Synology DS218 — Full Reset & Fresh Start Guide

Part 1 — Understanding the Three Types of Reset

There are three reset modes on a Synology NAS, and it’s important to know which one you’re doing:

Since you’re having persistent issues and want a completely fresh start, this guide uses Mode 2 (Hard Reset via the physical button), which reinstalls DSM cleanly. If you also want the drives fully wiped and are starting with brand new data, the guide covers that too.

Part 2 — Before You Touch Anything

2.1 What you’ll need

• A paperclip or SIM card ejector tool (to press the recessed reset button)
• A network cable (Ethernet) — do not rely on Wi-Fi for this process
• A Windows 11 PC connected to the same router as the NAS
• An internet connection on that PC
• Optionally: Synology Assistant installed on your PC — useful if find.synology.com doesn’t detect the NAS

2.2 Check your drives are seated properly

1. Power off the DS218 completely
2. Remove both hard drives from their bays
3. Re-seat them firmly — push until you hear/feel a click
4. Reconnect the Ethernet cable directly to your router (not a switch if you can avoid it)
5. Power back on and wait for the status light to stop blinking rapidly before proceeding

Part 3 — Performing the Full Hardware Reset (Mode 2)

This clears the DSM operating system and all configuration, while leaving your drive data partitions intact. You’ll reinstall DSM from scratch in Part 4.

Step-by-step:

1. Make sure the DS218 is powered on and has finished booting (status light steady, not blinking rapidly)
2. Locate the RESET button on the rear of the unit — it’s a small pinhole near the USB/Ethernet ports
3. Use your paperclip to press and hold the RESET button for approximately 4 seconds, until you hear one beep, then release immediately
4. Within 10 seconds of that beep, press and hold the RESET button again for another 4 seconds until you hear three beeps, then release
5. Wait approximately 2 minutes — the STATUS LED will flash orange when the reset is complete

Tip: The timing is the trickiest part. If the unit beeps differently or restarts unexpectedly, power it off, wait 30 seconds, and try again. One press = soft reset (Mode 1). Two presses = OS reset (Mode 2).

After the reset completes, the unit will show as “Configuration Lost” in Synology Assistant, or will await reinstallation when you visit find.synology.com.

Part 4 — Reinstalling DSM (the Operating System)

4.1 Find your NAS on the network

1. On your Windows 11 PC (connected to the same network), open Edge or any browser
2. Go to http://find.synology.com
3. The Web Assistant will scan your local network and find your DS218
4. When it appears, click Connect

If find.synology.com doesn’t find it:

• Open the Synology Assistant desktop app (download from synology.com/en-uk/support/download/DS218)
• Temporarily disable Windows Defender Firewall and any VPN on your PC
• Check your router’s device list for the NAS’s IP address and type it directly into your browser (e.g. 192.168.1.x:5000)
• Try a fresh Ethernet cable between the NAS and router

4.2 Install DSM

1. Accept the End User License Agreement
2. Click Set Up on your DiskStation
3. Click Install Now — the installer will automatically download the latest DSM 7.
   • Alternatively, manually download the DSM .pat file from synology.com/en-uk/support/download/DS218 and upload it manually if your NAS has no internet connection
4. You’ll see a warning: “All data on the drives will be deleted” — tick the confirmation box and continue
5. Click Install and wait — this typically takes 10–15 minutes
6. The NAS will reboot automatically. Do not close the browser tab during this process

Part 5 — Initial Setup Wizard

Once DSM has installed and the NAS has rebooted, the setup wizard will launch automatically in your browser.

5.1 Create your admin account

• Server Name: Give your NAS a friendly name (e.g. HomeNAS)
• Admin Username: Choose something other than the default admin — this is more secure
• Password: Use a strong password and store it somewhere safe (Windows 11’s built-in password manager or a dedicated app like Bitwarden works well)

5.2 Update settings

• Choose “Automatically install important updates only” — the safest option for stability
• Leave S.M.A.R.T. and bad sector warnings enabled — these alert you to drive health issues before they become failures

5.3 QuickConnect (strongly recommended — required for iPhone remote access)

• QuickConnect lets you access your NAS remotely without touching port forwarding on your router, and is essential for iPhone access when away from home
• Create a free Synology account and enable QuickConnect during setup
• You’ll get a personal URL like quickconnect.to/yourname — note this down, you’ll need it for the iPhone apps in Part 9

Part 6 — Setting Up Storage

This is one of the most important steps. Choose carefully — changing RAID type later requires another full wipe.

6.1 Open Storage Manager

Go to Main Menu → Storage Manager

6.2 Create a Storage Pool

1. Click Storage Pool → Create
2. Choose your RAID type:

3. Select both drives and click Next
4. A disk check will run — let it complete

6.3 Create a Volume

1. After the pool is created, click Volume → Create
2. Select Btrfs as the file system — this supports snapshots and self-healing, and is much better than ext4 for home NAS use
3. Choose how much space to allocate (you can use the maximum)
4. Click Apply and wait for initialisation

The first time, background disk parity checking will run. The NAS is fully usable during this, but performance may be slightly reduced for a day or two.

