About ONS

ONS stands for Obsidian NAS Sync.

It is a suite dedicated to quickly and efficiently solving the file synchronization problem between Obsidian and your home NAS.

It consists of three parts:

• Obsidian Plugin: The plugin monitors changes in the vault and syncs them with the NAS.
• Central Control Server: This server handles authentication and information exchange between both ends.
• NAS Sync Server: The NAS sync service stores vault data and provides data synchronization to clients.

The Central Control Server can be used as ons.betax.dev or deployed on your own cloud server.

Compare Other Sync Solutions

Item	ONS	Sync	iCloud	WebDAV(云)	WebDAV(自)	SMB
Desc	P2P NAS sync	Official sync	Apple cloud	3rd-party cloud	Self-built storage	Disk mount
Cost	One-time HW + monthly net	$5/month	50GB ¥6/month	¥10~¥30/month	One-time HW + monthly net	One-time HW + monthly net
Pros	Private data, low long-term cost	Version control, selective sync, easy setup	Fast, cheap space, cross-platform	Cheap space, cross-platform	Private data, low long-term cost	Private data, low long-term cost
Cons	Need NAS, high initial cost, NAT support needed	Small space, expensive	Best experience with full Apple suite	Data security concerns, unstable service	High initial cost, public IP or tunnel required	High initial cost, public IP or tunnel required
Suitable	Home NAS without public IP	Needs stable service, version control, price-insensitive	Full Apple device users	Using cloud storage or very price-sensitive	Home NAS with public IP or tunnel	Home NAS with public IP or tunnel

Use Case

After surveying the habits of Obsidian users, ONS identified its core use case:

1n1: 1 NAS, multiple Obsidian clients, one online at a time.

• 1 NAS

ONS does not support multiple storage destinations.

Most Obsidian users do not require multi-location storage (less than 3%), and NAS devices often offer various sync methods with third parties.

If you need multi-location storage, use other sync services alongside, such as built-in cloud sync from your NAS.

• Multiple Obsidian Clients

ONS uses a one-way registration system. Clients only need to enter the correct NAT.ID and password, with no limit on the number of clients.

• One Online at a Time

Designed with the assumption that most users do not edit simultaneously across multiple instances, ONS lacks conflict resolution. Please ensure only one client is editing at a time.

Note! Do not edit with multiple clients online, which may lead to content conflicts.

Features

• Github Login: Integrated with Github for hassle-free account management.
• P2P Direct Connection: Uses WebRTC for direct P2P connection between NAS and client.
• Password Protection: NAS end supports password setting. Incorrect passwords will halt information exchange.
• Auto-Sync Changes: Obsidian client supports automatic syncing after document edits.
• Large File Chunked Transfer: Considering bandwidth limitations, ONS splits large files into 40KB chunks for transfer.