How To Connect Synology NAS to Mac

Since files are growing and require more storage than ever, the need to back up files is also rising. That’s where Synology NAS devices come in. They’re excellent for adding storage and storing files in a single location, making them available to everyone on the network. Moreover, they’re excellent for Mac backups, but they can be challenging to connect.

Therefore, this guide will help and show you several ways to connect Macs to Synology NAS devices.

Why Connect Synology NAS to Mac

Since most Macs are enclosed straight from the factory, you’ll have to think about precisely how much storage you’ll need before you order a Mac from Apple. However, even if you configured your Mac with terabytes of storage, filling it up if you work with large files daily is incredibly easy.

That’s why connecting a Synology NAS to Mac makes a lot of sense, as you can quickly add new storage, store and browse files over the network, and access those files from any device in the house or building.

Backing up Mac devices is as important as any other device. Although Macs come with extensive backup options such as the Time Machine application, these options will, by default, back up to internal hard drives, which are often full, or to external ones, which must be constantly connected to the Mac for Time Machine to work correctly.

However, if you own a Synology NAS device, you can put it to good use and quickly create backups to the NAS over the network. The process of backing up Mac to Synology with Time Machine is relatively straightforward and only takes a few steps.

Setting Up Synology NAS Before Connecting to Mac

Before you can connect to Synology NAS from Mac, you need to correctly configure your NAS device so that these two devices can recognize each other on the network. Essentially, it’s setting up your Synology NAS IP address so your Mac can connect. Here’s how to set up Synology NAS for Mac:

That’s everything you need before connecting Synology NAS with Macs. You can now connect Synology NAS to Mac and store your files safely and securely.

However, you should know that Synology NAS devices are reliable but still not completely safe. Sure, doing a backup of Mac to Synology NAS is brilliant and an excellent way to secure your files, but you can still lose vital files if you’re not careful.

Whether due to human error, accidental deletion, or a hard disk failure, if that happens, know there are ways to recover deleted files from Synology NAS. Follow the guide, and you should be able to get back everything vital to you quickly.

How To Connect to Synology NAS From Mac Using Finder

Synology has made it easy to add your NAS as a network device and browse through all your files. That’s why the simplest method to connect to a Synology NAS from a Mac is by using Mac’s Finder. If you’re unsure how to access a Synology NAS from Mac or cannot connect to Synology NAS from Mac, we’ve written a short guide below to help you.

Here’s how to connect Synology NAS to Mac devices via Finder:

After you connect a Mac to a Synology NAS, you can access your Synology NAS files by clicking the IP address of your Synology NAS inside the Mac’s Finder. This method maps the NAS as your Network Drive.

How To Access Synology NAS From Mac Using Synology Assistant for Mac

Since Synology has been in the game for more than two decades, they’ve built a complete ecosystem of hardware and software solutions. Their apps can help you connect your NAS devices to almost any system, and Macs are no different. That’s why another popular way of connecting Synology NAS and Mac devices is through the Synology Assistant app.

To access Synology NAS from Mac, you’ll first need the Synology Assistant app, which you can get directly from Synology’s website. Then, you’ll need to follow these steps to connect the Mac to Synology NAS:

That’s it. By using Synology Assistant, you can store and share your Mac data without hiccups. This method is relatively simple, and you should easily be able to browse your Synology NAS files through the Synology Assistant application.

Moreover, the connection should always work since you use a dedicated app from the company that created the NAS device.

How To Connect Synology NAS Directly to Mac With Ethernet

There’s a third method for connecting a Mac to a Synology NAS, and that’s doing it directly. You’ll, of course, need an ethernet cable for this method, as the name suggests.

Moreover, you’ll also need to set up a static IP address on both the Mac and the Synology device. Otherwise, these devices won’t be able to communicate with each other.

Here’s what you need to do to set up a static IP address and a guide on how to connect a Synology NAS directly to a Mac with an ethernet cable:

Although connecting and accessing your Synology NAS from a Mac via an ethernet cable is simple, the fact that you have to set up a static IP address on both devices makes this method a bit complicated.

Fortunately, we’ve covered both the setting up of the static IP address and the installing Synology Assistant parts, and you can find them above.

Conclusion

Synology NAS devices are fantastic solutions for Mac users to add more storage to their enclosed, un-upgradeable machines. They’re a great way of backing up crucial Mac data, allowing users quick and easy access to any device on the same network.

However, connecting and pairing these two might be tricky since they don’t always play well.

Fortunately, there are three efficient ways to connect Macs to Synology NAS devices, as listed above. That way, you can set up Synology NAS and Mac backups through Time Machine and recover your NAS files in case of a disaster.