It is hard to believe that it has been 10-years since Western Digital introduced its Network Attached Storage-focused range of drives, WD Red. In that time, we have seen the technology behind NAS evolve rapidly, in form factor, capacity and performance year-over-year – and throughout all that time, WD Red has been there, evolving every step of the way.
Having the right tool for the job has always been key to any IT professional. Although the NAS industry has existed in some form for the better part of three decades, many people used traditional hard drives that were not specifically designed for 24×7 server use. Regular desktop hard drives were designed with single-use deployment in mind, like a PC. Applications and files were not as data-rich then. In 2012, the WD Red NAS HDD series arrived. These were a different kind of drive, a drive that was designed for the rigours of NAS use, fast read and write speeds to keep things efficient, alongside higher workloads and use in multi-drive, always-on environments.
NAS Storage Evolution
Over the following years, the use of drives for RAID was became increasingly popular and data demands increased drastically. In parallel, we saw the launch of new form factors, from 2.5″ HDDs to SATA and NVMe SSDs, major capacity increases across the WD Red family and the addition of WD Red Pro and WD Red Plus drives. WD Red Pro and WD Red Plus HDDs are optimized for high reliability and support always-on workloads with solutions for families, home offices, and small to medium business IT hubs. These drives are engineered with CMR recording technology to handle high-intensity workloads in 24×7 environments and include NASware 3.0 technology. A key feature of WD Red has always been NASware and NASware3.0 in WD Red Pro and WD Red Plus enables seamless integration, robust data protection and optimal performance for NAS systems operating under heavy demand.
Together with the multi-axis shock sensor that automatically detects subtle shock events and dynamic fly height technology, the built-in technology features enable the system to increase compatibility, upgradeability, as well as reliability and adjust each read-write function to compensate and protect data. In addition to new form factors, ranges and the evolution of NASware, key technology breakthroughs have shaped the WD Red family that we see today. The introduction of HelioSeal® Technology in the WD Red range was a significant milestone. Helium reduces flow effects during the disk rotation, so thinner and thus more disks can fit in the housing. This enabled WD Red family HDDs to be offered in the higher capacities that we expect today.
Responding to Future Data Demands
As we look to the future, many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) will likely look to transform their organizational structure into remote/virtual organizations to face current market conditions and challenges. These models are driving the acceleration of technology innovation to enable workers to access key resources across different locations, time zones, and devices. Therefore, work from anywhere, remote access, connectivity, scalability, and throughput are defining the new normal workplace. This makes a robust NAS infrastructure with a wide range of options a necessity. Following the addition of the WD Red SA500 SSD to the range and subsequent release of the WD Red SN700 NVMe SSDs, Western Digital most recently turned its focus back to increasing HDD capacity. While helium had enabled the jump to 18TB, its OptiNAND technology is the key to the 20TB and 22TB drives available today. OptiNAND technology optimizes and integrates HDD with iNAND® embedded flash drives which helped provided solutions by delivering additional capacity, performance, and reliability. Western Digital is in a unique position to be able to leverage its in-house manufacturing capabilities with both flash and HDDs to extend the areal density curve of ePMR. Cleverly, ePMR takes the approach of adding more bits per inch (BPI) on the hard drive platter by applying an electrical current to the main pole of the write head throughout the write operation.
The Benefits of OptiNAND and ePMR
This current enables more consistent, and faster switching of the write head, thus reducing timing jitter. Higher BPI is achieved when individual bits of data can be written closer together, which leads to higher areal density. Couple ePMR together with the implementation of OptiNAND and triple stage actuators and Western Digital has been able to achieve 2.2TB per platter. In addition, OptiNAND also plays a key role in achieving higher areal density and optimizing internal algorithms, which also leads to performance benefits. OptiNAND integrates an iNAND Universal Flash Storage (UFS) Embedded Flash Drive (EFD) with traditional spinning disk media and incorporates innovative changes to the firmware algorithm and system-on-a-chip (SOC). OptiNAND has broken through the conventional boundaries of storage which have only added to Western Digital’s legacy of industry-first technologies such as the aforementioned HelioSeal and triple-stage actuators.
Advances in the technology led to the world’s first 20TB and 22TB CMR NAS hard drives for general sale, with the WD Red Pro series. The WD Red Pro HDDs with industry-leading capacities are supported by many NAS systems and offer all the benefits of increased capacity. When used in larger RAID configurations, it also makes the path to petabyte storage for NAS systems much easier to achieve than ever before. The next few years should be just as exciting in the development of NAS offerings as data storage requirements continue to increase exponentially
Performance Tests of the Synology DS923+ NAS and E10G22-T1 10GbE Upgrade The release of the Synology DS923+ NAS has definitely set a cat among the pigeons when it comes to the home vs business community. When Synology changed the long-standing inclusion of an Intel CPU in this product series to an AND Embedded Ryzen, many […]
Black Friday 2022 – Synology NAS Bargains and Deals
Black Friday is here again and for many of you, this is the final decider on whether you are going to finally buy your very own Synology NAS or upgrade that old DS411 or DS216 that is starting to show its age. Synology has been focusing considerably more on business NAS solutions in 2022 and the few desktop (Diskstation) NAS solutions that have arrived on the market have been either fantastically enterprise or are built with less of a consumer mindset (such as the DS923+ and DS1522+ in recent months). This means that the majority of their desktop NAS solutions have been on the market now for more than a 1-2 years each (some in the 18 Value series have been around for quite a while longer!) and therefore there is considerable scope for the current range to have a number of great discounts available in the Black Friday 2022 sale. We predict that the likes of the DS920+ all-rounder NAS will likely be the star of the show in terms of deals as the DS923+ has been launched, but given that the DS118, DS218 and DS418 are long overdue a refresh and talk of a new RTD1619 CPU NAS in the works,, these might also be very discounted at e-retailers. Below I have detailed the Top 3 Synology NAS for backups, plex, business, surveillance and value. Each with links to amazon and their discount warehouse (which will be on an extra 20% discount during Black Friday 2022). Alongside this, I will also be updating this page regularly during Black Friday adding links to deals as they go live throughout the week of Black Friday, from Monday 21st November 2022.
TOP Synology NAS Deals to Watch Out For on Black Friday 2022
Below are the three Synology entries that are almost certain to be on sale this Black Friday at your normal online shop (not just Amazon).
Synology DS920+ NAS Drive – Released in the summer of 2020, the DS920+ is still a very popular NAS indeed. Arriving with an intel-powered architecture that benefitted a huge range of users, the DS920+ was recently refreshed in the Synology product line up with the DS923+ NAS. This newer release benefits from optional 10GbE, ECC Memory upto 32GB and a higher clock speed CPU. However, it also lacks integrated graphics, so many users are pinning alot of hopes of getting hold of a DS920+ NAS in the black Friday sales before retailers have all completely switched to the newer gen device. Find it HERE.
Synology DS218+ and DS420+ Diskstation NAS – Although these two NAS’ that were released around 2-2.5yrs apart seem very different, both of these are targeting a very similar user! Both arriving with an Intel dual-core architecture, will support of 99% of the Synology DSM services, these will both be great (and more importantly good value) desktop NAS systems for your home or small business storage setup. The DS218+ is a 2-Bay that serves as a great entry point into NAS, whereas the DS420+ is a bigger step forward with it’s RAID 5/SHR support on 4 bays, M.2 NVMe SSD bays and dual ethernet connectivity. Both of these are on sale this Black Friday at Box and you can find them here – Synology DS420+ NAS – Synology DS218+ NAS
Synology DS720+ NAS – Much like the DS920+ NAS, the DS720+ has almost the same hardware as the DS920+ (but 2GB of memory instead of 4GB, as well as 2 Bays), but is also going to be getting a refresh in the Synology portfolio at the start of 2023 with the DS723+ NAS. So, much like the DS920+, we are anticipating some reasonable-to-good offers appearing on the DS720+ this Black Friday. Find it HERE.
Synology DS120j and DS220j NAS – Another great entry point into the world of Synology NAS is the J series, the ‘cost-effect systems by the big brand in NAS. Although very low-powered compared with the bigger PLUS or XS series, the J series of 1 and 2 Bay devices still give you access the bulk of apps from Synology, as well as still supporting DSM 7.1. You can use them as low-end 1-5 Camera Surveillance systems, non-conversion-based Plex Servers, Multimedia servers with the Synology media apps, as well as an additional network/remote backup to your existing setup. The Synology DS220j and DS120j are going to be on sale at eBuyer this black Friday and you can view their respective price drops here – Synology DS120j NAS – Synology DS220j NAS
Note – eBuyer will be exceptionally busy during Black Friday, so if the link above doesn’t take you to the DS120j/DS220+j Deal page, you can head there by the BF deal banner on their site or using the search bar. Apologies if the links above re-direct to their home page.
Synology DS118, DS218 & DS418 NAS – The standard/value series from Synology (the Realtek 64bit family) has been in circulation as far back as 2017 and is long overdue for a refresh. This has been all but confirmed with continued references online (including in some official Synology sites) of value series devices coming down the line that will arrive with a new Realtek RTD1619 Processor. So, the exceptionally long-running solutions in the 2018 Value series might well be on their way out in 2023. That said, Synology has continued to support it, providing it with DSM 7, BTRFS at the 2GB level and it can still handle Plex, backups, surveillance and native 4K transcoding well in 2022. A real potential bargain! Expect to see offers appearing on these, as Synology always tends to try and thin out stock of a product/series when the newer refresh/replacement is imminent. Find it HERE.
Synology DS920+ NAS Drive
Synology DS720+ NAS
Synology DS118, DS218 & DS418 NAS
Black Friday 2022 – Synology NAS Drives for PLEX
One of the big appeals of a Synology NAS drive is to use it as a Plex Media Server. Plex (if you didn’t know) is just as slick, fast and beautiful in design as Netflix, Prime Video and HBO Now, but instead of streaming/renting your content, you play the movies, tv shows and music that you own! Having your own Plex Media Server Synology NAS is fantastically appealing and a much more financially appealing choice than paying monthly for content you do not get to own. Below are the best 3 Synology NAS deals this Black Friday for a Plex Media Server in 2022.
BEST Synology Plex NAS Black Friday 2022 Deal – Synology DS920+ NAS
Popular for 2.5 years since it’s initial launch in Summer 2022,the Synology DS920+ NAS has been refreshed recently with the launch of the new DS923+ NAS and for many, the DS920+ is still the superior NAS drive for Multimedia. The Synology DS920+ is regularly on sale at both Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day – and I Definitely see it appearing on sale in a huge number of locations globally, as the brand ushers out the older 2020 generation in favour of the newer 2022/2023 Diskstation NAS. Indeed, it has seen a huge number of price changes in the last 18months:
With a fantastically compact and low noise chassis, the DS920+ is still a fantastic NAS. Also, the DS920+ will also arrive with the latest version of Synology DSM 7.1, the fully featured NAS software that is included with all Synology NAS. This is almost certainly be THE DEAL of Black Friday 2022 TO WATCH!
Synology DS920+ NAS
CPU: Intel J4125 4-Core Celeron
Memory:Bays: 4-8GB
M.2 NVMe Bays: 2x m.2 NVMe, Caching Only
Network Ports: 2x 1GbE
USB: USB 3.2 Gen 1 x2
KVM: No
Network Upgrade: No
Synology DS920+ is an ideal network-attached storage solution to streamline data management and productivity. Two built-in M.2 SSD slots and Synology SSD Cache technology allow you to boost system I/O and application performance. Scalable storage design lets you start small and expand storage capacity with Synology DX517 as your data grows.
I have always been a long-term fan of the Synology brand as a whole, applauding their recent moves towards Ryzen processors and range-wide adoption of dedicated M2 NVMe cache bays. However, the Synology DS1821+, much like the DS1621+, is a giant leap in many ways and the smallest of stumbles in others. The switch from Atom to Ryzen embedded processor needs to be recognised for both the big jump it is from a brand that typically errs on the side of caution in hardware. Likewise, the inclusion of ECC memory, massive potential-filled PCIe expandability at PCIe 3 x8 and support of popular services like Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) are certainly a plus. But many buyers will be put off by the continued adoption of 1Gbe as standard and the limitation of those NVMe bays to caching ONLY and not raw storage pools. With a price tag without storage media at around £1,000 (give or take), this is a big ask to pay for something that has lucrative software potential but arguably lesser hardware potential. In short, I do really like the Synology DS1821+ NAS, I just don’t know how long I could be in love with it long-term, as the rest of my network hardware environment embraces faster connectivity.
Synology DS1621xs 6-Bay NAS
Whatever way you look at it, you cannot question the sheer level of hardware value present in the DS1621xs+, especially compared with other similarly priced Synology NAS. In the DS1621xs+, you find one of the best performing internal and external NAS systems in the entire Synology portfolio, as well as providing you with an enterprise rackmount grade solution in a desktop form. I know it seems like a big statement, but this could genuinely be one of the best examples of what Synology provide to business users and certainly reorganises the portfolio for small and medium business users for the better in 2022/2023. Is it perfect, of course not, few things ever can be. But if your budget can extend to it, the Synology DS1621xs+ easily represents the very best of everything that Synology has to offer, while still maintaining a fantastic high standard to third-party software users worldwide. With vague mentions of aa Synology DS1821xs+ NAS appearing online earlier in 2022, this is another NAS that might well disappear in 2023.
