{"id":1032,"date":"2018-02-01T20:25:01","date_gmt":"2018-02-02T00:25:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/xpenology.org\/?page_id=1032"},"modified":"2022-08-03T10:53:20","modified_gmt":"2022-08-03T14:53:20","slug":"xpenology-definitive-guide","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/","title":{"rendered":"Xpenology: Run Synology DSM Software on Your Own Hardware"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7454881350947197\"\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\nResearching how to install Xpenology at home? You have come to the right place. If you do not want to spend time reviewing the site and would just like to know our recommended hardware, we have created this handy table outlining the hardware we used for our specific requirements.<\/p>\n<p >No products found.<\/p>\n<p><!-- Navigation --><\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center; color: #fb2056; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-size: 25px;\">Quick Navigation<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_26 counter-hierarchy counter-decimal ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"display: none;\"><label for=\"item\" aria-label=\"Table of Content\"><i class=\"ez-toc-glyphicon ez-toc-icon-toggle\"><\/i><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"item\"><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/#What_is_Xpenology\" title=\"What is Xpenology?\">What is Xpenology?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/#What_Are_The_Hardware_Requirements\" title=\"What Are The Hardware Requirements?\">What Are The Hardware Requirements?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/#How_much_RAM_do_I_need_for_Xpenology\" title=\"How much RAM do I need for Xpenology?\">How much RAM do I need for Xpenology?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/#Where_Can_I_download_Xpenology\" title=\"Where Can I download Xpenology?\">Where Can I download Xpenology?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/#Is_DSM_7_available_on_Xpenology\" title=\"Is DSM 7 available on Xpenology?\">Is DSM 7 available on Xpenology?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/#How_Do_I_Install_Xpenology\" title=\"How Do&#xA0;I Install Xpenology?\">How Do&#xA0;I Install Xpenology?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/#How_Easy_is_it_to_Update_Xpenology\" title=\"How Easy is it to Update Xpenology?\">How Easy is it to Update Xpenology?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/#Is_Xpenology_Stable\" title=\"Is Xpenology Stable?\">Is Xpenology Stable?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/#Is_Xpenology_legal\" title=\"Is Xpenology legal?\">Is Xpenology legal?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/#Conclusion\" title=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>More than likely you&#8217;ve been digging around on the internet looking for ways to build your own network-attached storage server and are looking for a solid and flexible OS to use on it. This then leads you to the big question:<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Xpenology\"><\/span>What is Xpenology?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW265040479 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun CommentStart SCXW265040479 BCX0\">Xpenology is a bootloader for Synology&#x2019;s operating system, called DSM (Disk Station Manager), and is used on their NAS devices.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW265040479 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW265040479 BCX0\">&#xA0;DSM is running on a custom Linux version developed by&#xA0;<\/span><\/span><a class=\"Hyperlink SCXW265040479 BCX0\" href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/category\/synology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW265040479 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW265040479 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">Synology<\/span><\/span><\/a><span class=\"TextRun SCXW265040479 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW265040479 BCX0\">. It is optimized for running on a NAS server with&#xA0;<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW265040479 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW265040479 BCX0\">all<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW265040479 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW265040479 BCX0\">&#xA0;the features you often need in a NAS device.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW265040479 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">&#xA0;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Xpenology creates the possibility to run the Synology DSM on any x86 device like any&#xA0;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">PC&#xA0;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">or<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#xA0;self-built NAS. So, you can benefit from the powerful multimedia- and cloud features of DSM without buying the hardware NAS from Synology. Many people prefer this because they can pick out their own (more powerful) processor and&#xA0;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/s?k=ram&amp;linkCode=sl2&amp;tag=xpenology0f-20&amp;linkId=546fc1c112af6913222ca7c931e4334a&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">RAM<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#xA0;to handle things like transcoding video.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">&#xA0;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">This will also save money and make you more flexible in the long term.