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TNAS Shared Folder Access Guide

TNAS supports multiple file sharing protocols including SMB, FTP, NFS, rsync, WebDAV, meeting file access needs across different operating systems and network environments. This document will guide you on how to access TNAS shared folders through these protocols on Windows and macOS.

I. SMB​

SMB is the recommended local area network file sharing protocol for TNAS, compatible with mainstream operating systems like Windows, macOS, and Linux, suitable for daily file reading, writing, and collaboration.

Enable SMB Service​

  1. Open TNAS Desktop → Control Panel → File Services → SMB.
  2. Check "Enable SMB File Service".
  3. In advanced settings, select SMB version (it's recommended to choose SMB 2 or SMB 3 as the minimum version).
  4. Click "Apply" to save settings.

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Note: You can click the copy button in the "Connection Method" section to quickly copy the address for future use.

Access TNAS via SMB on Windows​

Prerequisite: Windows and TNAS are on the same local area network.

  1. Open File Explorer (This PC).
  2. In the address bar, enter: \TNAS_IP_Address
  3. For example: \10.18.8.150, press Enter, then enter TNAS username and password.

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  1. Double-click the shared folder you want to access, and you can operate it like a local folder.

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Tips:
You can map the shared folder as a network drive: Right-click "This PC" → "Map Network Drive" → Select drive letter and enter the above path.

Access TNAS via SMB on macOS​

Prerequisite: macOS and TNAS are on the same local area network.

  1. Open Finder.
  2. Click "Go" in the top menu bar → "Connect to Server".

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  1. In "Server Address", enter:
    smb://TNAS_IP_Address
    For example: smb://10.18.8.150, click "Connect".

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  1. Enter NAS device username and password for authentication, after successful authentication, you can see the list of available shared folders to mount.

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  1. Select the shared folder you want to access, click to enter and perform file access and editing operations.

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II. FTP​

FTP protocol is one of the core functions of TNAS for file sharing, supporting encrypted transmission through FTPS to ensure data security. It's also compatible with various operating systems like Windows and macOS, enabling cross-platform seamless access and management of files on TNAS devices.

Enable FTP Service​

  1. Open TNAS Desktop → Control Panel → File Services → FTP.
  2. Check "Enable FTP/FTPS File Service", click "Apply" to save.

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Connect to TNAS via FTP on Windows​

Prerequisite: Windows and TNAS are on the same local area network.

  1. Open This PC, enter FTP address in the address bar, format:
    ftp://TNAS_IP_Address:port

  2. For example: ftp://10.18.8.150:21, press Enter, in the popup "Login Credentials" interface, enter TNAS account and password.

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  1. Click the "Login" button, after successful login, you can browse and manage files on TNAS like accessing local folders.

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Connect to TNAS via FTP/FTPS on macOS​

Note: Since macOS 10.13 (High Sierra), Apple has removed native support for FTP clients. If you need to connect to TNAS via FTP/FTPS, it's recommended to use third-party FTP clients (such as FileZilla, Cyberduck), or use SMB protocol for better compatibility and transmission performance.
If using macOS 10.13 or below, please refer to the following steps:

  1. Open Finder, click "Go" in the top menu bar → "Connect to Server."

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  1. In "Server Address", enter FTP address:
    ftp://TNAS_IP:port
    For example: ftp://192.168.1.100:21, click "Connect".

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  1. Click "Connect" again in the popup window.
  2. Enter TNAS username and password for authentication.

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  1. After completion, you can see TNAS folders in Finder and operate them like local folders.

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III. NFS​

NFS protocol is suitable for efficient file sharing in Linux/Unix environments, natively supported on macOS, and requires additional features to be enabled on Windows.

Enable NFS Service​

  1. Open Control Panel → File Services → NFS.
  2. Check "Enable NFS File Service", click "Apply" to save.

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  1. After enabling, open "Control Panel -> Shared Folders", select the folder to share, click "Edit".

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  1. Switch to the 【NFS Permissions】tab, click "Add" to configure NFS rules.

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  1. In NFS rule settings, fill in the server IP address for mounting NFS, ensuring only authorized devices can access. Permissions can be set to read-only or read-write.

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  1. After confirming the settings are correct, click "Confirm" to save. You can modify NFS permission rules for shared folders at any time.

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Connect to TNAS via NFS on Windows​

Windows doesn't support NFS client by default, you need to manually enable NFS service.

  1. Open Control Panel → Programs and Features → Turn Windows features on or off.
  2. Check "NFS Services", click OK.

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  1. Press Win + R to open command prompt, enter cmd, then press Enter.

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  1. Mount NFS share, enter mount command: mount -o anon \TNAS_IP\shared_path z: For example: mount -o anon \10.18.8.150\Volume1\aaaa Z:

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  1. After successful mount, you can access NFS shared directory in File Explorer through the mounted drive letter (for example Z:).

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Recommendation: NFS access experience on Windows is poor, it's recommended to use SMB protocol.

