In this tutorial, we’re going to look at how to find a Synology NAS on a network. When you first purchase your Synology NAS and plug it in, there are a few different ways that you can find it. This is necessary in order to configure it properly, but you might be running into an issue and are trying to locate it as well.
In this tutorial, we’re going to look at how to find a Synology NAS on a network, but we’re going to look at it using three different methods so that you’ll have multiple ways of finding it.
How to Find a Synology NAS on a Network
We will look at three ways to find a Synology NAS on a network below. Keep in mind that depending on the scenario you’re currently in, only one of the options below may work. In other scenarios, all will work, so start with the first option and work your way down until you locate the Synology NAS on your network.
Using a Web Browser to Locate a Synology NAS
The easiest way to find a Synology NAS on a network is by using a web browser and navigating to a specific URL, however, if your NAS is already configured, it might have trouble finding it. For new Synology devices, however, it should easily find the NAS using this method.
1. Navigate to the https://finds.synology.com website and it will automatically start searching your network.
2. If any devices are found, it will automatically show them in the web browser and you can select Connect to set them up!
NOTE: (this is an older screenshot from DSM 6, but it will look similar in DSM 7).
Using the Synology Assistant Application
1. If you navigate to Synology’s Download Center, you can download the Synology Assistant. The Synology Assistant allows you do to a few different things, but the main function is to actually find your Synology NAS.
2. Download and install it for the operating system that you’re currently using.
3. After installing it, launch the Synology Assistant application. It will automatically search your network and should return the Synology NAS devices that it finds.
4. Please keep in mind that the Synology Assistant uses specific ports to operate, so if you’re using Synology’s Firewall and can’t find it, there’s a good chance that you’ll need to create an allow rule for Synology Assistant.
Using an IP Scanner to Scan Your Network
If the two options above don’t display the NAS, you can perform a network scan to see all of the devices that are currently on your network. This doesn’t use Synology-specific tools, so if the device isn’t listed here, it’s either not receiving a network connection or not on the current subnet.
1. Download Angry IP Scanner and install it (there are Windows/Mac/Linux versions available).
2. After installing it and opening it, select Tools then Fetchers, and add MAC Vendor.
3. Your current network range should be prefilled. Select the Start button to search your network.
4. In the list of results, find the IP address of your NAS. If you can’t find it, look in the MAC Vendor field and you should see a Synology device listed.
Device Still Not Showing Up?
At this point, if you still can’t find a Synology NAS on your network, there could be many reasons why. I will try and list a few of the most common reasons, but the reality is that there are probably many more:
- The NAS is offline.
- The NAS has an IP address on another subnet.
- There is some sort of hardware issue with the NAS.
This is a list of only a few, but there could be many more. If you’re troubleshooting the issue of trying to find a NAS, using option three above (Angry IP Scanner) is most likely your best bet as it will simply scan all devices on the local subnet.
Conclusion & Final Thoughts on Finding a Synology NAS
There are many ways to find a Synology NAS on your network, but depending on when you’re trying to find it (OS isn’t installed, OS is installed, new router, etc), one option above may be better than the others.
Thanks for checking out the tutorial on how to find a Synology NAS on a network. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments!
