· I want my Roon server on my Mac mini M4 and my music is on my Synology. All smb settings en permissions are correct. But it keeps saying Unauthorized. Also I made sure that there are no special characters in the password. What more can I do to make it work? At this moment I have the Roon server on my Synology and that works perfectly. No problems. But I prefer the server to be on my Mac mini.
Have you tried using the IP address instead of the hostname?
Diagnostics show that you’ve already set up Roon Server set up on your Mac Mini. When you’re attempting to SMB into the Synology, I assume you are using this Roon Server? Please share a screenshot of the Settings → Storage page where you’re adding the network share location.
What NTLM settings are enabled on your Synology in Control Panel → File Services → SMB → Advanced Settings?
Thanks for the reply. I both tried host name and IP address. Both gave the same issue.
After not being able to have Roon running on the Mac mini (at least not able to connect to my Synology) I put the server on my Synology, so I can use Roon.
A great next step in troubleshooting the mac would be to re-establish it as a server, and reproduce the failure with a specific date and time. From there, we can enable server diagnostics and take a closer look into things.
Here is a KB article specifically around setting up network shares in a macOS setting - let me know if this might help as well:
A very reliable workaround on macOS is to mount the Synology shared folder at the operating system level, and then point Roon to that mounted folder as if it were a local drive.
Here is how you can set this up on your Mac Mini:
Step 1: Mount the Synology Share in macOS
Open Finder on your Mac Mini.
In the top menu bar, click Go > Connect to Server… (or press Cmd + K).
Enter the address of your Synology NAS (e.g., smb://[Your Synology IP]/[Your Music Folder]) and click Connect.
Enter your Synology username and password when prompted. Ensure you check the box to save the password in your keychain so it remembers your credentials.
Step 2: Add the Mounted Drive in Roon
Open Roon and go to Settings > Storage.
Click Add Folder (do not click the “Add Network Share” button).
In the Roon file browser, navigate to the Volumes directory on your Mac. You should see your mounted Synology folder listed there (e.g., /Volumes/[Your Music Folder]).
Select this folder and save.
To ensure this network share mounts automatically every time you restart your Mac Mini, you can go to macOS System Settings > General > Login Items and drag the mounted network folder into your list of items to open at login
Please give this a try and let us know if Roon successfully accesses your library this way!
Both options have their own distinct advantages, and the “best” choice really comes down to your specific needs and how you prefer to use Roon!
Here is a quick breakdown to help you decide:
Mac Mini M4:
It is significantly more powerful. If you use heavy DSP (like upsampling, convolution, or room EQ), have a massive music library, or simply want the fastest possible search and UI navigation performance, the M4 chip will easily handle it without breaking a sweat.
You need to ensure the Mac stays powered on and doesn’t go to sleep whenever you want to listen to music.
Synology NAS:
It is designed to be an “always-on” appliance. You can set it and forget it, and your Roon Server will always be available on your network. Plus, having your Roon Server and music files on the same physical device eliminates any network file-sharing (SMB) hops.
NAS processors are generally much less powerful than Apple Silicon and usually have less RAM available. If you start using heavy DSP or grow your library significantly, it might struggle or feel a bit sluggish compared to the Mac.Please note that Roon does not use a lot of CPU when you do not apply a lot of the sound enhancement features
If the Synology is working perfectly for you right now and you prefer the “always-on” convenience, it is a fantastic place to keep your Roon Server. However, if you want to take advantage of the Mac Mini’s processing power.
You are very welcome! Trying both options over time is definitely the best way to see which setup fits your daily listening habits perfectly.
Since you have a solid plan moving forward and things are working well on the Synology for now, I will go ahead and close this thread.
If you ever run into any issues when you decide to test out the Mac Mini setup, or if you have any other questions down the road, please feel free to open a new support topic. We are always here to help!
