Source: 7 Docker containers you should run on your Synology NAS
Story by Rich Edmonds • 3d •
The network-attached storage (NAS) has evolved into a fully-fledged server, allowing you to install and host various services. Doing so makes it possible to configure your home or office with numerous self-hosted apps and services. Although Synology has an app store, I recommend using Docker containers where possible. I’ll run through a few of my favorite Docker containers that you can (and should) run on your Synology NAS.
Portainer
Host all your services
Let’s start with installing and managing all your Docker containers. Portainer is fantastic, and while Synology’s own Docker management app is fairly decent, Portainer simply has an edge in a few areas, which means that should you ever happen to switch from a Synology NAS, you can continue enjoying the same UI by using Portainer on other hardware. With Portainer installed, you can download and configure just about any compatible container, so long as you have ample NAS resources to spare.
So long as you’re using a container manager, you’re good to go, but Portainer remains one of my favorites. The ability to access network, user authentication, and registry settings from within the same app is a blessing for quickly making changes and troubleshooting. Plus, it supports Kubernetes and Docker Swarm, so you can start small and expand into quite the Swarm-powered cluster, which is one thing you’ll learn with home lab deployments — you can never think too big.
Homepage
Quick access to everything
When you have countless services configured and running on your LAN, it can prove difficult to maintain access to them all without setting up bookmarks or remembering IP addresses and ports. That’s where Homepage comes into play. This is a configurable splash screen of sorts, which can be set as your browser homepage (hence the name). It’s highly configurable, allowing you to add shortcuts to just about anything, Docker container services included.
It’s much more than a simple shortcut aggregator, however. You can set Homepage to ping specific services, integrate using APIs to show specific data and more. I have Jellyfin, Immich, and OPNsense integrated into my Homepage install, which provides glanceable data on current streams, image database statistics, and how the firewall is performing, all on the same page. Everything is handled through YAML configuration files, and the documentation is extensive.
Jellyfin
Cut the services
Jellyfin is one of the best media streaming and cataloging services available for the self-hosting world. Plex is usually the recommended go-to app for NAS and general servers, but Jellyfin is also as powerful with an emphasis on user-owned content and local services. For starters, Jellyfin is completely self-hosted. User accounts are stored on your server. There’s no integration with free streaming services with a vanilla installation either.
If your outside net connection fails for whatever reason, Jellyfin will continue to operate without issue. It’s also completely free with all bells and whistles activated, including hardware-based transcoding, and because it’s free open-source software (FOSS), you can bet more tech-savvy eyes are on the code with each release, ensuring everything is up to scratch. Should you wish to add extra functionality, a wealth of community-made plugins is at the ready.
Vaultwarden
Protect all your accounts
I’m a big fan of Bitwarden and have relied on the app for managing passwords for many years now. What’s brilliant about Vaultwarden is the open-source Vaultwarden container, which essentially provides a local Bitwarden instance for your home. Not feeling too comfortable relying on companies to securely store all your user account credentials? Take back full control with Vaultwarden on your Synology NAS, and you can access your logins from anywhere with secure connections.
Using randomly generated passwords with all your online accounts is vital to ensure you have rock-solid protection against malicious attacks. Using Vaultwarden to host your Bitwarden vault and instance ensures that only you are responsible for your own data and security measures. With everything in the self-hosting world, you can then be as open or closed as you wish, using virtual private networks (VPNs), reverse proxies, and more to provide access to your secured vault.
Immich
OneDrive, Google Photos, iCloud, and other cloud-based storage services are great for backing up your devices, but they often have limited space. That’s where Immich comes in with its unlimited capacity (depending on how large your drives are) and excellent feature set. It’s akin to having your very own Google Photos at home with facial recognition, cataloging, and much more. All that’s required is an app on all the devices you wish to back up and Immich does the rest.
My favorite part about Immich is the user account system to keep everything separate but with the ability to create shared folders for combining photo collections. It has saved us a few times when devices have ceased to work or have run out of storage space, and I cannot recommend it enough for your Synology NAS.
Nextcloud
Did you know you can also turn your Synology NAS into a powerful office suite with Nextcloud? Similar to how we can replace Google Photos and similar platforms with Immich, Nextcloud can provide you with the means to create documents, edit spreadsheets, and whip up some killer presentations. Google Docs is an excellent platform for creating and sharing such documents, but like anything in the cloud, your relying on a company for availability and security. Not to mention, you could be storing sensitive data.
Nextcloud on Synology is a way to not only make the office suite available to those on the LAN, but with a VPN or reverse proxy configured, you could be hosting your own Office platform without spending a single penny more.
Home Assistant
Create a truly smart home
If you’ve ever wondered why Amazon Alexa and other “smart” assistants feel so limited, you’re not alone. Home Assistant is an open-source platform that acts as the backbone to any truly smart home with full integrations with thousands of products, including brands such as Sonos, Philips, Ring, and many more. The best part about using HomeAssistant to manage your smart devices is the completely free nature and ability to run everything locally.
Being locked into any ecosystem is disastrous when attempting to look at new ways to achieve something or to save money on new additions to the home, and Home Assistant can lend a hand by pooling together all your smart tech and offering convenient ways to configure just about everything within your walls. There’s even an official Home Assistant Voice, which is essentially an Alexa-like device but with full integration with Home Assistant (and all configured stacks) as well as local audio processing. The ultimate privacy solution.
Many more to choose from
The selection of Docker containers available is vast. You can find a container to do just about anything you could think of. Depending on your Synology NAS, you could create one powerful hosting hub with a few useful services running to enhance the home network. Combine it with a reverse proxy, or some other secure method for external access, and you could save a small fortune by cancelling subscriptions.