Do I want the Network UPS Tools (NUT) Add-on or the Integration?
I’ve been using the integration, but I saw the Add-on there too. Why’s it there? What’s it do differently or add to the Integration?
Welp, it was answered already, I just didn’t realize:
tl;dr You want to run the integration.
The add-on is something you run if you wanna monitor your battery on Home Assistant itself.
The same way you can install a NUT server on a Raspberry Pi or TrueNAS, this is that app. The only difference is it runs through Home Assistant.
I wouldn’t say it quite like that. You may need to run both depending on your use case.
The docs have some pages clarifying Integration vs. Add-on:
In this case, the NUT add-on provides the nut server, which talks to your UPS. The integration talks to the NUT server over the network. It can either talk to the add-on, or a nut server you manage yourself.
In either case, the integration is required for use in HA.
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so what do we need to do:
Nut (add-on) server should run on HA on a MiniPC (its the only 24/7 comp in my system)
I can not for the life of me find how to make the add-on find the UPS. Fwiw, if have no cables connected yet, so not sure how to proceed. Do I need the USB connected to the HA MiniPC?
Because I figured I need the USB cable to connect to my NAS, to auto shut down in case of empty backup.
The integration should monitor the server from the add-on, but for that to work, I need the server to find the UPS…
btw, those Lan connectors do not connect to the lan at all? Lan in and Lan out apparently are only for power surge protection of the Lan?
For Nut Server to find your UPS, it needs the cable connected. So either cable in NAS, and Nut server on NAS, or cable in HA server and add-on.
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Thanks, it found it just now 
I was something very simple:
For the Synology Nas to be able to connect as client to the Ha add-on sever, we need to change the name of the device in the addon config to be ‘nas’. That name is actually hardcoded in the Synology DSM. SO either ssh into DSM and change those config files (which is a pain), or set it up simply in the Add-on like:
the HA integration picked that up without a hiccup
NOTE:
the above is for a topology where the APC UPS is connected over the Usb cable to my HA OS running MIniPC. That HA instance has the NUT add-on installed and serving the NUT server.
To the HA NUT integration (so on the same HA instance). And to any other device in the network that can run a NUT client, like my Synology NAS, which can now be setup in the Power settings pages follows:
resulting in:
We dont need a dedicated user for this connection at all. Change the name of the device in the add-on to be what Synology DSM expects it to be and you’re set.