As a data storage server, Synology NAS needs at least one 3.5" or 2.5" drive to ensure functionality. For detailed information on drive installation, refer to your model's Product Manual.

Back up drives before installation

If your drive comes from an old Synology NAS, follow the instructions in the HDD migration article to perform drive migration. The migration procedures mentioned in the article will help you keep most of your data. However, we strongly recommend that you back up data on the original Synology NAS, from which drives are moved, to avoid accidental data loss.

If your drive does not come from a Synology NAS that contains data, you need to back up data before the installation because the system will format the drives and erase all of the existing data during the installation.

About RAID types

After drive installation, you should set up a RAID array to add extra security and redundancy to your storage space. This section provides a brief introduction to RAID technology and the difference between each RAID type.

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a data storage technology that allows multiple independent drives to be combined into a RAID array for data redundancy and performance improvement. In a RAID array, the same data will be stored in different places across multiple drives to reduce the risk of data loss caused by a drive failure. Moreover, the RAID setup can boost the read-write performance because data will be striped across drives under certain RAID configurations.

Different RAID configurations provide different levels of redundancy and performance. The following is an overview of the RAID types supported by Synology NAS:

• SHR: Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) is an automatic RAID management system designed by Synology. SHR provides fault tolerance when there are more than two drives. It is recommended for novice users because it will automatically deploy drives for the best interest of your storage space.
• Basic: Basic configuration is composed of only one independent drive, so it does not provide any fault tolerance or performance boost.
• JBOD: JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks) configuration combines all drives into a single drive stack. Each JBOD drive is regarded as a separate and individual drive volume, so it allows easier control management of data storage. JBOD configuration does not provide any fault tolerance or performance boost.
• RAID 0: In contrast to JBOD, RAID 0 combines two or more drives and treats them as a single unit. In RAID 0, data are divided into blocks and split across multiple drives; therefore, the read-write speed increases with more drives added.
• RAID 1: RAID 1 requires at least two drives. In RAID 1, data are mirrored on all drives. Since the same data exist on all the drives in the array, the volume of the smallest member drive determines the total capacity of the array. This is the safest option to protect important data, but the write performance and capacity are relatively limited.
• RAID 5: RAID 5 requires at least three drives, and one of the drives is used for fault tolerance. RAID 5 stripes data blocks across multiple drives and distributes redundancy information, called parity, across all of the drives in the array. Upon failure of a single drive, the lost data can be reconstructed with the parity existing on the rest of the drives.
• RAID 6: RAID 6 requires at least four drives. RAID 6 features double distributed parity, so it has better data redundancy than RAID 5. However, because RAID 6 needs to write two parity blocks on all member drives, the write performance is slower than RAID 5.
• RAID 10: RAID 10 requires at least four drives. The drives have to be even because drives are combined into groups of two in which data is mirrored and striped. RAID 10 features the performance of RAID 0 and the data protection of RAID 1.
• RAID F1: RAID F1 requires at least three drives. Like RAID 5, RAID F1 implements data block striping and distributes parity data across all member drives. The only difference is that one of the drives will bear more parity information, so it will age faster, which prevents all the drives from coming to the end of their endurance at the same time. RAID F1 is recommended for an all-flash array.

This section guides you through how to perform the first-time installation of DSM via a web browser or Synology's mobile application.

Install DSM with Web Assistant

Your Synology NAS comes with a built-in tool, Web Assistant, which helps you download the latest version of DSM from the Internet and install it on your Synology NAS. To use Web Assistant, use the following steps:

1. Power on your Synology NAS.
2. Open a web browser on a computer within the same network where your Synology NAS is located, and go to "find.synology.com". The status of your NAS should be Not installed.
3. Select your Synology NAS and click Connect on Web Assistant.
4. Click Install to start the installation process and follow the on-screen instructions.
   

Install DSM with DS finder

You can also install DS finder (App Store/Google Play) on your mobile device to install DSM as demonstrated below:

1. Power on your Synology NAS.
2. Connect your mobile device to the local network where your Synology NAS is located, and launch DS finder.
3. Tap SET UP NEW NAS to start the setup process.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to establish the connection between your mobile device and Synology NAS, and tap SEARCH. DS finder will search for your Synology NAS. The status of your NAS should be Not installed.
5. Select your Synology NAS and tap INSTALL to start the installation process and follow the on-screen instructions.

As the owner of a Synology NAS, you should have a Synology Account to access Synology online services and manage your customer information. Different from DSM user accounts (which can be used to sign in to DSM), a Synology Account allows you to manage your billing information, registered Synology products, requests for technical support, and Synology online services (e.g., QuickConnect, DDNS, and Synology C2). Learn more about the differences between Synology Accounts and DSM user accounts.

Sign up for a Synology Account and bind your Synology NAS during DSM installation or by following the steps below:

1. Go to the Synology Account registration page.
2. Enter your email address and click Next, or sign in using your Google account or your Apple ID. Then, follow the on-screen instructions to create a Synology Account.
   
3. Go to the mailbox of the email you entered and click the email titled Synology Account - sign up (sent from "noreply@synologynotification.com") to get your verification code.
4. Enter the verification code and click Next.
5. Check the terms and privacy policy. Click Submit.
6. Go to Control Panel > Synology Account, and click Sign in or sign up for a Synology Account.
   
7. In the pop-up window, enter the credentials of your Synology Account and click Sign In.
8. Now, you have successfully registered for a Synology Account and bound your NAS to it.

After installing DSM on your Synology NAS, you can sign in to DSM using the DSM user account you have just added during the first-time installation. Follow the steps below to sign in via a web browser:

1. Make sure your computer and Synology NAS are connected to the same local network.
2. Open a browser on your computer and enter one of the following in the address bar:
   • find.synology.com: Enter this URL only if your computer and Synology NAS are connected to the same local area network.
   • IP address of your NAS:5000: If the IP address of your Synology NAS is "192.168.48.14", type "192.168.48.14:5000". The IP address depends on the settings made during the initial setup.
3. Enter your username and click the rightward arrow.
4. Enter your password and click the rightward arrow again to sign in.

DSM desktop

After signing in, you can see the DSM desktop, where your application and package windows are displayed. You can also create desktop shortcuts to frequently used applications.

Taskbar

The taskbar is located at the top of the screen and includes the following items:

1. Show Desktop: Minimize all launched application and package windows.
2. Main Menu: View and open applications and add-on packages. You can also click and drag icons to create desktop shortcuts.
3. Open applications: Displays currently launched applications and packages. You can right-click and pin the applications or packages to the taskbar for faster access in the future.
4. External Devices: Appears when an external device (e.g., a USB flash drive) is attached to your Synology NAS.
5. Upload Queue: Appears when you start uploading files to your Synology NAS. Click the icon to see more details, such as progress and upload speed.
6. Storage Manager: Appears when you start running Storage Manager tasks that may affect system performance. Click on this icon to see the status or progress of the tasks.
7. Task Manager: Appears when you start running Control Panel tasks that may affect system performance. Click on this icon to see more details about the tasks or manage the tasks.
8. Notifications: Displays notifications, such as errors, status updates, and package installation notifications.
9. Options: Shut down, restart, sign out of your Synology NAS, or modify personal account settings.
10. Widgets: Show or hide widgets. Widgets are located on the right side of DSM desktop by default, displaying various types of system information, such as storage, system health, etc.
11. Search: Quickly find specific applications, packages, or DSM Help articles.

Main menu

You can find a list of applications and packages installed on your Synology NAS here. To create a desktop shortcut, open Main Menu, and click and drag an application or package to the side.

Shutdown, restart, signing out, and personal settings

Click the Options menu (the person icon on the upper right) to shut down, restart, or sign out of your Synology NAS.

You can also select the Personal option from the drop-down menu to manage your account settings, such as the password, display language, sign-in methods, and display preferences.

The following list provides an overview of the tabs under this option:

• Account: Edit account settings.
• Security: Enable advanced sign-in methods and view recent login activities of your DSM account.
• Display Preferences: Edit date and time formats as well as the appearance of your desktop.
• Email Delivery: Add your email accounts at this tab. These email accounts are used in the following scenarios:
  • Delivering files stored in File Station as attachments.
  • Sending event invitation emails via Synology Calendar.
  • Sending notification emails when sharing files with others via Synology Drive.
• Quota: View your quota on all volumes set by the administrator's account, as well as the amount of capacity you have used on each volume. On models with Btrfs support, you can also view the quota and capacity usage of each shared folder.
• Others: Customize other personal account options.

