Synology Assistant Help

Synology Assistant is an easy tool to manage Synology DiskStation(s) in local area network (LAN), especially when you have multiple machines working within LAN. By Synology Assistant, you can install DSM, share printers, set up WOL, upload photos and monitor resources of DiskStation(s).

View the help file by topic:


Basic Control

By minimizing Synology Assistant to the system tray, the process will be performed in the background, and it provides a quick menu for operations listed below:

  • Attach/Release printers (maximum number of printers: 2)
  • Open Synology Assistant in main window

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Management

In the Management tab, you can perform the operations below:

  • Search DiskStation(s) in LAN
  • Connect to a DiskStation
  • Map Drive
  • Set up WOL

Search DiskStation(s) in LAN

  • You can update the list of your DiskStation(s) by clicking Search.

Connect to a DiskStation

In Synology Assistant, you can connect to your DiskStation by the following ways:

  • Select a DiskStation in the list and click Connect
  • Double-click the DiskStation in the list

When the DiskStation is successfully connected, your default browser will take you to the DiskStation Manager login page.

Map Drive

You can map a shared folder as a network drive and access it as an internal drive on your local computer.

Set Up WOL

You can set up WOL to wake up your DiskStation remotely.

  1. Select a DiskStation from the server list and click Set Up WOL.
  2. Follow the Setup Wizard to complete the setup.
  3. Refer to WOL section for more information.

Install DSM

If your DiskStation has not been installed with DiskStation Manager (DSM), it will be labeled as Not Installed or Configuration Lost under the Status column of the server list. To install DSM on it by Synology Assistant, please follow the steps below:

  1. On the Management tab, double-click a DiskStation labeled as Not Installed or Configuration Lost under the Status column of the server list.
  2. Follow the Setup Wizard to initialize the setup process. If the selected DiskStation has more than 1 bay, and its status is Not Installed, you can also check Create a Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) volume after installation to create a SHR volume after DSM installation. SHR is an intelligent volume type that optimizes volume size when combining hard disks of varying sizes.

You will be taken to the Installation dialog once the installation begins. The left section shows the server name and installation progress. The right section shows the detail of the installation process. Click Close to return to the Management tab.

Cancel Installation

Cancel the installation for the servers that have completed the installation or have encountered errors during the installation by clicking Cancel.

Recovery System

If the DiskStation Manager (DSM) version recorded on your DiskStation is older than the version on your newly installed hard disk(s), the server will be marked as Recoverable under the Status column of the server list. It may happen when you are trying to migrate your original hard disk(s) from one DiskStation to another. Follow the steps below to recover the system:

  1. In the Management tab, double-click a DiskStation labeled as Recoverable under the Status column of the server list.
  2. You will be taken to the System Recovery dialog once the recovery begins.
  3. Follow the wizard to complete the system recovery.

Perform System Migration

If you want to replace an old DiskStation with a new one, you can remove the hard drives from the old DiskStation, install them onto the new one, and then use Synology Assistant to find your new DiskStation (with the Migratable status) and migrate system configurations stored on the hard drives. When the migration process is complete, most configurations on the old DiskStation can be recovered on the new one.

Check DiskStation Status

The table below details the status indications of DiskStation in Synology Assistant. You may want to refer to the list when performing various operations.

Status Indication Table

Status Status Indication
Booting System is booting.
Checking quota System is checking hard disk quota.
Checking file system ([number] minutes remaining) System is checking file system. The process will be finished in the displayed minutes.
Configuration error Error occurred during configuration. Double-click the sever to reapply the settings.
Connection failed Network configuration error.
Configuration lost Error occurred during configuration. Double-click the DiskStation to reinstall the DSM.
Getting connection status System is detecting connection status.
N/A WOL is set up but the current condition is unknown.*
Not installed System is not installed yet.
Off-line System is off-line.
Performing Memory Test (x%) Memory test progress is currently x%.
Ready System is installed and ready to use.
Recoverable System is recoverable.
Migratable System configurations on the hard drives can be migrated to this DiskStation.
Starting services System is starting services.
Upgrading DiskStation is upgrading its DSM.
Check progress DiskStation is being installed/configured. Press to check progress.

Note: Refer to WOL section for more information.

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WOL

You can turn on a server remotely by setting up its WOL(Wake on LAN) function.

