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A workable 3-2-1 plan for a home NAS has three copies of important data, stored on at least two kinds of media, with one copy kept off-site. In practice, count the NAS as one copy, back it up to a separate external drive for local recovery, and send another versioned backup to cloud storage or a remote NAS. Then test that you can restore files.
What 3-2-1 means for a NAS
Synology describes the rule as “3 copies; 2 storage mediums; 1 offsite.” Applied at home, that means keeping the working data on the NAS, maintaining a second copy on a separate local medium, and storing a third copy somewhere outside the home. The NAS itself is not a complete backup plan: RAID and other redundancy can help keep a system running through some drive failures, but they do not protect against losing all equipment at the site. Synology’s backup guidance explains the 3-2-1 approach and destinations.
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A snapshot or an additional copy on the same NAS may help recover from some accidental changes, but it is still exposed to loss of that device or site. Treat those features as useful recovery tools, not as substitutes for an independent off-site copy.
Choose what to protect and how much loss you can tolerate
Start with an inventory of shared folders on the NAS and important data on computers that connect to it. For each category, decide how much recent work you could afford to lose if the NAS failed. That acceptable loss window informs how often backups need to run; there is no single schedule or retention setting that suits every household.
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- Identify irreplaceable files, such as personal photos, documents, and project files.
- Separate data that changes frequently from data that rarely changes.
- Note the approximate size and growth of the data so you can choose destinations with enough capacity.
Build the three copies
Copy 1: Keep the working data on the NAS
The NAS holds the active files and serves as the starting point for the backup plan. RAID, snapshots, or other local recovery features may be useful, but do not count another folder or snapshot on the same unit as the independent off-site copy.
Copy 2: Back up to a separate local drive
Connect an external USB hard drive or use another distinct local destination, then configure a backup job from the NAS. An external drive is a practical second medium for many households and can make recovery faster than downloading data from an online service. Synology lists tools such as USB Copy and Hyper Backup for compatible systems; features and setup vary by NAS model and software version. See the USB Copy feature information and confirm compatibility for your device.
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For better separation from common incidents, do not leave the backup drive permanently connected if you can safely disconnect it after the job completes. A disconnected drive is less exposed to some events affecting the NAS, though it does not replace an off-site copy.
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Choose a destination outside the home: cloud storage or a remote NAS at another location. Cloud storage avoids maintaining a second physical site; a remote NAS can suit someone who wants control of the hardware and can manage it elsewhere. Synology’s backup guidance includes cloud and remote NAS destinations. Check that the chosen service or device works with your NAS and current software.
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- Store more and work faster with a NAS-optimized hard drive providing 8TB and cache of up to 256MB
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Enable version history rather than keeping only the latest state. Versions let you recover files from before an unwanted deletion or change. Synology’s Hyper Backup documentation describes multi-version restore and version history for supported configurations.
| Off-site option | Fits when | Trade-offs to check |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud storage | You do not have another physical site or prefer a managed off-site destination. | Recurring cost, capacity, upload and restore time, retention terms, and compatibility vary by service and region. Check the provider’s current details. |
| Remote NAS | You can place a second device at another location and want a physical destination under your control. | Requires hardware, remote-site maintenance, network setup, and a practical recovery plan for getting data back. |
Set a schedule and retention that match your data
Schedule backups according to how quickly the data changes and how much recent work you can tolerate losing. Choose retention based on the amount of stored data, its change rate, and the destination’s capacity. More frequent jobs and longer version histories can require more storage and network transfer; reducing either may leave fewer recovery points. The right balance is household-specific, so avoid adopting a universal schedule without considering those constraints.
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- Available in capacities ranging from 2 to 22TB(1) | (1) 1GB = 1 billion bytes and 1TB = 1 trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on operating environment.
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- Rated for 550TB/yr workload rate(2) | (2) Annualized Workload Rate = TB transferred x (8760 / recorded power-on hours). The maximum rated workload is specified for operating at typical temperature of 40C. Workload Rate will vary depending on your hardware and software components and configurations.
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Test that recovery works
A successful backup-job message does not prove that the files can be restored and opened. Periodically retrieve representative files from both the local and off-site copies, and check that they are usable. Synology recommends testing restoration as part of a stronger backup approach in its backup guidance.
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- Choose a few representative files, including one that changes often and one that is difficult to replace.
- Restore them to a separate location rather than overwriting the originals.
- Open the restored files and confirm they are intact.
- Keep recovery instructions and the credentials needed for off-site access somewhere you can reach if the home NAS is unavailable.
Keep the plan maintainable
- Check backup-job status and available destination capacity so failed or full jobs do not go unnoticed.
- Revisit the data inventory when you add NAS shares or move important files onto connected computers.
- Verify destination compatibility after significant NAS or software changes.
- Keep a restore path in mind: local-drive recovery is usually a different process from recovery through a cloud provider or remote NAS.
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