#bittorent sync

I use 1password for managing all my passwords.

I need to be able to access these passwords on all platforms (mac/phone/tablet/pc).

And I need to be able to keep these passwords in sync across these devices.

The 1password app natively supports Dropbox, so I have been using that for a year or so.

But the thought of having my sensitive information on a third party service like Dropbox bugged me. 1password stores my passwords in an encrypted format, but I don't want it to be available to "third parties" at all.

So I set out to find an alternative. Preferably one that doesn't include a cloud storage provider.

My first consideration was to run my ownCloud somewhere, but I already run a bunch of infrastructure, and I really don't want to manage more.

The thing is: my 1password file only changes ones a day or so. So running a service full time, to only manage a ones a day sync, is a bit excessive.

My next option, was to hack something using rsync and push out a change to my devices once every so often. But I travel a lot, and my mobile phones / tablets don't have a static IP and/or are behind NAT/Firewall. All these things can be overcome, but it would become a pretty hacky project.

Then I came across BitTorrent Sync. It uses the Bittorrent protocol to sync my files, without requiring central storage or a cloud provider. And it has support for all the platforms I require. I decided to try it out.

I started by installing Bittorrent Sync on my mac and phone. I created a folder to sync called "BTSync" and copied my 1Password.agilekeychain in there.

Now it's time to couple my devices. Open BitTorrent Sync ->

Ctrl + Click (right click) the folder you want to sync ->

Connect Mobile Device -> Full access

On your android device, choose add folder, scan the QR code and you are set! Just wait a little while for your keychain to propagate. When that is done, it is time to point the 1password app where to go.

Open the 1Password app on Android -> Press the ... in the right bottom corner -> More -> Update Sync Settings ->

SD Card -> Select the directory that you "BTSync" -> Select the 1Password.agilekeychain ->

New post published on http://emailblog.eu/2013/04/24/bittorrent-sync-dropbox-alternative/

BitTorrent Sync: a secure alternative to Dropbox

BitTorrent Labs has released BitTorrent Sync. It’s a secure way to sync files across multiple devices. A major Dropbox alternative, BitTorrent Sync encrypts everything. This allows you to limit access only to people with whom you share your private secret.

From the faq:

There are 3 types of secrets: master (full access) secret, read only Secret for one-way sync and one-time secrets (both full access and read-only). Read only and one-time secrets may be generated only for folders operated bymaster secrets.  

If you are concerned about security, BitTorrent Sync provides opportunity to regularly generate new Secrets for a folder, or replace an existing secret with your own Base64 string more than 40 characters long. The new folder Secret should be re-entered on all the devices in sync.

For increased security, Sync now has the option to let the secret key expire after a day. This disables new devices to be added, preventing outsiders with your secret key from having access to your files.

  Having different versions of a file is no problem. as soon as changes are saved, it is synced to other devices. This is done using only the latest version of a file. Actual versioning is not available yet though. Changes to a shared folder are synced immediately.

Next to being secure, BitTorrent Sync is specifically designed to handle big files: no more need to compress those large raw files you have into zips or other compressed files. You can find the BitTorrent Sync user guide here.

One advantage of BitTorrent Sycn compared to Dropbox and other cloud hosting options is that you are not dependant on a central server. Everything will sync just fine regardless of a central hosting system. Be sure to check out the getting started walkthrough here. More on the technology behind the new software can be found here on the BitTorrent Labs page.

  Related Posts: