How to Replace a Failed Hard Drive in a Synology NAS

Earlier this week I received a notification from my Synology NAS that a hard drive was failing. Right now in the middle of this COVID-19 pandemic, one thing I don’t need is my NAS down and the kids and wife unable to watch any shows or movies.

Luckily for me Synology has made drive replacement a breeze. Here is how to easily and very quickly replace a failed hard drive in your Synology NAS.

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Upgrade Synology DS1819+ RAM to 32GB

Recently got my hands on a Synology DS1819+ which offers a number of great features, one of which is the ability to support 32GB memory! Giving me more than plenty of resources for all kinds of Docker containers, virtual machines, and Synology applications.

In this quick guide I’ll detail how to upgrade your Synology DS1819+ to 32GB of RAM.

Items needed:

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Install a Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate on a Synology NAS

A while ago I wrote an guide on how to install a SSL from Namecheap onto your Synology. Soon after Let’s Encrypt support was added to Synology, I started getting requests for a guide.

The benefits of Let’s Encrypt certificates are that they are automated, short lifetimes (90 days) and that they are completely FREE!

Below is a quick guide on how to install Let’s Encrypt SSL on a Synology NAS!

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How to create a virtual machine on a Synology NAS

A common request I’ve seen among Synology NAS owners, is the ability to run virtual machines directly from their NAS. Recently Synology released a beta version of their new Virtual Machine Manager package that allows users to do exactly that.

Below I’ll detail how to install, configure, and create a Windows 10 virtual machine on my Synology DS1815+.

Before getting started, your Synology NAS not only needs to be compatible but also needs to meet a couple requirements:

You’ll also want to have a couple ISO images downloaded and ready; Windows 10, Synology Guest Tools, and Windows Virtio Drivers.

With that, lets get started!

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Running Ubiquiti UniFi controller in Docker on Synology NAS

Recently I posted how to run the Ubiquiti UniFi Controller in the cloud using services like Linode, Vultr, or DigitalOcean. However, a few people has asked if I could post instructions on how to run the UniFi controller in Docker, similar how I have CrashPlan running in Docker.

For the steps below I’ll be using my Synology DS1815+ NAS which is compatible to run Docker. If you’re unsure if your model support docker or not you can check here.

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First look at NAKIVO Backup and Replication v6.1

Earlier this month NAKIVO released version 6.1 of their Backup and Replication application which only adds to their popular 6.0 version adding features like Microsoft Exchange instant object recovery and log truncation as well as other features. As part of the VMware vExpert program NAKIVO has given me a NFR license to try NAKIVO Backup and Replication v6.1 in my home lab and I want to share my initial thoughts about this new version that I’ve had running for the last couple weeks.

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How to upgrade Synology DS1815+ to 16GB RAM

Synology DS1815+ upgraded to 16GB

Just last week I replaced my Synology DS412+ to with a Synology DS1815+, which has twice the drive bays with the addition of supporting two expansion units, a much more powerful CPU, and 2GB RAM out of the box.

I’ve seen some people mention with very mixed results that both the Synology DS1515+ and Synology DS1815+ can be upgraded to 16GB of RAM, the biggest issue seems to be around what memory modules to use. So I figured I’d document how I upgraded my DS1815+ to 16GB RAM and what memory I used with success.

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Synology DS415+ NAS Review

For the past week I was given the chance to abuse use and review the Synology DS415+ NAS, a NAS which is aimed at small businesses or home users that need extra horsepower (such as a VMware home lab).

Synology DS415+ NAS

The Synology DS415+ is the replacement for the Synology DS412+, in fact by looking at the two units you really can’t tell them apart aside from the model number printed on the lower left corner of the hard drive cover plate. The real differences between the Synology DS412+ and Synology DS415+ isn’t on the outside but what’s inside.

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Synology DSM 5.2-5644 fixes several vulnerabilities and improves stability

Synology

Synology has released DSM 5.2-5644 which upgrades PHP to version 5.5.30 that patches several vulnerabilities found in the older version of PHP. In addition DSM 5.2-5644 also improves stability across many different functions such as Btrfs file system, FTP connections, NTP service. DSM 5.2-5644 also takes care of the issue where a DSM critical patch could not be manually uploaded when the system was in a Hybrid HA cluster.

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