QNAP QSync Setup Guide: File Sync and Remote Access Across Devices

QSync is QNAP's file synchronisation service. It turns your NAS into a self-hosted Dropbox, keeping folders in sync across Windows PCs, Macs, iOS, and Android devices, with no monthly subscription and no third-party cloud involved. This guide covers the complete setup: installing QSync Central on your NAS, installing the desktop client on your computers, creating sync pairs, handling conflicts, and configuring remote access so sync works both inside and outside your home network. It also covers where QSync fits versus Synology Drive and Nextcloud for users evaluating their options.

What QSync Does and When to Use It

QSync keeps a designated folder on your NAS synchronised with client folders on your computers and mobile devices. Changes made on any device propagate to the NAS and then to all other connected devices. The same model used by Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive, but with your NAS as the hub.

QSync suits users who want to:

• Access NAS files from a laptop without manually mapping a drive or using VPN
• Keep work files synchronised across a desktop and laptop automatically
• Replace a commercial cloud sync subscription with a self-hosted alternative
• Share a folder with family or colleagues via a shared team sync

QSync is not the right tool for every NAS access pattern. Streaming a media library via Plex, accessing files via SMB from a local PC, or running a Nextcloud with full office suite collaboration. These are not QSync use cases. QSync is specifically for automatic background synchronisation of file folders.

Step 1: Install QSync Central on Your QNAP NAS

QSync Central is the server component. It runs on the NAS and manages the sync database, version history, and client connections.

1. Log in to QTS and open the App Center
2. Search for QSync Central
3. Click Install (approximately 50MB, installs in under a minute)
4. Open QSync Central from the QTS application menu
5. On first launch, QSync Central creates a default sync folder at /QSync/ in your storage pool. You can leave this as-is or redirect it to a different shared folder

QSync Central's admin interface shows connected users, sync status, storage usage, and version history settings. Set the version history retention period here. The default is 32 versions per file. For typical use, 10-15 versions over a 30-day period is a reasonable balance between safety and storage overhead.

Step 2: Create a NAS User Account for QSync

Each person who will use QSync needs a QNAP user account with access to the QSync shared folder. If you are setting up QSync for yourself only, you can use the admin account. For shared use or family sync, create individual user accounts:

1. In QTS, go to Control Panel → Users
2. Create a user for each person who will sync (e.g. jane, mark)
3. Assign each user Read/Write access to the QSync shared folder
4. In QSync Central, go to Users and enable QSync for each account, setting their individual storage quota if needed

Step 3: Install the QSync Client on Windows or Mac

Download the QSync desktop client from qnap.com/en/software/qsync. Install it on each computer you want to sync.

1. On first launch, QSync client asks for the NAS connection details
2. Enter your NAS's local IP address (e.g. 192.168.1.x) and your QTS username and password
3. QSync connects, authenticates, and presents the sync folder selection
4. Choose a local folder on your computer to act as the sync pair (e.g. C:\Users\Jane\QSync\ on Windows or ~/QSync/ on Mac)
5. Click Sync. Initial synchronisation begins downloading all existing NAS content to the local folder

The QSync tray icon shows sync status. A green checkmark indicates all files are synchronised. A rotating arrow indicates active sync in progress. Right-click the tray icon for settings, pause sync, or to add additional sync pairs.

Step 4: Configure Remote Sync via myQNAPcloud

For QSync to work when your computer is away from home (on a laptop at a coffee shop, at the office), the client needs to reach your NAS over the internet. QNAP's myQNAPcloud service handles this without requiring a static IP or port forwarding.

1. On your NAS, open myQNAPcloud from the QTS app menu and sign in with a free QNAP ID
2. Enable the myQNAPcloud Link service. This creates an encrypted relay connection between your NAS and QNAP's cloud
3. Note your device name (e.g. mynas.myqnapcloud.com)
4. In the QSync desktop client on each laptop, go to Settings → Connection and add your myQNAPcloud hostname as a secondary connection

QSync will automatically switch between the local IP (faster, direct LAN connection when at home) and the myQNAPcloud relay (remote access when away). The switchover is transparent.

Step 5: Mobile Sync with Qfile

QNAP's mobile sync uses the Qfile app (iOS and Android) rather than QSync. Qfile provides on-demand file access and optional automatic photo backup from your phone to the NAS, but it does not create a bidirectional sync of a phone folder the way QSync does on desktops.

For automatic photo backup:

1. Install Qfile on your iPhone or Android device
2. Connect to your NAS (local or via myQNAPcloud)
3. Enable Auto Upload in Qfile settings. Choose a target folder on the NAS (e.g. /Photos/iPhone-Jane/)
4. Qfile uploads new photos and videos in the background when connected to Wi-Fi

For full bidirectional folder sync on mobile, QNAP does not have an equivalent to Synology Drive's mobile sync mode. This is a gap in the QNAP ecosystem. For mobile-to-NAS sync beyond photos, Nextcloud (deployable via Container Station) provides a more complete solution.

Managing Conflicts and Version History

When the same file is modified on two devices before either has synced, QSync creates a conflict copy. It renames the conflicting version with a timestamp suffix and keeps both copies on the NAS. You then resolve the conflict manually by reviewing both versions and deleting the unwanted one.

