GoodSync Connect is the secure connection technology built into GoodSync. It uses the GoodSync Transfer Protocol (GSTP) to connect computers, servers, NAS devices, and other supported devices so GoodSync can back up, synchronize, or access files between them. The devices may be on the same local network or in different physical locations.
Unlike syncing through a cloud-storage service, GoodSync Connect transfers files between the devices and storage locations you control. GoodSync Connect is not a cloud-storage service, and files transferred through it are not stored by GoodSync.
IMPORTANT: GoodSync Connect uses GSTPS, the TLS-encrypted version of GSTP, when connecting through standard account-based addressing. GSTPS protects file data while it travels between the GoodSync client and server.
In This Article
- How GoodSync Connect Creates a Secure Connection
- Before You Begin
- Step 1: Enroll the Computers
- Step 2: Create a GoodSync Connect Job
- Verify the Connection
- Protocol, Connection, and Security Information
- Troubleshooting
How GoodSync Connect Creates a Secure Connection
GoodSync Connect uses a client-server connection between two GoodSync devices. The device where the Job runs requests access to a folder on the device serving the files.
The devices have the following roles:
- Client device: The computer where the GoodSync Job is created and run. The client starts the connection and controls the Analyze and Sync operations.
- Server device: The computer, server, or NAS device that makes its files available to the client. The server must have Serve files to other devices enabled and must be powered on, awake, connected, and running GoodSync when the Job runs.
For the standard account-based connection, GoodSync completes the following process:
- Identifies the devices: Each device is enrolled in the same GoodSync Account with a unique Computer Name.
- Locates the server: The GoodSync Mediator uses the account and Computer Name to help the client locate the server, including when the devices are on different networks.
- Attempts a direct connection: GoodSync first attempts to create a direct peer-to-peer connection between the client and server.
- Uses a Forwarder when required: If NAT, a firewall, a router, or another network restriction prevents a direct connection, GoodSync can automatically use a Forwarder to relay the encrypted connection.
- Transfers the files: GoodSync performs the selected backup, synchronization, or file-access operation through the established GSTPS connection.
The GoodSync Mediator does not receive or store the files being transferred. It helps the devices locate each other and coordinates the connection. When a Forwarder is required, it relays the encrypted traffic without becoming a file-storage destination. The transferred files remain on the source and destination storage locations selected in the GoodSync Job.
Before You Begin
Before setting up GoodSync Connect, confirm the following:
- Install the latest GoodSync version on every participating device. Download the current installer from the GoodSync Download page, or select Help > Check for Updates within GoodSync.
- Create a GoodSync Account if you do not already have one.
- Enroll the client and server devices in the same GoodSync Account when using the standard mediated GoodSync Connect method.
- Confirm that the server device and the account running GoodSync have permission to access each local folder, network share, or protected location the Job will use.
- Keep the server device powered on, awake, connected to the network, and running GoodSync whenever the client is expected to connect.
Step 1: Enroll the Computers in Your GoodSync Account
Complete the following steps on each computer that will participate in the GoodSync Connect Job.
1) Open GoodSync and access GoodSync Account Setup:
- Windows: Select Tools > GoodSync Account Setup.
- macOS: Select GoodSync > GoodSync Account Setup.
2) Enter the Email and Password for your GoodSync Account, then click Log In.
If the account was previously used on the computer, the corresponding fields may already be filled in.
3) Enter a unique and recognizable Computer Name. This name identifies the device when another GoodSync installation browses the devices enrolled in your GoodSync Account.
Enable Serve files to other devices on every device whose files must be accessible through GoodSync Connect.
- Option unchecked — Client only: The device can run Jobs and start outgoing connections, but it cannot accept incoming GoodSync Connect requests from other devices.
- Option checked — Server enabled: Other authorized GoodSync devices can connect to this device and access the files made available through its GoodSync Server.
Click Next to continue.
4) When the Account Setup Completed confirmation appears, click Close.
Step 2: Create a GoodSync Connect Job
1) On the client computer that will run the Job, open GoodSync and click New Job in the toolbar. You may also select Job > New.
NOTE: To update an existing Job, select the Job and continue with Step 3 below.
2) Enter a descriptive name for the Job, then select Backup or Synchronize as the Job type.
Click OK.
3) Click the left or right folder control for the side of the Job that will connect to the remote server device.