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">&#xA0;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">It&#x2019;s<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#xA0;also possible to natively install and run apps on DSM using their package manager. Think of the package manager as its own app store where you can download (and manage the update process) of each application. This includes some useful tools and packages such as<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">&#xA0;<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"&#xF0B7;\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Always-on download station<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">&#xA0;<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"&#xF0B7;\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Media server for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/best-synology-for-running-plex-media-server\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">P<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">lex<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">,&#xA0;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">K<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">odi<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">,&#xA0;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#x2026;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">&#xA0;<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"&#xF0B7;\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Git<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">&#xA0;<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"&#xF0B7;\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Other version-control systems<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">&#xA0;<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"&#xF0B7;\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">CMS such as WordPress<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"&#xF0B7;\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">LDAP-servers<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">&#xA0;<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"&#xF0B7;\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Your own mail server<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">&#xA0;<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"&#xF0B7;\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">The popular &#x201C;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">Docker<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#x201D;&#xA0;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">&#xA0;<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"&#xF0B7;\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">A surveillance application (where you can control and manage IP cameras in your home or business)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">&#xA0;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">I think this is an essential thing because Synology offers amazing support.&#xA0;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">They&#x2019;re<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#xA0;smart using Linux and would fix strange bugs remote over SSH. You should decide if&#xA0;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">it&#x2019;s<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#xA0;worth it for you to buy a stock-NAS to benefit from them.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">&#xA0;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Especially for end-users with less or no experience in IT\/Linux, it would be a better solution for them to buy a Synology NAS, switch it on, and have fun without caring about the backend technology.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">&#xA0;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-122 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/xpenology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Xpenology-package-manager-1024x684.png\" alt=\"package manager\" width=\"648\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Xpenology-package-manager-1024x684.png 1024w, https:\/\/xpenology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Xpenology-package-manager-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/xpenology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Xpenology-package-manager.png 1086w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 648px) 100vw, 648px\" \/><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-173\" src=\"http:\/\/xpenology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Screen-Shot-2015-04-14-at-9.35.59-PM-294x300.png\" alt=\"Hardware for Xpenology\" width=\"294\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Screen-Shot-2015-04-14-at-9.35.59-PM-294x300.png 294w, https:\/\/xpenology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Screen-Shot-2015-04-14-at-9.35.59-PM.png 420w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 294px) 100vw, 294px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_The_Hardware_Requirements\"><\/span>What Are The Hardware Requirements?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>First is the hardware I used for my build (check prices below):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B009LHF4FO\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B009LHF4FO&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=xpenology0f-20&amp;linkId=OVUEJHTORX45HG4O\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Fractal Design Node 304<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Asus-H110I-PLUS-Motherboard-Mini-DDR4\/dp\/B01ARORF5Q?dchild=1&amp;keywords=ASUS Mini ITX DDR3 1600 LGA 1150 Motherboard H87I-PLUS&amp;qid=1616680430&amp;sr=8-2&amp;linkCode=sl1&amp;tag=xpenology0f-20&amp;linkId=7f8f5ba21449f941513ba752822b3169&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ASUS H87I-PLUS Motherboard<\/a><\/li>\n<li>2 x&#xA0;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B008JJLZ7G\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B008JJLZ7G&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=xpenology0f-20&amp;linkId=AKYSURCZYJT7GAFV\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">WD Red 2TB NAS Hard Drive<\/a><\/li>\n<li>1 x&#xA0;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Red-Pro-Hard-Disk-Drive\/dp\/B00LO3KRM8\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=pc&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1517528051&amp;sr=1-8&amp;keywords=wd+red+4TB&amp;linkCode=sl1&amp;tag=xpenology0f-20&amp;linkId=4095d192fd105eaa98b5036f6620a035&amp;language=en_US\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">4TB WD Red NAS Hard Drive<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B008XEYT5M\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B008XEYT5M&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=xpenology0f-20&amp;linkId=7YMKNIAT5CNUKHDD\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Seasonic 360W 80PLUS Gold<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B006WAGGUK\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B006WAGGUK&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=xpenology0f-20&amp;linkId=WJC53QUL62KHDPES\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB Kit<\/a>&#xA0;(2 x 