A safe first NAS setup checklist separates five jobs: initialize trusted storage, create volumes and shares, assign named accounts with minimum permissions, keep administration local by default, and build an independent backup that you actually restore from. RAID can improve availability after a disk failure, but it is not a backup.

Key Takeaways

Decide the storage pool, volume, and failure-tolerance goal before copying data.

Give each person and service a named account; do not share the administrator login.

Grant access per shared folder and verify both allowed and denied paths.

Do not expose the NAS administration page or file-sharing ports directly to the internet by default.

Keep at least one independent backup and test a real restore before deleting source files.

Read what a NAS is and who needs one before this checklist if you have not decided whether you want to maintain networked storage. For connection failures, use the device and app troubleshooting guide rather than rebuilding storage.

What should a first NAS setup checklist decide before initializing disks?

Inventory each drive by model, capacity, health history, and intended bay. Confirm that the NAS and vendor compatibility guidance support the drives, capacities, and layout you intend to use.

Write down four separate goals:

Goal	Question
Capacity	How much usable space is needed now and during the planned life?
Availability	How many disk failures should the NAS tolerate while remaining online?
Performance	Which workloads need sequential transfer, small files, or multiple clients?
Recovery	Where is the independent copy if the NAS, enclosure, or account is lost?

Do not let a setup wizard choose the recovery strategy implicitly. A layout that reserves capacity for redundancy can help the NAS stay available during some disk failures, but it cannot recover a deleted folder, compromised account, fire, theft, or damaged enclosure.

How do a NAS storage pool and volume differ from a shared folder?

A storage pool groups physical storage according to the product’s supported layout. A volume allocates usable storage and filesystem features from that pool. A shared folder is the access boundary presented to users and services.

Synology’s DSM documentation is one vendor example: its volume workflow asks the administrator to choose a storage pool, filesystem, capacity allocation, and optional encryption.［1］ Other NAS products may organize these layers differently, so use the exact manual for your model rather than copying DSM menu paths.

Create the fewest volumes and shares that match real permission and lifecycle differences. A separate share is useful when access, retention, backup frequency, or sensitivity differs—not merely to imitate a folder tree.

Which administrator and NAS user accounts should you create?

Create one named account per person and a dedicated account for each service that needs unattended access. Keep an administrator account only for maintenance; do not map everyday file shares with it.

Apply these account rules:

Change or disable predictable built-in administrator access when the product supports it safely.
Use a unique, strong password for every administrator and user account.
Enable multi-factor authentication for administration and remote access when supported.
Give backup software a dedicated identity and destination.
Remove unused default, guest, package, and test accounts.
Record account owners and a recovery process in a protected location.

NIST SP 800-209 treats authentication, authorization, configuration control, isolation, data protection, and recovery as core storage-security responsibilities.［2］ A shared household login weakens each of those controls because access cannot be limited or revoked per person.

How should shared-folder permissions be planned?

Start with no access, then grant the minimum required read or write permission. Use groups when several people truly need the same access, but keep group membership reviewable.

For each share, test three cases:

an intended user can read and, if required, write;
a read-only user cannot modify or delete;
an unrelated user or guest network client cannot open the share.

Avoid broad “everyone” write access. Keep private documents, family media, computer backups, and application data in separate boundaries when their access and retention differ. If smart TVs or media players need a library, grant only that library rather than the whole NAS.

Where should the NAS sit on the home network?

Connect the NAS to a trusted LAN or an intentionally managed storage segment. A guest Wi-Fi network should normally be unable to reach its administration and private shares.

Give the NAS a stable local address through the supported router or NAS method, but do not expose its administration page, SMB, NFS, or other file-sharing ports directly to the public internet by default. Remote access is a separate architecture decision requiring current updates, strong accounts, encryption, logging, revocation, and a supported secure path.

Disable packages, discovery services, cloud relays, media indexes, and remote features you do not need. Every enabled service adds an account, update, or data-flow responsibility.

Why is RAID not a backup?

