3/8/2025
In an increasingly networked world, having control over your business’s internal network is crucial. One of the most effective ways to gain this control is by setting up a personal Domain Name System (DNS) server. While many businesses rely on third-party DNS providers or default ISP configurations, creating a personal DNS for your business can offer significant advantages—like improved security, custom domain resolution, and better network performance.
A particularly convenient way to host your personal DNS is by using a Network-Attached Storage (NAS) device, such as a Synology NAS. NAS devices are versatile, user-friendly, and come with built-in or easily installable DNS server packages. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through what a personal DNS is, the benefits it offers, and how to set it up using a NAS (with a focus on Synology). By the end, you’ll be ready to enjoy the power and convenience of managing your own domain environment and reaping the numerous rewards it brings to your business.
A Domain Name System (DNS) translates human-readable domain names (like yourbusiness.com) into the IP addresses that computers use to connect to each other. Normally, your devices rely on external DNS servers, such as those run by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or reputable public DNS providers (e.g., Google or Cloudflare). But if you run a personal DNS server within your own network, you gain additional flexibility and control, which are often crucial in a business environment.
Key features of a personal DNS include:
Customized Domain Resolutions – You can create specific domain records that map to private resources within your network, streamlining internal workflows.
Privacy and Security – By hosting your DNS internally, you reduce the amount of traffic exposed to external providers, decreasing risks associated with third-party data handling.
Reduced Latency – Internal DNS queries do not need to travel to external servers, which can improve local application performance.
Fine-Grained Management – You can quickly update DNS records to reflect new subdomains, intranet sites, or service endpoints without relying on external providers.
A Network-Attached Storage (NAS) device is a dedicated file storage appliance connected to your network. It provides centralized data access, backup, and often a range of additional services, such as virtualization, hosting web servers, or serving media. NAS devices from brands like Synology or QNAP come with user-friendly interfaces, making them great for small to medium-sized businesses with limited IT resources.
Here’s why a NAS is an excellent choice for hosting your personal DNS:
Always On and Energy Efficient: NAS devices are built to run continuously, making them ideal for critical services like DNS. They consume much less power than a full server setup.
User-Friendly Interface: Brands like Synology provide easy-to-use GUIs, making it straightforward to install and configure DNS services without deep Linux or Windows server expertise.
Built-In Security Features: NAS devices typically include features such as firewall settings, intrusion detection, and regular firmware updates, enhancing overall network safety.
Centralized Management: You can manage file sharing, backups, surveillance, virtual machines, and DNS all from a single device, simplifying administration and oversight.
Below is a generic step-by-step tutorial for installing and configuring a DNS server on a Synology NAS. While the exact steps might differ depending on your NAS model or firmware version, the general approach remains similar.
Update Firmware: Ensure that your Synology NAS is running the latest version of DiskStation Manager (DSM). Updated firmware often includes important security patches and improved DNS software support.
Check Hardware Resources: Make sure you have enough RAM and storage capacity for your DNS configurations and additional packages. DNS itself doesn’t consume much storage, but overhead from logs and other services can add up.
Open Package Center: Log in to your Synology NAS and access the DSM interface. Navigate to the “Package Center.”
Search for DNS Server: In the Package Center, type “DNS Server” into the search bar. You should see the Synology DNS Server package.
Install the Package: Click “Install” or “Open” (depending on your NAS version) to begin installing the DNS Server package.
Launch DNS Server: Once installed, open the DNS Server application from the main menu.
Create a Master Zone: In the “Zone” tab, create a “Master Zone” that defines the DNS records for your chosen domain. For example, if your business uses mybusiness.local, you’ll create a master zone named mybusiness.local.
Master DNS: This zone is the authoritative source for DNS information in your network.
Add DNS Records: Inside your new zone, add the following types of records:
A Records: Map hostnames (e.g., intranet.mybusiness.local) to internal IP addresses.
CNAME Records: Create aliases for existing records (e.g., www as an alias for intranet.mybusiness.local).
MX Records: If you plan to run mail servers internally, specify mail server hostnames here.
Configure Reverse Lookup Zone (Optional): This step is beneficial if you want to translate internal IP addresses back to hostnames. A reverse lookup zone is particularly helpful in environments with multiple services.
