Setup Guides

Synology Hyper Backup Guide: Complete Backup Strategy for Your NAS

James Idayi
10 min read
Synology Hyper Backup
⚡Quick Answer+


Quick Answer: Hyper Backup protects your Synology NAS data by backing up TO external destinations—cloud storage (Backblaze B2, AWS S3, Google Drive), USB drives, or remote NAS. Install from Package Center, create backup tasks selecting folders and applications, configure schedules and retention, then enable encryption for security. Follow the 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies, 2 different media types, 1 offsite.

Your Synology NAS likely contains irreplaceable data—family photos, business documents, media libraries. While Active Backup for Business protects devices backing up TO your NAS, Hyper Backup protects your NAS itself by backing up FROM the NAS to external destinations.

This guide covers complete Hyper Backup setup including cloud destinations, local backups, encryption, scheduling, and the critical 3-2-1 backup strategy every NAS owner should implement.

Understanding the Backup Ecosystem

Before diving into Hyper Backup, understand how Synology’s backup tools work together:

ToolDirectionPurpose
Active BackupTO your NASBackup PCs, servers, VMs, Microsoft 365
Hyper BackupFROM your NASBackup NAS data to external destinations
Snapshot ReplicationBetween NASReal-time replication to secondary NAS
Cloud SyncBidirectionalSync folders with cloud storage
USB CopyTO/FROM USBSimple one-button USB backup

Hyper Backup is your primary defense against NAS failure, ransomware, fire, theft, and accidental deletion. It creates versioned backups that let you restore files from any point in time.

The 3-2-1 Backup Rule

Every backup strategy should follow the 3-2-1 rule:

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

Example 3-2-1 Implementation

CopyLocationMedia TypePurpose
1 (Original)Synology NASHDD RAIDPrimary working copy
2 (Local backup)USB external driveExternal HDDFast local recovery
3 (Offsite backup)Backblaze B2 cloudCloud storageDisaster recovery

Prerequisites

System Requirements

  • DSM Version: DSM 7.0 or later
  • Package: Hyper Backup (free from Package Center)
  • Destination: Cloud account, USB drive, or remote NAS
  • RAM: 2GB minimum, 4GB+ recommended for large backups

Recommended NAS Models

Best for Home

Synology DS224+

2-Bay | Intel Celeron J4125 | 2GB RAM | 1GbE


Excellent entry-level NAS for personal backup needs. Supports all Hyper Backup destinations including cloud and USB. Upgrade RAM to 8GB for faster backup processing.

$339.99
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Best for Business

Synology DS923+

4-Bay | AMD Ryzen R1600 | 4GB RAM (expandable to 32GB) | 1GbE


Ideal for businesses with larger backup requirements. More storage capacity and processing power for handling multiple backup tasks simultaneously.

$599.99
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Step 1: Install Hyper Backup

  1. Log into DSM as administrator
  2. Open Package Center
  3. Search for “Hyper Backup”
  4. Click Install
  5. Wait for installation to complete
  6. Open Hyper Backup from the main menu

Backup Destination Options

Local Destinations

DestinationProsConsBest For
USB External DriveFast, no ongoing cost, easy rotationSame location risk, manual effortLocal quick recovery
Remote Synology NASFast LAN backup, native integrationRequires second NASBusiness continuity
rsync ServerFlexible, cross-platformTechnical setup requiredLinux environments

Cloud Destinations

ProviderCost (per TB/month)ProsBest For
Backblaze B2$6Cheapest, simple pricingLarge backups on budget
AWS S3$23 (Standard)Reliable, scalable, tiered storageEnterprise, compliance
Synology C2$70 (1TB plan)Native integration, easy setupSynology ecosystem users
Google Drive$10 (100GB)Familiar interfaceSmall personal backups
Microsoft Azure$18 (Hot tier)Enterprise featuresMicrosoft environments

Our recommendation: Backblaze B2 offers the best value for most users—simple pricing at $6/TB/month with no egress fees for restores up to 3x your stored data.

