![]() In the past when I’ve covered my experience with Synology NAS products, it’s usually been from the perspective of using one of Synology’s more powerful offerings as a media server for Final Cut Pro X libraries. Today, I’d like to flip the script and talk about Synology’s entry-level NAS, the compact DS220j. I’d also like to begin regular discussions of more common needs for the everyday Mac user, such as Time Machine backups, private cloud storage, etc.īeing an entry-level model, the DS220j is marketed as a personal cloud solution for data sharing and backup, and I find it to be a good fit for those applications. RAID 1 protection to avoid sudden drive failure.In this first hands-on video, I’ll walk you through what it takes to set up the DS220j as a Time Machine backup solution for your Macs. When it comes to Synology, the hardware is important, but as I’ve explained before, it’s the excellent DiskStation Manager operating system that makes these boxes such a joy to use. With the DS220j’s rather modest specifications, this fact stands out even more. On the Backup Destination page, select Local folder & USB and click Next. Thanks to the software, Synology NAS boxes are capable of wearing many hats. Click the + icon on the bottom left corner, and select Data backup task. We’ll explore some of that potential in more posts and videos to follow. Video: Synology NAS Time Machine backup system But with this initial tutorial, I wanted to showcase a basic Mac staple: how to set up Time Machine backups using a Synology NAS. Note that Synology NAS boxes are often sold in a “diskless” configuration, which means that the user is responsible for installing the hard drives inside. You can browse and download Cloud Station files (or their previous versions) with File Station or view historic versions. The Cloud Station files are saved in your home/CloudStation folder or shared folders that have Cloud Station Sharing. ![]() Not only does this save on costs, but it also allows users to choose the exact disks they wish to use, and/or it allows them to reuse media that they already have on hand. Manage Cloud Station Server Files with File Station. With that being said, the DS220j comes in a diskless configuration for $169.99, but you can add a pair of 4TB NAS drives for around $200 more. My review unit that Synology provided came preconfigured with two 16TB drives, which, when configured as RAID 1, will provide me plenty of storage to house Time Machine backups from my 256GB base model 2020 iMac. ![]() Having 32TB of storage inside this little guy is admittedly a bit of an overkill for Time Machine, but I plan to do a lot more *cough* Plex *cough* with it.Įstablishing a Time Machine backup with a Synology NAS is extremely simple and can be broken up into four key steps. First, you’ll need to create a Time Machine shared folder on your storage volume. Secondly, create a corresponding Time Machine user. ![]()
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