How to Set Up Radarr and Sonarr on a Synology NAS

Synology

Radarr and Sonarr are two of the most popular tools for automating the management of movie and TV show libraries. When used with a Synology NAS, they bring together media management, storage, and automation on a single platform that is already built to be reliable and run all the time.

A Synology NAS is a good choice for advanced home users and professionals who need to manage large media libraries. It offers stable storage, snapshot protection, and backup integration. Radarr and Sonarr take care of organizing content and automating its lifecycle.

Understanding what Radarr and Sonarr do

Sonarr takes care of TV shows, episodes, and seasons.
Radarr takes care of movies and profiles for release quality.

Both tools keep an eye on where content comes from, sort downloads, rename files, and keep directory structures the same. Running them on a NAS keeps media close to storage, which speeds things up and makes workflows easier.

Things You Need to Do Before Installing

Make sure the following things are true before you set up Radarr and Sonarr on your Synology NAS:

Docker or Container Manager is supported by your NAS model
The DSM is up to date
There are enough CPU and memory resources available
Storage volumes are set up correctly
User permissions are set for folders that hold media
For stability and easy updates, it is highly recommended to use container-based deployment
Docker containers are the best way to deploy

With Synology’s Container Manager, Radarr and Sonarr can run in separate environments without changing the NAS operating system.

Why Docker Is the Best Way to Do Things

Docker deployment gives you:

Easier updates and rollbacks
Isolation of applications
Managing dependencies in a way that is easy to understand
Less risk to important NAS services

This method is in line with professional infrastructure standards.

Setting up the structure of the media folder

A clean folder structure stops problems with permissions and mistakes in automation.

Suggested layout:

/media/movies
/media/tv
/downloads/incomplete
/Downloads/Complete

Make sure that the Docker containers can read and write to these folders.

Using Docker to install Radarr and Sonarr

Step 1: Get Container Manager set up

Install Container Manager from the Package Center.
Check that Docker support is turned on and working.

Step 2: Make Persistent Volumes

Map volumes for:

Data for configuration
Directories of media
Directories to download

Persistent volumes make sure that settings and databases stay the same after a container restarts.

Step 3: Set up the containers

When making containers:

Give the right user and group IDs
Set the right volume mappings
Open the ports that are needed
Don’t give people access to things they don’t need

Do the same thing for Radarr and Sonarr again.

Setting Up Radarr and Sonarr for the First Time

After the deployment:

Use the assigned ports to get to the web interfaces
Set up the main folders for movies and TV shows
Set up naming rules and quality profiles
Allow monitoring options based on what you want

Proper configuration makes sure that automated file management stays predictable.

Putting Download Clients Together

You need download clients that work with Radarr and Sonarr. Make sure:

Connecting containers to each other over a network
Matching paths between download clients and tools for automating tasks
Correct login information

Path consistency is very important to stop imports from failing.

Things to think about when it comes to performance and resources

Radarr and Sonarr don’t take up much space, but if you use them both at the same time, they could slow down lower-end NAS systems.

Best practices are:

Limiting how often scans happen
Planning hard tasks for times when you’re not busy
Keeping an eye on CPU and memory use
Not using plugins that aren’t needed

Keeping automation and system performance in balance stops backups and file services from being interrupted.

Access Control and Security

Security is important even at home.

Advice:

Limit access to web interfaces from outside
Use a VPN instead of open ports
Limit the rights of containers
Check logs for behavior that isn’t normal

Automation tools should never go around the basic security rules for NAS.

Plan for backing up and protecting data

There should be protection for automation databases and media libraries through:

Snapshot copying
Backups for local NAS
Backups in the cloud or off-site

The configuration data for Radarr and Sonarr is small but very important. Backing it up makes it easy to get back up and running after a system failure.

Common Problems with Setup and How to Fix Them

Check the UID and GID mappings to fix permission errors.
Check path consistency for failed imports.
Slow scans: Make the time between rescans shorter.
Database corruption: Restore from a backup.
Most problems come from wrong permissions or paths.
When it’s a good idea to get professional help.

Expert planning helps when there are a lot of users, a lot of libraries, or a mix of workloads in a complex environment. If you don’t set up your NAS correctly, it could affect its speed, backups, and reliability.

About the Epis Technology

Epis Technology helps businesses set up reliable, high-performance NAS environments by providing enterprise IT infrastructure, data protection, and Synology consulting services. The company is an expert in setting up Synology, planning containerized applications, optimizing storage, and designing backup systems. Epis Technology makes sure that NAS systems stay stable, scalable, and safe for a long time by making sure that media automation tools like Radarr and Sonarr work with professional storage and security practices.