Introduction
In keeping with my current approach to NAS reviews, I am separating a NAS hardware review from the software management feature set walk-through. You might ask why. The answer is simple.
For most NAS units that come from a particular company, the Management Software is the same basic software for each model. There will be some differences based upon specific hardware configurations. There will normally be additional features that one will find only in the higher-end models. But the same basic feature set will apply to all. So, why regurgitate the same thing over and over again?
When I do a new hardware review, I will refer to a separate Management Software article for information on the software side of a NAS device. A particular software walk-through will be updated/replaced as a new version comes out.
This version of the v3.1 Management Software (DSM 3.1) is based upon it’s use with my review of the Synology DS411 NAS device. Please note that I may update this walk-through with additional features found in other NAS devices that are not found with the DS411.
Finally, I need to emphasize the term “walk-through”. This article attempts to provide as much information as possible on the feature set and capabilities of the Management Software, but does not attempt to go beyond that. Doing so would require me to write a book, not an article.
Software Installation
To unlock and manage the feature set contained in DSM 3.1, you will need to install the software from the Installation CD that comes with this device. From this CD
- one can access the Quick Installation Guide,
- the Users Guide,
- and install the various software packages
