TOP 6 Synology MISTAKES New Users Make

Summary

This 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

00:00

🚫 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.

05:01

🛠️ 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.

10:01

🔒 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.

15:03

📁 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.

Keywords

💡NAS (Network Attached Storage)

NAS refers to a dedicated file storage device that connects to a network, allowing multiple users to access and share files. In the video, the main theme revolves around setting up a NAS for the first time, focusing on common mistakes to avoid, such as buying drives that are too small or not understanding the implications of certain configurations.

💡RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks)

RAID 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. The video discusses the importance of choosing the right RAID configuration, such as RAID 0 or RAID 10, and the flexibility of adding drives later on with certain RAID types.

💡Immutable Snapshots

Immutable snapshots are a type of backup that cannot be deleted or modified, ensuring data protection against accidental deletion or ransomware attacks. The script emphasizes the use of immutable snapshots for businesses and cautions against setting them up before fully understanding the implications, as they are difficult to change once implemented.

💡WORM (Write Once, Read Many)

WORM is a data management policy that allows files to be written once and read multiple times but not modified or deleted. The video mentions WORM as a feature beneficial for businesses to prevent accidental data loss but potentially overkill for home users, unless they have a specific need for such a feature.

💡btrfs (B-tree file system)

btrfs is a modern file system that supports advanced features like snapshots and checksumming. The script strongly recommends setting up btrfs on the NAS volume for its benefits, such as improved data protection and management, which are essential for both new and experienced NAS users.

💡Snapshots

Snapshots in the context of NAS are point-in-time backups that allow users to revert to a previous state of their data. The video highlights the importance of setting up snapshots for protection against data loss, whether accidental or due to ransomware, and provides guidance on how to configure them.

💡Port Forwarding

Port forwarding is a process that allows external access to specific services on a private network. The script warns against opening ports to the internet without understanding the security implications, as it can lead to vulnerabilities and potential hacks.

💡Home Folder

The home folder in a NAS setup is a personal space for each user. The video advises against using the home folder as a general data repository until one fully understands its purpose and limitations, to avoid misuse and potential complications in data management.

💡Backup

A backup is a separate copy of data stored in a different location to protect against data loss. The script emphasizes that RAID, snapshots, and other NAS features are not substitutes for a proper backup and provides suggestions on how to set up backups using external drives or other methods.

💡Encryption

Encryption is the process of converting data into a code to prevent unauthorized access. The video stresses the importance of securely storing the decryption key when encrypting data on a NAS, as losing the key can result in permanent data loss.

💡Recycling Bin

The recycling bin in a NAS environment is a place where deleted files are temporarily stored before being permanently erased. The script suggests setting up a task to empty the recycling bin and highlights the importance of this feature for data management and security.

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