Free space by sending your iTunes media to your Synology!

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I don't like having my iTunes library on my Mac. Main reason is that it occupies a LOT of space. Besides all the music you have downloaded and it's artworks, which can already be several GBs, iTunes also backs up to your Mac all IOS apps you downloaded. Even if you delete them on your iPad or iPhone , they stay on your Mac - depending on how many apps you have and the size of them, this can be huge.

Don't believe me? If you have default Itunes settings, On your Mac go to Music -> iTunes. Under the subfolders iTunes Media right click ( or option click ) and choose "Get info". Check the window that appears for the size of this folder. Do the same for "Album Artwork".

Free space by sending your iTunes library to your Synology!

On my computer, Album artworks occupy 234Mbs, and iTunes media a whopping 18.9GBs!!!

Free space by sending your iTunes library to your Synology!

Free space by sending your iTunes library to your Synology!

 

I don't need all these things on my Mac - IOS apps are useless to keep there, and even music will be heard on my iPhone, so why keep it on the Mac? And with the latest MacBook Air and MacBook Pro using SSD there isn't a lot of spare space.

iTunes has no setting that allows you to specify where to keep specific music or app files. There is just one setting to send all iTunes library. And the incorporated Synology "iTunes server" package created a shared media server, not what I need.

So I decided to find a smart way to get space back by sending apps and music to the Synology.

!This solution will only work if you sync / use iTunes on the same network that you have your Synology!

The basic idea is that you create a alias the points from the iTunes media folder on your Mac, to a folder on your Synology. ITunes will still think it is accessing "iTunes media" on the local computer, but in reality it is accessing the Synology folder!

1) Create a shared folder on the Synology. For this example I created one called iTunesSynology, but it can have any name.

2) Ensure iTunes is closed on the computer and you don't launch it accidentally ( I.e. Via plugging in an iPhone or ipad ).

3) Ensure you are connected via some file sharing protocol to your Synology and to the "iTunesSynology" shared folder I use SMB, out you can also use AFP. To connect to the shared drive:

Finder -> Go -> Connect to server

Free space by sending your iTunes library to your Synology!

After you need to put in the Synology IP, password and login:

Free space by sending your iTunes library to your Synology!

In Finder, go to the shared tab and open iTunesSynology folder under the Synology server.

For this to work, every time you use iTunes you need to ensure you are connected to the Synology "iTunes" shared folder via the step above.

4) Move the "iTunes Media" and "Album Artwork" folders from under the Mac ->Music -> iTunes folder to the "ITunesSynology" folder on the Synology

Free space by sending your iTunes library to your Synology!

5) When the file transfer has finished, while pressing Command and Option (Alt) key on the keyboard, drag the "iTunes Media" folder back to the iTunes folder on the Mac. If you are doing it right, the folder icon should have an arrow on it while you drag, and in the end should look like this ( note the arrow on top of the folder icon of iTunes media on the Mac ):

Free space by sending your iTunes library to your Synology!

6) Launch iTunes! Test a couple of songs, it should work perfectly!!! Just make sure before iTunes opens that you are connected to your Synology.

Congratulations, you just released quite a couple of GBs off your Mac!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MACOS & Synology tip: How to connect to a shared drive automatically on logon

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I have a synology NAS mounted in my home network. Everytime I boot up my MacBook Pro I have to connect to the shared drives in the synology via the finder:

finder -> Go -> Connect to server

After you need to put the Synology IP, password and login.

Each time you boot your computer you need to do this. Now wouldn´t it be great if this was automatic? It can be! How to set it up:

Step #1: Connect to your shared drive via Finder following the steps above

Step #2: Add to your logon

- Open system preferences -> Users & Groups

 

 

Go to Login items

Press the + sign beneath the list of login items.

Navigate to the shared folder of the Synology. Any if the shared folders will work to automatically add the Synology on login.

It will now appear in the list of login items. If you are not on a local LAN it will display an error message of not being able to connect.

Check hide if you don.'to want a finder window to open. Close and voila!

 

Sync Synology with Dropbox and Google Drive

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With DSM 5.0 Synology introduced a feature a lot of people have been asking for - the possibility to sync or use your Synology with Dropbox or Google Drive.

What a cool way to:

1) transfer files from whatever to your Synology! Dropbox or Google Drive is compatible with almost every platform out there, be it Mac, Windows, IPhone, iPad, Android or Windows phone. As soon as you upload for example a picture from your iPhone to Dropbox, it will automatically be synced to your Synology.

2) Share! If you have a shared folder in Dropbox, by adding a file to that folder on your Synology, you are sending it to people you have that particular folder shared with.

3) Cloud Backup! Google has taken a decision in March 2014 to slash prices of google drive. I currently use Amazon Glacier on my Synology to backup a lot of information - mostly Pictures and videos. As per my blog post on why I bought the Synology it had an automatic upload system to Glacier and my monthly cost for an online backup of a lot of information (TBs) is only around 5$.