Affordable Home 4K Plex NAS Black Friday 2022 Deal – Synology DS220+
Plex Media series still continues to be one of the most popular reasons that many home users choose to make the jump into the world of NAS storage – with Black Friday all too often being the point that head to the checkout! Plex Media Server gives users the ability to access, view and browse their existing multimedia collection with the same level of graphical flare and services hat paid subscriptions services like Netflix and Disney+ include (Trailers, Cast information, media box art, reviews, etc). Plex is a little hungry as an application though and it can be tough to find a NAS drive that has the right amount of hardware to play 4K media, without breaking the bank. The Synology DS220+ arrives at an incredible affordably price point, yet (with a plex pass and concentrating on h.264 mEDIA AT UPTO 60Mb bitrate of 32Mb HEVC) it can still play ALOT of current multimedia! Add to this that the NAS is very low in power use and is a quite little 2 bay, and what you have is by far one of the best value 4K Plex NAS’ in the market.
The DS220+ will almost certainly see a refresh in 2023 towards a DS223+ NAS (with question marks about whether it will feature an Intel or AMD CPU – and even more questions on the whether it will have integrated graphics), the DS220+ is 100% going to be on offer at a number of retailers, as Synology begins to run down the stock of the 2020 gen, in favour of the 2023 generation. If you see the DS220+ at £250 o less this Black Friday, SNAP IT UP!
Synology DS220+ NAS
CPU: Intel J4025 2-Core Celeron
Memory:Bays: 2-6GB
M.2 NVMe Bays: No
Network Ports: 2x 1GbE
USB: USB 3.2 Gen 1 x2
KVM: No
Network Upgrade: No
Synology DS220+ is a compact network-attached storage solution designed to streamline your data and multimedia management. It features smooth data sharing, video streaming, and photo indexing, as well as well-rounded data protection and recovery options. Video Station lets you easily manage and organize movies, TV shows, and home videos, and stream content to computers, smartphones, and media players. Organize your photos intelligently with Moments, a modern, AI-enabled photo management application that lets you effortlessly preserve your precious memories. Audio Station is your personal music center, designed to intelligently sort and organize your audio files, and stream to Google Cast enabled devices. Audio Station supports lossless formats to ensure pristine audio quality.
Black Friday 2022 – Lowest Priced Synology NAS Drives
If you are new to Synology NAS and don’t want to spend much this Black Friday, then that’s ok. Synology has a great selection of fantastically low price NAS available to buy this Black Friday in 1 hard drive, 2 hard drive and 4 hard drive sizes. Below is the best 3 Budget NAS that Synology features this Black Friday 2022:
Synology DS120J 1-Bay NAS
With the release of the DS120j NAS, when it comes to buying your first network-attached storage device there are several reasons why the Synology range appeals to many. With a diverse range of hardware and storage options across a wide series of uses, as well as an impressive range of first-party applications, Synology has fast become one of the biggest names in the NAS. However, so many users have one tiny problem with most Synology devices, namely the price tag. In terms of overall price, you will find that a Synology NAS typically is around 15 to 20% more expensive than most other brands with the same hardware (we will leave software out of the equation for a bit). Added to this is the fact that most buyers looking to buy their first unit are nervous in spending large sums of money on a largely unexplored area of technology. Luckily Synology has already addressed this problem before with the inclusion of a budget range of devices that serves as a fantastic introduction point to network-attached storage and the Synology Diskstation Manager (DSM) system software.
Synology DS220J 2-Bay NAS
The Synology DS220j NAS is not the most powerful NAS drive, or the most fully-featured NAS drive – but the point is that it is not trying to be! Synology has held an exceptionally good reputation in the world of network-attached storage for a decade and if a new NAS buyer wanted to cautiously invest in a new piece of equipment in this area, then despite their modest budget, they will want to get the best they can for their money, from a brand with an established pedigree – THAT is what the Synology DS220j NAS is trying to achieve and for the most part, it completely succeeds! Aside from the memory being a touch light on the ground and the white chassis not being to everyone’s taste, in almost every other regard the DS220j is a great little NAS drive that any first time NAS users, or those making the jump from subscription cloud services like Google Drive and DropBox, are going to enjoy. Just keep an eye on the number of active users and tasks at any given time and you will be on to a winner here.
Synology DS420J 4-Bay NAS
Although quite affordable when compared against more powerful intel-powered NAS, the DS420+j can still perform the bulk of the standard tasks that are available in modern NAS and if you are looking for a universally supported DLNA or backup device, this is the one for you. Though definitely not aimed at the NAS experienced or 2nd-time buyers, or those looking for a solid foundation to build a business around where the customer data is critical. If you are looking for a network-attached storage device to act as a network backup or just want a simple NAS to do basic tasks such as media and protecting the data on your other devices, I recommend the Synology DS420+j NAS
Black Friday 2022 – Synology NAS Drives for Photo and Video Editing
Storing your photography or Video Editing archive for post-production on a Synology NAS is something that has grown in popularity in the last few years. Now in 2022, not only can a Synology NAS be used to store your photos/video, but with upgraded connections to 10Gbe, Thunderbolt 3 to 10Gbe Adapters and link aggregation becoming more affordable, buying a Synology NAS this Black Friday 2022 for your post-production and live editing is easier than ever before Below are three great options for editors looking for a Synology NAS Deal from Amazon today.
Synology DS1522+ 5-Bay NAS
Although this is not the first 5-drive NAS that Synology has ever produced, you can clearly see that the brand has seen what was popular in previous generations and cherry-picked those areas to build the DS1522+. Arriving perilously close to the DS923+, in both release date and primary architecture, chances are that the benefits of buying the DS1522+ are far more long term. I do think that the DS1522+ is a great example of Synology hardware and certainly merits the additional spend over said four-bay. This NAS arrives with 4 1GbE LAN ports and optional 10GbE (which we have tested already here on NASCompares and it was able to saturate 1.15GB/s with 4x WD Red Pro 22TBs), ECC Memory to keep things moving and all this whilst running pretty dare quiet! The CPU choice of an AMD Embedded Ryen is not going to be for everyone (as it lacks the integrated graphics of the DS920+ and DS1520+ NAS before it), but overall though, I like it and would happily recommend the Synology DS1522+ NAS to most users, especially those who want a more balanced and 4K ready solution than those before.
Synology DS1621+ 6-Bay NAS
The Synology ‘Plus’ series of devices has long held a reputation for providing mid-range hardware to mid-range business customers. Because of this, the DS1621+ needs to balance a fine line between providing fast and reliable hardware, whilst still maintaining a price point that won’t intimidate the average small-medium business user. In this regard, I think the Synology DS1621+ NAS gets it right, finding an impressive halfway point between these two factors. However, it is important for buyers to understand what they are buying and where the price point for the Synology DS1621+ is being aimed. Although it seemingly lacks some of the multimedia and prosumer features of ‘cheaper’ NAS devices in the Synology portfolio, it doubles down on more business and enterprise-level features in efforts to support that core audience. It’s about getting the right tool for the job and in that area, Synology almost completely succeed. The lack of above gigabit connectivity afforded to a NAS unit at this price point, compared with their competitors, may put some users off, but on the whole, you are getting good performance and excellent value on this combined hardware and software solution with some excellent scalability.
Synology DS3622xs+ 12-Bay NAS
Unsurprisingly, the Synology DS3622xs+ is by FAR the most powerful and capable desktop NAS solution that the brand has ever produced – and that is not even a close-run thing. But we are still talking about a £2,500 box here (unpopulated) and you are going to expect that there is some serious horsepower here – So are you getting the most for your money here? Almost completely, yes. There are a few lingering things that some buyers will still not be in love with, such as the lack of M.2 caching bays, the lack of SAS support or the reduced support of 3rd party drive and network upgrade compatibility, but they do not undercut that this is a genuinely groundbreaking solution from Synology that provides the ultimate base to enjoy and make the most of the Synology DSM 7 platform in 2022 onwards. Once you breakdown everything included in this package, from DSMs software and services, to the tremendous bandwidth available here internally and externally, this compact tank-like NAS server is an absolute beast and a must for those that are keen on fully integrating a private cloud network and subscription-free SaaS-level setup across their company.
Black Friday 2022 – Synology NAS Drives for 4K Video
4K TVs and High Definition media production have now reached a point that buying the right Synology NAS for storing, watching and adapting 4K Ulta High definition media in 2022 can be alot of work. True 4K media arrives in HUGE file sizes and you will need a more powerful Synology NAS drive to handle this kind of media all the way from the hard drives inside, to pumping it out to your 4K Display. Luckily a few of the more powerful Synology NAS solutions are on offer this Black Friday and if you are lucky enough to get a deal on one of these three, you will have a great NAS to enjoy 4K in your home or business environment.
Synology DS920+ 4-Bay NAS
The DS920+ NAS is something that Synology should be proud of. It is a great entry into their already impressive range of Diskstation NAS devices. If you are looking for a brand new NAS to consolidate your home media, to support your relative as the ‘IT whizz’ of the family, or move your business away from Google Drives and DropBox’ onto something safer, more scalable and dependable – then the DS920+ has alot to offer you. It gives you a great base to start using the DSM platform, as well as a good means to upgrade your storage internally at a later date (expansions in memory, expansions in storage, expansion in NVMe). If you are an existing DS918+ or DS916+ owner, this might not seem like the jump you were waiting for. There are always areas of improvement, the USB ports, the 1Gbe, that 1 memory slot – but these are things that Synology no doubt feel should be pushed into a higher price/hardware bracket – Allowing the DS920+ Price to be as close to its predecessors it can be. Whether you agree or disagree, I think that we can agree that this NAS is still giving you alot of bang for your buck in 2022.
Synology DS1520+ 5-Bay NAS
The DS1520+ NAS is something that Synology should be proud of. It is a great entry into their already impressive range of Diskstation NAS devices. If you are looking for a brand new NAS to consolidate your home media, to support your relative as the ‘IT whizz’ of the family, or move your business away from Google Drives and DropBox’ onto something safer, more scalable and dependable – then the DS920+ has alot to offer you. It gives you a great base to start using the DSM platform, as well as a good means to upgrade your storage internally at a later date (expansions in memory, expansions in storage, expansion in NVMe). If you are an existing DS920+ or DS1019+ owner, this might not seem like the jump you were waiting for. Although this is not the first 5 drive NAS that Synology has ever produced, you can clearly see that the brand has seen what was popular in previous generations and cherry-picked those areas to build the DS1520+. Arriving perilously close to the DS920+, in both release date and primary architecture, chances are that the benefits of buying the DS1520+ are far more long term
Synology DS1621xs 12-Bay NAS
It is fair to say that the Synology DS1621xs+ NAS makes a bold statement in what it is bringing to the table. Synology has been a brand that up until a few years ago traded significantly more on its software than it does on its hardware. Devices like the DS1621xs+ go a long way to dispel this myth in 2020/2022 and what we find here is an exceptionally well-equipped desktop NAS system. Obviously, at this price tag, you would expect it to deliver a lot and as a combined hardware and software package, the DS1621xs+ certainly achieved this. What issues you can make with the hardware are of the DS1621xs+ are more a question of the brands own decisions on what users want in storage right now. Small factors such as the NVMe bays not being accessible for RAW storage, the lack of Synology hybrid RAID and the use of CPU seen in 2017 and 2018 release hardware might put some potential buyers on the fence. But ultimately if you’ve committed to a desktop Synology solution because of DSM, the brand’s high reputation and that spec sheet – you will genuinely struggle to find a more powerful and equipped desktop NAS from this company right now.
Black Friday 2022 – Synology NAS Drives for Business
Businesses in 2022 are producing so, SO MUCH DATA! Customer information, Web site images, legal documents, online marketing, internal communication, surveillance and security – it all adds up! With the majority of this data being highly confidential, copywrite or both, it is imperative that a business has a secure place to keep this data. Synology NAS drives have been used in business for a number of years and Diskstation Manager (DSM) arrives with every NAS, packed with applications and licenses for those enterprise applications (Synology Active Backup, Surveillance, Virtual Machine Manager, Drive, Office, Chat, Calendar, mail and more). Below are the best Synology NAS drive deals this Black Friday for those who want to invest in a business class server to protect their data and ensure high productivity in 2022.
Synology DS1821+ 8-Bay NAS
DS1821+ is an 8-bay desktop NAS providing superior performance with great expandability, allowing for seamless expansion and upgradability to satisfy your growing business needs. DS1819+ comes with four Gigabit Ethernet ports and one PCIe expansion slot, providing great configuration flexibility, thereby satisfying your intensive workload demands. Synology Office is a collaboration package combining the convenience and usability of public clouds with the data privacy and security guaranteed by private clouds. It allows you to work seamlessly together on documents and spreadsheets in a protected environment
Synology RS1619xs 4-Bay NAS
RS1619xs+ is a high-performance and scalable 1U rackmount NAS designed with upgradable memory and M.2 SSD cache configuration to meet the needs of modern businesses that require a flexible, reliable, and efficient storage solution. Synology’s 5-year limited warranty provides hardware replacement and technical support via email and telephone services, maximizing your enterprises’ return on investment. Synology iSCSI storage supports most virtualization solutions including VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix Xen Server, and OpenStack Cinder, to enhance work efficiency. Create and manage virtual machines running multiple operating systems such as Windows, Linux, and DSM using Virtual Machine Manager.
