Download Station can be installed under the operating system of Synology NAS. And with that you automate downloads via Bittorrent and nzb, among others. This way you can download directly to your NAS and the files end up directly where you want them – without your PC(s).
For starters, of course, there's the inevitable caveat: downloading copyrighted material is prohibited. Whether via Bittorrent, via Usenet or from any other website: it is not allowed. Usenet is much more secure than Bittorrent by the way. It is even possible to encrypt the entire traffic via SSL. A provider or curious agency can never see exactly what is going on. For the rest, you can always download and upload legal material. Think, for example, of open source software (including, for example, Linux distributions).
The big advantage of Synology's Download Station is that the entire download process – including unzipping afterwards if desired – takes place fully automatically. The PC can therefore be turned off, which is a nice bonus: a NAS consumes considerably less power than a PC. You can find Download Station as a separate installation package in Package Center. That is the app store of Synology, which contains (mostly free) software. Find Download Station and install it by clicking the appropriate button.
It is now important to configure some things first. In particular to prevent your internet connection from being clogged by one or more ongoing download processes. To do this, start Download Station and click on the gear wheel at the bottom left of the screen. First, it is necessary to set a download folder. Create it via Shared folder (found in the Control Panel in the menu Start), or choose an already existing folder.
For example, name a new instance something like Downloads or Torrents. You can adjust the folder (possibly afterwards) by clicking on Location in the column on the left, after which you can adjust a few things on the right.
Bittorrent on nas
To fine-tune the Bittorrent settings, click on the left BT. Stay away from the options TCP Port, Enable the DHT network and Enable UPnP/NAT PMP (defaults off): these are correct. rear Max. upload speed enter a low value. Zero doesn't work, you have to upload something to download (and that's the problem with Bittorrent).
Fill in behind Max. download speed a value that is below the maximum download speed of your internet connection. This also leaves you with enough breathing room during the download to be able to continue doing things like browsing, emailing, WhatsApp and more via the home network. To stop the mandatory uploading immediately after completing the download, fill in behind Share ratio reached (%) the value 0 in. Choose behind Seeding duration reaches the option Ignore.
Usenet on NAS
Downloading from Usenet groups is safer, faster and more reliable. This system was originally set up for discussion groups. Today it still functions fine as such, but clever people have come up with the idea that you can also exchange files via the system. That is a fairly complex whole of all kinds of separate pieces, divided over different messages. Fortunately, you don't have to work manually to make a whole from all those separate pieces: Download Station handles that quickly and effectively for you.
However, you must take out a subscription to a Usenet provider. Most ISPs offer limited or even no access to the groups that contain 'binaries' (i.e. downloadable files) hidden in them. For example, a well-known Usenet provider is Xlned. If you have created an account there and ordered a subscription (the options mainly differ in download speed), then click – still in the Download Station settings window – on NZB. Why nzb? We'll be right back!
For now it is important to fill in the account details that have already been received from – in this example Xlned. So those are the first news server and the News server port. Then put the option Only allow SSL/TLS connection at. This means that all data transfer is firmly encrypted and your provider or other interested party can never find out exactly what you have downloaded. Always good for your privacy!
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Then switch the option Verification required and enter the username and password received from Xlned below. Also the Number of connections per NZB task adjust to the number that belongs to the subscription you have chosen. The maximum download speed can also be regulated here. However, this will not always be necessary, because if the speed of your subscription is lower than the download speed of your internet connection, this will be arranged automatically.
To make it completely user-friendly, you can click in the column on the left Auto extract click. Many torrents and nzbs are compressed files. In the case of usenet files (those nzbs) it usually concerns a whole series of rar files. It takes some time to unpack, especially if it concerns a larger whole. By the option Enable the Auto Extract service for Synology NAS users to enable automatic file extraction, Download Station will do it itself after downloading.
In short: if you start a series of downloads, you will find them neatly unpacked and ready for use in the download folder after a few days if necessary! Go through the other options that belong to this setting and adjust them to your personal wishes.
Search torrents and usenet files
Click OK and Download Station is ready to use. To search for a torrent, type a search term in the search field at the top of the left column of the Download Station window. Press Enter and wait a moment for the results to appear. Double click on one of the results and it will be added to the list of download tasks and run. By the way, preferably choose files with as many users as possible, then it goes nice and fast.
To download usenet files, a usenet search engine is required. Some of the copies that have been paid for or, in any case, account-required copies can be found online. But fear not: there are also plenty of free search pages to be found! In the case of, for example, the free Usenet searcher nzbindex.nl, this works as follows. Search for a term, for example Ubuntu . Select the file or files you want to download and then click the button Download selected.
Save the resulting nzb file to the desktop for a while. Then drag this file from there to the still open Download Station window in your browser. A new dialog box opens; click here OK and the download begins.
Via smartphone app
It can be a lot easier for owners of an Android device. Download the DS Get app from Synology. If you click on the download button of nzbindex.nl on your Android device, you can open it in the relevant app after which it is automatically added to the download queue.
Until more than a year ago, this was also possible on iOS devices, but Apple is no longer allowed to do that and so the app can no longer be found in the App Store. However, if you have downloaded it in the past, DS Get can simply be found in your purchase list and can be installed from there.
