Download Station can be installed under the Synology NAS operating system. And with that you automate downloads via Bittorrent and nzb, among others. This way you can download directly to your nas and the files will end up right where you want them – without using your PC (s).
To begin with, of course, there is the inevitable warning: it is forbidden to download copyrighted material. Whether via Bittorrent, via Usenet or from any website: it is not allowed. By the way, Usenet is much safer than Bittorrent. It is even possible to encrypt the entire traffic via ssl. A provider or curious organization can never see 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 great advantage of Synology’s Download Station is that the entire download process – including unzipping afterwards – takes place fully automatically. The PC can therefore be switched off, which is a nice bonus: a nas uses considerably less power than a PC. You can find Download Station as a separate installation package in Package Center. That is Synology’s app store, containing (largely free) software. Search Download Station and install it by clicking the appropriate button.
It is important to first configure a few things. Especially to prevent your internet connection from clogging up due to one or more ongoing download processes. Start Download Station and click on the gear at the bottom left of the screen. First, it is necessary to set up 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, call a new instance something like Downloads or Torrents. You can change the folder (afterwards or not) by clicking on Location in the column on the left, after which you can adjust things on the right.
Bit torrent 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 (disabled by default): these are correct. Behind Max. upload speed enter a low value. Zero is not going well, you have to upload something to download (which is also the problem with Bittorrent).
Fill behind Max. download speed a value that is below the maximum download speed of your internet connection. This also leaves you with enough breathing space while downloading to be able to continue doing things like browsing, emailing, WhatsApp and more via the home network. To stop the mandatory upload immediately after the download is complete, 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 smart guys have figured out that you can also exchange files via the system. That is a fairly complex set of all kinds of loose pieces, spread over different messages. Fortunately, you do not have to work manually to make a whole of all those loose pieces: Download Station handles that quickly and effectively for you.
However, you must subscribe to a Usenet provider. Most ISPs only offer limited or even no access to groups with binaries (or downloadable files) hidden in them. A well-known Usenet provider is for example Xlned. Once you have created an account there and ordered a subscription (the options differ mainly in download speed), then – still in the Download Station settings window – click on NZB. Why nzb? We will come back to this in a moment!
For now it is important to fill in the meanwhile received account data of – in this example Xlned -. So those are the first News server and the News server port. Then simply put the option Allow only SSL / TLS connection On. This means that all data transfer is encrypted securely and your provider or other interested party can never find out what exactly you have downloaded. Always good for your privacy!
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Then enable the option Verification required and enter the username and password received from Xlned underneath. Also the Number of connections per NZB task set to the number associated with your chosen subscription. The maximum download speed can also be regulated here. However, that will not always be necessary, because if the speed of your subscription is lower than the download speed of your internet connection, it will be arranged automatically.
To make it completely user-friendly, you can go on in the column on the left Automatic unpacking click. Many torrents and nzb’s are compressed files. In the case of Usenet files (those NZBs), this usually concerns a whole series of rar files. Takes a while to unpack that, especially when it comes to a larger whole. By the option Enable the Auto Extract service for Synology NAS users to turn on auto-extract files, Download Station will do this after download.
In short: if you start a series of downloads, after a few days you will find them neatly unpacked and ready for use in the download folder! Please 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 column on the left 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. 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. Partially paid or at least accountable for this can be found online. Don’t worry, there are plenty of free search pages too! In the case of, for example, the free Usenet finder nzbindex.nl it 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.
Please save the resulting nzb file on the desktop for a while. Then drag this file from there to the open window of Download Station in your browser. A new dialog opens; click on this OK and the download starts.
Via smartphone app
It can be a lot easier for owners of an Android device. Download the app DS Get from Synology. If you click on the download button of nzbindex.nl on your Android device, you can open it in the relevant app and it will be 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 this, so the app can no longer be found in the App Store. However, if you have ever downloaded it in the past, DS Get can simply be found in your purchase list and installed from there.
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