Set Up WOL within LAN

Before setting up WOL on Synology Assistant, please make sure you have ticked the Enable Wake on LAN checkbox in DSM. This is under Control Panel > Power.

  1. On the Management tab, select a DiskStation from the server list and click Set Up WOL. The pop-up box will display the network type and the MAC address of the DiskStation.
  2. Tick the Wake up the server checkbox to turn on the DiskStation immediately after WOL setup.
  3. Click OK to complete the setup.
  4. The server’s WOL status will change to “WOL” on the Management tab.

Note:

  1. Not all Synology DiskStations support WOL function. Refer to the WOL Status Table and Synology Website for more information.
  2. You can also right-click a DiskStation and choose WOL > Set Up.
  3. You can set up WOL for multiple servers by pressing “Shift” or “Ctrl”. The system will skip the dialog box and add all selected servers onto WOL list immediately.

Wake Up a Server

  1. Under the Management tab, right-click the server you want to turn on from the server list, and then choose WOL > Wake Up.
  2. The server’s WOL Status will change to “Progress X%”, indicating the wake up progress.

When WOL is complete, the WOL status will change to “WOL”. Refer to the WOL Status Table for more information.

WOL Status Table

WOL Status Status Indication
WOL 1. WOL is set up.
2. Server is turned on.
-- 1. WOL is not set up.
2. Server does not support WOL function.
Progress X% Server is turning on. Wake up progress is X%.
Off Server is turned off.
N/A WOL is set up but the current condition is unknown.

Remove WOL function for a Server

  1. On the Management tab, right-click the server you want to remove its WOL function from the server list, and then choose WOL > Remove.
  2. The WOL status of the server will change to “--”.

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Printer Device

In Synology Assistant, Printer Device provides central management of printers attached to your DiskStation. Both basic and multifunctional printers are supported. To share a printer connected to DiskStation in LAN by Synology Assistant, please follow the instructions below:

Add Printer

  1. Attach the printer to your DiskStation.
  2. Set up printer mode in DSM. To do so, please go to Main Menu > Control Panel > External Devices. Here you will see the attached printer shown in the External Devices tab.
  3. Select the printer and click USB Printer Manager button and choose Set Up Printer to select the operation mode for your printer. Please choose Network Printer mode if you use print function only. Choose Network MFP* if you want to use print/scan/fax functions.
  4. Now you can come back to Synology Assistant to set up for sharing the printer. Please go to Printer Device tab. Click Add and follow Setup Wizard to add printer to your computer. For the first time adding the printer, please have your printer driver ready for installation.

Attach/Release the printer

When printing and sending fax, you can perform the operations without manually attaching the printer in Synology Assistant. However, when you want to use scanner or receive fax on a multifunction printer, you have to attach the printer for your sole use to prevent the jobs from being interrupted by other users.

When a printer is manually attached in Synology Assistant, it means others users who share the same printer in LAN cannot access the device. So please do remember to release the printer when you finish your job.

You can attach/release the printer by the following ways:

  1. In Synology Assistant, go to Printer Device tab.
  2. Select the printer you want to attach and click Attach. Synology Assistant will start to connect the printer. The status column will show the operation state.
  3. When a printer is attached, you will see the button Attach has become Release. You can click it to release the attached printer.

Note:

  • In the status column, if the printer is labeled as Available, it means you can attach the printer for your sole use.
  • If it is labeled as Attached, it means the printer is already attached to your computer.
  • If the printer is not available for the time being, click Attach when choosing the printer will add you to the waiting list for connection.

Remove Printer

  1. Select the printer you want to remove in the list.
  2. Click Remove to delete the printer from the list.

Edit Printer Info

When Synology Assistant cannot automatically catch the IP of your printer, you can manually set up the IP here.

  1. Select the printer you want to edit in the list.
  2. Click Edit and input the correct IP of your printer.

Note:

  • Network MFP is only for Windows users.
  • Before setting up a printer, please visit Synology Inc. to check out the list of compatible printers.
  • USB hub is not supported when connecting a printer for sharing.
  • The memory card function of the connected printer is not supported.

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Resource Monitor

Resource Monitor can help you monitor your server’s resources, including CPU Usage, Memory Usage, LAN , and Volume usage.

