June 9, 2019

How-to: OpenVPN Server in a Synology Docker Container

​I recently purchased Synology NAS, and wanted to run an OpenVPN server in a container for remote access. Yes, the Synology has a built-in OpenVPN server, but I felt that running a containerized version was more prudent. There are resources such as the Reddit Synology forum covering the Kylemanna OpenVPN Docker container, but I also wanted to harden my system a bit more using the ​Configuring a secure OpenVPN 2.4 server with Docker​​​ resource. ​​My guide builds on information found in Reddit and the above hardening guide, and uses the kylemanna/docker-openvpn container. I’ve also included a downloadable script that has...

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June 8, 2019

Synology Disk Station Manager (DSM) Configuration

In my article, Derek’s 2019 NAS Selection, I discussed why I bought a Synology DS918+ for my home NAS needs. Now, I will cover the software configuration and some of the neat features of DSM (Disk Station Manager) 6.2.2. Topics that I will cover include security, snaphots, replication, Docker containers, VMs, VPN, and more. This is not a comprehensive configuration guide, so I can’t cover everything I did to setup my NAS. Plus, your configuration would likely be quite different. However, it does touch on many of the critical areas that you want to review and configure during the installation...

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June 7, 2019

Derek’s 2019 Home NAS Selection

​Years ago I had a QNAP NAS which I used for my VMware home lab, but it was aging and I wanted something new and larger for all of my data and photos. Now, in 2019, I selected the Synology DS918+ NAS. Find out the specs, how I configured it, and what disks/memory/UPS I used. A future blog post will go into the software configuration and more details about my Docker containers, VPN, VM, cloud backup, etc. ​Synology DS918+ S​election ​Synology has a large ​portfolio of NAS devices. Some are aimed at basic home use, others at IT enthusiasts, and...

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May 24, 2019

Synology LiveCam review: Turns old phones into security cameras, but I wish it worked better

Last year when Synology revealed its new LiveCam app, we knew we had to check it out. The potential convenience of turning an old phone into a remote, battery-augmented security camera was appealing, especially considering the existing power and flexibility of the company's Surveillance Station security camera management system. After months of testing, though, LiveCam makes a better stop-gap than a solution.

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May 22, 2019

Hands-on: Synology’s MR2200ac mesh router enhances its AirPort Extreme alternative [Video]

A couple of years ago I replaced my Apple AirPort Extreme router with Synology’s RT2600ac. I made this move partly because of the rumors about Apple exiting the router business — which it eventually did — and partly because I desired a more robust feature set.

This was around the same time that consumer mesh networks were really beginning to gain in popularity, but unfortunately, Synology didn’t offer a mesh networking solution at the time. The good news is that Synology now has a mesh router in its repertoire in the . Watch our hands-on video walkthrough for more details. more…

The post Hands-on: Synology’s MR2200ac mesh router enhances its AirPort Extreme alternative [Video] appeared first on 9to5Mac.

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May 12, 2019

Synology 2019 Configuration Guide Part 5: Move/ Copy files to your NAS

Now that you have some basic security settings on, let’s start moving some files. But before we get started, if you are still thinking about which synology to buy, check this guide instead: Synology 2019 Buying Guide, but if you are the happy owner of a new Synology, here is a guide on how to configure your brand new Synology!! Here is the list of upcoming and existing posts: Part 1: Install DSM in your Synology (operating system) Part 2: Configure your hard drives: Storage pool configuration Part 3: Upgrade your Synology RAM Part 4: Basic Security settings Part 5: Move/copy files...

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May 11, 2019

Final Cut Friday: How to store FCP X libraries on a Synology NAS [Video]

In this walkthrough, we show you how to easily store Final Cut Pro X libraries on a Synology NAS with just a few configuration steps. We’ve posted a prior solution before that utilized the NFS protocol, but this solution uses SMB. Watch our hands-on video tutorial for the details. more…

The post Final Cut Friday: How to store FCP X libraries on a Synology NAS [Video] appeared first on 9to5Mac.

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April 30, 2019

The most important security setting for your Synology: The reset option

I received this comment on  my article on how to reset the synology password article last week: “Hello! Very interesting article and very interesting blog. In DSM I have recently seen an option: Control Panel —> Update & Restore —> Reset —> Reset Option There is an option to tick: “Keep current admin password unchanged” With the following explanation: “You can keep the current admin password unchanged if you press and hold the RESET button on your DiskStation for 4 seconds for system reset”. Does it mean that if I tick this option and in the future I will forget...

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April 2, 2019

[Update: Winner] For World Backup Day, we’re giving away a Synology DiskStation NAS with 4x2TB Seagate IronWolf hard drives (a $620 value) [US + CA]

Did you know 30% of people have never backed up their phones? If you lost your phone right now, would you be able to get all your pictures, videos, and music back? Data loss doesn’t just happen to big companies. It only takes one mistake or unforeseen problem for your virtual life to be erased. That’s why our friends at Synology are giving away a DS418j NAS along with 4x2TB Seagate IronWolf drives to one lucky winner in celebration of World Backup Day on March 31st.

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