Synology Drive - Files That Sync Like Dropbox

What Synology Drive Really Is

Synology Drive is a free program that turns your Synology NAS into your own private file-syncing service, just like Dropbox - but the files live in your home, on hardware you own.

A NAS is a small box that sits by your internet router and holds hard drives. Synology Drive uses that box to keep a master copy of your files, and then makes sure your computers and phone all match it. Change a file in one place, and the change quietly travels everywhere else.

• No monthly fee - unlike Dropbox, there is no subscription.
• Your files stay private - they are in your house, not a company's cloud.
• Lots of room - your NAS drives hold far more than a free Dropbox.
• Works like you expect - a folder that stays in step across devices.

The Two Parts: Server and Client

Synology Drive comes in two pieces that work together. Understanding which is which clears up almost all confusion, so let us name them plainly.

The Drive Server lives on the NAS and is the heart of the system - it stores everything. The Drive Client is a small program you put on each computer you want to keep in sync. There is also a phone app, which we cover shortly.

Installing the Drive Server Package

First we set up the NAS side. On a Synology, add-on programs are called packages, and you get them from a built-in store called Package Center.

That is the whole NAS-side job. Once the Server is installed and running, the NAS is ready to sync. The exact button names can differ a little by DSM version, so if a name does not match exactly, look for the closest wording.

• Sign in to your NAS from a web browser (this screen is called DSM).
• Open Package Center from the main menu.
• Search for "Synology Drive Server."
• Click Install and wait for it to finish.
• Open the Synology Drive Admin Console to confirm it is running.

Installing the Computer Sync Client

Now the computer side. The Synology Drive Client is a small free program for Windows and Mac. It is what actually keeps a folder on your computer in step with the NAS.

After the first sync, that folder on your computer and its twin on the NAS stay matched from then on. Anything you drop in one appears in the other. You mostly forget it is even running.

• Download Synology Drive Client from Synology's website, or the link in DSM.
• Install it like any other program.
• Open it and sign in with your NAS address and your account.
• Choose which folder on your computer to sync.
• Choose which folder on the NAS it should match.
• Let it finish the first sync - larger folders take longer.

The Phone App

The Synology Drive phone app lets you reach your files from anywhere - to open a document at the doctor's office, or grab a file to send to someone. It is a free download for iPhone and Android.

The phone app is mainly for reaching and viewing files on the go, rather than syncing a folder like the computer does. It is wonderful for pulling up a document you need when you are away from home.

• Search your phone's app store for "Synology Drive."
• Install it and open it.
• Sign in with your NAS address and your account.
• Browse your folders and open files right on the phone.
• Mark a file as available offline if you want it even without internet.

How Syncing Works

Sync is the heart of Synology Drive, so it is worth understanding in plain terms. Sync means a folder that mirrors itself everywhere - change it in one place, and every copy updates to match.

Imagine one folder that magically exists on your laptop, your desktop, and the NAS all at once. Add a file on the laptop, and moments later it appears on the desktop and the NAS. Rename a file anywhere, and the name changes everywhere. They stay identical.

• A new file in the folder copies to every synced device.
• An edit to a file updates the file everywhere.
• A rename or a move is repeated everywhere.
• It all happens in the background, without you doing anything.

On-Demand Sync to Save Computer Space

If you have thousands of files on the NAS but a small computer, you may not want every file taking up room on the computer. On-demand sync solves this neatly.

With on-demand sync, your computer shows the names of all your files, but only downloads the actual contents of a file when you open it. So you can see everything, yet only the files you actually use take up space on the computer.

• Every file appears in the folder, so nothing seems missing.
• A file you have not opened lives only on the NAS, saving space.
• Open a file and it downloads in a moment, then it is there for real.
• You can mark important files to always keep on the computer.

Sharing Files and Folders by Link

Instead of emailing a big attachment, Synology Drive can make a web link to a file or folder. You send the link, and the other person clicks it to view or download - no account needed on their end.

This is perfect for big files that will not fit in an email, like a batch of photos or a large document. The file stays on your NAS; the link just gives the other person a window to it.

• Right-click the file or folder, or open its menu.
• Choose Share or Create Sharing Link.
• The NAS makes a web address you can copy.
• Send that link by email or text to whomever you choose.
• They open the link in a browser to view or download the file.

Link Passwords and Expiry Dates

A plain share link works for anyone who has it. For anything sensitive, Synology Drive lets you add two safeguards: a password, and an expiration date.

When you create a share link, look for the options to add a password and to set when it expires. Using both means that even if a link is forwarded, it is protected and it will not last indefinitely.

• Password - the person must type a password you set before they can open the link. Send the password separately, not in the same message.
• Expiry date - the link stops working after a date you choose, so it cannot be used forever.

