Imagine turning your living or working area into a hub of limitless possibilities – consider creating an impressive media server or efficiently managing your essential files and documents. The perfect Network Attached Storage (NAS) enclosure for your home or office would be a great addition to your life.

This Cyber Monday, an array of different models are available for you to choose from, with various retailers offering enticing deals to suit all needs and budgets. We're here to guide you in making an informed choice while helping you save more during this shopping season with only the best deals. 

More great Cyber Monday deals

• Walmart: Early Black Friday deals on practically everything
• Dell: Top deals on laptops, gaming PCs, accessories, and more
• Alienware: Up to $800 off gaming laptops and desktops
• Best Buy: Big savings on video games, accessories, and more
• HP: Up to 84% of select HP Windows PCs and accessories
• Lenovo: Up to 50% of gaming towers, laptops, and accessories
• Newegg: Save on PC gaming accessories, components, and more
• Razer: Up to 43% off laptops and accessories with free gifts
• More individual deals:
  • Xbox Series X + Diablo IV + free $75 Target gift card for $634.99 $449.99 at Target
  • Samsung T9 4TB Portable SSD for $439.99 $249.99 at Best Buy
  • Xbox Stereo Headset — 20th Anniversary for $69.99 $46.86 at Walmart
  • Xbox Series X + Diablo IV + Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III for $639.99 $489.99 at Walmart
  • TP-Link Deco X55 Wi-Fi mesh 3-pack for $229.99 $179.99 at Amazon
  • Razer Wolverine V2 Chroma for $149.99 $89.99 at Best Buy
  • Xbox Series X + $50 Best Buy gift card for $549.99 $399.99 at Best Buy for Plus/Total members
  • HyperX Cloud III Wireless for $169.99 $129.99 at Best Buy
  • Lenovo LOQ Tower (17IRB8) + 3-months Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from $1,029.99 $674.99 at Lenovo

Best Cyber Monday NAS enclosure deals

Choosing the best NAS enclosure involves a few factors, namely price, processor, and the number of drive bays. The better the processor, the more drive bays available, and advanced features like 10Gb networking can inflate prices quickly. 

Whatever you happen to be looking for in a NAS, we've rounded up some of the best enclosures available on offer right now.

Best Cyber Monday NAS drive deals

You're going to need a drive or few to store all your data on, which is where our collection of the best Black Friday drive deals comes into play. Whether you need an affordable 1TB drive or a beastly 18TB monster, there's a deal here for every NAS owner.

There's still time to get yourself a cheap NAS on October's Amazon Prime Day, Big Deal Days, or however you want to refer to the event. And if you're hunting for a killer NAS for a killer price, this is the one to get. Especially if you're just starting out. 

Synology is probably a name you've heard of if you're looking at getting a NAS. Arguably the best in the space, with impressive hardware and software, this deal is too good to ignore. But it won't be around for long!

The DS223J is already our pick as the best budget NAS, but with $45 chopped off its asking price for Prime Day, it enters the "no-brainer" territory. For more advanced users, this hardware probably isn't going to meet your needs, but for beginners and home users, it'll be perfect. 

- Amazon Prime 30-day FREE trial: Most deals are Prime-exclusive

- See all the October Prime Day deals: USA | UK | Canada | India

Rival sales: Best Buy | Walmart | Dell | Newegg | HP | Target  

Instead of an Intel CPU, the DS223J uses an ARM chip, so it's efficient, it runs quietly, but it's still powerful enough to act as something like a Plex Media Server. The RAM isn't upgradeable, but 1GB is ample in a beginner NAS such as this. 

The reason to go with this over the competition is the software. Synology's DSM is incredibly powerful but easy to use, even if you want to access it from outside the home. 

This deal is only around until the end of the day, so don't miss out!

More Prime Big Deal Days NAS deals 

• Terramaster F2-423 2-bay NAS enclosure: was $322.99 now $303.99 at Newegg
• Terramaster F2-210 2-bay NAS enclosure: was $159.99 now $127.99 at Amazon
• Western Digital Red Plus 10TB HDD: was $284.99 now $189.99 at Best Buy
• Seagate IronWolf 8TB HDD: was $174 now $139.99 at Amazon

Getting yourself set up with network-attached storage (NAS) can be really expensive, but it doesn't have to be quite so thanks to the second Prime Day of the year, also known as Amazon Prime Big Deal Days. There are some fantastic deals that can be found during the event on not only NAS enclosures, but on the best NAS drives too. The promotion will run from October 10 through October 11.

Using the best NAS can make it easier when it comes to making backups and organizing your data. With a NAS enclosure and some hard drives, you can ensure all of your media and data are stored securely and in a way that's accessible to your entire home or small business.

Prime Big Deal Days isn't live just yet, but in true Amazon style, some early deals snuck out and helped us get ahead of the game. We'll keep this page updated with all the best deals as we find them, so add a bookmark and keep checking back.  

- Amazon Prime 30-day FREE trial: Most deals are Prime-exclusive

- See all the October Prime Day deals: USA | UK | Canada | India

Rival sales: Best Buy | Walmart | Dell | Newegg | HP | Target  

Best Prime Day NAS deals quick links

• Terramaster F2-423 2-bay NAS enclosure: was $322.99 now $303.99 at Newegg
• Terramaster F2-210 2-bay NAS enclosure: was $159.99 now $127.99 at Amazon
• Western Digital Red Plus 10TB HDD: was $284.99 now $189.99 at Best Buy
• Seagate IronWolf 8TB HDD: was $174 now $139.99 at Amazon

Best Prime Day NAS enclosure deals

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Best Prime Day NAS drive deals

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Why you should buy an Amazon Prime Day NAS deal

Network-attached storage allows you to do some incredible things at home and in the office. Whether you plan on creating and running a media server or managing a file storage solution, a NAS enclosure is precisely what you require.

There are so many models to choose from, and multiple vendors offer similar enclosures at varying price points. This does mean you can score some deals on new enclosures, especially with Prime Day NAS deals offering all-time low prices. 

Choosing the best NAS involves a few factors, namely price, processor, and the number of drive bays. The better the processor, the more drive bays available, and advanced features like 10Gb networking can inflate prices quickly. But Prime Day does at least give you an opportunity to invest in some better hardware for less, giving you a little room to future-proof your setup.

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Getting the best Prime Day NAS deal for you

Scoring the best deal is one thing, but getting the right deal for you is incredibly important. We want you to spend your money wisely. There's no point buying a NAS that won't be able to do what you need it to, just because it's the enclosure with the steepest price drop. This is why we recommend NAS enclosures based on specs and price.

It's important to decide what you want to use the NAS enclosure for. Once you've got that sorted, price is then a factor to consider, allowing you to stick to a limit. If you're not comfortable paying out for a more expensive NAS at full price, there's no reason why you should pay a similar amount for one that's discounted.

NAS enclosures are usually priced well, depending on the processor, drive bays, and other specifications. But when we're enjoying big events like Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day, retailers will use all kinds of tactics to make you think a deal is better than it is. Be wary of prices that are inflated to appear like deals. 

One of our top tips is to use Microsoft Edge for your Amazon shopping with its built-in shopping feature. Not only will it show you recent price history on products, it also helps you compare prices to other retailers to make sure you're happy what you're getting is actually a deal. All of the deals we're showing here you can be sure are actual deals. 

Big Deal Days: Frequently asked questions

The specifics for Amazon Prime Big Deal Days are now publicly available, with minor hints as to which brands and categories will enjoy significant discounts. Rest assured, we'll update this page with the latest dates and details whenever the company releases more information.

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Choosing the best hard drives for your network-attached storage (NAS) is incredibly important. Whether you're picking up one of the best NAS units from Synology, QNAP, ASUSTOR, or TerraMaster, good quality storage is an essential addition. Without it, your NAS performance won't be up to scratch and your experience will be hampered. 

Western Digital and Seagate are the two giants for storage, and both companies offer an almost identical offering specifically designed with servers in mind. This makes it easy to select the right drive(s) for your NAS. You can find the best HDD for Synology NAS or you can even equip one with an SSD if you're looking for something a little faster. 

We all know storage is one of the few things that seems to always be going on sale and a lot of the drives on our list are experiencing sales right now, so make sure to shop around for the best deal to fit your needs. Not sure exactly what you need? Make sure to check our 4 essential tips to help you buy a NAS.

The quick list

Best overall

The Seagate IronWolf series is the company's solution for NAS setups, rivaling the Western Digital Red, but with faster speeds available. Like AgileArray, similar technology is implemented to offer enhanced performance and reliability over desktop drives, and these units can be installed in boxes that support up to eight bays. IronWolf Pro is the next step up with slightly more expensive drives but increased supported bays, workload rates, and a limited warranty.

Most importantly, these drives can be run 24/7 without shutdown. The IronWolf family of NAS hard drives come in 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, 10TB, 12TB, 14TB,16TB, and a recently add versions and with three-year warranties. Do note that only configurations of 4TB and above sport rotational vibration sensors. The 6TB and above models run at 7,200 RPM.

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Runner-up

Much like Seagate, WD has been making storage solutions for PCs for many years, and it offers reliable drives for any NAS. As with the Seagate drives, I recommend at least 4TB. WD's Red Plus hard drives are manufactured for NAS use and can be deployed in systems that support up to eight bays.

Backed by three-year limited warranties and a powerful brand in the storage market, WD drives are well known to be of top quality, and they last a long time. Red isn't the fastest hard drive series on the market, but using them in a RAID formation can make up for this. This particular series of drives comes in 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, 10TB, 12TB, and 14TB versions.

Each drive comes with the company's NASware 3.0 for enhanced reliability and performance. It's also worth noting that WD doesn't ship any mounting brackets or screws with these drives. What makes WD drives appealing is that every capacity option has vibration protection, but if you need faster speeds (drives that run at 7,200 RPM), you will need to fork out more for the higher capacities or Red Pro series.

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Best high capacity

Seagate's Exos series is the company's enterprise range of hard drives. They're designed with helium inside for enhanced performance and reliability. The improved caching is great for big data applications, including Chia farming.

The 7E2 series takes you from 1TB up to 10TB, which is where the X16, X18, and X20 families take over. The X20 can go all the way up to 20TB, which is more than enough for most home or small NAS enclosure setups. These drives come with a workload rate of 550TB per year and have a warranty of five years.

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Best for professionals

If you want the best of what Seagate has to offer in terms of NAS storage, have a look at the IronWolf Pro series. All the Pro drives spin at 7,200 RPM and can handle 250MB/s of sustained data transfer, with bursts of around 6Gb/s. 

There's also an extended five-year warranty and a 300TB per year workload limit. The Pro line of Seagate IronWolf drives also supports up to 24 bays.

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Best value for professionals

Western Digital's Red Pro range of drives is specifically designed for use with network storage. With support for up to a 300TB per year workload rate, these drives are reliable and capable with 7200 PRM motors. Other handy features you'd also find in Seagate's IronWolf Pro range include error recovery and anti-vibration tech.

They're backed by a five-year warranty and will be right at home inside an enclosure with up to 24 drive bays.

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Best SSD

Need even more performance for your NAS? You'll need an SSD. It's possible to use 2.5-inch drives that can be purchased from anywhere, but if you want something truly special for your server, I'd recommend looking at the Synology SAT5200. 

This range of SSD storage makes use of the 6GB/s SATA interface for read and write speeds of 530MB/s and 500MB/s, respectively.

Be warned the prices on these might give some sticker shock and while you can use any SSD you want; this one is the top-of-the-line best option if you want reliability and an awesome warranty.

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Choosing the best NAS hard drives

Whether you go with Seagate, Western Digital, or another brand, it's always a good idea to pick up a hard drive designed for NAS use. All of the drives mentioned here fit that bill. While you can technically use a traditional desktop-class drive, I'd recommend against doing so. Desktop-class hard drives aren't designed to be operating continuously, and they're not backed by extended warranties, nor do they come with advanced protective features you find on NAS drives.

Seagate comes out slightly on top since Western Digital doesn't offer any 7,200 RPM drives unless you pay more for the Red Pro series. Everything else is pretty much identical between the two storage families. This extra speed found in higher capacity drives from Seagate means increased access speeds, which is essential for storing and loading files on your server — looking for hard drives to install into your NAS? Go with the Seagate IronWolf.

If you need even more performance, go with Seagate IronWolf Pro, which will provide 7,200 RPM motors that can allow for up to 250MB/s of sustained data transfer, with bursts of around 6Gb/s. Then you've got SSDs like Synology's SAT5200 range for ultimate performance. We've gone into detail on how to pick the right NAS to work with your Plex media server, and these drives will fit the bill perfectly. 

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Network-attached storage (NAS for short) is a small server that can be connected to your home network to create your very own media center, cloud file storage, or even a surveillance platform. You can spend very little on a simple enclosure that'll handle file storage or thousands on range-leading servers with impressive performance. We've rounded up the best NAS from Synology, ASUSTOR, QNAP, and other brands to help you choose the right one for your home.

What is the best NAS for your home?

Choosing the best NAS for your home is primarily driven by the price of enclosures. These little server units can start at affordable prices, but when you factor in uprated internals, features like M.2 slots, and upgradeable RAM, you can quickly see the price spiral out of control. The second most important factor in the decision-making for a NAS enclosure is the number of drive bays.

The higher the number of bays, the more drives you can install, and the more capacity you can have for storing all your stuff. Generally, you'll want to steer clear on single-bay NAS enclosures because we always recommend at least two drives to be installed for a RAID configuration to better safeguard against data loss — RAID is a redundancy measure that makes sure if one drive fails, you'll not lose any data.

Numerous vendors make NAS enclosures with some of the best models coming from Synology, QNAP, TerraMaster, and ASUSTOR. For most people, however, the Synology DiskStation DS220+ is the best choice overall. If it's not quite what you're looking for, the ASUSTOR NIMBUSTOR 4 (AS5304T) is an excellent second choice. For those who want to set up a Plex Media Server (PMS), the QNAP TVS-672XT is what you'll need.

You don't have to spend much to get a good NAS either. The Synology DiskStation DS120j and TerraMaster F2-221 are fine examples of savings to be had without sacrificing too much on functionality, so long as you only plan on using these servers for file storage. An important fact to remember: Intel processors are generally more capable than ARM (basically non-Intel) CPUs.

When deciding on a NAS enclosure to purchase, you'll need to bear in mind a few factors. Do you intend to use the NAS for simply storing files? If so, what kind of files will you be storing? If you only plan on backing up several devices, you can get away with enclosures with but a few drive bays. If you want to replace your online cloud storage subscription service, you'll likely need four bays or more.

Price is essential with any purchase you make. No one wants to be spending more than they should on a product they may not get the most out of. We wouldn't want that either, which is why this collection of NAS exists to aid you in making the right decision. Whether or not you can upgrade the RAM inside a NAS, install an M.2 SSD to act as a cache and increase system performance, or hook up a 10Gb network line are all notable features.

The issue with going for a NAS enclosure that supports all the aforementioned options while coming with a powerful Intel CPU is the price. The cost of enclosures can get really high, really fast. Luckily, once you've purchased a NAS, the chances of you missing out on anything in the successor range is slim, which means you should be able to get anywhere up to a decade with a single enclosure. The price doesn't look too bad now, right?

A NAS can remain relevant, especially if it has faster LAN ports, M.2 slots, plenty of drive bays, and one of the best processors you can buy right now. Like choosing a GPU for your PC, it's essential to pick the best graphics cards you can afford to save upgrading sooner.

Bottom line: The best overall NAS for the home has to get a lot right, and Synology already nailed this with the exceptionally positioned DiskStation DS218+. The company revamped this enclosure for 2020, and the result is the DS220+ with improved internals and a better CPU. It's a fantastic NAS enclosure for the price.

I may have come across a little too strongly with the "you could get the NAS purchase wrong" since any enclosure you pick up will be able to be configured as a home file storage hub. But picking one with the capabilities for Plex playback at 4K or can be kitted out with 10 hard drives for up to 160TB of capacity, that's when you need to pay attention to the specifications and marketing.

If we were to choose a NAS for the home that strikes a good balance between price and performance, it would be the Synology DiskStation DS220+. This powerful enclosure houses an Intel Celeron J4025 CPU with 2GB of DDR4 RAM, making it suitable for even the busiest homes with numerous simultaneous connections. Want to enjoy some movies through Plex? You could even do that here.

The two drive bays make it easy to throw a few drives into the enclosure and enjoy up to 32TB of storage capacity, though you'll more likely see 16TB with RAID enabled (and we recommend doing so for data redundancy). With two 1Gb LAN ports, you can connect both to your router or switch which will then allow the connection to be doubled up for enhanced bandwidth.

Its hot-swappable drive tray design allows for easy installation and maintenance, destroying the requirement for a screwdriver to remove or install a hard drive. Simply pull out, swap, re-insert, and you're good to go. There are a few USB 3.0 ports, and you can upgrade the RAM, making this a NAS you could even expand upon and use for more demanding tasks. The processor is capable, but it won't win any awards against more expensive enclosures.

Bottom line: Not only does the NIMBUSTOR 4 from ASUSTOR look better than the usual black slabs we're used to with NAS enclosures, but it's also got plenty of kit inside the chassis. I'm talking powerful Intel processors, all the drive bays you'll need for the home, more RAM than you require, and super-fast 2.5Gb LAN.

The ASUSTOR AS5304T is a very capable NAS. It's inspired by the latest trends in gaming design, rocks a beefy Intel Celeron J4105 CPU, and upgradeable 4GB of DDR4 RAM for optimal performance at this price point. This configuration even allows for some stable 4K movie transcoding. It's not all about looks.

There are loads of apps supported by ASUSTOR's user-friendly OS, and the dual-2.5Gb LAN setup lets you eliminate any network bottlenecks, so long as your LAN infrastructure can keep up. This is especially important if you're a streamer and are looking for something that can handle the bandwidth that comes with offloading recorded media.

The only drawback is the price, which puts it above other four-bay NAS models, but this has a few advantages, including the faster CPU and LAN ports. If your budget can stretch to cover the AS5304T, it'll perform admirably in your gaming, streaming, or home media server setup.

Bottom line: QNAP went all out with the QNAP TVS-672XT. It has a desktop-class Core i3-8100T that's more than capable of handling 4K movie transcoding. There are six drive bays for storing all your media, and four 5Gb LAN ports will ensure you have enough bandwidth to stream it all.

The QNAP TVS-672XT is one of the best NAS for Plex. To truly make the most out of the media server and platform, you need a capable server with a powerful processor. The Intel Core i3-8100T isn't the most powerful CPU around, but in the world of NAS, where we're used to Intel Celeron, Pentium, Atom, as well as some ARM CPUs, it's exceptionally good.

The integrated graphics and four physical cores are more than a match for 4K transcoding, which is required if you want to stream a 4K movie to a TV or other receiving device that doesn't support the file format. This processor is joined by 8GB of DDR4 RAM, which can be upgraded to 32GB, and six drive bays for storing all your media.

In case you thought you wouldn't be able to stream multiple movies at once, think again since this NAS has a rapid 10Gb LAN port as well as two additional 1Gb connections. Then you have two USB-A 3.1 Gen 2 ports and a further single USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 port. This NAS is well-equipped.