Part 7 — Creating Shared Folders

Shared folders are where your files actually live.

1. Go to Control Panel → Shared Folder → Create
2. Give it a name (e.g. Media, Backups, Documents, Photos)
3. Choose the volume you just created
4. Enable the Recycle Bin — this prevents accidental permanent deletion
5. Encryption is optional but adds security if physical theft is a concern

Part 8 — Connecting to Windows 11

8.1 Set a static IP (recommended)

To stop the NAS from changing its IP address after a router restart:

1. Go to Control Panel → Network → Network Interface
2. Select your LAN interface and click Edit
3. Choose “Use manual configuration”
4. Enter an IP address outside your router’s DHCP range (e.g. 192.168.1.100) — check your router settings to find what range it uses
5. Set Subnet Mask to 255.255.255.0, Gateway to your router’s IP (usually 192.168.1.1), and DNS to 1.1.1.1
6. Click OK

8.2 Map the NAS as a Network Drive in Windows 11

This makes the NAS appear as a drive in File Explorer, just like a local hard drive:

1. Open File Explorer
2. Right-click This PC in the left panel → Map network drive
3. Choose a drive letter (e.g. Z:)
4. In the folder field, type: \\[NAS-IP-ADDRESS]\[SharedFolderName]
   Example: \\192.168.1.100\Documents
5. Tick “Reconnect at sign-in” so it remaps automatically after reboots
6. Click Finish and log in with your DSM username and password when prompted

8.3 Enable SMB on the NAS (if the drive won’t connect)

If Windows can’t connect, SMB file sharing may need to be explicitly enabled:

1. In DSM, go to Control Panel → File Services → SMB
2. Make sure Enable SMB service is ticked
3. Set the minimum SMB protocol to SMB2 (Windows 11 no longer supports SMB1 by default)
4. Click Apply

8.4 Access DSM from Your Browser

You can access the NAS management interface at any time by typing into a browser:

• Local access: http://192.168.1.100:5000 (or :5001 for HTTPS)
• Remote access via QuickConnect: http://quickconnect.to/yourname

Part 9 — iPhone iOS Integration

Your DS218 works well with iPhone using a combination of official Synology apps. Here’s a breakdown of the key apps and how to set each one up.

9.1 Overview of Synology iPhone Apps

All apps are free from the App Store, published by Synology Inc.

9.2 Synology Photos — Automatic Photo Backup

This is the most useful app for most iPhone users. It automatically backs up your Camera Roll to the NAS, as an alternative to iCloud.

Step 1 — Install Synology Photos on the NAS:

1. In DSM, open Package Center
2. Search for Synology Photos and click Install
3. Once installed, open it — it will automatically create a /photo folder for your backups

Step 2 — Set up the iPhone app:

1. Download Synology Photos from the App Store
2. Open the app and tap Sign In
3. Choose QuickConnect and enter your QuickConnect ID and DSM credentials
   • On your home Wi-Fi, you can also use your NAS’s local IP (e.g. 192.168.1.100)
4. Once logged in, tap the three-line menu (≡) at the top right
5. Tap Photo Backup → Set Up Photo Backup
6. Choose your backup destination folder on the NAS
7. Configure these options:
   • Upload on Wi-Fi only — highly recommended to avoid mobile data charges
   • Enable Sleep Time Backup — backs up automatically while your phone charges overnight
8. Tap Done — your initial backup will begin

Note on iOS background limits: Apple restricts background processes, so automatic backups work most reliably when your phone is plugged in and on Wi-Fi. Sleep Time Backup handles this well once configured.

Photo permissions: Make sure to grant the app full photo access — go to iPhone Settings → Privacy & Security → Photos → Synology Photos and set it to “All Photos”.

9.3 DS File — Full File Access from Your iPhone

DS File lets you browse all your NAS shared folders, upload photos from your phone, and download files to read on the go.

1. Download DS File from the App Store
2. Open the app and tap + to add a connection
3. Enter:
   • QuickConnect ID (e.g. yourname) or your local NAS IP address
   • Port: 5000 (use 5001 for HTTPS)
   • Username/Password: Your DSM credentials
4. Tap Done — all your shared folders will appear
5. Tap any folder to browse, tap a file to preview, or use the upload button to push files from your phone to the NAS

Photo backup via DS File:

1. Tap the three-bar menu (≡)
2. Tap Photo Backup
3. Choose a destination folder and tap Upload to back up your Camera Roll

9.4 Synology Drive — Folder Sync & iOS Files App Integration

Synology Drive syncs a specific folder on your NAS with your iPhone and integrates with the built-in iOS Files app, making NAS files appear alongside iCloud and local storage.

Step 1 — Install Synology Drive Server on the NAS:

1. In DSM, open Package Center
2. Search for Synology Drive Server and install it

Step 2 — Set up the iPhone app:

1. Download Synology Drive from the App Store
2. Sign in with your QuickConnect ID and DSM credentials
3. Once logged in, open the Files app on your iPhone
4. Tap Browse at the bottom → look under Locations — Synology Drive will appear as a location
5. You can now open, edit, and save files directly from your NAS within any iPhone app that supports Files (Pages, Word, PDF viewers, etc.)