Synology RS2421RP+ 12-Bay NAS
It is reasonable to say that when it comes to having a huge storage array, competent hardware and business class software, that the Synology RS2421RP+ does deliver on a number of its promises. Indeed, despite the huge similarity in internal hardware between the RS2421RP+ and other recent rackmount releases in 2022, the RS2421RP+ manages to still stand out with its unparalleled level of storage against the majority of solutions in the Synology portfolio. The price tag, edging closer to a number of Xeon powered solutions, may seem a touch high for some and given the difference between this 16-bay and the £1200+ 12-bay being relatively small – that price tag does seem a tad overly ambitious. That said, much like other rackstation NAS solutions of late, the jump from Intel Atom C3538 to embedded Ryzen V1500B was long overdue and although may seem fairly predictable and pedestrian now in, still remains a firm favourite. If the software and services of Synology Diskstation Manager appeal to you, you need storage in the hundreds of terabytes and you need a solution that is both scalable and centralised, you would be hard pushed to find a better solution from Synology right now without spending £5,000-10,000 without drives.
Hot Tips when you Buy a NAS this Black Friday 2022
In order for you to get the very best NAS deals this Black Friday, here are some hot tips that I have personally used for the last few years to get the very best deals.
Amazon Warehouse Deals are 20% lower
For those that aren’t aware, Amazon has a whole section of their website that is dedicated to pre-owned and opened items. This includes both NAS, hard drives, SSD and more for your storage. During Amazon Black Friday 2022, the discount on these broken-seal items will be increased by an additional 20% and for those looking for an insane bargain, this will be irresistible.
Another tip when buying NAS or Hard Drives from Amazon Warehouse is that although (as they are broken seal/used/returned items) they have a shorter warranty from Amazon, you will almost certainly be able to claim the FULL warranty coverage from Synology, QNAP, WD or Seagate. They just want your serial number and a receipt of purchase – this will not state the amazon reduced warranty.
Amazon Warehouse for different countries can be found below:
If you want to make sure you see the LATEST Black Friday deals for NAS (as new ones are added every hour) then I would recommend checking the official Amazon Prime page regularly. It will also include the very latest Lightning Deals too
The prices listed on Amazon for NAS during the Black Friday event are only available to Prime members. If you are not a member, don’t worry, as you can use the 30-Day free trial to sign up for a Prime, or just pay for 1 month of Prime as a student and get it at 50% off. Then after you finish your purchase, you can cancel your subscription. The other bonus of this is that you will qualify for fast, next day delivery for free. I would recommend however that you do not cancel your subscription until you have received your order and tested your item.
As then you will still be able to take advantage of the fast and free return policy extended to Prime members. This is especially useful when buying NAS Hard Drives and you are worried about broken drives!
Improved Delivery on your NAS Black Friday Deal
It is a well-known fact that Amazon Prime membership includes free next day delivery and Amazon has even upped the stakes by stating that they will be providing the fastest-ever Black Friday delivery of just 14 minutes between the cart and the courier, last year we saw and heard numerous examples of delivery issues with Black Friday deals, adding 2-3 days on supposed next-day shipping.
If any of your Amazon Prime delivery dates are not the 24 hours turn around that they promise, then definitely complain to Amazon after you receive your goods (not before) as they will almost certainly have a deluge of customer enquiries after Black Friday 2022 and in an effort to conclude the matter, you might get an additional discount, a gift vouchers or more. Currently, the trending ‘gesture of goodwill’ gift is a free month of Prime membership.
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This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today's content. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Visit the NASCompares Deal Finder to find the best place to buy this device in your region, based on Service, Support and Reputation - Just Search for your NAS Drive in the Box Below
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We want to keep the free advice on NASCompares FREE for as long as we can. Since this service started back in Jan '18, We have helped hundreds of users every month solve their storage woes, but we can only continue to do this with your support. So please do choose to buy at Amazon US and
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on the articles when buying to provide advert revenue support or to donate/support the site below.Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you.Need Help?
Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry.
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Alternatively, why not ask me on the ASK NASCompares forum, by clicking the button below. This is a community hub that serves as a place that I can answer your question, chew the fat, share new release information and even get corrections posted. I will always get around to answering ALL queries, but as a one-man operation, I cannot promise speed! So by sharing your query in the ASK NASCompares section below, you can get a better range of solutions and suggestions, alongside my own.
This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today’s video. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
Bargains and Deals on QNAP NAS Drives this Black Friday 2022
Whether it is a brand new purchase that you have been researching these past months OR you are looking to upgrade your old TS-253 Pro, TS-453A or TS-453Be NAS, there seems to be ALOT of planned discounts globally for the current and previous generation of QNAP NAS drive systems. With several high-profile SMB NAS systems in the TS-x64 and TS-x53E series having been released in the Spring/Summer of 2022, this is likely to be the time that these systems see their very first significant discount (especially now that Synology has introduced/revealed/released the DS1522+, DS923+ and DS723+ Winter). Additionally, there is still stock of the older QNAP TS-x53D, TS-51D and even TVS-x72 around, so almost certainly these will be on offer across multiple retailers, at some great discounts. Below is my breakdown of the QNAP NAS systems for budget buyers, Plex Media Server, fast backups, surveillance and even something for the video editors after a 10GbE/Thunderbolt NAS solution – the majority of which will be on offer this Black Friday Day. Alongside this, I will be updating this page regularly throughout the week with further Prime Day deals that myself and my team spot throughout the week in everything from NAS, to DAS, from routers to switches and from HDDs to SSDs! Before we go any further though – What are the MAIN deals you should look for this Black Friday 2022? Let’s begin.
TOP QNAP NAS Deals to Watch Out For on Black Friday 2022
Even though there will likely be numerous deals on QNAP NAS systems (largely focused on desktop NAS systems of course), the following three NAS Drives are the ones I recommend for those on a tight budget, those looking for an affordable media/plex server or those looking to do a little bit of EVERYTHING! I have linked each to Amazon in order to check how much it will be on offer during Black Friday, but they will all likely be on offer in numerous locations during the event too. Here is what I recommend:
QNAP TS-464 NAS Drive – This is the new Prosumer desktop 4-Bay NAS from QNAP. Arriving with a fantastic hardware architecture, such as an Intel Quad Core N5105, 4-16GB Memory, M.2 NVMe Bays, PCIe Upgrade Slot, USB 3.2 Gen 2, HDMI 4K and more, this is a real compact powerhouse of a system and almost certainly will see good offers across multiple sites – Check HERE
Alternatively, the QNAP TS-464 NAS is also going on a Black Friday sale over on Box. You can find it HERE
QNAP TS-453E NAS Drive – Released a few months after the QNAP TS-464, the TS-453E is a marginally less scalable box BUT it makes up for it with incredible base-level hardware at a fantastic price (even when not on offer). Another (newer) Quad-Core Intel Powered CPU in the J6412, it also arrives by default with 8GB of Memory, NVMe SSD bays, 2.5GbE network ports and all this in a very compact casing. With great performance in Plex Media server, as well as the majority of QTS 5.1 applications, the TS-453E is the Prosumers NAS for home users who don’t need/want to pay extra for upgrades down the line. – Check HERE
QNAP TS-453D NAS – This Summer 2020 released QNAP NAS is continuing to see discounts in a number of locations, as Synology continue to roll out the new TS-X53E and TS-X64 generation desktop NAS devices. However, the TS-453D is still a fantastically solid NAS, with a Quad Core Intel Celeron CPU, 4-8GB of Memory, 2.5G, TONNES of different local ports and even has a PCI e Upgrade slot for 10GbE, More 2.5GbE ports or combo cards. You ca find the offer for this over on eBuyer HERE
QNAP TS-233 NAS Drive – A much more modest system than the two NAS I just mentioned, the TS-233 is a low-power, low-impact 2-Bay NAS (also available in the TS-133 1-Bay and TS-433 4-Bay) that runs on a Realtek Quad Core 64bit ARM processor, 2GB of DDR4 memory and is still able to support a large number of QNAP Applications (including the QVR Elite surveillance App, AI-Powered Photo Tool QuMagie, the Hybrid Backup Sync 3-2-1 Backup service and more. With energy prices increasing noticeably in 2022, this is very much a 24×7 NAS for those keeping an eye on the meter! Check HERE
Best All Rounder QNAP NAS
Best Plex & QNAP NAS
Best Budget QNAP NAS
QNAP TS-464 NAS Drive
QNAP TS-453E NAS Drive
QNAP TS-233 NAS Drive
BEST QNAP Black Friday 2022 Deal – QNAP TS-464 NAS
When QNAP launched their 2022 generation of hardware, the unit that REALLY stood out from the pack was the TS-464 NAS. This system pretty much delivered EVERYTHING that NAS buyers have been asking/demanding for at this price point for the last 6-7 years. The most powerful and capable Intel celeron featuring in NAS yet, DDR4 memory upto 16GB. M.2 NVMe SSD says for caching OR storage, 4K HDMI, two 2.5GbE bays, 10Gb/s USB ports AND a PCIe slot to improve the system’s network ports and/or storage even more! The TS-464 was such a beast that when launched, it IMMEDIATELY SOLD OUT EVERYWHERE!!! It took the better part of 4-5 months after release (April/May 2022) of the TS-464 to start seeing stock availability become a little more stable. Fast forward to now on Black Friday 2022 and the TS-464 is now much more available AND it has started seeing it’s price point drop.
Now, although the price change can be attributed a little to the amount of time that the TS-464 has been available to buy, it has also been caused by the release of QNAP’s big rival ‘Synology’ releasing their DS923+ NAS 4-Bay. I can definitely see the QNAP TS-464 NAS appearing on a few limited sales over the Black Friday period, though do not expect the stock to be especially high – so be quick on this one!
QNAP TS-464 NAS
CPU: Intel N5105 4-Core Celeron
Memory:Bays: 4-16GB
M.2 NVMe Bays: 2x m.2 NVMe, Caching and Storage Pools
Network Ports: 2x 2.5GbE
USB: USB 3.2 Gen 2 x3
KVM: Yes
Network Upgrade: Yes
Powered by an Intel® Celeron® N5095, quad-core processor (burst up to 2.9GHz), the TS-464 features two 2.5GbE RJ45 ports and Port Trunking for up to 5Gbps combined bandwidth. With M.2 PCIe Gen3 and PCIe Gen 3 slots, the TS-464 provides flexibility in extending NAS functionality, allowing you to install a QM2 card for M.2 SSD caching, or Edge TPU for AI image recognition and various 10GbE/5GbE network cards. The TS-464 comes with 4 GB RAM for running light VMs and Containers, and supports multi-cloud backup, cloud storage gateways, 4K HDMI output and real-time transcoding, alongside expandable storage capacity and feature-rich apps to perform as a cost-efficient, reliable 2.5GbE NAS.
BEST Surveillance NVR NAS Black Friday 2022 Deal – QNAP TS-453D
Arriving at a price point that is a pinch higher than some might expect (especially those weighing up between the TS-453D and TS-453Be), this serves as a more compact and affordable alternative to the TVS-473e and TVS-472XT. The TS-453D NAS is something that QNAP should be proud of. It is a great entry into their already impressive range of desktop NAS devices, finding an excellent balance between home and business users. If you are looking for a brand new ‘powerful on a budget’ NAS to consolidate your home media, Set up a Surveillance network, run virtual OS environments, sort through photo media, support your relatives as the ‘IT whizz’ of the family, or move your business away from Google Drives and DropBox’ onto something safer, more scalable and dependable – then the TS-453D has alot to offer you. It gives you a great base to start using the QTS platform, as well as a good means to upgrade your storage internally at a later date (expansions in memory to 8GB, expansions in storage with the TL & TR Series, expansion in NVMe, 10Gbe both in the QM2 range and more). When it comes to surveillance though, the fact the TS-453D has KVM support, is upgradable in about 5 different ways AND has 8 camera licences with QVR Pro, means that it is a fantastic Surveillance NAS indeed. Plus, now that you can upgrade AI services thanks to the m.2 connected $29 MTU upgrade card. As you can see from the graph below, pricing has been tremendously dynamic since the launch of the TS-464 and TS-453E NAS:
That said, If you are an existing TS-453Be or TS-453B owner, this might not seem like the jump you were waiting for. Likewise, the odd choice of PCIe Gen 2 x2 may present an internal bottleneck for some.
