# Syncthing when traveling re: firewall
**URL:** https://forum.syncthing.net/t/syncthing-when-traveling-re-firewall/10114
**Category:** General
**Created:** [July 7, 2017, 6:51pm UTC](https://forum.syncthing.net/t/syncthing-when-traveling-re-firewall/10114 "2017-07-07T18:51:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@carverhaines](https://forum.syncthing.net/u/carverhaines)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2017, 6:51pm UTC](https://forum.syncthing.net/t/syncthing-when-traveling-re-firewall/10114/1 "2017-07-07T18:51:12Z")
I’m new to syncthing, have been using BTSync/Resilio in the past. One thing I have a question on. It seems like getting syncthing working requires port forwarding through firewall/router. Is this always the case?
If so, then syncthing would only really be syncing at home, not at office/school/traveling/etc, as these firewalls are out of my control, correct?
Thank you
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### Author:  [@wweich](https://forum.syncthing.net/u/wweich)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2017, 8:22pm UTC](https://forum.syncthing.net/t/syncthing-when-traveling-re-firewall/10114/2 "2017-07-07T20:22:04Z")
If Syncthing cannot get a direct connection it will use relay servers. But that servers normally have speed limits of 100KB/s per connection. For fast transfers, you need a direct connection. For a direct connection, one of the two devices needs to have port forwarding, so if you want to sync office/school/traveling/etc with your device at home, it will work, as you can setup port forwarding at home.
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### Author:  [@ProactiveServices](https://forum.syncthing.net/u/ProactiveServices)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2017, 11:04am UTC](https://forum.syncthing.net/t/syncthing-when-traveling-re-firewall/10114/3 "2017-07-08T11:04:06Z")
Syncthing will use UPnP and also only needs one device to accept incoming connections. If it cannot make a direct connection it will fall back to using the relay network to establish connections.
This is all described in the [firewall documentation](https://docs.syncthing.net/users/firewall.html).
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### Author:  [@carverhaines](https://forum.syncthing.net/u/carverhaines)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2017, 3:19pm UTC](https://forum.syncthing.net/t/syncthing-when-traveling-re-firewall/10114/4 "2017-07-08T15:19:49Z")
Thanks!
I didn’t realize only ONE device needed to have access. I will set up my home computer to run direct connection.
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### Author:  [@calmh](https://forum.syncthing.net/u/calmh)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2019, 9:41pm UTC](https://forum.syncthing.net/t/syncthing-when-traveling-re-firewall/10114/6 "2019-12-15T21:41:56Z")