Bottom line: Should you need to store plenty of data, you'll want something like the QNAP TVS-H1688X. It's huge, requires plenty of power while up and running, and has a capacity beyond 192TB when fully equipped with hard drives and SSDs. This NAS can even be upgraded with up to 128GB of DDR4 RAM.

QNAP has one goal in mind with the TVS-H1688X and that was to offer as much capacity as possible for NAS owners. This enclosure can hold 192TB of data in the 12 drive bays alone. You then have an additional four SSD bays and two M.2 slots. That's a lot of storage capacity, which is what this NAS is all about.

To handle all that data, QNAP opted for the Intel Xeon W-1250. This processor is a monster, much like other server-grade Xeon processors enthusiasts love to use. This thing is better than most Celeron and Pentium offerings found in NAS enclosures. It'll handle 4K movie transcoding and then some.

This NAS is best suited for file storage in a busy household or bustling office. The massive capacity is joined by four 2.5Gb LAN ports and two 10Gb LAN ports. For USB, QNAP has you covered with a total of two USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports and four USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports. The price is a little high for most NAS owners, and the power draw will make anyone looking to save on their energy bills look the other way.

Bottom line: Synology not only makes more expensive NAS enclosures but also creates options for those on tighter budgets and/or who don't require all the functionality offered in higher-end models. This is where the DiskStation DS120j comes into play with its single drive bay, 1Gb LAN port, and 512MB of RAM.

Instead of including a more expensive Intel processor, Synology opted for the Marvell Armada 3700 88F3720 CPU, which is perfectly fine for efficient NAS operation but may struggle when you want to do more demanding tasks. In fact, as of right now, Plex isn't supported, but what the DS120j does well is offering exceptional value.

So long as you don't need to do anything demanding with your NAS, the DiskStation DS120j will be more than happy to power through. It only has 512MB of DDR3L RAM and one drive bay, but you do get a server enclosure that can be connected online and provide a single location for file storage.

If you simply need to store a few files and don't need to do anything with your NAS, like run a media server, a surveillance system, or other demanding tasks, the DS120j will be enough. In essence, it's beneficial for those new to the world of NAS, and wanting an affordable device to test out.

Bottom line: Not everyone needs the most powerful NAS on the market, but the more affordable and weaker enclosures may not be enough. This is what makes the TerraMaster F2-221 an excellent choice, thanks to its Intel processor, upgradable RAM, and dual 1Gb LAN ports.

The TerraMaster F2-221 comes rocking excellent specifications for the price, comprised of an Intel Celeron J3355 dual-core CPU, which makes this a great enclosure if you want a budget-friendly model without an ARM processor.

Then you have two Gigabit LAN ports, 2GB DDR3 RAM (expandable up to 6GB), and two USB 3.0 ports. It's not the most potent NAS available, but at this price, you're getting a lot for your money. Unfortunately, this TerraMaster NAS is let down by the OS, which, while good, simply doesn't match QNAP or Synology.

It's not terrible, far from it, but you'll notice a difference in polish compared to other vendor OS solutions. Like other diskless NAS listed in this collection, you'll need to factor in the price of the hard drives you plan to install inside the two bays.

Bottom line: Sometimes, you simply need additional performance, and that's where the QNAP TVS-872XT-i5 comes into play.

If you're ready to jump into the deep end with network-attached storage, it's time to go with a QNAP NAS equipped with a powerful Intel Core i5-8400T processor. This unlocks additional performance headroom, allowing yet more family members to get online and enjoy stored content on the NAS, not to mention better transcoding support.

This processor is also brilliant at more demanding tasks like transcoding 4K movies through Plex Media Server. This NAS doesn't only have a more powerful CPU than most other servers available but also two Gigabit ports and one 10Gb port for rock-solid connectivity, 16GB of DDR4 RAM (upgradable to 32GB), eight drive bays, and even some expansion slots.

The QNAP TVS-872XT-i5 would also work as a video file storage box for video editing workstations. It's a powerful enclosure with a solid collection of I/O, allowing you to hook up plenty of hardware and accessories. If you can somehow afford this NAS, it's well worth it for busy and tech-savvy households.

Bottom line: Need storage on the go? Did you know a NAS enclosure could also be portable? You do now with the Synology DiskStation DS419slim. This compact NAS takes only SSDs but the flip side of this is no moving parts and rapid transfer speeds. Just don't expect to store everything you own here.

Synology's DS419slim is an interesting little enclosure. It's super-compact, coming in at just 120mm x 105mm x 142mm, and weighs just 0.66kg. Because it's so small and takes only 2.5-inch drives, Synology needed only to add a single 60mm fan to keep it running cool. Powering everything is a Marvell Armada 385 88F6820 CPU and 512MB DDR3L of RAM.

The four drive bays are ideally suited to SSDs, which further helps this enclosure to be used as portable storage. It's handy having an external drive ready for your trip, but these are limited in capacity and expensive. It'll be easier to carry around just one device that can contain everything you need.

The power draw is low, but you still get some beefy storage and the same OS that runs on Synology's larger NAS enclosures. There are a few drawbacks to this little unit, including the price and the relatively weak CPU. The former is simply a reflection of how much tech has been crammed into such a small package, but the weak CPU will be hard to live with if you expect decent performance for media streaming.

What about all other NAS enclosures?

There are so many NAS enclosures available; it's difficult to throw them all into a single collection. If for some reason, you're not a fan of the DiskStation DS220+ from Synology but desire a similar enclosure, you could pick a similar model from ASUSTOR, TerraMaster, or another brand.

Regardless of what you plan on doing with the NAS enclosure, you can pick a model from any vendor and have a pleasant experience. Some operating systems are more refined (Synology) than others (TerraMaster), but largely they all function similarly, which makes switching between vendors a breeze.

What makes a good NAS enclosure?

A good home NAS has a few drive bays (I'm talking between two and four) with enough RAM to handle more than a single connection. 512MB of RAM can be enough, but if you intend to get everyone online in the home, you may want 1GB or more for better performance. For the CPU, it's all dependent on what you plan to use the NAS for.

There are so many NAS enclosures from which to choose, which span different price points and specifications. You can find one that costs very little but gets you connected with smart storage, and another that costs far more and comes with more powerful hardware. Luckily, there's not a whole lot to a NAS enclosure, aside from these few specifications.

LAN port speed is of no concern since there's a strong possibility your network is still restricted to just 1Gb and is usually determined by your router/switch. USB ports are handy if you plan on connecting accessories, external storage, or other devices, and eSATA is somewhat of a niche for external hard drives.

How much performance do you need?

Deciding on the processor of your NAS is a tricky one to make. ARM processors are pretty good and are used in a wide variety of hardware, including the smartphones we love to glue our eyes to each day. The thing is, they don't make for particularly good NAS servers if you aim to install Plex Media Server, run surveillance systems, and want to do more than a single task on the same NAS.

Intel processors are outstanding, much like their laptop and desktop-class counterparts. Even Celeron and Atom processors are pretty good. Most modern Celeron CPUs in the latest models from vendors will even handle 4K transcoding of movies on Plex. If you genuinely want to go all out with your NAS experience, try to pick one with an Intel Core series CPU.

Really, it all comes down to what you plan on doing with the NAS. If you will only store files and use them as a source for storing backups, an ARM processor is more than good enough. For anything else, it's best to go with an Intel CPU.

What makes for a good Plex NAS?

I've added an option in this collection for best NAS for Plex, but what if you didn't have enough funds to cover the cost? Luckily for you, I also rounded up some fine NAS choices for running Plex Media Server. You don't need an enclosure with an Intel Core processor, so be sure to give that shortlist a look if you want something a little more affordable.

Synology NAS models like the DS220+ already come packing Synology's packages (or apps) that can handle streaming to devices and whatnot. Still, to make things easier and more visually appealing, you can opt to use Plex. This service allows you to configure various content libraries that are automatically imported, checked over, and sorted with a bunch of information downloaded from elsewhere (album art, metadata, etc.). 

This guide will run you through installing and configuring Plex on a Synology NAS, which would make working from home easier to live with.

How to install Plex Media Server

You have the option to install Plex Media Server on Synology NAS using two methods.

Manual (recommended)

This route is a little more complicated and requires you to download and install new Plex Media Server releases, but it's my preferred method.

1. Download the Plex Server package. (Choose "Synology" under "NAS".)
2. Connect to your Synology NAS.
3. Open up the Package Center.

4. Click on "Manual Install."
5. Click "Browse" and locate the Plex Server download.
6. Click "Next."

7. Click "Yes" on the pop-up.
8. Click "Apply."

Automatic

If you'd rather install Plex through Synology's DSM and have the OS allow you to automatically update the package without having to fetch updates yourself, follow these steps instead.

1. Connect to your Synology NAS.
2. Go into Package Center.
3. Click Settings in the top-right corner.

4. Change trust level to "Synology Inc. and trusted publishers."
5. Click Certificate tab.
6. Open a new browser tab/window and download the certificate key from Plex.

7. Click Import on the Certificate window.
8. Browse to the downloaded key.
9. Click OK.
10. Back in Package Center, install Plex Media Server

Configuring your new server

All you need to do now is click on the main menu in the top-left on the DSM interface and choose Plex Server. This will launch a new window with the Plex Server for you to hook up your Plex account, configure the network, search for media, and more. The wizard is straightforward, with only a few options. You will need to create a Plex account to take advantage of synchronization features and the like.

Ultimate Plex beginner's guide

Plex is one of those services that has been around for some time. Many of us might have passed it over for some reason, be it a lack of understanding of what it does, thinking it couldn't possibly be useful to you, or something else entirely. The truth is, Plex could be just what you're looking for to help you manage your media collection.

When running Plex on your Synology NAS, you will want to select a folder where Plex can keep track of media files, be it photos, music, or video. The NAS itself comes with some default folders for such media, which can be selected. But you can create new folders in your "home" folder that can then be accessed through Windows Explorer and other file managers for a more effortless transfer.

Now you can enjoy access to all your content on your smart TV, Xbox One, tablet, smartphone, Windows 10 PC, laptop, and all other devices running the Plex app with adequate access. If you'd like to learn more about Plex, check out our guide on how to get started with Plex.

Best NAS for Plex

To install and configure your very own Plex Media Server on a Synology NAS, you'll need the following equipment.

Not only can you install and run your own Plex Media Server on the Synology NAS, but such enclosures are also capable of being used for file storage, managing connected CCTV, and much more. Synology bundles a bunch of software and tools for you to use, and the available smartphone apps make setting up the NAS an absolute breeze.

Additional equipment

While a NAS is mandatory, the Plex Pass and hard drives are optional but highly recommended additions.

Synology is rolling out new NAS enclosures for 2022, and today we're looking at the new Synology DiskStation DS1522+. It's a five-bay enclosure with an AMD Ryzen processor, plenty of DDR4 RAM, and the option for installing a Synology 10Gb LAN adapter.

Not all NAS needs to be powerful enough to run a Plex Media Server for 4K transcoding, which is precisely where the DS1522+ comes into play. It's designed for big data storage, ideal for a busier home and bustling office. Still, the DS1522+ is more than able to run more demanding processes. Replacing the DiskStation DS1520+, the new AMD processor and 10Gb networking could be just what you need for storage.

Price, specs, and availability

The Synology DiskStation DS1522+ is a high-end home NAS for storing a lot of data, which means you'll need to pay a fair chunk of change for the luxury. It's priced at $699, and doesn't include any hard drives or the optional 10Gb LAN adapter should you have a fast enough network.

The Synology DiskStation DS1522+'s specifications are impressive for storing data. The processor, RAM, and optional LAN upgrade are excellent for creating a powerful NAS enclosure. Attaching up to two DX517 expansion units allows one to have up to 15 drive bays for a total of 300TB.

Synology DiskStation DS1522+: What I like

The Synology DiskStation DS1522+ is packaged like any other recent NAS enclosure from the company. You've got all the necessary accessories included, as well as the external power brick. The NAS itself is a relatively large slab of black plastic and metal, sporting five 3.5-inch drive bays on the front.

Alongside the drive bays, there are a few status LED indicators for drive and network activity. The sides have Synology branding that doubles as ventilation for cooling, and the top is completely bare. Two M.2 drive bays are located underneath the enclosure, allowing for quick and convenient access.

The rear of the DS1522+ has a lot going on. There are four 1Gb LAN ports, DC input, two eSATA ports, and the optional 10Gb PCI slot for Synology's proprietary adapter. Two 92mm fans are used to keep everything adequately cooled, as is the case in Synology NAS enclosures of this size. 

It's all normal and you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the DiskStation DS1522+ and the older DS1520+, except for the model number printed up front (and if you were aware of the small physical differences).

Following the Synology DiskStation DS1621+, inside the Synology DiskStation DS1522+, you'll find an AMD Ryzen R1600 processor and 8GB of DDR4 RAM with error-checking. If that wasn't enough system memory, it can be bumped up to a whopping 32GB. Better yet, Synology includes the aforementioned M.2 SSD slots for installing up to two drives for SSD caching.

For actual storing data (since Synology doesn't allow for M.2 drives to be used for storage), the five drive bays can hit a total of 100TB with five 20TB 3.5-inch NAS drives. And if that wasn't enough, you can use two DX517 expansion units to expand the maximum capacity up to 300TB, before taking into account RAID.

To test the performance of the DS1522+, we used five 4TB Seagate IronWolf NAS hard drives, and IronWolf SSDs, and left the 8GB RAM as standard. The AMD Ryzen dual-core processor runs at 2.6GHz and can boost up to 3.1GHz. While it doesn't have the same video processing capabilities as Intel Celeron CPUs used in NAS, I find that it runs better overall.

The performance was excellent. The four 1Gb LAN ports allow you to combine two channels for enhanced bandwidth, but opening up the floodgates with the optional 10Gb port is where the magic truly kicks in. Using an SSD and you can expect to see more than 700MB/s in the transfer speed of moving files to and from the NAS (I managed around 400MB/s with HDDs).

Using 1Gb ports limits the potential of the NAS, especially if you're using it for big data. I'd either highly recommend picking up the optional card or grabbing a NAS with a 10Gb port and enough drive bays for your storage needs. Overall system performance is about in line with expectations when compared against similarly powered NAS.

Synology DiskStation DS1522: What I dislike

I'm not a fan of the optional LAN adapter. Having four 1Gb ports for networking isn't too bad, but it would have been good to see two 2.5Gb ports. Where Synology really dropped the ball is with the 10Gb port, which only works with the company's own E10G22-T1-Mini card. It costs $150.

You won't want the DS1522+ if the primary use for your enclosure will be running Plex Media Server and transcoding 4K files. The AMD Ryzen R1600 found inside this NAS does not have an integrated graphics processor, a requirement for smooth transcoding.

Synology DiskStation DS1522: Competition

There's plenty of competition in each drive bay NAS segment, and the DS1522+ is no exception. There's the excellent TerraMaster F5-422, which has an Intel Celeron processor (with integrated graphics) and an internal 10Gb networking port. This sets Synology behind with the newer DS1522+ since you have to spend yet more to unlock this feature.

The worst part for Synology is the F5-422 costs a full $100 less. You technically get more for less, though the TerraMaster operating system isn't quite as refined as Synology DiskStation Manager. It's food for thought should you absolutely need the 10Gb network bandwidth.

Synology DiskStation DS1522: Should you buy?

You should buy if ...

• You need a NAS with five bays
• You don't plan on transcoding media
• You need a powerful NAS
• You don't mind using a proprietary LAN adapter

You shouldn't buy if ...

• You don't need five drive bays
• You need a NAS primarily for Plex

The Synology DiskStation DS1522+ is a great NAS from the company with its latest operating system DiskStation Manager (DSM). The bump in performance with the AMD Ryzen R1600 processor, up to 32GB of RAM, and the optional 10Gb LAN adapter makes for one powerful enclosure, compared to the outgoing DS1520+.

It's just a shame Synology forces one to use the E10G22-T1-Mini card as it costs a whopping $150. Now, 10Gb LAN cards aren't necessarily cheap by any standard, but it's easy to locate aftermarket PCIe cards with 10Gb ports for less. It seems this is the route the company is taking with drives and other components of a NAS too.

That all said, the enclosure itself is brilliant. If you don't care for 10Gb networking, this is an expansive NAS that can be expanded upon to support up to 15 drives. Having the ability to build a network storage solution with up to 300TB of capacity should be a requirement for any growing business.

With integrated 10Gb networking, this would easily become one of the best NAS to buy with five bays.

Build a reliable backup for your data, backup what you have, or create a way to access all the media on your network from one place! And today you can do it at an affordable price. The great budget NAS, the Synology DS220j 2-bay DiskStation, is on sale for the first time since last year. You can get it for just $169.99 at Amazon. That's $20 off what it normally sells for and the first sale we've seen on it since September! The DS220j is still going for its regular $190 price at other retailers, and we know this deal won't last long at Amazon either because the stock is limited. Grab it while you can.

The DS220j is our favorite budget NAS from Synology, and at this price it is $130 cheaper than the best overall pick, so you're getting a lot of value with today's deal. We also reviewed the DS220j back in 2020 and gave it 4.5 stars out of 5 with a Recommended badge. Rich Edmonds said the DS220j is "perfectly positioned for NAS beginners. Whether you need a small unit for file storage and for saving backup data or a home media server to stream music, this small and mighty NAS is capable of all of these tasks."

This DiskStation has plenty built into it including a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, 512GB DDR4 RAM, and a Gigabit Ethernet port. It's a system designed to be easy to use with a great user interface and software to guide you with each step. In other words, if you're just getting into NAS or want to test the waters to see if it's something you want, this is a rgeat place to start.

These NAS systems come with bays for hard drives, but they don't come with the hard drives themselves. You'll want to fill those two bays with something of course. Check out our roundup of the best and most reliable drives for NAS that includes brands like the Seagate Ironwolf and WD Red.

Did you know you can host a website on a Synology NAS enclosure? Not only are you able to use the best NAS for home for storing files and running a media server, but you can also host a blog, website, or even an internal family portal. This quick guide will showcase just how easy it is to get up and running.

How to host a website on Synology NAS

Synology makes it really simple to host a website on your NAS enclosure running DSM 7.0. All you need to do is run Web Station and you're good to go.

1. Connect to your Synology NAS.
2. Open Package Center.
3. Download and install the following packages:
   • Web Station
   • Apache HTTP Server 2.4
   • PHP 7.4
4. Make sure the http group has sufficient permissions on the website root folder.
5. Go to Control Panel > Security > Firewall and configure firewall rules (allow 80 for HTTP and 443 for HTTPS).
6. Go to Control Panel > External Access > Router Configuration and configure port forwarding.
7. Go to Web Station > Web Service Portal and select Default server.

8. Click Edit.
9. Choose the HTTP and PHP profiles.

10. Change Script Language Settings to PHP and select the profile.
11. Click Edit.

12. Select all the checkboxes on the Extensions tab.
13. Click Save.

You're done! Place some files into the designated website folder and they should now be viewable using your favorite browser to load the IP address.

Why NAS website hosting may not be for you

I wouldn't recommend hosting a website on your Synology NAS unless:

• You have a good and reliable internet connection;
• Your Synology NAS isn't being used for anything else;
• And you know how to troubleshoot website hosting-related problems.

The primary issue with hosting your own website from home (on a NAS or some other connected device) is the potential for downtime through power outages or unreliable internet. Even the best connections can go down for some unforeseen problem and the same goes for your electricity supply. This would render your website offline.