4) In the Browse dialog, scroll down and select GoodSync Connect. Then select your GoodSync Account, shown by its email address.
GoodSync displays the enrolled devices that have Serve files to other devices enabled.
5) Select the remote server device, then browse to and select the required folder. Select the source or destination folder on the opposite side of the Job, then click the green Apply button.
GoodSync automatically creates the GSTPS address for the selected device and folder. In most cases, the address does not need to be entered manually.
6) Click Analyze and review the proposed file actions. When the actions are correct, click Sync. GoodSync then transfers the selected data through the secure connection between the devices.
IMPORTANT: Carefully review the Analyze results before the first Sync, especially when creating a two-way Synchronize Job or selecting a destination that already contains files.
Verify the GoodSync Connect Connection
Use GoodSync Explorer on Windows or macOS to confirm that the client can securely connect to the remote device and browse the folders it serves.
- Open GoodSync Explorer.
- Select GoodSync Connect.
- Select the GoodSync Account shown by its email address.
- Select the remote server device.
- Browse to the required folder.
If the remote device and its folders open in GoodSync Explorer, the devices are enrolled correctly and the GoodSync Connect connection is working.
Protocol, Connection, and Security Information
GSTP and GSTPS
GSTP stands for GoodSync Transfer Protocol. GoodSync uses this proprietary protocol for communication and file transfer between a GoodSync client and server.
GSTPS is GSTP protected by TLS and uses the gstps:// prefix. Standard account-based GoodSync Connect addresses use GSTPS so the communication channel between the client and server is encrypted. The unencrypted gstp:// protocol is not recommended.
A typical account-based GSTPS address uses the following format:
gstps://ComputerID.UserID.goodsync/folder-path
In most cases, you do not need to enter this address manually. Selecting the remote device and folder in the GoodSync Browse dialog creates it automatically.
Account-Based Addressing and Transfer Paths
Standard GoodSync Connect uses account-based mediated addressing to identify and locate a server. After locating the server, GoodSync uses one of two transfer paths:
- Direct peer-to-peer path: The client connects directly to the server. This normally provides the best available transfer speed and latency.
- Forwarded path: If the client cannot reach the server directly, GoodSync automatically selects a Forwarder that both devices can reach. The Forwarder relays the encrypted connection and does not store the transferred files. This path may be slower than a direct connection.
NOTE: The Mediator is used for device discovery and connection coordination. It is not a third transfer path and does not receive the file data.
Ports Used by GoodSync Connect
- TCP 33333: Used for direct GSTP/GSTPS connections to GoodSync Server.
- TCP 80 and 443: Used by GoodSync Server to communicate with the GoodSync Mediator and coordinate connections.
- UDP 33338 and 33339: Used to discover GoodSync servers on the local network.
- TCP 11000: Used for the GoodSync Server Web UI. This interface is local-only by default and should not be exposed to the internet.
NOTE: GoodSync attempts to create the required Windows Firewall exceptions during installation. Additional configuration may be required for a third-party firewall, endpoint-security application, proxy, VPN, router, or ISP restriction.
Troubleshooting GoodSync Connect
The Remote Device Is Not Listed
- Confirm that the client and server devices are enrolled in the intended GoodSync Account.
- On the server device, confirm that Serve files to other devices is enabled.
- Confirm that the server device is powered on, awake, connected to the network, and running GoodSync.
- Confirm that each enrolled device has a unique Computer Name.
- Install the latest GoodSync version on both devices, then check again.
The Device Is Listed but Cannot Be Opened
- Test the connection through GoodSync Explorer.
- Confirm that firewall, antivirus, endpoint-security, VPN, or proxy software is not blocking GoodSync.
- Confirm that the server device and the account running GoodSync have permission to access the selected local folder or network share.
- If the Job runs unattended, confirm that the GoodSync Runner service has the required operating-system credentials and folder permissions.
- Restart GoodSync or the GoodSync service on the server device, then test the connection again.
The Connection Is Slower Than Expected
- Check the source device's upload speed and the destination device's download speed.
- Check for limitations caused by Wi-Fi quality, disk performance, CPU usage, or other active transfers.
- A connection using a Forwarder may be slower than a direct peer-to-peer connection.
- If a transfer is interrupted, restore network connectivity and run the Job again. GoodSync Connect can resume an interrupted file transfer from the point where it stopped.