How to Sync Your Lightroom Catalog Between Desktop and Laptop Using Synology NAS

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Managing a Lightroom catalog between a desktop and laptop can be a pain, especially if you're working with massive RAW files, smart previews, and tens of thousands of little preview files. After weeks of trial and error (and a few facepalms), I’ve landed on a setup that’s fast, reliable, and keeps everything in sync. Here’s how I did it using my Synology NAS, and how you can do it too.

The Goals

As a real estate photographer, I spend a lot of time away from my office — sometimes shooting back-to-back listings or traveling light with just my laptop. But every now and then, a client will ask for a different image, a quick revision, or something went wrong during an upload. I needed a way to access my Lightroom catalog and media files no matter where I was, without lugging around an entire drive or making risky edits to a copied catalog.

Unfortunately, Lightroom doesn’t support true multi-device catalog usage out of the box. You can’t just toss your .lrcat file on a network share and open it from multiple machines — it will throw a warning and refuse to open it. And even if you get clever and start syncing folders manually or through a cloud service, you’ll quickly run into .lrcat-lock, .wal, or previews.lrdata conflicts. That way lies pain.

But with the right setup — syncing the catalog carefully, ignoring the right files, and managing previews intelligently — it is possible to have a seamless Lightroom experience across your desktop and laptop, while still keeping your photos secure and accessible remotely.

My goals for this setup were:

  • Have the same Lightroom catalog on both my desktop and laptop – so I can pick up where I left off without copying files manually
  • Access photos, videos, and work files remotely – in case a client needs something while I’m away from the studio
  • Cull and organize files from my laptop – especially useful when traveling or working from a coffee shop
  • Make the whole process seamless and low maintenance – ideally with everything syncing in the background automatically

The Gear

Here’s the hardware I’m using to make this setup smooth, reliable, and fast. I’ve included links in case you want to check out the same gear. These are Amazon affiliate links, so if you purchase through them, it helps support my work at no additional cost to you.

  • NAS: I chose the Synology DS1522+. This model has five bays, M.2 slots for SSD caching, and supports Docker, Synology VPN Server, and Syncthing via container. It was only $100 more than the 4bay which left room to grow. If you don’t need quite as much storage, the DS723+ (2 bays, expandable) and DS923+ (4 bays) offer similar performance and feature support in a smaller footprint. For even more storage or future-proofing, the DS1621+ (6 bays) and DS1821+ (8 bays) are excellent choices with more room to grow.
  • Drives: 4x Western Digital Red Pro in SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID) – These are NAS-rated drives built for 24/7 use. SHR gives me a nice mix of redundancy and usable space, and it’s easy to expand later.
  • Cache: 2x WD Black 1TB NVMe SSDs – Installed in the DS1522+ M.2 slots to act as a read/write cache. An array like this speeds up read performance but slows down writes. Write cache make a noticeable difference when syncing thousands of small Lightroom preview files, especially during the initial sync or rebuild. These worked for my but if you want something on the Synology compatability list get the Synology 800GB SSDs
  • Networking: I installed a 10GbE PCIe card in my desktop and a 10GbE Synology Mini card in the NAS for a direct Cat6 connection. For the laptop, I’m planning to get a 5Gbps USB adapter. If I had a Thunderbolt port, I’d spring for a 10Gbps Thunderbolt to Ethernet adapter.

Step 1: Setting Up the NAS

The first step in this whole workflow was getting my NAS up and running. I’m using a Synology DS1522+, which gives me five drive bays, M.2 slots for SSD caching, and optional 10GbE networking. I populated it with four Western Digital Red Pro drives and created a single volume using SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID).

SHR is great because it provides redundancy (one drive can fail without data loss) while allowing you to mix and match drive sizes more flexibly than traditional RAID levels. Plus, it’s super easy to expand down the line — if I decide to add a fifth drive or swap in larger ones later, I won’t need to rebuild the array from scratch. I was limited to only odering 4 drives but with SHR it's easy to add a 5th drive in the future.

Installing the hardware into the NAS was surprisingly quick and painless. The DS1522+ is designed for tool-free setup in most cases. The 3.5" hard drives slide right into the hot-swappable bays on the front. No screws needed — just pull out the tray, snap the side rails onto your drive, and slide it back in until it clicks.