A Synology NAS enclosure is fantastic for many tasks, but running more than one intensive process on the same server can cause issues when a process requires considerable levels of performance. If you're running a website on your Synology NAS and a process requires files to be indexed, you may experience sluggish performance.

Lastly, hosting a website on your Synology NAS is as DIY as you can get. You won't have a helpful support team at hand for assistance like you would with most website hosts out there. If you have no problem running your own sites, I'd recommend picking up the Synology DiskStation DS220+ and a Seagate IronWolf HDD.

When buying pre-built Synology network-attached storage (NAS), you're also acquiring a license to the manufacturer's OS, DiskStation Manager. Much like a new installation of Windows 10, there are a number of steps you should take after setting everything up to ensure you're going to have a great NAS experience. Here are some handy tips to get you started with the best NAS for home in DiskStation Manager.

Buy some hard drives

If you haven't already done so, you'll need some hard drives installed inside the NAS to be able to use the device. We've rounded up the best and most reliable hard drives for Synology NAS that will help you pick the right drives for your enclosure. Once you've installed some storage, you'll be able to install Synology Assistant on your PC and set up DSM OS.

Set up Synology QuickConnect

Synology has a feature called QuickConnect, which allows you to connect to the NAS at home without using any IP addresses. The servers at Synology will communicate with your NAS through a Synology account, allowing you to maintain a connection even if your ISP refreshes your external IP. It's also super easy to locate it on the local network if you need to connect a new device to the NAS.

Setting up QuickConnect is simple too. It's part of the initial Synology NAS installation process but is an optional step. If you failed to set it up during the installation of your NAS, simply open up the Control Panel and choose "QuickConnect." You'll then need to enable the service, create a Synology account and give the NAS a name. The handy wizard will walk you through a few steps.

Configure DSM OS

Like most electronic devices, a Synology NAS allows you to manage power settings, configuring when the NAS will wake up from hibernation, how bright LEDs are, and how aggressive the fan(s) spin to keep the internals cool. Everything can be manipulated on a single screen, which makes doing so an absolute breeze.

Fire up the Control Panel and select "Hardware & Power." Next, you'll be greeted by four tabs' worth of settings.

General

General contains the following:

• Power Recovery — Set whether the NAS should auto-start on power failure or LAN activity.
• Beep Control — Decide when the NAS will perform a system audio sound.
• Fan Speed — Configure how quiet you wish the fan(s) to operate.
• LED Brightness — Set just how bright (or dim) the LEDs are for status indicators.

Power schedule

Power schedules allow you to set just when the NAS will start up or shut down. This is handy if you use the NAS in an office or at home and only require access at certain parts of the day. For example, you could set power schedules so the NAS would boot up at 7 a.m. and then shut down at 6 p.m. This not only saves on wear and tear but also power.

HDD hibernation

Hibernating your drives is a great decision if you don't require drive access all the time, but don't fancy having the entire system shut down to save power. Not only can you configure internal drives to go to sleep after a certain time of inactivity, but also external HDDs too.

Note that some apps and services you run on the NAS will override these settings and not allow your HDDs to hibernate. Plex is one such service.

UPS

Should you have an uninterruptable power supply (UPS), Synology allows you to hook up the NAS to a UPS via USB to have it continue operation or perform a safe shutdown should a power loss occur.

Download Synology's mobile apps

Synology has a collection of mobile apps available for Android and iOS. Depending on what you wish to do, you can access files, photos, stream music, check surveillance cameras, and more. One great ability with the NAS and a smartphone is the automatic upload of all your photos — just like you can on OneDrive and Google Drive.

Don't fret as it's easy to back up your mobile photos on a Synology NAS.

Back up Windows 10

Backing up your Windows 10 installation regularly is a good practice. In fact, it's such a great idea that we highly recommend everyone does it. Even we have those odd times when Windows corrupts itself and requires a fresh install. You'll run the risk of losing everything if you don't have a backup at hand.

Synology NAS allows you to configure Windows 10 PCs to send backups to the central device. If you have multiple computers at home or in the office, you can safely store all backups on a single NAS. Sure, you can use discs or external HDDs, but having the process automated with a NAS is much more convenient.

We've got an in-depth guide on how to back up Windows 10 to Synology NAS if you want to get started quickly.

How many times have you acquired a piece of tech or software and wondered how you ever lived without it? That's me right now with a Synology NAS. I've used external and cloud storage for years for various purposes, but never really thought about attaching it to my home network.

Enter the NAS. Hoo boy. I've been missing out.

Here's the kicker. A NAS is much more than just a convenient place to stash your files and access them from any device. It's a server, your own private little cloud. The use cases are so far and wide I genuinely wish I'd got one sooner. If you're on the fence, maybe this can help you decide.

A NAS is way more than just storage

My previously uneducated stance just passed off a NAS as a fancy, very expensive hard drive that I could use without having to get up and plug in a cable. In a sense that is still true, but it's so much more than that.

Just take a read through some of the guides our resident NAS expert, Rich Edmonds, has written. Plex server? How about a repository for your home security camera footage? Integration with your cloud storage providers? That doesn't even scratch the surface.

I'm using a Synology DS218+, far from the biggest, baddest NAS you can get, but even so and with, by PC standards, pretty average internals, it's a seriously powerful little box. I've used it to set up a Plex server delivering on-demand media, live TV, and DVR capabilities to the whole house, I've used it to experiment with Docker, host email, and yes, as network storage accessible from any PC.

The scope of what you can use a NAS for is what surprised me the most and is also the reason I simply don't think I could live without one anymore. It's integrated into both my work and my entertainment, and there's room for a lot more.

The icing on the cake with this Synology unit is how easy it is to access my files from outside my home network. I didn't need to set up VPNs or any other complicated thing I don't really understand, Synology handled it. All I have to do is use a web browser and log in. So it's not even just network-attached storage for one location.

A sandbox to play in

One of my big self-promises in the latter part of 2021 and going into the new year is to learn some new IT skills. And my NAS is something I can use for that, albeit with limitations. Docker, for example, is one of the most popular platforms on the planet for running containerized apps, and I've started to play around with it on my Synology NAS. I could do the same on my PC, but inevitably I'll end up breaking something at some point, and my NAS is a detached sandbox. I've got a bunch of files on there, but even if I break something, it's a minor inconvenience.

Likewise, I've been able to try out not only Plex again but some alternatives to Plex, including Emby and Jellyfin, all with ease, minimal setup, and no requirement to leave my PC on 24/7 to access. The media lives on the NAS, the service that handles it lives on the NAS; it's the only thing that needs to stay on. My hotter, thirstier gaming PC gets to go to sleep at night.

That's one of the things that's changed my workflow the most. I'm not relying on finding that USB stick or that external SSD anymore to locate that file I needed on my laptop or leaving my desktop PC on all the time in case I need to remote in for something. Everything important (so basically, work) that's stored locally is on my NAS, and that's the only device that needs to stay on.

Going back to Docker for a moment as well, my NAS has been a key part of getting into self-hosting my own services that are more private and don't rely on someone else's cloud working. I've since progressed on to having a full-time home server online running these services, but I could have easily left them running on my NAS. That's where they all started.

I won't bore you with too many details, but thanks initially to my NAS and the capabilities it affords I started hosting my own local podcast server, a tracker-free front end to Reddit, and even a self-hosted version of Google search without all of the ads and tracking and general Google junk all over it. All running in a Docker container, all based on my Synology NAS.

You don't need to go overboard

Along with just what I can now do with a NAS in my life, I was perhaps most surprised by how even a more basic model like mine is still perfectly capable of getting into all this fun stuff. Sure it's hardly a powerhouse, but its own operating system is so lightweight it hasn't yet struggled.

There are good reasons to have a multi-drive NAS setup in a RAID configuration, but equally, if you just want to start small there are units out there that take a single hard drive. The basic idea is the same whether you have a single drive or a whole rack of them.

We've got guides to help you buy the best NAS for your home and also to help you out if you're specifically looking for a home entertainment solution to get the best NAS for Plex.

I guess the overarching thought here is that if you've been on the fence or you're not really sure what value a NAS can add to your life, I've been there. And now I wouldn't be without one.

Most websites these days use HTTPS and certificates to ensure a secured connection, but the same cannot be said for NAS owners. Since these servers can be accessed through a browser and from anywhere in the world with external access allowed, it's important to consider enabling HTTPS, even on the best NAS for home. This guide will show you how.

How to set up HTTPS on Synology NAS

It's possible to use a service like Let's Encrypt for certification, but you can work with a self-signed option for DSM 7.0, which is more configurable for different scenarios and doesn't rely on an external service that requires frequent renewal. We're going to keep things simple here and use Let's Encrypt.

1. Log into your Synology NAS.
2. Go to Control Panel > External Access > DDNS.
3. Click Add.

4. Select Synology from the "Service Provider" drop-down menu.
5. Enter a desired server name into the "Hostname" field. (This can be used to access the NAS, for example: mynas.synology.me.)
6. Ensure "Enable Heartbeat" is checked.
7. Ensure "Get a certificate from Let's Encrypt" is checked.
8. Click "Test Connection" to make sure it's all working.
9. If everything works, click OK.

The newly added DDNS should be added to the list, and you should see the status set to "Normal". The certificate from Let's Encrypt should also be present at Control Panel > Security > Certificate. Visit your NAS using the hostname with port 5001 at the end (example:

https://windowscentral.synology.me:5001

).

The best NAS for home are fantastic for storing files, and the easiest way to access them on Windows 10 is to map a network drive within the OS. Instead of connecting to the NAS via a browser, a mapped drive can act much like a local SSD or HDD and allow for quick access.

How to map a network drive

The top reason for mapping network drives to your Windows 10 installation is easy access. It's far more convenient to simply open Windows Explorer and click on a mapped drive rather than logging into a browser to connect to a NAS.

If you're using the Synology Assistant suite, it's possible to map a network drive using the official software, but it requires a similar number of steps and I recommend doing it through Windows Explorer.

Windows Explorer

1. On your Windows 10 PC, open Windows Explorer.
2. Click on This Computer.
3. Click on Map network drive.

4. Select a drive letter from the drop-down menu.
5. Enter \\SERVER\SHARE into the folder field, replacing SERVER with the NAS IP address and SHARE with the shared folder name.
6. Click Finish.
7. Enter your Synology NAS username and password in the Windows credentials pop-up prompt.

The mapped network drive will now appear within Windows Explorer as local storage, allowing you to quickly transfer files.

Synology Assistant

1. On your Windows 10 PC, open Synology Assistant.

2. Click on This Computer.
3. Click on your Synology NAS.
4. Click on Map Drive.
5. Enter your NAS credentials.
6. Select the Shared folder to map as a drive.
7. Select an available drive letter.Tip: Check the "Reconnect at login" box to have the drive automatically mounted at boot.
8. Click on Finish.

Overall, the DS220+ is the better choice for most buyers and is one of the best Synology NAS out there. You should only consider the more affordable DS220j if you plan on using it for file storage alone, are buying your first NAS enclosures, or are on a tighter budget. You will run into issues trying to do more with less capable internals.

DS220+ vs. DS220j Specs

DS220+ is a more powerful NAS

The largest difference between the two NAS enclosures is the specifications. Inside the Synology DiskStation DS220+, which is the more powerful unit here, you'll find an Intel processor. The Synology DiskStation DS220j only has a Realtek CPU. There's also a restriction of just 512MB of RAM inside the DS220j and that cannot be upgraded. The DS220+ has 2GB standard with a capacity of 6GB.

The number of available drive bays is the same, so too is the storage capacity and expansion support (lack thereof). The Ds220+ is also more advanced in the ports department. While the DS220j has a solid loadout with two USB 3.0 and 1Gb LAN, you will find an additional USB 3.0 and LAN port on the DS220+.

To better differentiate the NAS enclosures within its wide portfolio, Synology makes its more affordable NAS units white, while more powerful mid-range servers are black plastic. Then you have the premium models that are covered in an all-black metal shroud. The DS220j is white plastic and the DS220+ is black plastic.

The design differs ever-so-slightly, with the DS220+ arriving with a removable front panel to help prevent a serious build-up of dust inside the drive bays. It's easier to remove the trays themselves without additional tools, while with the DS220j you need to pull apart the chassis.

Both have the same excellent OS

You may think the DS220j is out of the question, but things get interesting when we talk software. While it's a little less powerful than the DS220+, it runs the same exceptional DSM 7.0 OS from Synology. You'll be able to enjoy most of the same features of the more pricey DS220+.

Performance, when connected to the NAS using a browser or an official app, is pretty good. It's only when you try and push the server beyond its capabilities like media transcoding through Plex and other intensive tasks do you encounter issues or hurdles. Really, costing less than $200, you shouldn't expect much from the DS220j for power users.

So long as you pair up either NAS with the best Synology NAS hard drives, you'll have a great little server at hand.

DSS220+ is the better NAS overall

We gave the DS220+ full marks for the value on offer. It's one of the best NAS for home, as well as for Plex, making it a better choice if you plan on doing more intensive tasks on the home server. It's better than the DS220j in almost every way, aside from price.

DS220j is great for a first NAS

Whether you're tight on available funds or want the first NAS you try to be an affordable one in case something goes horribly wrong, the DS220j offers unmatched value. At less than $200, it's a great option for those looking for a cheap way to save money on cloud storage subscriptions.

A .PAT file is used by Synology for its network-attached storage operating system, Synology DiskStation Manager. OS updates (and previous versions to DSM 7.0) can be installed onto a NAS enclosure manually by uploading the necessary .PAT file.

What is a .PAT file?

A .PAT file is used by Synology NAS enclosures for DiskStation Manager (DSM), the operating system. The package has all the necessary files contained within for the NAS to install or update the OS, but you can't just extract or run it on your PC. There are two ways to install a .PAT file, one being through the NAS itself and the other using the Synology Assistant.

How to install a .PAT file

Using a .PAT file supplied by Synology, it's possible for enclosure owners to manually update their servers to run specific versions of the OS. Here's how to quickly install a .PAT file on a Synology NAS. Please be sure to back up your NAS before proceeding.

• Log into your NAS.
• Go to Control Panel > Update & Restore > Manual DSM Update.
• Click Browse and select the downloaded DSM .PAT file.
• Click OK to update DSM.

Depending on the OS version you're currently using, the NAS enclosure should spend a few minutes updating the system. If you'd prefer to use Synology Assistant, download the tool from the company's website and run it to connect to your enclosure and run the install process.

SSD cache is the leverage of faster solid-state storage to improve the performance of NAS-class mechanical drives. Hard drives are notoriously slower than SSDs, and by storing frequently accessed data on these drives, speeds can improve considerably. It's easy to install SSD cache on a Synology NAS, so long as you have the necessary M.2 slots or free drive bays.

What is SSD cache on Synology NAS?

Not all Synology NAS enclosures support SSD cache, but if yours does and you have a spare drive bay or M.2 slot, you may be able to take advantage of improved system performance. Instead of accessing data from slower mechanical hard drives all the time, you can use faster SSDs (like a Samsung 970 EVO Plus) to store some of the most frequently accessed data.

To see whether your NAS supports this feature, please check to see if your enclosure is listed below.

2.5-inch SSD

SAS / SATA

• FS3400
• FS3600
• FS6400
• FS2017
• FS3017
• SA3400
• SA3600
• RS10613xs+
• RS18016xs+
• RS18017xs+

SAS

• SA3200D
• RC18015xs+

SATA

• FS1018
• DVA3221
• DS1621+
• DS1621xs+
• DS1821+
• RS1221+
• RS1221RP+
• RS2421+
• RS2421RP+
• RS2821RP+
• RS3621RPxs
• RS3621xs+
• RS4021xs+
• DS620slim
• DS420+
• DS720+
• DS920+
• DS1520+
• RS820+
• RS820RP+
• DVA3219
• DS1019+
• DS1819+
• DS2419+
• DS2419+II
• RS1219+
• RS1619xs+
• DS718+
• DS918+
• DS1618+
• DS3018xs
• RS818+
• RS818RP+
• RS2418+
• RS2418RP+
• RS2818RP+
• RS3618xs
• DS1517
• DS1817
• DS1517+
• DS1817+
• DS3617xs
• DS3617xsII
• RS3617xs
• RS3617RPxs
• RS3617xs+
• RS4017xs+
• DS716+
• DS716+II
• DS916+
• RS2416+
• RS2416RP+
• DS715
• DS1515
• DS415+
• DS1515+
• DS1815+
• DS2415+
• DS2015xs
• DS3615xs
• RS815+
• RS815RP+
• RS814+
• RS814RP+
• RS2414+
• RS2414RP+
• RS3614xs
• RS3614RPxs
• RS3614xs+
• DS713+
• DS1513+
• DS1813+
• DS2413+
• RS3413xs+
• DS412+
• DS1512+
• DS1812+
• DS3612xs
• RS812+
• RS812RP+
• RS2212+
• RS2212RP+
• RS2212RP+
• RS3412xs
• RS3412RPxs
• DS3611xs
• RS3411xs
• RS3411RPxs

M.2 SSD

NVME

• DS1621+
• DS1621xs+
• DS1821+
• DS420+
• DS720+
• DS920+
• DS1520+
• DS1019+
• DS918+

NVME/SATA

• RS1619xs+

M.2 SSD adapter

Should your Synology NAS have expansion slots, you may be able to use one of the available M.2 SSD adapters from Synology. Please see the official website for further details.

Even the best NAS for home can take advantage of better storage performance.

Check how much cache your Synology NAS needs

Synology has an SSD Cache Analyzer tool that can help provide some insight into how much cache would be required to see notable performance improvements. To run this wizard, follow these steps:

1. Launch Storage Manager.
2. Click on the storage pool you want to have analyzed.
3. Click on SSD Cache Analyzer.
4. Select a volume for calculation.
5. Click Next.

The wizard will automatically begin totaling the size required, based on the size and number of recently accessed files on the selected volume.

How to set up SSD cache on Synology NAS

1. Power down the NAS and install the SSDs into the respective slots/bays.
2. Boot up the Synology NAS.
3. Launch Storage Manager.
4. Click on Storage.
5. Click on Create > SSD Cache.
6. Select the desired cache mode.
7. Select the volume to which the SSD cache will be mounted.
8. Select the SSDs from the list.

Your Synology NAS will commence using the newly added SSD cache for improving the performance of the unit by storing frequently accessed data.

Your Synology NAS does not need an antivirus

Like a desktop OS, I've never had antivirus software running on any PC I've used for more than a decade. I feel antivirus software has its place, especially if the PC owner isn't particularly careful when using the system, but a NAS really doesn't require one. You won't be visiting unknown websites on the enclosure, nor will you be downloading attachments from phishing emails.

Just because the best Synology NAS shouldn't be affected by viruses, that doesn't necessarily mean you won't need to be careful. Ransomware is a major concern with NAS, especially enclosures that hold sensitive data and/or backups that haven't been stored elsewhere.

How to run an antivirus scan on Synology NAS

This short guide will see you install Synology's free Antivirus Essential program on the NAS enclosure. We do not recommend installing the package from McAfee, which appears to be almost identical.

