TOP 6 Synology MISTAKES New Users Make
Summary
TLDRThis video guide addresses common pitfalls new NAS users encounter during setup. It advises starting with a 4bay unit for scalability, avoiding premature implementation of features like immutable snapshots and WORM, and emphasizes the importance of setting up Btrfs and snapshots for data protection. The script also cautions against opening unnecessary ports, misuse of the home folder, and the misconception that RAID or snapshots serve as backups. It concludes with practical tips on managing NAS, such as recycling bin emptying schedules and the criticality of securely storing decryption keys for encrypted data.
Takeaways
- 😀 Start with a 4-bay NAS unit instead of a 2-bay to allow for future expansion with larger drives.
- 🔒 Consider the use of immutable snapshots and WORM (Write Once Read Many) for business data protection, but they are usually overkill for home users.
- 🛠 Don't set up immutable snapshots until your NAS configuration is complete to avoid locking yourself into a setup that can't be easily changed.
- 💾 Set up Btrfs as your file system on the NAS volume for enhanced features and flexibility.
- 📸 Use snapshots for ransomware protection and to easily undo mistakes, but remember they are not a substitute for a proper backup.
- 🚫 Avoid opening ports to the internet until you fully understand port forwarding to prevent security risks.
- 🏠 Do not use the 'homes' folder as your primary data repository until you understand its purpose and functionality.
- 🔐 Ensure you have a backup strategy in place, as RAID and snapshots do not replace the need for a separate backup.
- 🔑 Keep your decryption key safe if you choose to encrypt data on your NAS, as losing it means losing access to your data.
- ♻️ Regularly empty the recycling bin and set up a schedule to do so to free up space on your NAS.
- 📁 Use appropriate methods like Windows File Explorer or macOS Finder for uploading files to your NAS within the local network, rather than using the web interface.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the video script?
-The main focus of the video script is to discuss common mistakes made by new users when setting up a NAS (Network Attached Storage) and provide advice on how to avoid them.
Why should new users avoid buying a 2-bay NAS unit with two 4TB drives?
-New users should avoid this because if they plan to expand their data storage, a 4-bay unit with two 8TB drives would be more flexible and cost-effective in the long run, allowing for easier expansion by adding drives of the same or larger size.
What is RAID and why is it important to understand it before adding drives to a NAS?
-RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a method of storing the same data in different places on multiple hard disks to protect data in the case of a drive failure. Understanding RAID is important because different RAID configurations offer different levels of data protection and performance, and knowing this can help users choose the right setup for their needs.
Why are immutable snapshots and WORM (Write Once Read Many) not recommended for home users?
-Immutable snapshots and WORM are not recommended for home users because they are designed for business environments where data protection from accidental deletion or ransomware is critical. For most home users, these features are overkill and can complicate the NAS setup without providing necessary benefits.
What is the purpose of setting up immutable snapshots for a NAS?
-Immutable snapshots are used to protect data from being deleted, even by users with admin credentials, for a set period of time. This is useful for businesses to safeguard critical data against accidental or malicious deletion.
Why is it recommended to set up the volume as Btrfs when configuring a new NAS?
-Setting up the volume as Btrfs is recommended because it unlocks many advanced features, including snapshot support, which is essential for data protection and recovery. Btrfs is becoming the standard for new Synology NAS units.
What is the difference between snapshots and RAID in terms of data protection?
-Snapshots provide a point-in-time backup of data that can be restored in case of accidental deletion or corruption, while RAID provides redundancy to protect against drive failures. However, neither is a substitute for a separate backup, as they both store data on the same set of drives.
Why should users be cautious about opening ports to the internet on their NAS?
-Opening ports to the internet without understanding port forwarding can expose the NAS to security risks and potential hacks. Only specific ports necessary for the intended use should be opened, and users should have a clear understanding of the implications.
What is the recommended approach to using the 'homes' folder on a NAS?
-The 'homes' folder should be used carefully and only after understanding its purpose and functionality. It is not intended to be used as a general repository for all data. Users should primarily use shared folders for storing files until they are familiar with how the 'homes' folder works.
Why is it crucial to have a separate backup for critical files stored on a NAS?
-It is crucial to have a separate backup because RAID, snapshots, and checksums, while providing some level of data protection, are not true backups. They all store data on the same set of drives, so if the volume crashes, all data is lost. A separate backup ensures that critical files are safe even in the event of a drive failure.