Next, I installed two 1TB WD Black NVMe SSDs into the M.2 slots on the bottom of the NAS to create a read/write cache. While the SSD cache isn’t required for most Lightroom usage, I found it made a noticeable difference when syncing tens of thousands of small preview files from Lightroom’s previews folder. If you're patient, you might not need it — but my catalog was large, and I got impatient during the initial syncs. One thing to note: Synology removed most non-Synology SSDs from their official compatibility list, including the WD Black drives I used. I already had a WB Black 1TB SSD laying around and it was cheaper to buy 1 new WD than it was to get 2 new Synology ones. But if you're starting from scratch and want to ensure full compatibility and tech support, you might want to consider Synology's branded SSDs. At the time I purchased mine, their largest option was only 800GB, so I opted for a larger third-party drive instead.

Once the volume and cache were configured, I set up shared folders to store my Lightroom catalog and photo library. These will be used for syncing and accessing files across all my devices. (The 10GbE upgrade came later — more on that in the next section.)

Step 2: Installing the 10GbE Card in the NAS

While the Synology DS1522+ comes with four 1GbE ports, I decided to upgrade it with a 10GbE network card. This isn’t required — 1GbE is totally usable, and I did test the setup that way. But if you're working directly off the NAS in Lightroom, especially with large catalogs or video files, 10GbE makes a noticeable difference in responsiveness.

With 1GbE, I found it was just sluggish enough to be annoying. Not “go get a coffee” slow — more like “sit and stare at Lightroom for a few seconds longer than usual” slow. That weird in-between lag made everything feel a little off. It was usable — I was even able to edit 1080p video files over 1GbE — but it wasn’t exactly smooth. For 4K video or larger projects, 10GbE is a much better fit.

Installing the 10GbE card is straightforward. The DS1522+ has a PCIe expansion slot on the back specifically for this purpose.

Here’s how to install it:

  1. Power off the NAS and unplug the power and network cables.
  2. Locate the PCIe slot cover on the back of the unit. It’s held in place by two small screws.
  3. Remove both screws and gently slide off the metal cover.
  4. Take your compatible 10GbE card (like the Synology E10G22-T1-Mini) and carefully insert it into the slot. It should line up and click into place with gentle pressure.
  5. Reattach the screws to secure the card, then replace any covers or panels you removed.
  6. Reconnect the network and power cables, then power the NAS back on.

Once the NAS boots up, DSM will automatically detect the new interface, and you’ll see it listed as another LAN port (usually “LAN 2” or “LAN 10G”) under Control Panel > Network > Network Interface.

We’ll assign that interface a static IP in the next step so you can take full advantage of the faster connection when syncing or working directly with files.

Step 3: Finding and Assigning a Static IP

Before setting anything up in DSM, you need to connect the NAS and make sure it's powered on and reachable on your network.

Connect a standard Ethernet cable from one of the NAS’s 1GbE LAN ports to your router or network switch. If you're using a 10GbE connection as well, connect a second Ethernet cable from the NAS’s 10GbE port to your desktop’s 10GbE port. Then plug in the power cord and press the power button on the front of the NAS.

You’ll hear a beep shortly after powering on, and the status light will eventually turn solid. Once you hear that startup beep, the NAS is ready to be accessed from your browser.

By default, your router will assign the NAS a dynamic IP address via DHCP — but that IP might change later, which can break shortcuts and mapped drives. So the next step is to find the IP and assign a static one.

The easiest way to find your NAS’s current IP is through your router’s admin interface. I’m using Verizon Fios, and I found my NAS listed under Connected Devices at http://192.168.1.1. It usually shows up as “DiskStation” or something similar. You can also identify it by MAC address if the name isn’t clear.

If your router doesn’t show device names well, you can download Synology Assistant. This free desktop app scans your network and lists all connected Synology devices, along with their IP addresses.

Once you know the IP, open a browser and go to:

https://[your-nas-ip]:5001

Example: https://192.168.1.57:5001

Port 5001 is the default for DSM’s secure web interface. You might see a certificate warning — it’s safe to proceed. Log in using your Synology admin credentials.

Now assign a static IP so it doesn’t change later. Go to Control Panel > Network > Network Interface. Click the primary LAN (typically “LAN 1”), then click Edit. Under the “IPv4” tab, select Use manual configuration and assign an IP outside your router’s DHCP range — something like 192.168.1.100 is common for home networks.

If you’ve connected the 10GbE port for direct access from your desktop, you’ll also see a second LAN interface (e.g., “LAN 2”). You can assign that one a static IP as well — like 192.168.10.10 — on a separate subnet, since it’s not going through your router.