1. Open Package Center.
2. Download and install Antivirus Essential.
3. Open Antivirus Essential.
4. Click on Full Scan.

5. Wait for the scan to complete and check the quarantine for any detected issues.

When an antivirus would be helpful

If you want to use your Synology NAS to download files from online sources, you may want to use an antivirus program to verify none of the files are corrupt or infected before being transferred across the network. Even then, we'd only really recommend using the integrated antivirus functionality that checks for malware, and only resorting to Antivirus Essential as a last resort.

An antivirus suite can also be helpful when hosting or backing up websites on a NAS enclosure. Such tools would be able to detect malicious content that would otherwise go undetected. DSM 7.0 is a secured OS running on Linux, making it far more difficult for viruses to infect the NAS directly.

What is RAID?

RAID stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks. It's a group of independent disks that operate as a fused single array. Instead of having five drives installed on a NAS and acting as individual volumes, you can combine them together to act as a single storage medium. This helps improve performance and redundancy in case a drive fails.

If five drives were to be used individually and one should fail, it would come down to manual backups to replace data, which could be outdated. By using RAID, we can protect against such failures by allowing the pool to have enough redundancy to recover. With most RAID levels, a portion of the total storage capacity is locked for local data backups.

For instance, a RAID 1 configuration with two 8TB drives inside a Synology DiskStation DS220+ would see a total capacity of 8TB since one drive would be used as a backup. If one drive should fail, you can simply replace it and rebuild the volume. The stored data would then be copied across to the new drive and it would be as if nothing happened.

What's the best RAID for Synology NAS?

There's no single best RAID level for a Synology NAS. Depending on how many drives you have and how efficient or high the level of redundancy is required, it's possible to choose RAID 1 and simply have around half of the total capacity reserved for backups. RAID 5 is most recommended for NAS deployment since it strikes a solid balance between performance and redundancy.

With a minimum of three drives required, a single drive is locked away for holding all the necessary data to rebuild a storage medium in the case of a failure. As an added bonus, you could even hot-swap the failed drive without powering down the system and the RAID array should be able to recover without data loss. Using RAID is important to combat not only drive value, but also bad sectors and other issues.

If you prefer to manage your RAID configuration, it's best to choose a level like RAID 1, RAID 5, or RAID 10, depending on the NAS enclosure you own. Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) is a little more advanced than classic RAID levels. Traditionally, your drives would need to be the same size, else storage space would be wasted as RAID takes the smallest drive as the base. This isn't the case with SHR.

SHR also makes it easier to upgrade the storage pool, add new drives, and provides protection from single and double drive failures. I would recommend SHR, especially if you're new to RAID, and let the NAS handle data redundancy for you. All you need are the best and most reliable hard drives for a Synology NAS.

Can I change the RAID on Synology NAS?

Yes, you can change the RAID type on a Synology NAS, but this is limited to just a few levels. It's possible only through DSM to change between the following RAID types:

When purchasing a new Synology NAS enclosure (we've rounded up the best NAS if you need help choosing), you don't have to start fresh with clean hard drives. It's possible to migrate between enclosures using a few methods. This guide will run you through steps to take to move between Synology NAS without losing data.

It's always important to back up your data, especially before moving between server enclosures. Please back up all your data before carrying out these steps.

Hard drive migration

The easiest way to migrate from one Synology NAS to another is by swapping the hard drives. It's possible to remove the drives from one NAS and simply insert them into another. The DSM OS (see our DSM 7 review) will be able to detect the migration process and commence the switch.

Requirements

There are a few caveats, however:

• Not all Synology NAS can migrate between one another.
• The DSM version running on the destination NAS must be the same as or newer.
• The destination NAS must support the same file system.
• The destination NAS must have enough drive slots to accommodate all the source drives for the RAID volume.
• Single-bay NAS cannot migrate to multi-bay NAS.
• SAS drives cannot be installed inside a NAS that only supports SATA.
• Most NAS in the J and Value series do not support volumes greater than 16TB.

Please see below for Synology NAS enclosures that cannot be used as the source for HDD migration:

• DS420j
• DS220j
• RS819
• DS418
• DS418j
• DS218
• DS218play
• DS118
• DS1817
• DS1517
• DS416
• DS416play
• DS2015xs
• DS1515
• DS715
• DS415play
• DS215+
• DS214
• DS214play
• DS413
• DS213+
• DS212+
• DS112+
• DS211+
• DS410
• DS210+
• DS110+

So long as your current NAS is not listed above, you will be able to migrate to a new Synology enclosure. See the table below for what NAS you'll be able to move to.

Please note that if your SSD cache will need to be removed before migrating the drives if:

• It was built on DSM 7.0+ and the destination NAS is DSM 6.2 or earlier.
• It was built on an earlier version than DSM 5.2 and the destination NAS has an Alpine CPU.
• The destination NAS does not support SSD cache.
• The destination NAS does not support the type of SSD used.

How to migrate hard drives (same NAS models)

1. Sign into the old Synology NAS.
2. Go to Control Panel > Update & Restore.
3. Check for and install any available updates.
4. Install an empty temporary SATA drive in the new Synology NAS.
5. Boot up the new Synology NAS.
6. Open a browser and load the IP address to log in.
7. Click Next.
8. Download the latest DSM OS from Synology.
9. Click Install Now.
10. Create an admin account.
11. Click Next.
12. Shut down both Synology NAS units once the installation is complete.
13. Remove the temporary SATA drive from the new Synology NAS.
14. Remove the hard drives from the source NAS, taking note of the order in which they were installed. (This step is incredibly important!)
15. Install the hard drives into the new NAS in the same order as the previous enclosure.
16. Boot up the new Synology NAS.
17. Open a browser and load the IP address to log in.

The migration transfer process is now complete.

How to migrate hard drives (different NAS models)

1. Sign into the old Synology NAS.
2. Go to Control Panel > Update & Restore.
3. Check for and install any available updates.
4. Click on the Configuration Backup
5. Select Back up configuration to create a .dss config file.
6. Go to Hyper Backup.
7. Follow the on-screen wizard and back up your NAS data.
8. Shut down the Synology NAS completely.
9. Remove the hard drives from the source NAS, taking note of the order in which they were installed. (This step is incredibly important!)
10. Install the hard drives into the new NAS in the same order as the previous enclosure.
11. Boot up the new Synology NAS.
12. Open a browser and load the IP address to log in.
13. You should be greeted by the migration wizard. Click Install to continue. (If you see a warning message similar to "Note: All data on the hard drive(s) will be deleted" turn off the NAS and check the drive order.)
14. Choose Migration.
15. Choose Download and install the newest version of DSM.
16. Enter a new password for the admin account.
17. Click Install Now.
18. Once the NAS is ready, go to Control Panel > Update & Restore.
19. Select Configuration Backup tab.
20. Select Restore configuration.
21. Upload the .dss config file.
22. Choose All System Configurations
23. Click OK.
24. Click Yes.

That's the migration process for different models complete. You're now good to go!

Migration Assistant

1. Sign into the new Synology NAS.
2. Open Package Manager.
3. Install Migration Assistant.
4. Open Migration Assistant.
5. Read through the information on the welcome page and then click Next.
6. Enter your old Synology NAS IP address, admin account, and password.
7. Click Next.
8. The app will check for any potential issues before making the transfer. (It will alert you to anything that needs to be changed.)
9. Confirm the settings once everything is good to go by clicking Apply.
10. Click Continue.
11. Enter the admin password for the new Synology NAS.
12. Click Submit.
13. The migration process will now commence.
14. After the system phase has completed, the wizard will ask you how to handle services on the old Synology NAS. You can keep all services running for manual transfer later or disable them all for immediate transfer.

Once complete, the new Synology NAS will need some configuration to take over the services from the old enclosure.

Support already ended with DSM 6

Synology quietly ceased to update its wireless dongle support page, which led many to believe support would be ending. We had some readers reach out to complain the dongles they purchased for their NAS didn't work as directed. We reached out to Synology and were told that it was, unfortunately, the case that wireless USB dongle support had ended.

This all occurred through the latter versions of DSM 6. With DSM 7, some still held out hope that some sort of support would be passed on to allow the use of these accessories.

No wireless dongle support in DSM 7.0

Synology announced many improvements with the substantial 7.0 update to DSM. The company also shared numerous changes that would also occur, one being the removal of any wireless dongle support. The reason? Drivers. Synology shared the following with Windows Central:

Drive support can be patchy, even on an OS as popular as Windows, which led Synology to consider canning the feature to protect NAS enclosures. No one wants to be using an outdated driver that could have a security flaw. Synology decided to protect its customers and remove the functionality altogether in DSM 7.0.

In order to connect your best NAS for home to the outside world, you're going to need some network cables. Luckily, Synology includes CAT5 cabling with each of its NAS enclosures.

After plugging in your Synology network-attached storage (NAS) enclosure, it's actually relatively easy to connect to the unit through your web browser. Synology not only makes some of the best NAS for home, but also offers an external connection service that makes the whole process painless, and there's even software you can download and use if everything else fails.

How to set up your Synology NAS

In order to start using your NAS, you need to set everything up, including the DSM OS. Here's how:

1. Turn on the NAS.
2. Wait for the unit to complete its boot sequence.
3. Fire up your web browser and enter find.synology.com or the IP of the enclosure. (There's also the Synology Assistant you can download.)
4. You should now be greeted by the DSM install wizard.

5. Follow the steps to initialize the drives, install DSM, and set up your accounts.

How to connect to your Synology NAS

Once you're up and running and just need to access the web port, simply follow these steps:

1. Fire up your web browser and enter find.synology.com or the IP of the enclosure. (There's also the Synology Assistant you can download.)
2. Enter your account credentials and hit Log in.

How to troubleshoot connecting to your Synology NAS

Should the above not work through your web browser, there are a few steps you can take to connect to the NAS. I would recommend double-checking to see whether your NAS is turned on and connected to the network using a cable. You can also log into your router or network switch admin panel to see whether it has been assigned an IP address.

Lastly, Synology offers the Synology Assistant, which can help you connect to and manage various company NAS units on the network.

1. Head to the Synology website.
2. Choose your NAS model.
3. Download Synology Assistant.
4. Install the software.
5. Run Synology Assistant.
6. Allow the suite to search your network.
7. Right-click your NAS and choose Connect.

Synology DiskStation 7.0 is finally here after two years of development. The OS powers millions of Synology network-attached storage (NAS) enclosures worldwide. The company claims DSM 7.0 to be the largest update released for the OS, sporting a brand-new user interface, overhaul of numerous background systems, as well as thousands of improvements.

We've been playing around with the beta version of DSM 7.0 and this review was created using build 7.0-41882, which is the most recent release candidate before the June 29 public launch. Synology may have made changes to the release between the version we reviewed and the one that will be released to live NAS enclosures.

Ready to find out what's next for the best Synology NAS? Here's what I found after spending many weeks with DSM 7.0.

Synology DSM 7.0: Refreshed UI design

The most obvious improvement with DSM 7.0 is the UI. Synology has given the interface throughout the OS a refresh, making it feel more modern and in keeping with the current decade. As soon as you hit the login screen, it's clear DSM offers a more refined experience. Even with the same hardware, it's easy to notice a considerable uptick in UI responsiveness.

Going back to DSM 6 and it immediately looks outdated. It's not a huge difference, but Synology managed to refine the UI with sharper images, curved windows, and fluid elements to make content pop a little more. Because the company didn't try to reinvent the wheel when it comes to NAS OS interfaces, moving from DSM 6 feels like a baby step.

DSM 6 (left) | DSM 7 (right)

Everything is where you left it in DSM 6, aside from a few deprecated features and Synology Photos and Moments, which are both now merged into a single application package. There are a few new additions to the Control Panel, including the ability to manage what Synology calls the login portal — it's essentially the login page.

Compared to DSM 6, which only really allowed you to write some text, this new login portal allows you to paint the background with a single color or uploaded image. A logo can also be set if part of an organization. It's even possible to render HTML in the footer message, creating the possibility to work in some code.

If you are new to DSM (and to NAS in general), Synology ensures you know your way around the basics of the OS upon first logging into DSM 7.0. A pop-up will run you through all the cool new features and improvements, and you'll have the opportunity to activate some new services, which can be done at a later date if you'd rather poke around at your own pace.

One issue I do have with the new UI is the lack of a dark mode. ASUSTOR managed to work one into its ADM 4.0 update, which is what will be going up against this release from Synology. Hopefully, one will arrive sooner than later. If you're a big fan of using USB devices like wireless dongles, you're going to be out of luck with DSM 7.0, unfortunately.

Synology DSM 7.0: New features

Synology didn't just stop with the UI when applying some visual improvements. Official apps like the Storage Manager and Photos have been revamped with plenty of new features. We're going to look at other changes, like the improved account security measures that support Windows Hello and other biometric authentication methods.

Storage Manager

Synology gave Storage Manager some love with the DSM 7.0 update. Not only does it look modern thanks to the overall UI refresh, but there are some great changes to how data is presented. The dashboard is easier to decipher exactly what's going on with the installed drives. The volume usage is clearly displayed up top, with drive information actually represented by a render of the NAS.

This makes it easy to pinpoint which drive in the array is having issues. The sidebar has been completely revamped too. Gone are the countless subsections, replaced by a hierarchical view that makes switching between volumes and pools seamless. A cool feature of Storage Manager, which makes it killer for NAS management, is the ability to replace a faulty drive with a healthy one without needing to rebuild the pool.

DSM 6 (left) | DSM 7 (right)

There's even a way to automate his process that works with hot spare drives — perfect if you need to replace drives with minimal to no downtime. With Replace Drive, Auto Replacement, Fast Repair, and Auto Repair, Synology has numerous tools at the disposal to handle potential drive issues without causing serious downtime.

And because we're storing more data than ever before, XS/XS+, SA, and FS series Synology NAS will have support for peta volumes.

Secure SignIn

Secure SignIn is Synology's way of getting NAS owners to rely less on passwords (and respective managers) by offering more ways to authenticate login attempts. We've had two-factor authentication in DSM 6, but the company took this a step further by improving the process to support multi-factor authentication, as well as a dedicated smartphone app.

The Secure SignIn app uses authentication technologies commonly found in smartphones (think how Google asks you to confirm an account login attempt on smartphones), whereas FIDO2 relies on hardware security keys. The latter can be considered even more secure by using USB keys and biometric authentication (Windows Hello, Touch ID).

It's possible to use FIDO2 or Secure SignIn without a password, allowing you to get into DSM quicker, without sacrificing on account security. Setting up this functionality is incredibly straightforward, and the OS runs you through configuring FIDO2, Secure SignIn, and 2FA codes.

Synology Photos

Photos continue to play an important role in our lives and the digital age transformed how we capture, manage, and showcase them. Synology used DSM 7.0 to combine Photo Station and Moments into a single solution. The new Synology Photos app on DSM 7.0 is stunning. If you take plenty of photos, you'll enjoy backing them up to the NAS to see them on the big screen.

Because Synology combined Photo Station and Moments, the new app supports intuitive media browsing, smarter media management, collaboration through sharing with others, and improved performance with everything being inside a single package. Facial recognition was transferred to the Photos app, which will use machine learning wizardry to try to categorize photos depending on who's in them.

Synology has a few smartphone apps available and a companion app is now available for Synology Photos. Whether you're using iOS or Android, it's possible to automatically back up all your photos, just as you would to Google Drive, OneDrive, or iCloud. It hasn't been easier to set up your own NAS to be the center of the household.

Synology DSM 7.0: Hybrid cloud support

Synology is expanding its C2 cloud platform with Hybrid Cloud. Businesses and home users don't want a cloud-based platform (hence why they have a NAS), but external services can provide additional functionality that further enhances the experience. Two hybrid cloud solutions launched with DSM 7.0: Active Insight and Hybrid Share. These features are clearly targeting power users and big businesses.

Active Insight

Active Insight is a must-have tool for those who will be managing multiple NAS enclosures across a single deployment. When connected to the same Synology account, it's possible to link all the NAS servers up and monitor them through a single Active Insight dashboard — much like you can with EnGenius network hardware.

So long as each NAS has 512MB of RAM (see our best NAS for home guide) and runs DSM 7.0, it'll show up in Active Insight. You can think of Active Insight as a more in-depth Resource Monitor. There's even a mobile app that can be downloaded and connected. As well as viewing metrics and resource usage across the range of NAS, events can be viewed, customized triggers set, and notifications sent to IT pros to diagnose.

Honestly, even for a small home-based setup, being able to view all your NAS on a single view is a neat addition.

Synology Hybrid Share

Hybrid Share is all about leveraging the capabilities of physical on-site storage and the cloud. It's possible to store data on a hard drive on your PC or a cloud platform like OneDrive, but there's also a middle ground, which is where Synology is approaching it with Hybrid Share — hence the name.

This is incredibly important for deployments that rely on local storage and connections between sites, like large organizations. Those with accounts can connect through the internet or local network and make changes that can be applied across Synology C2. Not only does this protect against corruption and accidental deletion, but can also help improve access speeds.

Synology DSM 7.0: How to install the update

Installing DSM 7.0 couldn't be easier. Your Synology NAS should provide a notification that a new major update is available. We recommend you create a backup of not only the NAS OS, but all the data stored on the hard drives. To install 7.0, simply run through the update installation process and log back into the NAS once it reboots.

You'll be greeted by the new login page, as well as a few helpful wizards to show you around the new update. If you do not yet see the update hitting your NAS, you can choose to wait or install it manually by downloading DSM 7.0 from the Synology website:

• Visit Synology Download Center.
• Select your NAS model using the drop-down menus.

• Change the OS Version to "7.0."
• Select the DSM version you're updating from, as well as 7.0 in the menus under the 7.0.
• Click on Download.
• Log into your NAS.
• Go to Control Panel > Update & Restore > Manual DSM Update.
• Click Browse and select the downloaded DSM 7.0 update file.
• Click OK to update DSM.

Synology DSM 7.0: Competition

The competition is heating up for Synology. DSM has always been regarded by many (including ourselves) to be the very best OS for NAS enclosures. If you're looking for an easy-to-use server to get up and running in no time at all, look no further than a Synology enclosure. That's starting to change with ASUSTOR, QNAP, and other vendors upping their OS game.

DSM 7.0 is incredibly important. Not only for Synology to flex its cloud muscles and showcase how a hybrid approach can work for those who require physical storage but can utilize internet-based features. It's also a required step to keep the company ahead of its competitors in terms of software. The company played it safe but did a fine job refreshing the UI to make it feel more responsive.

The closest competitor is likely going to be ASUSTOR with ADM 4.0. Some highlight features include a dark mode theme (which DSM 7.0 lacks), customizable designs to the login page, new search features, and a Web Center for creating an online content server. It's going to be interesting to see how the two software suites stack up once they both go live.

For now, Synology remains the top dog in the NAS game with DSM 7.0.

Synology DSM 7.0: Should you update?

You should update if ...

You want the latest OS version

The latest release of DSM is a great update for Synology NAS owners. It's more responsive, more modern-looking, and has plenty of improvements behind the scenes that make 7.0 the OS to run on your Synology enclosure.

You want the latest cloud-backed features

As well as plenty of NAS-based improvements, Synology is working the power of the cloud to enhance the NAS experience. It's not as intrusive as other applications may lead you to believe, and there are some excellent features showcased with DSM 7.0.

You want a more responsive UI

The login page is customizable (beyond a simple message) and the entire OS feels more responsive. It's not a major refresh or a completely new UI, but everything feels faster. Even on a lesser powerful NAS, you should notice a considerable improvement.