However Amazin Glacier has disadvantages. It had no dedicated program to upload / download info. Files are stores without filenames, so the program you use needs to solve this. And finally it is sloooowwww. A request to take something out of Glacier takes approx 4 hours to start the download, and is extremely slow to send. Good for cheap backup of files you do not need in a rush or to modify often, but not for much more.

So, back to google drive. With the price slash, google is turning storage into a commodity. For a whopping 1TB of info, google charges only 9.99$ per month! If you need less, 100Gb for only 1.99USD And we all know the advantages of google drive - it's fast, secure, files are just there, it even keeps previous copies.

 

Any limitations?

I only saw:

1) you can only synchronize your complete Dropbox or Google Drive folder. You can't select a set of subfolders. It's either everything or nothing!

2) for the Mac you might be wasting Synology space with multiple backups. If you use Time Machine on your Mac with Synology with your backup disk and you have Dropbox installed it is backing up th 2-10Gbs of info via time capsule to the Synology and if you install this sync it repeats the info again. The solution? Tell Time Capsule to exclude the Dropbox folder from the backup.

 

How to install?

You need:

- A Synology installed with DSM 5 and internet access. If unsure on what version you have, It should show on the bottom left DSM 5.0 on the main window.

- Basic knowledge around the Synology interface

- A Google Drive or Dropbox account

 

With the above checked, let's start!

1) Log in to your Synology and head over to the package center.

2) In the upper right corner of the package center is a search box. Search for Cloud.

3) 3 options should appear - Cloud station, Cloud Station Client ( both for making your personal cloud) and Cloud Sync. Press Cloud Sync for more information ( as image below ) or directly press install.

4) After installing when you enter the base menu a new option appears called Cloud Sync. Open the application.

Synology DSM 5.0 main menu

5) When you enter the program for the first time, it will automatically open up the connection wizard. Select the service you want to configure. We will start with Dropbox. Select it and press next.

Synology Cloud Sync Wizard

6) a pop-up window will appear asking you to allow cloud sync to access your Dropbox. If you are not already logged onto Dropbox in your browser, you will need to login before the allow screen appears.

7) The pop-up will disappear, and the wizard will continue. The next step is to select where you want the Dropbox folder synced. Remember it will be the whole Dropbox, including every subfolders and file. On my Synology I created a separate shared folder just for this with it's own permissions.

Synology Cloud Sync

Synology tip: How to find duplicate files or large files automatically

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I love my Synology, as I use it for many things and it just works. From media server, to file archive, to backup, to photo server, to surveillance... It has many possibilities. If you add high capacity drives (I have 2 x 3 TB), it can hold quite a lot of information.

Lately I've been centralizing all digital information on the Synology, mainly because I used to have info on multiple computers, external hard drives, backups of backups, etc... and wanted to have everything in one place. After copying and organizing a bit, I found out that I had multiple copies of same files, pictures, videos, etc...

But how to check and erase only duplicates?

 

I started by using Gemini, a duplicate finding software for MacOS. However the search needs to be done via network (executed on the Mac) and takes forever to generate a report. Wouldn't it be great if Synology could do this without a computer involved?

Luckily, Synology thought of a way to do this automatically by the DSM. Not only that but it can automatically generate duplicate reports on a regular basis and email them to you. The email contains a link which takes you to a webpage where you can delete the duplicate file. EASY!

How to set it up:

Enter your Synology via the desktop DSM ( or simply put login to your Synology ). If you have DSM 5, you should see something like this:

Charlietechlife.blogspot.com

Open the control panel and under "System" go to "Info center"

Information on your Synology product will appear. On the top there is a tab named "Report". Click on it

Press "Create" to start the report wizard

In the next screen give a identifiable name to your report. I called mine "Duplicates". Also add an email so that your Synology can email you a direct link when the report is ready.

 

After pressing next, the screen will contain several options. Check Only "Duplicate File Candidates" and press next.

 

 

The next screen is about scheduling, when do you want Synology to generate the report. I have it once per week every Monday at 00:00. To note this is when it starts generating the report, not when it finishes or sends you the email. In the case you want to verify duplicated (next screen), and depending on the quantity of files you have it make take a while.

After pressing next, you can check "Find confirmed duplicates", which makes 100% sure the files shown are duplicates. I definitely recommend this option. Here you can also choose to check every files in the Synology or only specific folders.

In the next screen verify your options and press "Apply". And there it is! After a some time you will get your first duplicate report.

 

And within it you can erase the files you don't want to keep!

 

Streaming Movies & Series from Synology to AppleTV

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Synology has several ways for video streaming from it's hard drives. The one I use the most is sending via DLNA to the Playstation3, which means that it appears on the PS3 menu.Adding an AppleTV to the home network I wanted a way to stream to the it as well, not just to have 2 ways of doing the same thing, but sometimes with my DVD backups (I prefer to have all movies on 1 hard drive and choose then opening DVD boxes and swapping discs) I get the Cinavia protection error on the PS3.Unfortunately AppleTV doesn´t have DLNA, however synology has thought of a solution.