QNAP TS-453D NAS
CPU: Intel J4125 4-Core Celeron
Memory:Bays: 4-8GB
M.2 NVMe Bays: No
Network Ports: 2x 2.5GbE
USB: USB 3.2 Gen 1 x 3, USB 2.0 x2
KVM: Yes
Network Upgrade: Yes
The new-gen Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) trend has driven higher bandwidth demands for wired and wireless network connections. By integrating Intel® Celeron® J4125 quad-core 2.0 GHz processor and 2.5GbE connectivity, the TS-453D not only provides modern businesses an excellent NAS solution to upgrade to 2.5GbE environments for productive daily backup/restore tasks, but also provides gamers with ample storage for their vast game collections. Up to 5 Gbps transfer speeds can be made by setting port trunking with the two built-in 2.5GbE ports. The TS-453D also supports PCIe expansion, multi-cloud backup, cloud storage gateways, 4K HDMI output and real-time transcoding, alongside expandable storage capacity and feature-rich apps to perform as a cost-efficient, reliable 2.5GbE NAS.
Below is a list of the QNAP NAS that I would recommend for different users. Each has been picked for this list based on their ability to perform a certain task/service (backups, Plex Media Server, Surveillance, Video Editing, etc) and I have supplied links to amazon for each (to check stock and price status), as well as links to the amazon warehouse pages (as it will be a 20% off this Black Friday) and even links to our NASCompares price comparison pages. Take a look and see if these systems meet your needs and your budget this Black Friday 2022.
QNAP TS-133 1-Bay – Budget NAS
Powered by quad-core 1.4 GHz processor, the TS-131K provides 1 drive bays storage space to securely store your important files and data, while allowing you to easily share files with family and friends. Featuring a compact pure white minimalist design, the TS-131K can easily integrate with any home décor and takes up very little space. The TS-131K comes with lockable drive trays, ensuring the drives will not be accidentally removed or fall out and cause data loss. The TS-131K provides comprehensive local, off-site and cloud backup and secure Snapshot technology to help create a reliable backup and disaster recovery plan. In the event of a system crash or accidental file deletion, you can quickly restore the system to its normal state
Look for Current Offers:
Look for Amazon Warehouse Offers:
20% off During Black Friday
QNAP TS-233 2-Bay – Small & Quiet NAS
Run your own personal cloud storage and enjoy easy file access, sharing, and syncing with the TS-233. Designed to enhance collaboration and increase remote work productivity, the TS-233 also features rich multimedia applications and provides a complete home entertainment portal.
Look for Current Offers:
Look for Amazon Warehouse Offers:
20% off During Black Friday
QNAP TS-431KX 4-Bay – Value 10GbE NAS
Powered by quad-core 1.7 GHz processor, the TS-431K provides 4 drive bays storage space to securely store your important files and data, while allowing you to easily share files with family and friends. Featuring a compact pure white minimalist design, the TS-431K can easily integrate with any home décor and takes up very little space. The TS-431K comes with lockable drive trays, ensuring the drives will not be accidentally removed or fall out and cause data loss. The TS-431K provides comprehensive local, off-site and cloud backup and secure Snapshot technology to help create a reliable backup and disaster recovery plan. In the event of a system crash or accidental file deletion, you can quickly restore the system to its normal state.
Look for Current Offers:
Look for Amazon Warehouse Offers:
20% off During Black Friday
Black Friday 2022 – QNAP NAS Drives for PLEX
One of the big appeals of a QNAP NAS drive is to use it as a Plex Media Server. Plex (if you didn’t know) is just as slick, fast and beautiful in design as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and HBO Now, but instead of streaming/renting your content, you play the movies, tv shows and music that you own! Having your own Plex Media Server QNAP NAS is fantastically appealing and a much more financially appealing choice than paying monthly for content you do not get to own. Below are the best 3 QNAP NAS deals this Black Friday for a Plex Media Server in 2022.
QNAP TS-453E 4-Bay – RAID 5 Plex NAS
The TS-453E features 2.5GbE connectivity, 8GB RAM, and M.2 slots for NVMe SSD caching to deliver high performance for applications such as surveillance systems, virtual machines, file servers or backup servers. Dual HDMI outputs also provide direct multimedia playback and robust surveillance monitoring. QNAP will provide long-term availability and support for the TS-453E, providing a great choice for businesses requiring matching NAS models deployed in multiple locations.
Look for Current Offers:
Look for Amazon Warehouse Offers:
20% off During Black Friday
QNAP TS-464 4-Bay – Best All-Round NAS
Powered by an Intel® Celeron® N5095, quad-core processor (burst up to 2.9GHz), the TS-464 features two 2.5GbE RJ45 ports and Port Trunking for up to 5Gbps combined bandwidth. With M.2 PCIe Gen3 and PCIe Gen 3 slots, the TS-464 provides flexibility in extending NAS functionality, allowing you to install a QM2 card for M.2 SSD caching, or Edge TPU for AI image recognition and various 10GbE/5GbE network cards. The TS-464 comes with 4 GB RAM for running light VMs and Containers, and supports multi-cloud backup, cloud storage gateways, 4K HDMI output and real-time transcoding, alongside expandable storage capacity and feature-rich apps to perform as a cost-efficient, reliable 2.5GbE NAS.
Look for Current Offers:
Look for Amazon Warehouse Offers:
20% off During Black Friday
QNAP TVS-672XT 6-Bay – 10GbE & TB3 NAS
Powered by an 8th generation Intel® Core processor, the high-performance TVS-672XT NAS features both 10GBASE-T and Thunderbolt 3 high-bandwidth connectivity for tackling heavy workloads and smoothly transferring, displaying and editing 4K videos in real-time. With M.2 SSD support and the ability to install a graphics card, the TVS-672XT provides the ability to boost performance and create a scalable working environment for collaboration and high-speed file sharing. The TVS-672XT is driven by high-quality hardware that delivers optimum performance, comprehensive multimedia features, expandable storage capacity, and numerous other NAS functionalities to inspire greater creativity and accomplishments!
Look for Current Offers:
Look for Amazon Warehouse Offers:
20% off During Black Friday
Black Friday 2022 – QNAP NAS Drives for Business
Storing your photography or Video Editing archive for post-production on a QNAP NAS is something that has grown in popularity in the last few years. Now in 2022, not only can a QNAP NAS be used to store your photos/video, but with upgraded connections to 10Gbe, Thunderbolt 3 to 10Gbe Adapters and link aggregation becoming more affordable, buying a QNAP NAS this Black Friday 2022 for your post-production and live editing is easier than ever before Below are three great options for editors looking for a QNAP NAS Deal today.
QNAP TS-473A 4-Bay – Best SMB Scalable NAS
The TS-473 is powered by a high-performance and energy-efficient AMD R-Series CPU and provides two PCIe slots for greater functionality. You can install a QNAP QM2 expansion card to add M.2 SSD caching/10GbE connectivity; a compatible wireless card to use the TS-473 as a wireless access point; and an entry-level graphics card to boost system performance for 4K video performance. The TS-473 allows you to flexibly deploy a wide range of applications with a more affordable budget.
Look for Current Offers:
Look for Amazon Warehouse Offers:
20% off During Black Friday
QNAP TVS-872X 8-Bay – Performance 10GbE NAS
Powered by an Intel® Core i3/i5 processor, the high-performance TVS-872X NAS features built-in 10GbE connectivity for boosted virtualization performance and streamlined backup and application workflows from multiple workstations. The TVS-872X also supports M.2 NVMe SSDs for cache acceleration, PCIe expansion, multi-cloud backup, 4K HDMI 2.0 output and real-time transcoding, alongside expandable storage capacity and feature-rich apps to perform as a cost-efficient, reliable, and multifunctional NAS solution.
Look for Current Offers:
Look for Amazon Warehouse Offers:
20% off During Black Friday
Hot Tips when you Buy a NAS this Black Friday 2022
In order for you to get the very best NAS deals this Black Friday, here are some hot tips that I have personally used for the last few years to get the very best deals.
Amazon Warehouse Deals are 20% lower
For those that aren’t aware, Amazon has a whole section of their website that is dedicated to pre-owned and opened items. This includes both NAS, hard drives, SSD and more for your storage. During Amazon Black Friday 2022, the discount on these broken-seal items will be increased by an additional 20% and for those looking for an insane bargain, this will be irresistible.
Another tip when buying NAS or Hard Drives from Amazon Warehouse is that although (as they are broken seal/used/returned items) they have a shorter warranty from Amazon, you will almost certainly be able to claim the FULL warranty coverage from Synology, QNAP, WD or Seagate. They just want your serial number and a receipt of purchase – this will not state the amazon reduced warranty.
Amazon Warehouse for different countries can be found below:
If you want to make sure you see the LATEST Black Friday deals for NAS (as new ones are added every hour) then I would recommend checking the official Amazon Prime page regularly. It will also include the very latest Lightning Deals too
The prices listed on Amazon for NAS during the Black Friday event are only available to Prime members. If you are not a member, don’t worry, as you can use the 30-Day free trial to sign up for a Prime, or just pay for 1 month of Prime as a student and get it at 50% off. Then after you finish your purchase, you can cancel your subscription. The other bonus of this is that you will qualify for fast, next day delivery for free. I would recommend however that you do not cancel your subscription until you have received your order and tested your item.
As then you will still be able to take advantage of the fast and free return policy extended to Prime members. This is especially useful when buying NAS Hard Drives and you are worried about broken drives!
Improved Delivery on your NAS Black Friday Deal
It is a well-known fact that Amazon Prime membership includes free next day delivery and Amazon has even upped the stakes by stating that they will be providing the fastest-ever Black Friday delivery of just 14 minutes between the cart and the courier, last year we saw and heard numerous examples of delivery issues with Black Friday deals, adding 2-3 days on supposed next-day shipping.
If any of your Amazon Prime delivery dates are not the 24 hours turn around that they promise, then definitely complain to Amazon after you receive your goods (not before) as they will almost certainly have a deluge of customer enquiries after Black Friday 2022 and in an effort to conclude the matter, you might get an additional discount, a gift vouchers or more. Currently, the trending ‘gesture of goodwill’ gift is a free month of Prime membership.
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Join 1,406 other subscribers
Get an alert every time something gets added to this specific article!
This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today's content. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Visit the NASCompares Deal Finder to find the best place to buy this device in your region, based on Service, Support and Reputation - Just Search for your NAS Drive in the Box Below
Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?
We want to keep the free advice on NASCompares FREE for as long as we can. Since this service started back in Jan '18, We have helped hundreds of users every month solve their storage woes, but we can only continue to do this with your support. So please do choose to buy at Amazon US and
Amazon UK
on the articles when buying to provide advert revenue support or to donate/support the site below.Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you.Need Help?
Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry.
[contact-form-7]
Terms and Conditions
Alternatively, why not ask me on the ASK NASCompares forum, by clicking the button below. This is a community hub that serves as a place that I can answer your question, chew the fat, share new release information and even get corrections posted. I will always get around to answering ALL queries, but as a one-man operation, I cannot promise speed! So by sharing your query in the ASK NASCompares section below, you can get a better range of solutions and suggestions, alongside my own.
Synology DS923+ or Terramaster F4-423 NAS – Which Should You Buy? Remember when buying a NAS drive was easy? For such a long time, the general hardware that all the NAS brands were offering was generally comparable (Celeron CPU, 2/4GB Memory, coupled of 1GbE and USB) and it was only when you delved into the […]
How to 100% Backup Your Google Photos Account to ANY QNAP NAS Drive
If you have made the switch from your limited/paid subscription cloud service from Google in favour of buying your own QNAP Server, then you will know that, for the most part, the storage potential of your new NAS drive has better scalability and longevity in your storage than the cloud. That said, there are still a few services that Google has offered users for quite a few years that have so much of your data in them, that you want to make sure that it is carried over to and/or backed up to your qnap NAS). Creating a Backup or Sync job between most cloud services like Google Drive and a QNAP NAS has been a service that has been available in several ways for years. HOWEVER, Google Photos, the service that backs up all the photos you take on your android device (Phone, Tablet, Chromebook, etc), has always been tricky/impossible to backup in a fluid and native feeling way – TILL NOW! Thanks to QNAP’S new MARS application (Multi Application Recovery Service), this has a specific Google Photos backup and synchronization routine in place that allows users to connect their Google Pictures and Albums to the QNAP NAS, then action backup to the NAS storage ad-hoc or on a schedule as needed. So, today I want to show you exactly how to do it. Let’s start.
The Difference Between a Google Photos Backup and Google Drive Backup
Before we go further, it is worth highlighting that this is not the first guide I have written that covers synchronizing and/or backing up your Google Data to a QNAP NAS. However, my previous guide was on how to backup your Google Drive and Google Photos Data via the Google Takeout service (video heretoo). A few years ago, Google would store the Google Photos data and Files via Google Drive, which made accessing this data much, MUCH easier. However, in recent years Google separated the Photos data into separate Google Photos software services and that made a seamless and automated backup of this data much harder. It is only now with the QNAP MARS tool that we can natively backup the photos, without using a manual download from the Google Takeout service in the middle.
