Alternative to Synololgy DS115J

Kronos

Kronos

Kronos

Soldato
Joined
11 Nov 2009
Posts
4,784
Location
Edinburgh
Got this yesterday and I have struggled with everything to to with it. From the initial set up where instructions were minimal to say the least. Now that it is set up and mapped video, music, pictures copied across. Installed DS video, Audio, photo app on my tablet. So far, most of what I have done has been with the massive help from an online friend , without it this thing would have been through the window.

So far:

Music streams seamlessly to my tablet via the app.
Photos seemed to be a bit of a mess so uninstalled the app as not important.
Videos can be seen in the Synology control panel file station but not in the app. Installed VLC on PC files do not play what I have is a black browser with the VLC cone in the centre.

I am thinking that the Synology is way to complex for me and am looking for a, hopefully, simpler alternative that is compatible with Chromecast.

Desperate for help here.

PS: On trying to sign up to the Synology forums I get this.

Your IP 94.195.59.*** has been blocked because it is blacklisted. For details please see
Your IP 94.195.59.*** has been blocked because it is blacklisted. For details please see
An entry on the blacklist may have several reasons:
1. You are a well-known spammer.
2. Last time a well-known spammer was using the dynamic IP address which you got from your ISP (Internet Service Provider), your e-mail address or the username you have choosen.
3. Your ISP is well-known for a lot of spamming customers and is not fighting against spammers enough.

Which is pretty much the final nail in the Synology coffin.
 
Last edited:
Synology's DSM (software that runs on the hardware) is about as simple as it gets; other NAS' software is either similar or harder to operate.

Kronos said:
Videos can be seen in the Synology control panel file station but not in the app. Installed VLC on PC files do not play what I have is a black browser with the VLC cone in the centre.
Click to expand...

*Firstly is your DS115J fully updated?
*Do any files show under DS Video?
*Are the credentials you're using for DS Video correct?
*What format are the video file(s) (can use a media codec viewer like MediaInfo)?
*And are they supported by Synology and DSM (it'll be in the manual but also HERE)?
*Did the video file(s) play prior to copying it/them to the Synology?
*If you copy the video file(s) from the Synology to your computer (use a network share, again instructions are in the manual, rather than using DSM's file manager), does it/do they play in VLC?


Kronos said:
PS: On trying to sign up to the Synology forums I get this.

Your IP 94.195.59.*** has been blocked .....

Which is pretty much the final nail in the Synology coffin.
Click to expand...

This isn't Synology's fault unfortunately, rather the IP address assigned to your Sky router/BB account has been blacklisted due to spamming (most likely by whoever it was assigned to previously) and put on a number of global spam lists (CHECK HERE).

Best bet is to keep rebooting your router until another (different) IP address is assigned to Sky router/BB account.
 
This is how I use mine...

Give it an easy name, mine is 'nas'

Create shared folders..

Movies
Music
Photos
TV

Set the permissions for the folders.

Now on your pc, Start, Run..
type

\\nas\music

Hit enter

You'll have the shared folder to drop files into.
 
My experience with setting up a Synology 212j is that it does take a little while to get familiar with the way they work, but stick at it, and read the help files and search online.

Been using mine for almost 2 years now and its a dream, quietly hosting all my media with a shared SQL database for xbmc libraries.

I've still not made full use of the Synology mobile apps, but audio/video work well when I need them to, and have just started using photostation to allow me to access my photo's remotely.

With video station, also worth checking that you have set it up to index your media, otherwise it might take a while to scan every time you try and access it.
 
Thanks for all your help guys. But I have spent far to much time on this and have become completely frustrated. So Have returned it. It was bought more on a whim and some spare cash not out of necessity.
 
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