BRSync and what advantages does it provide us:

• BTSync is a program for synchronizing files and folders between several computers both over a local network and via the Internet
• It works using the BitTorrent protocol, which allows you to efficiently transfer even very large files.
• All data is transferred in encrypted form and is inaccessible to third parties.
• The data is stored only on the computers participating in the synchronization and nowhere else, no information is stored in any cloud services! Anonymous statistical data can be transmitted to the servers of the program authors, but this can also be disabled.
• Works over any connection, through NAT and proxy. It can use the tracker to connect with other participants, but this is not necessary; if the addresses of the participants are known, then you can specify them explicitly and disable calls to the tracker.

From the user’s point of view, the program is similar to a cloud storage client; it allows you to synchronize data, but as I wrote above, it does not store it anywhere other than the participants’ computers!

How to install and start using BTSync

Here are several sensible articles on this topic, read carefully, everything is extremely simple and clear!

• http://vasilisc.com/btsync — BTSync in the service of the admin. A very clear guide for both administrators and advanced users. The main focus is on using BTSync on Linux.
• http://moonback.ru/page/p2p_backup — Setting up Btsync using the example of a backup task.
• http://antimatrix.org/BTSync/BTSync_Notes_Ru.html — An extensive guide to BTSync

BTSync use case

1. Backing up a “dying” disk of an old computer. Let's imagine a situation - you have an old working PC, the disk of which could go to another world any day now. You have already purchased a new computer, but for some reason you cannot give up your old one. For example, an old PC has associated licensed programs, or specific programs/equipment that do not work on a new PC. With BTSync, you can prevent data loss on your old PC by setting up synchronization with the new one and thus gradually moving the data to the new one. All data is synced instantly as soon as you change it, so you reduce the risk of data loss to a minimum!
2. Working together on a project. If you previously used a cloud service for this, now you can improve the security of collaboration! You can share files in near real time with an unlimited number of colleagues. The amount of data transferred is limited only by the capacity of your hard drives. By default, the client backs up remote files, which will prevent accidental data loss.
3. Smartphone backup. The BTSync client is also available for many smartphones and allows you to backup data using the principle of cloud services. You can only back up your camera roll on your iPhone.
4. Wireless data transfer to a smartphone from a computer. You can share a folder on your PC and open it on your smartphone using BTSync. This way, you can transfer any files from your PC to your gadget without wires and the need to connect to your computer with a USB cable.
5. Server backup. If you are an administrator, you understand the importance of data backup. You can set up synchronization of backups using BTSync on an unlimited number of servers. Data can be stored either on a central backup server or on all servers at once, providing redundancy of stored backup copies in case of disasters. For example, data can be stored on servers physically located in different premises or even cities and at the same time be securely synchronized even via the Internet.
6. BTSync as an alternative to DFS. This option may also be suitable for administrators of networks distributed across different cities. For example, you need to distribute information to different branches of the company. The information is posted at the head office and from there distributed using BTSync to the servers (computers) of the branches, where it is already read-only.
7. File sharing using BTSYnc. It is no secret that many people associate the BitTorrent protocol with pirated torrent trackers, from where people download illegal or relatively legal audio and video products. However, BitTorrent is a very convenient protocol for exchanging files, and increasingly, public folder hashes for BTSync can be found on the Internet. You can also share folders with other people. In this way, you can transfer a folder with photographs to your mother in another city or share your notes with a classmate.

These are the simple usage scenarios that I came up with, but it seems to me that there could be much more of them! Write your ideas in the comments.

BitTorrent Sync is free software that synchronizes files between devices using the BitTorrent protocol in the process. BitTorrent, Inc. created this product to solve the main disadvantages of data synchronization.

The service eliminates file size restrictions, and data transfers become encrypted. Thus, complete security is ensured, and the information will belong only to the user.

Synchronization technology on the service

Most users associate the tool with downloading pirated movies and games, but in fact this is a stereotype. To carry out the process, a symbolic secret key is generated.

The process takes place using a peer-to-peer P2P network, which is based on the BitTorrent protocol. Essentially, BitTorrent Sync functions as a cloud service, but the difference from similar tools is that when working with files, the participation of third-party servers is excluded. In other words, specific devices that have access to the files are used to perform data operations. Thus, the user creates a more improved image of cloud storage, since the data transfer speed and its size do not have any restrictions.

btsync versions are developed for all popular operating systems: Windows, Mac OS, Linux, iOS, Android.

Installing the BitTorrent Sync tool

The service can be downloaded to your PC at www.getsync.com. For smartphones, tablets and other similar gadgets, BitTorrent Sync must be searched for in the application store corresponding to the installed OS.

After downloading the tool, you need to perform an initial installation, which does not include any pitfalls. The only thing that can be noted is the integration of the special BitTorrent Sync service into the system, thanks to which, for example, files and folders will be available even on a locked device.

As soon as the installation is completed and the service starts, you will need to enter a name, which plays the role of a “network nickname”. It will be displayed while sending and receiving files or folders. In addition, the entered name will be displayed in cases where the user has accessed the data from another device after appropriate permission.

How to access a folder

When you start the service, the main BitTorrent Sync window will appear in front of you, with the “Add Folder” option displayed in the upper left part of it. The folder to be added is a “folder” that is located on the current device in order to be accessed from other computers or mobile gadgets. In addition, this may be a folder that was accessible on another PC/smartphone. In this case, you need to open a small context menu located next to the “Add folder” option (there is a down arrow) and select “Enter a key or link” there.

To add a folder from the current device, select the “Standard folder” item in the mentioned context menu and find the desired folder. Then the sharing menu will appear on the screen, which is designed to set certain parameters for further work with files. In particular, if you want to synchronize exclusively between your devices, then check the “Read and Write” checkbox.

In turn, to transfer files to another user, check the box next to the “Reading” line.

In general, everything is simple with the settings and we will not dwell on them in detail, since there are tips and brief descriptions of the options everywhere.

Let's move on. And then we need to make the data available to another device or user. I think you guessed that to synchronize with other devices, you need BitTorrent Sync installed on them too. So, to provide access, in the settings window, click on “Email” (icon with an envelope). This way you will send the link to another user or device.

It is worth noting that restrictions (number of downloads, duration of the link) apply only when the link is sent from the “Link” tab. As for the other two tabs in the settings - “Key” and “QR code”, the first contains key options (usually two) to be entered in the “Enter a key or link” item, and the second tab contains a code for scanning (technology for mobile gadgets). These options should be considered synchronization capabilities only and are not used for the purpose of one-time file downloads.

Accessing a folder from a third-party device

To gain access from another device, you must perform one of the suggested operations:

Send the link by mail. When you open the link on another device, along with the message, a tab with the resource www.getsync.com will open. The site will offer to install the service or click on the “I already have” item and subsequently gain access;

Pass the key. To enter the key, click on the “Add folder” option on the main page of the tool and select the appropriate item in the drop-down menu;

Use the QR code if you log in from a mobile device.

As soon as you perform any action, the “Connect to directory” window will appear on the screen. You will be asked to select a local folder that will participate in synchronization with the remote folder. Then click the “Connect” button and the process will start. Speed, like torrents, directly depends on the number of devices on which the folder is synchronized. The more gadgets and computers, the higher the speed will be.

In general, in this article we noted several advantages of using BitTorrent Sync compared to ordinary cloud services. If you often transfer files that reach several gigabytes in size or are concerned about the safety of certain extremely important documents, then this service is ideal for simplifying your computer work.

If you still have questions on the topic “BitTorrent Sync – what is it? How to use the service?”, then you can ask them in the comments

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