What You Need to Backup and Sync Google Photos with a QNAP NAS
The setup and execution of using MARS to back up your Google Photos account to your QNAP NAS are really easy, only need to be done once and can be very easily configured at any time. t is also worth highlighting that it is possible with even very, VERY cost-effective QNAP NAS systems. As long as your NAS supports QTS 5 (and therefore has access to the MARS free app in the QNAP App Center), you have everything you need. So, to confirm, in order to use this guide you will need:
A QNAP NAS Drive – Obviously
Access to the NAS via a Web browser and account privileges to install Applications
Access to your Google Photos Account
A QNAP NAS running QTS 5 / QuTS 5 or Higher
The QNAP free MARS App
(Optional) Have Multimedia Console and QuMagie installed on Your QNAP NAS
The optional steps are only going to be needed if you want to create a smart photos NAS setup that includes AI-powered photo recognition (faces, things and subjects), as well as integrating the Google Photos collection that you are pulling over to the NAS in with your existing QNAP NAS Photo collection.
Backing Up Your Google Photos Account to your QNAP NAS Step By Step
These are the steps you need to follow to create a connection between your QNAP NAS and your Google Photos account, for backup or Synchronization services. There are also additional steps that allow you to add browse these photos more effectively in the QNAP QTS platform with Multimedia Console and QuMagie (with AI photo recognition), but these steps are optional.
Step 1 – Log into your QNAP NAS and QTS GUI via the web browser and head into the Application Center
Step 2 – Download and Install the MARS application
Step 3 – Run the MARS Application and select the Google Photos option on the left-hand side
Step 4 – Select the ‘Add Service’ option on the top right, name the connection (anything will do) and then click ‘Connect Google Photos’
Step 5 – Enter Your Google Photos login information and give QNAP MARS access rights
Step 5 – Select the Backup Option on the left, select ‘Google Photos’, name the backup job and then select the ‘Source’ Browse Button
Step 6 – Select the Google Photos Account you connected earlier
Step 7 – Now select the ‘Destination’ Browse Button and highlight where you want the Google Photos to be stored on the QNAP NAS
Step 8 – Select the ‘Multimedia Console’ option if you already have the App installed to ensure it gets indexed
Step 9 – Select ‘ALL’ if you want the entirety of your Google Photos Account Backed Up, or Select Individual Albums here
Step 10 – Select if you want the Google Photos to QNAP NAS Backup to be Manual or on a schedule
Step 11 – Select the Backup Schedule to be at the least inconvenient time (1AM?)
Step 12 – If you want to create separate Backups select the version number and retention policy here
Step 13 – Run the Backup Job to test that all is working!
Step 14 – The Images from your Google Photos Account should now be in the folder of your QNAP NAS you selected
Step 15 (Optional) – Install Multimedia Console if you want the QNAP to Index the Album for NAS Photo Apps to Use
Step 16 (Optional) – Select the QNAP Photo App (QuMagie or Photo Station) and then add the Google Photos Backup Folder You Made
Step 17 (Optional) – Select the ‘Indexing’ Tab if you want to run Index tasks at certain times and with certain priorities
Step 18 (Optional) – Use the QNAP QuMagie AI Powered App with the Google Photo Backup Folder Indexed to Browse the best way
Step 19 (Optional) – QuMagie will begin to identify Faces, Objects and Subjects and begin to process them
And that is it! Now you can use the QuMagie Application to have a much smarter, quicker and better-catalogued photo collection on your QNAP NAS – as well as now adding your Google Photos collection. This can either be used as another layer of Photo backup OR as a means to browse your decades of photos with AI-supported services to catalogue them much ,MUCH quicker, from the privacy and comfort of your home network (i.w NO INTERNET REQUIRED!). Thanks for reading and I hope this guide helped you!
Why Choose QNAP NAS after Google Photos?
Of all the brands in NAS, QNAP is one of the most innovative and generally considered to be one of the most flexible brands in terms of their software architecture. Whereas the previous brand, QNAP, will typically ask you to do things their way, QNAP is a great deal more customisable in its software and hardware architecture, allowing you to do things in a way you’re already familiar with and the NAS drive will adjust accordingly. With a greater range of hardware solutions on offer than most other NAS brands, the portfolio can be a touch intimidating. There are significantly more applications available on the software, mobile devices and desktop clients than any other brand and this applies to both photography and generally data. This large degree of flexibility and hardware options can often be to their detriment, as users that want their hand held a little or just want something to work straight away out of the box might find a QNAP a bit of a steep climb by comparison to Google Photos. That said, the software user interface accessible via your web browser is more stylized and comparable to that of Windows and Android, considerably more customisable than any other NAS software but this is presented at the expense of the relative ease of QNAP’s software. Most popular photo backup solutions in the portfolio include:
TOP QNAP NAS Deals to Watch Out For on Black Friday 2022
Even though there will likely be numerous deals on QNAP NAS systems (largely focused on desktop NAS systems of course), the following three NAS Drives are the ones I recommend for those on a tight budget, those looking for an affordable media/plex server or those looking to do a little bit of EVERYTHING! I have linked each to Amazon in order to check how much it will be on offer during Black Friday, but they will all likely be on offer in numerous locations during the event too. Here is what I recommend:
QNAP TS-464 NAS Drive – This is the new Prosumer desktop 4-Bay NAS from QNAP. Arriving with a fantastic hardware architecture, such as an Intel Quad Core N5105, 4-16GB Memory, M.2 NVMe Bays, PCIe Upgrade Slot, USB 3.2 Gen 2, HDMI 4K and more, this is a real compact powerhouse of a system and almost certainly will see good offers across multiple sites – Check HERE
QNAP TS-453E NAS Drive – Released a few months after the QNAP TS-464, the TS-453E is a marginally less scalable box BUT it makes up for it with incredible base-level hardware at a fantastic price (even when not on offer). Another (newer) Quad-Core Intel Powered CPU in the J6412, it also arrives by default with 8GB of Memory, NVMe SSD bays, 2.5GbE network ports and all this in a very compact casing. With great performance in Plex Media server, as well as the majority of QTS 5.1 applications, the TS-453E is the Prosumers NAS for home users who don’t need/want to pay extra for upgrades down the line. – Check HERE
QNAP TS-233 NAS Drive – A much more modest system than the two NAS I just mentioned, the TS-233 is a low-power, low-impact 2-Bay NAS (also available in the TS-133 1-Bay and TS-433 4-Bay) that runs on a Realtek Quad Core 64bit ARM processor, 2GB of DDR4 memory and is still able to support a large number of QNAP Applications (including the QVR Elite surveillance App, AI-Powered Photo Tool QuMagie, the Hybrid Backup Sync 3-2-1 Backup service and more. With energy prices increasing noticeably in 2022, this is very much a 24×7 NAS for those keeping an eye on the meter! Check HERE
Best All Rounder QNAP NAS
Best Plex & QNAP NAS
Best Budget QNAP NAS
QNAP TS-464 NAS Drive
QNAP TS-453E NAS Drive
QNAP TS-233 NAS Drive
QNAP NAS Advantages
By far the most hardware-equipped NAS brand
The largest number of applications for media and backups
A wider range of supported 3rd Party platforms and services
This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today's content. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Visit the NASCompares Deal Finder to find the best place to buy this device in your region, based on Service, Support and Reputation - Just Search for your NAS Drive in the Box Below
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Data Storage Deals to Look Out for on Black Friday 2022
Black Friday 2022 has begun! Remember when this was just a single day event? In recent years, in efforts to remain competitive and to capitalize on the global sales event, many e-tailers have switched to launching their Black Friday events to run the entire week (with arguably, the juiciest offers kicking off on the day itself, Friday 25th November) and NAS brands such as Synology and QNAP are just as keen to jump on board too. Data Storage and Networking Devices are among two of the biggest growth areas of technology we have observed in the last five years, thanks to a growing dependence of home and business users to work/live on internet based services and created hundreds of megabytes of data (and stretching into gigabytes for business) per day. The days of getting by with a drawer full of USB sticks and your free hand full of Google Drive Gigabytes are long gone (when you phone takes 4K photos at 10-15MB a pop) and ALOT of users have been holding out till Black Friday 2022 to either finally take the plunge on their first bit of premium storage tech or upgrade their existing setup. Throughout Black Friday itself, I will be keeping an eye on deals that appear over Black Friday 2022 that I would personally, GENUINELY buy – and I will be publishing a few videos to share them. However, there are already a number of rather attractive NAS deals floating around on the 2020, 2021 and even 2022 generation of storage from the big NAS brands and so I have made this article that details the NAS systems that will be on sale over Black Friday, alongside a list of retailers to check. I have also included price history on each of the devices to help you know when a deal really IS a deal. Let’s take a look at the best deals to watch this week of Black Friday 2022.
BEST Synology Black Friday 2022 Deal – Synology DS920+ NAS
Popular for 2.5 years since it’s initial launch in Summer 2022,the Synology DS920+ NAS has been refreshed recently with the launch of the new DS923+ NAS and for many, the DS920+ is still the superior NAS drive for Multimedia. The Synology DS920+ is regularly on sale at both Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day – and I Definitely see it appearing on sale in a huge number of locations globally, as the brand ushers out the older 2020 generation in favour of hte newer 2022/2023 Diskstation NAS. Indeed, it has seen a huge number of price changes in the last 18months:
With a fantastically compact and low noise chassis, the DS920+ is still a fantastic NAS. Also, the DS920+ will also arrive with the latest version of Synology DSM 7.1, the fully featured NAS software that is included with all Synology NAS. This is almost certainly be THE DEAL of Black Friday 2022 TO WATCH!
Synology DS920+ NAS
CPU: Intel J4125 4-Core Celeron
Memory:Bays: 4-8GB
M.2 NVMe Bays: 2x m.2 NVMe, Caching Only
Network Ports: 2x 1GbE
USB: USB 3.2 Gen 1 x2
KVM: No
Network Upgrade: No
Synology DS920+ is an ideal network-attached storage solution to streamline data management and productivity. Two built-in M.2 SSD slots and Synology SSD Cache technology allow you to boost system I/O and application performance. Scalable storage design lets you start small and expand storage capacity with Synology DX517 as your data grows.
BEST QNAP Black Friday 2022 Deal – QNAP TS-464 NAS
When QNAP launched their 2022 generation of hardware, the unit that REALLY stood out from the pack was the TS-464 NAS. This system pretty much delivered EVERYTHING that NAS buyers have been asking/demanding for at this price point for the last 6-7 years. The most powerful and capable Intel celeron featuring in NAS yet, DDR4 memory upto 16GB. M.2 NVMe SSD says for caching OR storage, 4K HDMI, two 2.5GbE bays, 10Gb/s USB ports AND a PCIe slot to improve the system’s network ports and/or storage even more! The TS-464 was such a beast that when launched, it IMMEDIATELY SOLD OUT EVERYWHERE!!! It took the better part of 4-5 months after release (April/May 2022) of the TS-464 to start seeing stock availability become a little more stable. Fast forward to now on Black Friday 2022 and the TS-464 is now much more available AND it has started seeing it’s price point drop.
Now, although the price change can be attributed a little to the amount of time that the TS-464 has been available to buy, it has also been caused by the release of QNAP’s big rival ‘Synology’ releasing their DS923+ NAS 4-Bay. I can definitely see the QNAP TS-464 NAS appearing on a few limited sales over the Black Friday period, though do not expect the stock to be especially high – so be quick on this one!
QNAP TS-464 NAS
CPU: Intel N5105 4-Core Celeron
Memory:Bays: 4-16GB
M.2 NVMe Bays: 2x m.2 NVMe, Caching and Storage Pools
Network Ports: 2x 2.5GbE
USB: USB 3.2 Gen 2 x3
KVM: Yes
Network Upgrade: Yes
Powered by an Intel® Celeron® N5095, quad-core processor (burst up to 2.9GHz), the TS-464 features two 2.5GbE RJ45 ports and Port Trunking for up to 5Gbps combined bandwidth. With M.2 PCIe Gen3 and PCIe Gen 3 slots, the TS-464 provides flexibility in extending NAS functionality, allowing you to install a QM2 card for M.2 SSD caching, or Edge TPU for AI image recognition and various 10GbE/5GbE network cards. The TS-464 comes with 4 GB RAM for running light VMs and Containers, and supports multi-cloud backup, cloud storage gateways, 4K HDMI output and real-time transcoding, alongside expandable storage capacity and feature-rich apps to perform as a cost-efficient, reliable 2.5GbE NAS.
BEST Asustor Black Friday 2022 Deal – Lockerstor 4 Gen 2 NAS
Unlike higher profile brands such as Synology and QNAP, Asustor has always played the long game when it comes to their hardware. Unlike other brands that in 2022 released complete new refreshes of their systems, Asustor too the decision to upgrade their existing Lockerstor system to a Gen 2 version and…well…pretty much upgrade EVERYTHING! The Lockerstor 4 Gen 2 (also known as the AS6704T) arrives with the same high end Intel Celeron N5105 CPU as the QNAP TS-464, but then doubles down by providing 2933Mhz memory (4GB that can be upgrade to 16GB) and a massively surprising FOUR M.2 NVMe SSD bays (caching or pools, your pick). The system then ups the game with 10G USB and HDMI 2.0b (the only NAS in the market to feature this). Hell, the Lockerstor Gen 2 4-Bay can also swap the M.2 NVMe SSD bays out for a 10GbE card and/or a (coming soon) combination M.2 NVMe SSD + 10GbE upgrade card! The lockerstor Gen 2 series was already a huge bargain and Black Friday 2022 only makes this point louder!
