Question 1

How does it connect to my devices when I'm away from home?

Accepted Answer

Harbor uses Tailscale, a widely-used networking service built on WireGuard. You install the free Tailscale app once on each device. In most setups your phone talks directly to the dock over an encrypted tunnel, with nothing in between. When a direct connection isn't possible (some mobile carriers, restrictive wifi), Tailscale relays the encrypted traffic; they can see that you connected, not what you sent. Harbor's servers are never in the data path; we don't see your files at any point.

Question 2

Can I import files from Dropbox, Google Drive, or other cloud accounts?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Clouds connect read-only by default, so connecting changes nothing on the provider side. The dock includes an rclone-based UI that connects to Dropbox, Google Drive, Proton Drive, OneDrive, Mega, Box, pCloud, and any other service rclone supports. You can pull files in once for archival, or opt in to ongoing one-way or two-way sync per folder. The connection lives on your dock, not on a Harbor server, so the credentials stay with you. iCloud Drive is the one major holdout; see the next question for why.

Question 3

How does Harbor actually see my files across all those clouds?

Accepted Answer

The dock runs rclone, an open-source tool that's been talking to cloud storage APIs for over a decade. The big players (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, pCloud) expose clean OAuth APIs and work day one. End-to-end encrypted providers like Proton Drive and MEGA are doable too, but take a bit more plumbing on our side because the dock has to hold your keys (the cloud never sees them). The notable exception is iCloud Drive: Apple doesn't publish a third-party API, so no tool, rclone or otherwise, can read it directly. For iCloud Photos you can run Apple's official export on a Mac and drop the archive on the dock; iCloud Drive itself stays in Apple's walled garden. Everything else most households use is fair game.

Question 4

How do I share files with someone who doesn't have a Harbor Dock?

Accepted Answer

The dock uses Tailscale Funnel, a feature that generates a one-off public HTTPS link for a specific file or folder. The link routes through Tailscale's encrypted edge to your dock and streams the file directly to the recipient, with no public IP or port forwarding on your home network. You can attach a password, set an expiry, or limit views. For friendlier-looking URLs, the dock can also push the file to one of your connected cloud providers (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) and use their native share link. For small files, an email attachment works in one tap. The recipient never needs a Tailscale account or a Harbor Dock.

Question 5

What if I only have one dock, how does backup work?

Accepted Answer

Harbor uses your existing cloud accounts as distributed backup. Connect Proton Drive, Mega, and a couple of other free tiers, and the dock spreads encrypted file copies across them automatically, staying under each provider's free-tier limit. The backup overview UI shows what's stored where, so you can see at a glance which folders are covered and which still need a target. Pairing two docks gives you the cleaner mutual-sync story; the cloud-free-tier approach is what gets most people a real off-site copy without spending a cent extra. Harbor Cloud, a planned optional subscription, will add a managed encrypted offsite replica for people who want that instead.

Question 6

Why ARM and not a mini PC?

Accepted Answer

ARM single-board computers are the right shape for always-on appliance storage: single-digit watts idle, low heat, no fans, designed to run for years. The dock is meant to live behind a TV or in a closet, not to crunch numbers. The bottleneck for storage like this is the USB drive and the network, not the CPU. A mini PC would be more powerful but consume 4 to 6 times the continuous power for no benefit on this workload.

Question 7

Does it work on iPhone, Android, and desktop?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, and Android all work. Once you install Tailscale on your device, the dock appears like a local server. Open any browser, type its name, and your files are there.

Question 8

What happens if my home internet goes down?

Accepted Answer

Devices on your home Wi-Fi can still access the dock normally. It is a local network device first, remote second. Remote access from outside the home pauses until your internet returns, the same as any home server. Your files are never lost; they live on your drive.

Question 9

What's in the box?

Accepted Answer

The Harbor Dock itself, a small low-power device, plus a power adapter, an Ethernet cable, and a quick-start card. You bring your own USB drive (any size, any brand).

Question 10

What size USB drive can I use?

Accepted Answer

Any standard USB drive works. Common sizes range from 1TB to 20TB. Use one drive for personal storage, or pair two docks (one at home, one at a friend's or family member's place) for automatic encrypted off-site backup.

Question 11

What happens if the drive dies?

Accepted Answer

A single dock with a single drive has the same failure profile as any single-drive setup: if the drive fails, what was on it is gone. Harbor isn't a RAID array; we don't pretend it is. The intended pattern for anything you can't afford to lose is two docks at two locations, syncing to each other. That's the off-site backup story. If you only buy one dock, treat it like you'd treat any external drive holding important files: keep a separate copy of the photos and documents you can't replace.

Question 12

How much power does it use?

Accepted Answer

It's a low-power ARM device designed to run 24/7, like a Wi-Fi router. The impact on your electricity bill is minimal, closer to a smart hub than a desktop computer.

Question 13

Will it be open source?

Accepted Answer

Yes. That is a commitment, not a maybe; the source is opening soon. The dock software and companion tools will be open for anyone to audit, build, or fork, and every tier runs the same open code. You probably won't ever need to look at it, but knowing the option exists is the difference between owning your storage and renting it.

Question 14

What if Harbor the company disappears?

Accepted Answer

Your drive keeps working. Files are stored in standard formats. Plug the drive into any computer and read them directly. Tailscale is independent infrastructure that keeps running without us. You are never stranded.

Question 15

Do I need a subscription?

Accepted Answer

No. The Harbor Dock never needs one; it is complete on day one and works fully, forever, without any paid plan. Harbor Cloud is an optional extra that only adds the things a box in your house can't do: remote access from anywhere and an encrypted offsite replica. Skip it and you lose nothing local.

Question 16

What is Harbor Cloud?

Accepted Answer

A planned optional subscription, about $6 a month, covering what a box in your house can't do on its own: remote access without port forwarding, an encrypted offsite replica (encrypted on your device before upload, so we can't read it), share links that keep working while the dock is asleep, and health alerts. It never gates a local feature. The Dock and the self-hosted version work fully without it.

Question 17

Can I run it without buying anything?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Harbor Self-Hosted is the same software the Dock runs, free to run yourself: one binary or a Docker container on any server or old PC. The source is opening soon. The Dock exists for people who would rather plug in a box than maintain one.

Question 18

Can I use AI with my files?

Accepted Answer

Yes, on your terms. Harbor speaks MCP, the open protocol AI assistants use, so the assistant you already have (hosted or a local model on your own machine) can see your whole library through one connection instead of you wiring it into five clouds. You choose exactly which folders it can see and whether it can read contents or just names; files that look sensitive are hidden from it automatically. The AI can only suggest reorganizations: every change waits for your approval in Harbor, runs through the trash so nothing is destroyed, and can be undone afterward.

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