What is the difference between TiB (Tibit) and TB (Terabyte) as mentioned in the script?
-TiB (Tibit) and TB (Terabyte) are units of digital information. The difference is that 1 TiB is equal to 1.1 TB. This distinction can cause confusion, as some users may not be familiar with the TiB unit and its conversion to the more commonly used TB.
Why is it important to regularly empty the recycling bin on a NAS?
-Regularly emptying the recycling bin is important to ensure that deleted files are permanently removed and to free up space on the NAS. It also helps in maintaining the hygiene of the storage system by preventing the accumulation of unnecessary files.
What precautions should be taken when removing an SSD cache from a NAS?
-When removing an SSD cache from a NAS, it should not be simply unplugged. Instead, it must be removed from the volume first to ensure that the data stored on the SSD, which may not have a backup elsewhere, is not lost.
Why is it essential to keep the decryption key safe when encrypting data on a NAS?
-Keeping the decryption key safe is essential because without it, encrypted data cannot be accessed or recovered. Users must ensure that they have a secure method of storing the key and can guarantee its availability for as long as the data needs to be accessible.
What is the recommended method for uploading files to a NAS when on the same local network?
-When on the same local network as the NAS, it is recommended to use Windows File Explorer or Mac OS Finder, or Synology Drive, rather than directly uploading files to the NAS web interface. This approach is more efficient and user-friendly.
Outlines
🚫 Avoiding Common NAS Setup Mistakes
This paragraph discusses common mistakes new NAS users make, such as buying too small drives or a 2-bay unit instead of a 4-bay unit with larger drives. The speaker emphasizes the importance of considering future data expansion and the flexibility of RAID configurations to add drives later. It also touches on the speaker's personal experience with a NAS upgrade and offers consulting services for those who need professional advice.
🛠️ Configuring Immutable Snapshots and Worm Properly
The speaker warns against prematurely implementing immutable snapshots and worm features in DSM without fully understanding their implications. Immutable snapshots cannot be deleted, which is beneficial for businesses needing high data protection but overkill for home users. Worm, or write-once-read-many, is also discussed as a feature that's rarely needed for home users. The paragraph advises waiting until the NAS setup is complete before enabling such features to avoid complications.
🔒 Ensuring NAS Security with Proper Port Management
This section focuses on the importance of understanding port forwarding and security before opening ports to the internet. The speaker recommends only opening essential ports like 50001 for DSM web interface, 6690 for Drive share, and 6281 for Hyper backup, and advises against opening the SMB port to the internet to prevent security risks like ransomware attacks.
📁 Using the Home Folder and RAID Correctly
The speaker advises against using the home folder as a data repository without understanding its functionality, as it can complicate NAS usage. It also emphasizes the importance of setting up RAID correctly, noting that RAID is not a substitute for a backup. The paragraph mentions the use of Hyper backup for external hard drives as a simple and effective backup solution and stresses the need for a real backup strategy for critical files.
⚠️ Additional Tips for NAS Users
The final paragraph provides miscellaneous tips for NAS users, such as understanding the difference between TiB (tebibits) and TB (terabytes), scheduling tasks to empty the recycling bin, enabling notifications, and handling SSD cache drives correctly. It also highlights the importance of securely storing decryption keys when encrypting data and advises against uploading files to NAS over the internet without using proper protocols like File Explorer or Finder.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡NAS (Network Attached Storage)
💡RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks)
💡Immutable Snapshots
💡WORM (Write Once, Read Many)
💡btrfs (B-tree file system)
💡Snapshots
💡Port Forwarding
💡Home Folder
💡Backup
💡Encryption
💡Recycling Bin
Highlights
The importance of buying appropriately sized drives or a multi-bay NAS unit to accommodate future data expansion.
Explanation of RAID types and the flexibility of adding drives later to expand storage.
The mistake of getting too excited about features like immutable snapshots and WORM without being ready for them.
The practical use of immutable snapshots for businesses to protect against ransomware and accidental deletions.
The recommendation to avoid setting up WORM folders for home users as it's usually overkill.
The necessity of understanding the purpose and limitations of immutable snapshots before implementation.
Advising to set up the NAS volume as Btrfs to unlock additional features and benefits.
The role of snapshots as a form of ransomware protection and a safety net for accidental file modifications or deletions.
Instructions on how to configure snapshot settings for optimal data protection without taking up unnecessary space.
Warning against opening ports to the internet without a thorough understanding of port forwarding and security implications.