File Name Garbled Text Correction​

The reason for garbled text in file names is character encoding mismatch. You can manually enable Windows UTF-8 encoding to improve compatibility. Modification method:

  1. Press Win+R to open run window, enter intl.cpl
  2. Open Region > Administrative > Change system locale settings, check Beta: Use Unicode UTF-8 to provide global language support, click OK to save
  3. Restart system to apply configuration

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Connect to TNAS via NFS on macOS​

Before starting, please ensure the following conditions are met:

  1. NFS service is enabled: TOS system has enabled NFS service, and NFS permission rules for shared folders have been configured.
  2. Create local mount point: Create or select a local folder on macOS as the NFS mount point.
  3. Get local mount point path: In the "Applications" folder, find "Utilities" > "Terminal" application. Drag the folder to be used as NFS mount point to the terminal command line, the real path of the folder will be displayed in the terminal. Copy that path.

Connect to NFS Share

  1. In macOS terminal command line, enter mount command, format as follows:

sudo mount -t nfs -o resvport TNAS_IP:/shared_path /macOS_local_mount_path

For example, if the NAS shared folder is Emby, NAS IP address is 10.18.8.150, and macOS local path is NFS folder under personal directory dev, the command is:

sudo mount -t nfs -o resvport 10.18.8.150:/Volume1/Emby /Users/dev/NFS
  1. After successful mount, the local folder will be replaced by NAS shared path. You can access NAS shared path, just like browsing and managing local files.

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Precautions

  1. On the NAS device, ensure NFS service is enabled, and permission rules for shared folders are correctly configured.
  2. Ensure your macOS device and NAS device are on the same network, and network connection is normal.
  3. Ensure NAS shared path and local mount point path are correct

IV. rsync​

rsync is an efficient backup and synchronization protocol, suitable for synchronizing data from TNAS to other devices or remote servers,

Enable rsync Service​

  1. Open Control Panel → File Services → rsync.
  2. Check "Enable rsync Service".
  3. Set port (default 873)
  4. Set username and password as rsync account (username and password can be set as separate rsync account).

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  1. Add "Authorized Directory", select folder from the list (supports: normal shared folder, mounted encrypted shared folder, mounted virtual hard drive, mounted external hard drive, and mounted external USB).

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rsync Usage Examples​

Windows has no native rsync client, it's recommended to use the following methods: Backup this NAS to another TNAS

  1. Click "Backup" app icon, select "rsync Backup".
  2. Click "Create" button, enter the new backup task wizard.

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  1. In the configuration page, fill in the IP address of the other TNAS in server address, fill in the account and password set in 【rsync】service in username and password, other settings remain default.

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  1. After setting, click "Next" to try to connect to the other NAS.
  2. After successful connection, Source Path select the folder to backup from this machine, Destination set the storage location of backup files on the other TNAS. Click "Next".

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  1. Set the enable time and execution interval of the scheduled task, click "Next" to continue.

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Tips: If you checked "Backup immediately" in the steps, after the task is created successfully, the system will automatically start the first backup.

  1. Review the backup task information, click "Finish" to create backup task after confirming everything is correct.

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  1. You can view and manage backup tasks in rsync backup at any time.

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V. WebDAV​

WebDAV protocol is suitable for accessing TNAS files through the internet or HTTPS encryption, supports mounting as local network location.

Enable WebDAV Service​

  1. Open Control Panel → File Services → WebDAV.
  2. Check "Enable WebDAV Service".
  3. Set port (HTTP default 8800, HTTPS default 443), click "Apply" to save.

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Connect to TNAS WebDAV via RaiDrive on Windows​

  1. Install RaiDrive, open browser, visit RaiDrive official website: https://www.raidrive.com/download
  2. Download the corresponding installation package according to your Windows system version (64-bit/32-bit)
  3. Double-click the installation package, complete installation according to prompts
  4. After installation, open RaiDrive, you need to log in at the top right for first use.

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Tips: RaiDrive free version can meet basic WebDAV mounting needs, no payment required.

  1. In RaiDrive, add WebDAV connection, click the Add button at the top right.

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  1. Enter configuration items: Service Type: NAS → WebDAV
    Virtual Drive: Select drive letter (such as Z:, Y:, etc.)
    Address right side: Check = HTTPS (encrypted) / Uncheck = HTTP
    Address: NAS IP address or domain name
    Port: The WebDAV port number you set
    Path: Optional. Leave blank to access all folders with permissions; fill in to access only specified folder
    Account: NAS login username
    Password: NAS login password

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  1. Connect and access, after successful connection, click the folder icon in the application or open This PC, in the network location area, you will see the newly mounted WebDAV drive letter (such as Y:)
  2. Double-click to access and manage files in NAS like local hard drive

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Connect to TNAS via WebDAV on macOS​

  1. Open Finder, click "Go" in the top menu bar → "Connect to Server".
  2. Enter WebDAV address:
  • HTTP: http://TNAS_IP:port/webdav
  • HTTPS: https://domain_or_IP:port/webdav

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  1. Click "Connect".
  2. Enter TNAS username and password.
  3. After successful connection, shared folders will appear in Finder.

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