Home Assistant Backups to UGREEN, Synology or QNAP NAS

Quick Summary (TL;DR):
The simplest reliable way to back up a Home Assistant OS installation to a NAS is to create a dedicated NAS shared folder and user, enable SMB or NFS, then add that share in Home Assistant under Settings → System → Storage → Add network storage with usage set to Backup. Home Assistant supports NFS and CIFS/SMB 2.1+ targets. SMB is usually the easiest cross-vendor choice because UGREEN, Synology and QNAP all support it and Home Assistant can authenticate with a dedicated username and password. Once the NAS appears as a backup location, configure automatic backups under Settings → System → Backups, choose the NAS location, set a schedule and retention count, download and safely store the Home Assistant backup emergency kit, and create a manual test backup. Do not stop at “backup completed”: verify that the backup appears on the NAS, can be downloaded from Home Assistant, and—ideally—restore it to a spare/test Home Assistant installation. A NAS copy is better than keeping backups only on the Home Assistant SSD, but the NAS itself should still be backed up elsewhere.

Home Assistant NAS Backup Architecture

Home Assistant OS
      ↓
SMB/CIFS or NFS
      ↓
UGREEN / Synology / QNAP shared folder
      ↓
NAS snapshot / second NAS / USB / cloud copy

The NAS should be a second system, not merely another folder on the same Home Assistant boot drive. Home Assistant’s current documentation explicitly recommends keeping a copy outside the Home Assistant system and ideally another copy off-site.

If you are still choosing hardware, see Best NAS for Home Assistant Backups and Docker.

These Steps Are Primarily for Home Assistant OS

The built-in Settings → System → Storage → Add network storage workflow is a Home Assistant OS feature. It lets HAOS mount an SMB/CIFS or NFS share directly and expose it as a backup destination.

If you run Home Assistant Container, the Home Assistant Backup integration still works, but the host operating system or container environment must provide access to the network storage. In that case, mount the NAS share on the Docker host and design the container volumes accordingly.

SMB or NFS: Which Should You Use?

Protocol	SMB/CIFS	NFS
Home Assistant support	CIFS 2.1+	Supported
Authentication	Username/password	Usually client/IP permissions
UGREEN	Supported	Supported
Synology	Supported	Supported
QNAP	Supported	Supported
Best for most HA users	Yes	For users comfortable with NFS permissions

For most home users, SMB is the easier default. You can create a dedicated NAS user with read/write access only to the Home Assistant backup share and enter those credentials directly in Home Assistant.

NFS is also an excellent option, particularly in Linux-heavy networks, but permissions are typically based on the client address and NFS export rules rather than a simple SMB username/password.

Create a Dedicated Backup User

Do not use the NAS administrator account for routine Home Assistant backups.

Create a standard account such as:

homeassistant-backup

Give that user read/write access only to the Home Assistant backup shared folder. Deny or leave unassigned access to unrelated shares.

This limits the damage if the Home Assistant credentials are ever exposed.

Create the Backup Folder on UGREEN NASync

On current UGOS Pro systems:

Open Files.
Open Shared Folder.
Create a dedicated folder such as HomeAssistantBackups.
Open the folder properties.
Give the dedicated Home Assistant backup account read/write permission.
Remove unnecessary access from other accounts or groups.

UGREEN supports SMB and NFS in UGOS Pro, but the required service must be enabled separately.

Enable SMB on UGREEN NASync

Open Control Panel.
Go to File Service → SMB.
Enable the SMB service.
Select Apply.

Keep SMB1 disabled. Home Assistant supports CIFS 2.1 and newer, so there is no reason to enable the obsolete SMB1 protocol for this backup workflow.

Your share will be conceptually reachable as:

\\UGREEN-NAS-IP\HomeAssistantBackups

Using NFS on UGREEN Instead

UGOS Pro also supports NFS. Enable NFS under the file-service settings, then add an NFS permission rule to the shared folder for the Home Assistant system or relevant local network.

Restrict the export to the systems that actually need it rather than using a completely open rule.

Create the Backup Folder on Synology DSM

Open Control Panel → Shared Folder.
Select Create → Create Shared Folder.
Name it something obvious such as HomeAssistantBackups.
Select the storage volume.
Configure checksum, quota or other folder options if required.
Give the dedicated Home Assistant account read/write permission.
Finish the shared-folder wizard.

A quota can be useful if you want to guarantee that Home Assistant backups cannot consume an excessive amount of NAS capacity, although Home Assistant’s own automatic retention settings should normally limit growth.

Enable SMB on Synology

Open Control Panel → File Services → SMB.
Enable the SMB service.
Select Apply.

Home Assistant only needs modern SMB/CIFS. Do not lower the Synology minimum protocol to SMB1 for this purpose.

