Synology Assistant is an easy-to-use tool for managing Synology NAS in the local area network (LAN), especially when you have multiple machines working within the LAN. With Synology Assistant, you can share printers, set up Wake on LAN (WOL), and configure network drives.
To download and install Synology Assistant on your computer, go to Download Center > Desktop Utilities.
You can minimize Synology Assistant to the system tray. Synology Assistant operations will continue running in the background. Right-click on the Synology Assistant icon to quickly access the following options.
On the Management tab, you can perform the following operations.
You can refresh the list by clicking Search.
In Synology Assistant, you can connect to your Synology NAS in either of the following ways.
When your Synology NAS is successfully connected, your browser will take you directly to the Synology DSM login page.
You can map a shared folder as a network drive and access it as an internal drive on your local computer.
You can set up WOL to wake up your Synology NAS remotely.
The following table lists device statuses displayed in Synology Assistant and what these statuses indicate. Refer to this list when performing various operations.
Status Indication Table
Status | Status Indication |
---|---|
Booting | System is booting up. |
Check progress | Synology NAS is being installed or configured. Click to check the progress. |
Checking quota | System is checking drive quota. This could be a result of improper shutdown. |
Checking file system (X minutes remaining) | System is checking file system. The process will be finished in the displayed number of minutes. This usually occurs when DSM detects file system errors and prompts you to perform a file system check. |
Configuration error | Error occurred during configuration. Double-click on the sever to re-apply the settings. |
Configuration lost | This usually occurs after a Mode 2 Reset, which is by pressing and holding down the RESET button on the Synology NAS. You may double-click on the server and re-install DSM to get a fresh start without impacting the data in the volume. If you did not press the RESET button, check other possible causes for this error message. |
Connection failed | Network configuration error. Double-click on the server or click Setup to configure network settings. |
Getting connection status | System is checking connection status. |
Migratable | System configurations on the drives can be migrated to this Synology NAS. This usually indicates that the DSM version recorded on the motherboard is newer than the DSM version on the drives. It's likely to occur after RMA service. Double-click on the server to complete the migration process. |
N/A | WOL is set up but the current status is unknown. Refer to the WOL section for more information. |
Not configured | The initial DSM configurations (i.e., admin password) after installation have not been completed. Double-click on the server to finish the configuration. |
Not installed | Possible causes: no drives are detected on your server; DSM has not been installed; DSM has not been detected on the drives; or you have clicked Erase All Data in Control Panel > Update & Restore > System Reset. Solution: Make sure the drives are healthy, inserted properly, and can be detected by the server. Then, double-click on the server to start installing DSM. If DSM was already installed on the drives and you have been using the drives for some time, this message indicates that the server cannot recognize the DSM data on the drives. In this case, abort the installation, shut off the server, learn why the drives are not recognized, and run diagnostic tests on a computer to check the health of the drives. |
Offline | System is offline. |
Performing Memory Test (X%) | The progress of the memory test is at X%. If you are asked to run a memory test, run it at least 3 times. The test results will be saved in the system log. Please generate a debug.dat log and attach it in the support ticket for Synology to investigate. |
Ready | System is installed and ready to use. Double-click on the server or click on Connect to access the server. |
Recoverable | System is recoverable. This usually indicates that the DSM version recorded on the motherboard is older than the DSM version on the drives. This is likely to occur after RMA service. Double-click on the server to complete the recovery process. |
Starting services | DSM is starting services. It can take up to 10 minutes for all services to fully start up. |
Upgrading | Synology NAS is updating DSM. Please wait for the update process to complete. |
You can turn on a server remotely by setting up its WOL (Wake on LAN) function.
Before setting up WOL on Synology Assistant, make sure you have ticked Enable Wake on LAN in DSM Control Panel > Hardware & Power > General.
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 status is unknown. |
In Synology Assistant, you can centrally manage printers attached to your Synology NAS on the Printer Device tab. Both basic and multifunctional printers are supported. To share a printer connected to Synology NAS in LAN by Synology Assistant, follow these instructions.
When printing and sending fax, you can perform the operations without manually attaching the printer in Synology Assistant. However, when you want to use the scanner function or to receive fax on a multifunction printer, you have to attach the printer to prevent print jobs from being interrupted by other users.
When a printer is manually attached in Synology Assistant, other users who share the same printer in LAN cannot access the device. Make sure to release the printer when you finish your print job.
You can follow these instructions to attach or release the printer.
When Synology Assistant cannot automatically catch the IP of your printer, you can manually set up the IP here.
You can click the gear icon labeled Preferences at the upper-right corner to configure the following settings.