9.5 Accessing the NAS via the iOS Files App Directly (SMB — Home Network Only)

You can connect directly to the NAS from the built-in Files app using SMB, without any extra apps. This only works on your home Wi-Fi, not remotely.

1. Open the Files app on your iPhone
2. Tap … (three dots) at the top right → Connect to Server
3. Enter: smb://192.168.1.100 (use your actual NAS IP)
4. Tap Connect → choose Registered User
5. Enter your DSM username and password
6. Tap Next — your NAS shared folders will appear in the Files app

For access outside your home Wi-Fi, use DS File or Synology Photos with QuickConnect instead.

9.6 DS Finder — NAS Monitoring on Your iPhone

DS Finder lets you check on your NAS remotely — see whether it’s online, view drive health, and even wake it up remotely.

1. Download DS Finder from the App Store
2. Sign in with your QuickConnect ID and DSM credentials
3. Enable push notifications when prompted — this sends alerts for drive failures, temperature warnings, or if the NAS goes offline
4. To enable Wake-on-LAN: go to DSM Control Panel → Hardware & Power → General → Enable Wake on LAN, then use the Wake button in DS Finder

9.7 Recommended iPhone App Setup for Most Users

For a home user wanting photo backup and basic file access, the practical combination is:

• Synology Photos — set up first, with Sleep Time Backup enabled (replaces iCloud for photo backups)
• DS File — for quick access to any file on the NAS from anywhere
• DS Finder — leave running in the background for health alerts

Add Synology Drive if you want specific document folders to stay live-synced between your iPhone and NAS, similar to how Dropbox works.

Part 10 — Security Hardening

Synology NAS devices are frequently targeted by automated attacks. These steps take minutes and dramatically reduce your risk.

1. Disable the default admin account — Go to Control Panel → User & Group, find admin, and disable it. Use your named admin account instead.
2. Enable 2-Factor Authentication — Go to Control Panel → Security → Account → 2-Factor Authentication and enable it for admin accounts. All Synology iPhone apps support 2FA login.
3. Enable Auto Block — Go to Control Panel → Security → Protection → Auto Block and set it to block IPs after (e.g.) 5 failed logins in 5 minutes
4. Enable Firewall — Go to Control Panel → Security → Firewall and enable it. Allow only the ports you actually use (5000/5001 for DSM, 445 for SMB file sharing)
5. Update DSM — Go to Control Panel → Update & Restore and install any pending updates immediately after setup

Part 11 — Troubleshooting Common Issues

Can’t find NAS at find.synology.com

• Ensure both the NAS and your Windows 11 PC are on the same network
• Disable Windows Defender Firewall and any VPN temporarily on your PC
• Try the Synology Assistant app as an alternative
• Check your router’s DHCP client list for the NAS’s IP address and access it directly

Status light flashing blue continuously

The NAS is booting or running a task. Wait 3–5 minutes before trying anything.

Status light flashing orange after reset

This is normal — it means the reset completed and DSM needs reinstalling. Proceed to Part 4.

DSM install gets stuck mid-way

This can happen due to a poor network connection. Refresh the page and try again, or manually download the .pat file from Synology’s website and upload it directly during the install step.

Drives not recognised

Power off, remove and re-seat the drives. Check that your drives are on Synology’s compatibility list for the DS218.

Windows 11 can’t connect to mapped drive

• Ensure SMB is enabled in DSM (Control Panel → File Services → SMB)
• Make sure the NAS is set to SMB2 or higher — Windows 11 disables SMB1 by default
• Try accessing via IP directly in File Explorer by typing \\192.168.1.100 in the address bar

Synology Photos not backing up on iPhone

• Go to iPhone Settings → Privacy & Security → Photos → Synology Photos and ensure it’s set to “All Photos”
• Enable Sleep Time Backup and plug the phone in overnight for large initial backups
• Ensure the NAS is reachable — check QuickConnect is working by visiting quickconnect.to/yourname in a browser

DS File can’t log in on iPhone

• Use port 5000 not the WebDAV port — recent versions of DS File no longer support WebDAV login
• Double-check your QuickConnect ID and DSM credentials are correct

Summary Checklist

• Drives re-seated and Ethernet connected
• Hard reset performed (two presses, three beeps)
• NAS found via find.synology.com or Synology Assistant
• DSM installed and NAS rebooted
• Admin account created (not using default admin)
• Storage pool and volume created (SHR + Btrfs recommended)
• At least one shared folder created
• Static IP address assigned
• SMB enabled and network drive mapped in Windows 11
• QuickConnect set up and ID noted
• Synology Photos package installed on NAS via Package Center
• Synology Photos app installed on iPhone with photo backup configured
• DS File installed on iPhone for file access
• DS Finder installed on iPhone for health monitoring
• Default admin account disabled
• Auto Block enabled
• 2-Factor Authentication enabled
• DSM updated to latest version