Missing 3-device sync example in documentation

[edgimar]

The syncthing documentation only includes an example of how to set-up syncthing between two devices. This may lead people to believe that nothing else is possible with syncthing.

It would be good if there were also a simple example demonstrating how to use syncthing to sync a folder between three devices.

[AudriusButkevicius]

The documentation is maintained by the community, so feel free to improve it.

[edgimar]

Thanks for the invitation. As a new user of syncthing, I don't yet possess the knowledge needed to adequately explain how such a setup works, but this knowledge is exactly what I would hope to find in the documentation. Perhaps someone who knows the intricacies better can update the documentation when they are able.

[moviuro]

Hi @edgimar ; still need some help for this? Or are you now ready to update the docs?

Isn't https://github.com/syncthing/docs/blame/master/intro/getting-started.rst#L120 enough?

[edgimar]

I did figure out how to do it via trial and error, but I wouldn't say that the getting-started document is sufficient. It explains how to connect two devices to each other, but doesn't explain how syncthing functions when you have more than two devices (and doesn't even indicate whether such a setup is possible). For example, say I have 3 devices, device A with a public IP, and devices B and C behind firewalls, if I have A, B, and C connected with each other, then is traffic "intelligently" routed from B to C via A, or does it go through a public relay somewhere else?

In short, what is needed is an overview of how syncthing works behind the scenes to form a network (the protocol specifications don't count as an overview -- maybe there needs to be a section 1.4 added). Without such an overview, it is not clear why relays are needed as a separate component at all -- why not have just one client/server for syncthing that can also be configured to operate as a relay and/or discovery server? Also, it should be very simple to set up private relays (where only your devices are use a specific set of relays), but when looking at the documentation, this requires a fair amount of manual configuration.

[RandomReaper]

👍 (and I will be happy to help, but since I don't really understand all the details, I can't write the docs).