WebDAV — mounting storageDRIVE as a network drive

WebDAV mounts storageDRIVE as a network drive over HTTPS — the right choice when a network (strict office Wi-Fi, hotel, captive portal) only lets HTTPS through and the SMB drive doesn’t get past. Files stay in the cloud, you work on them directly.

When WebDAV instead of the Drive client?

WebDAV makes sense when:

• You don’t want to burn local storage on sync
• You only need files occasionally
• You work on a machine where you’re not allowed to install software (company laptop)
• You want to access files from scripts / CLI tools

The Drive client is better when:

• You regularly edit many files
• Offline availability matters
• Performance with large files matters
• You need the version-history UI

Server URL

For your storageDRIVE:

https://drive.xaweho.de/home/<deinusername>/

On some setups the URL can differ slightly — you’ll find it in your setup mail. In doubt: drop us a quick line.

Authentication — your regular DSM login

WebDAV runs with username + account password. DSM has no app passwords.

Important: WebDAV asks for no 2FA code — even with 2FA active, your account password is the only hurdle. So: a strong password from your password manager, at least 16 characters.

More in 2FA in DSM.

Setup on macOS

Finder → Go → Connect to Server (or Cmd+K):

https://drive.xaweho.de/home/mueller/

(replace mueller with your username)

→ Connect → username + account password → Remember this password in my keychain.

The volume appears in Finder under “Locations”.

Mac pitfalls

• Spotlight indexing: Finder tries to index all WebDAV files. With a large storage that eats bandwidth. Solution: exclude the volume in System Settings → Spotlight → Privacy.
• .DS_Store files: macOS creates hidden files everywhere that end up in the cloud. Workaround: enter defaults write com.apple.desktopservices DSDontWriteNetworkStores true in the Terminal.
• Performance: WebDAV on macOS is slower than SMB — large files stutter. For intensive work, better the SMB drive or the Drive client.

Setup on Windows

Variant A: directly in Explorer

1. This PC → Map network drive
2. Enter the path:

https://drive.xaweho.de/home/mueller/

3. Tick “Connect using different credentials” → username + account password

Variant B: Mountain Duck / NetDrive (commercial)

Better performance than Windows’ own WebDAV client. ~€50 one-time. Worth it if you use WebDAV heavily.

Windows pitfalls

• The Windows WebDAV client is old: performance problems, occasional connection drops
• File size limit: 50 MB default, adjustable via the registry (FileSizeLimitInBytes)
• HTTPS issues: Windows is sometimes fussy with Let’s Encrypt certificates — if the login fails, restart the WebClient service or use Cyberduck

Setup on Linux

GNOME (Files / Nautilus)

Other Locations → Connect to Server:

davs://drive.xaweho.de/home/mueller/

davs:// is HTTPS WebDAV. Plain HTTP would be dav:// — but we want HTTPS.

KDE (Dolphin)

Address bar:

webdavs://drive.xaweho.de/home/mueller/

CLI with davfs2

For servers / headless setups:

sudo apt install davfs2
sudo mkdir /mnt/storagedrive
sudo mount -t davfs https://drive.xaweho.de/home/mueller/ /mnt/storagedrive

The login is asked for interactively. Permanent mount via /etc/fstab and /etc/davfs2/secrets.

Setup on iOS / Android

Generally: mobile WebDAV clients are limited. The Synology Drive mobile app is clearly the better choice on a smartphone.

If you still want WebDAV:

• iOS: Files app → More → Connect to Server → WebDAV URL
• Android: apps like WebDAV Nav, CX File Explorer

Tools that use WebDAV

Cyberduck (Mac/Win, free)

A file manager for WebDAV (and FTP, S3, etc.). Very stable.

Setup:

1. New connection
2. Protocol: WebDAV (HTTPS)
3. Server: drive.xaweho.de, port: 443
4. Path: /home/<deinusername>/
5. Username + account password

Mountain Duck (Mac/Win, commercial, ~€40)

Mounts WebDAV as a “real” volume — like a Finder/Explorer drive.

rclone (CLI, free)

Cross-platform sync tool. Config:

rclone config
> n (new remote)
> name: storagedrive
> Storage: webdav
> url: https://drive.xaweho.de
> vendor: 6 (Other)
> user: <deinusername>
> pass: <account-passwort>

Then:

rclone copy /local/folder storagedrive:home/<deinusername>/Backup

The classic backup tool for Linux servers / scripts.

What works over WebDAV

• Reading / writing all file types
• Creating, renaming, moving folders
• File metadata
• Opening files directly with local apps

What doesn’t work

• Creating sharing links (DSM web UI only)
• Version browser (browser only)
• Co-editing lock visualization
• Snapshot restore (via DSM web)

WebDAV is a simple file protocol, not a sharing or collaboration protocol.

Performance

From our own measurements on a 100 Mbit/s line:

• Small files (<1 MB): almost like local
• Medium files (1-50 MB): slightly slower than SMB
• Large files (>500 MB): noticeably slower

For regular work with large files: SMB drive or Drive client.

Frequently asked questions

Does WebDAV work with 2FA enabled? Yes, unchanged — WebDAV always uses your account password, no 2FA code is requested. Enable 2FA anyway (it protects the web login and the Synology apps), plus a strong password for the protocol access.

Multiple WebDAV mounts in parallel — does that work? Yes. You can have several mounts on Mac/Win/Linux — e.g. one for your complete home area, one straight to a subfolder like home/mueller/Projekte.

Any WebDAV speed boost? Server-side we use HTTP/2 — that speeds up WebDAV considerably on modern clients. On the client side: the tool’s cache configuration.

Can I create public sharing links via WebDAV? No, for that you need the DSM web UI or the Drive browser.

What if the server URL changes? Enter the new URL in your mount tool, remove the old one. The files stay untouched.

WebDAV vs SMB — which is better? SMB is faster and richer in features (real file locks, smoother browsing) — that’s why the SMB drive is our standard route. WebDAV is the alternative for networks that only let HTTPS through.

Can several people access my storageDRIVE via WebDAV? One plan = one user account. The WebDAV login is yours — on as many devices in parallel as you like, that’s no problem. Several people with their own logins need either a plan each or Nextcloud Hosting with unlimited users on shared storage.

Does WebDAV work alongside OneDrive sync on Windows? WebDAV and OneDrive are different protocols. You can run both in parallel without conflict.

What’s next

• SFTP access
• Synology Drive desktop client