Synology has an app for IOS devices called Video Station. I normally use it to stream video to my IOS device out of home. So when I'm at the airport or train, I can see videos directly from my Synology which is at home over the internet, only requirement being a 3G or wifi connection. If you are in your home network, as of the latest update you can choose to send to AppleTV.

How to use:1) Download & Install the Video Station package on the Synology2) Download the DS Video app from iTunes on your iPhone or iPad3) Ensure you have the correct ports open for your home network.

Video Station

5000 (HTTP), 5001 (HTTPS), 9025-9040, 5002, 5004, 65001 (for using the HDHomeRun network tuner)

TCP

DS video

5000 (HTTP), 5001 (HTTPS)

TCP

For more ports see the following link:https://www.synology.com/en-global/support/faq/299

4) On the Synology you just need to make sure that the Media Server has within the directories it has indexed the one with your media files. The Video Station will see the files and automatically search the internet for the information needed to show on it´s page, including IMDB link.

5) Open the app and login

6) Press the play button

7) Press the icon on the bottom right and choose AppleTV

 

8) Wait 1 minmute while it sets up and done it's on the TV!

I've only seen two limitation, first is that you must keep the app open for the duration of the movie, even multitasking is not allowed and second it takes a while to start playing the movie for the first time (1 - 2 minutes)

 

Scared of losing years of Photos? Here is the perfect backup solution

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Two things can easily happen to your computer: HDD failure or get stolen. Of course, you can always put in a new HDD or buy a new computer and install the OS and all the programs you use. It's time consuming but not the end of the world. But then the thought comes - when was the last time I backed up???

Oh no, THE foto and video collection. The one you have been archiving since your first digital camera or your friends' first digital camera. Probably older files are on some external drive, but you haven't updated it in the last 9 or 12 months, almost a year of memories lost.

This already happened to me once, and ever since I've been looking for a solution. Enter the Synology NAS server - it sounds and looks geeky, but WOW, it solved my backup problem in several ways and added tons of extra functionalities like torrent managing, media server, internet server for pictures / streaming video and home camera surveillance.
What is a NAS server? Basically a hard disk plugged into your home network - a shared drive that any device on your home WIFI can access. Synology took the concept one step further and included RAID and a processor that can do things with the information on the hard disk such as uploading them to online storage or creating an online webpage for your pictures that you can access anywhere in the world. I'll talk about this in an upcoming post, for now backup.
I wanted something that could:
- Take care of automatic backups from my Mac / PC
- protect itself from failure of it's own HDD
- upload pictures / videos to the cheapest online backup. Reason being that if someone steals my house and my computer and the synology, the backups on it are not very useful....
The device I found that ticked all these boxes and was "cheap" is the Synology DS212j. Nowadays they've launched an upgraded version - the DS214 which adds more internal RAM memory and an improved processor. Functionalities are the same. Besides the device, you need to buy separately the HDDs to put inside. To have RAID ( explained in a second ) you should have two same sizes HDDs, I got 2 x Western Digital's Red 3TB HDDs. The Red family are made to work on NAS servers, prioritizing longetivity and low heat generation over speed - which you don't need as much Ina. NAS server vs a computer. These disks are designed to be on 24/7, just like your synology.

Why the Synology?
- Take care of automatic backups from my Mac / PC:
For Mac it has time machine functionality, a software included in the Mac by Apple that backs up all your computer content automatically to a time machine device. It also can handle automatically complete restore of your information in case of issues with the Mac.
For windows it has software that can automate backups, although if haven't used it yet (only use macs for now...)
- protect itself from failure of it's own HDD
With 2 hard disks installed, it mirrors all information automatically in between them. Meaning that if one HDD fails, all info is stored on the other one. Synology handles this without any involvement from you - you only see one shared drive and once the info.
- upload pictures / videos to the cheapest online backup. Reason being that if someone steals my house and my computer and the synology, the backups on it are not very useful. Synology can upload to several online storage sites p, but for me the mist interesting is Amazon glacier. It's real cheap, I think I have approx 300Gbs put there and I pay approx 4USD per month. With Dropbox a 200Gb plan is 19.99USD and 500Gb a whopping 49.99USD. I save 400 to 500$ per year. The catch? It isn't like Dropbox that you always have access to your files. With glacier you request a file and it is only available 4 hours later.
To be honest, none of these files I need in a rush - they are always local on my Synology. Amazon glacier is online backup just in case the Synology is stolen.... And probably I can wait a little while to download them when my house has been burglarized - they are not priority #1. Amazon even has a service where you can send an external HDD and they record all files there.
Set-up posts coming up!