You should not update if ...

You have a heavily customized installation

If you've customized the DSM OS beyond what's available out-the-box within the control panel, you can expect to see DSM 7.0 break a few things. If you rely on features that are now deprecated, updating to 7.0 probably isn't wise until an alternate solution is found.

You have an old NAS

Synology has a list of supported NAS for DSM 7.0. If your NAS is considerably old, it's probably best to stick with the OS version you're on now. Hold out until the time's right for you to replace the enclosure with a newer model.

You use certain USB hardware

With 7.0, Synology reaffirmed the discontinuation of support for USB hardware like wireless dongles. If you make use of such hardware, you're going to need to stick to a version of DSM that includes support.

A NAS OS update is a lot like Windows, Linux, and other PC operating systems. Running the latest version is always recommended for security and the latest features. Synology did an excellent job with DSM 7.0, making it feel more responsive on the same enclosure hardware. The addition of cloud-based features is also a welcome to further enhance the NAS capabilities.

I've used DSM 7.0 on the DS220+, DS420+, and DS1621+. All three NAS enclosures were great to use with the latest changes to DSM. No issues were encountered while installing the update on various enclosures, as well as all the additional apps and services.

While there are some features and functionality that have been deprecated for DSM 7.0, there are so many improvements that make this a less painful update. So long as you're not using a Synology NAS enclosure from years ago, DSM 7.0 is a solid release that should be installed right away. Best of all, it's a free update.

No NVMe storage support

Synology does not allow the use of NVME SSDs for storage on NAS enclosures, not even the best Synology NAS. It's a little confusing for those who buy NAS enclosures with M.2 slots only to realize these are limited to caching only. So, what gives? Why is Synology handicapping data transfer speeds?

It seems as though the company is concerned with heat. NVMe SSDs can get extremely hot, especially the newer PCIe 4.0 drives like the excellent Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus series. These drives can go beyond 70C with passive cooling and fans circulating cool air inside a PC chassis. Most NAS enclosures come only with small rear blowers.

Instead, Synology allows M.2 SSDs to be used as cache. Instead of being included in a RAID array and storing large amounts of data, the M.2 drives are only used for keeping the most frequently accessed data for faster access. It's not currently known when (or if) Synology will allow NVMe storage.

Some owners have been able to work around this limitation, but we wouldn't recommend doing so as it could void your warranty. It's not all bad since you can find incredibly dense mechanical HDDs with 7200RPM motors for a good price. We've rounded up some of the best storage drives for NAS.

Securing your data on even the best Synology NAS is incredibly important. Much like any online account, it's best to use two-factor authentication, or better yet multi-factor authentication. DSM 7.0 introduced support for the latter with a shiny new SignIn app that helps protect your NAS and sensitive data.

This guide is tailored to Synology DSM 7.0, but two-factor authentication initialization on earlier OS versions is similar.

How to set up SignIn (2FA)

1. Click on the user icon in the top-right.
2. Select Personal.
3. Select two-factor authentication.

4. Select Approve sign-in.
5. Activate QuickConnect (if not done already).
6. Verify your account password.
7. Read through the information and click Next.

8. Download Synology SignIn app using the QR codes displayed, App Store, or Google Play.
9. Click Next.
10. Scan the QR code with the SignIn app.
11. Click Next.
12. Select OTP in the SignIn smartphone app.
13. Select the + icon up top to open the camera.
14. Scan the QR code to create an OTP link.
15. Enter the OTP in the browser.
16. Click Next.
17. Enter a backup email address.
18. Click Next.
19. Click Done.

The Synology SignIn app is now configured for your NAS with a one-time password and secure sign-in methods that will be required upon logging in, as well as the account password.

How to set up one-time passcodes (2FA)

1. Click on the user icon in the top-right.
2. Select Personal.
3. Select two-factor authentication.
4. Select Verification Code (OTP).
5. Verify your account password.
6. Read through the information and click Next.

7. Download Synology SignIn app using the QR codes displayed, App Store, or Google Play.
8. Click Next.
9. Scan the QR code with the SignIn app (or your favorite OTP authenticator app).
10. Enter the OTP in the browser.
11. Click Next.
12. Enter a backup email address.
13. Click Next.

14. Click Done.

How to set up a hardware security key (2FA)

1. Click on the user icon in the top-right.
2. Select Personal.
3. Select two-factor authentication.

4. Select Hardware security key.
5. Follow the on-screen wizard for configuring DDNS. (See Synology's help section for more details.)
6. Verify your account password.
7. Read through the information and click Next.
8. Select the type of hardware key.
9. Follow the on-screen instructions for enabling the device (this varies between hardware).
10. Enter a name for your security hardware key.
11. Select Done.

How to set up passwordless sign-in

1. Click on the user icon in the top-right.
2. Select Personal.

3. Select Passwordless Sign-In.
4. Select Approve sign-in.
5. Verify your account password.
6. Read through the information and click Next.

7. Download Synology SignIn app using the QR codes displayed, App Store, or Google Play.
8. Click Next.
9. Scan the QR code with the SignIn app.
10. Click Next.

11. Click Finish.

You will be required to use the configured authentication method when signing into your account on the NAS. To disable the authentication method, simply return to the settings pane and select it for deactivation.

Synology worked hard to give its DiskStation network-attached storage (NAS) operating system a refresh. DiskStation Manager (DSM) is the Windows 10 for Synology enclosures, allowing you to install apps and services, set up and manage accounts, configure various settings, and perform numerous tasks on the NAS server.

It has been some time since DSM has been updated with a major overhaul, but this all changed with DSM 7.0. The beta has been out since the end of 2020 and the general public will now see the update hit NAS enclosures. Here's everything you need to know about DSM 7.0.

Synology DSM 7.0: New features

Important changes

There are numerous new features in DSM 7.0, but we should first cover the important update notes. Synology has made some important changes to the update, which have been summarized below:

• USB hardware, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth dongles, will no longer work.
• DSM 7.0 will end NAS support for ext3.
• DSM 7.0 disables NTLMv1 by default in favor of NTMLv2, which may prevent SMB clients from connecting.
• SSD caches on block-level LUNs are no longer supported.
• NT4 domains are no longer supported.
• DSM URLs have been modified. (Check firewall rules if in use.)
• iSCSI Manager is now SAN Manager in DSM 7.0.
• TLS/SSL profile level in Modern Compatibility will auto change to Intermediate Compatibility for better TLS support and compatibility.
• EZ-Internet has been merged with Router Configuration within Control Panel.
• Python3 has been merged into DSM 7.0 as a built-in service.
• The following DDNS providers have been removed:
  • CloudNS.
  • DNO-O-Matic.
  • DNSEXIT.
  • Dynamic DO!.jp.
  • Joker.com.
  • RU-CENTER.
  • TwoDNS.de.
  • Variomedia.
  • Zoneedit.com.
• QuickConnect is secured with a Let's Encrypt SSL certificate.
• Security Advisor enables login analysis and custom account detection check items by default.
• Video conversion to FLV and MPEG-4 Part 2 formats are no longer supported on:
  • DS120j.
  • DS119j.
  • DS216se.
  • DS215j.
  • DS115.
  • DS115j.
  • RS814.
  • RS214.
  • DS414.
  • DS414slim.
  • DS414j.
  • DS214+.
  • DS214.
  • DS214se.
  • DS114.
  • DS213j.
• Active Insight and Hybrid Share Service are built into DSM 7.0 and will be automatically installed.

New features

There's plenty to like about the update, aside from the removal of USB device support for wireless dongles. The visual refresh to the OS alone is worth upgrading your NAS. After running DSM 7.0 for a few weeks, I've come to appreciate what Synology has worked into this release. It was easy to set up Plex on the Synology NAS after updating, and more.

The biggest change with DSM 7.0 is the user interface. The OS looks far more slick and modern, something you'd actually enjoy using in 2021 and beyond. DSM 6.x wasn't ugly by any stretch, but it was starting to show its age, especially as Synology competitors worked to improve their own OS solutions. Now, DSM is once again ahead of the game.

My favorite improvement is the login experience. Instead of using the username and password credential combination each and every time, you can now set everything up so you require only your username and a third-party authenticator. In the world of two-factor authentication, this is a fantastic improvement, and it even works with FIDO2.

Here's a full list of changes from the company.

Storage

• Storage Manager:
  • Added visuals of Synology NAS models with their drive slots, expansion units, and built-in M.2 slots to help users view drive status.
  • Enhanced usability with a clearer display of the relationship between storage pools, volumes, and SSD caches.
  • Enhanced the setup process of Hot Spare and Data Scrubbing.
  • Added a feature to guide users through configuring newly inserted drives.
  • New features of storage pools, volumes, and drives:
  • Supports performing different tasks on different storage pools simultaneously.
  • Supports updating the firmware for Synology drives.
  • Enhanced the access performance of degraded RAID 6 by 70%.
  • Added display of the storage usage of each category item on Btrfs volumes.
  • Added a new Fast Repair mechanism to reduce the time needed for RAID repair based on storage usage and thus reduce the time of RAID degradation.
  • Added the ability to replace a drive in a healthy storage pool with an unused one without interrupting services or causing storage-pool degradation.
  • Added the ability to automatically replace "Critical" or "Failing" drives in protected storage pools with Hot Spare. 　
  • Added the Auto Repair feature to automatically run a RAID repair when a malfunctioned drive is replaced with a healthy one in the same drive slot.
  • Added the ability to eject a storage pool on an expansion unit to ensure the safe removal of drives without interrupting system services.
  • Added the ability to mount storage pools from drives that are inserted after the device has been powered on without interrupting system services.
  • Supports customizing the low-capacity notification for individual volumes when their available space drops below the specified value.
  • Added support for space reclamation schedules for Btrfs volumes.
• SSD Cache:
  • Added the ability to create and remove SSD caches without interrupting system services.
  • Added the new SSD Cache Advisor to monitor I/O accesses and provide more accurate capacity recommendations.
  • Added the ability to pin all Btrfs metadata to SSD caches to enhance the performance of accessing small files and shorten the response time when accessing files regularly.
  • Added the ability to activate automatic protection on SSD read-write caches with multi-drive fault tolerance.
  • Added support for the quick write-back mechanism, delivering a 30% faster synchronization from SSD caches to HDDs when automatic protection is activated.

Resource Monitor

• Revamped the display of recorded performance metrics with a finer granularity of data points and the ability to focus on certain time points.
• Enhanced monitoring transparency of system services by separating larger, unrelated processes.
• Added the ability to manage currently accessed files and their connected users to better handle locked files.
• File System/File Services.
• Supports enabling/disabling file compression for shared folders created on DSM 7.0.
• Enhanced file compression ratio and added display for the current ratio for each shared folder.
• Added support for cross-protocol locking between SMB and AFP.
• Supports accessing encrypted shared folders via NFS.
• Enhanced Btrfs performance and lowered I/O latency.
• Modularized the SMB file service into a package.
• Allows users to enable/disable SMB transfer logs for permission changes, providing more flexible transfer logs.
• Enhanced the encryption performance by up to 10% on certain models with the x86 platform.
• In Windows File Explorer, users can now search for the files and their content in indexed folders.

User Management

• Enhanced the password policy. Passwords must exclude username and description, include both upper-case and lower-case letters as well as numerical digits. The minimum password length is eight characters.
• Added the ability to delegate predefined administrator roles to non-administrator user accounts and allow them to manage certain services and system settings, offering more flexible permission management.
• Added the ability to require imported users to change their passwords after their initial DSM logins.
• Added the ability to assign user accounts from import lists to specific groups.
• Domain/LDAP Integration
• Enhanced LDAP client authentication performance by reducing the number of queries sent with a caching mechanism.
• The following services and packages now support UPN logins: Synology Assistant, Hyper Backup, Synology Mail Server, Synology Calendar, and Shared Folder Sync.
• Enhanced domain database synchronization performance by syncing only altered data.

Security

• Added the ability to block USB and console ports.
• Enhanced QuickConnect connection process to strengthen security.
• Provides only TLS 1.3 support for the Modern Compatibility option for TLS/SSL profile level.
• Added the ability to set 2-factor authentication as mandatory for specific users or groups.

User Experience

• Enhanced user experience for DSM first-time installation and Synology Account related service setup (e.g., QuickConnect).
• Added the ability to automatically install important DSM and package updates.
• Added information and usage tips about security, notification, and other recommended settings in DSM Help.
• Added the ability to back up DSM system configuration to a connected Synology Account.
• Added the ability to export folder permissions reports.
• Added support for application webhook integration to send system notifications to Synology Chat and other third-party applications.
• Added severity levels to notifications for better categorization of events.
• Enhanced user interface responsiveness to launch installed packages and services faster.
• Enhanced login performance when connecting from external networks.
• Enhanced user experience for package update processes by displaying the update status with package icons on the DSM desktop.
• Supports resetting the passwords of all user accounts in the administrators group by pressing the RESET button on Synology NAS for four seconds.
• Revamped the Service tab at Control Panel > Info Center. The tab focuses on the status of enabled services and packages, including local ports, router ports, and firewall permissions.
• Enhanced Control Panel usability by reorganizing related functionality together.
• Added a new Synology Account tab to consolidate future services provided through Synology Account.
• Consolidated Domain/LDAP options to be configured in a new unified wizard.
• Consolidated QuickConnect settings into the External Access tab.
• Consolidated User and Groups settings.
• Consolidated Theme and Application Portal options into Login Portal tab.
• Consolidated email notification options into Notification > Email tab.
• Consolidated WS-Discovery into File Services > SMB.
• Consolidated Network > DSM Settings into Login Portal > Web Services.
• Relocated the SMB Server Signing option to File Services > SMB > Advanced Settings.
• Moved Shared Folder Sync into the File Services tab.
• Moved the Enforce 2-factor authentication option into the Security tab.
• Modularized DHCP Server into a package.

Synology DSM 7.0: When will it be released?

Synology released update 7.0 for NAS enclosures on June 29. You can download the public release right now through your NAS updater or manually from Synology's website. See our full DSM 7.0 review for more details.

Synology DSM 7.0: Supported NAS

21-series

• DS1621+
• DS1821+
• RS1221+
• RS1221RP+
• RS2421+
• RS2421RP+
• RS2821RP+

20-series

• DS120j
• DS220j
• DS220+
• DS420j
• DS420+
• DS620slim
• DS720+
• DS920+
• DS1520+
• RS820+
• RS820RP+

19-series

• DS119j
• DS419slim
• DS1019+
• DS1819+
• DS2419+
• DS2419+II
• RS819
• RS1219+

18-series

• DS118
• DS218j
• DS218play
• DS218
• DS218+
• DS418j
• DS418play
• DS418
• DS718+
• DS918+
• DS1618+
• RS818+
• RS818RP+
• RS2418+
• RS2418RP+
• RS2818RP+

17-series

• DS1517
• DS1517+
• DS1817
• DS1817+
• RS217

16-series

• DS116
• DS216se
• DS216j
• DS216play
• DS216
• DS216+
• DS216+II
• DS416j
• DS416slim
• DS416play
• DS416
• DS716+
• DS716+II
• DS916+
• RS816
• RS2416+
• RS2416RP+

15-series

• DS115j
• DS115
• DS215j
• DS215+
• DS415play
• DS415+
• DS715
• DS1515
• DS1515+
• DS1815+
• DS2415+
• RS815
• RS815+
• RS815RP+

14-series

• DS114
• DS214se
• DS214play
• DS214
• DS214+
• DS414j
• DS414slim
• DS414
• RS214
• RS814
• RS814+
• RS814RP+
• RS2414+
• RS2414RP+

13-series

• DS213j
• DS713+
• DS1513+
• DS1813+
• DS2413+

Synology DSM 7.0: How to install

I always recommend backing up your NAS before updating the DSM. Please do so before upgrading to DSM 7.0. You'll need to be running at least DSM 6.2 or above. You should see a notification for the update once your NAS performs a check in the background, but here's how to install DSM 7.0 on your Synology NAS manually if it doesn't show:

• Visit Synology Download Center.
• Select your NAS model using the drop-down menus.

• Change the OS Version to "7.0."
• Select the DSM version you're updating from, as well as 7.0 in the menus under the 7.0.
• Click on Download.
• Log into your NAS.
• Go to Control Panel > Update & Restore > Manual DSM Update.
• Click Browse and select the downloaded DSM 7.0 update file.
• Click OK to update DSM.

The NAS will then run through the installation process and will reboot. Sit back, relax, and read through the list of new features in the meantime.

What you need to know

• Synology launches the new RS1221+ and RS1221RP+ rackmount 2U NAS enclosures.
• The RS1221RP+ comes rocking a redundant power supply in case of failure.
• Pricing starts from $1,300 for the RS1221+ and tops out at $1,700 for the RS1221RP+.

Synology announced the RS1221+ and RS1221RP+, two new rackmount network-attached storage (NAS) enclosures designed for server racks. Both are launching in the 2U form factor and are identical other than the RS1221RP+ having redundant power. The 8-bay rackmount servers are designed to deliver high-performance file storage.

A first from Synology, the two servers will come rocking AMD's Ryzen V1500B processors. While this isn't quite as fancy as the company's desktop-class Ryzen processors, it's still a highly capable computing unit capable of outclassing Intel Atom or Celeron CPUs that are often found in NAS enclosures. Synology already has the DS1612+ NAS out with AMD internals.

Synology states the new CPU will deliver up to 3.6x the performance compared to existing Intel processors. These servers are also pretty compact, coming in at only 406mm deep. You'll be able to install one of these inside a smaller rackmount enclosure. like a wall-mounted cabinet with space for additional cooling if required.

Alongside the new AMD Ryzen CPU is 4GB of ECC (error-correcting code) DDR4 RAM, which can be upgradable to 32GB. There's also a PCIe 3.0 slot for a 10Gb or NVMe SSD cache upgrade. As is the case with its consumer-focused enclosures, rackmount NAS from Synology is powered by Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM).

Pricing for these new servers starts at $1,300 for the RS1221+ with the RS1221RP+ coming in at $1,700.

What you need to know

• Synology adds a new 4TB option to its line-up of NAS SSDs.
• These SSDs are best suited to an SSD-only configuration.
• The new 4TB will be available soon with a price, but the range starts at $180.

Synology announced the new 4TB (3.84TB usable) SAT5200 SSD for network-attached storage (NAS) enclosures. The company already has three SSDs available today, but this 4TB is the largest capacity thus far. Like mechanical drives, it's best to use SSDs that are designed for NAS use.

Julien Chen, product manager for Synology's SSDs, explained why NAS-optimized SSDs are better suitable for enclosure deployment.

While Synology's SAT5200 SSD range is specifically designed for its own enclosures, you can use them in enclosures from other vendors. These SSDs come rocking serious performance numbers like 58,000 4K random write IOPS and come with end-to-end data protection, as well as power loss protection circuits.

The new 4TB is yet to be priced and will be available soon. The new capacity will join 480GB, 960GB, and 2TB NAS SSDs.

Network-attached storage (NAS) isn't the most exciting product category, and, as such, we don't usually witness substantial changes between product cycles, and that's certainly the case with the new Synology DS420+. It's a mid-tier NAS, rocking quite the capable Intel processor, four bays for plenty of storage, and an attractive price.