In Control Panel > Regional Options, you can configure the following regional settings:

• Time: Set up system time settings of your DSM. You can check the current time, manually set the server's date and time, or have them set automatically using a network time server.
• Language: Set the language for display, notification, and code pages.
• NTP Service: Set your Synology NAS as a network time server to synchronize time with other devices over networks. Note that NTP service is required for Surveillance Station and high-availability clusters. If you have installed and launched Surveillance Station or Synology High Availability on your Synology NAS, the NTP service cannot be disabled.

QuickConnect allows client applications to connect to your Synology NAS via the Internet without setting up port forwarding rules. It can work with Synology-developed packages, such as File Station, Synology Photos, Synology Drive, Surveillance Station, and mobile applications. You can either specify your QuickConnect ID during DSM installation, or activate the service by using the following steps:

1. Go to Control Panel > External Access > QuickConnect.
2. Tick the Enable QuickConnect checkbox.
   
3. If you have not signed in to your Synology Account, a login window will pop up. Enter your existing Synology Account information or create a new account in the window.
4. Specify a new QuickConnect ID.
5. Click Apply.

Learn more about QuickConnect.

This section guides you through the steps of storage pool creation using the built-in package, Storage Manager.

About storage pools and volumes

When launching Storage Manager for the first time, the Storage Creation Wizard will help you create and configure storage pools and volumes.

• A storage pool is a single storage unit consisting of multiple drives.
• A volume is a storage space created on a storage pool. You have to create at least one volume to store data on your Synology NAS.

Create storage pools and volumes

1. Launch Storage Manager from the DSM Main Menu. The Storage Creation Wizard will pop up to guide you through the steps below.
2. Choose a RAID type to protect your storage. Some RAID types are available on certain models according to the number of drive bays. To find out which RAID type is right for your storage pool, you can refer to the About RAID types section or the Choose a RAID Type article.
3. Deploy drives to make up the storage pool.
4. Allocate the volume capacity.
5. Select a file system. We recommend Btrfs for its data protection features. Learn more about the differences between file systems.
6. Confirm the settings. The system will automatically run the storage creation and optimization process in the background.

Through the setup of a shared folder, you can turn your Synology NAS into a convenient and secure file-sharing center. This section explains the role of shared folders on DSM and gives you instructions on file management using File Station and DS file.

About shared folders

A shared folder is a home directory where you can store and manage files and subfolders. You must have at least one shared folder to store files on your Synology NAS. Data stored in shared folders can be kept private or shared with specific users or groups based on custom permission settings.

Some packages or services require a dedicated shared folder to ensure functionality. This table shows the shared folders that are automatically created when certain applications, services, or packages are installed or enabled.

Set up and remove a shared folder

If you are a user belonging to the administrators group, including users delegated with administrative roles, you can create shared folders and grant users access permissions to the folders. You can also remove any shared folders as long as they were created by you.

• To set up a shared folder, go to Control Panel > Shared Folder. Click Create and follow Shared Folder Creation Wizard to configure shared folder settings. Learn more about shared folders.
• To remove a shared folder, go to Control Panel > Shared Folder. Select the shared folder and click Delete.

Manage files via File Station

File Station is a built-in file management tool in DSM. File Station provides a centralized interface where you can access and manage files and folders via web browsers and grant other users access to files based on the permissions you set. This section guides you through the file management process in File Station.

Customize File Station settings

Launch File Station and click Settings. You can perform the following actions here:

• Configure general settings.
• Mount shared folders, virtual drives, servers, and cloud services.
• Allow specific users to share file links or make a request for file access.
• Set speed limits for file transfers via File Station.
• Enable converting HTML files to plain text for security purposes.

Search for files or folders

File Station provides regular search and advanced search to meet different requirements:

• To perform a regular search, click the folder where the desired files or folders are located. Type a keyword in the Search field.
• To perform an advanced search, go to the folder where the desired files or folders are located. Click the magnifying glass icon next to the Search field to expand the advanced search menu, where you can set multiple search conditions for a refined search result.
  