Common ports that are safe to open for Synology NAS and the importance of not opening others without understanding the risks.
The misuse of the 'homes' folder and the correct way to utilize it within a NAS setup.
The critical distinction between RAID, snapshots, and actual backups, emphasizing the need for separate backup solutions.
Recommendations for setting up Hyper Backup as an easy and effective backup solution for important NAS data.
Misconceptions about total capacity displayed in TiB versus the commonly used TB, and how to convert between them.
The importance of regularly emptying the recycling bin and setting up a schedule to automate this process.
Instructions on safely removing an SSD cache from a NAS to prevent data loss.
The absolute necessity of securely storing decryption keys when encrypting data to avoid permanent data loss.
A common mistake of uploading files to NAS over the internet without using the appropriate protocols.
Transcripts
all right how's it going y'all so today
we're going to be going over the top
mistakes that new users make when
they're setting up a Nas these are
things that some of them I even made
when I was starting out and they're easy
to make and these are going to be things
to just avoid when you're setting up
your Nas for the very first time this is
really going to be focused on brand new
users who are just using their Nas for
the first time and are kind of getting
used to this and we're really going to
focus on you've already got the Nas and
you're already set up though I'm am
going to start off with number six being
you bought two small of drives or you
bought a 2bay unit because you really
want to make sure that if you're
somebody who's going to expand out your
data buy a 4bay unit and stick two 8 tab
drives in it rather than buying a 4bay
unit and sticking four 4 terab drives in
it the thing is if you're using any raid
on anology other than raid zero or RAID
10 you can add drives later on and that
means that if you need more space as
long as you're adding a drive the same
size or larger as your smallest or
largest Drive depending on the raid type
you're using you can add it and it will
increase the pool size automatically and
so if you're somebody who really does
not know how much data you're going to
need definitely start off with filling
your Synology halfway full with hard
drives because you can expand later on
and it can just save you a ton of money
I actually did this when I started out
my first Nas was a 2bay unit which I
stuck two 4 T hard drives in it and that
ran me out of space within a year and I
had to upgrade great so it's absolutely
something that happens really I love
starting off with a 4bay if you're one
of those people who's going to get a lot
of data just because it can increase
your longevity so much more by the way
if you'd like to hire me I do Consulting
there's a link for that down the
description below check that out all
right so now these are going to be all
things that you've already purchased the
Nas and these are just configuration
things that you messed up and the very
first one is you got really excited
about my DSM 7.2 video
and decided to implement immutable
snapshot and or worm when you weren't
ready to them so immutable snapshots are
snapshots that cannot be removed and so
that is a great thing for businesses who
want to make sure that they are super
protected from rant somewhere because
that means that even if somebody with
admin credentials goes in they will not
be able to delete those files for a set
number of days and worm Works similar
worm is write once read many
and so worm allows you to actually
create
folders that cannot have files deleted
protect this shared folder with right
once these are both features that are
phenomenal for businesses I have yet to
see a real use case for home users
wanting to use a worm folder because
it's honestly Overkill you're not
worried about employees accidentally
messing something up if you're worried
about those kinds of things that's where
snapshots come in and so I really very
rarely ever recommend people a set of a
worm folder unless you know exactly you
need a worm folder before ever hearing
about it and you're like yes sonology
finally has worm I've been waiting on
that forever now onto the thing that
people will actually use and home users
actually can use and should use in some
circumstances and that is immutable
snapshots so both worm and immutable
snapshots are immutable that means that
even admins are not able to remove them
depending on the
circumstances so immutable snap shs have
a real use case say You're really
worried about ransomware and you know
you're Nas you're really well set up and
you want to make sure that if your admin
credentials get leaked that they can't
delete your files for a certain number
of days well that's where coming into
snapshot replication settings and
enabling a schedule with immutable
snapshots can be great because that
means that you cannot delete that folder
or any of the files within it for 14
days you can delete the files but
they're going to be recoverable for at
least 14 days and this maintains true to
do anything you can't reset your volume
you can't delete all your data you can't
delete the shared folder you can't do
anything unless you physically reset the
nas so it takes a physical touch to be
able to do it and it's a full reset to
be able to remove that immutable
snapshot and that's great but don't do
this until you are all set up and ready
to go don't do this while you're testing
and kind of getting everything figured
out out because immutable snapshots are
that they are immutable so I've got
these immutable snapshots going and say
I realized man I wish this wasn't