Step 4: Creating the Volume on the NAS

Once your drives are physically installed, the next step is to log in to your Synology NAS and set up the storage volume. Open a browser and go to the NAS’s IP address — for most people, that looks like https://192.168.1.x:5001 or https://nas-name.local:5001. This brings you to the DSM (DiskStation Manager) interface.

From there, open the Storage Manager. If this is your first time setting up the NAS, it may automatically guide you through creating a storage pool and volume. Otherwise, click Create > Storage Pool, choose your drives, and select SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID) as your RAID type for a balance of safety and flexibility. After the pool is created, go to Volume and create a new volume within the storage pool.

It will ask you about the file system — I recommend using Btrfs unless you have a specific reason to choose EXT4. Btrfs supports snapshots and better file integrity checking. Let it finish formatting and initializing — this can take a while depending on drive size and number.

Once your volume is ready, it’s time to create shared folders. Go to Control Panel > Shared Folder and click Create. Start by making a folder called something like Lightroom-Catalog for your Lightroom files. Then create a second shared folder called something like Photo-Library or Media to store your RAW images, videos, and other working files. You can customize permissions for each folder if you need to restrict access later.

To access the shared folders easily from your desktop, map them as network drives in Windows. Open File Explorer, right-click on This PC, and choose Map network drive…. Choose a drive letter — for example, N: — and enter the NAS folder path using the static IP address of the 10GbE connection. For example: \\192.168.10.10\Photo-Library. Make sure to check “Reconnect at sign-in” so the drive mounts automatically when you reboot. It’s important to use the same drive letter across all machines to keep Lightroom from losing track of file locations. We’ll cover mapping the drive on your laptop in the next section — it’s a little more complicated due to routing over the main network or VPN.

Step 5: Setting Up VPN Access and Mapping the Drive on Your Laptop

To make sure you can access your files while you're away from your home network, we’ll set up remote access to the NAS through a VPN. This is the most secure way to connect to your NAS remotely, and it also ensures that your Lightroom catalog and mapped drive paths stay consistent.

The first thing you'll want to do is enable and configure Synology’s built-in VPN server. In DSM, open Package Center and install the VPN Server package. I recommend using OpenVPN because it’s secure, widely supported, and works well with Synology’s mobile and desktop apps.

Once installed, open VPN Server, go to OpenVPN in the left sidebar, and enable the OpenVPN service. Export the configuration file (.ovpn), which includes the server address and port. You’ll use this to configure your VPN client on the laptop.

To make your VPN connection work from anywhere, you need a hostname that always points to your NAS, even if your home IP address changes. Synology provides a free Dynamic DNS (DDNS) service that does just that.

Go to Control Panel > External Access > DDNS. Click Add, select Synology as the service provider, choose a hostname like yourname.synology.me, and click Test Connection to make sure it works. Once confirmed, you can use this hostname in your OpenVPN config file instead of your external IP address.

After setting up DDNS and OpenVPN, install the OpenVPN client on your laptop. Import the .ovpn file and connect. Once connected, your laptop will be on the same virtual network as your NAS, allowing you to access the shared folders just like at home.

Now you can map the network drive on your laptop the same way you did on your desktop. Open File Explorer, right-click This PC, and choose Map network drive…. Use the same drive letter as on your desktop (e.g., N:), but the folder path will depend on how your VPN is configured. If you're using Synology's default OpenVPN setup, your NAS will likely appear on a virtual network such as 10.8.0.x.

To find the NAS's IP address on the VPN network, connect to the VPN first, then log into DSM using your DDNS hostname (e.g., https://yourname.synology.me:5001). Go to Control Panel > Network > Network Interface and look at the VPN interface — it will show the IP address assigned by the VPN server (for example, 10.8.0.1).

Use that IP address to map the network drive, like this: \\10.8.0.1\Photo-Library. Be sure to check “Reconnect at sign-in” if you want the drive to automatically reconnect whenever the VPN is active.

Step 6: Setting Up Syncthing

Now that your NAS, desktop, and laptop are connected and sharing a common photo library, the next step is syncing your Lightroom catalog between your desktop and laptop. For this, we’re using a tool called Syncthing.

Syncthing is a free, open-source sync tool that securely syncs files directly between devices — no cloud needed. It’s fast, efficient, and supports incremental syncing, which is perfect for keeping your Lightroom catalog in sync without re-uploading the whole thing every time a small change is made.

