This guide is for the Synology DS223j model

Reading time: ~12 minutes | Category: Guides and Manuals

Table of Contents

1. Preparing and Installing the Drives
2. Initial Connection
3. DSM Installation
4. Configuring RAID 1
5. Basic Settings
6. Creating Shared Folders
7. User Setup

1. Preparing and Mounting the Drives

Step 1.1: Opening the NAS Device

• Place the NAS on a flat, stable surface
• Turn off the power (if it is on)
• Press the front/side button to release the front panel
• Carefully remove the front panel

Step 1.2: Installing the Drives

• Remove the two disc trays
• For each disc tray:
  • Insert the 3.5" HDD into the tray
  • Secure the drive with the screws (usually included)
  • Tighten the screws on both sides
• Note: Use identical or very similar drives for RAID 1

Step 1.3: Installing the Trays

• Insert the first drive tray into slot 1 (the top one)
• Insert the second drive tray into slot 2 (the bottom one)
• Press until you hear a “click”
• Close the front panel

2. Initial Setup

Step 2.1: Connecting the Cables

• Connect an Ethernet cable between the NAS and your router
• Connect the power adapter to the NAS
• Plug the power adapter into an outlet

Step 2.2: Powering On

• Press the Power button on the front panel
• Wait 1–2 minutes for the system to boot up
• You will hear a beep
• The LED indicator will light up

3. Installing DSM (DiskStation Manager)

Step 3.1: Locating the NAS on the network

There are three ways:

Option A: Synology Web Assistant

• Open a browser on your computer (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)
• Go to: http://find.synology.com
• The website will automatically detect your DS223j
• Click “Connect”

Option B: Synology Assistant (Desktop Application)

• Download Synology Assistant from: https://www.synology.com/support/download
• Install and launch the program
• It will detect the DS223j on the network
• Double-click the device

Option C: Direct IP Address

• Log in to your router’s admin panel
• Find the list of connected devices (DHCP clients)
• Look for “Synology” or “DS223j”
• Copy the IP address (for example: 192.168.1.150)
• In your browser, open: http://192.168.1.150

Step 3.2: Installing DSM

• You’ll see the “No DSM found” screen
• Click “Install now”
• Read the warning: ALL DATA ON THE DISKS WILL BE DELETED
• Check the box next to “I understand…” and click “OK”
• The system will download the latest version of DSM (10–15 minutes)
• You will see a progress bar for the installation (5–10 minutes)
• The NAS will restart automatically

Step 3.3: Initial Setup

After restarting:

• Choose a server name (for example: “MyNAS” or “HomeServer”)
• Create an administrator account:
  • Username: Choose one (e.g., “admin” or your name)
  • Password: a strong password with at least 8 characters
  • Confirm the password
• IMPORTANT: Keep this password safe!

Step 3.4: DSM Update & Maintenance

• “Automatically install the latest DSM updates” — I recommend enabling this
• Click “Next”

Step 3.5: Synology Account (optional)

• You can create/link a Synology account or skip this step
• If you skip this step, click “Skip”

4. Configuring RAID 1

Step 4.1: Open Storage Manager

• From the DSM main menu, click “Storage Manager”
• Or: Go to Control Panel > Storage Manager

Step 4.2: Create a Storage Pool

• Click “Storage Pool” in the left menu
• Click the “Create” button
• Select “Better performance” (if available)
• Click “Next”

Step 4.3: Selecting a RAID Type

• Select: “Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR)” or “RAID 1”
  • SHR is recommended—it automatically configures RAID 1 with two drives
  • RAID 1 is the classic option—a direct mirror
• Click “Next”

Step 4.4: Selecting the Drives

• Select both drives (Drive 1 and Drive 2)
• Read the warning about data deletion
• Click “Next”

Step 4.5: Disk Check

• I recommend: “Yes, perform a disk check”
• This will take longer, but it will check the disks for errors
• Click “Next”

Step 4.6: Confirmation

• Review the settings:
  • RAID type: RAID 1 or SHR
  • Number of disks: 2
  • Capacity: the size of the smaller disk
• Click “Apply”

Step 4.7: Wait for the process to complete

• The Storage Pool will be created (1–2 minutes)
• After that, the “Parity Consistency Check” begins (may take several hours)
• Important: The NAS is functional but runs slower during this process
• You can continue with the next steps while the check is running

5. Basic Settings

Step 5.1: Creating a Volume

After creating the Storage Pool:

• Storage Manager will automatically prompt you to create a Volume
• Or click “Volume” in the left menu > “Create”
• Select “Maximum” for the size (use the entire capacity)
• File system: Btrfs (recommended—it supports snapshots)
• Click “Apply”
• Wait for it to be created (1–2 minutes)

Step 5.2: Network Settings

Control Panel > Network > Network Interface:

• Click on LAN (or your network connection)
• Click “Edit”
• You can set a static IP or leave it on DHCP:

For a static IP (recommended):

• Select “Use manual configuration”
• IP address: for example, 192.168.1.100
• Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
• Gateway: Your router’s IP address (usually 192.168.1.1)
• DNS Server: 8.8.8.8 or your router’s IP address

For DHCP:

• Leave “Obtain network configuration automatically (DHCP)” selected
• I recommend reserving the IP address on your router

Step 5.3: Regional Settings

Control Panel > Regional Options:

• Time zone: Europe/Sofia
• Time format: 24-hour
• Date format: Select your preferred option
• Language: Bulgarian (if available) or English

Step 5.4: Notifications

Control Panel > Notifications:

• Email: Set up email for notifications (optional)
• SMS: If you want SMS notifications (optional)
• Push service: For the DS finder mobile app

6. Creating Shared Folders

Step 6.1: Open File Station

• From the main menu > “File Station”
• Or Control Panel > Shared Folder

Step 6.2: Creating a folder

Control Panel > Shared Folder > Create:

Example 1: Personal folder

• Name: “Documents” or “Документи”
• Description: “Personal Documents”
• Location: Select the created volume
• Click “Next”

Encryption (optional):

• If you want an encrypted folder: “Encrypt this shared folder”
• Set a password (KEEP IT SAFE!)
• Click “Next”

Access Rights:

• Local groups: select who can access it
• Local users: set permissions for specific users
  • Read/Write: full access
  • Read only: read-only access
  • No access: no access
• Click “Next” > “Apply”

Other folder examples:

• “Photos” - for photos
• “Music” - for music
• “Videos” - for videos
• “Backup” - for backups
• “Downloads” - for downloads

Step 6.3: Accessing the Folders from Windows

Option A: Network path:

• Open File Explorer (Windows + E)
• In the address bar, type: \\192.168.1.100 (your NAS IP)
• Press Enter
• You will see the shared folders
• You can map them as a network drive (right-click > “Map network drive”)

Option B: SMB:

• Check that SMB is enabled:
• Control Panel > File Services > SMB/AFP/NFS
• Enable SMB service: must be checked

Step 6.4: Access from macOS

• Finder > Go > Connect to Server (Cmd + K)
• Enter: smb://192.168.1.100
• Enter a username and password

7. Setting Up Users

Step 7.1: Creating a User

Control Panel > User & Group > Create:

• Name: Choose a username
• Description: optional description
• Email: for notifications
• Password: strong password
• Confirm password: Re-enter the password

Step 7.2: Joining Groups

• User groups: Select which group the user should belong to
  • administrators: full administrative access
  • users: standard user

Step 7.3: Shared Folder Permissions

• Assigned shared folder permissions:
• For each folder, select:
  • Read/Write
  • Read only
  • No access

Step 7.4: Quotas (optional)

• Application: Select which applications have access
• User quota: Limit disk space (optional)

Additional recommendations

Security

Control Panel > Security:

• Enable Account protection (protection against brute-force attacks)
• Enable auto block: 5 failed attempts
• Enable Firewall (Control Panel > Security > Firewall)

HTTPS:

• Control Panel > Security > Certificate
• Add a Let’s Encrypt certificate (if you have a domain)

Updates:

• Control Panel > Update & Restore
• Check for updates regularly

Backup

• Set up Hyper Backup to back up important data
• Package Center > Install “Hyper Backup”
• Back up to an external drive or to the cloud

Apps

Package Center - useful packages:

• Synology Drive - personal cloud storage (like Dropbox)
• Synology Photos - photo management
• Download Station - torrent/download manager
• Plex Media Server - media streaming
• Docker - for Docker containers

Monitoring

• Resource Monitor - monitors CPU, RAM, and network usage
• Storage Manager - monitors disk health
• Log Center - view system logs

Common Issues and Solutions

I can't find the NAS on the network

• Check the Ethernet cable
• Restart the router and the NAS
• Use Synology Assistant
• Check your computer’s firewall

RAID Build/Resync is slow

• This is normal—it may take 8–24 hours
• The NAS is working but is slower
• Do not turn off the device during the process

Forgotten administrator password

• Press and hold the Reset button for 4 seconds
• This will reset the password but will not erase the data
• Alternative: Use physical access and the reset procedure

Drive is showing a warning

• Go to Storage Manager > HDD/SSD
• Check the S.M.A.R.T. status
• Back up your data immediately
• Replace the drive if necessary

Conclusion

Done! Your Synology DS223j is configured with RAID 1 and is ready for use. RAID 1 provides data protection—if one drive fails, the data will still be available on the second drive.

Important reminders:

• RAID 1 IS NOT a backup! Make additional backups of important data
• Monitor disk status notifications
• Update DSM regularly
• Use strong passwords

If you have questions or issues, Synology’s documentation is excellent:
https://kb.synology.com/