Forwarders: Most internal DNS servers also forward requests for external domains to public DNS servers (like 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1). Configure the “Forwarders” settings in the DNS Server application so that any domain not found within your local zone will be resolved by an external server.
Cache Settings: Enable or adjust caching to speed up repeated DNS requests.
Router Configuration: Log in to your router and set the DNS server address to the IP address of your NAS. This ensures that any device connecting to your network will use the NAS DNS by default.
Static Assignments: If you don’t want to modify your router settings or your devices do not accept DHCP DNS changes, configure each device’s DNS settings manually to point to your NAS’s IP address.
Ping Test: On a workstation connected to your network, open the command prompt or terminal and type ping intranet.mybusiness.local (substitute your domain). You should receive a response from the correct internal IP address.
DNS Tools: Use DNS lookup tools (e.g., nslookup or web-based DNS testers) to confirm that your queries are being resolved correctly.
Troubleshoot: If something goes wrong, revisit your DNS records, confirm your router settings, and ensure the NAS firewall allows DNS traffic on port 53.
Enable Firewalls: Many NAS devices, including Synology models, have built-in firewalls. Configure your firewall to allow DNS queries from within your local network only. Externally accessible DNS can expose your network to DNS-based attacks.
Strong Passwords: Use strong, unique administrator credentials for your NAS device. This includes your DSM login and any services (including DNS).
Regular Updates: Keep your NAS firmware, DNS Server package, and other applications up to date. Patches often address security vulnerabilities that attackers exploit.
Backup Configurations: Schedule regular backups or snapshots of your DNS server settings. This ensures that if you encounter corruption or hardware issues, you can quickly restore the configuration.
Custom Subdomains for Internal Services: A personal DNS lets you create an unlimited number of subdomains for internal applications, making it easy to organize resources (e.g., crm.mybusiness.local for the CRM app, billing.mybusiness.local for billing software).
Isolate and Scale: As your organization grows, you can easily integrate additional zones, subdomains, and external services without relying on a third party.
Enhanced Monitoring and Analytics: Monitoring DNS queries can provide insight into network usage and help troubleshoot issues faster.
Local Content Delivery: If your NAS hosts internal web content or other media, local DNS resolution can significantly reduce network load and latency.
1. Is a personal DNS server difficult to maintain?
Not really. Modern NAS solutions like Synology provide user-friendly interfaces. Once configured, the DNS server requires minimal day-to-day maintenance, aside from applying updates and making occasional adjustments to DNS records.
2. Can I use a personal DNS server for external domains as well?
While it’s possible to set up external DNS hosting, it’s generally more complex. For external or public-facing websites, you may still use a managed DNS provider to ensure global reliability and failover support.
3. Do I need a static IP address from my ISP?
For purely internal usage, no. However, if you intend to offer services outside your local network, you’ll need a stable public IP or dynamic DNS service to ensure your domain can always resolve.
4. How many records can I create in my personal DNS?
Most Synology and similar NAS-based DNS servers can handle hundreds or thousands of records, more than enough for most small and medium-sized businesses.
5. Does running a DNS server on my NAS affect its performance for other tasks?
DNS queries are generally light on resources. Unless you operate a very large network or your NAS is under heavy load from other resource-intensive tasks (like virtual machines or continuous transcoding), you should not notice any significant performance impacts.
Setting up a personal DNS server for your business brings tangible benefits in terms of security, performance, and customizability. Pairing these advantages with the convenience of a NAS device—like a Synology—turns what used to be a complex project into a straightforward, practical solution for businesses of all sizes.
By centralizing domain management within your own infrastructure, you reclaim control over network traffic and data, ensuring that internal resources remain private and easily accessible to authorized users. Plus, in today’s agile business environment, the ability to quickly create, modify, and manage internal domains and subdomains can give your business a competitive edge.
Consider this guide your starting point, but continue to explore advanced features like DNSSEC, load balancing, or even integration with directory services (such as Active Directory). With a well-configured personal DNS on your NAS, you’ll enjoy both greater efficiency and peace of mind—benefits that any growing organization will appreciate.
