This article describes how you can easily install a UniFi Controller on your Synology NAS. We will be using the new Container Manager by Synology.

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Please note that the image used in this article is no longer being developed. We will publish a new guide soon.

Prerequisites

  • Your Synology NAS must have at least DSM 7.2 or newer installed.

Step 1

The Docker Manager must be installed and ready for use.

synology-install-container-manager_v1.png

Step 2

First, we need to create the necessary folders in the shared folder docker.

docker-folder-create.png

folder-1-create.png

folder-2-create.png

In the end, it should look like this:

folder-setup-end.png

Step 3

Now open the "Projects" tab in the Container Manager and create a project.

docker-manager-project-create.png

Now adjust the configuration as described in the screenshot.

project-setup.png

Here is the configuration you can use:

version: "3"
networks:
  local:
    ipam:
      config:
        - subnet: 172.20.0.0/24
services:
  unifi-controller:
    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/unifi-controller:latest
    hostname: unifi-controller
    container_name: unifi-controller
    volumes:
      - ./config:/config:rw
    ports:
      - "3478:3478/udp"
      - "10001:10001/udp"
      - "8080:8080/tcp"
      - "8443:8443/tcp"
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - TZ=Zurich
    restart: unless-stopped
    networks:
      local:
        ipv4_address: 172.20.0.2

Next, you will be asked if you want to connect everything through the web portal via Web Station. Simply click Next.

docker-skip-web-station.png

Finally, click on Done. The Docker image will now be downloaded, and the configuration will be installed.

end-docker-setup.png

Step 4

If everything has been successful, you should see an Exit Code: 0 at the end..

exit-code-0.png

Now you can access the web interface of the UniFi Controller by using the IP address of your NAS combined with https and port 8443. An example would be https://192.168.1.25:8443 or https://yourNAS:8443.

continue-https.png

Now you can start the setup of the UniFi Controller.

unifi-controller.png

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues during the setup, here are a few points where you might have made a mistake.

  1. Error when mounting the data into the correct folder.

error-1.png

In case of this error, the configuration data of the Docker image cannot be written to the NAS. The most common reason is that a specific folder does not exist. Make sure to follow the exact steps of the guide. The files should be located at /docker/unifi-controller/config, and when creating the project, the path must be /docker/unifi-controller. It is important that all folders already exist.

  1. Error when accessing the UniFi interface.

bad-request.png

If this error occurs, it means that the connection is established via HTTP instead of HTTPS. Please make sure that you are accessing the URL with HTTPS://.

Finally

You have now learned how to install the UniFi Controller on a Synology NAS. If you need further help despite the instructions, you can join our Discord Server or ask a question in the chat section below. If you like our articles, you are welcome to support this project with a membership or a one-time donation.

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