Permanently mounting a drive on macOS

[DeltaGolf]

I thought Synology Drive would do what I want but no?

I want a folder on my Mac which is actually a folder/directory/share on my NAS. I want it like a Big Hard Drive that's always connected to my Mac. I want to store Big Files there and I don't want to have to keep connecting/reconnecting to an SMB share.

Drive creates a folder on my Mac and syncs documents. But I only want to add documents, not copy and it seems that Drive copies documents and keeps a version in sync on my Mac thus using up space.

SMB shares get disconnected when the Mac leaves the LAN. Drive stays connected. So I want Drive but not a sync Drive.

Am I asking the impossible - as usual!?

 

[fredbert]

Have you saved the SMB login credentials in Keychain Access (i.e. checked the box when loginning into the NAS from Finder)?

If you have you can then drag a folder in a shared folder to the Finder's sidebar. Even when disconnected from the NAS, if you click the sidebar item the NAS is automatically connected and the folder's contents displayed.

I have CloudMounter which uses SFTP to connect to the NAS and have it mounted in Finder, which is useful for a roaming MacBook [Air].

 

[SynoMan]

Have you saved the SMB login credentials in Keychain Access (i.e. checked the box when loginning into the NAS from Finder)?

If you have you can then drag a folder in a shared folder to the Finder's sidebar. Even when disconnected from the NAS, if you click the sidebar item the NAS is automatically connected and the folder's contents displayed.

That's exactly how I am using it and it works flawlessly.

 

[DeltaGolf]

Have you saved the SMB login credentials in Keychain Access (i.e. checked the box when loginning into the NAS from Finder)?

No, too paranoid... I'll give this a go. But SMB over the internet isn't a Good Idea, is it.

I have CloudMounter which uses SFTP to connect to the NAS and have it mounted in Finder, which is useful for a roaming MacBook [Air].

Away to look at this then.

Meanwhile Microsoft do exactly what I want. Save disk space with OneDrive Files On-Demand for Mac

 

[fredbert]

Meanwhile Microsoft do exactly what I want. Save disk space with OneDrive Files On-Demand for Mac

And what Synology said we'd get in Mac's client for Drive v3, but that's been sliding faster than an Olympic bobsleigher.

There are various 3rd party Mac apps for mounting in Finder using other file sharing methods. I happened to get a bundled licence for CloudMounter but MacHeist and Apple World Today stores usually have them on discount, like they do for iMazing (which I used in preference to iTunes/Finder). Other apps would be Mountain Duck, ExpanDrive.

 

[WST16]

SMB shares get disconnected when the Mac leaves the LAN. Drive stays connected. So I want Drive but not a sync Drive.

Hi,

Check Automounter.

 

[DeltaGolf]

Check Automounter.

Looks interesting, thanks for the tip.

And what Synology said we'd get in Mac's client for Drive v3, but that's been sliding faster than an Olympic bobsleigher.

As long as there's something.... Automounter might be good until Synology get their act together.

iMazing (which I used in preference to iTunes/Finder). Other apps would be Mountain Duck, ExpanDrive.

I do like iMazing. But I hate apps where you have to find vouchers. Got me into trouble buying an extension this week. But the support have been nice about it. I diverge...

 

[Rusty]

As long as there's something.... Automounter might be good until Synology get their act together.

I have this as an open pending question/answer towards Synology DE (Germany) on the mater of Drive data streaming for Mac. Will post as soon as I get any info on that.

 

[EAZ1964]

automounter used to be a usefull tool on older macOS, nowadays not needed anymore.
to connect to a synology drive from outside your LAN, you can use VPN or WEBdav And map your disk.

otherwise use onedrive or the likes.

 

[Seaprobe]

Once the keychain holds your credential, drag the drive from the Finder into System Preferences -> Users & Groups -> Login Items. It will mount automatically when you login.

 

[fredbert]

Once the keychain holds your credential, drag the drive from the Finder into System Preferences -> Users & Groups -> Login Items. It will mount automatically when you login.

It's whether it remounts should it come unmounted.

 

[EAZ1964]

It's whether it remounts should it come unmounted.

not sure if I understand the issue. Here it remounts if you just click the mounted disk.

 

[fredbert]

I find that when the NAS is unmounted then I have to find it in Finder -> Network and click to get the list of shares.

My Catalina Mac, when it does, selects the two non-main NAS to show in the Finder sidebar. The Big Sur MacBook doesn't even show those NAS, everything hidden in Network. But I don't want to have the NAS auto-mounted using SMB so having Finder favourite shortcut to a NAS folder works for me. Other times I'll use Transmit, or sync data with CCC, or CloudMounter... honestly I've too much choice

 

[Robbie]

I find that when the NAS is unmounted then I have to find it in Finder -> Network and click to get the list of shares.

My Catalina Mac, when it does, selects the two non-main NAS to show in the Finder sidebar. The Big Sur MacBook doesn't even show those NAS, everything hidden in Network. But I don't want to have the NAS auto-mounted using SMB...

Does not need to be that way. Any NAS broadcasting the mDNS flag _adisk._tcp. will automatically appear in the Finder Sidebar (after first authenticated connection) as and when the NAS is online.

Once mounted it will appear with the eject caret and if ejected will remain in the Sidebar.

Eg 2 x NASes in the Sidebar, online and available but not mounted:

Third NAS (Gimli) coming online, appearing in the Sidebar automatically but not mounted by that particular Mac:

From the DSM GUI the only way to set the _adisk._tcp. mDNS flag is by ticking the SMB TimeMachine Box as it is required for the additional TM adVF=0x82 sub-flag. Of course, no need to actually use TM on any given NAS but Apple networks appreciate the Bonjour / mDNS flags to run smoothly:

️

 

[fredbert]

Thx! Have some

I'm not sure that _adisk._tcp is necessarily 'it' because just with 'Bonjour for TM on SMB' enabled (with no assigned shares) then the NAS stays in Finder sidebar after it is authenticated and disconnected. This is on Big Sur. On Catalina the NASes are now all in Finder sidebar without having to first authenticate.

 

[Robbie]

Yes, all that is needed on DSM to get the _adisk._tcp. flag is that Bonjour for TM on SMB tick box (well, you get a little more but not relevant here). Before Mojave you sometimes needed the AFP Bonjour tag too but only SMB is needed these days.

The Discovery App (formerly Bonjour Browser) is a must for Mac networks as you get to see what macOS is absorbing. Wireshark will give you more detail for sure but often it shows what is out there rather than what macOS is using. The Discovery App is dead easy too.

Thanks for the snacks!

 

[fredbert]

The Discovery App (formerly Bonjour Browser) is a must for Mac networks as you get to see what macOS is absorbing. Wireshark will give you more detail for sure but often it shows what is out there rather than what macOS is using. The Discovery App is dead easy too.

I’d been using iNet but I just got Discovery after your screenshot… nice and simple. And Wireshark, have that too, is more info than necessary in this case.

Thanks for the pointer!