Synology nas are the best choice for anyone who wants a robust, powerful storage solution for their home or business. These servers are designed to be high-performance but remain user-friendly. They offer a wide array of features and apps that allow users to create and manage storage for all kinds of content, including media files, documents, backups, and more. They also provide the flexibility to scale up or down when necessary. There are a few things to keep in mind before you decide to buy one of these servers.
First, you’ll want to know what type of NAS server you need. Synology offers several different tiers of its DiskStation models, which are differentiated by the number of drives they can house and their hardware specs. Some of the more popular models include the DS216+, DS1521+, and RS1619xs.
Most of these NAS models come with two 3.5-inch hard drives, though you can add up to eight more with an expansion unit (which is sold separately). You’ll also find options for 2GbE and 10GbE networking in some NAS servers, which can save on network bandwidth and improve performance. The DS216+, for example, has dual 1GbE ports and can be upgraded to support up to four of them for link aggregation or wired connectivity with multiple devices in your home or office.
The DS216+ is an excellent choice for home users because it’s affordable and comes with enough space to handle all of your digital content, including movies, music, and photos. Its app-based Photo Station software is particularly impressive, allowing users to set up smart albums, add signature watermarks, and share online galleries. You can even set up DS Photo to automatically upload new photos from your mobile device over a WiFI connection, preserving your cellular data quotas while ensuring you never lose any important images.
There’s even a feature called “Surveillance Station” that lets you keep tabs on your home or office in real-time and record video based on motion detection. This is a great way to prevent break-ins or monitor the progress of construction at your office, and you can view all of this footage on any device connected to your home or business network — even outside your location with QuickConnect or Dynamic DNS.
Another great feature of the DS216+ is its DLNA support, which makes it easy to stream your media with any compatible device. This is especially useful for streaming movies and TV shows from your NAS to your favorite Smart TV or Roku.
Regardless of which model you choose, all of theĀ synology nas servers run the same core operating system, called DiskStation Manager (DSM). DSM behaves much like a desktop OS within a web browser and has a start button, a desktop, and a taskbar. It’s a little confusing, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to manage your NAS with ease. DSM also has a variety of other tools and features, such as an advanced text editor, a chat function that works with other Synology NAS boxes, and even the ability to send and receive text messages via WhatsApp and iMessage.