Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM) is the operating system that runs on the company’s catalogue of storage devices. The most recent version is 7.0, which introduced numerous new features and refined the user experience. It’s based on Linux and is incredibly flexible for a wide array of scenarios.
Every Synology NAS can download and apply the latest version of DSM through the installation process. Once you’ve set up an account and login to the OS, it’s possible to install a wide variety of apps and services through Synology’s Package Manager.
Synology includes its own software and packages with DSM by default. You’ll find Surveillance Station for configuring home security, Virtual Machine Manager for setting up virtual instances, Synology Photos for all your media, Web Station for hosting sites, and more.
It’s possible to turn the best NAS from Synology into a powerful hub for the home or office without installing any third-party software.
How to access DSM and your NAS
You can connect to your NAS enclosure using the IP address assigned by the connected network. If you cannot find out the IP address, visit find.synology.com and you’ll be looking at DSM in no time. Using a Synology account, you’ll be able to access the enclosure from outside your local network too.
How to update DSM
Installing DSM is an easy process and is very similar to a desktop-class OS like Windows. To update the DSM installation, head to the settings app and select “Update and Restore.” The NAS will regularly check for updates and if one is detected you can click the download button here.
If you’d rather do this manually and download the OS file from Synology, click on “Manual DSM Update.” This can be useful if you need a specific version of DSM for a service or package to work correctly, or if you’d like to install a beta.