Version history is managed centrally in QSync Central on the NAS. Under QSync Central → Version Control you can:

• Browse version history for any file in the sync folder
• Restore a previous version to the current state
• Set the maximum number of versions retained per file
• Set the maximum retention period (days)

Version storage consumes NAS space proportional to how frequently files change. For a sync folder containing mostly stable documents that change occasionally, the overhead is minimal. For folders with large frequently-changing files (video projects, VM disk images), reconsider whether QSync is the right tool. These are better served by a scheduled backup rather than continuous sync.

QSync vs Alternatives: When to Choose Something Else

QSync vs Synology Drive: Both do the same job. Self-hosted file sync using your NAS as the hub. Synology Drive is slightly more polished in its desktop client and has better mobile sync support. If you are comparing the two and are not yet committed to a brand, both are capable. If you already have a QNAP, QSync is the native solution and works well for most home and SOHO use cases. See the Synology vs QNAP comparison for a full platform evaluation.

QSync vs Nextcloud: Nextcloud (deployable via Container Station on any QNAP) offers a significantly more capable platform. Full file sync, web interface, mobile apps with full offline sync, collaborative document editing via OnlyOffice or Collabora, calendar and contacts, and much more. The trade-off is setup complexity. QSync is simpler to configure and maintains completely within QTS. Nextcloud requires a Docker stack and ongoing container management. For a household or small team that wants more than basic sync, Nextcloud is worth the setup effort.

🇦🇺 Australian Buyers: What You Need to Know

Remote sync performance over NBN: QSync's remote performance is bounded by your NBN upload speed. On NBN 100 (typical 20Mbps upload) syncing a 10GB file batch takes roughly 60-70 minutes via the myQNAPcloud relay. NBN 250 and NBN 1000 plans offer 25Mbps and 50Mbps upload respectively. Proportionally faster. Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) connections on higher speed tiers offer the best remote sync performance. If you are on an FTTN connection with variable upload speeds, expect less consistent remote sync performance.

CGNAT and direct VPN access: If your ISP places you behind CGNAT (common on most NBN providers for residential plans), inbound connections to your NAS are blocked. The myQNAPcloud relay works around this automatically. It is an outbound connection from your NAS, so CGNAT does not block it. However, relay performance is throttled by QNAP and limited by the relay infrastructure. For better remote access performance, a WireGuard VPN tunnel to a cheap VPS (around $5-$7 AUD/month) as an exit node is the most effective solution. The remote access guide covers this setup in detail including ISP-specific CGNAT status for Aussie Broadband, Tangerine, iiNet, and others.

Storage and costs: QSync is included in QTS at no additional cost. There is no subscription, per-user fee, or cloud storage charge. The only ongoing cost is your NAS's electricity consumption and the NAS hardware itself. Version history and sync database storage is consumed from your NAS pool, but the overhead is modest for typical document sync workloads. A QNAP NAS brand guide covers the full software ecosystem and support channels for Australian buyers.

Related reading: our NAS buyer's guide and our NAS explainer.

Free tools: NAS Sizing Wizard and NBN Remote Access Checker. No signup required.

Does QSync work over the internet without port forwarding?

Yes. QSync uses QNAP's myQNAPcloud relay service to reach your NAS over the internet without port forwarding or a static IP. The relay is encrypted and works even behind CGNAT. Performance is lower than a direct connection. Sync speed is limited by your upload bandwidth and the relay overhead. For faster remote access, a direct VPN connection (WireGuard or OpenVPN) to your NAS bypasses the relay and is more performant for large file transfers.

How many devices can use QSync at once?

QSync supports multiple simultaneous client connections. There is no hard limit imposed by the software. Practical limits are your NAS hardware (CPU, RAM, network throughput) and your internet bandwidth for remote clients. A TS-464 can handle 10-20 simultaneous QSync clients performing light sync activity without significant performance degradation. Heavy concurrent syncing (multiple large file batches simultaneously) will compete for NAS resources.

Can QSync sync files to a shared team folder?

Yes. QSync Central supports Team Folders. A shared sync folder where multiple users can sync the same folder from their respective devices. To create a Team Folder: in QSync Central, go to Team Folder → Create, select the NAS folder, and add the users who should have sync access. Each user's QSync client will then show the team folder as a sync target alongside their personal folder. Changes by any member propagate to all others. Permissions are managed per-user within QSync Central.

What happens to synced files if the NAS is offline?

Files already synced to your local device remain accessible and fully functional. They are local copies, not cloud-only files. You can continue working on them offline. Changes made while the NAS is offline are queued locally and synced when the NAS comes back online. Any conflicts with changes made by other devices during the offline period are handled by QSync's conflict resolution (creating a conflict copy for manual review).

Is QSync the same as Synology Drive?

QSync and Synology Drive perform the same function. Self-hosted file sync using the NAS as the hub. They are platform-specific: QSync runs on QNAP NAS with QTS, Synology Drive runs on Synology NAS with DSM. They are not cross-compatible. Synology Drive has a slight edge in mobile client capability; QSync integrates more directly with QNAP's broader ecosystem including Container Station and myQNAPcloud. For a full platform comparison, see the Synology vs QNAP comparison.