Version History and Restoring

Here is a feature that has saved many people from a bad day. Synology Drive keeps older versions of your files, so if you make a mistake, you can go back to how a file was before.

Say you edit a document, save it, and later realize you ruined it. Instead of starting over, you open the file's version history, find yesterday's version, and restore it. It is like an undo button that reaches back days or weeks.

• Find the file, and open its menu or right-click it.
• Choose Version History or Previous Versions.
• Look through the list of older versions by date.
• Preview one to be sure, then restore it.

Team Folders for a Household or Office

A team folder is a shared folder that several people sync to at the same time. It is how a household or a small office keeps common files in one place that everyone can reach.

Picture a folder called "Household" that both you and your spouse have on your computers. A bill saved by one of you appears for the other. In an office, a team folder might hold shared forms or customer files everyone works from.

• Shared household paperwork - bills, warranties, tax documents.
• A small business's common forms and templates.
• Project files that two or three people all work on.

My Drive - Your Personal Area

Within Synology Drive, each person has a private area called My Drive. It is your own space that other people cannot see, separate from any shared team folders.

Think of My Drive as your personal filing cabinet on the NAS. Your private documents go here and stay yours alone. Team folders sit alongside it for the files you share. This keeps personal and shared clearly apart.

Getting to Your Files From Any Web Browser

You do not always have your own computer with you. Synology Drive has a web version, so from any computer with a web browser you can sign in and reach your files.

This is handy at a library, a relative's house, or while traveling. Your files are reachable without installing anything. When you are done, be sure to sign out, especially on a computer that is not yours.

• Open a web browser on any computer.
• Go to your NAS address and sign in.
• Open Synology Drive in the browser.
• Browse, open, download, or upload files right in the browser.

Backup Mode vs Sync Mode

The Drive Client can work in two ways, and choosing the right one matters. They sound similar but behave differently, so let us be clear.

Sync mode keeps a folder identical across devices, both directions. Backup mode only copies from your computer up to the NAS, one way, so deleting something on the computer does not wipe it from the NAS. For safety, backup mode behaves more like a true backup.

Sync Is Not a Backup

This is the single most important page in the guide. Please read it twice. Sync keeps files the same everywhere - which is wonderful, until the thing that gets copied everywhere is a mistake.

Because sync mirrors every change, a deletion or a bad edit is copied to every device in moments. If you accidentally delete a folder, sync faithfully deletes it everywhere. If a nasty computer virus scrambles your files, sync spreads the scrambled versions. Sync is about matching, not protecting.

• A separate copy that does NOT instantly change when the original does.
• Protection against deletions, bad edits, and viruses spreading everywhere.
• Ideally a second copy kept somewhere apart, such as another drive.

Handling Sync Conflicts

Once in a while, the same file gets changed in two places before they have a chance to sync. This is called a conflict, and Synology Drive handles it gently so nothing is lost.

Say you edit a document on your laptop while your spouse edits the same one on the desktop, both offline. When they reconnect, Drive cannot tell which is right, so it keeps both - usually saving the second one with a note in its name - and lets you sort it out.

• You will see two copies, one marked as a conflicted or conflict copy.
• Open both and see which one you want to keep.
• Merge any changes you need from one into the other.
• Delete the copy you no longer need once you are sure.

How It Compares to Dropbox and OneDrive

Dropbox and OneDrive are fine services. The big difference with Synology Drive is where your files live and who pays whom over time.

The trade is simple. The big services are easy to start but charge every month and hold your files on their computers. A NAS takes more setup up front, then it is yours with no monthly bill and full privacy. Some folks use both, and that is fine.

A Sensible Setup for One Family

Let us put it all together into a calm, practical plan for a single household. This is the setup I would suggest for most families.

• Install Drive Server on the NAS, once.
• Give each family member their own account, so each has a private My Drive.
• Install the Drive Client on each person's computer, syncing their Documents.
• Make one team folder called Household for shared paperwork.
• Put the Drive app on each phone for reaching files on the go.
• Set up a separate, true backup of the NAS - because sync is not a backup.

What's in the 27-page PDF

• What Synology Drive is, in plain words
• The two parts you install: the server and the client
• How syncing works, and how to save space on your computer
• Sharing files, version history, and getting your files anywhere
• The important difference between sync and a real backup
• A sensible setup for one family

Why I wrote this

I write these as printable handouts because a guide you can keep in a drawer beats a web page you have to find again. No jargon, no judgment, no rushing. If you'd rather have someone sit beside you and go through it together, that's a flat $99 first visit with the 30-day follow-up included — serving Portage County from Atwater, Ohio. — Bill