Manage files and folders

Select a file or folder and click Action, or simply right-click it to perform the following actions:

• To send files as email attachments: Right-click a file and select Send as email attachments. You can directly send and share files as email attachments in File Station once you have set up email delivery settings in the Personal pop-up window.
• To view or rotate pictures: Double-click a picture to open it in a viewer window, where you can view and rotate it.
• To edit access permissions: Right-click a file or folder and select Properties. You can edit access permissions on the Permission tab.
• To generate file-sharing links: Right-click a file or folder and select Share. A shared link will be automatically generated. You can further specify validity periods or enable secure sharing.

Manage files via DS file

DS file is an app available on Android and iOS devices that allows you to access and manage files stored on your Synology NAS. With DS file, you can browse pictures, watch videos, and check work documents on-the-go. This section guides you through the process of installing and using DS file.

Install and sign in to DS file

1. Install DS file on your mobile device.
2. Enter the following information on the login page:
   • Address or QuickConnect ID: This can be either an internal or external IP address, DDNS hostname, or Synology QuickConnect ID. You have to enable QuickConnect in Control Panel first to sign in via QuickConnect ID. For detailed information, refer to the Specify your QuickConnect ID section.
   • Account and Password
   • HTTPS: Enable HTTPS connections if you want to make a secure HTTPS login. Note that playing multimedia content over HTTPS requires port forwarding configurations and a valid SSL/TLS certificate.

Manage files and folders

You can perform general file management by tapping the More options icon in the upper-right corner or the ⋮ icon next to a file or folder.

• To copy, delete, download, share, rename, compress, extract, or open an item: Press and hold down on an item and tap the More options icon to select an action to perform.
• To add a folder: In its parent folder, tap the More options icon, and choose Add > Create Folder.
• To upload an item: Go to the destination shared folder. Tap the More options icon > Add > Upload, and then select files to upload. You can go to the Tasks page to view the upload progress.
• To pin a file: You can pin files from your Synology NAS to your local mobile device. Tap the ⋮ icon next to a file and choose Pin. Once you pin a file, you can access it at Offline Files > Pinned Files.
• To sync a pinned file: You can make local pinned files stay synced with source files. Tap the ⋮ icon next to a file and choose Sync for instant sync. To sync all pinned files, refresh the Pinned Files page. All files will be synced upon your next login to DS file.
• To add a folder to My Favorites: Tap the ⋮ icon next to a folder and choose Add to My Favorites.

The Package Center offers a variety of Synology-designed and third-party packages that are compatible with your Synology NAS.

This section guides you through using the Package Center.

Install packages via the Package Center

1. Launch Package Center.
2. Go to the All Packages page to see available packages.
3. Find the package you wish to install and click Install. (For paid packages, click Buy to purchase with a credit card or click Try to use the trial version for evaluation.)
4. Once the package is successfully installed, it should appear in the Main Menu.

Install packages from the Download Center

1. Go to Synology's Download Center.
2. Select your product type and model.
3. Go to the Packages tab and download the desired package as an .spk file.
4. Launch Package Center in DSM.
5. Click the Manual Install button next to the search bar.
6. Click Browse to upload the .spk file.
7. Follow the wizard to install the new package.

In addition to package installation, you can also configure package-related settings, including auto-update, and package sources in the Package Center.

Learn more about the Package Center.

You can grant family members or business associates access to your Synology NAS by creating user accounts for them. For ease of administration, you can create groups to categorize users and manage them together.

This section guides you through creating users and groups in Control Panel. If you want to import a user list to create multiple user accounts in bulk, refer to the Import Users article.

