Alright, folks, let’s talk about how I got my Synology NAS to stream Netflix. Now, I’m not a tech guru or anything, but I figured it out, and if I can do it, anyone can. Trust me, it is way more easy than it looks.
First things first, I had to get the basics down. What do I even need? My Synology NAS, obviously. Check. After that I started poking around in the Synology’s Package Center. They’ve got all sorts of apps in there, like a little app store just for your NAS. I found something called Media Server, which is a DLNA server that is just basic and very easy to understand.
So, I installed Media Server on my NAS. It was pretty straightforward, just a few clicks, and boom, it’s installed. After the installation, I poked around the settings a bit. It wasn’t too complicated, just basic stuff like setting up shared folders and whatnot. I created a folder for my movies, another one for TV shows. You know, keeping things organized.
Now, onto the fun part – streaming. I learned that there are a few options. I could use Video Station, which is another app from Synology, or I could go with something like Plex or Jellyfin. I decided to try out Video Station first because it came pre-installed. I must say it’s more than enough for me. It worked pretty well, it’s like a personal Netflix, but I wanted more.
So, I installed Plex, too. It was just as easy as installing Media Server. Back to the Package Center, searched for Plex, and clicked “Install”. Once Plex was up and running, I had to do a bit of setup there, too. Adding my media libraries, organizing things, the usual. It was so exciting to me.
Once everything was set up, it was time to test it out. I grabbed my iPad, opened up the Plex app, and there it was – my NAS, ready to stream. I picked a movie, hit play, and bam, it worked! I was streaming from my NAS to my iPad, just like that. And all those setups just took me few hours to fully understand and implement.
But wait, there’s more. I also wanted to be able to stream when I’m not at home. Turns out, that’s possible, too. It involved some more advanced settings, like port forwarding on my router and setting up QuickConnect, but I found a bunch of tutorials online that walked me through it. Now I can access my movies and shows from anywhere, as long as I have an internet connection. It’s pretty awesome.
So, that’s my story of how I turned my Synology NAS into a streaming powerhouse. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, and the end result is totally worth it. Now I’ve got my own personal Netflix, accessible from anywhere. If you’ve got a Synology NAS, I highly recommend giving it a try. You won’t regret it!
