Synology DS212j and iTunes

[Chisy1]

I'd appreciate any advice on the following issue. I finally took the plunge and bought the synology nas which I've had my eye on for some time. I've since spent a couple of evenings formatting drives and transferring over itunes data . I had to move my mac upstairs to my router where the nas is to set it up and left it there to transfer the iTunes media over a wired connection in the hope of speeding it up. This all worked fine until I moved the mac back downstairs. I tried to rip a CD last night assuming that it would save it directly to the nas, but the media folder was pointing back to its default position. The NAS wasnt showing as a "shared" item despite the fact that I hadn't changed any settings.

I can't see how it is relevant but I did jailbreak my Apple TV and install XBMC onto it whilst the mac was still wired into the router.

I can still connect to the nas via safari and also stream audio and movies to my ipad and apple tv, so it is still connected to my wireless network. I just can't understand why itunes isn't recognising it as a "shared" item.

I sat in front of google for a few hours last night trying to find similar problems but found nothing that helped. Anyone with any experience on this as it would be much appreciated as I desperately need to delete itunes data off my mac and I wont until iTunes and the NAS are stable (despite having it all backed up off site)

Thanks

Chisy

 

[Hems]

I'm thinking about buying this drive. Does it have an inbuilt bit torrent client?

 

[Juzzie Wuzzie]

Don't take the following as gospel, but I'm not sure that the NAS is capable of being part of a "Home Sharing" network. Rather, you need to set it (via iTunes) as your default location for storing files used by iTunes. As such, iTunes will then see it. I could be wrong here - given your other Apple products can see it - but it could be worth a tinker.

 

[PJ1200]

This might help: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsZQV3sSeFY&feature=relmfu

You can use the DS212j as a 'itunes server' so it will come up under the 'shared' section of iTunes.

I would imagine (and I don't know for sure) that you would still need to tell/point iTunes to the NAS drive via the settings however if you wish to save all downloaded/ripped music directly to the drives (rather than use your laptops HD)

I'm waiting for mine to be delivered, and will be embarking on this 'journey' myself in a few days time!!

Did you plug the DS212j into the router, and then the laptop into the NAS? If so how? I want to transfer around 200gb of music and photos to the NAS upon arrival (to free up space on my PC) so obviously would like to do this the quickest and most robust way possible!

 

[Chisy1]

Hi Thanks for the posts...was in middle of typing and post has disappeared.

Basically Itunes was detecting it as a share, with the iTunes media folder pointed to to the NAS and now it isnt since moving the iMac out of the living room to its "wireless" home - sorry for missing some key information out. Hopefully some other forum readers have a solution?

In answer to some questions...

Hems - yes it does have a bittorrent client and reminds you in UI that you should use it legally, which is very polite of it.

PJ1200 - you connect the NAS to your router and your computer to the router via a separate ethernet port.

I've never done anything like this before and I have to say it was all fairly straight forward (subject to my frustrations above!) Make sure you have both the Users Guide and the full manual to hand. First part deals with physically installing the drives and getting the DSM onto the NAS and the second one has all the extra "How tos".

I'm loving XBMC on my apple TV though, I can finally turn off my iMac to access my media!

Oh and one other point, if you're transferring photos to the NAS, make sure you use the "photo uploader" on the synology assistant software. If you google synology thumbnail problems you'll see why. Basically the photo uploader uses your computers CPU rather than the NAS - second route can take weeks apparently. I've not gone through this process just yet.

 

[SnowyJohn]

Basically, the Synology is able to share its music TO iTunes but it is does not actually have iTunes running on it. The iPad is not running iTunes so cannot see the 'shared' playlist from the Synology.

 

[Chisy1]

Snowyjohn. I don't follow, but I am knew to this, the NAS is not showing up at all in ITunes. Yesterday I consolidated the iTunes library onto the Nas and the iTunes media folder was pointing to the Nas..iTunes media folder is pointing back to the harddrive on my mac.

This is what has disappeared

http://www.synology.com/us/products/features/itunes.php

Or am I misunderstanding? If I rip a CD, I want the data to straight to my NAS which holds my media, surely that is what the iTunes server is all about?

Thanks again
chisy

 

[arty]

I have a synology Ds210J and this is how i have set mine up and it has run without problems for 12 months...

1. set a static ip address on the synology (done via the assistant software)

2. enable media sharing on the synology as this will auto create a folder for music, films and photos - transfer old itunes media folder to music drive on nas

3. map the network drive to your computer

4. point itunes to the mapped drive (for example mine is ponted to Zitunes

(my itunes server isnt enabled and everything works fine... the sonos see the itunes library just fine also)

cant help wth the ipad issue as i dont own one yet - hurry up ipad 3 ray:

 

[stanleyk]

Not sure if same issue as I found, I am using 211j with squeezebox (itself with a few teething issues). But before you launch Itunes make sure you connect to your NAS through Explorer for example, then open itunes and check your advanced preferences, it should now be pointing at your folder on 211. for some reason if you open itunes before you connect to NAS it deaults to user/etc/etc.

So after logging on

1) Connect to NAS

2) Open Itunes

3) Rip away

Hope that works for you

 

[Hems]

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between the normal 212, the 212J and the 212+?

 

[Scissor_digits]

The differences between the DS212+/DS212/DS212j are down to performance and features. The DS212j is the entry level model the DS212 the mid-range model and the DS212+ has all the bells and whistles. See Synology website for full feature/performance breakdown for each model

 

[Chisy1]

Arty

Thanks for this. I tried this at the weekend, albeit without creating a static IP address as you suggested and as you said iTunes now points to the NAS which is great. However, and I suspect its because iTunes still doesn't recognise the NAS as being shared (although not sure) I can't access any content on my Apple TV2, unless I use XBMC to connect to the NAS. This is fine for all content other than iTunes DRM content such as digital copies from Blu-rays. Does anyone else have this issue?

