The majority of file synchronization services use cloud storage space for the synchronization process. The main advantage here is that you can sync files between devices even if some of the devices are not online at the same time. Some, like Cubby Pro combine a cloud-based syncing solution with local synchronization features that enable you to sync files in the same local area network bypassing the cloud storage in the process.
BitTorrent Sync is different in comparison, not only because of relying on BiTtorent technology to sync data, but also because of its Internet syncing capabilities. I have reviewed Sync before here on Ghacks shortly after it was announced that interested users could sign up to receive a private invitation to use the service.
This changes today with the public availability of BitTorrent Sync Alpha. Note that it is still an alpha product even though it felt quite stable during tests that I performed.
BitTorrent Sync does not make use of cloud storage space which means that at least two devices that data is synced between need to be online to synchronize the data. This may seem like a limitation at first, but should not really be too problematic after all in most cases. It may require some coordination though.
After you have download and installed Sync you have the option to enter a secret key that someone shared with you right away in the app to start the syncing right away. Here is how this sharing works in detail:
A new secret code is generated automatically whenever you add folders to BitTorrent Sync that you want to synchronize between devices that you own and devices that someone else owns. The secret code needs to be entered on those devices to pair it with the system you have created the new shared folder on.
You have a couple of options to customize the process. Sometimes, you may not want to sync the data in both directions. Maybe you want to provide someone else with access to the files but not with the rights to modify or delete them. That's were one-way synchronization comes into play. Do the following to configure this:
- Right-click a folder under shared folders and select show folder preferences from the options.
- Switch to the advanced tab here.
- Select read only instead of full access and click ok.
Here you can configure another interesting option, a one-time secret key that is valid for 24 hours only. This has been designed to prevent that authorized users hand over the key to other (unauthorized users). The key expires after 24 hours and becomes useless after that period.
As far as other features go, the developers have improved support for additional NAS devices, added new advanced configuration options to the application, and an option to exclude specific files or directories. I could not locate the latter in the latest version though. Leave a comment if you know how this is configured.
I suggest you consult the previous reviews for additional information about BitTorrent Sync. There you find information about the security of the transfers among other things.
Update: Here is how you ignore some files during sync:
- Create an UTF-8 encoded file and name it Syncignore.
- Add single files, paths and rules to the text file. It supports "?" and "*" wildcards.
Note that files that have already been indexed are ignored by BitTorrent Sync which means that they will be deleted on other syncing devices. If you do not want that, you need to use the following workaround:
- Quit BitTorrent Sync or remove the folder from sync on all the devices.
- Modify .SyncIgnore file on all of them so that it contains same info.
- Run BitTorrent Sync or re-add the modified folders.
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