NAS Drive Setup

NomadNomad Frets: 549

Just in the process of setting up a NAS box (Synology DS418 with four drives), and have a few questions.

It's connected to my broadband router, as is my Windows PC. Not done much other than create a user account that matches my Windows login, and a test shared folder to check Windows drive mapping (worked okay). The primary function is a fault-tolerant file server. Not too fussed about streaming media, accessing photos, etc, although some sort of remote access in a restricted form would be handy (mainly a place to occasionally dump files to).

It has defaulted to one large (11TB) volume. Is there a good reason to change that to two or more smaller volumes?

Do I need to do anything in particular to ensure that the data is protected from external scumbags, or can I assume that it's secure by default?

Can I have an area that's accessible externally (such as space for ftp access) while keeping the bulk of my data safe?


Nomad
Nobody loves me but my mother... and she could be jivin' too...

0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom

Comments

  • olafgartenolafgarten Frets: 1648
    I'd set it up as a RAID for fault tolerance, ideally it should be RAID 5 or 6 for that amount of data. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • NomadNomad Frets: 549
    I think it does that by default (I have 11TB from 4 x 4TB drives). It sets them up as something called SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID). As far as I can tell, it's a way of making extra redundant storage in setups that have drives of different sizes. With them all the same size, it looks like it makes a RAiD 5 array. With disparate sizes, it makes other additional RAID arrays depending on how many disks are available for those bits.

    Nomad
    Nobody loves me but my mother... and she could be jivin' too...

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • SnagsSnags Frets: 5325
    RTFM at the Synology site, they're pretty good.

    By default it will have done an SHR volume (Synology Hybrid RAID). This is kind of RAID5+ - the + being it's easy to extend and to mix drive sizes.

    Personally I tend to blow that away and manually create a standard RAID5 with a hot spare. Lose some space but improve arse covering.

    Setup the QuickConnect/Synology account thing - it's really useful for remote access if you want this. Also, use good usernanes/passwords and properly investigate permissions. There's a good web ui for remote access, and you can limit it to specific users etc.

    If you specifically want FTP there's a built in FTP server which has its own share discrete from your SMB shares. Synology units are basically cut down Linux/BusyBox type affairs, so have a browse at all the Apps you can install too, just in case.


    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • SnagsSnags Frets: 5325
    On the "secure by default" front, it depends how you set it up. If you don't use Quick Connect and you don't open want ports on your firewall (and you have UPnP disabled) then yes, it's as secure aa anything else on your LAN. If you start taking any of they stuff, just read around first and be sure you understand the implications. We use these a lot with smaller clients , either as file servers, or just linked backup devices. They're good bits of kit, but worth making sure you know what you're doing.

    Oh, and keep the autoupdate feature on for critical updates; patches are issued fairly regularly, and you want to keep on top of them.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • NomadNomad Frets: 549

    Yes, found the Synology forum, and starting to browse around.

    I set up QuickConnect and tried accessing the login page from my phone (but didn't log in). It correctly showed the computer name I had assigned, then I disabled it. Passwords are okay for now, but will likely change before I open anything up externally. Firewall is set to allow only my desktop PC (fixed IP), everything else denied.

    Debating whether to stick with SHR. No hot spare, so I'm thinking a failed disk would likely be replaced with something bigger assuming prices drop by then, so maybe SHR would make it easier to gradually increase the sizes of the other disks and build more data space as that happens (not terribly interested in taking advantage of the additional other-RAID bits that it might build in the interim, assuming they can be treated separately from the main 4-disk set).

    Saw the ftp server app, but not played with it yet.

    It's currently verifying the disks, so I'm going to let finish that first.

    Nomad
    Nobody loves me but my mother... and she could be jivin' too...

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    I have the 418 too, it works flawlessly.

    I have multiple volumes (one Mac, one for PC) accessible from different IP Addresses (so both ethernet ports connected on the back of the device), in theory it should be faster that way when backing both sets devices up at the same time.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • hywelghywelg Frets: 4302
    There are also the DSAudio and DSFile apps for Android and presumably iOS which gets you access to your NAS from mobile.

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.