4GB)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00EUUIWZ6\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B00EUUIWZ6&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=xpenology0f-20&amp;linkId=EFA5YFCUQ5AJXRPD\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Intel I5-4440 Processor<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The above hardware is just what I ended up using because it fit my specific needs. When it comes down to it, you can install Xpenology on almost any PC you might have lying around. Many people are also using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/s?k=HP+microservers&amp;tag=xpenology0f-20\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">HP Microservers<\/a> like the HP N40L or the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/s?k=HP+ProLiant+Gen10&amp;tag=xpenology0f-20\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">HP ProLiant Gen10<\/a>. They are an excellent fit for a basic installation with plenty of people in the community sharing the same setup. So, if you run into a snag or have questions about your options, chances are some people can help.<\/p>\n<p >No products found.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Have a look at our dedicated articles about:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/recommended-hardware\/\">Recommended hardware<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/whats-the-best-hard-drive-for-a-synology-nas\/\">Recommended hard drives<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Here is a short list of some hardware confirmed to work with Xpenology and some that we know will not.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Known Xpenology Compatible Motherboards:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00MOTS1HO\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B00MOTS1HO&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=xpenology0f-20&amp;linkId=PZFDHE6O7N7IKFV7\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ASRock Q1900DC-ITX<\/a> (Wake on LAN doesn&#x2019;t&#xA0;work &#x2192; driver problem in Nanoboot, the rest works perfectly)<\/li>\n<li>Gigabyte&#xA0;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00GK646C6\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B00GK646C6&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=xpenology0f-20&amp;linkId=RRHO5TDRXS3MY4GG\" class=\"broken_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">GA-C1037UN-EUCELERON1007U<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00AZ9T3OU\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B00AZ9T3OU&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=xpenology0f-20&amp;linkId=N6LNKJWVN7MPD22U\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">IO SI-PEX40064<\/a> (Marvell 88SE9215) &#x2013; 4-Port Internal SATA3<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00BI4C0J6\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B00BI4C0J6&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=xpenology0f-20&amp;linkId=DFOG525BZYJQV3N6\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ASUS H61M-A<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Motherboards Known to NOT work:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Generic (Jmb363) &#x2013; 4-Port Internal SATA2 Raid Controller Works with hacked NON-RAID, AHCI or IDE BIOS, Original RAID Mode BIOS don&#x2019;t work<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-531 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/xpenology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Xpenology-overview-3.jpg\" alt=\"Xpenology Status\" width=\"970\" height=\"561\" srcset=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Xpenology-overview-3.jpg 970w, https:\/\/xpenology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Xpenology-overview-3-300x174.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_much_RAM_do_I_need_for_Xpenology\"><\/span><b>How much RAM do I need for Xpenology?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generally speaking, 4GB of RAM is needed for Xpenology. This is the minimum required to download and run Xpenology with ease. Any less RAM, and you would struggle to run the DSM software as intended, leaving you with a NAS prone to slow downs, freezing, and even crashing.&#xA0;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have more RAM than 4GB, then excellent! But you won&#x2019;t need the extra RAM to install and run Xpenology. A little extra RAM is always good to have, but if all you are doing is serving files, 4GB should not impact your performance.&#xA0;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you run a VM or RAID, however, you will want some more RAM; we recommend 8GB for this. Unless you are using a serious amount of power, anything over 8-16GB of RAM is overkill and a waste of your hard-earned money! For those that have already built their PCs and have larger RAM, don&#x2019;t worry! You can still run Xpenology, but you are unlikely to use all the extra RAM that you have.&#xA0;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_Can_I_download_Xpenology\"><\/span>Where Can I download Xpenology?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW79459986 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW79459986 BCX0\">Downloading Xpenology is <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW79459986 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun AdvancedProofingIssueV2 SCXW79459986 BCX0\">easy as pie<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW79459986 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW79459986 BCX0\">. <span class=\"FieldRange SCXW79459986 BCX0\"><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW79459986 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun CommentStart SCXW79459986 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/download\/\">Subscribe to our newsletter<\/a>, and we will send you the download links. <\/span><\/span><\/span>Once downloaded, you can install it in about 15-20 minutes. If you are doing a fresh install<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW79459986 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW79459986 BCX0\">ation<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW79459986 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW79459986 BCX0\">&#xA0;of DSM 6.1, then carry on with the tutorial and omit references to DSM 5.2.