Step 2: Create Backup to USB Drive (Local)

Start with a local USB backup for fast recovery scenarios:

Connect USB Drive

  1. Connect USB external drive to your NAS
  2. Open Control Panel → External Devices
  3. Verify drive is detected and formatted (ext4 or NTFS)
  4. Note the drive name (e.g., usbshare1)

Create USB Backup Task

  1. Open Hyper Backup
  2. Click the + button → Data backup task
  3. Select Local folder & USB
  4. Choose your USB drive as destination
  5. Create or select a backup folder
  6. Click Next

Select Data to Backup

  1. Check folders to include:
  • /photo – Synology Photos shared space
  • /homes – All user home directories
  • /documents – Shared documents
  • Any other critical shared folders
  1. Select applications to backup (optional):
  • Synology Photos configuration
  • Synology Drive settings
  • Surveillance Station
  • Note Station
  1. Click Next

Configure Backup Settings

  1. Task name: Descriptive name (e.g., “USB-Weekly-Backup”)
  2. Enable task notification: Yes (get email alerts)
  3. Enable backup integrity check: Yes (verifies backup validity)
  4. Enable client-side encryption: Yes (CRITICAL for security)
  5. Encryption password: Strong, unique password (SAVE THIS!)
  6. Click Next

Warning: If you lose your encryption password, you cannot restore your backups. Store the password securely in a password manager.

Configure Rotation (Retention)

  1. Enable backup rotation: Yes
  2. Choose rotation method:
  • Smart Recycle: Keeps hourly backups from past 24 hours, daily from past week, weekly from past month (recommended)
  • GFS (Grandfather-Father-Son): Keeps daily, weekly, monthly, yearly versions
  • Custom: Define your own retention rules
  1. Click Apply

Recommended USB Drives

Portable

WD My Passport 4TB

USB 3.0 | Portable | Password Protection | 3-Year Warranty


Compact portable drive for personal NAS backups. Hardware encryption adds security layer. Easy to store offsite or rotate between locations.

$110.00
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Fast SSD

SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 1TB

USB 3.2 Gen 2 | 1050 MB/s | IP65 Water Resistant


Faster backup and restore with SSD speeds. Rugged design survives drops and water exposure. Ideal for critical data requiring fast recovery.

$179.99
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Step 3: Create Backup to Cloud (Offsite)

Cloud backup provides essential offsite protection against local disasters.

Setting Up Backblaze B2

Backblaze B2 offers the best value for cloud backup. Here’s how to set it up:

Create Backblaze B2 Account:

  1. Go to backblaze.com and create account
  2. Navigate to B2 Cloud Storage
  3. Create a new bucket (e.g., “synology-backup”)
  4. Set bucket to Private
  5. Go to App Keys → Create new application key
  6. Save the keyID and applicationKey (shown only once)

Create Hyper Backup Task for B2:

  1. Open Hyper Backup → Click + → Data backup task
  2. Select S3 Storage (B2 is S3-compatible)
  3. Configure connection:
  • S3 Server: s3.us-west-004.backblazeb2.com (use your region)
  • Access Key: Your B2 keyID
  • Secret Key: Your B2 applicationKey
  • Bucket: Select your bucket
  1. Select folders and applications (same as USB backup)
  2. Enable client-side encryption: CRITICAL for cloud backups
  3. Configure schedule: Daily at off-peak hours (e.g., 2:00 AM)
  4. Set rotation: Smart Recycle or GFS
  5. Click Apply

Setting Up Synology C2

Synology C2 offers the easiest setup with native integration:

  1. Open Hyper Backup → Click + → Data backup task
  2. Select Synology C2 Storage
  3. Sign in with your Synology Account
  4. Select or create storage plan
  5. Configure folders, encryption, and schedule
  6. Click Apply

C2 costs more than B2 but offers seamless integration and is managed entirely through DSM.

Step 4: Configure Backup Schedule

Recommended Schedules

Backup TypeScheduleRationale
Cloud (critical data)Daily at 2:00 AMFrequent protection, off-peak hours
USB (full backup)Weekly on SundayLess frequent, manual rotation
Cloud (large media)Weekly on SaturdayReduces bandwidth/costs

Configure Schedule in Hyper Backup

  1. Open backup task → Edit
  2. Navigate to Schedule tab
  3. Enable Enable backup schedule
  4. Configure schedule options:
  • Run on the following days: Select days
  • Start time: Off-peak hours
  • Run only when idle: Optional for low-priority backups
  1. Click OK

Step 5: Test Your Backups

Backups are worthless if you can’t restore from them. Test regularly:

Backup Integrity Check

  1. Open Hyper Backup
  2. Select backup task
  3. Click Backup Integrity (checkmark icon)
  4. Select Check backup integrity
  5. Wait for verification to complete

Test Restore (File Level)

  1. Open Hyper Backup
  2. Select backup task → Click Restore
  3. Choose backup version (date/time)
  4. Browse to a test file
  5. Select Restore to different location
  6. Verify restored file opens correctly