management I wish this was something
else let me delete it there's no data
really in there yet let me just clean
this up and I want to kind of redo it
boom we're logged in as admin we are
unable to do it because it's immutable
you can't do anything we can't come into
our storage manager and delete our
volume
because there are mutable folders in
there so this is one of those things
that don't set up a mutable snapshots
until you are ready because it limits
you from doing pretty much anything if
you want to change stuff later on and
I've actually had this on multiple
Consulting sessions where I've had to
say hey sorry we can't meet for another
week because you've got a mutable
snapshot and we want to reset up your
volume so until you really know what
you're doing hold off on setting up
those immutable snapshots because they
are that immutable and so you can't
really reset them yourself unless you're
okay waiting that time period out and
that actually leads us into our very
next point and that is definitely set up
two things when you're setting up your
Nas zero question about it set up the
volume as btrfs this is actually
trickling down to pretty much all NASA
units at this point all new ones have
btrfs as an option rack mounted units
actually no longer have ext4 as an
option definitely definitely definitely
set up btrfs on your volume it is well
worth it it unlocks so many features and
there's very few reasons not to except
for very specific edge cases so that is
a huge one set up btrfs and then set up
snapshots you don't have to set up a
mutable snapshot but set up snapshots
snapshots are your ransomware protection
they are your oops I made a mistake
let's undo that really quick protection
there's so many things that snapshots
protect you from you should definitely
set them up and just forget about them
for home users and just general users
what I will do is I will shift select
everything except for a security camera
footage or time machine backup or active
backup for business those are the three
exceptions that I normally move and I'll
just select everything but those folders
go into settings and I'll normally say
from 8: a.m. to 8:00 p.m. take a
snapshot every two hours or every one
hour depending on it and then retention
an easy one is all snapshots for 14 days
and daily for 30 days another common
thing that people think this is doing is
this is going to be duplicating files
like crazy it's not think of this like a
recycling vent essentially when you said
these snapshots it's essentially like
you've got a recycling Vin that's
automatically going to empty after 30
days so if I don't delete any files
snapshots take up zero space but let's
say today I delete a 1 tby file we are
going to be able to recover that file
for 30 days but it's still going to take
up that one terabyte for another 30 days
so if I delete a file that's one
terabyte I will not get my space back
for another 30 days I'm not going to go
into it super in depth here but just
know it's a great feature it allows you
to undo anything that happened to your
Nas even things like corruption deletes
modifications all that stuff it makes it
super easy to undo and I will absolutely
leave a link down description below to
setting this up it is the very first
thing I set up every single time I hop
on a session with a client because it
also protects me if I accidentally
delete the wrong thing we can undo it
and that is just really good Peace of
Mind absolutely something set up if you
get one thing from this video it's to go
down and set up snapshots on your Nas
right now all right so now on to number
three it's a security one and once again
back when I was in Middle School
figuring out how Nas's worked I made
this exact mistake don't open up ports
to the internet until you understand
port forwarding I'm going to be really
quick here for saying what ports I'm
going to whitel list for sonology Nas
for hey as you're learning these are
ones that are okay you should still
think about them and understand them
better but the okay ports to start with
is going to be 50001 that's the DSM web
interface next one is Port 6690 that is
the port used by enology Drive share
sync hyper backup which is port
6281 and whatever Port you may assign to
an openvpn or other VPN server so those
are going to be the four ports until you
really understand what you're doing
unless it's one of those four ports do
not open up to the Internet and by the
way when I'm saying that that is the
local Port so obviously if you change it
in DSM that applies there and that is
really what is important to do until you
understand Port foring do not just open
up random things to the internet because
they all have security implications to
them and while it can be secure as you
open up certain ports to the internet it
could also be very insecure and it's all
about what that Port does and so it's a
very common thing that people will do is
open up way too many ports trying to be
able to get external access and that is
how people legitimately do get hacked
the times that I've actually seen
ransomware occur on a sonology have been
people opening up the SMB port to the
internet which is a big old no no so
until you understand port forwarding and
really security if it's not one of those
ports don't open it up because you could
be opening up a can of worms that you
might not yet understand now on to
number two and this is one I see all the
time and that is you're using this homes
folder right over here and you're
sticking data in this folder you don't
want to be sticking data in the home
folder until you understand how it works
I see all the time where the first
folder that's installed a lot of time is
the home and homes folder and people