Effectively replacing the DS418, you can think of the DS420+ as a slightly more affordable and less equipped version to the older DS918+ with upgraded internals. Is it a vast improvement and worth your money for the home or small office? We took one for a spin.

Synology NAS enclosures often receive considerable discounts for promotions like Black Friday, so if you somehow manage to spot a DS420+ listing for less than $500, you should consider adding this NAS to your home.

Synology DS420+ tech specs

Synology DS420+ is an evolutionary upgrade

Not much has been altered regarding the design of the DS420+. It looks like a modern Synology NAS, though all the upgrades have occurred within. From the front, we've got the usual LED indicators and power button on the right, alongside one of two USB 3 ports. This NAS comes with four drive bays, allowing for up to 64TB of storage capacity.

Both sides and the top of the NAS are bare, aside from the perforated Synology logos that double as intake vents. On the rear, there are two 92mm fans to keep the system running cool, two 1Gb LAN ports and a single USB 3 port. This NAS does not have an internal power supply, and so an external brick is required.

If you're unfamiliar with Synology's line-up of NAS, the drive bays are all-plastic and have a locking mechanism that requires a key to unlatch. This helps prevent anyone from accidentally hot-swapping drives. Once all drives are removed, it's easy to access the inner workings of the DS420+, including the single RAM upgrade slot — the preinstalled 2GB is attached to the main PCB.

Speaking of RAM, this NAS can support up to 6GB max, allowing you to throw in a 4GB module. The processor is an upgraded Intel Celeron J4025, the same one found inside the DS220+. It's quite the improvement over the Intel Celeron J3455, even though the SKUs would suggest otherwise.

Picking the best drives for your NAS

Sure, it's possible to take an old hard drive out of your desktop and use it inside a NAS, but you won't get many of the benefits that come with a drive specifically designed for NAS use. We rounded up the best NAS drives available to kit out the ASUSTOR AS5304T.

How to choose the right drive for your NAS

Packing the DS420+ with four 4TB Seagate IronWolf NAS drives in Synology's Hybrid RAID (SHR), we were ready to commence the installation process to get DiskStation Manager (DSM) up and running. While running, you can only just hear the drives spin. The two fans on the rear barely move when the NAS isn't doing too much, but even at full speed, they're not too audible at around 22dBA.

Synology DS420+'s Intel processor is Plex-friendly

Modern pre-built NAS servers aren't the most powerful systems around. Unless you're prepared to part with some serious cash (and I'm talking at least $1,000), you won't be getting anything like an Intel Core processor. Most entry and mid-tier NAS models come rocking Intel Celeron processors, which aren't terrible but are barely able to keep up with 4K transcoding should you wish to use Plex.

Celeron processors have come a long way for Intel, and the J4025 is a cracking CPU. Released in 2019, this CPU comes equipped with two physical cores and threads (no hyperthreading), with base and boost clock speeds of 2.0GHz and 2.9GHz, respectively. It's no slouch, and this is evident when trying to stream 4K content through Plex.

The initial setup process for a Synology NAS is as about as simple as it gets. You simply install at least one hard drive into the available bays, plug everything in, and turn on the unit. The same goes for the DS420+, making full use of the easy-to-follow setup wizard. If you're unable to locate the IP address of the server on your network, fear not as Synology has a handy locator tool.

Once you're connected, it'll ask you a few questions, allow you to set up a Synology account, and install DSM onto your hard drives. It's best to use SHR for data redundancy unless you have a preferred RAID configuration in mind. Once the OS is installed, you'll be greeted by the DSM OS. This is where the fun begins.

DSM has a package manager that can be used to install a host of apps and services, including third-party offerings like Plex. If you have Plex in mind for the DS420+, it can handle up to 4K transcoding reasonably well, so long as you're not hammering the NAS with multiple simultaneous connections.

What you might dislike about the Synology DS420+

I want to see 2.5Gb or 10Gb ports on NAS models that aren't part of a value series. The new DS420+ only comes with two 1Gb ports, which can be used as a single connection through link aggregation, but it's still leagues behind the faster LAN ports. Other manufacturers are bringing 2.5Gb and 10Gb to NAS models with lesser specs, and I'd like to see Synology follow suit.

I can understand why this unit doesn't have them since the more pricey DS918+ is due a refresh, which would come with higher-end features, but it would have been nice to see the advancement in network capabilities. Still, this shouldn't affect most people who purchase the DS420+ with 2Gb worth of throughput, providing ample bandwidth.

Should you buy the Synology DS420+?

You should purchase the Synology DS420+ if you're looking for a new NAS for your home or small office or would like to upgrade from an older model with fewer bays. It's one of the latest NAS models from Synology right now, rocking advanced hardware, including the impressive Intel Celeron J4025 CPU, as well as other handy features like M.2 SSD cache.

It's the full package for a storage device or Plex Media Server. You've got four bays that can hold up to 64TB, depending on the RAID configuration, two 1Gb LAN ports with link aggregation — though it would have been nice to see at least 2.5Gb ports here — and a few USB 3 ports to boot. This is one of the best NAS for home.

Choosing network-attached storage (NAS) depends on what you plan on doing with it. There are plenty of models available from various vendors, though Synology remains as one of the more popular options, primarily down to value and the excellent DSM OS.

The DS220j is an upgrade that replaces the existing DS218j, released in 2018. This latest model comes equipped with new internals and a slightly refreshed design. It's ideal if you're just starting out in the wonderful world of NAS.

While the DS220j is already one of the more affordable NMAS enclosures from Synology, that doesn't mean it won't be priced lower than its launch listing. If you can locate the NAS for less than $170 during a promotion like Black Friday, you should absolutely consider buying one for your home. When discounted, this is the best first NAS purchase.

What you'll love about the Synology DS220j

The DS220j is the same affair we've come to expect from Synology with its more affordable, compact NAS servers. It's a white plastic box that looks like the DS218j in every way, aside from the internals. The DS220j is, in essence, a spiritual successor to the DS218j, which came out in 2018.

The front of the NAS LED indicators and a small opening for the rear fan to pull air through (as well as the side panels). The two sides have a cutout Synology branding that doubles as intake vents, and the rear of the NAS houses a single 80mm fan, two USB 3 ports, and a Gigabit LAN port.

Like the older DS218j, Synology chose to go with 512MB of RAM and two drive bays. This is an affordable, entry-level model, so one shouldn't expect top-level performance. The processor has been bumped slightly from a 32-bit dual-core Marvell Armada 385 88F6820 CPU to a 64-bit quad-core Realtek RTD1296.

The 512MB RAM and ARM processor aren't the best on the market, and you won't be able to transcode HD movies, but for file storage and light media streaming (music, photos), the DS220j is perfectly equipped. Storing everything on this NAS is carried out using the two drive bays, which can be kitted out with up to two 16TB HDDs for a total of 32TB of capacity.

Utilizing Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) — which you absolutely should — will leave you with about half the available storage for use, so if you have two 16TB drives, only 16TB will be usable. RAID is a good way of making sure you have redundancy if a drive somehow fails. But no HDD will fail due to heat thanks to the overall design.

Unpacking the DS220j is simple, and everything is secured with high-quality materials. The drive bays themselves aren't removable, nor are they hot-swappable. The NAS can be split into two after removing just two rear screws, which provides access to the two drive bays, one atop the other. This is one trade-off you must live with compared to more expensive NAS models.

After hooking up the NAS to a network, all you need to do is fire up a browser and load the IP — you can use your router interface to locate this, or download the Synology Assistant. The DiskStation Manager (DSM) OS initial setup wizard greets you by asking for various details, including setting up an optional Synology account.

While not required, a Synology account is handy as it ties your NAS to Synology's servers. Most households have dynamic external IP addresses, which means the IP you use to access your NAS when not at home will change at some point, breaking connectivity. A Synology account addresses this by keeping the IP address current on Synology's side for external access.

Plex does this automatically, so if you don't fancy using a Synology account, it's not required. And speaking of Plex, the DS220j can indeed run the media server service without issue, though, as is the case with lesser-powered ARM processors, transcoding will be severely limited for movie streaming. Other third-party software is supported, as well as Synology's own apps, through the package center.

The package center is just one part of the DSM OS, which is one of the most user-friendly interfaces around. It's easy to navigate, and even beginners will be able to make necessary alterations to the DS220j without messing everything up. For transfer performance, the DS220j should be able to hit 80MB/s, which isn't too bad at this price point.

What you'll dislike about the Synology DS220j

Taking into account just how affordable this NAS is, there's not a whole lot to dislike about the DS220j. It's an entry-level NAS, and so rocks just two drive bays and a limited amount of RAM. The latter is more an annoyance due to the lack of upgradability, but if you want to perform more advanced and demanding tasks on a NAS, you'll need a more pricey server.

The drive bays are a little fiddly too. Unlike other NAS models, this server requires you to take apart the outer casing to gain access to the two drive bays, and one sits atop the other. Should you need to remove the drive from bay two, you'd need to first extract the other drive. A slight issue, but can be written off due to the size and price.

So should you buy the Synology DS220j?

The Synology DS220j is perfectly positioned for NAS beginners. Whether you need a small unit for file storage and for saving backup data or a home media server to stream music, this small and mighty NAS is capable of all of these tasks. It's when it comes to more advanced features like movie transcoding and multiple account access where the small amount of RAM and CPU may cause an issue.

If you're on the hunt for a budget-friendly NAS, the DS220j is a great place to start. Testing the waters to see if a NAS is a good fit on your network while leaving room for expansion by moving up the Synology NAS catalog, this is an excellent NAS worth considering for small deployments.

After shopping around for Network Attached Storage (NAS) units, you may have decided on Synology as a brand. That's only the first step, as the company offers an extensive collection of NAS boxes, depending on what you need.

I'm going to run you through a few things to make choosing the right model that little bit easier.

Breaking down the numbers

Synology, like other vendors, uses model numbers to differentiate between the various options. The DS prefix is always present, which stands for DiskStation. After that, you have a number that usually indicates how many drive bays are present. The last two numbers are tied to each generation (representing the year of release). For example, the 2016 DS216 has two drive bays but is likely to be slower than the newer DS218 from 2018. It keeps it simple.

Some units from Synology may have a suffix at the end that shows a unique or more capable system. Here are a few examples such suffixes:

• se - Budget-friendly option.
• j - Affordable option for home use.
• play - Usually has a more powerful processor for better transcoding.
• + - Sports an Intel processor.
• +II - The same model as the "+" but with a newer processor.

A DS218+II would be a DiskStation NAS with a newer generation of Intel processor. The DS218j, on the other hand, would contain less powerful internals but command a more affordable price.

Comparing models

Here's a comparison table with a few of the latest models from Synology.

The more affordable options like the j models will not be very good at transcoding video and other intensive tasks but can be used to store music and other files and stream them to connected devices. The more expensive options will be better suited and cost a little extra. The base (DS218) and Intel-powered + models are an ideal middle ground. And the DS218+ won the Windows Central Choice Award.

Then you have the DS420+, which is part of the 2020 catalog. Unless stated otherwise, NAS listings usually do not come with hard drives. So you'll need to factor purchasing these into the final price. We've got a few guides available on choosing the best hard drives for a NAS.

Decoding vs. transcoding 4K media with Plex on the DS420+

There's a substantial difference between the decoding and transcoding of media, especially 4K. The former requires the simple processes of the NAS streaming the said file to a compatible device like a PC. The receiving device simply needs to support the format the file is stored as. The Intel Celeron J4025 CPU inside the DS420+ barely has to do much work to achieve this. 4K is bliss when everything supports the same file.

The issue becomes apparent when you try and transcode 4K media. When your TV or receiving device doesn't support the filetype, the DS420+ would need to transcode the file into one it does for streaming. This is when the CPU needs to really do some work. This NAS and the processor can technically transcode 4K content, but it's not perfect, and you will encounter stuttering if other tasks are running on the NAS.

4K transcoding is a mixed bag on the DS420+

The Synology DS420+ comes with the Intel Celeron J4025 CPU, a dual-core processor without Hyperthreading. It's clocked at 2.0GHz with a boost speed of 2.9GHz. To break through this jargon, it's a reasonably powerful CPU for a NAS. The issue comes with transcoding 4K content, which is incredibly CPU intensive.

The DS420+ isn't a budget-friendly NAS, but if you want to do some intensive tasks like 4K transcoding, you'll, unfortunately, need to spend more. QNAP has a good selection of NAS models with Intel Core i3 and i5 processors. These CPUs are vastly more powerful than Celeron processors, making 4K transcoding a far easier goal to achieve.

4K transcoding on the DS420+requires Plex Pass

One factor to keep in mind when it comes to hardware transcoding is you need Plex Pass to do it with the Plex Media Server. If you only have a free account, you'll need to rely on software transcoding. You may encounter some buffering or other related issues if relying on this method.

Paying out for Plex Pass will ensure you're taking advantage of the hardware you have available. You have the choice of three plans: $5 per month, $40 annually, or $150 for lifetime access. The one-off payment of $150 would save you a lot of money in the long run, especially if you have everything set up for years of use.

What you need to know

• Synology is rolling out four new models in its Plus series: DiskStation DS220+, DS420+, DS720+, and DS920+.
• All four models feature upgraded hardware and two Gigabit Ethernet ports.
• The DS420+, DS720+, and DS920+ also offer two M.2 slots for SSD caching.
• All four models are now on pre-order, and are slated for an official release in the U.S. starting June 23.

If you're in the market for a new network attached storage (NAS) enclosure, Synology is the ideal place to start. The brand offers everything from budget options aimed at home users to enthusiast models designed for small businesses, and now Synology has unveiled its 2020 portfolio.

The brand is launching new variants of four models in the Plus series, with the DS220+ a particularly great option for first-time buyers, and the DS720+, DS420+, and DS920+ targeted at the enthusiast segment. All models include upgraded connectivity options and huge performance upgrades, so if you already have a NAS enclosure and are looking to upgrade or are interested in getting started with your own media server, let's take a look at Synology's latest products.

Synology DiskStation DS220+: The ideal two-bay NAS for beginners

The DiskStation DS218+ turned out to be a best-seller in Synology's portfolio for its affordability, and the DS220+ retains that particular trait. The two-bay NAS is available for $299, and you're getting upgraded hardware in the form of an Intel Celeron J4025 chipset with 2GB of DDR4 RAM (the DS218+ had a Celeron J3355 chip and DDR3 memory).

You can add a further 4GB of memory to the NAS, and each drive bay can facilitate up to a 16TB drive — with total storage up to 32TB. Another key change with the DS220+ is the addition of a secondary Gigabit Ethernet port that offers link aggregation and failover. You also get two USB 3.0 ports at the back.

The hardware is just one part of the story here; Synology's excellent DiskStation Manager (DSM) web-based OS has an exhaustive list of features, and you can set up your own media server and access it from anywhere in the world. Synology Drive also makes it incredibly easy to sync files across various platforms and machines, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.

The DS220+ is now up for pre-order in the U.S. for $300, and the NAS is scheduled to release on June 27.

Synology DiskStation DS720+: The upgrade option

The DiskStation 720+ is also a two-bay NAS — like the DS220+ — but you get a beefier Intel Celeron J4125 chipset. There's 2GB of DDR4 RAM that can be upgraded to a maximum of 6GB, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, and the NAS can slot in up to 16TB drives in each bay. There's also two USB 3.0 ports at the back along with an eSATA port.

Interestingly, the DS720+ has two M.2 slots for SSD caching, so if you use a lot of I/O intensive tasks, the feature is going to be handy. There's also the option of attaching Synology's DX517 expansion bay and adding five additional drive bays to the NAS.

The DS720+ is now up for pre-order for $400, and the NAS is slated to debut on June 23. The $100 differential between the DS220+ is down to the extensibility and SSD caching. If you're interested in either of those features, the DS720+ is a great option to consider.

Synology DiskStation DS420+: A great option for a four-bay NAS

The DiskStation DS420+ has the same set of features as the DS220+, but with double the number of drive bays and M.2 slots for SSD caching. The NAS is powered by an Intel Celeron J4025 chip and comes with 2GB of DDR4 RAM (with a DIMM slot to add 4GB more), two Gigabit Ethernet ports, two M.2 slots, and two USB 3.0 ports.

With four drive bays that can each accommodate a 16TB drive, the DS420+ is a great way to future-proof your investment, particularly if you want to build your own media server. I started out with a four-bay DS414 five years ago, and it has served me very well for over four years, after which I switched to a DS918+.

The DS420+ is on pre-order for $500, and is set to debut in the U.S. on June 23.

Synology DiskStation DS920+: A fantastic enthusiast option

As the name suggests, the DiskStation DS920+ is the beefiest option of the lot. It is the only model to offer 4GB of RAM out of the box, and you get two Gigabit Ethernet ports, two USB 3.0 ports, two M.2 slots, and an eSATA port.

Like the DS720+, the DS920+ features an Intel Celeron J4125 chip. By itself, it can accommodate up to 64TB of storage across the four drive bays, and you can expand storage by attaching a DX517 storage unit to the NAS.

The DS920+ has a single DIMM slot for memory upgrades, and you can slot in an additional 4GB of RAM in the NAS enclosure. That's down from the two memory slots in the DS918+, which let you add up to 16GB of RAM. That said, 8GB of RAM should be more than enough for most users.

You can now pre-order the DiskStation DS920+ for $550, with the NAS releasing in the U.S. on June 23. For what's on offer, you're getting an incredible value with the DS920+.

The Synology DiskStation DS220j 2-Bay NAS enclosure is down to $149.99 at B&H. You may need to clip the $20 off on-page coupon to see it drop this low in your cart. The sale is part of B&H's DealZone collection of daily deals, which means it's going to expire quickly. The DS220j is a new product and hasn't really gone on sale before. It's going for $180 or more at most retailers, including Walmart.

We just reviewed the DS220j in February. It's a new model that replaces one of Synology's most popular DIskStations to date, the DS218j. We gave it 4.5 stars out of 5 and a Recommended badge, and the review said, "If you're on the hunt for a budget-friendly NAS, the DS220j is a great place to start. Testing the waters to see if a NAS is a good fit on your network, while leaving room for expansion by moving up the Synology NAS catalog, this is an excellent NAS worth considering for small deployments."

The specifications include a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, 512GB of DDR4 RAM, and a Gigabit Ethernet port. It's also a very easy-to-use system with a great user interface and software that will guide you along the way. If you're unsure about using a NAS or how it might work for you, this is a great system to start with.

The DiskStation has space for two hard drives or SSDs but doesn't come with any installed. You will need to find the hard drives yourself so you can fill them with all the media you've downloaded over the years. Lucky for you, B&H is also having a sale on WD drives today. Grab two WD Red 4TB internal drives on sale for $94.99 apiece. These are designed to be used in an NAS and are some of the most popular around for that purpose.

It's possible to extract, replace, and upgrade the RAM inside the Synology DS218+, which was one of Synology's best NAS for home. The process only requires a few steps, made easy by the intuitive design of the network-attached storage (NAS) device. You can go from just 2GB of system memory all the way up to a colossal 10GB.

How to upgrade your DS218+ RAM

1. Take out the two hard drive bays.
2. The free RAM module slot is located on the side where the power button is.

3. Take out the newly purchased RAM module from its packaging.
4. Carefully insert the module into the slot, making sure it's the right way up. Match the notch to that on the module.