&#xA0;<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW79459986 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW79459986 BCX0\">If<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW79459986 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW79459986 BCX0\">&#xA0;you are upgrading, then&#xA0;<\/span><\/span><span class=\"FieldRange SCXW79459986 BCX0\"><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW79459986 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun CommentStart SCXW79459986 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">these are the same <a href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/installation\/\">instructions<\/a> to use to get started.&#xA0;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_DSM_7_available_on_Xpenology\"><\/span>Is DSM 7 available on Xpenology?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For a long time it looked like DSM 7 would never come to Xpenology or would take a really long time. But we have seen multiple <a href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/installing-vpn-synology-nas\/\">installation guides<\/a> popping up on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/1809519629339294\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the official Xpenology.org Facebook group<\/a>. We have however not tested any of these ourselves. So, proceed with caution. In general, we advice against using Xpenology for storing mission critical data, especially without a <a href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/cloud-backup-synology-xpenology\/\">good offsite backup<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For your convenience and for those without a Facebook account we have copy pasted the user posted guides to our <a href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/installation\/\">installation page<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_I_Install_Xpenology\"><\/span>How Do&#xA0;I Install Xpenology?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">There are a few things you need to get this up and running. The first thing is, of course, a&#xA0;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">computer,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#xA0;the next thing you need is a&#xA0;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/s?k=flash 3.1&amp;linkCode=sl2&amp;tag=xpenology0f-20&amp;linkId=1f3784e1c8a0961c569cc982479905d2&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">USB stick<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">. I just used an old one I had lying around here, and it did the trick! So, if you have that and&#xA0;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">a bit<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#xA0;of spare time, you can get this up and running pretty quickly.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">&#xA0;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/installation\/\">Complete installation instructions<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Easy_is_it_to_Update_Xpenology\"><\/span>How Easy is it to Update Xpenology?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">If&#xA0;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">you&#x2019;re<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> doing an upgrade, make sure you have a backup of your data before moving forward, you will be glad you did if anything turns south! <a href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/cloud-backup-synology-xpenology\/\">Instructions on how to back up Xpenology<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Lower down on the <a href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/installation\/\">installation page<\/a> of our website, you will also find <a href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/installation\/\">instructions for updating Xpenology<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Updating Xpenology is&#xA0;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">pretty easy<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">, especially the minor versions. Usually,&#xA0;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">you&#x2019;re<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#xA0;not missing much between the minor releases, but if you want to stay up to date, just keep an eye on the Xpenology forums. Someone will post the instructions once they have the new version&#xA0;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">up and running<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">. I typically&#xA0;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">wait a few months to see if anyone has any bugs they ran into.&#xA0;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">It&#x2019;s<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#xA0;advised to turn off auto-updates to prevent your machine from trying to update on its own.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">&#xA0;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The major Xpenology updates usually take a little longer to be distributed, but again, if you just wait for the community to post feedback and get <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">all<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#xA0;the bugs worked out, you can update whenever&#xA0;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">you&#x2019;re<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#xA0;ready. There is no rush. I typically stay on the older working versions until a major release is out.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">&#xA0;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_Xpenology_Stable\"><\/span>Is Xpenology Stable?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW13695297 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW13695297 BCX0\">As a person interested in using Xpenology, you should keep in mind that this is not an official Synology release. Although&#xA0;<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW13695297 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW13695297 BCX0\">it&#x2019;s<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW13695297 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW13695297 BCX0\">&#xA0;based on the official Synology DSM, which is the same as what&#x2019;s found on the actual Synology devices, it&#x2019;s not officially supported by Synology. You could get support from the community for this software, but not from the company itself. Typically, once&#xA0;<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW13695297 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW13695297 BCX0\">you&#x2019;re<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW13695297 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW13695297 BCX0\">&#xA0;up and running, things are very stable without any issues but just know that calling support is not an option when you&#x2019;re not running on an official Synology device.