Testing Schedule

  • Monthly: File-level restore test
  • Quarterly: Application restore test
  • Annually: Full disaster recovery simulation

Restoring from Hyper Backup

Restore Individual Files

  1. Open Hyper Backup
  2. Select backup task
  3. Click Restore button
  4. Use timeline to select backup version
  5. Navigate to files/folders to restore
  6. Choose restore location:
  • Original location: Overwrites current files
  • Different location: Restores to new folder
  1. Click Restore

Restore Entire NAS (Disaster Recovery)

If your NAS fails completely and you need to restore to new hardware:

  1. Set up replacement NAS with DSM
  2. Install Hyper Backup
  3. Click Restore → Data
  4. Select backup source (cloud/USB)
  5. Enter encryption password
  6. Select backup version
  7. Restore folders and applications

Advanced Configuration

Bandwidth Limiting

Prevent backups from saturating your internet connection:

  1. Open backup task → Edit
  2. Navigate to Settings tab
  3. Enable Enable transfer encryption (for network backups)
  4. Set Bandwidth limit (e.g., 50% of upload speed)
  5. Configure schedule for limit (e.g., daytime only)

Compression Settings

Compression reduces storage but increases CPU usage:

  • Enable compression: Recommended for documents, databases
  • Disable compression: For already-compressed media (photos, videos, music)

Multi-Version Backup vs Single Version

Hyper Backup supports two backup modes:

  • Multi-version (default): Keeps multiple versions with rotation—ideal for ransomware protection
  • Single version: Mirror backup without versioning—uses less space but no point-in-time recovery

Always use multi-version for your primary backup—it protects against ransomware that could encrypt files before you notice.

Storage Requirements

Drives for Local Backup

ProductCapacityPrice$ / TBPrice DropBrandInterface
Western Digital 18TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive USB 3.0 for plug-and-play storage - Western DigitalBWLG0180HBK-NESN18.00 TB$369.99$20.56-5%WDUSB
Western Digital 8TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 external hard drive for plug-and-play storage - Western DigitalBWLG0080HBK-NESN, Black8.00 TB$189.99$23.75+0%WDUSB
Seagate (STEB8000100) Expansion Desktop 8TB External Hard Drive HDD – USB 3.0 for PC Laptop8.00 TB$229.00$28.63+0%SeagateUSB

Frequently Asked Questions

How much cloud storage do I need for Hyper Backup?

Estimate 1.5-2x your source data size for versioned backups. Example: 2TB of NAS data with 30-day retention needs roughly 3-4TB cloud storage. Enable deduplication and compression to reduce requirements.

Is Backblaze B2 or Synology C2 better for Hyper Backup?

Backblaze B2 is significantly cheaper ($6/TB vs ~$70/TB for C2) and works well with Hyper Backup. Synology C2 offers easier setup and native integration but at premium pricing. For most users, B2 is the better value.

How long does the initial cloud backup take?

Initial backup time depends on your data size and upload speed. At 10 Mbps upload: ~100GB takes 24 hours, 1TB takes 10 days. Consider seeding with USB drive first for large datasets—some cloud providers accept mailed drives.

What’s the difference between Hyper Backup and Cloud Sync?

Hyper Backup creates versioned backups with encryption and rotation—designed for disaster recovery. Cloud Sync mirrors folders bidirectionally with cloud storage—designed for file access across devices. Use Hyper Backup for protection, Cloud Sync for synchronization.

Can I restore Hyper Backup without a Synology NAS?

Yes, using Hyper Backup Explorer (free desktop app for Windows/Mac/Linux). Download from Synology’s website, point it to your backup files, enter your encryption password, and browse/restore files without needing a NAS.

Should I encrypt my Hyper Backup?

Absolutely yes, especially for cloud backups. Client-side encryption ensures only you can read your data—not the cloud provider, hackers, or anyone else. The only downside is you must keep your password safe; lose it and your backup is unrecoverable.

Conclusion

Hyper Backup is essential protection for your Synology NAS. By implementing the 3-2-1 backup strategy—local USB backup for fast recovery plus cloud backup for disaster protection—you ensure your data survives hardware failure, ransomware, theft, or natural disasters.

Key takeaways: Always enable encryption, test restores regularly, use multi-version backups for ransomware protection, and consider Backblaze B2 for cost-effective cloud storage. Combined with Active Backup for Business protecting your PCs and Synology Photos backing up your mobile devices, you’ll have comprehensive protection for your entire digital life.

Related Resources

Last Updated: January 2026

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Written by

James Idayi

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