Create a user

1. Go to Control Panel > User & Group > User.
2. Click Create to launch User Creation Wizard.
3. Enter the following information:
   • Name
   • Description (Optional)
   • Email (Optional): Enter the user's email address. System notifications, such as password reset messages, will be sent to the address specified here.
   • Password
   • Confirm password
4. On the same page, configure the following advanced settings that will be applied to the user:
5. Send a notification mail to the newly created user: You have to enable email notifications in Control Panel > Notification > Email to allow the system to send emails. If you have not yet set up notification settings, a confirmation dialog box will pop up and lead you to the setup page when you can tick this checkbox. For more information on notification settings, refer to the Manage notification settings section.
6. Display user password in notification mail
7. Disallow the user to change account password: This option appears only when you have enabled Allow non-administrator users to reset forgotten passwords via email in Control Panel > User & Group > Advanced.
8. Password is always valid: This option appears only when you have enabled Password Expiration in the Advanced tab. This option makes this user's password always valid and the rules of Password Expiration will not be applied to this user.
9. On the Join groups page, specify the groups to which the new user should belong. The default groups are administrators, http, and users. Refer to the Create a group section to customize groups.
10. On the Assign shared folders permissions page, choose which shared folders the user can access. When the user permissions conflict with group permissions, the privilege priority is as follows: No access > Read/Write > Read only. The Preview column displays the access privileges that will take effect.
11. On the Assign user quota page, you can specify the maximum amount of space the user can use for each volume/shared folder. Enter a value and select the size unit in the User Quota field.
12. On the Assign application permissions page, you can control which services the user can access. When the user permissions conflict with group permissions, the Deny permission always has priority over the Allow permission.
13. On the Set user speed limit page, you can enable a speed limit for different services (e.g., File Station, FTP, rsync, etc.) to restrict the amount of bandwidth consumed by the user when transferring files. For each service, you can select one of the following:
    • Apply group settings: If the user belongs to multiple groups, the group with a higher speed limit has priority over other ones.
    • Set up speed cap: Specify upload and download speed limits in the fields to the right.
    • Advanced settings: Two customized speed limits and the group limit can be applied to the user according to the schedule you set. You can modify the speed limit settings and set the schedule in the pop-up window.
14. On the Confirm settings page, check and confirm the settings summary.
15. Click Done to finish the setup.

Create a group

1. Go to Control Panel > User & Group > Group.
2. Click Create to launch Group Creation Wizard.
3. On the Enter group information page, enter a group name.
4. On the Select members page, add target users to the group.
5. On the Assign shared folder permissions page, specify group members' permissions to each shared folder.
6. On the Assign group quota page, you can enable a usage quota for each service to control how much storage can be used by each group member.
7. On the Assign application permissions page, you can control which services group members can access.
8. On the Set group speed limit page, you can enable a speed limit for different services (e.g., File Station, FTP, rsync, etc.) to restrict the amount of bandwidth consumed by each group member when transferring files. For each service, you can select one of the following:
   • Set up speed cap: Specify upload and download speed limits in the fields to the right.
   • Advanced settings: Two customized speed limits and group limit can be applied according to the schedule you set. You can modify the speed limit settings and set the schedule in the pop-up window.
9. On the Confirm settings page, check and confirm the settings summary.
10. Click Done to finish the setup.

You can have your Synology NAS automatically send notifications when specific events or errors occur. Available notification methods include emails, push service, and webhooks. This section provides a brief guide on notification setup at Control Panel > Notification.

1. Go to the Email, Push Service, or Webhooks tabs to set up the delivery channel for notification messages. For detailed instructions, refer to the respective articles:
   • Email: Receive notification messages at your Synology Account or a personal email address. For a personal email address, click Set Up to configure a sender email first.
   • Push Service: Receive notification messages on your mobile device or computer via a web browser.
   • Webhooks: Receive notification messages via Synology Chat, Microsoft Teams, LINE, SMS, or a custom webhook provider.
2. Go to the Rules tab to modify the rules that trigger the system to send notifications. The three default rules are: All, Warning, and Critical. Click Add to create a new rule. Once created, you can select it when you set up a delivery method. When setting up a notification method, the default rules and any custom rules will appear in the selection list. You can choose from the list or create a new rule.
   
3. Go to the Events tab and configure the following settings:
   • Message content: Each event has its default notification message. You can also customize message content by selecting an event and then clicking Edit Message.
   • Variables: Variables are used in notification messages and are replaced with system information when the messages are sent. Certain variables can be modified. To do so, click Edit Variables.

Once your Synology NAS is connected to the Internet, it is crucial to ensure system security. This section provides four methods to strengthen the security of your DSM.

Activate the firewall

1. Go to Control Panel > Security > Firewall.
2. Tick Enable firewall and click Apply. The default firewall profile will be applied to your DSM. Learn how to customize firewall profiles.
   

