Can separate Synology accounts be connected to the same NAS?
The Synology NAS (Network-Attached Storage) devices are designed for centralized storage, file sharing, and network services across a wide array of devices. Among the many strong points of the NAS systems developed by Synology is the ability to manage more accounts with various privileges and permission levels assigned to each. Now, with more Synology accounts involved in the operation, one of the frequently asked questions will be: Can various Synology accounts be linked to the same NAS?
Well, yes, different Synology accounts can be assigned to the same NAS. But it does involve specific mechanisms of user management, permissions, and roles within the operating system of the Synology DSM.
Understanding how different accounts can work on one single NAS might not be enough; understanding how accounts and users are structured in the Synology DSM will also be very important.
Synology Account: The Synology account is an integrated and centrally managed account by a user through a Synology device. It is used for access to many of the services and applications that DSM offers. This account is usually associated with their Synology NAS device cloud services, such as QuickConnect or Synology C2, and could be utilized in accessing features remotely on the NAS, including cloud backups and remote access to files.
DSM User: This is an account created directly in the DSM interface. An account like this allows access to the local NAS system, network shares, and services, including administration. Each DSM user can be assigned specific roles and permissions that stipulate what one can and cannot do in the NAS.
DSM groups users into groups, and then you can assign default roles or even define a role yourself. Permissions can be assigned on the group level or down to the individual user. That dictates what they have access to inside of shared folders, applications, and even services that are running on the NAS.
Linking Separate Synology Accounts to a Single NAS
One of the ways: different Synology accounts can be linked to the same NAS. Such accounts may be owned by different users or administrators who have their particular reasons to access one and the same NAS-to share files, create backups, or just because their work involves collaboration.
1. Multiple DSM Users on a Single NAS
This is usually achieved by the creation of several DSM user accounts attached to one NAS. Each of these different user accounts will be given permissions to access and view to various levels.
How to Create New DSM User:
Log in to DSM using administrator account.
Go to Control Panel > User > Create
Enter the new user's details which include his or her username and password.
Directly assign permissions for shared fold and services.
Optionally, join the user to groups such as administrators or power users, among others.
Save the changes.
Each user created this way will have his own login credentials on the NAS and access only to those folders and services that their permissions would allow.
Access Control and Permissions: The permission system lying beneath the hood of the Synology DSM is quite flexible. For instance, one user can be granted access to particular shared folders, say "Documents," while another might have access to "Photos" or "Media." This ensures that each account is isolated from others and only has access to the appropriate resources.
2. Using Synology Accounts with DSM
Note that a Synology account is not the same as a DSM user. Synology accounts can be attached to the NAS in order to access cloud-based services, such as QuickConnect or Synology C2 for cloud backups. A DSM user can be attached to a Synology account in order to allow that user remote access via Synology's cloud-based services.
Linking a Synology Account to a DSM User
Log into DSM as an administrator.
Control Panel > User and highlight the user which you want to link a Synology account with. Under the User Settings you can specify the Synology account credentials of this user by specifying an e-mail and password belonging to his Synology account. By this way after having set up the account linkage, the user will be able to use his Synology credential to log in to the NAS remotely or use all kinds of Synology services.
This integration is useful in providing access to the NAS for users, allowing them not to always use the local credentials, especially in QuickConnect remote access or when using Synology's mobile apps.
3. Access via Shared Folders and Network Drives
You can also bind different Synology accounts to the NAS using shared folder access. DSM allows you to create shared folders that multiple users can access, and each will have their respective access rights Read-only, read/write, etc.
How to Create Shared Folders for Multiple Users:
Shared Folder creation under Control Panel > Shared Folder > Create.
Set the access permissions of the folder: decide if the users have full access, read-only access, or no access at all. After creating the shared folder, link the user or users to the shared folder with their corresponding access rights.
This allows multiple users who have their DSM and their Synology account to have the same set of files but with different permissions from what is granted to them. Perhaps you have a "Finance" folder for accounting staff but, for other employees, it's off-limits.
4. DSM Permissions vs. Synology Account Permissions
Note that although one NAS can have both DSM users and linked Synology accounts, remember permissions on DSM and those on the Synology account serve for different reasons.
DSM User Permissions are local to the NAS and control access to the file system, applications, and other NAS resources.
These permissions influence primarily the access through Synology cloud services, such as QuickConnect for remote access, Cloud Storage, or Mobile Apps, not direct file system access. That it does is what makes the difference in how one configures remote access and ensures that users with Synology accounts are given the correct level of access to the NAS.
5. Cross-Platform Access and Third-Party Integrations
Keeping in mind that in the majority of cases the NAS forms part of a larger, heterogeneous environment, the same NAS would be accessed through different Synology accounts by users using third-party integrations. Synology NAS supports multiple protocols like SMB, NFS, FTP, and AFP, which give users access to their files from Windows, macOS, Linux, or even mobile platforms.
Synology Drive: Synology's file management solution, Synology Drive, can synchronize the files across multiple devices for users with separate accounts.
Cloud Services: Users connected via separate Synology accounts can use Synology C2, the cloud service offered by Synology, for backup and file synchronization in order to collaborate while the NAS remains the central data hub.
Practical Use Cases of Multiple Synology Accounts on One NAS
Team Collaboration: Several employees or a group of team members can be assigned separate Synology accounts with access to a shared folder, or DSM user accounts. For example, a marketing team would have a single "Marketing" folder, but the design team could store its assets in a "Design" folder.
Family or Household Use: In a home setting, several members of the family can possess their own DSM accounts to share media, files, and photos on the NAS. The administrator-e.g., a parent-can make determinations on who accesses what content and can even set up different backup routines for each user.
Security and Privacy: Different accounts in DSM help in ensuring privacy and security for individual users. This is because one may have privileged access to the NAS completely while another may actually only have access to public or shared folders, hence keeping sensitive data guarded.
Conclusion
Yes, multiple Synology accounts can be connected to the same NAS, but the procedure is different and depends on a specific configuration of DSM user accounts, as well as permissions and Synology accounts. The different account permissions can grant different levels of access for users in accessing files and applications, along with network services. Synology's flexible user management allows both business and home users to share one device with multiple accounts while maintaining appropriate access controls and security levels.