Basic setup for NAS with B2

Enable B2 in account

If you signed up for B2 Cloud Storage when creating your account, you will already have the B2 service enabled. Otherwise, follow the steps in this article to enable it:

Enable B2 and Verify Mobile Number on an Existing Backblaze Account 

Create a bucket

When B2 is enabled in your account, you will see B2-specific menu options in the left hand menu of your account online. Click "Buckets" in the menu. Then click "Create a Bucket" to create your first Bucket. Please note that your Bucket name will need to be globally unique, so try new a name if the name you choose is already taken.

For your first test Bucket, you may want to go with the least restrictive settings so you'll have more flexibility when testing initially. Keep in mind that these settings cannot be changed later, but you can always create a brand new Bucket with the settings you need.

Generate Application Key

To connect your NAS device with the newly created Bucket, you'll need to generate an Application Key. This key pair functions like a unique login and allows you to access your Bucket directly through the B2 API.

Click "Application Keys" in the left hand menu and then click the "Add a New Application Key" button. For your first test Key, it's best to give it full permissions. You can always generate a more restrictive key later. Once the Key's created, the values will appear in a temporary box. Make sure to copy down all of the new key information since it will only be shown once.

For more information on Application Keys, check out this article:

Creating and Managing Application Keys

Set up NAS Backup/Sync software

Note: The steps below serve as a general reference. Your software and hardware may require additional steps to set up.

Your NAS device may come pre-loaded with Cloud backup/sync software or have proprietary software available for download. When you run the software, you will be prompted to choose a backup or sync destination. Often times Backblaze B2 will appear as a readily available option. If only Amazon S3 is available, you can configure it to connect with B2 using a few special settings.

If you're not using built-in or proprietary software, you may need to configure everything manually.

Generally these are the setup steps you will encounter:

1. Choose service → Select Backblaze B2 if available, or manually set API URL 
2. Enter credentials → Enter Application Key values that you generated
3. Select destination Bucket (and specify folder) → e.g. "bucket1/backupfolder"
4. Schedule automatic jobs/tasks  
5. Additional configuration

Our Help Center contains a number of articles which cover how to set up the most popular NAS software options with B2. The software you use may also provide documentation for B2-specific setup.

Using Application Key credentials in software

When prompted for login credentials, enter the Application Key values you generated in your Backblaze account. These are the 2 values you'll be using:

1. keyID
2. applicationKey

Test NAS backup/sync

If you've set everything up correctly, you should be able to test a backup/sync and see if your files transfer to and from B2 as expected. The Cloud backup/sync software you use on your NAS should allow you to view your local files and compare them with what you've uploaded to B2.

If you'd like check your files in the B2 web interface as well, log in to your Backblaze account online and click "Browse Files" in the left hand menu to view your Buckets and their contents.

Once you've tested and confirmed that your NAS is successfully set up with B2, feel free to go back and adjust your settings and permissions in Backblaze and your NAS software to fit your needs.