Enable NFS on Synology

Open Control Panel → File Services → NFS.
Enable NFS.
Open Control Panel → Shared Folder.
Select the Home Assistant backup folder and choose Edit → NFS Permissions.
Create an NFS rule for the Home Assistant host IP or appropriate local subnet.
Give it read/write access.

NFS permissions deserve more care than “allow everything”. If the Home Assistant system uses a predictable DHCP reservation or static address, granting access only to that address is a clean approach.

Create the Backup Folder on QNAP QTS

On current QTS 5.2 systems, you can create a shared folder from File Station:

Open File Station.
Select Shared Folder from the create menu.
Choose a name such as HomeAssistantBackups.
Select the storage volume.
Configure optional encryption, quota or folder properties if required.
Give the dedicated Home Assistant user read/write access.
Finish the wizard.

Enable SMB on QNAP

QNAP refers to SMB/Samba as Microsoft Networking.

Open Control Panel → Network & File Services → Win/Mac/NFS/WebDAV → Microsoft Networking.
Enable the file service for Microsoft networking.
Keep a modern SMB minimum protocol.
Apply the settings.

QTS also allows per-folder SMB encryption when SMB3 is enabled. That is optional on a trusted LAN and may add overhead, but it can be useful where the network requires encrypted SMB traffic.

Enable NFS on QNAP

Enable the NFS service in QTS, then edit the shared-folder permissions and configure NFS host access for the Home Assistant IP address or network.

QNAP separates normal user/group permissions from NFS host-access permissions, so make sure the NFS rule itself allows the Home Assistant client.

Add the NAS to Home Assistant OS

Once the NAS share and permissions are ready:

In Home Assistant, go to Settings → System → Storage.
Select Add network storage.
Enter a clear name such as NAS Backups.
Set Usage to Backup.
Enter the NAS IP address or hostname under Server.
Select CIFS for SMB or NFS for NFS.
Enter the remaining protocol-specific settings.
Select Connect.

Home Assistant SMB/CIFS Settings

For SMB/CIFS, Home Assistant asks for:

Server: NAS hostname or IP address.
Protocol: CIFS.
Username: the dedicated NAS backup account.
Password: that account’s password.
Share: the NAS shared-folder name.

For example:

Name: NAS Backups
Usage: Backup
Server: 192.168.1.50
Protocol: CIFS
Username: homeassistant-backup
Password: ********
Share: HomeAssistantBackups

Home Assistant currently requires CIFS 2.1 or newer.

Home Assistant NFS Settings

For NFS, Home Assistant instead asks for the NFS server and the remote share path. The exact export path depends on the NAS vendor and the folder configuration, so copy it from the NAS interface rather than guessing.

If the NFS mount fails, verify the NAS export permissions first. Home Assistant must be within the IP or subnet allowed by the NAS.

The First Backup Network Share Becomes the Default

Home Assistant currently makes the first network storage added with usage type Backup the default local backup location.

You can change that later:

Go to Settings → System → Backups.
Open Settings and history.
Open the three-dot menu.
Select Change default action location.
Choose the preferred backup location.

Create a Manual NAS Backup First

Before configuring an automatic schedule, prove that the NAS path works.

Go to Settings → System → Backups.
Select Backup now → Manual backup.
Choose the data to include.
Give the backup a recognisable name such as NAS-test-2026-10.
Select the NAS location.
Create the backup.
Confirm it completes without an error.

Then open the NAS shared folder itself and confirm that a new backup file has actually appeared.

Download and Store the Backup Emergency Kit

Current Home Assistant backups are encrypted archives. Home Assistant provides an emergency kit containing the key required to decrypt protected backups.

Store that emergency kit somewhere independent of both Home Assistant and the NAS—for example in your secure password/document storage.

A perfectly healthy encrypted backup is not useful if you lose the only copy of the recovery key.

Configure Automatic Home Assistant Backups

Go to Settings → System → Backups.
Under automatic backups, select the setup/configuration option.
Choose the backup schedule.
Choose the start time or Home Assistant’s system-optimal time.
Decide whether to create a backup automatically before updates.
Set how many backups to keep.
Choose the data to include.
Enable the NAS under Locations.
Choose encryption settings for that location.
Save the configuration.

Home Assistant recommends daily backups for many installations. The correct retention count depends on how much history you want and how much storage you are willing to use.

Do Not Blindly Back Up Large Media Folders

Home Assistant’s current backup guidance recommends excluding the media and shared folders when they are not needed, because large backup archives take longer to create and restore.

If your NAS already stores media independently, duplicating an enormous media directory inside every Home Assistant backup may be unnecessary.

Check the Home Assistant Database Size

Before troubleshooting unexpectedly large backups, check the Recorder database size under Home Assistant system information.