Leverage Security Advisor

Security Advisor is a built-in application that scans your Synology NAS, checks your DSM settings, and provides advice on how to address security weaknesses. Keep your Synology NAS secure by doing the following:

Scan your Synology NAS immediately

1. Go to Security Advisor > Overview.
2. Click Scan.
   
3. Fix the security weaknesses according to the results.

Set up an automatic scan schedule

1. Go to Security Advisor > Advanced.
2. Tick Enable regular scan schedule under the Scan Schedule section. Select the time to run scans from the drop-down menus.
   
3. Click Apply to save the settings.

Learn more about Security Advisor.

Protect your account with 2-factor authentication

2-factor authentication provides additional security for your DSM account. Once this option is enabled, you will need to enter a one-time authentication code with your password when signing in to DSM. This code can be obtained through authenticator apps (e.g., Synology Secure SignIn and Google Authenticator) installed on your mobile device.

To enable 2-factor authentication for your account, go to DSM > Personal > Security and click 2-Factor Authentication to launch the setup wizard. Enter your password to continue.

Learn more about 2-factor authentication.

Enable auto block, Account Protection, and DoS protection

You can safeguard DSM through these three mechanisms: auto block, Account Protection, and DoS protection.

Auto block unauthorized access

1. Go to Control Panel > Security > Protection > Auto Block.
2. Tick Enable auto block.
3. Enter a value in the Login attempts field and a value in the Within (minutes) field. An IP address will be blocked when it exceeds the number of failed login attempts within the specified duration.
4. Tick Enable block expiration and enter a value in the Unblock after (days) field to unlock a blocked IP address after the specified number of days.
5. Click Apply to save the settings.

Enable Account Protection to prevent login attacks

1. Go to Control Panel > Security > Account > Account Protection.
2. Tick Enable Account Protection.
3. Enter a value in the Login attempts field and a value in the Within (minutes) field. An untrusted client will be blocked if it exceeds the number of failed login attempts within the specified duration.
4. For Untrusted clients, enter a value in the Cancel account protection (minutes later) field. The account protection will be canceled after the specified duration.
5. For Trusted clients, enter a value in the Unblock (minutes later) field. The account protection will be canceled after the specified duration.
6. Click Apply to save the settings.
   

Defend against DoS attacks

A Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack is a malicious attempt to render network services unavailable by disrupting service functionality. To avoid this type of cyberattacks, follow the steps below:

1. Go to Control Panel > Security > Protection > Denial of Service (DoS) Protection.
2. Tick Enable Dos Protection and click Apply.
   

Learn more about auto block, Account Protection, and DoS protection.

Synology frequently releases DSM updates that may include new features, function improvements, and performance enhancements. This section guides you through the configuration of DSM updates.

Perform a manual DSM update

1. Go to Synology's Download Center.
2. Select your product type and model.
3. Scroll down to Operating System and download the update file.
4. Go to DSM > Control Panel > Update & Restore > DSM Update.
5. Click Manual DSM Update.
6. In the pop-up window, click Browse to upload the file.
   
7. Click OK and wait for the file to be uploaded.
8. After reading through the update information and ticking the confirmation checkbox, click Update.
9. Click Yes in the confirmation box. The installation can take 20 to 40 minutes. Do not shut down the system during the update.
10. The system will restart all services and packages once the update is complete.

Set up automatic DSM updates

1. Go to DSM > Control Panel > Update & Restore > DSM Update.
2. Click Update Settings.
3. In the pop-up window, you can configure the following settings to check for DSM releases in Synology's Download Center.
   • Automatically install important updates that fixed critical security issues and bugs (Recommended): Allow the system to automatically install important DSM updates. To ensure that your system is always protected, we recommend enabling this option.
   • Automatically install the latest update: Allow the system to automatically install new DSM updates when the system finds new updates.
   • Notify me and let me decide whether to install the new update: Have the system notify you via desktop notifications when there is a new DSM update available. You can choose whether or not to download the update after receiving the notification.
   • Check schedule: Decide when the system should check for available updates. Specify the check time from the drop-down menus.
     

Learn more about DSM system updates.