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===== Connecting Reliably to Syncthing without Discovery Hassles =====

This situation is actually '''worse''' than if Syncthing had no Local Discovery feature at all. If it didn’t work from the start, you’d know you couldn’t rely on it and would just hardcode the IP of your Syncthing server right into your Android app, using the server’s local IP to connect directly.

What’s dangerous is that Syncthing’s Android app connects the first time by scanning the QR code on the server, making it seem like it’s actually discovering your computer. But it’s not. Next time you try to connect—especially if you’re on a different subnet via VPN—it’ll fail to find the server.

'''Syncthing doesn’t even remember the last IP address it used, so it ends up trying to rediscover it, failing again.'''

I get it. If it can’t find the server on a different subnet when you’re using a VPN, fine, but it’s dangerous that Syncthing doesn’t try the last known IP to see if it still works.

'''TL;DR – to avoid becoming a data recovery customer, don’t trust local or global discovery. Just use the IP address of the server, which in our case is <code>192.168.5.5</code>, and check that it works three separate times under three separate conditions before ever assuming that it is working, as you should with ANY backup solution!'''

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