In this tutorial, we are going to look at how to backup a Synology NAS to a remote NAS using Hyper Backup.
This process is somewhat straight forward, but we will be utilizing an OpenVPN network interface on our remote NAS. This will allow us to connect to our remote NAS from our local NAS securely, without opening ports on our router.
I back up all of my data off-site to my remote NAS and this setup has been working flawlessly. If you do use this method, I highly suggest that you set a static IP address for the VPN user who will be connecting so that you know exactly what IP address you will be connecting to. To be clear, the VPN static IP address setup will be done on the local NAS where the OpenVPN server is configured. It’s very important to note that connecting to VPN clients from your local network requires the setup of a static route.
Before we start the tutorial, if you are backing up large amounts of data, it’s probably a good idea to back up that data on your local network first. There will be a significant time difference between backing up terabytes of data through your local network rather than through the VPN connection.
Instructions – Backup a Synology NAS to a Remote NAS
There are two different NAS’s that we need to configure. The remote NAS (which is where our OpenVPN network interface is created) and our local NAS. This tutorial will show you how to back up a local NAS to a remote NAS, but you can flip the instructions if you’d like to back up a remote NAS to a local NAS.
Remote Synology NAS Setup
1. Download and Install Hyper Backup Vault from the Package Center.
2. If you are using Synology’s Firewall, ensure that you allow traffic for Hyper Backup Vault (port 6281).
Local Synology NAS Setup
1. Open Hyper Backup, add a new task, and select Remote NAS device.
2. Enter the server name or IP address, enable transfer encryption, and Trust the certificate. Then, enter the username and password, select the directory and give your backup a name!
3. Select the specific folders that you’d like to backup and select Next.
4. Select the specific applications that you’d like to backup and select Next.
5. Configure the backup settings. Most settings are user-specific, but if you’re backing up your NAS off-site, you probably want to enable client-side encryption. This is NOT mandatory, but it adds a layer of security to your backup. Keep in mind, if you lose the password or encryption key, this data will be lost forever. Store it somewhere safe.
6. At this stage, you can enable backup rotation. This is a setting that you can configure based on your needs. I normally use earliest version.
7. Select Apply and the job will start! It will now run based on the frequency selected.
Conclusion – Backup a Synology NAS to a Remote NAS
This tutorial showed how to backup a Synology NAS to a remote NAS. This process is fairly straight forward, but you need to ensure that you have a way to connect to your remote NAS from your local NAS. My recommended approach is to use OpenVPN and setup a static IP address for the user you connect with. The process isn’t too bad, and you’ll ensure that you are backing up your NAS as securely as possible. This tutorial can be summed up as a secure way of backing up your important data!
Thanks for reading the tutorial. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments!
Hi – thanks for the tutorial. For the remote NAS how do you get the IP address of the host? Do you use the gateway address?
When you say IP address of the host, what exactly do you mean? The IP address of the remote Synology NAS?
If so, the tutorial utilizes OpenVPN, so you will have to get it from there. Here is a tutorial that shows you how: https://www.wundertech.net/how-to-create-an-openvpn-network-interface-on-a-synology-nas/
Hi, my router does not support the setup of a static route unfortunately. What would be my best alternative to backup my NAS to a remote synology NAS?
You should be able to use a DDNS hostname (using Synology’s DDNS or something free like DuckDNS).
EDIT: Just realized that you said static route and not static IP. Sounds like we solved your question below, however.
Thanks for your reply! I thought I asked the question on another tutorial so I actually just now looked at it..
I do not fully understand what the most secure option is. I have a static IP so a DDNS hostname is not really needed for me (right?). I figured out that I can use hyperbackup to my (remote) public ip via port 6281. I set up the port forwarding on my remote router (and opened the port in my firewall) so everything works.
However, does this impose security issues as opposed to using a VPN? If so, there is no way for me to use a VPN right? Since my remote router does not support setting up a static route.
An addition: If I setup my remote synology firewall to only accept Hyper Backup Vault from my own IP address everything should be fully secure right?
You are correct – if you have a static external IP address, then a DDNS hostname is not required.
If you have a static IP address, I’d definitely utilize Synology’s firewall rather than a VPN. You can create a rule on port 6281 that allows traffic from that static IP address only and another from the local IP address subnet (if required). It’s way easier to do it this way, and isn’t “more or less” secure than a VPN. A VPN in this situation is just overkill – not a bad solution, but not necessary. Hope that this helps!
Awesome, that’s exactly what I did! Thanks so much for your help! I came across your channel somehow and decided that I really needed a synology NAS. Setting everything up was a breeze with your tutorials, so cheers! Is there anyway I can support the channel/website? Cannot find patreon/btc adress e.g.
If our modem is not supporting static route, how can we use remote backup? İf we import the vpn profile on local nas and remote nas and both is connected the vp.Can we use like this?
Does the external NAS have a static external IP address? That would make it a lot easier to manage (as you can use port forwarding + firewall).