This instruction applies for all Synology NAS devices that run DSM 6.0 or higher. For other DSM versions the screens may be different.
- Photo Library On Synology Nasa
- Photo Library On Synology Nasal
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- Mac Photo Library On Synology Nas
In the Photo Library pseudo-folder there will be a Masters/Originals folder - depends on which macOS you’re running - where the, ahem, original files are stored. You could back this up to the NAS where Synology Photos can read it. There isn’t any migration of processed meta tags from Mac to Synology. First, you need to install Photo Station on your Diskstation. Follow the following steps: First, make sure that your Synology is turned on Diskstation is set up. Should you need help with, so read our practice tip on setting up your Diskstation. Open the Web interface of your Diskstation by entering the IP address of the NAS or the quick.
The Mac Mini downloads a copy to its Photos Library; The Synology app copies the photo into its backup; I’ve configured the Mac Mini and Synology to wake up for a few hours every day to do this and so far it’s working really well. Mac mini; External 2TB hard drive; Synology 4-bay NAS; Synology Cloud Station Backup mac client app. Call it gphoto-sync and hit create. In order to enable access we need to go to the photo api. Click on the project you just created. In the search box type photos. Pick photos library api. This allows your account to use the photos API. We still need to authorize our app to access that API though. So I bought a 4-bay Synology NAS, and I have successfully moved all my Time Machine backups to it, which is explicitly supported by both Apple and Synology. I also wanted to move my Photo Library to it, but officially Apple doesn’t recommend it due to risk of data loss: Apple Support Move your Photos library to save space on your Mac.
Connect to your Synology device with a web browser and log in to the DSM operating system. If you don't know the IP address of your Synology device yet (which you should to connect via web browser) you can see it in the System Health monitor widget.
Open the Control Panel go to the Shared Folder settings and make sure that you have a least one folder share that points to a folder on your Synology NAS where PhotoSync or other apps should be able to store photos or other files. Create a share if necessary.
Open the User settings and make sure that you have at least one user defined that is able to access your Synology NAS.
Double click on the user you want to configure to open the detail settings for this user. Go to the Permissions tab and check the Read/Write setting for each share that should be accessible from PhotoSync for this user. PhotoSync needs write permission to store the photos/videos on your device and read permission to get the contents of the folder shares.
FTP access
To use PhotoSync with FTP, you need to configure the NAS for FTP access.
Open the Control Panel, go to the File Services section into the FTP tab. Enable the FTP service, additionally you may enable the encrypted FTP SSL/TLS (FTPS) service.
It is also possible to enable the SFTP service (FTP over SSH) which you can even run with a public/private key pair in PhotoSync.
Open the Control Panel, go to User, edit your user that should have access to FTP, open the Applications tab and allow the access to FTP, otherwise you will not be able to build a connection with that user.
To connect to your Synology NAS with PhotoSync using FTP, open the PhotoSync settings, choose Configure > FTP and create a FTP connection with the following configuration values.
Server | IP address of your Synology NAS, in this example 192.168.100.10 |
Port | Port number of your FTP service, in this example 21 |
Login | Username of your Synology user, e.g. photosync |
Password | Password of your Synology user |
Directory | leave empty, can be selected later in the target folder settings |
FTP Mode | Automatic |
Tap on Done to initiate the connection. Use the FTP target you created to transfer photos to your Synology NAS or to browse and retrieve photos from your Synology NAS.
SMB access
To use PhotoSync with SMB, you need to configure the NAS for SMB access.
![Mac photo library on synology nas Mac photo library on synology nas](/uploads/1/1/9/4/119400857/333039917.png)
Open the Control Panel, go to the File Services section into the SMB/AFP/NFS tab. Enable the SMB service.
It is also possible to set the SMB version for your SMB connection. SMB1 is insecure and should no longer be used.
To connect to your Synology NAS with PhotoSync using SMB, open the PhotoSync settings, choose Configure > SMB and create a SMB connection with the following configuration values.
Server | IP address of your Synology NAS, in this example 192.168.100.10 |
Port | Port number of your SMB service, usually 445 |
Login | Username of your Synology user, e.g. photosync |
Password | Password of your Synology user |
Network Share | Enter or select a share, can be selected later in the target folder settings |
Tap on Done to initiate the connection. Use the SMB target you created to transfer photos to your Synology NAS or to browse and retrieve photos from your Synology NAS.
WebDAV access
To use PhotoSync with WebDAV, you need to configure the NAS for WebDAV access.
Open the Package Manager, go to the Utilities section and check if the WebDAV server package is installed. If it isn't, please install it by clicking on the Install button of the package. When it is installed, click the Open button to open the WebDAV Server settings.
You can enable HTTP and secure HTTPS connections. By default WebDAV runs on port 5005 and secure WebDAV on port 5006.
Open the Control Panel, go to User, edit your user that should have access to WebDAV, open the Applications tab and allow the access to the WebDAV server, otherwise you will not be able to build a connection with that user.
To connect to your Synology NAS with PhotoSync using WebDAV, open the PhotoSync settings, choose Configure > WebDAV and create a WebDAV connection with the following configuration values.
