I have 3 computers/phones, My MacMini (always on home network), MB Air (on the home network unless I am traveling), and my Iphone (all over the place). They are all on the same home network, when I am at home.
Will a home network connection (Bonjour) work or be the best connection for syncing?
I’ve spent some time today trying to verify your assertion. Sadly I’ve failed.
The iCloud problems I can find have largely been single-events and have been addressed quickly. I can find no reports of ongoing unreliability of iCloud/CloudKit.
MacRumors keep a tagged archive of iCloud articles that seems to chronicle its history pretty well.
Here is one major event which was over a year ago and was quickly addressed
I can’t find any commentary on any developer forums suggesting iCloud is unreliable or problematic as in not living up to its specification.
I’m a registered Apple Dev so I’ve also searched any release notes or articles I have access to for this kind of information.
I’ll keep trying.
I’ve spent years shovelling defect reports around and some stuff you just don’t address because it isn’t important. A high profile service like iCloud/CloudKit is leagues more important than a broken scripting method in Mail.app.
Darn. Evidence to show I am wrong yet again. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. 
(I do not use it so I have time for other things)
I’m fairly sure we all want the same thing- which is for DevonThink to sync properly with iCloud/CloudKit. I assure you my interest is in finding out exactly what the Apple bug is that’s causing all these problems. It isn’t to argue with anyone on a discussion forum.
As we all know, on a forum like this it’s easy for a few users to get amplified and make “the dreadful icloud problems” sound much worse than they are in real life.
I’m still no nearer to finding out exactly how Apple’s software doesn’t behave correctly.
Another uppity answer from Devonthink. also, note that there are “many, many people” writing into this forum continuously over many years that have problems with syncing and are not happily synching ever day. . Whoopee, many people sync happily, many people also do not. devonthink has not addressed this problem ever to have a solid remote sync. Instead, just telling paying clients to use bonjour is not a solution, it is an excuse for lazy developers or not acknowledging that devonthink is built [maybe justifiably so to function as it does] so remote syncing [example -dropbox, apple, whatever] is so complex it inherently has many points of failure. if that is the issue just say that, don’t refer clients who have paid for devonthink to some post that does not solve their problems. if Keep It had multiple databases devonthink would lose customers. maybe a devonthink “light” that does not have some of the functions of devonthink “heavy”. but is better for remote syncing is a possible product. I do not need most/any of the metadata, pseudo-AI, auto filing, and numerous other functions of devonthink. multiple data bases, smart rule and smart groups, indexing and file links are the key items for me. sorry if this sounds frustrated, it is because you have a good product that could be a great product. I would be happy to discuss further if interested.
perhaps it is not an apple bug bug but something inherent in the code of Devonthink? crazy idea I know.
Bonjour works great for syncing data
There’s two requirements
1 On the same home network
2 The Devonthink app has to be active on each device
My Bonjour sync problems are with the second requirement
I’ll leave home with my mobile devices, forgetting to sync my data
fwiw iCloud/CloudKit is working well for me
I don’t speak for DevonTechnologies. But I can tell you that you can find your post almost word for word in any number of other software forums, including the complaints about how [vendor] is being lazy and refusing to fix functionality that people have paid for.
DevonTechnologies has no control over Apple’s servers. (Or Dropbox’s, or anyone else’s.) If iCloud sync is unreliable, it is Apple’s responsibility to fix it.
incorrect/ faulty logic. if devonthink says use dropbox, apple or bob the builder to sync then it is their responsibility to make sure their software works with it. If later dropbox, apple, or bob the builder software proves unreliable then DO NOT TELL ME TO USE THEIR SOFTWARE TO SYNC. change the dang recommendation or update your software so it will work with the recommended software to sync. If Devonthink does not think Apple or dropbox or bob the builder works consistently then stop saying it is a sync path. you are correct Devonthink does not have control over Apple, dropbox or bob the builder but if sync is unreliable then Devonthink can stop saying use it. after decades of devonthink pushing unreliable sync off onto other software companies they need to stop excuses.
Well, the most recent official statement from DevonTechnologies is in this very thread:
Again, I don’t speak for them. But for me, it’s clear that finding another sync solution is probably the most productive use of my time.
Right you are. If someone tells you to use the net and your router breaks, it’s their obligation to fix the router. That’s solid logic.
Seriously: nobody but Apple, Dropbox etc control their services. And nobody tells you to use them. They are there, they are integrated into a product. But if they break, the product owner can’t do anything about it. Nor can or should your browser provider fix your router.
Ok, so CloudKit is not perfect… I have been trying Bonjour but I have problems getting it to work. I tried the manual , reading the damn thing over and over. I am a lawyer so not into IT as much as others on this chat. I have been playing around with computers since the first apples ms-dos were introduced in the 70’s. So as you can see, I have been around the block a few times with all kinds of programs. FOR THE LIFE OF ME, IS THERE A STEP BY STEP HELP SOMEWHERE to get BONJOUR set up properly. It’s set up on my ipad, but I can’t get it to it syncing with my MacBook. I use CloudKit to sync with about 20 databases. Wanted to try BONJOUR or setting up a local sync store. I read the manual but again there must be steps left out as I cannot get either to work . HELP…
I am also a lawyer. I’m sure there is a better explainer than this, but quickly:
Go to sync preferences on the mac you want to be the central location for your databases, click the bonjour preferences button, check the boxes, and add a password (optional).
Then go to your ipad and the mac should show up as a sync location in the preferences there. DO NOT TURN BONJOUR ON IN THE IPAD PREFERENCES. Only one of your machines should have a bonjour “on” setting. It is possible to use the ipad as the sync location but probably not optimal.
See instructions with a bit more elaboration at Bonjour Simplified
That being said, the “DEVONthink Manual” has three numbered steps.
A common error is turning “on” Bonjour on more than device on the network. Pick you MacBook or your iPad as THE single machine to “accept incoming”. Probably that should be the Macbook.
Bonjour is not related to local sync store, which is something different. Where in the Manual does it suggest to use Bonjour to setup a local sync store?
“OR”
Worth noting probably that it is highly unlikely that Mgf actually wants a local sync store, which is, as you suggest, a different thing than Bonjour, which is described somewhat confusingly in the preferences as using “Local Network” as a Sync Location.
Sorry, my recollection was optional. Did that change at some point? I may be confusing with other sync options.
No worries! And nope. There has always been a required Bonjour password.