Alongside all this, it is worth highlighting that we are seeing the Lockerstor Gen 1 (in 2 and 4-bay) also see a noticeable price drop in a number of locations. Ultimately, when it comes to NAS hardware, the AS6704T is near unbeatable at teh value for money and it also arrives with ADM Software and services included. Basically – a BARGAIN!
Asustor AS6704T NAS
CPU: Intel N5105 4-Core Celeron
Memory:Bays: 4-16GB
M.2 NVMe Bays: 4x m.2 NVMe, Caching and Storage Pools
Network Ports: 2x 2.5GbE
USB: USB 3.2 Gen 2 x2
KVM: Yes
Network Upgrade: Yes
Quad-Core 10 nm Intel Celeron N5105 CPU – 31% more performance over Gemini Lake
Superfast 2.5-Gigabit Ethernet ports
Flexible PCIe slot for 10GbE NICs or M.2 SSDs
Supports PCIe 3.0 SSDs for up to twice the performance of PCIe 2.0.
Uses DDR4-2933 with 40% more performance
USB 3.2 Gen2 ports – 10Gbps speed
Enjoy, download, upload and stream content with 4K transcoding
BEST Terramaster Black Friday 2022 Deal – F4-423 NAS
Terramaster is a brand that we regularly see on offer during the Black Friday period over on amazon. However, we are only now starting to see their latest FX-423 2022 generation of devices start to see any meaningful discount. The F4-423 already arrived at a more affordable price point that the 2020 released DS920+, whilst also having the same hardware as the Lockerstor 4 Gen 2 and QNAP TS-464 for the most part. The F4-423 arrives with the Intel N5105, 4-16GB of DDR4 Memory, 2.5GbE and USB 3.2 Gen 2, yet is almost $100-130 cheaper than it’s competitors!!!
Further to this, the Terramaster F4-423 has recently been updated to TOS 5, the brand’s NAS software. This has seen numerous improvements in it’s GUI, responsiveness and default security. It also now includes a surveillance application, AI powered photo recognition tool, several new backup and synchronization tools and improvements to the file systems and services. The learning curve on a terramaster NAS is a little steeper tha some of the other brands, but the F4-423 is still a fantastic choice to consider this Black Friday 2022.
Terramaster F4-423 NAS
CPU: Intel N5105 4-Core Celeron
Memory:Bays: 4-16GB
M.2 NVMe Bays: 2x m.2 NVMe, Caching and Storage Pools
Network Ports: 2x 2.5GbE
USB: USB 3.2 Gen 2 x2
KVM: No
Network Upgrade: No
The 4-Bay F4-423 is suitable for SMB users who need high-performance storage solutions. High performance means that users can easily handle high-load workflows, while multiple business-level backup solutions guarantee data safety and safeguard against the risk of data loss. This is a high-performance storage solution that provides a virtual storage and database service for SMB users. It uses an Intel Celeron N5105/5095 quad-core processor with 2.0 GHz and a maximum turbo of 2.9 GHz. It is integrated with a GPU graphics card and AES NI hardware encryption. In addition, it is equipped with two 2.5 GbE interfaces and a 4 GB DDR4 dual-channel memory (expandable up to 32 GB). Moreover, this storage solution is internally installed with 2 M.2 NVMe slots, which accelerate SSD caching and double the storage efficiency of your RAID.
Affordable Home 4K Plex NAS Black Friday 2022 Deal – Synology DS220+
Plex Media series still continues to be one of the most popular reasons that many home users choose to make the jump into the world of NAS storage – with Black Friday all too often being the point that head to the checkout! Plex Media Server gives users the ability to access, view and browse their existing multimedia collection with the same level of graphical flare and services hat paid subscriptions services like Netflix and Disney+ include (Trailers, Cast information, media box art, reviews, etc). Plex is a little hungry as an application though and it can be tough to find a NAS drive that has the right amount of hardware to play 4K media, without breaking the bank. The Synology DS220+ arrives at an incredible affordably price point, yet (with a plex pass and concentrating on h.264 mEDIA AT UPTO 60Mb bitrate of 32Mb HEVC) it can still play ALOT of current multimedia! Add to this that the NAS is very low in power use and is a quite little 2 bay, and what you have is by far one of the best value 4K Plex NAS’ in the market.
The DS220+ will almost certainly see a refresh in 2023 towards a DS223+ NAS (with question marks about whether it will feature an Intel or AMD CPU – and even more questions on the whether it will have integrated graphics), the DS220+ is 100% going to be on offer at a number of retailers, as Synology begins to run down the stock of the 2020 gen, in favour of the 2023 generation. If you see the DS220+ at £250 o less this Black Friday, SNAP IT UP!
Synology DS220+ NAS
CPU: Intel J4025 2-Core Celeron
Memory:Bays: 2-6GB
M.2 NVMe Bays: No
Network Ports: 2x 1GbE
USB: USB 3.2 Gen 1 x2
KVM: No
Network Upgrade: No
Synology DS220+ is a compact network-attached storage solution designed to streamline your data and multimedia management. It features smooth data sharing, video streaming, and photo indexing, as well as well-rounded data protection and recovery options. Video Station lets you easily manage and organize movies, TV shows, and home videos, and stream content to computers, smartphones, and media players. Organize your photos intelligently with Moments, a modern, AI-enabled photo management application that lets you effortlessly preserve your precious memories. Audio Station is your personal music center, designed to intelligently sort and organize your audio files, and stream to Google Cast enabled devices. Audio Station supports lossless formats to ensure pristine audio quality.
BEST Budget/Value NAS Black Friday 2022 Deal – Synology DS220+j
If you HAVE decided to buy a NAS as a low key multimedia server for DLNA/uPnP streaming and/or low/2n tier backup server – then the incredibly affordable DS220j NAS will make ALOT of sense! It arrives at a fraction of the price of the more powerful Intel options mentioned above in the 2020 generation, but still has DSM on board, a quad-core 64bit ARM CPU and (although a little slower and needs a pinch more patience at times) is a really impressive, small scale NAS!
This is another NAS that is fully expected to see a 2023 refresh (largely down to the talk of a new Synology Value NAS with the Realtek RTD1619 CPU coming). So, be sure to look for this bargain on the week of Black Friday 2022!
Synology DS220j NAS
CPU: Realtek RTD1296 4-Core ARM v8 64bit
Memory:Bays: 512MB
M.2 NVMe Bays: No
Network Ports: 1x1GbE
USB: USB 3.2 Gen 1 x2
KVM: No
Network Upgrade: No
DS220j is an entry-level 2-bay NAS designed for home and personal users to store and share photos, videos, and documents. The private cloud solution is powered by the award-winning DiskStation Manager (DSM) OS, providing an intuitive user interface and safe data protection approaches for easy digital asset backups from computers and mobile devices at no additional cost. Synology’s comprehensive multi-version backup solution protects your digital assets on computers (Windows/Mac) and mobile phones (Android/iOS) against malicious attacks, including the rising encryption-based ransomware threats. Storage management is easy with Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) technology. SHR is an automated RAID management system that allows you to easily create and expand storage volumes and migrate RAID types without requiring details on the RAID setup. SHR provides 1-disk redundancy to safeguard your data in case of drive failures.
BEST Surveillance NVR NAS Black Friday 2022 Deal – QNAP TS-453D
Arriving at a price point that is a pinch higher than some might expect (especially those weighing up between the TS-453D and TS-453Be), this serves as a more compact and affordable alternative to the TVS-473e and TVS-472XT. The TS-453D NAS is something that QNAP should be proud of. It is a great entry into their already impressive range of desktop NAS devices, finding an excellent balance between home and business users. If you are looking for a brand new ‘powerful on a budget’ NAS to consolidate your home media, Set up a Surveillance network, run virtual OS environments, sort through photo media, support your relatives as the ‘IT whizz’ of the family, or move your business away from Google Drives and DropBox’ onto something safer, more scalable and dependable – then the TS-453D has alot to offer you. It gives you a great base to start using the QTS platform, as well as a good means to upgrade your storage internally at a later date (expansions in memory to 8GB, expansions in storage with the TL & TR Series, expansion in NVMe, 10Gbe both in the QM2 range and more). When it comes to surveillance though, the fact the TS-453D has KVM support, is upgradable in about 5 different ways AND has 8 camera licences with QVR Pro, means that it is a fantastic Surveillance NAS indeed. Plus, now that you can upgrade AI services thanks to the m.2 connected $29 MTU upgrade card. As you can see from the graph below, pricing has been tremendously dynamic since the launch of the TS-464 and TS-453E NAS:
That said, If you are an existing TS-453Be or TS-453B owner, this might not seem like the jump you were waiting for. Likewise, the odd choice of PCIe Gen 2 x2 may present an internal bottleneck for some.
QNAP TS-453D NAS
CPU: Intel J4125 4-Core Celeron
Memory:Bays: 4-8GB
M.2 NVMe Bays: No
Network Ports: 2x 2.5GbE
USB: USB 3.2 Gen 1 x 3, USB 2.0 x2
KVM: Yes
Network Upgrade: Yes
The new-gen Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) trend has driven higher bandwidth demands for wired and wireless network connections. By integrating Intel® Celeron® J4125 quad-core 2.0 GHz processor and 2.5GbE connectivity, the TS-453D not only provides modern businesses an excellent NAS solution to upgrade to 2.5GbE environments for productive daily backup/restore tasks, but also provides gamers with ample storage for their vast game collections. Up to 5 Gbps transfer speeds can be made by setting port trunking with the two built-in 2.5GbE ports. The TS-453D also supports PCIe expansion, multi-cloud backup, cloud storage gateways, 4K HDMI output and real-time transcoding, alongside expandable storage capacity and feature-rich apps to perform as a cost-efficient, reliable 2.5GbE NAS.
BEST Price Per Terabyte NAS Hard Drive Black Friday 2022 Deal – WD Red Plus 8TB
WD Red Plus 8TB NAS Hard Drive
Interface: SATA
Size: 3.5″
NAS Drive Scale:1-8 Bays
Recording Method: CMR/PMR
RPM: 7200RPM
Cache: 256MB
USP: NASware 3.0, 180TB Workload, Balancing and Vibration Protection
Warranty: 3yrs
Packed with power to handle the small- to medium-sized business NAS environments and increased workloads1 for SOHO customers, WD Red Plus is ideal for archiving and sharing, as well as RAID array rebuilding on systems using ZFS and other file systems. Built and tested for up to 8-bay NAS systems, these drives give you the flexibility, versatility, and confidence in storing and sharing your precious home and work files. Built for Optimum NAS Compatibility
WD Red Plus drives with NASware technology takes the guesswork out of selecting a drive. Optimized for NAS systems, our unique algorithm balances performance and reliability in NAS and RAID environments. Simply put, a WD Red Plus drive is one of the most compatible drives available for NAS enclosures. But don’t take our word for it. WD Red Plus drives are a reflection of extensive NAS partner technology engagement and compatibility-testing.
BEST Large Scale / Business NAS Hard Drive Black Friday 2022 Deal – Seagate Ironwolf Pro 16TB
Seagate Ironwolf Pro 16TB NAS Hard Drive
Interface: SATA
Size: 3.5″
Recording Method: CMR/PMR
NAS Drive Scale:1-18 Bays
RPM: 7200RPM
Cache: 256MB
USP: 300TB Workload, Balancing and Vibration Protection, Data Recovery Services
Warranty: 5yrs
IronWolf® Pro drives are engineered to deliver 24×7 performance, reliability, and dependability in multi-bay, multi-user commercial and enterprise RAID storage solutions. Total peace of mind with five-year limited warranty, complimentary three-year Rescue Data Recovery Services, and IronWolf Health Management.
• Built with Agile Array firmware for RAID optimisation and 24×7 use.
• Rotational Vibration sensors on higher capacity drives to mitigate vibration in multi-bay applications.
• Iron Wolf Health Management is built into compatible NAS operating systems that monitors drive health.
• 300 TB/year workload rate for busy multi-user s allowing users to push more data through the hard drive and NAS.
• 5-year with 2-year data recovery service.
This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today's content. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Visit the NASCompares Deal Finder to find the best place to buy this device in your region, based on Service, Support and Reputation - Just Search for your NAS Drive in the Box Below
Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?
We want to keep the free advice on NASCompares FREE for as long as we can. Since this service started back in Jan '18, We have helped hundreds of users every month solve their storage woes, but we can only continue to do this with your support. So please do choose to buy at Amazon US and
Amazon UK
on the articles when buying to provide advert revenue support or to donate/support the site below.Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you.Need Help?
Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry.
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Alternatively, why not ask me on the ASK NASCompares forum, by clicking the button below. This is a community hub that serves as a place that I can answer your question, chew the fat, share new release information and even get corrections posted. I will always get around to answering ALL queries, but as a one-man operation, I cannot promise speed! So by sharing your query in the ASK NASCompares section below, you can get a better range of solutions and suggestions, alongside my own.