5. Re-insert the hard drive bays.
6. Open up Synology Assistant.
7. Click the cog icon in the top-right.

8. Enable "Memory test."
9. Right-click the DS218+ on the list to start the memory test.

You will now be able to take full advantage of 10GB of RAM on the Synology DiskStation DS218+. The official word from Synology is only a 4GB module can be installed (for a total of 6GB), but 10GB seems to work just fine. The Crucial module we've selected is backed by more than 8,000 positive reviews on Amazon. This RAM module is rated to run a little slower than the 2GB module already installed, but that's fine since we're saving money here.

The 2GB stick runs at 1866MHz, while our Crucial upgrade is rated for 1600MHz. If you want to go all out and hit 16GB of RAM, it's possible to replace the original 2GB module, but you need to take apart the NAS entirely, and isn't recommended unless you genuinely need the extra memory. This is where the screwdriver kit comes in handy since you'll need to unscrew a bunch of parts.

Usually, you'd want your NAS server to be somewhat bulky to protect your sensitive data-wielding mechanical drives within, as well as provide ample space for the mainboard and other components and to allow considerable amounts of air to be sucked through. Not so with the new DS419slim from Synology, which goes against all this with a compact, lightweight design, and a focus on solid-state drive (SSD) storage.

You'll love how compact the DS419slim is

The DS419slim looks like your typical Synology NAS ... only smaller, much smaller. At just 120 mm x 105 mm x 142 mm, it's about the same width and length of a standard HDD. That's crazy, especially when you sit the DS419slim next to something like the DS1618+. The size difference is incredible, but this also comes with a drawback — you can only use 2.5-inch drives with the DS419slim.

Being restricted to this class of SATA storage, it makes sense to use SSDs since 2.5-inch HDDs are usually limited to 5,400 RPM and just aren't as good as the 3.5-inch desktop or NAS-specific counterparts. Using SATA SSDs does mean you'll be able to enjoy snappy access speeds of data stored on the DS419slim. That is if the CPU was faster than what's installed.

Powered by a 32-bit Marvell Armada 385 88F6820 dual-core 1.33GHz processor, it won't destroy benchmarks, nor will you be able to run a media server from the DS419slim, but it comes equipped with two Gigabit connections for quoted 220MB/s read and 94MB/s write speeds through link aggregation — essentially combining the two Gigabit connections into a single channel.

Using SSDs and a low-profile processor means the DS419slim is also incredibly energy efficient and quiet. Just a single 60 mm fan underneath the unit prevents it from overheating, and you'll barely notice it running unless you're running the NAS at its limit. At idle, this NAS consumes just 7W of power and only around 20W when accessing installed drives. This is all supplied using a small 30W adapter with no brick.

As for the actual chassis of the DS419slim, it's relatively clean. You have a single USB 3.0 Type-A port on the front, alongside six LED status lights for LAN and HDD activity. There are small vent openings on the top of the NAS, and the 60mm fan is located underneath (pulling air through the NAS from the top and rear). The back of the NAS contains the four hot-swappable 2.5-inch trays, the second USB 3.0 Type-A port, as well as AC and two Gigabit connections.

The sides of the unit have the Synology logo, but instead of being indented and cut out to aid with cooling like on larger NAS models, it's simply printed in white. What makes this NAS truly special is the ability to run DSM, Synology's full-fledged NAS operating system (OS). It's the same OS used on more expensive NAS SKUs from the company.

Don't expect to run a powerful media server with the DS419slim

The bays do not lock, so you can easily pull them out whenever you need to. This could be viewed as a positive, but I would like to see the ability to lock the drives inside the NAS. Each drive tray is toolless up until the point where you need to remove or add an SSD. You'll need a screwdriver for this step.

Then there's the CPU, which is only 32-bit and is much slower than Intel and Realtek processors Synology uses in other NAS models. This CPU will be an issue when you want to run all four SSD bays at full speed for file access, and you only have 512MB of RAM to work with — this also cannot be upgraded. It's a shame a slightly more beefy CPU wasn't used, alongside at least 1GB of memory.

Still, Synology did a great job fitting four 2.5-inch drive bays, as well as all the internals into such a compact chassis. It's easy to pick apart the specifications sheet, but one has to remember just how small this NAS is and you're going to have to trade performance for the small form factor.

The DS419slim is also quite pricey. Synology is charging more than $300 for the luxury of storing all your data on speedy SSDs, and that's without paying for the drives themselves. And since you're not going to use 2.5-inch HDDs, you'll need to be prepared to payout considerably for TBs' worth of flash storage. Still, you do get access to the fantastic DSM NAS OS from Synology, and it's a cracking compact unit overall.

Should you buy the Synology DS419slim?

The DS419slim is a niche NAS. It's not designed to be run 24/7 with countless people accessing what's stored on the installed drives, nor can you expect to run a powerful media streaming box from this little unit, but what this NAS can do is become your best friend for storing important files and backing up your hardware.

It's small, efficient, pairs nicely with speedy SATA SSDs and runs Synology's powerful DSM OS. If you can overlook the price of not only the NAS itself but the SSDs you'll need to buy afterward, it's a great purchase for file storage you can take with you. Just don't plan on doing anything too serious with this NAS.

The Synology DS218+ is recommended by Synology to be ideal for those who are new to Network Attached Storage and we have no reason to disagree here. It's perfect if you're only just starting out. Where the DS718+ differs is by allowing the use of an expansion unit for an additional five bays. That's 84 TB of storage space, which can come in handy if you plan on storing a lot of data.

Synology's DiskStation DS718+ is more powerful

Looking at the two NAS models side to side may lead you to believe they're both identical, but that's not the case. Synology hasn't made them too different, which makes the decision making much easier for the consumer. All you need to know is one can make use of a further five bays, while the other cannot. Both could be a contender for the best NAS of old.

The pricing has the DS718+ a full $100 more expensive than the DS218+, which makes sense when you consider the use case for each NAS. The latter is a simple unit with two bays — that's all you have to work with. The DS718+ throws in support for an optional expansion unit. The internals is largely the same, only the processor having two more cores in the DS718+, but you shouldn't notice much of a performance bump.

The addition of one year for the DS718+ with its warranty also makes it worth the additional cost. That said, Synology NAS units are sturdy machines that will last way beyond the warranty period, so it's entirely down to whether you will ever need to add more capacity to your NAS.

Synology made a name for itself over the last 10 years for its NAS enclosures, and in recent years the Taiwanese manufacturer has branched out into home networking. The RT1900ac was the first router from the brand, incorporating many of the software-driven features that make Synology products stand out.

Synology built on that with the RT2600ac, a dual-band router with a similar web-based operating system that made Synology's NAS products stand out. The RT2600ac debuted back in 2017, but it picked up a major update last year, allowing it to work as a mesh system. The update coincided with the launch of the MR2200ac, Synology's first take on a dedicated mesh networking solution.

The RT2600ac on its own costs $199, with the MR2200ac retailing for $140. Synology is bundling both as a mesh networking solution for $305, bringing it in line with other products in this space. I've been using the RT2600ac and MR2200ac in a mesh configuration for over a month, with the former as the base station and the latter as a satellite. Here's what you need to know about Synology's foray into the world of mesh networking.

Pros

• Excellent wireless throughput
• Versatile web-based software
• Easy to set up
• Highly configurable
• Works as a NAS

Cons

• Costly

Synology RT2600ac + MR2200ac Hardware

Synology RT2600ac + MR2200ac Design and features

The home networking space hasn't seen a lot of design changes in the last 10 years, but with mesh routers, manufacturers have started to add a bit of flair to make the devices stand out. Google Wifi, for instance, looks pretty distinctive with its white aesthetic, and AmpliFi's mesh solution stands out thanks to a cube design for the primary router.

Synology, however, is sticking to a traditional form factor with the RT2600ac and MR2200ac. The packaging itself is minimal, with both routers encased in a brown box with a label detailing the model number and a few features. The RT2600ac has a plastic chassis with a matte finish, with four antennae and two elevated legs at the back. The front is ventilated for better airflow to the internals and features the status LEDs and a full-sized SD card slot. On the right edge, you have the WPS and Wi-Fi buttons, and the left has a USB 3.0 port.

Round the back, you have four Gigabit Ethernet ports along with a Gigabit WAN port, a USB 2.0 port, and the power and reset buttons. The first LAN port doubles up as a WAN2 port, allowing you to use two broadband connections at the same time.

The MR2200ac, meanwhile, has a much more minimalist design that looks modern. It has a vertical design with ventilation at the front, and a single Wi-Fi LED at the top to indicate connection status. As it is vertically oriented, the two antennae are located internally. There's a single WAN port as well as an Ethernet port, along with USB 3.0 at the back.

The RT2600ac is a dual-band router and the MR2200ac has three bands, and when used as a node, the third band on the MR200ac acts as a wireless backhaul to the RT2600ac. If you don't want to rely on a wireless backhaul, the MR2200ac also has an Ethernet port at the back, allowing you to set up a wired backhaul to the RT2600ac. A wireless backhaul is obviously more convenient as you don't need to drag an Ethernet cable to each node, and I didn't see any significant loss in throughput.

Unlike most mesh systems, you can use either router here as a standalone unit. The MR2200ac works just fine on its own, making it a great option if you have a smaller home. But when paired with the RT2600ac as a node, you get coverage that's comparable to a three-node mesh router system like the Google Wifi. While the MR2200ac works as both a primary router or a satellite, the RT2600ac only works as a primary router — so if you're looking to build a mesh network out of Synology routers, you'll have to use the RT2600ac as the primary and add MR2200ac nodes as needed. You can also use one MR2200ac as the base station and add more units as needed to set up a tri-band mesh system.

The main differentiator for Synology's NAS enclosures is DiskStation Manager, the web-based operating system that comes with a smorgasbord of features designed to expand what the NAS is capable of. So when Synology started off with home networking, it introduced a similar feature-driven OS called Synology Router Manager (SRM).

Most routers these days offer a robust web management utility that lets you customize every facet of the router, but SRM goes above and beyond anything else in the market today. With SRM, you can just hook up an external hard drive to the RT2600ac or the MR2200ac via the USB port and turn either router into a full-fledged NAS. That is a big deal, particularly when you consider that the MR2200ac on its own costs just $140.

You'll also be able to install packages to add new features to the router. Package Center lists all available packages, and while there aren't as many utilities as you get with DSM, there's a lot of useful features on offer. Of particular interest is VPN Plus, which lets you run a VPN server straight from the router. Similarly, you can set up a custom DNS server on either router.

One of the best features in SRM is the ability to turn either router into a NAS. All you need to do is hook up an external hard drive, and configure Synology's Media Server package, letting you stream content over UPnP or DLNA to devices in your home network.

Synology RT2600ac + MR2200ac Setup

Setting up the RT2600ac and MR2200ac is about as straightforward as it gets. I'm using the RT2600ac as the base station and the MR2200ac as the satellite, so I set up the RT2600ac first by heading to router.synology.com. Synology also has an Android app dubbed DS Router that lets you set up either router.

You'll be able to configure the SSID and set up a password for both the Wi-Fi network and SRM, and key in your WAN details. Once you're done setting up the router, you'll see the dashboard for SRM. You can set up a Synology account if you want to remotely manage the router from outside your home network.

Once you log into SRM, you can configure additional SSIDs and see the devices that are connected to either router in real-time. You can also set up a guest network by heading to Wi-Fi Connect, and view the status of the network from Network Center.

Synology RT2600ac + MR2200ac Performance

Over the last two years, I've used the ASUS RT-AC5300 for wireless connectivity. The router has eight antennae, three wireless bands, and a total bandwidth of 5.3 Gbps. Obviously, you're not going to see anywhere close to that in real-world usage scenarios, but it does a decent enough job.

I have a Gigabit plan that gives me 1,024 Mbps down and 1,024 Mbps up, but I never get those speeds over Wi-Fi. My main machine is hooked up to the router over an Ethernet cable, but on the other 15 or so devices that are constantly connected to the router, the bandwidth varies anywhere from 400 Mbps to 150 Mbps based on the location. I'm including the figures from the RT-AC5300 as a baseline, and we'll build on that with the RT2600ac. I used Speedtest.net on a Galaxy S10+ for the tests — the device has 2x2 MIMO and a Wi-Fi ax modem, so it's the ideal device for testing Wi-Fi throughput.

ASUS RT-AC5300 (2.4GHz)

ASUS RT-AC5300 (5GHz)

As you can make out from the figures above, there's a noticeable decline after the 50-feet mark. The 5GHz channel delivers more bandwidth but at a shorter range, and this is where a mesh network makes a huge difference. It also doesn't help that the Wi-Fi signal has to pass through two brick walls to get to my bedroom. Let's see how the RT2600ac fares in this regard.

Synology RT2600ac (2.4GHz)

Synology RT2600ac (5GHz)

The RT2600ac does a great job on its own, but the throughput declines once you cross the 40-feet range. That said, it is a solid showing for a Wi-Fi AC2600 class router.

Synology MR2200ac (2.4GHz)

Synology MR2200ac (5GHz)

The MR2200ac works as a standalone unit, and it does a pretty decent job at close range. But throughput takes a hit once you go over 30 feet. But when you consider the fact that the router costs less than half that of the RT2600ac, you see just how great value it is in this segment.

The main downside with using the MR2200ac as a standalone router is the single Ethernet port at the back. You'll ideally need to buy a network switch if you're planning on connecting other devices to the router over Ethernet. I usually have a Hue hub, Harmony hub, a DS918+ NAS, and a few security cameras that connect to the router via a Netgear GS110TP switch, so while the single Ethernet port wasn't an issue for me, it is a factor if you're considering the MR2200ac as a base station.

Synology RT2600ac + MR2200ac (Smart Connect)

Synology relies on algorithms to automatically switch bands and routers, ensuring you get a reliable signal wherever you are in the house. I put the MR2200ac satellite in front of my bedroom, and it instantly provided a boost in the available throughput. As noted above, the 5GHz band on the MR2200ac isn't particularly great at long-range, but based on the positioning of the node, you should get decent speeds throughout your house. The bandwidth figures listed above are over the wireless backhaul.

Should you buy the Synology RT2600ac + MR2200ac?

Overall, Synology's mesh networking solution has a lot going for it. Both the RT2600ac and MR2200ac offer robust connectivity on their own, and when connected as a mesh system they do a fantastic job extending the range of your existing home network. I haven't really switched to a mesh network thus far as the router I've been using has rock-solid connectivity throughout my house, but using the RT2600ac in conjunction with the MR2200ac for a month has shown that Synology's solution is a viable alternative.

The extensibility of a mesh system combined with the sheer number of features on offer with SRM make Synology's RT2600 and MR2200 a great choice if you're looking to get started with mesh networking. You not only get a great router system that provides excellent whole-home Wi-Fi coverage, but you can also use it as a NAS just by plugging a hard drive.

With the RT2600ac + MR2200ac bundle retailing for $305, it is in line with what you'd pay for a similar system from Google, Linksys, or Eero. With Synology, you're getting much more robust firmware that gives you granular control over the hardware, and a versatile OS that lets you add new features.

Not designed for Plex

The DS419slim is a niche NAS and isn't designed to handle a suite like Plex Media Server. For starters, you've only got 512MB of RAM. That's nowhere near enough to run Plex comfortably. Then you have the low-powered CPU, which is great for general file storage and some other tasks, but you won't get far when playing media, especially at 4K.

You won't be able to replace the Marvell Armada 385 88F6820 CPU, nor will you be able to upgrade the small amount of available system memory. The DS419slim just wasn't designed for 4K playback. Where this NAS really shines is in the portable NAS segment, allowing you to store all your files on solid-state drive (SSD) storage inside a chassis that weighs just 1.5 pounds (0.66kg)

You may get away with streaming some files without issue — if everything matches on the end of the Synology NAS and the recipient device — but it's worth spending a little more and buying an Intel-based NAS if you want a smoother experience. Even more pricey NAS options from manufacturers can struggle with 4K transcoding.

Prepare to spend serious money on 4K

As aforementioned, even pricey NAS solutions from Synology and other vendors may struggle with 4K content that needs to be transcoded. One way of dealing with this is to re-encode movies on a PC to a format that can be played on all your devices. This frees up resources on the NAS when you attempt to watch them, but if you need to transcode on the fly, the DS1019+ is a decent option to get started.

Dropping the 32-bit ARM processor for a quad-core 64-bit Intel Celeron processor with better support for transcoding, and swapping 512MB of RAM for 8GB makes a huge difference in not just Plex, but other apps and processes you may run on the NAS. It's not the perfect NAS for 4K (and beyond) playback, but it's significantly better than the DS419slim in this area.

The perfect solution would be a custom-built NAS with a powerful AMD or Intel desktop processor (Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7), but that's for the more technical savvy folk.

The best prices are usually on Amazon

Amazon is one of the most popular retail giants worldwide for a few reasons. It has low, low prices matched with exceptional delivery service and solid post-purchase customer support. Synology has its range of NAS products — the DS419slim included — listed on Amazon and the prices are competitive with other retailers and stores. Should you be subscribed to Amazon Prime, it's also possible to order by the deadline and receive the NAS the very next day.

Why you should buy the DS419slim

The four-bay NAS doesn't come equipped with 3-inch drive bays. Instead of supporting larger drives, this Synology NAS is designed to work with smaller 2.5-inch SATA drives, be it mechanical or solid-state storage, like the Samsung EVO 860. The NAS comes rocking a dual-core Marvell Armada 385 88F6820 CPU, which is more than enough for most things you want to do with the NAS, 512MB DDR3L RAM, and support for up to 16TB of storage across four bays.

These specifications don't sound as exciting as more pricey NAS models out there, but the DS419slim is only 4.7-by-4.1-by-5.6 inches and weighs just 1.5 pounds. That's mad for a NAS, allowing you to take this along for the ride on trips, making it perfect for portable storage. You get full access to Synology's DSM OS, which comes with it support for various third-party apps like Plex.

Overall, it's a great storage solution if you want to use SSDs and take the server with you.

Setting up the Synology DS1019+ is straightforward, even if you've never configured a NAS before. Synology has perfected the initial setup process to allow you to go from unboxing to connecting to your new server in just a few minutes.

Products used in this guide

• High capacity NAS: Synology DS1019+ ($641 at Amazon)

How to set up your new NAS

Depending on how you the DS1019+ was purchased, you may not have to do anything aside from plugging the unit into an available outlet and hooking it up to a router. If you've received a diskless configuration, which means there aren't any pre-installed hard drives, you'll need to remove the two trays and install the drives. Luckily, this is a simple process that requires no tools at all.

1. Use the included key to unlock each drive tray.
2. Take the drive tray out of the unit by turning the key and pulling.

3. Remove the two side panels.
4. Insert the hard drive into the tray.
5. Re-attach the two side panels to secure the drive.
6. Slide the tray back into the unit.
7. Lock the tray with the key.

The process of installing 2.5-inch SSDs and laptop drives is the same, except you'll need to screw them to the base of the tray. If you're struggling to decide on which hard drives to go for, we have you covered.

How to pick the best hard drives for your NAS

Leading brands in the storage business have enhanced disk drives specifically designed for NAS installations, like the Seagate IronWolf and Western Digital Red. We highlight 4TB drives in this collection due to the recommendation of running NAS drives in RAID configurations, guaranteeing you 4TB of capacity.