We’ll install Syncthing on all three devices: the NAS (via Docker), your desktop, and your laptop. Once installed, we’ll link them so they sync the Lightroom catalog folder automatically in the background.

NAS Setup (Docker)

We’ll run Syncthing on the NAS using Docker. If you’re new to Docker, think of it as a lightweight way to run apps in isolated containers — like little virtual machines, but faster and more resource-efficient. Synology’s DSM has built-in support for Docker on most NAS models, including the DS1522+.

  1. Open Package Center and install the Docker package (if you haven’t already).
  2. Launch Docker, go to the Registry tab, and search for linuxserver/syncthing. Right-click and choose Download.
  3. Once downloaded, go to Image and double-click the image to launch the container setup wizard.
  4. Give the container a name (e.g., syncthing) and click Advanced Settings:
    • Enable Auto-restart
    • Under Volume, map a folder to /config (e.g., create a folder called Syncthing-Config on your NAS)
    • Map the folder where your Lightroom catalog is stored to something like /data
    • Under Port Settings, leave the default ports unless you need to customize them (e.g., 8384 for web UI, 22000 TCP for sync, 21027 UDP for discovery)
    • Under Environment, set PUID=1026 and PGID=100 (or your user’s actual UID and GID)
  5. Click Apply to launch the container. Once it's running, you can access Syncthing via the NAS's IP: http://[NAS-IP]:8384

Desktop Setup

  1. Download Syncthing for Windows from syncthing.net and install it.
  2. Launch Syncthing. The web UI will open automatically at http://localhost:8384.
  3. Click Add Remote Device and enter the NAS’s Syncthing device ID (you can find it in the NAS UI under Actions > Show ID).
  4. Set a name (e.g., NAS) and click Save. The NAS will also get a prompt to add your desktop — accept the connection.
  5. Click Add Folder and give it a label like Lightroom-Catalog. Use the same Folder ID on all devices (e.g., lightroom-catalog).
  6. Choose the local folder where your catalog is stored (e.g., N:\Lightroom-Catalog) and share it with the NAS.
  7. Set the folder type to Send & Receive.
  8. Check the box for Enable Ignore Patterns — we’ll go over which patterns to use in the next step.
  9. Check the box for Ignore Permissions to avoid permission-related sync conflicts between Windows and Linux-based systems like your NAS.
  10. Click Save to finish adding the folder.

Laptop Setup

  1. Install Syncthing on your laptop the same way you did on your desktop.
  2. Before syncing, make sure the folder structure matches and you have enough space. If your laptop is on a slow Wi-Fi or VPN connection, it’s often faster to copy the Lightroom catalog folder over manually using a USB drive, then start syncing from there.
  3. After the catalog folder is in place, launch Syncthing, open the web UI, and add both your desktop and NAS as remote devices.
  4. Accept the incoming requests from the other devices (or add them manually using their device IDs).
  5. When prompted, choose the existing catalog folder on your laptop (same path, same folder ID), and set it to Send & Receive.
  6. Check Enable Ignore Patterns and Ignore Permissions just like on your desktop. This ensures consistent behavior across devices.

Once Syncthing is set up and the devices are connected, you’ll see the sync status in the UI. It may take a while on first sync, especially if your catalog is large, but after that, changes are synchronized incrementally and very quickly.

Step 7: Ignore Patterns

Syncthing gives you fine control over what gets synced using something called an .stignore file. This file lives inside each shared folder and tells Syncthing which files or folders to skip during syncing. It’s especially useful with Lightroom, which generates a lot of temporary, cache, and preview data that you probably don’t want duplicated on every device.

Ignore patterns use a simple syntax similar to .gitignore and support wildcards, negation, and special matching. Here’s a quick breakdown of what the different symbols mean:

  • * matches any number of characters in a single folder level (e.g., *.tmp matches all .tmp files)
  • ** matches anything recursively across all subfolders (e.g., **/Backups/ ignores every folder named “Backups” no matter where it is)
  • ? matches a single character
  • ! negates the pattern (e.g., !ImportantFile.lrcat includes this file even if everything else is ignored)
  • (?d) allows Syncthing to delete the file or folder remotely even if it’s ignored locally (useful for cleaning up deleted files)

Here are examples of when to use each modifier with Lightroom folders:

  • *.lrcat-lock — Lightroom lock files that are recreated every time the catalog is opened. No need to sync these.
  • *.lrcat-wal — The write-ahead log for the catalog. Skipping this avoids sync conflicts.
  • Lightroom Catalog Previews.lrdata/ — A folder containing generated previews. These are huge and can be regenerated if needed.
  • **/Backups/ — Lightroom backup folders can show up in various places and grow large fast. Best to exclude them unless you need portable backups.
  • (?d)**/@eaDir/ — Synology system folders that you want to ignore and allow to be deleted remotely.

