10 best Synology tips and tricks to get the most out of your NAS

Harish Jonnalagadda is a source.

The best system for streaming and general home use is made by Synology, and it has plenty of productivity-focused systems for businesses. While all manufacturers have the same hardware, Synology has something different. The best operating system for NAS enclosures is created by DiskStation Manager.

I use the DiskStation DS1520+ for Plex streaming and backing up data from all the phones and Windows machines in my home, and I also run a VPN server directly on the NAS. Here are the best Synology tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your NAS enclosure.

Synology DiskStation DS220+

Everything you need.

The DS 220+ has robust hardware, an extensive list of software features, and two drive bays that can hold up to 32 terabytes of storage. This is a great option if you want to switch to a new NAS.

There is a source of the Android Central.

One of the best services in DSM is QuickConnect, which allows you to connect to your NAS anywhere. You don't have to mess with port forwarding; you just need to set up a usernames and passwords, and you can access your NAS from outside of your home.

If you haven't already done so, you can get started by heading to Control Panel. You will need to register a Synology account and assign a QuickConnect ID to your NAS. You will get a unique URL to connect to your NAS.

When traveling, you can stream audio or video content stored on your NAS. You can easily stream audio or videos from your NAS when you are out and about with this nifty addition.

Back up all your computers and phones with ease

Harish Jonnalagadda is a source.

It is easy to back up data from all devices. Download the client service on your Windows and macOS machines if you need it. You can either set up two-way sync to save changes between your machine and the NAS, or you can choose to have an interval for backing up data.

If you use Windows 10's built-in File History feature, you can point that backup to your enclosure and have the data stored on your NAS. Time Machine can be used with your NAS to back up data.

There are a few ways to back up your phone. If you need to back up all of your photos and videos on your phone, you will want to use the latest addition to DSM. You should install the Photos package on your computer first and then use the app on your phone. You can set it up so that the service automatically uploads photos and videos from your phone to your computer.

If you are looking at a NAS as an alternative to a photo service, Synology Photos is the obvious choice. It uses face recognition to sort images and create albums. I use Photos to back up my photos from all my phones, and then I use Google Photos to make high-quality uploads.

Do you need a simple solution to manually upload files? You will want to use DS file. This utility is a file manager that will allow you to see all of the folders on your computer and easily transfer data from your phone to the computer. You can sync between your phone and NAS with the help of the Synology Drive.

If you prefer to use an external service to transfer photos and videos, PhotoSync is a better alternative. The PhotoSync Add-On for Android is a one-time payment of $4, and the PhotoSync Pro version is just $3. If you are interested, you can easily set it up on your computer.

You can set up user accounts for your family members on the NAS and back up their computers and phones with each user getting their own allocated storage on the enclosure.

Harish Jonnalagadda is a source.

A media server is one of the best use cases for a NAS. There are built-in utilities for audio and video streaming that have a lot of features. If you save digital versions of your movies in Video Station, you don't need to do any extra work to get cover art and relevant information.

Audio Station and Video Station can be used over your local network to play and access content.

DSM has a native client for Plex that will allow you to stream media to all devices on your home network. You can set up libraries and add your media collection to the NAS with the help of the Plex Media server, which takes less than five minutes to install. The biggest advantage with Plex is its availability on every platform, including most smart TVs.

Back up data on the NAS to the cloud

There is a source of the Android Central.

If you have backed up your data to your NAS, you may want to consider backing it up to a cloud storage provider. A cloud storage option is a failsafe when data like photos and videos is involved.

I use G Suite to back up my photos and videos. Backblaze B2 is one of the many alternatives available.

You can use a few utilities to back up data between your cloud provider and your NAS, and Hyper Backup is the ideal option. The service automatically backs up data from the folders you select on a schedule, as well as offers multi-version backups. It is an all-in-one utility that does everything you need in a backup solution.

Use Synology's mobile clients

Harish Jonnalagadda is a source.

You can use the mobile apps on Synology to back up data and stream media. DS Audio and DS Video are great alternatives to Plex for streaming my audio collection.

Photos can be used to view all the photos stored on your NAS and DS Note can be used to take notes. DS Audio is the service that I use the most, but you can find all the utilities on the Synology website.

Create your own online office suite

The collaborative office suite offered by Synology is similar to what Microsoft and Google offer. It's an excellent option for small businesses because you can run it on your NAS. The best thing about Synology Office is that it has real-time collaboration, just like Sheets or Docs.

Team members can chat within a network with the Synology chat plug-in. The Office suite is compatible with a number of office applications and can be accessed through a drive.

Use Docker to turbocharge your NAS

There is a source of the Android Central.

You can install thousands of packages on the platform-as-a-service if you want. Think of it as an alternate app store that allows you to extend what your NAS can do. Home Assistant can be used to connect to smart home devices in your home to automate tasks.

You could also run Pi-hole on the computer. You can always run the Pi-hole on your NAS, even if you use a Raspberry Pi 4. You can go to LinuxServer to see all the available containers that you can run on the NAS, and there are dedicated guides for setting up Docker containers.

If you are interested in trying out new things on your Synology NAS, you should try out the Docker platform. The service is only available in the Plus series and SMB-focused enclosures, so you may not see it on your NAS.

Host a website or blog on your NAS

Another use case for a Synology NAS is a website. There are popular content management systems available. They are easy to install and give you the ability to run your site without paying hosting fees. The Web Station package can be used to host a full-featured site.

Install a VM

You can easily set up a virtual machine with DiskStation Manager. All versions of Windows and Windows server can be used.

Set up a security camera network

If you want a security camera network for your home or office but don't want to pay for Ring or Nest products, you'll want to look at what Synology has to offer. You can set up a private security camera network with local storage and notifications on your phone.

You can view the feeds from your security cameras in real-time, and the service is compatible with over 7,600 security cameras. There is no ongoing fee for using the station. If you want to set up more cameras, you will have to pay for additional licenses.

Synology DiskStation DS220+

Everything you need.

The DS 220+ has robust hardware, an extensive list of software features, and two drive bays that can hold up to 32 terabytes of storage. This is a great option if you want to switch to a new NAS.

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