How To Connect Synology NAS to Mac: Finder, Assistant, Ethernet & Fixes

TL;DR:

To connect a Synology NAS to a Mac, the fastest method is Finder: press Go > Connect to Server, type smb://192.168.1.5 (replace with your NAS IP), and sign in with your DSM username and password. Before that, enable SMB in Control Panel > File Services > SMB on the NAS, and make sure both devices are on the same network. Why smb://? The prefix tells macOS to use the modern SMB protocol — since macOS Golden Gate (27), SMB is the only network protocol macOS uses for shares and Time Machine (AFP was dropped). If you ever lose files on the NAS, Wondershare Recoverit can scan and restore them over the network.

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Your Mac's storage is fixed at purchase — you can't add internal drives later. A Synology NAS solves that by giving you shared, network-attached storage you can grow anytime. This guide covers the three ways to connect Macs to Synology NAS — Finder, Synology Assistant, and direct Ethernet — plus how to fix the most common connection failures.

Why Connect Synology NAS to Mac

Macs are sealed at the factory, so the storage you order is all you'll ever have internally — and large files can fill even a multi-terabyte Mac surprisingly fast. A Synology NAS adds expandable storage over your network, letting every device in the house access the same files, and it doubles as a Time Machine destination so your Mac backs up without a cable plugged in.

The process of backing up Mac to Synology with Time Machine is straightforward and only takes a few steps once the NAS is reachable on your network.

Set Up Synology NAS Before Connecting (IP & SMB)

Before your Mac can reach the NAS, two things must be true: the NAS has a stable IP address your Mac can dial, and at least one file-sharing protocol (SMB) is enabled. Here's how to set that up:

1. Log into your Synology NAS DSM operating system.
2. Open Control Panel > Network > Network Interface, select your primary connection, and click Edit.
   

   

3. Choose "Use manual configuration". To avoid router conflicts, change the last octet of the IP to an unused number (e.g. from 192.168.1.5 to 192.168.1.50) and click OK. Expect a brief connection drop while the IP updates.
   

   

4. Go to Control Panel > File Services > SMB.
5. Check "Enable SMB Service" and click Apply.
   

   

Note: SMB is the protocol to enable for Macs. macOS Tahoe (26) is the last version that still supports AFP; from macOS Golden Gate (27) onward, SMB is the only option for network shares and Time Machine. If you enable only AFP today, a future macOS update will silently break your connection.

How SMB, smb://, and DSM Work Together

Understanding one chain of entities makes every method below easier: Finder connects to your NAS using the SMB protocol (addressed as smb://IP), which talks to the SMB service running inside DSM (Synology's operating system), which checks your user account against the shared folders you have permission to see.

Why type smb:// instead of just the IP? The prefix tells macOS which protocol to use. Without it, macOS may guess wrong or fall back to an older method. You can also connect by name — smb://diskstation — if your NAS has a resolvable hostname, which keeps working even when the IP changes. Avoid afp:// on modern macOS: Apple has removed AFP support, so those connections fail on macOS 27 and later.

Method 1: Connect via Finder (smb://)

The simplest method for daily use: Finder maps the NAS as a network drive, and you browse it like any local folder.

1. Launch Finder and press Go > Connect to Server (shortcut: Cmd+K).
   

   

2. Type smb:// followed by your NAS IP, e.g. smb://192.168.1.50, then click Connect.
   

   

3. Enter your DSM Username and Password and sign in.
   

   

4. Pick the shared folder you want to mount. The NAS now appears under Locations in Finder.
   

   

To make the drive persistent, drag it into Finder > Favorites, or add it to System Settings > General > Login Items so it remounts at every login.

Method 2: Connect via Synology Assistant

Synology Assistant is Synology's desktop utility that scans your LAN and finds the NAS automatically — ideal when you don't know its IP address.

1. Download and install Synology Assistant on your Mac.
   

   

2. Launch the app; it scans your network for Synology devices.
3. Click Search, find your NAS, and click Connect.
   

   

4. Log in with your Username and Password.

Assistant is also the tool to use when the NAS is brand new and needs its initial DSM setup, or after a reset when the IP is unknown.

Method 3: Connect Directly With Ethernet

This method links your Mac to the NAS with a single cable — no router, no Wi-Fi — and is the fastest path for a dedicated, isolated connection.

Why a static IP is required here: with no router on the link, there is no DHCP server to hand out addresses automatically. Both devices must be assigned manual IPs on the same subnet so they can find each other. On your Mac: System Settings > Network > Ethernet > Details > TCP/IP → Manual, set IP 192.168.1.50, subnet mask 255.255.255.0, leave Router blank. On the NAS: Control Panel > Network > Network Interface > Edit, set a matching static IP such as 192.168.1.60.

1. Connect one end of an Ethernet cable to your Mac and the other to the NAS.
   

   

2. Launch Synology Assistant; it should detect the NAS on the new link.
3. Click Search and select your NAS.
   

   

4. Enter your Username and Password to log in.

Troubleshooting: Why Won't My Mac Connect?

If Finder can't connect, work through this table in order — it resolves the vast majority of "cannot connect to Synology NAS from Mac" cases:

Still stuck? Recover files while you diagnose

While you sort out the connection, remember that data on the NAS is still recoverable even if the network link is broken. Wondershare Recoverit NAS Data Recovery connects to the NAS remotely and restores deleted or lost files without pulling the drives:

1. Select — Launch Recoverit and choose your Synology NAS from the device list.
2. Scan — It scans the NAS over the network for deleted, formatted, or lost files.
3. Recover — Preview the results and restore the files you need to your Mac.

Conclusion

Connecting a Mac to a Synology NAS is easy once the NAS has a stable IP and SMB enabled: use Finder + smb:// for daily access, Synology Assistant when you don't know the IP, and direct Ethernet with static IPs for isolated high-speed links. If a connection problem ever puts your data at risk, recover it first with Wondershare Recoverit, then fix the link.