Best hard drives for your NAS

And you're done. That's all that is required to install the hard drive. Simply repeat the process for additional bays to fill up the NAS with as much capacity as required. After you have the DS1019+ plugged into the outlet and router, with hard drives installed, it's time to get started with the software.

Setting up DSM OS

After turning on the DiskStation and allowing the OS to boot up and check everything over (you should hear a beep once it's done), it's time to connect to the NAS and set everything up. This can be achieved by entering one of the following into your favorite web browser: find.synology.com or diskstation:5000

If neither works, you can download the Synology Assistant, which should automatically detect and list the DS1019+. You can then quickly access it through your browser from here, which will present you with the initial setup wizard. If, for some reason, you quit the wizard before you complete all the steps, simply log into the DiskStation Manager (DSM) with the username admin, and a blank password.

1. Click Set up.

2. Click Install Now.
3. Wait for the installer to finish. The NAS will reboot; you must leave the page open through the whole process.

4. Enter your setup details details:
   • Server name: Whatever you wish for the server to be called.
   • Username: Give yourself a username.
   • Password: Self-explanatory.
5. Hit Next twice.

6. Select how DSM will install updates.
7. Leave the S.M.A.R.T and bad sector warnings enabled.
8. Hit Next.

9. Configure QuickConnect, which allows you to create a Synology account and connect to your NAS without messing with router settings (and when away from home).
10. Copy down your new QuickConnect URL (and activate your Synology account if creating one).
11. Hit Next.
12. Hit Go to complete the wizard.

You'll now be on the main DSM OS view. This is where you can easily configure the NAS and install updates, packages, manage files, see how everything is set up, and more. The DSM help manager will run you through a few tips to get you started. Should you require further assistance, simply open up the help manager and do some searching. Spend a good hour playing around with various options to get accustomed to the DSM interface.

Think of DSM like Windows, but for your NAS instead of a laptop or desktop PC.

Mapping for Windows

In Windows, you can map the NAS location to a specific drive letter so it appears in Windows Explorer as an internal hard drive. Here's how:

1. Open Explorer.
2. Right-click on This PC.
3. Click on Map network drive....
4. Choose a drive letter.
5. Hit Browse.
6. Browse to the network location.
7. Click Ok.
8. Click Finish.

Now a virtual drive will appear in Explorer, allowing for more convenient access. This can also be achieved using Synology Assistant, which makes the whole process a little easier.

Helpful tips

• The eSATA port can be used to connect an external drive to the NAS.
• Install one or two NVMe SSDs to use as a cache for faster NAS performance.
• The QuickConnect will let you quickly access the NAS without needing to mess with your router.

Our top equipment picks

You're going to need a Synology DS1019+ NAS in order to follow the steps in this guide.

The DS1019+ packs everything that makes a Synology NAS so easy and great to use. It's let down by the lack of 10 GbE and not really offering much more than the DS918+ compared to the price hike, but overall, it's yet another killer NAS for the catalog. The user experience and exceptional DSM OS is partly the reason why the DS1019+ held up so well in our in-depth review.

Sometimes your NAS hard drives may fail — or you may need to replace them with higher capacity drives — and Synology makes it a simple process to remove the old drive, install a new one, and repair the storage pool. It's important you follow these steps to avoid data loss, especially if you're running a form of RAID for redundancy.

Products used in this guide

• Entry NAS: Synology DS218+ ($299 at Amazon)
• Six-bay NAS: Synology DS1618+ ($719 at Amazon)
• NAS storage: Seagate IronWolf ($105 at Amazon (4TB))
• NAS storage: Western Digital Red ($119 at Amazon (4TB))

How to replace your Synology NAS drives

This walkthrough has been split into three sections, depending on what RAID configuration you have set up (if any).

One-bay NAS

1. Turn off the NAS.
2. Extract the old drive.
3. Install the new drive.

4. Turn on the NAS.
5. Re-install the OS.
6. Connect the old drive to the NAS via USB or eSATA.
7. Copy across all your data.

RAID 0

1. Back up all your data.
2. Turn off the NAS.
3. Remove all necessary old drives.

4. Turn on the NAS.
5. Re-install the OS.
6. Copy across all your backup data.

RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, SHR

1. Turn off the NAS.
2. Remove only one old drive.
3. Install the new drive.
4. Turn on the NAS.

5. Open Storage Manager.
6. Click on Storage Pool in the sidebar.
7. Click on Action.

8. Click on Repair.
9. Follow the helpful wizard to complete the process.
10. Repeat steps 3 - 9 until all the drives have been replaced.

It's worth having a spare drive or two just in case a failure occurs, especially if you plan on sending a damaged drive off to the manufacturer for checks and a potential replacement. A Synology NAS likes to continuously beep at you until you install a new drive and repair the storage pool.

Our top equipment picks

You're going to need a Synology NAS in order to replace any drives that may be installed. If you're looking at which Synology NAS you should buy, here are a few recommendations.

The Synology DS218+ is a fantastic NAS for the price. It can house up to two drives, it's powered by Synology's excellent DSM OS, and can take advantage of the available third-party package support. If you're new to network storage, this is a great place to start.

The Synology DS1618+ is a serious NAS that allows you to install up to six hard drives for ridiculous amounts of storage space. It's also backed by Synology's excellent DSM software and comes with numerous plug-ins for external service support.

Additional Equipment

Hard drives are the most important component to any NAS. These are what store all your data. Western Digital and Seagate offer similar NAS-specific drives that are ideal for continuous operation.

Seagate IronWolf ($105 at Amazon)

Seagate is a well-known brand in the storage industry, having been around for decades. The company has a strong collection of drives that are specifically designed for use inside NAS. I recommend a configuration with at least 4TB.

Western Digital Red ($119 at Amazon)

Much like Seagate, WD has been making storage solutions for PCs for many years and it offers reliable drives for any NAS. As with the Seagate drives, I recommend at least 4TB.

Can't get a LAN cable from your router to your NAS? No problem. Synology has made it so you can use a Wi-Fi dongle on your DS1019+. Here's how you can quickly hook up a dongle to the NAS and connect to your wireless network within the DSM OS.

Important: Synology has since removed the option for Wi-Fi networking in DSM. We're looking into this, but for now you may want to pass on picking up an adapter until we're able to get them working once again with the NAS.

Products Used In This Guide

• Premium NAS: Synology DS1019+ ($641 at Amazon)
• Reliable wireless: TP-Link TL-WN722N ($15 at Amazon)

How to connect your NAS to Wi-Fi

1. Firstly, check your dongle is supported.
2. Plug your Wi-Fi dongle into an available USB port.

3. If using a supported dongle, head to Control Panel > Wireless > Network Map Configuration.
4. Choose Join Wireless Network.
5. Follow the on-screen wizard, filling in your LAN password.

You should now be connected to your wireless network. With certain dongles, it's even possible to configure the Synology DS1019+ into an access point and have other devices connect to it directly. For best network performance, we recommend you rely on the included LAN ports for a wired connection to the outside world.

Our top equipment picks

The DS1019+ from Synology is a five-bay NAS that's ideal for a large storage home server and it can even accommodate a wireless dongle for getting rid of cables. When you have your NAS placed in the home or office that happens to have a considerable distance between the server and router, it's good to have a backup plan where all you need is a compatible Wi-Fi dongle.

Wanting to get started with your first NAS? DS218+ is the best option for you from Synology. Sporting two drive bays, you can install drives with a combined storage capacity of up to 28TB, but really you'll be limited to just 14TB with a proper RAID configuration for data redundancy. The DS1019+ is far more expensive and is better suited to those more familiar with NAS servers and who require more storage.

Comparing DS1019+ and DS218+ specs

The DS218+ comes equipped with 2GB of RAM, which can be bumped to 6GB, a dual-core Intel Celeron processor, two drive bays, and that's about it. All the basics are present, along with a host of USB 3.0 ports, LAN, and even eSATA. The DS1019+ takes it to the next level with a quad-core Intel Celeron processor, 8GB RAM, five drive bays, M.2 slots for SSD cache, and the same port layout except it trades one USB 3.0 port for a second LAN.

The DS1019+ on paper is more powerful than the more affordable DS218+. The quad-core processor is much better at handling more intensive tasks like streaming, and the 8GB pre-installed RAM allows for multiple services to be run simultaneously. Should you need even more speed, the two M.2 slots can house SSDs to act as cache. The DS218+ has no M.2 slot, though you can upgrade the RAM to 6GB.

Saving a few hundred on the DS218+ may be an issue further down the road should you need more storage or happen to hit a wall in terms of performance. Investing in the DS1019+ may be a solid option if you know you may need the additional power and drive bays at a later date. That said, even if you plan to use the NAS for Plex, the DS218+ is more than capable of becoming your first home media server.

Aside from the specifications, the NAS servers share the same DSM OS and design.

DS1019+ is perfect for serious storage

The only time you'll need the DS1019+ is when you have terabytes upon terabytes worth of data to store away and access remotely. The five drive bays allow you to store more than 70TB in total, making it ideal as a Plex Media Server with numerous movies, shows, and other media.

DS218+ is a fantastic first NAS

The DS218+ is the perfect first NAS with two drive bays and access to everything Synology's DSM OS has to offer. If you're looking for a server to start your own home media platform, you'll struggle to find better than the DS218+.

The DS1019+ and DS918+ are similar NAS servers from Synology, with only a few minor spec changes to differentiate the two and warrant the increase in price for the DS1019+. Should you be after a solid four-bay NAS for your home or small office, the DS918+ is a great server, while the DS1019+ lets you install a further hard drive for additional storage.

Synology DS1019+ vs. DS918+ specs

The DS1019+ is essentially the DS918+ but stretched slightly to accommodate a fifth drive bay. All the internals are the same, aside from 8GB of RAM being pre-installed. You get the same Intel Celeron processor, an identical number of M.2 slots for speedier cache, and the same external port configuration.

Other notable differences are dimensions, weight and power consumption — the DS1019+ uses around 10W more power with the additional drive and RAM. This extra drive bay does allow for 14TB more space to be available, bringing the total up to 70TB and 140TB when using Synology's expansion unit.

Everything else is the same

Taking the extra capacity and RAM aside, everything else with the DS1019+ is exactly the same as the DS918+. The same excellent DSM OS is installed with access to a whole host of third-party software, including Plex. The two NAS even share the same NAS design with the former being slightly larger to include the additional bay.

Because the two NAS servers are very similar in design, specs and everything else, it makes the considerable jump in price a little more difficult to justify. If you truly require five hard drives to be installed on your NAS, paying out an extra $100 for the luxury may seem like a bad deal.

It's possible to go with the DS918+ and use Synology's five-bay expansion unit to bring the total number of bays up to nine, but the expansion unit alone will set you back $500.

DS1019+ is for you if you need extra capacity

The main separation between the DS1019+ and DS918+ is the addition of the extra drive bay and more pre-installed RAM. Really, out-the-box it's the better NAS, but you're paying a fair amount more for this privilege.

Go with the DS918+ to save a little

If you know you won't require five drive bays and 8GB RAM, you can save a little and grab the DS918+, which comes with four drive bays (more than enough for most home installations) and everything you need to set up your own home server.

Decoding 4K media is a breeze

There's a slight difference between the decoding of media and transcoding it. The former is the simple process of the NAS streaming a media file to a compatible device like your PC or smartphone that supports the same file type. The CPU doesn't really have to do much work for this. Where things can get overwhelming for the CPU is if the recipient device (your TV, for instance) does not support the file type, requiring the CPU to convert it on the fly.

If you have a 4K TV or device on the same network as the DS1019+ and everything supports the same 4K file format (.mkv, for example), you're good to go and shouldn't hit any walls. The NAS will stream the media file to the TV or device and it'll play. If the TV or device doesn't support the file format, you'll need to transcode it. This NAS can transcode even 4K content, but you may encounter performance issues and it's not really recommended.

4K transcoding is a no-go

The Synology DS1019+ comes with an Intel Celeron J3455 processor. It's no slouch, packing four cores (no hyperthreading) and can boost up to 2.3Ghz, but it's simply not capable of handling the transcoding of 4K files. You likely won't find many NAS models available that can do 4K transcoding unless you have seriously deep pockets or the know-how to build your own NAS PC. The QNAP TVS-882 will get the job done in regards to 4K transcoding, for example, but it'll cost you over $1,500.

It's not a lost battle, however. The D1019+ can transcode up to 1080p for the devices that can't read the formats you happen to have stored on the NAS. Just make sure your output devices can handle the same file formats you plan on streaming and the DS1019+ will be a perfect Plex server.

Transcoding requires Plex Pass

One factor to keep in mind when it comes to hardware transcoding is you need Plex Pass to do it with the Plex Media Server. If you only have a free account, you'll need to rely on software transcoding. You may encounter some buffering or other related issues if relying on this method.

Paying out for Plex Pass will ensure you're taking advantage of the hardware you have available. You have the choice of three plans: $5 per month, $40 annually, or $150 for lifetime access. The one-off payment of $150 would save you a lot of money in the long run, especially if you have everything set up for years of use.

If you're on a tighter budget, you'll want to consider the TerraMaster F2-221, especially if you only need it for light streaming and to store all your important files. Should you want the best of what a NAS has to offer at this price point, go with the Synology DS218+ for the ultimate home server.

Similar NAS specs

The Synology DS218+ and TerraMaster F2-221 are similar NAS models on paper, both sporting the same Intel Celeron J3355 processor — which isn't too bad at media streaming and transcoding — 2GB pre-installed RAM, and the same two drive bays. Where things start to differ is when you look further down the list of specifications.

Synology packs in three USB 3.0 ports and even a front-facing eSATA port for hooking up an external drive. TerraMaster does not support eSATA but instead added a secondary GbE port for networking and just two USB 3.0 ports. How much storage you can install on both NAS models is identical at 24TB and similar RAID setups are available, aside from Synology's custom SHR in DSM.

Synology opts for a black metal chassis for all of its DiskStation NAS models, while TerraMaster uses an aluminum silver design. Both are well built, though it's clear to see that Synology took a little more time with the design of the DS218+, for instance, planning in advance how an owner will upgrade the RAM by making it more accessible. You literally have to pull the F2-221 apart to install a RAM module.

Power draw and system noise are almost identical, but the software offering is where things really go in Synology's favor. Not only do you get to try out Synology's hybrid RAID configuration for data redundancy and decent read and write performance, but a ton of features are wrapped up in a user-friendly interface.

DSM vs. TOS

Where the Synology range of NAS really shines is with the operating system. The company developed DiskStation Manager, built upon Linux OS, which is stable, reliable, and secure, allowing you to store all your personal files on the NAS without concern, especially if you configure everything accordingly.

Much like a Windows or macOS installation, a web GUI is available that makes managing all the ins and outs of a Synology NAS an absolute breeze. From configuring a hard drive array RAID to installing various third-party software and services, like Plex, everything can be done through your favorite browser.

TerraMaster's TOS is a similar execution but it's not quite as polished, nor is it a smooth journey from setting up the NAS to managing stored content. Installing and setting up the OS is painless on a Synology NAS. It's already preinstalled and ready to go. Simply plug in the unit, connect to the NAS on the network using your favorite browser, and follow the wizard. TerraMaster has a similar initial process, but it's a little more clunky.

With the F2-221, you're tasked with manually downloading the OS or allowing the NAS to download the latest version for you before doing anything. It's a strange way of doing it and may throw some beginners off track. Once it's configured, though, the TerraMaster NAS is almost as easy to use. TOS isn't as polished, but its GUI is on the same level as DSM. Overall, the experience of DSM, particularly through setup, makes it more user-friendly.

DS218+ for the best user experience

Synology offers some of the best NAS servers on the market and the DS218+ is one such example. From setting up the NAS to installing third-party apps and running your very own Plex Media Server, this NAS can do it all and more. It's perfect for NAS beginners too.

F2-221 for a more budget-friendly price

You shouldn't overlook the TerraMaster for a few minor flaws since the NAS unit itself is a solid offering with great internal components. When TerraMaster eventually addresses some of the rough edges of its OS and overall NAS solution, it'll be far more compelling. Still, it's a great purchase.

The DS918+ has numerous apps you can install from the App Center, but if you want to deploy a powerful media center, you'll want to look at Plex. Here's how you can quickly set up Plex on the Synology DS918+.

Products used in this guide

• Amazon: Synology DS918+ ($540)
• Plex: Plex Media Server (Free)

Install Plex Server

1. Download the Plex Server package. (Choose "Synology" under "NAS".)
2. Connect to your Synology NAS.
3. Open up the Package Manager.

4. Click on "Manual Install."
5. Click "Browse" and locate the Plex Server download.
6. Click "Next."

7. Click "Yes" on the pop-up.
8. Click "Apply."

Plex is now installed and ready to be configured.

Configuring your new server

Now that Plex is installed on the DS918+, you can click on the main menu in the top-left on the DSM interface and choose Plex Server. This will launch a new window in your browser with the Plex Server for you to hook up your Plex account, configure the network, search for media, and more. The wizard is straightforward with only a few options.

In order for you to store data on Plex and have it made available for other hardware, you will want to select a folder for where Plex can keep track of media files, be it photos, music, or video. The NAS itself comes with some default folders for media, but you can create new folders in your "home" folder that can then be accessed.

Now you can enjoy access to all your content on your smart TV, Xbox One, tablet, smartphone, Windows 10 PC, laptop, and all other devices running the Plex app with adequate access. Need more assistance? Check out our comprehensive Plex beginner's guide.

Our top equipment picks

Here's what you'll need to install and run Plex on a Synology DS918+.

The four-bay DS918+ is ideal if you're looking for a powerful media server or are in the market for a NAS enclosure aimed at a small office environment. Its ability to transcode two 4K streams at 30 frames per second (FPS) allows it to stand out, and DiskStation Manager (DSM) is endlessly customizable.

Optional subscriptions

You don't need a Plex Pass, but we strongly recommend it due to the additional features unlocked.

Plex Pass ($4.99 /mo at Plex)

While not mandatory, you'll need a Plex account and Plex Pass to gain access to advanced features.

Both the Synology DS918+ and QNAP TS-453B are excellent NAS solutions for the home and small office. Both house similar internals, sport the same number of bays, and have great operating systems to boot. The choice is really down to what you plan to do with the NAS, the slight price difference, as well as brand loyalty.

Similar specs

Intel powers everything

Both NAS models come rocking the same quad-core Intel Celeron J3455 processor, which isn't a slouch at 1.5GHz (able to burst up to 2.3GHz), although it doesn't compare to Core i5 or Core i7 for advanced processes. You'll be able to handle most tasks with either NAS, including the streaming and transcoding of media, but you may struggle at 4K and above.

For RAM, both support up to 8GB of DDR3L memory and there are — of course — four bays available for hard drives. The number of ports is where things become a little interesting, with the DS918+ touting two Gigabit LAN ports (the same as QNAP), two USB 3.0, and a single external SATA port.

QNAP opted to go with five USB 3.0 ports (including a front-facing USB Type-C connector), SD card reader, multiple jack inputs, but no eSATA. The addition of an IR receiver on the QNAP TS-453B with the bundled remote puts it in a better position as a media server.

If you don't plan on using a remote, the DS918+ is still a solid streaming box. The OS on the QNAP NAS is a great user experience and can handle most tasks you throw at it, but I have a personal soft spot for Synology's DMS in terms of design and functionality. Both solutions can handle automated app installation.

NAS Expansion