Synology DS923+ NAS Drive – Does It Deserve Your Data? The Synology DS923+ NAS is the follow-up to the DS920+ (released over 2.5 years earlier) and this new Diskstation system has certainly made a number of BIG changes to the arguably rigid formula that the brand has been using in the last few generations of […]
The Synology DS923+ NAS Review – AMD vs Intel? Regardless of whether you are new to NAS or have been well-grounded in the world of premium turn-key private server ownership, there is a pretty high chance you heard about Synology! In the world of NAS, they are pretty much the top brand and with good […]
Should You Buy the Synology DS920+ or Terramaster F4-423 NAS Drive So, comparing the Synology DS920+ vs Terramaster F4-423 NAS is easier said than done – we are talking about two brands that have very different priorities when it comes to the solutions they provide. But, I am getting ahead of myself. If you have […]
The Features and Improvements of Synology DSM 7.2 Revealed
When Synology first revealed that they were already in the final stages of rolling out the latest update to their popular software platform, DSM version 7.2, many of us were quite surprised about the strong focus on enterprise features and appliances being the focus point. Synology has been increasingly shifting gears on its platform toward more business and enterprise-scale users in the last few years and though DSM 7.2 updates did include a few more home, prosumer and SMB improvements, the bulk of the updates that are coming in this new revision are ones to further bolster their business single ecosystem even further! The following article covers everything we learnt about intended software and service updates for the Synology DSM Platform. How many of these end up as DSM 7.2 implementations and how many end up being rolled into individual application updates on their own (and therefore accessible in DSM 7.1 currently) is yet to be seen. Improvements in featured services such as Synology Active Backup, Drive and Surveillance Station may well arrive independently. Here is everything we learnt about future software updates and DSM 7.2. Apologies for the delay in this article. There have been recent hardware reveals in the last couple of weeks (DS723+, DS923+, WRX560to name just a few) and a larger article that covers the planned 2023 hardware, software and DSM. You can learn about everything that was revealed at the Synology 2023 and Beyond event HERE on the blog.
Synology DSM 7.2 Release Date
Synology detailed numerous planned improvements that are arriving in the latest revision of DSM throughout the presentation. The good news is that people will not have to wait too long for DSM 7.2 to arrive, with the release stated as ‘early 2023’, with further clarification alongside other details to point towards Q1 2023 (Jan-March). This includes a great many smaller quality-of-life improvements, but some bigger ones in storage management and access. Several of the newer individual client software updates will likely be tied to DSM 7.2 and/or arrive in a beta format by the end of the year.
Volume Encryption Coming to DSM 7.2
A long-term request by Synology NAS users for a few years, the ability to encrypt your NAS beyond the current ‘folder’ level in DSM. It is a little odd that Synology has not provided Disk, Volume or Pool level encryption in the system storage manager. The ability to encrypt the full volume means that you can be a great deal broader in your protection from your storage getting intercepted outside of your own authorized use. Prior to this, encrypted upto the folder/shared-folder level meant that you would likely need to maintain multiple key files/codes, as well as result in more work as your structured your system. Volume-level encryption hugely simplifies this, as well as allowing a larger container of storage to encrypt within.
Mac OS Active Backup Client Support
Another HUGELY requested feature is parity in the Mac OS Support in Synology Active Backup that is currently available for the Windows Client. Up until now, Mac users that wanted to create a system-wide (OS level) backup relied on Apple Time Machine. This is still a solid and user-friendly option, but not hugely storage efficient, is tougher to browse through images than Synology AB and also does not play as nice with remote backups as it does with local backups (ie it supports network backups, but even then quite regimentally and does not correlate/manage those particular backups as well as using a Synology client and Synology NAS running Active Backup). Equally, Synology AB and Mac OS client app should allow viable and easier remote Mac image recovery options in a way currently not available.
Improved Active Backup NAS to NAS Remote Backup
NAS to NAS backups are NOT a new thing, but are more often than not either on a file/folder level (i.e using Hyper Backup) or, in the case of 3rd party general/linux servers, a big block of data that cannot effectively be viewed or managed natively. Improved Active Backup NAS to NAS support means that the same level of system/OS level backup image backup that is afforded to Windows PCs, VMs and More in Active Backup Suite can now be made with another Synology NAS server. Till now, the best options you had for NAS-to-NAS backups were Hyper Backup Folder level backups, Snapshot replication to send snapshot images on a schedule/sync/retention configuration, Backup your NAS image to Synology C2 Cloud (which can be synced elsewhere) and a few different file level sync/backup tools between servers. As Active Backup grows in popularity with Synology NAS users, including it in your 3-2-1 system-wide backup strategy makes alot of sense and for those that are already running a periodic/scheduled NAS to NAS backup, this makes even more sense than current file/folder level backups.
Synology Drive to Support Active Directory (AD)
Synology already has a very competent Active Directory management tool in ‘Synology Directory Server’, which turns your Synology NAS into a domain controller (DC) to manage users, devices, groups, and domain policies in a breeze. However, support of Microsoft AD is coming to Synology Drive. For the unaware, Active Directory (AD) is a directory service that runs on Microsoft Windows systems (i.e Windows Server). The main function of Active Directory from the client side is to enable administrators to manage permissions and control access to network resources. In Active Directory, data is stored as objects, which include users, groups, applications, and devices, and these objects are categorized according to their name and attributes. Then you have AD DS (Active Directory Domain Services) are a core component of Active Directory and provide the primary mechanism for authenticating users and determining which network resources they can access. AD DS also provides additional features such as Single Sign-On (SSO), security certificates, LDAP, and access rights management.
WORM Support Addition
Write Once, Read Many (WORM) has been around in the world of data storage for a considerable length of time and allows a file to be accessed by many, many users without the original file being in any way changed or corrupted – a real issue if a file/database is being accessed by many users and changes inadvertently occur which overwrite the file or changes being made by others (file/media editors tackle this in other means, such as via using shadow editing or non-linear editing). WORM (Write Once, Read Many) is used to avoid modification of saved data. With increasingly stringent regulations on how information is stored, many countries require government agencies, financial institutions, and healthcare providers to comply with strict data archiving regulations. Many of these require storage systems to not tamper with archived data. This has led to WORM becoming increasingly common in commercial setups. Good examples are photos, contracts, financial reports, emails, employee information, and other important documents. They should not be modified once stored. In some professional fields, massive data needs to be analyzed, and huge amounts of real-time data need to be recorded and tracked. WORM technology is ideal for protecting these records so that they will not be overwritten and can be saved as a reference for future use.
The support of WORM in the Synology storage infrastructure will allow loving for files for a predetermined time, as well as configuration into two separate types – Compliance and Enterprise. Compliance issues ZERO write/edit/change, even by IT admins for the pre-defined period of time. Enterprise is similar, however, it DOES allow IT admin(s) to make changes and/or adapt the WORM access. Also, grace periods can be set in for files going into WORM configurations, which allow a period of time to pass before locks are engaged. This change along with several others that are to be implemented in DSM 7.2 are slated for Q1 of 2023 (Jan-March). In short, in WORM enabled folders data is protected from manipulation by not being able to change or delete it for a specified period of time. Immutable data backups can also be carried out via Hyper Backup for further protection and retention down the line too.
SMB Multi-Channel – Better Port Utilization and Improved Drive Integration
SMB is not new, but updates to Drive and SMB support also see changes with Synology DSM 7.2, with cross-protocol file locking between SMB shares and Drive, ensuring that files in use cannot be edited or overwritten across them. In addition, with SMB multichannel transfer, all network connections available between servers and clients can be used to increase the performance of SMB file transfer, regardless of traditional conflicts that would prevent them being bound/crossed together conventionally
Improvements to Synology Office Services and Features
Synology has provided their Office application in the DSM application list for quite a long time, serving as an in-house alternative to using 3rd party office doc tools such as Google Docs and Microsoft office. This combined with the Synology Drive application results in you being able to open all of your office format docs (text, spreadsheets, PDFs, etc) from within the Synology ecosystem, where your data lives. However, there is always room for improvement and we are told that new features such as document watermarks, improved revision recognition on docs exported over and an increase in support of file format/layouts from Microsoft Word etc.
Synology highlighted their massive HD6500 and then discussed HUGE scale out cluster storage. The new scale-out clusters are also scheduled to appear in 2023 and provide faster file and object storage. This should allow server combinations of HD6500s servers that scale upto that of 12 petabytes to operate with a write speed of up to 60 GB/s (60,000MB/s).
Additionally, Synology is improving the management of large-scale backups from a single portal point, via a new platform/service they are calling ‘Synology Backup Cloud’ (name almost certainly will change!) that will cover the operations of Active Backup, Hyper Backup and C2 Backup operations. Synology is aiming for this tool to provide the IT admin with a single easy window to manage, remote control and monitoring of all aspects of data backup.
Not a lot was said on this feature, but expect its development to be a little slower than most as, much like Active Insight, this is very much an enterprise site tool and likely at a premium.
Improvements in Synology C2 Identity
The Synology C2 Identity application that was introduced with Synology DSM 7 at launch is also going to see updates in its supported authentication methods and client tech. These will include Windows Hello and Apple Face ID/Touch ID, as well as in connection with the upcoming C2 identity user portal, employees using managed devices can be automatically signed in with SAML.
Synology Drive – Remote Erase
The benefits of Synology Drive when it comes to larger teams of users being able to access the same folder(s) of data in order to collaborate on projects are already well documented. However, what if a client system that has access to a synced drive folder gets hijacked? Or at a moment’s notice, you need to suspend access to the share from a specific client machine AND want to ensure that no locally sync’d/download copy is still there? Well, soon Synology Drive will be receiving an update to allow exactly that includes the ability to delete data remotely and is intended to minimize security risks by removing synchronized folders from stolen Windows and macOS systems.
That just about covers it. There were further improvements that were featured in Synology Secure sign-in and C2 Password services to improve the range of supported authentication methods, as well as improvements to their Synology C2 cloud platform access and implementation. However, as these are more to do with the individual services/applications, I will save this for the inevitable Synology DSM 7.2 Beta preview and included services. So, what do you think of the planned improvements coming to DSM 7.2? Would you have liked to have seen further updates to the more ‘everyman’ services, i.e upgrades to Synology Photos AI recognition to match that of Synology Moments? Or a little more parity between Windows and Mac OS compatibility? Let’s discuss it below. We pool the comments on this article and the videos that are featured in it to keep all the relevant comments in one place, so take a look and see if your POV is the same as everyone else’s.
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This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today's content. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Visit the NASCompares Deal Finder to find the best place to buy this device in your region, based on Service, Support and Reputation - Just Search for your NAS Drive in the Box Below
Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?
We want to keep the free advice on NASCompares FREE for as long as we can. Since this service started back in Jan '18, We have helped hundreds of users every month solve their storage woes, but we can only continue to do this with your support. So please do choose to buy at Amazon US and
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on the articles when buying to provide advert revenue support or to donate/support the site below.Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you.Need Help?
Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry.
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Alternatively, why not ask me on the ASK NASCompares forum, by clicking the button below. This is a community hub that serves as a place that I can answer your question, chew the fat, share new release information and even get corrections posted. I will always get around to answering ALL queries, but as a one-man operation, I cannot promise speed! So by sharing your query in the ASK NASCompares section below, you can get a better range of solutions and suggestions, alongside my own.
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Synology DS1522+ NAS 10GbE RAID Testing with the WD Red Pro 22TB HDDs Technology is moving FAST! Yet one of the most overlooked fast-moving areas of technology in the market is data storage! In the last decade we have seen data storage averages used by consumers and businesses hugely multiply in volume and frequency, with […]
QNAP TS-464 or the Synology DS923+ NAS Drive – Which Should You Buy? Let’s face it – this comparison was inevitably going to be one that I was really looking forward to. Over the years, I have compared hundreds of different NAS systems (with Synology and QNAP being two of the most common brands compared) […]
Synology Reveal Details on Diskstation Manager 7.2, Mac OS Support Improvements, WORM, Volume Encryption, Cameras and more
When it comes to the value of a Synology NAS product, I think it would be fair to say that the bulk of the $$$ that you pay goes towards the software – Diskstation Manager (DSM). With an enormous range of 1st party services, features and client applications, DSM ensures that a Synology NAS (regardless of scale) is a complete hardware and software solution! The DSM platform has received numerous updates over the years, but few were as big or as polished as DSM 7. Recently at the Synology 2023 and Beyond global streaming event, Synology revealed a number of the planned features that are arriving in the DSM 7.2 software update, intended for 2023. Although typically sub revision updates like 7.0>7.1>7.2 might ordinarily be considered minor updates in most software, in the Synology DSM platform however these tend to include pretty large-scale improvements, new applications, improved service capabilities, a larger supported hardware client base and even a few extra up and coming beta services available to be tried out (under strict ‘tests’ status!). These were revealed alongside a number of new innovations coming to individual applications and services, further increasing security and data integrity (with a real buzz on immutable data, data that cannot and/or should not be changed). Finally, there was a few featured improvements highlighted for several areas of their surveillance platform that included the new cameras (already mentioned HERE) and improvements configuring Surveillance Station via DS Cam. Let’s go through everything new we learned at Synology 2023 and Beyond.
