Hey everyone! In this article I’ll walk you through the process of sharing files from your Synology Server using the Drive application. It’s a simple process but there is some important information to know in terms of permissions and how people will access the files you’re sharing. I try to be as thorough as I can so in certain aspects of this tutorial may be very familiar to you.
Step #1: Launch Drive Application
Step #2: Select a file or folder that you wish to share.
Step #3: Set share permissions!
Private Shares: Only accounts and groups you specify in the invitee field(See step 4) will have access to this share. This option is essentially a selective version of the Internal permission level. Not only does the individual need to be in the invitee field, but they also must have an account on your Synology.
Internal Shares: As long as the individual has an account on your Synology and has the share link, they will be able to access these files. They don’t need access to the shared folder for the Internal link to work.
Public Shares: This permission level doesn’t require the end user to have an account on your Synology. As long as they have the sharing link then they can download the file/folder that you’re sharing.
Step #4: Set Invitees
The plus (+) sign on the right allows you to add another line, allowing you to easily invite multiple users or group.
With each invitee, you can give them access to just view files, which allows them basic access and the ability to download shared files. You can also give them edit access or the ability to manage the shared item. The manage permission allows those users to add additional users/groups to the shared item.
Also, keep in mind that you can create custom groups, so if you’re using your Synology with a larger team you can create a group to easily manage permissions such as groups for Sales, HR, Engineering, etc.
Step #5: Share That Link!
Final Notes
I personally find Private sharing better than Internal sharing seeing as both can accomplish the same goal. The benefit with Private Sharing is shared items are specifically shared with you or a group you’re in, and thus show up in the Shared with Me tab on the Drive app. Internal Sharing is still useful if you need to share something company-wide that is intended as a one-time link, but in most use-cases, I imagine that creating a private link is very useful.