In the next section, we’ll build an ideal ignore list specifically for Lightroom, explain why we’re ignoring each item, and show where to put the file.

Step 8: Setting Up Your Ignore List

To keep your Syncthing setup running smoothly and avoid unnecessary syncing of temporary or bulky files, you'll want to use an .stignore file. This file tells Syncthing which files and folders to skip. Below is a carefully crafted ignore list for a typical Lightroom catalog setup.

We’ve annotated each section so you understand what’s being ignored and why. In some cases, you might choose to include files we’ve excluded — especially if you want your previews available on all devices or if you're storing backups on the NAS.

Here’s the ignore list we use on both the desktop and the NAS:

(?d)**/@eaDir/
(?d)#recycle/
(?d)**/Backups/
(?d)Backups/
(?d)Backup*/
*.lrcat-lock
*.lrcat-wal
*LOCK*

// Ignore Lightroom cache and temp files
(?d)Lightroom Catalog Helper.lrdata
*.tmp
*.journal
*.aglib
*.agprefs
*.lrcat-shm
(?d)Temporary*

// Ignore Previews (Optional, if you don’t need them)
//(?d)Lightroom Previews.lrdata/
//(?d)Lightroom Smart Previews.lrdata/

// Ignore system files
.DS_Store
Thumbs.db
desktop.ini

Explanation of Each Section

  • @eaDir and #recycle: These are folders automatically created by Synology's file system. You don't need them synced, and (?d) ensures they’ll be deleted remotely if removed elsewhere. (I think eaDir were from different sync setups I tried before I settled on Syncthing)
  • Backups folders: Lightroom generates backup folders which can be quite large and unnecessary to sync. These lines make sure that any folder with “Backups” or “Backup” in its name is ignored, no matter where it lives.
  • Catalog Lock Files: Files like *.lrcat-lock, *.lrcat-wal, and *LOCK* are created while Lightroom is open and should not be synced. Including them can cause conflicts and issues if you accidentally open the catalog on two devices.
  • Cache & Temp Files: Lightroom creates temporary files and folders like Helper.lrdata and Temporary*. These are safe to ignore and will be regenerated as needed.
  • Previews: Preview files are large and optional to sync. If you only use Lightroom on one device at a time, it may make sense to sync them. If not, leave these lines uncommented (add (?d)) to skip syncing them.
  • System files: These include macOS and Windows metadata files like .DS_Store, Thumbs.db, and desktop.ini. They’re useless for syncing purposes.

Tip: If you're low on space (especially on a laptop), keep previews disabled in the ignore file. If you'd like smart previews available across devices, you can selectively sync only that folder — or manually manage when it's included.

In the next section, we’ll go over conflict resolution and safety tips to avoid data loss or unwanted file merges.

Step 9: Automating Sync Pause/Resume When Launching Lightroom

If you’re syncing your Lightroom catalog with Syncthing, it’s important to prevent it from syncing while Lightroom is open. The catalog file is a database, and Lightroom constantly reads from and writes to it while in use. If Syncthing tries to sync that file mid-edit, you could end up with a corrupted catalog, sync conflicts, or even data loss.

To avoid this, we’ll set up a batch file that automatically pauses Syncthing when you launch Lightroom, and resumes it once Lightroom is closed.

How to Get Your Syncthing API Key

  1. Open your browser and go to the Syncthing UI:
    http://localhost:8384
  2. Click Actions (top right), then choose Settings.
  3. Go to the GUI tab.
  4. Your API key will be displayed near the bottom. Click the key icon to copy it.

Keep this key safe — it grants full access to your Syncthing configuration.

