In our previous video about Synology NAS devices, we mentioned that these devices are much more than just a simple hard drive with a network connection. Thanks to their DSM operating system, you can bring countless functions to life, and today, we're going to delve into one that you'll find very interesting: managing smart devices with HomeKit.
Homebridge, the solution for your home automation
If you use Apple devices and have several smart products at home, you will surely be familiar with the iOS and Mac Home application. From there we can manage all our smart devices, however, for everything to work correctly we will have to have devices and Apple HomeKit compatible accessories
But what happens when we buy a device that is not compatible with the Apple system? That is when the problems begin, since we will be forced to use its own application, and this ultimately leads to a bad user experience, since the user ends up dizzy between so many different applications
Well, let me tell you that Synology NAS devices could save you from this situation, since thanks to the Homebridge software , we can create a server from which to manage and control all those devices that do not offer native HomeKit support.
In short. HomeKit-enabled accessories can be controlled from the Home app. And those that are not compatible are left out, forcing us to use their own applications, which is a nuisance. The idea of Homebridge is to act as a bridge, allowing all these devices to be connected with the Home application.
What do we need
- A Synology NAS with DSM 6 or higher
- Application Docker
- Application homebridge
- 10 minutes to prepare the installation
Installation first steps
The first thing we need to do is download and install the Docker application on our Synology NAS. Docker is a virtualization application that allows us to run applications on the NAS in the same way they would on a computer. The applications run in the NAS's memory, allowing us to enjoy additional features and new functionalities that weren't included by default on our device.
To download Docker, we just have to go to the package center and search the search box for the Docker application. We will select Install and wait for the download and installation process to complete.
It is time to download the second necessary application in the process, Homebridge, but in this case we will have to do it manually, since it will not be present in the official Synology repository. To download the package, just visit the following link:
Download Homebridge for DockerWith the package downloaded on your computer, go to the Package Center and select the Manual Installation option. Load the file you have downloaded and proceed to complete the installation. The system will notify you with a message warning you that the package is not official, but you should not worry about this aspect. Complete the installation let it finish completely.
Configuring Homebridge
With everything installed it's time to open Homebridge. You can do it from the NAS start menu, by clicking on the program icon. The default access codes are admin/admin, and once logged in, you will enter the main screen with the configuration QR.
But first we must configure all the devices that we need to make compatible. To do this, we access the Plugi-ins tab and we will look for the name of the device that we need to configure. In our case we have configured a Ring smart peephole. If we search for Ring, we will get a result of a compatible plug-in, which we can install and configure immediately.
Once you have all your devices checked and configured, you just need to add the bridge to the iOS Home app.
Open the Home app, tap on the “+” button and select “add new device”. The menu will activate the camera and you can scan the QR code that you will find on the Homebridge home screen. Finish the process of adding the bridge and in a few seconds all the devices that you had configured in Homebridge will immediately appear on the Home screen.
From now on you will be able to control all those devices that were not compatible with Homekit from your iPhone, and all thanks to a simple server that you have set up on your Synology NAS.