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SFTP

Mount an SFTP (SSH file transfer) server as a Windows drive — the most common secure option for NAS devices and Linux servers.

Before you begin

Prepare the following in advance:

  • The SFTP/SSH service must be enabled on the server:
    • Synology
    • QNAP — Telnet/SSH
    • ASUSTOR
  • The server address and port (22 by default).
  • A password, or a private key file, or both — depending on how the server authenticates. One-time codes (2-step verification) are supported.

Help from Synology

Help from QNAP

Help from ASUSTOR

Connect

  1. Click Add in the toolbar.
  2. Choose NAS → SFTP.
  3. Enter the server address, port, username, and password.
  4. Optionally enter a path to mount a subfolder as the drive root, and pick a charset if the server does not use UTF-8.
  5. Click Connect.

SFTP connection dialog

With 2-step verification — after step 5 a prompt appears; enter the verification code and click OK.

With a private key — instead of a password, click the key-file button and select your private key (PuTTY .ppk or OpenSSH format). If the key has a passphrase, enter it in the password field.

Settings

Setting Description Default
Address / Port Server host and SSH port port 22
Username / Password Server account; password may be a key passphrase —
Private Key Key file used instead of (or with) a password none
Path Server folder mounted as the drive root account home
Charset File-name encoding of the server UTF-8
Read-only Blocks writes to the mounted drive off

Alternate address

Click the + next to Address to add a second line for a backup server address. The path stays the same as the primary address. If RaiDrive cannot connect with the primary address, it tries the alternate address automatically.

SFTP dialog with an alternate address on the line below the primary address

Behavior & limits

  • File permissions are the server's Unix permissions — what your account cannot write on the server, it cannot write on the drive.
  • Throughput is bounded by the server's SSH encryption performance; low-end NAS CPUs often cap transfer speed well below the network line rate.

Troubleshooting

Symptom Cause Fix
Auth fails with correct password Server requires key authentication Configure a private key, or enable password auth on the server
Prompt for verification code every connect Server enforces 2-step verification Enter the code; consider an app password if the server offers one
Non-ASCII names garbled Server uses a legacy encoding Change the charset in the drive's Options
Home folder wrong SFTP root differs from expectation Set the Path option explicitly