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How Do I Connect a Synology, QNAP or Windows Share?
Stream plays videos from an SMB share on a NAS or a Windows PC. Turn sharing on at the server first, then add the share in Stream. Menu names differ by brand and firmware, so the server steps below stay general.
Before You Begin
- Administrator access to the NAS or Windows PC
- The Android device on a network that can reach that computer
- A folder of videos you are willing to share
When the share already exists, go straight to Play NAS Videos on Android With SMB.
Enable SMB Sharing
On a NAS, including a Synology or QNAP, sign in to the control panel and enable SMB. The switch is often labeled SMB or Windows file sharing. Use the NAS documentation for the exact screen on your model.
On Windows, turn on file sharing for the network you trust, then share the folder that holds the videos. The share name is the name Stream needs. It can differ from the folder name you see in File Explorer.
Leave SMB enabled before you test Stream. A management page in the browser is not the same service as the file share.
Find the IP Address and Share Name
Look up the server's LAN address in the NAS system information, or in the Windows network settings. It typically looks like 192.168.1.20. A hostname can work when the Android device resolves it. An IP address is the simpler value to type and to check later.
Note the share name, such as media. In Stream the address is the host or IP, a slash, and that share name:
192.168.1.20/mediaDo not enter the NAS admin site, such as a browser address with a port, as the SMB address. That page configures the NAS. Stream needs the share.
Create a Read-Only Media User
Create a separate account that can read the media share and that cannot change the rest of the server. Give that user permission to list and read the share and the folder inside it. Use that username and password in Stream.
This account is a good practice. Stream also accepts another SMB account that can already read the files. Fill in Domain only when that server or account requires a domain. Leave the password empty only when the share allows access without one.
A successful sign-in on the NAS website does not, by itself, mean that this SMB user can read the share.
Add the Share in Stream
- Open File Source.
- Choose Add File Source, then select SMB under Network Share.
- Enter a name you will recognize.
- Enter the server and share path, such as
192.168.1.20/media. - Enter the username, password, and domain only when the server requires them.
- Choose Add. Stream checks the connection before it saves the source.
Stream can list SMB servers advertised on the local network under Available SMB Servers. Tap a discovered server to fill in its host address, then add / and the share name yourself. Discovery does not add the share. Scanning needs local network permission. When the list stays empty, enter the full address yourself. Stream says that no SMB servers were found and that you can still enter an address manually.
Open the saved source, select the folders to include, and start a scan. Playback, discovery, and library steps continue in the SMB guide. On the upcoming Android TV app, you can send these details from a phone or type them with the remote. See How Will Stream Work on Android TV? (Coming Soon).
Common Problems
- The address is rejected: Confirm the share name and that SMB sharing is enabled. See Why Can't Stream Connect to My SMB Share?.
- The phone or TV cannot see the NAS: Use the same LAN. Guest Wi-Fi and client isolation hide the server from other devices.
- Playback starts, then stutters: See Why Does My Video Buffer or Stutter?.
Privacy and Credentials
Stream uses the SMB username and password only to open the share you configured. Passwords are not included in Google Drive sync. Google Drive sync can restore the source entry on another device, and that device may ask for the password again. It does not play videos stored in Google Drive.