Dropbox blocked - alternate way to sync?

dfens2k2

I know this is not the first time this has been raised but maybe there are some new options now.
Summary: Want to sync 1Password across Mac, iOS and Windows. However, in my work environment Dropbox will be blocked December 1st. (Dropbox sync as well as website)

What can I do?
On my Mac and IPhone I can go with iCloud instead - however, the 1Password folder are not visible in my iCloud folders..

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1Password Version: Not Provided
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: Not Provided
Sync Type: Not Provided

alexchilcott

I never found a good solution to your problem. You could email yourself your vault, but then it obviously won't stay up to date.

I've just got used to having a separate vault at my work, and I email items from my iPhone to my work email as and when I need them. However, that functionality also appears to be broken at the moment due to some issue when sharing items between Mac/iOS and Windows.

Right now, I can only hope that they eventually fix the sharing bug and/or add other syncing options, and manually copy passwords from my iOS device to my work PC. :(

AGAlumB

On my Mac and IPhone I can go with iCloud instead - however, the 1Password folder are not visible in my iCloud folders..

@dfens2k2: That's correct.OS X and iOS use CloudKit to sync data, rather than storing it in the filesystem in iCloud Drive. It sounds like really the only option left in your case would be to copy the vault from Dropbox onto a USB drive to take it with you into work, or sync only the PC and iOS device via Wi-Fi — but that would limit you to a single vault, which may or may not be enough. That would at least allow you to leave your Dropbox sync setup as is.

We're currently beta testing 1Password for Teams, but unfortunately it isn't implemented in the Windows version yet. However, it has a web interface which might interest you, especially since editing was recently added.

As an aside, does anyone actually know why companies block Dropbox? It seems like there are plenty of other ways to exfiltrate data... :unamused:

dfens2k2

Are there any plans to add other sync options in the future? Like iCloud drive..

For why Dropbox is being blocked:

• Corporate IT security teams are scared of someone setting up something like a laptop in a closet with Dropbox sync. This machine would then e.g. upload all new design drawings. I think it's a combination of the ease of use and that it can sync automatically.
• Corporate IT wants to control as much as possible which applications are being used. Who installs security patches? What if installing app A causes problems with app B..
• In my specific case, we signed a major deal with Box.com - go figure..

AGAlumB

Are there any plans to add other sync options in the future? Like iCloud drive..

@dfens2k2: It certainly something we're considering for the future. Unfortunately there are some limitations on non-Apple platforms. Hopefully we'll be able to add additional sync options down the road that will be a better fit for those without access to Dropbox.

For why Dropbox is being blocked:

• Corporate IT security teams are scared of someone setting up something like a laptop in a closet with Dropbox sync. This machine would then e.g. upload all new design drawings. I think it's a combination of the ease of use and that it can sync automatically.
• Corporate IT wants to control as much as possible which applications are being used. Who installs security patches? What if installing app A causes problems with app B..
• In my specific case, we signed a major deal with Box.com - go figure..

Thanks so much for your response! The first one seems to be fairly common, but of course that's what confuses me. It's still trivial for someone to steal data they have access to if motivated.

The second one makes a lot more sense, as preventing installation any apps is easier to enforce.

But your case is an interesting one. I recall someone else mentioning this, so it doesn't seem to be all that common yet. I wonder if this will become more commonplace in the future. Cheers! :)

sdkoenig

I just started at a new company which also block Dropbox (but allows box.net, google drive, qnap sync...)
When you think about new ways to allow syncing the vault please also consider including sync tools of NAS vendor, so the vault is synced against the private NAS.

Until then please publish any (new) possible ways to sync across Windows, Mac and iOS

MikeT

Hi @sdkoenig,

You can move your data to the sync folder and sync between computers using that sync service. For an example, let's say Synology NAS, they have their own CloudStation feature that the users can use. On Windows, you can move your 1Password data folder to its CloudStation folder and it'll sync between your computers. For OS X, 1Password has a feature called Folder Sync to monitor the sync folder to sync with its internal database. You can find out more here: https://support.1password.com/guides/mac/sync-folder.html

For your iOS devices, you'll have to pick one computer to perform the Wi-Fi sync with, while using the preferred sync service to sync between the computers. We usually recommend doing this at home, so you can do Wi-Fi sync between your PC and mobile devices, while whatever sync client you're using will sync the data to your work computers.

On Android because the file system is accessible, you can use the Folder Sync like on OS X to sync with your NAS as shown here: https://support.1password.com/guides/android/settings-sync.html

apraetor

Would it be possible to use an Android phone to store the 1Password data and sync a PC and Mac against that? I was going to create a new thread, but this seemed like an ideal place to ask. I would be open to running a file server of some kind on the Android device (N6, 6.0) so as to use Folder Sync, if that would be the only option. It just seems to me that since my phone is always with me, and can connect to all the computers I use, that it would be a great way to carry my database around.

AGAlumB

@apraetor: It is possible, but not recommended. Wi-Fi Sync is designed to work between a single computer and one or more mobile devices, not the other way around. Using it as you describe will destroy the sync state each time to pair the Android device with a different computer, so this can result in sync conflicts. That's why it's only possible to pair 1Password for Android (or iOS) with a single server. In fact, in order to change it currently 1Password for Android must be reinstalled.

However, one other option is to use 'folder sync' in 1Password for Android to do a 'sneaker net sync', and then manually copy the vault between computers. Again, it isn't something I'd really recommend, since you'd need to manually copy the whole vault each time, but it's something you could do if you wish Just be sure to backup your data regularly, since, unlike Dropbox, you'll be responsible for keeping things straight (i.e. not overwriting new data with old).

attrapereves

My work computer is very locked down. I have no access to Dropbox, and since it's Windows, it won't work with iCloud. It's a desktop, so that throws out WiFi syncing.

Here's what I do... Since I do not edit my vault very often, I just export the vault and import it into my work machine. It's not really a hassle because my vault is only edited once every month or so. This process would probably get annoying if I edited my vault often.

MikeT

It looks like you've created a separate thread about how you're exporting the vault, which is to use Folder Sync to create the sync file.

For others, we do not recommend exporting the data via clear text formats like 1PIF or CSV for this purpose, you should only copy the sync files like 1Password.agilekeychain or 1Password.opvault instead that is encrypted.

dhamilton

Will Google Drive be blocked?
Setup the same thing you had with Dropbox but with Google drive,
Put your vault in your Google drive folder on computer and select that vault both on your Mac & PC.

MikeT

Hi @dhamilton,

Usually at work, they have multiple popular services blocked by default but yes, it would be nice to test Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, Copy, and so on to see if anything works. If it does, then you can put the data in there and use Wi-Fi sync at home for the mobile devices.

dhamilton

I use Dropbox for my syncing, my boss uses Google Drive. :)

MikeT

That's one way to know that Google Drive will not blocked any time soon, find out what your bosses and their bosses use. :smile: