How to set up Plex on Synology NAS

Synology NAS comes with the company’s excellent DiskStation Manager (DSM) OS. This software has a package manager that acts as a smartphone app store and you can install Plex Media Server in just a few clicks. There’s also a way to manually install the media server package. I’m going to show you both routes in this how-to set-up Plex on Synology NAS guide.

How to install Plex Media Server

There are two valid methods to install Plex on a Synology NAS enclosure.

Manual (recommended)

Usually, the automated method would be the recommended process to use for most tasks, but I still prefer to manually install Plex and keep it up to date when new releases are made available.

1. Download the Plex Server package. (Choose “Synology” under “NAS”.)
2. Connect to your Synology NAS.
3. Open up the Package Center.
4. Click on “Manual Install.”
5. Click “Browse” and locate the Plex Server download.
6. Click “Next.”
7. Click “Yes” on the pop-up.
8. Click “Apply.”

Automatic

If you’d rather install Plex through Synology’s DSM and have the OS allow you to automatically update the package without having to fetch updates yourself, follow these steps instead.

1. Connect to your Synology NAS.
2. Go into Package Center.
3. Click Settings in the top-right corner.
4. Change trust level to “Synology Inc. and trusted publishers.“
5. Click the Certificate tab.
6. Open a new browser tab/window and download the certificate key from Plex.
7. Click Import on the Certificate window.
8. Browse to the downloaded key.
9. Click OK.
10. Back in Package Center, install Plex Media Server

Configuring your new Plex server

All you need to do now is click on the main menu in the top-left of the DSM interface and choose Plex Server. This will launch a new window with the Plex Server for you to hook up your Plex account, configure the network, search for media, and more. The wizard is straightforward, with only a few options. You will need to create a Plex account to take advantage of synchronization features and the like.

When running Plex on your Synology NAS, you will want to select a folder where Plex can keep track of media files, be it photos, music, or video. The NAS itself comes with some default folders for such media, which can be selected. But you can create new folders in your “home” folder that can then be accessed through Windows Explorer and other file managers for a more effortless transfer.

Now you can enjoy access to all your content on your smart TV, Xbox One, tablet, smartphone, Windows 10 PC, laptop, and all other devices running the Plex app with adequate access.

Best Synology NAS for Plex

While a NAS is mandatory, the Plex Pass and hard drives are optional but highly recommended additions.