Server | IP address of your Synology NAS, in this example 192.168.100.10 |
Port | Port number of your WebDAV service, in this example 5005 |
Login | Username of your Synology user, e.g. photosync |
Password | Password of your Synology user |
Directory | leave empty, can be selected later in the target folder settings |
Use SSL | Off for WebDAV, On for secure WebDAV. For secure WebDAV use WebDAV port 5006 |
Tap on Done to initiate the connection. Use the WebDAV target you created to transfer photos to your Synology NAS or to browse and retrieve photos from your Synology NAS.
Paying extra for storage on your phone or computer can be convenient, but it’s also expensive and not always necessary.
For most of us, the biggest storage problem is photos, but using a NAS can resolve that issue.
In this article, I’ll discuss why I bought a NAS, the best NAS for Lightroom, the router you will need, and how to quickly set up your lightroom files.
Why I purchased a NAS for Lightroom?
Recently, I sold my iMac with 2TB of storage and upgraded to a new macbook air with a 256GB HD. If you’re interested in how I transferred the excess files see my post here.
After I organized my lightroom files on an external HD, I became frustrated with having to keep a drive connected to my Macbook. That’s when I decided to get a NAS.
All my files are now accessible over wifi for both my phone and computer. It even provides the convenience of watching home videos on my Apple TV. If I need a faster connection I just connect the ethernet adapter.
Having a NAS has made storage less of a problem. It’s also simplified file management.
What’s the best NAS for Lightroom?
I spent weeks deciding on the best NAS for my needs. Since I mostly wanted the NAS to store files and lightroom images, I decided to go with the Synology 220j.
I found it used on Amazon for $129 and added a 6TB Seagate harddrive. I used it over wifi or with an inexpensive ethernet adapter.
After two weeks, I had problems with the Synology 220j. Sometimes it would crash if I was using it for lightroom and transferring files simultaneously. At other times it wouldn’t connect well my lightroom library.
I finally decided to try the Synology 720+. The speed was immediately noticeable. Everything loaded quicker and I had a lot fewer hiccups when connecting to Lightroom.
The overall experience was much smoother, and if you need a NAS for Lightroom, I highly recommend it over the 220j.
Other Synology NAS recommendations for Lightroom
- Synology DS420+
- DS1621+ (with 10Gb ethernet).
- QNAP Thunderbolt 3 NAS
QNAP makes a good NAS with a thunderbolt 3 connection, but it’s about the same speed as 10 Gb ethernet. There’s a good video about it here.
For now, the Synology 720+ with 6TB is more than enough for my needs.
What router should I use for my NAS (Wifi 5 or 6)?
I specifically purchased a wifi 6 router (802.11ax) to see if the speed was faster than my wifi 5 router (802.11ac). Wifi 6 is slightly faster, but I didn’t notice the difference.
It actually took longer for the wifi 6 router to connect to the NAS, so in my tests, the wifi 5 router transferred files quicker.
Photo Library On Synology Nasa
It may be worth it to upgrade to wifi 6 if you have a router older than wifi 5. I plan on keeping my wifi 5 router and will be returning the Netgear nighthawk (wifi 6 router).
How to set up Lightroom files on a NAS in 4 steps
Setting up Lightroom on the NAS is pretty simple.
#1 Keep the Catalog local
The Lightroom catalog can keep previews of your photos without having to access them, so it’s best to keep your lightroom catalog on your internal HD to optimize performance.
Photo Library On Synology Nasal
Setup your catalog by clicking “Lightroom Classic” on the top right. Then click Catalog settings. My current settings are set to medium and auto.
Next, make sure your import settings are set to build smart previews with the box checked for build previews 1:1.
#2 Transfer your image files to your NAS
I was able to transfer about 5000 images pretty quickly over wifi.
Photo Library On Synology Nascar
First, create a shared folder on your synology NAS. I labeled mine “Lightroom Server.”
Next, copy your lightroom images from your internal/external drive and drag them to your shared NAS folder.
Note: Try to avoid transferring the files over DSM for synology. It was easier for me to find the server from my files folder (Finder) and transfer the files directly.
You can also create a shortcut file for your Lightroom server on your desktop.
#3 Update folder location
After you transfer your files to lightroom, you need to redirect your lightroom catalog to those files. You can do this by opening Lightroom and right clicking on the image folders.
Select the option that says “update folder location.”
Next, browse for the same folder located on your NAS. Continue to do this for all image folders on Lightroom.
#4 Save a backup
Honestly, I don’t need all 5000 of my images on lightroom, so I keep a backup of my best images on google drive. I also keep a catalog file on google drive.
Other free cloud backup options include
- Dropbox
- Using a separate apple account
- Amazon Photos
- Lightroom mobile
- Google Photos
Setting up time machine on a Mac can also be a helpful storage option. To learn how, click here.
Mac Photo Library On Synology Nas
Pros and Cons for using Lightroom on a NAS
Pros
- Simplified storage
- Lower cost of internal storage
- Safer backup
- Synology DSM tools
Cons
- Noisy in some rooms
Conclusion
If you’re thinking about getting a NAS for Lightroom, I highly recommend it. You don’t need the most expensive NAS or fastest router.
You’ll save money by not getting extra storage on your next computer purchase, and it will make your file organization simple.
I hope you enjoyed this post.