I also tried to put a digital copy of Toy Story 3 on my iPad and got a message saying something like "This content was not added to your iPad because it is not supported". Have I effectively locked myself out of DRM content by transferring data to the NAS? Would this be fixed by somehow getting iTunes to recognise the NAS as it was when I first set it up?

Again, any help is much appreciated but I do feel a bit like this :help:

 

[PJ1200]

I would have thought (and I'm by no means an authority on the subject) that you should set the NAS up as an 'iTunes Server' through the relevant software. For ATV2 to see the content it will need to be shared, although I still imagine that your computer would need to be on and iTunes running for ATV to see the 'shared' content of the NAS drive. You have jailbroken yours so I'm not sure how that will affect it. I would have thought the XBMC would enable you to access the content on your NAS drive quite easily? I.e. without iTunes being on!?

There will be apps (such as Audio Station) you can download for the iPhone/Android by Synology that will enable you to access your content on your NAS via your phone and stream it (via Airplay I believe) to your ATV (and Airport Express if you have it).

I also believe the synology is 'Airplay' enabled, as it suggests here: http://www.synology.com/dsm/airplay.php?lang=enu

I have just received my DS212j and two 2tb drives, so I've got my fun and games tonight trying to set it all up!!

Good luck, and keep us posted!

PJ

 

[Chisy1]

Hi PJ1200

Enjoy the set up process, it's all pretty painless, if a little time consuming! The nas and xbmc work very well together apart from DRM movie content and therein lies the problem with the NAS not being picked up by iTunes despite iTunes server being turned on.

The apps for iOS devices are very good and work very well, although again DRM movies won't play via DS File. I suspect I should contact synology support to see if they can help, as I understand they are helpful...that's not to say any help here is unappreciated.

 

[PJ1200]

Right, well I've unboxed mine, slotted in the two hard discs and loaded the software on to my achingly old PC!

I just wanted to check I'm doing this right:

It appears to have set up an ip address (I didn't choose the 'manual' route as don't understand that, and the other route was 'recommended').

The hard discs have been formatted, uploaded with the latest DS software (downloaded from the website) and set two 'volumes' on (I'm assuming) each disc.

I've then created two folders on one of the volumes - 'Music' and 'Photos' (fairly self-explanatory!)

I've now asked for the DS to upload my 'iTunes Music' folder to the 'Music' folder on the DS and all my photos (from my 'Shared Documents' folder) to the 'photos' folder. I'm hoping this is correct????

I have noted that iTunes seems to have created some random folders for the albums etc. Most are under artist within the 'iTunes Music' folder but there is also a 'Music' folder within that, with let more artist folders????!?!?? Seems very strange?

Now I'm waiting for the DS to do it's work with all this, and it has been running over night and was still going this morning.

I've downloaded the 'DS Audio' app for my iPhone, but whilst it logs in fine, it can't find any of my music. I have 'enabled' DS audio via the DS software. Any ideas???

Have I set up the volumes correctly? Should I have assigned drive letters (so Y:/Music and Z:/Photos)???

Just want to make sure I'm doing it the most efficient way before setting it all up to find I've done it incorrectly!?

I'm reading the User Guide but it is probably aimed at someone more technical than myself!!

Cheers

 

[PJ1200]

Looking at 'arty' post above, do I need to enable 'media sharing' via the software first, to enable me to 'see' the music/photo files on the relevant apps??

 

[Chisy1]

Some initial thoughts...but only from my experience of the last week or so.

IP Address - yes if i remember mine set its own IP address so that seems in order.

I have only one volume, but I presume you are planning to use the other for a further back up for your PC.

In the DSM are the folders you've created "shared".

On the photos, are you using the synology assistant photo uploader...this was a separate piece of software on the "synology assistant". I've not loaded any photos but if the thumbnails are being prepared by the NAS this will take ages by all accounts.

I recall there are a number of folders and sub-folders for my music but I can't check at the moment, I will try to reply further on this tonight...time permitting.

On DS Audio, I'm fairly sure I only had to tick the 'enable' box as you did and this works fine on my ipad, although I didnt look at doing this until all the uploading of my music had finished, so perhaps wait and see?

My NAS music folder is simply called "music".

Sorry if this isnt much help, but I'm new to all of this as well. Post back if you're still having issues after the uploading has finished.

 

[PJ1200]

Cheers Chisy - much appreciated.

I'll be having some more fun and games at some point this evening with regards to the uploading, so will report back after.

I've just set up the volumes on the discs and am using the file browser to upload all the files from my PC to the NAS. I'm not sure if the folders I've created (music and photos) are 'shared' but will look into this.

I'll also look to enable the 'music server' function via the Control Panel.

I'm not an idiot when it comes to IT, but I must say it isn't for the faint hearted! Something that is pointed out in the WHF review!

 

[Chisy1]

Re the DS apps, I also seem to remember having to turn on "webDAV" or something like that but I think that was for the DSFile app.

 

[Chisy1]

I've just set up the volumes on the discs and am using the file browser to upload all the files from my PC to the NAS. I'm not sure if the folders I've created (music and photos) are 'shared' but will look into this.

I used the method on this website http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/moving-your-itunes-library-to-a-new-hard-drive/P100/ to transfer my files, but as I'm not able to get itunes to pick up the NAS perhaps I shouldnt have :doh: It does have some useful explanation as to how itunes manages files though.