RAID is an availability design inside the same system. It may keep data accessible after a supported number of drive failures, but the array is still controlled by the same NAS, administrator accounts, filesystem, enclosure, power supply, and physical location.

It does not independently protect against:

accidental or malicious deletion;
ransomware encrypting reachable shares;
corruption copied across the array;
administrator mistakes;
theft, fire, water, or electrical damage;
enclosure or controller failure.

CISA recommends offline, encrypted backups of critical data and regular tests of backup availability and integrity because ransomware may try to delete or encrypt accessible backups.［3］ A backup that is permanently writable with the same NAS credentials is not independent enough for that threat.

How should you build and test NAS backup and restore?

Choose a destination outside the primary storage pool: a removable drive that is disconnected after the job, another secured system, or a suitable cloud backup design. Match the method to data value, privacy, upload limits, and recovery time.

Set a schedule, retention policy, encryption method, account owner, and failure notification. Then restore representative files to a separate location and open them. Test at least a small document, a large media file, folder permissions where relevant, and one version older than the latest copy.

Do not delete the original source data after the first backup job merely reports success. Complete a restore test, record the result, and keep the recovery instructions somewhere available if the NAS itself is offline.

What should you verify before moving important data?

Run a final acceptance pass:

The NAS reports the intended pool, volume, filesystem, and usable capacity.
Drive health and notifications are visible, and a test alert reaches the owner.
Named users can access only their intended shares.
The administrator account is not used for normal file access.
Guest and untrusted devices cannot reach administration or private shares.
Unneeded services and public exposure are disabled.
The independent backup completes and a sample restore opens correctly.
A restart returns storage, shares, accounts, and scheduled jobs to the expected state.

Only after this pass should the NAS become the primary home for important files. Keep the original copy until the new backup cycle has completed and recovery has been demonstrated.

Summary

Plan capacity, availability, performance, and recovery as separate goals.
Understand the product’s pool, volume, and share layers before copying data.
Use named accounts, groups, and minimum permissions.
Keep administration local and avoid direct public port exposure by default.
Build an independent backup and prove recovery with a real restore.

FAQ

Should I create one NAS account for the whole family?

No. Named accounts allow minimum permissions, individual revocation, and clearer activity records. Use groups for genuinely shared access.

Is a mirrored two-drive NAS a backup?

No. Mirroring may preserve availability after one drive fails, but both copies remain in the same system and trust boundary.

How many volumes should I create?

Create only the number required by different filesystems, capacity policies, encryption, applications, or recovery needs. Shared folders often handle ordinary permission separation.

Should I enable every NAS application?

No. Enable only services with a clear owner and use. Each package adds update, account, data-flow, and failure responsibilities.

Can I expose the NAS admin page with port forwarding?

Do not do so by default. Direct public exposure increases attack surface; use a currently supported secure remote-access design if remote management is truly required.

When should I copy important files to the NAS?

After accounts, permissions, updates, notifications, backup, and a sample restore have been verified. Keep the original copy through at least one proven recovery cycle.

Are snapshots a backup?

Snapshots are useful recovery points, but snapshots controlled by the same NAS are not an independent copy. Combine them with a separate backup.

How often should I test restore?

Test on a regular schedule and after meaningful changes to storage, accounts, encryption, or backup software. A job log alone does not prove recovery.

Disclaimer: Storage layouts, encryption, recovery, and remote-access features vary by model. Follow the exact vendor documentation and maintain an independent copy of important data. AethoVPN does not configure the NAS itself: storage layout, independent backups, and access controls must be settled before any remote-network plan.

Sources:

Synology Knowledge Center — Create a Volume — https://kb.synology.com/en-global/DSM/help/DSM/StorageManager/volume_create_volume
National Institute of Standards and Technology — Security Guidelines for Storage Infrastructure, SP 800-209 — https://www.nist.gov/publications/security-guidelines-storage-infrastructure
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency — StopRansomware Guide — https://www.cisa.gov/stopransomware/ransomware-guide

Sources checked 24 August 2026.

Related articles:

First NAS Setup Checklist: Storage, Accounts, and Backups