Wifi Sync - Does anyone use it? What apps do you use?

[theta_wave]

Basically, I'm thinking about syncing my library via an android wifi sync app.  The path is going to be from a virtual device to my phone mediated by a folder sync app.  Are there any recommended apps?  I'm looking for one that allows for different profiles and respects timestamps, so I don't have to resync my selected playlists (60GB of music in all) every time I decide to run the app.

[psychoadept]

I do exactly this, using Resilio (formerly Bittorrent Sync).  It's super fast, and you can set it to use only your local network.

https://www.resilio.com/

[theta_wave]

Thanks for the recommendation.  I'm going to try it out.

[theta_wave]

I do exactly this, using Resilio (formerly Bittorrent Sync).  It's super fast, and you can set it to use only your local network.

https://www.resilio.com/

Okay, I tried it and I'm not too pleased with the results.  Can you tell me how about your setup on your PC and phone.  I'm going to paraphrase what I wrote in Resilio's forum:

I'm currently running Android Marshmallow 6.0.1, stock from my provider.

Folder A = Source folder on my PC

Folder B = On my phone's microSD card. I wish Folder B to mirror all changes, if any, from Folder A.

I only set up Folder A in my PC's Resilio Sync application.  From there, I used my phone to scan the QR code [either Folder A's RO (read-only) or RW code (read+write)] to initiate synchronization between the two devices.  In my phone's Sync app, I directed Folder A to transfer/update its contents to Folder B.

With the RO QR code, I believe new files/subdirectories in Folder A not present in Folder B were added to Folder B.  However, conflicting files (Folder A files on Folder B with newer timestamps in the former) were not updated.  With the RW QR code, conflicting files were resolved by files with newer timestamps overwritting older counterparts.  However, subdirectories/files there were deleted from Folder A prior to sychronization were not deleted from Folder B and such conflicts were shown in Folder A after synchronization.

For example, in Folder A:

Code

├───Alternative and Rock
│   ├───Built to Spill
│   │   ├───Album 1
│   │   └───Album 2

will look like this after synchronization (from Folder A, artist directory renamed and Album 3 subdirectory deleted):

Code

├───Alternative and Rock
│   ├───Built to Spill
│   │   ├───Album 1
│   │   └───Album 2
│   ├───Conflicted.Built TO Spill
│   │   ├───Album 1
│   │   ├───Album 2
│   │   └───Album 3

The support suggested: 'Your Folder A should be RW, your folder B should be RO, with sync all enabled, enabling overwriting of changed files.'  That suggestion made me confused, as I thought it should be the other way around: Folder A is immutable and Folder B is updated to mirror Folder A, so Folder A would be RO and Folder B would be RW.

FYI: Directory tree is 5525 lines long.

[phred]

I'm pretty happy with Cheetah Sync, but I must admit I only use it for syncing of photos between my Android and my desktop. It will certainly sync music (or just about anything else.) http://www.jrtstudio.com/cheetah-sync-android-wireless-sync

[theta_wave]

I'm pretty happy with Cheetah Sync, but I must admit I only use it for syncing of photos between my Android and my desktop. It will certainly sync music (or just about anything else.) http://www.jrtstudio.com/cheetah-sync-android-wireless-sync

This looks like exactly what I need.  Unfortunately, the recent version made "deep file compare" (hash checking) compulsory.  I don't need this, as "last date modified" should be sufficient when doing collision comparisons.  With this enabled, any sync involving a large number of files (while only transferring few in the end) is going to take a considerably longer.  Back to the drawing board...

EDIT: Okay, comparing over 5,500 directories and 9,000 files didn't take too long: 30 mins or so.  However, despite Cheetah Sync having storage access, it never popped up asking to grant access to the sd card.  As a result, 30mins wasted due to i/o errors from being unable to download.

[psychoadept]

I find Cheetah Sync to be MUCH slower and more resource intensive for both the PC and the phone.

Regarding your troubles with Resilio, one thing I've had to do is disable "Selective Sync" on the phone.  I don't know why it matters, but things worked better once I did.  I'd make both RW and keep an eye on them for a while to see what happens as you update files.  You can check the file transfers from the PC by looking at the history.

[theta_wave]

I find Cheetah Sync to be MUCH slower and more resource intensive for both the PC and the phone.

Regarding your troubles with Resilio, one thing I've had to do is disable "Selective Sync" on the phone.  I don't know why it matters, but things worked better once I did.  I'd make both RW and keep an eye on them for a while to see what happens as you update files.  You can check the file transfers from the PC by looking at the history.

With respect to Cheetah sync I beg to differ.  Cheetah's client server on Windows uses only 20MB of memory, whereas Resilio's client uses 105MB.  On the phone, Cheetah's app uses 22MB of memory, 20% CPU; Resilio's app uses 44MB memory; less CPU.  Both take a long time to finish their syncs (we're talking about 9000+ files here).  Cheetah seems to settle on the correct files to sync but it doesn't call Android to bring up the access grant permitting me to allow it to have write access to my sd card despite storage access being granted in Android's app permissions (the app hasn't been updated since the early days of Lollipop).  Thus, no files get copied/replaced.  Resilio, on the other hand, is more haphazard in determining which files to sync, leaving behind directories/files intended to be removed, etc.  Both take a tremendous amount of time to complete their syncs, so that part is a wash for me.  In terms of ease of use and straightforwardness, Cheetah wins hands down.  Shame it doesn't do the basic thing it was design to do, transfer files.

In the end, my experience with wifi sync versus popping my sdcard into my laptop can be summed up in the following scene:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etY7kbRRQ_c&t=2m33s

[psychoadept]

I guess I didn't actually look at numbers, I just know that cheetah caused my phone to get hot and the only way I could track transfers was by letting it make obnoxious pop-ups that interfered with other things.  It never felt very well designed on either end, although it's been a while now so my memory isn't clear on all the details.

I agree Resilio's behavior could be more transparent, but I've found that it gets the files there in the long run.  And it has performed much faster for me.  I'm surprised your experience has been so different, although I don't doubt your report.