Home Assistant keeps Recorder data for 10 days by default. Longer retention or poorly filtered high-frequency entities can make the database much larger.

A NAS gives you more backup capacity, but it is still better to keep Home Assistant data intentionally sized.

Verify That the Backup Is Really on the NAS

A green “backup complete” message is only the first check.

Open Settings → System → Backups → Show all backups.
Select the test backup.
Confirm the NAS appears under Locations.
Use the location menu to download the backup from that specific NAS location.
Verify that the downloaded file is non-zero and completes successfully.
Also verify the backup file exists directly in the NAS shared folder.

This proves that Home Assistant can write to the NAS and later retrieve the same backup through its backup interface.

How to Perform a Real Restore Test

The best backup test is a restore, but do not destroy a working production Home Assistant installation merely to prove a point.

A safer test is:

Create a fresh Home Assistant test VM or spare device.
Open the Home Assistant onboarding screen.
Select Upload backup.
Choose the backup file downloaded from the NAS.
Enter the encryption key from the emergency kit.
Restore the required components.
Confirm that the test system reaches the login screen with the expected configuration.

Home Assistant supports restoring a backup during onboarding even when migrating to a different device type.

After a Restore, Reconnect Network Storage if Needed

Home Assistant’s restore documentation notes that previously connected network storage may need to be reconnected after migration or restore.

Keep a small record of:

NAS IP address or hostname.
Share name.
Protocol used.
Dedicated backup username.
Where the credential is stored securely.
NFS export path and host permissions if using NFS.

Use a Reserved NAS IP Address

A backup target should not disappear because your router assigned the NAS a different address.

Give the NAS a DHCP reservation or otherwise ensure it keeps a predictable local address. Using local DNS is also fine when it is reliable.

What If the NAS Is Offline at Backup Time?

Home Assistant’s automatic-backup documentation warns that enabled backup locations must be available when the scheduled backup runs or that location will fail.

If you intentionally power the NAS down at night, either schedule the Home Assistant backup while the NAS is awake or use a custom automation that wakes/powers the NAS, waits for it to become available and then calls backup.create_automatic.

Snapshots on the NAS Are Useful, but Not Enough

Synology, QNAP and some UGREEN storage configurations can provide snapshots or versioned recovery around the backup folder.

That is useful if a backup file is accidentally deleted or overwritten, but a snapshot stored on the same NAS is still vulnerable to total NAS loss, theft, fire and some administrative mistakes.

The next step is a full 3-2-1 strategy: A 3-2-1 NAS Backup Plan: USB Drive, Second NAS and Cloud.

UGREEN vs Synology vs QNAP: Does the Brand Matter for Home Assistant?

NAS	SMB	NFS	What matters for HA backup
UGREEN NASync	Yes	Yes	Enable file service + shared-folder permissions
Synology DSM	Yes	Yes	Mature SMB/NFS and snapshot/backup ecosystem
QNAP QTS	Yes	Yes	Microsoft Networking + shared-folder/NFS host permissions

For the actual Home Assistant network-storage connection, the brand matters much less than correct protocol configuration and permissions.

For the broader NAS decision, software ecosystem, Docker support, snapshots and expansion matter more. See UGREEN NASync vs Synology for Home Assistant.

Troubleshooting: Home Assistant Says the CIFS Mount Failed

Confirm the NAS IP address is correct.
Confirm SMB is enabled.
Confirm the share name exactly matches the NAS shared-folder name.
Test the username/password from another SMB client.
Verify the dedicated user has read/write access.
Do not enable SMB1 just to make the connection work.
Check NAS firewall rules.
Try the NAS IP instead of hostname to rule out DNS problems.

Troubleshooting: NFS Mount Fails

Confirm NFS is enabled on the NAS.
Check the exact export/share path.
Verify the Home Assistant IP is permitted by the NFS rule.
Check read/write privileges.
Verify NAS firewall rules permit NFS.
Use a DHCP reservation so the allowed client address does not change.

Troubleshooting: Backups Fill the NAS

Check both sides.

Home Assistant automatic backup retention count.
Whether old manual backups are accumulating.
Whether media/share folders are unnecessarily included.
NAS snapshots retaining deleted backup files.
NAS recycle-bin settings.
Shared-folder quotas.

A low Home Assistant retention count can still consume storage if the NAS keeps deleted backup files through snapshots or a recycle bin.

A Sensible Backup Routine

Create automatic Home Assistant backups daily.
Keep enough versions to recover from a problem discovered several days later.
Store at least one copy on the NAS.
Store the emergency kit separately.
Create a manual backup before major upgrades.
Periodically download a NAS-stored backup through Home Assistant.
Perform an occasional restore test on spare/test hardware or a VM.
Back up the NAS itself to another independent destination.