Synology Backup Guide: Complete 3-2-1 Strategy for NAS Protection

Your Synology NAS protects against drive failure with RAID, but RAID is not backup. Fire, theft, ransomware, or accidental deletion can still destroy your data. A comprehensive backup strategy is essential — and Synology provides all the tools you need for free.

This guide covers everything: the 3-2-1 backup principle, Synology’s backup applications, cloud destinations, PC/Mac backup, and disaster recovery planning.

Understanding the 3-2-1 Backup Rule

The industry-standard backup strategy:

• 3 copies of your data (original + 2 backups)
• 2 different media types (NAS + external drive, NAS + cloud)
• 1 copy offsite (cloud storage or remote location)

This protects against:

Synology Backup Applications Overview

Synology provides several free backup tools in Package Center:

Hyper Backup: Your Primary Backup Tool

Hyper Backup is Synology’s comprehensive backup application — the cornerstone of any backup strategy.

Key Features

• Deduplication: Stores only changed data blocks (saves space)
• Versioning: Keep multiple versions of files
• Encryption: Client-side AES-256 encryption
• Compression: Reduces backup size
• Scheduling: Automatic daily/weekly/custom backups
• Integrity check: Verify backup data isn’t corrupted

Supported Destinations

• Local: USB external drives, internal folders
• Remote Synology: Another NAS at different location
• rsync server: Any rsync-compatible destination
• Cloud: Synology C2, Backblaze B2, AWS S3, Azure, Google Cloud, Dropbox, and more

Setting Up Hyper Backup to External Drive

Step 1: Prepare External Drive

1. Connect USB drive to your Synology NAS
2. Open Control Panel → External Devices
3. Format drive if needed (ext4 recommended for large backups)
4. Note the drive name (e.g., usbshare1)

Step 2: Install Hyper Backup

1. Open Package Center
2. Search for “Hyper Backup”
3. Click Install

Step 3: Create Backup Task

1. Open Hyper Backup
2. Click “+” → Data backup task
3. Select “Local folder & USB”
4. Choose your USB drive as destination
5. Select folders to backup (Documents, Photos, etc.)
6. Select applications to backup (optional)
7. Configure settings:
   • Enable backup encryption: Recommended
   • Enable compression: Recommended
   • Enable transfer encryption: For remote destinations
8. Set schedule (e.g., daily at 2:00 AM)
9. Configure rotation (keep X versions)
10. Click Apply

Recommended Rotation Settings

• Smart Recycle: Keeps daily versions for past week, weekly for past month, monthly for past year
• Number of versions: Keep at least 30-90 days worth

Setting Up Hyper Backup to Cloud

For offsite backup, choose a cloud destination:

Recommended Cloud Services

Backblaze B2 Setup (Recommended)

1. Create account at backblaze.com
2. Create a B2 bucket for your backups
3. Generate Application Key (note Key ID and Key)
4. In Hyper Backup, create new task → select “Backblaze B2”
5. Enter your Key ID and Application Key
6. Select or create bucket
7. Select folders to backup
8. Enable encryption (important for cloud!)
9. Set schedule and rotation
10. Apply

Synology C2 Setup

1. Create Synology account if you don’t have one
2. Subscribe to C2 Backup at c2.synology.com
3. In Hyper Backup, create new task → select “Synology C2 Storage”
4. Sign in with Synology account
5. Follow wizard to complete setup

Snapshot Replication: Quick Recovery

Snapshots are point-in-time copies of your data that allow instant recovery. They’re not backups (they exist on the same drives), but they’re invaluable for:

• Recovering accidentally deleted files
• Rolling back ransomware encryption
• Quick versioning without backup overhead

Enable Snapshots

1. Install Snapshot Replication from Package Center
2. Open the application
3. Go to Snapshots tab
4. Select a shared folder → Settings
5. Enable “Make shared folder visible”
6. Go to Schedule → Enable scheduled snapshots
7. Set frequency (hourly recommended for active folders)
8. Set retention (keep 24 hourly, 7 daily, 4 weekly)

Recover from Snapshot

Users can recover files themselves:

1. Open File Station
2. Navigate to the folder
3. Look for #snapshot folder
4. Browse to the date/time you need
5. Copy files back to original location

Active Backup for Business: PC/Mac Backup

Active Backup for Business centralizes backup for all your computers — for free (no license cost).

Supported Devices

• Windows PCs and servers
• macOS (via agent)
• Linux servers
• VMware/Hyper-V virtual machines
• File servers

Setup Steps

1. Install Active Backup for Business from Package Center
2. Open the application
3. Go to PC or Physical Server tab
4. Click “Add Device”
5. Download the agent for your OS
6. Install agent on the computer
7. Enter your NAS address and credentials
8. Device appears in Active Backup console
9. Create backup task with schedule

Recovery Options

• File-level recovery: Restore individual files via portal
• Bare-metal recovery: Restore entire system to new hardware
• Instant restore: Boot backup as VM while restoring

Cloud Sync: Working Copies

Cloud Sync synchronizes folders between your NAS and cloud services — useful for:

• Working copies accessible from anywhere
• Collaboration with cloud-based teams
• Additional redundancy (not a true backup)

Supported Services

• Google Drive
• Dropbox
• OneDrive
• Box
• AWS S3
• Backblaze B2
• Many others

Important: Cloud Sync is bidirectional sync, not backup. Deleted files sync both ways. Use Hyper Backup for true backup with versioning.

Complete 3-2-1 Backup Strategy Example

Here’s a complete backup setup for a typical home/small business:

Layer 1: Snapshots (Instant Recovery)

• Hourly snapshots on critical folders
• Keep 24 hourly, 7 daily, 4 weekly
• Purpose: Quick recovery from accidental changes

Layer 2: Local Backup (USB Drive)

• Hyper Backup to 8TB+ external USB drive
• Daily backup at 2:00 AM
• Encrypted with strong password
• Keep 90 days of versions
• Purpose: Fast local recovery

Layer 3: Cloud Backup (Offsite)

• Hyper Backup to Backblaze B2
• Daily backup at 4:00 AM
• Client-side encrypted
• Keep 365 days of versions
• Purpose: Disaster recovery (fire, theft, flood)

Layer 4: Device Backups

• Active Backup for all PCs/Macs
• Daily incremental backups
• Keep 30 days of versions
• Purpose: Centralized device protection

Disaster Recovery Planning

Test Your Backups

Backups are useless if they don’t work. Test quarterly:

• Restore random files from each backup destination
• Verify data integrity
• Document recovery time
• Test bare-metal recovery to spare hardware if possible

Document Your Setup

Keep a written record (stored offsite or in password manager):

• Backup destinations and credentials
• Encryption passwords
• Recovery procedures
• NAS configuration details

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Resources

• Best Synology NAS 2026 — Complete buying guide
• Synology RAID Guide — Understanding RAID levels
• SHR Explained — Synology Hybrid RAID
• Synology Troubleshooting Guide
• RAID Calculator — Plan your storage

Last Updated: February 2026 | Tested on DSM 7.2