Add a Server to Monitor its Resources

  1. On the Resource Monitor page, click Add to open the Setup Wizard.
  2. Follow the Setup Wizard to complete the setup. You might need to enter the network settings for your server manually.

Note:

  1. If you want to monitor the resources of a server outside your local area network, please enter the network settings manually.
  2. Only admin can add a server to monitor its resources.
  3. Resource Monitor is available only on Synology DiskStation with DSM2.2-0914 and onward.

Remove or Edit a Server

  1. On the Resource Monitor page, select a server from the left section.
  2. Click Remove or Edit.

Monitor Resources

You can monitor the following resources by selecting a server on the Resource Monitor page.

  • CPU Usage: You can monitor the overall CPU usage of your server.
  • Memory Usage: You can monitor the overall memory usage of your server.
  • LAN: You can monitor the overall network flow for each LAN Port. The red line represents the incoming network flow to the server, whereas the green line represents the outgoing network flow from the server.
  • Volume: You can monitor the available space in each volume. The pink area represents unused space in the volume, whereas the blue area represents used space.

Stop Monitoring a Server

  1. On the Resource Monitor page, select a server from the left section.
  2. Click Disconnect to stop monitoring its resources. The green indicator next to the server will turn red after it is disconnected. You can click Connect and re-enter the password to resume monitoring the server.

Note: When you launch Synology Assistant, it will collect the resource data automatically, but the data will be deleted when you stop monitoring a server or exit Synology Assistant.

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Photo Uploader

Photo Uploader can help you upload photos or videos to Photo Station more easily.

Before uploading, you need to set up a profile. The profile contains the network settings of your server and your Photo Station’s account information. You can use the profile to upload photos or videos to Photo Station.

Add Profile

  1. On the Photo Uploader page, click Add to open the Setup Wizard.
  2. Follow the Setup Wizard to set up your profile. You might need to enter the network settings for your server manually.

Note:

  1. Photo Uploader only works with Synology DiskStation with DSM2.3-1090 and onward.
  2. If an alert message says the profile name already exists, it means another profile with the same name is used for your Photo Uploader. Please rename your profile before proceeding.
  3. If you want to upload contents to a server outside your local area network, please use Method 2 and manually enter the network settings.
  4. Your account must have the upload privilege. Please check your account privilege in Photo Station’s Settings page, or contact your Synology DiskStation’s administrator.

Remove or Edit Profile

  1. On the Photo Uploader page, select a profile from the left section.
  2. Click Remove or Edit.

Upload Photos and Videos

  1. On the Photo Uploader page, select your profile from the left section.
  2. Click Connect and enter your password for the Photo Station account.
  3. Choose a destination for uploading.
  4. In the Contents to Upload area, click Add File or Add Folder to add contents to upload, or click Remove to remove the selected files or folders from the upload list. You can select a photo or a video to see its preview in the Thumbnail area.
  5. Choose an action from the If file already exists drop-down menu.
  6. Select video conversion settings. You can view uploaded videos of different qualities (in H.264 format) on Photo Station if you select more than one option here. Select Mobile to allow the video to be played on DS photo+ (available on Apple's App store).
  7. Click Upload to start uploading. Photo Uploader will create thumbnails and compress videos (if any) during the uploading process.
  8. After the uploading process is complete, click Yes in the dialog that appears to view the uploaded albums on Photo Station homepage.

Note: Photo Uploader is available only on Synology DiskStation with DSM2.3-1090 and onward.

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Preferences

You can click the Preferences button (with the gear icon) to set up the following settings.

  • Default Functions Tab: Select the function tabs to appear in Synology Assistant.
  • Language: Choose a default language shown in Synology Assistant’s user interface. You will need to restart Synology Assistant before the new setting takes effect.
  • Memory Test: If you tick the checkbox, when you launch Synology Assistant next time, the Memory Test button will appear on the Management tab. You can select a server and click the button to perform memory diagnostic test on the selected server. The server will be rebooted and start the test, and the testing progress will be shown in the Status column of the server list.

Note:

  1. It might take from minutes to hours for the memory test to finish, depending on the physical memory size of your server. During the test, any access to the server will be denied.
  2. Memory Test is available only on Synology DiskStation with DSM2.2-0914 and onward.

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