The Batch Script

Create a new file called LightroomSync.bat (or similar), and paste in the following code:

@echo off
set API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY_HERE
set FOLDER_ID=FOLDER_ID-HERE
set LOG=%~dp0syncthing-lightroom.log

echo [%date% %time%] Pausing folder %FOLDER_ID% >> %LOG%
curl -s -X PATCH -H "X-API-Key: %API_KEY%" -H "Content-Type: application/json" ^
-d "{\"paused\":true}" ^
http://localhost:8384/rest/config/folders/%FOLDER_ID% >> %LOG% 2>&1

echo [%date% %time%] Launching Lightroom >> %LOG%
start "" "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Lightroom Classic\lightroom.exe"

:waitloop
timeout /t 5 >nul
tasklist | find /i "lightroom.exe" >nul
if not errorlevel 1 goto waitloop

echo [%date% %time%] Resuming folder %FOLDER_ID% >> %LOG%
curl -s -X PATCH -H "X-API-Key: %API_KEY%" -H "Content-Type: application/json" ^
-d "{\"paused\":false}" ^
http://localhost:8384/rest/config/folders/%FOLDER_ID% >> %LOG% 2>&1

echo [%date% %time%] Done. >> %LOG%

Replace YOUR_API_KEY_HERE with the key you copied from Syncthing. This script pauses syncing, launches Lightroom, then monitors for when Lightroom closes so it can resume syncing automatically.

Pin It to the Taskbar and Add the Lightroom Icon

  1. Right-click the .bat file and choose Create shortcut.
  2. Right-click the shortcut → Properties → Advanced… → check Run as administrator.
  3. In the Shortcut tab of properties, change the Target to:
    cmd.exe /c "C:\LightroomSync\LightroomSync.bat" (or whatever the path to the bat file is)
  4. Click Change Icon… and browse to:
    C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Lightroom Classic\lightroom.exe
  5. Apply the changes and close the properties window.
  6. Drag the shortcut to your desktop (if it isn’t there already), then drag it to your taskbar to pin it.

From now on, just click your taskbar icon to safely launch Lightroom. Syncthing will automatically pause while you work and resume when you close Lightroom — no conflicts, no surprises.

Step 10: Tips for Using This Setup Effectively

Now that everything is set up, here are some best practices to help you get the most out of your synced Lightroom workflow while avoiding sync issues, slowdowns, or — worst of all — catalog corruption.

One Device at a Time

Only use Lightroom on one device at a time. The catalog file can’t be shared live between machines. Before opening Lightroom, always make sure the catalog has finished syncing across all three devices — your desktop, laptop, and NAS. If you don’t wait, you risk opening an outdated catalog or causing a sync conflict that results in a .sync-conflict file.

Sync Before and After

On the desktop, this is easy: just make sure Syncthing shows everything is up to date before launching Lightroom. If you’ve been using the laptop recently, wait until Syncthing shows it's synced before doing anything.

On the laptop, it’s best to power it on while on your home network (or fast VPN) at least once a day. This ensures large files like previews and smart previews can sync properly, so you’ll have what you need while working remotely. If the laptop only connects via public Wi-Fi or mobile hotspot, syncing large files can be painfully slow.

Remote Workflow Tip: If you need to shoot while traveling, import photos to the laptop’s local drive, cull and rate in Lightroom, and wait to move the final selects to the NAS once you're back on a fast connection. This avoids having to send dozens of RAW files across the internet unnecessarily.

Watch for Conflicts

If you ever see .sync-conflict files, that means Lightroom was opened or changed on multiple devices before the changes had a chance to sync. Don’t panic — your original files are still there — but you’ll need to manually compare and merge the changes.

To avoid conflicts:

  • Always close Lightroom before shutting down your computer.
  • Wait for Syncthing to show “Up to Date” before switching devices.
  • Use the batch file described in Step 9 to pause/resume syncing automatically.

Use Ignore Patterns Wisely

If you’re tight on space (especially on the laptop), you may want to ignore previews or even smart previews. Just remember: those previews are what let you browse or edit photos offline. If you need to access specific previews, sync them ahead of time while on a fast network.

Backups Still Matter

Even though Syncthing keeps files in sync across multiple devices, it's not a backup. It won't protect you from accidental deletions, corruption, or sync conflicts gone wrong. Make sure you still back up your Lightroom catalog and photos — either using Synology’s built-in Hyper Backup or a cloud backup service.

Keep Devices Healthy

  • Make sure the system clocks are synced on all devices — mismatched timestamps can mess with sync logic.
  • Keep Syncthing up to date. Occasionally check for updates on all devices.
  • Monitor Syncthing’s GUI for out-of-sync items or errors. Catching problems early is key.

With this setup, you get the best of both worlds: the power and capacity of a NAS-based photo library, and the flexibility to work from anywhere. Just treat your catalog carefully, and it’ll treat you well in return.

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