don't quite understand how it works and
so what they end up doing is they're
like hey I'm going to give everybody
admin access and then I'm just going to
upload all my folders here and stick all
my data in this homes folder it's a
really common thing that I see and it's
a huge pain it makes it really hard to
use the Nas and it is not how the Nas is
designed to be used so really don't use
the homes folder as that
repository instead only ever use the
home folder and for most people until
you really understand the home folder I
would just stick to storing files on
shared folders as it makes it much much
easier to use that and another thing the
home folder has some kind of special
characteristics to it so definitely hold
off on using that until you really
understand how it works all right so now
on to the final one and that is raid is
not a backup snapshots are not a backup
none of what I've gone over today is a
backup a backup is a backup you want to
make sure you are backing up your Nas or
at least the critical files now
obviously if your nasu is just a backup
so you use sonology drive to backup
certain folders on your computer that's
fine you don't have to back up your
backup but as soon as you start storing
files that are important to you that the
Nas is the only copy of them definitely
definitely make sure you've got a backup
running the easiest place place to start
is with Hyper backup buy an external
hard drive that's like 8 tbytes leave it
plugged in the as 24/7 instead of a
hyper backup job to every night back up
your important folders to that drive I
set this up all the time and it's a
cheap and easy way to get a real
backup after that you can look at
getting another Nas uploading to a cloud
there's tons of stuff you can do but
make sure you have a backup of your data
for any files that you cannot live
without sonies have a lot of features
such as raid snapshots check sums a
whole bunch of things like that that can
help protect your data but none of those
are a backup because it's all stored on
the same drives if the volume crashes
it's crashed on all the drives at the
exact same time so make sure that you
actually have a real backup of your data
all right so now I want to run through
the lightning round of just other
tidbits that people will often do that I
want to clarify first off off this total
capacity right here is actually an unit
called a tib bite so whenever you're
actually looking at it you're used to
seeing terabytes so all you have to do
is multiply this number by 1.1 to get
the actual value it's the actual size
that you're used to it's just this is a
Tite versus a terabyte so this right
here is 21.8 tites so in terabytes the
unit you're used to that is 21.8 * 1.1
24 terabytes so that's a really common
thing people get messed up on they get
confused by that I certainly got
confused by it at first it's just a
different unit that's
all another thing people forget to turn
on a task to empty the recycling bin so
make sure that if you've got a recycling
bin enabled on any shared folders and
honestly I would do this no matter what
make sure you've got an empty bin
schedule in the scheduler another thing
make sure you've got no ifications
turned on really useful thing to have
just in case anything goes wrong also if
you have a read write SSD cache do not
just unplug it instead you have to
remove it from your volume before
actually removing it physically because
it does have data on there that is
stored nowhere else on the nas another
one this probably actually should have
made the main list because I see it
actually fairly often and that is when
you encrypt
data make sure no matter what happens
you have that decryption key because if
you don't there's nothing you can do to
recover your data encryption is really
good and so you have to have the
decryption key so if you ever enable
encryption one know that you need to do
it and know that you're somebody who has
the ability to store that file and you
can guarantee in 5 years you're going to
still have that decryption key because
otherwise you could lose all of your
data because you just say oh yeah it
works it autom mounts on boot and and
then one day you do an update or
something that requires that key
definitely definitely definitely make
sure if you encrypt your backup your
folders your volume whatever that that
key that's downloaded and that password
you put in make sure you can guarantee
to have those for another 10 years
because if you can't guarantee you're
going to have them for another 10 years
you probably do not need to be
encrypting that data all right I've got
one last one to end on and this is one I
see all the time do not use your Nas
like this this is not how you should be
uploading files to your Nas unless
you're outside the local network 99% of
the time you're accessing Nas on the
same local network as the nas you should
be using Windows File Explorer or Mac OS
finder you can either use sonology drive
or SMB either one of those but you very
rarely should ever just be uploading
files to here because it's a huge pain
all right well that's going to be it for
this video go and leave any other
questions for me down in the comments
below if you want to hire me there a
link for that down description below all
right have a good one
[Music]
bye
Ver Más Videos Relacionados
Getting the Most Performance out of TrueNAS and ZFS
Backups - CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 - 3.4
CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 Course - 3.4 Importance of Resilience & Recovery in Security Architecture
Consigo me ver usando isso! | Vanilla OS 22.10 Review
Turn THIS on if you use iCloud!
Paying for Cloud Storage is Stupid
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)