BitTorrent Sync

If you need to send some data from your home computer to your work computer, you could take it with you on a USB device or upload it on a FTP server, but you can definitely find an easier way. A good example is BitTorrent Sync, which gives you the possibility of synchronizing two or more folders over the Internet. The necessary configurations can be made in a few seconds, even by inexperienced users. Once they are complete, you can send any amount of data to multiple computers, in a fast and secure manner, without having to wait for confirmation from the other end.

The software is free and it is available for Windows and Mac, as well as Android and iOS mobile platforms. The Windows setup package is about one and a half MB and you can install the software almost instantly. Unlike other synchronization utilities, BitTorrent Sync does not store your data on a remote server, so you don't have to create an online account.

BitTorrent Sync comes with a tabbed user interface, on which you can manage your sync folders, view connected devices, current transfers, a transfer history and make a few basic configurations. The basic principle behind the software is quite simple. It allows you to establish connections between two or more folders, on different computers or devices. When you store something in one of these folders, the software will copy the data to the other folders automatically.

Folders are connected with unique IDs, called secrets. New sync folders are created on a separate window, on which you must select a local folder and click a button to generate a secret. Alternatively, you can paste a secret, if you wish to connect the new sync folder to an existing one. Obviously, if you wish to share a sync folder with another user, you must provide him with the corresponding secret.

You can bring up a folder's properties window, on the software's interface, where you can find different secrets, which provide read only or full access rights to your sync folder. It is also possible to generate secrets for one-time-only connections, with read only or full access rights. Furthermore, BitTorrent Sync allows you to connect a mobile device to your sync folders, by generating and scanning QR codes. Just like the secrets, QR codes can provide read only or full access rights.