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW13695297 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">&#xA0;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_Xpenology_legal\"><\/span><b>Is Xpenology legal?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The water is a bit murky here, but the consensus is that Xpenology is not legal. Why? Xpenology is a bootloader for Synology&#x2019;s operating system DSM. It runs on a custom Linux version developed by Synology, where the community has edited the code to work on non-Synology devices.&#xA0;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doing this is illegal, as you are accessing it for free instead of paying for the Synology DSM. If you are using Xpenology for personal use, chances are you won&#x2019;t get caught, and it should run as normal. But if you are using it for business or anything other than personal-lab projects, we would recommend avoiding using Xpenology.&#xA0;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It might not be as reliable as Synology DSM and could land you in some hot water if you are caught using an illegal system to run your business. Synology has stated <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cachem.fr\/xpenology-mot-fin\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that Xpenology is illegal and violates their intellectual property<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, cautioning you to avoid using Xpenology on another server. Synology warns that you can face legal action using Xpenology.&#xA0;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In some ways, it&#8217;s similar to &#x201C;Hackintosh,&#x201D; a concept where macOS is run on hardware not produced or assembled by Apple. It&#x2019;s illegal, but the chances of Apple going after individual users are uncommon. They did, however, shut down an online shop selling pre-built Hackintosh computers. Synology would likely use a similar approach. You are most likely safe to build Xpenology yourself, but buying it off someone could land you both in hot water!&#xA0;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember to take what we say with a pinch of salt. After all, we aren&#x2019;t lawyers and can&#x2019;t guarantee that Xpenology is 100% safe to run! Make your own judgment call here and avoid purchasing an Xpenology NAS from anyone!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW135487 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW135487 BCX0\">If&#xA0;<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW135487 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW135487 BCX0\">you&#x2019;re<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW135487 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW135487 BCX0\"> a do-it-yourselfer, then Xpenology is a great and cheap solution for a home project. If&#xA0;<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW135487 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW135487 BCX0\">you&#x2019;re<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW135487 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW135487 BCX0\"> looking for a reliable OS for a business-level NAS, I would advise you to purchase a real <\/span><\/span><a class=\"Hyperlink SCXW135487 BCX0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Synology-bay-DiskStation-DS418-Diskless\/dp\/B075N17DM6?dchild=1&amp;keywords=synology&amp;qid=1615754772&amp;sr=8-3&amp;linkCode=sl1&amp;tag=xpenology0f-20&amp;linkId=a72a4e8930536c4d9f066eacc0f729f6&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW135487 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW135487 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">Synology NAS.<\/span><\/span><\/a><span class=\"TextRun SCXW135487 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW135487 BCX0\">&#xA0;You will not be disappointed. The cost is well worth it. Synology has continued to innovate a lot faster than most companies in this space. They even have several mobile apps that play along nicely with their devices.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Have a look at our most popular articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/installing-vpn-synology-nas\/\">Step by Step Guide: Installing a VPN on Your Synology NAS<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/cloud-backup-synology-xpenology\/\">Best cloud backup services for Synology &amp; Xpenology<\/a><br \/>\n<\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/recommended-hardware\/\">Recommended hardware<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/whats-the-best-hard-drive-for-a-synology-nas\/\">Recommended hard drives<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Researching how to install Xpenology at home? You have come to the right place. If you do not want to spend time reviewing the site and would just like to know our recommended hardware, we have created this handy table outlining the hardware we used for our specific requirements. Quick Navigation More than likely you&#8217;ve &#8230; <a title=\"Xpenology: Run Synology DSM Software on Your Own Hardware\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/\" aria-label=\"More on Xpenology: Run Synology DSM Software on Your Own Hardware\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1385,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/rest\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1032"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/rest\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/1385"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1032"}],"version-history":[{"count":45,"href":"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/rest\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1032\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1597,"href":"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/rest\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1032\/revisions\/1597"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xpenology.org\/rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}