Updates and New Features Coming to Synology DSM We Know so far
The following is everything we learnt about intended software and services updates for the Synology Platform. How many of these end up as DSM 7.2 implementations and how many end up being rolled into individual application updates on their own (and therefore accessible in DSM 7.1 currently) is yet to be seen. Improvements in featured services such as Synology Active Backup, Drive and Surveillance Station may well arrive independently. Here is everything we learnt about future software updates and DSM 7.2:
Synology DSM 7.2 Release Date
Synology detailed numerous planned improvements that are arriving in the latest revision of DSM throughout the presentation. The good news is that people will not have to wait too long for DSM 7.2 to arrive, with the release stated as ‘early 2023’, with further clarification alongside other details to point towards Q1 2023 (Jan-March). This includes a great many smaller quality-of-life improvements, but some bigger ones in storage management and access. Several of the newer individual client software updates will likely be tied to DSM 7.2 and/or arrive in a beta format by the end of the year.
Volume Encryption Coming to DSM 7.2
A long-term request by Synology NAS users for a few years, the ability to encrypt your NAS beyond the current ‘folder’ level in DSM. It is a little odd that Synology has not provided Disk, Volume or Pool level encryption in the system storage manager. The ability to encrypt the full volume means that you can be a great deal broader in your protection from your storage getting intercepted outside of your own authorized use. Prior to this, encrypted upto the folder/shared-folder level meant that you would likely need to maintain multiple key files/codes, as well as result in more work as your structured your system. Volume-level encryption hugely simplifies this, as well as allowing a larger container of storage to encrypt within.
Mac OS Active Backup Client Support
Another HUGELY requested feature is parity in the Mac OS Support in Synology Active Backup that is currently available for the Windows Client. Up until now, Mac users that wanted to create a system-wide (OS level) backup relied on Apple Time Machine. This is still a solid and user-friendly option, but not hugely storage efficient, is tougher to browse through images than Synology AB and also does not play as nice with remote backups as it does with local backups (ie it supports network backups, but even then quite regimentally and does not correlate/manage those particular backups as well as using a Synology client and Synology NAS running Active Backup). Equally, Synology AB and Mac OS client app should allow viable and easier remote Mac image recovery options in a way currently not available.
Improved Active Backup NAS to NAS Remote Backup
NAS to NAS backups are NOT a new thing, but are more often than not either on a file/folder level (i.e using Hyper Backup) or, in the case of 3rd party general/linux servers, a big block of data that cannot effectively be viewed or managed natively. Improved Active Backup NAS to NAS support means that the same level of system/OS level backup image backup that is afforded to Windows PCs, VMs and More in Active Backup Suite can now be made with another Synology NAS server. Till now, the best options you had for NAS-to-NAS backups were Hyper Backup Folder level backups, Snapshot replication to send snapshot images on a schedule/sync/retention configuration, Backup your NAS image to Synology C2 Cloud (which can be synced elsewhere) and a few different file level sync/backup tools between servers. As Active Backup grows in popularity with Synology NAS users, including it in your 3-2-1 system-wide backup strategy makes alot of sense and for those that are already running a periodic/scheduled NAS to NAS backup, this makes even more sense than current file/folder level backups.
Yes, Synology is working on a new WiFi 6 and 2.5G router – The Synology RT3000ax (also known as the WRX560). Before I go any further though,a little bit of background. I think it would be safe to say that Synology has been quite successful in their range of prosumer routers. When they first introduced the RT1900ac 6 years ago, it was seen as something of an experiment to see if they could bring the same level of software, design and experience that they had learned in network attached storage to one of the most common devices in all our homes and offices worldwide. Fast forward to now and they are on the 3rd Generation (technically, a little bit of overlap) and we have seen both the standard of Synology Router and the functionality of Synology Router Manager (SRM) evolve considerably – with the router arm of their portfolio getting stronger all the time. This brings us to the newly revealed WRX560 router, a more compact 802.11ax router that seems destined to serve as the refresh for the MR2200ac or (more likely) the RT2600ac at some point in the future.
With a new and intriguing design (definitely looks like what the most recent star wars trilogy did to stormtrooper helmets, but ok) and borrowed elements of the recently released RT6600ax router, the WRX560 would appear to be designed to be in a tier of their router portfolio serving as the middle-ground (when the OTT RT6600ax seems a bit pie in the sky).
Synology Drive to Support Active Directory (AD)
Synology already has a very competent Active Directory management tool in ‘Synology Directory Server’, which turns your Synology NAS into a domain controller (DC) to manage users, devices, groups, and domain policies in a breeze. However, support of Microsoft AD is coming to Synology Drive. For the unaware, Active Directory (AD) is a directory service that runs on Microsoft Windows systems (i.e Windows Server). The main function of Active Directory from the client side is to enable administrators to manage permissions and control access to network resources. In Active Directory, data is stored as objects, which include users, groups, applications, and devices, and these objects are categorized according to their name and attributes. Then you have AD DS (Active Directory Domain Services) are a core component of Active Directory and provide the primary mechanism for authenticating users and determining which network resources they can access. AD DS also provides additional features such as Single Sign-On (SSO), security certificates, LDAP, and access rights management.
WORM Support Addition
Write Once, Read Many (WORM) has been around in the world of data storage for a considerable length of time and allows a file to be accessed by many, many users without the original file being in any way changed or corrupted – a real issue if a file/database is being accessed by many users and changes inadvertently occur which overwrite the file or changes being made by others (file/media editors tackle this in other means, such as via using shadow editing or non-linear editing). WORM (Write Once, Read Many) is used to avoid modification of saved data. With increasingly stringent regulations on how information is stored, many countries require government agencies, financial institutions, and healthcare providers to comply with strict data archiving regulations. Many of these require storage systems to not tamper with archived data. This has led to WORM becoming increasingly common in commercial setups. Good examples are photos, contracts, financial reports, emails, employee information, and other important documents. They should not be modified once stored. In some professional fields, massive data needs to be analyzed, and huge amounts of real-time data need to be recorded and tracked. WORM technology is ideal for protecting these records so that they will not be overwritten and can be saved as a reference for future use.
The support of WORM in the Synology storage infrastructure will allow loving for files for a predetermined time, as well as configuration into two separate types – Compliance and Enterprise. Compliance issues ZERO write/edit/change, even by IT admins for the pre-defined period of time. Enterprise is similar, however, it DOES allow IT admin(s) to make changes and/or adapt the WORM access. Also, grace periods can be set in for files going into WORM configurations, which allow a period of time to pass before locks are engaged. This change along with several others that are to be implemented in DSM 7.2 are slated for Q1 of 2023 (Jan-March). In short, in WORM enabled folders data is protected from manipulation by not being able to change or delete it for a specified period of time. Immutable data backups can also be carried out via Hyper Backup for further protection and retention down the line too.
SMB Multi-Channel – Better Port Utilization and Improved Drive Integration
SMB is not new, but updates to Drive and SMB support also see changes with Synology DSM 7.2, with cross-protocol file locking between SMB shares and Drive, ensuring that files in use cannot be edited or overwritten across them. In addition, with SMB multichannel transfer, all network connections available between servers and clients can be used to increase the performance of SMB file transfer, regardless of traditional conflicts that would prevent them being bound/crossed together conventionally
Improvements to Synology Office Services and Features
Synology has provided their Office application in the DSM application list for quite a long time, serving as an in-house alternative to using 3rd party office doc tools such as Google Docs and Microsoft office. This combined with the Synology Drive application results in you being able to open all of your office format docs (text, spreadsheets, PDFs, etc) from within the Synology ecosystem, where your data lives. However, there is always room for improvement and we are told that new features such as document watermarks, improved revision recognition on docs exported over and an increase in support of file format/layouts from Microsoft Word etc.
Synology highlighted their massive HD6500 and then discussed HUGE scale out cluster storage. The new scale-out clusters are also scheduled to appear in 2023 and provide faster file and object storage. This should allow server combinations of HD6500s servers that scale upto that of 12 petabytes to operate with a write speed of up to 60 GB/s (60,000MB/s).
Additionally, Synology is improving the management of large scale backups from a single portal point, via a new platform/service they are calling ‘Synology Backup Cloud’ (name almost certainly will change!) that will cover the operations of Active Backup, Hyper Backup and C2 Backup operations. Synology is aiming for this tool to provide the IT admin with a single easy window to manage, remote control and monitoring of all aspects of data backup.
Not a lot was said on this feature, but expect its development to be a little slower than most as, much like Active Insight, this is very much an enterprise site tool and likely at a premium.
Improvements in Synology C2 Identity
The Synology C2 Identity application that was introduced with Synology DSM 7 at launch is also going to see updates in its supported authentication methods and client tech. These will include Windows Hello and Apple Face ID/Touch ID, as well as in connection with the upcoming C2 identity user portal, employees using managed devices can be automatically signed in with SAML.
Synology Drive – Remote Erase
The benefits of Synology Drive when it comes to larger teams of users being able to access the same folder(s) of data in order to collaborate on projects is already well documented. However, what if a client system that has access to a synced drive folder gets hijacked? Or at a moment’s notice, you need to suspend access to the share fro a specific client machine AND want to ensure that no locally sync’d/download copy is still there? Well, soon Synology Drive will be receiving an update to allow exactly that includes the ability to delete data remotely and is intended to minimize security risks by removing synchronized folders from stolen Windows and macOS systems.
Synology BC500 and TC500 Surveillance Cameras
Yes, that is right! Synology has revealed (at their Synology Enterprise Data Management Annual Conference Event in Taiwan) that they plan on releasing a new range of Surveillance PoE cameras to be used in conjunction with their excellent CCTV/NVR software, Surveillance Station. These are the Synology BC500 compact Bullet camera and the Synology TC500 Dome camera. Although not a vast amount of information was revealed on these new cameras, it is worth highlighting that this makes Synology the FIRST commercial NAS brand to release their own range of cameras. To put that into perspective, although IP Cameras (Web cameras, internet cameras, etc) have been supported and compatible with Synology NAS systems for years (thousands of models and brands), this is the first time they have directly produced a camera that they are personally recommending for use with their systems and software.
This is something that alot of users have been asking/demanding for quite a long time. Here is the hardware that was revealed:
5MP Camera
2880X1620 Maximum Resolution
30FPS Maximum Framerate
110 Degrees Field of view
IP67 Weatherproof
PoE+ Support
SD Card Slot
Onboard Hardware for enhanced AI operations in Surveillance Station (Extent TBC)
Edge Recording in conjunction with the SD Card Slot
You can learn more about the Synology BC500 Bullet Camera and TC500 Turret Camera in our video below:
New Synology VS750HD KVM Surveillance Module
Synology is also working on releasing a new VisualStation device, the VS750HD partner device for surveillance coverage and monitoring in larger environments. That is a device with which you can monitor up to 75 streams and they state up to two monitors can be connected (still TBC)
This article will likely see a few updates as the week goes on! Subscribe to updates in the box below to get alerts when we add more!
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This description contains links to Amazon. These links will take you to some of the products mentioned in today's content. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Visit the NASCompares Deal Finder to find the best place to buy this device in your region, based on Service, Support and Reputation - Just Search for your NAS Drive in the Box Below
Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?
We want to keep the free advice on NASCompares FREE for as long as we can. Since this service started back in Jan '18, We have helped hundreds of users every month solve their storage woes, but we can only continue to do this with your support. So please do choose to buy at Amazon US and
Amazon UK
on the articles when buying to provide advert revenue support or to donate/support the site below.Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you.Need Help?
Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry.
[contact-form-7]
Terms and Conditions
Alternatively, why not ask me on the ASK NASCompares forum, by clicking the button below. This is a community hub that serves as a place that I can answer your question, chew the fat, share new release information and even get corrections posted. I will always get around to answering ALL queries, but as a one-man operation, I cannot promise speed! So by sharing your query in the ASK NASCompares section below, you can get a better range of solutions and suggestions, alongside my own.
QNAP NAS Security Check List – 23 Vital Steps to Secure Your NAS
It must be frustrating to hear about all ransomware and other kinds of attacks on QNAP. Especially if you plan to buy one or own a NAS already. In simple terms, you need to treat your NAS just like your computer. You would not risk going online without an antivirus installed on your Windows PC. Nowadays, Microsoft has built-in antivirus, but systems like NAS do not follow the same route. This is something you need to do manually just like in the olden days. And there are a lot more risks to consider when exposing your server to the internet. At best few brands like Synology will have built-in security advisor software. This will scan the system and notify you about all weak areas in your setup. But even that is not perfect. In this article, I will try to write from a hacker’s perspective. How would they think and what strategies they will use to attack your home network and your NAS.
There are dozen of different kinds of methods to attack. But there are only a few that actually can affect a big number of NAS users. The rest of the attacks are very targeted at a single victim. Something for unique personal benefit. So the most popular attacks will be explained later in this article.
How does a hacker know I have a NAS?
They won’t until you tell them you have one. Hackers tell robots to scan every single IP in the world on daily bases. This is a single ping (something like saying Hello to a person). By default, devices are configured to reply with hello if they hear the ping. This is where hackers will initiate an open port scan which we will talk about in the next chapter.
Why do I have open ports?
Ports are like doors to different departments in your office. Something like IT office (NAS control panel), The Office Canteen (NAS multimedia apps), HR (NAS email and databases), the dispatch office (file transfer protocols) and so on. Random people pressing buttons on the control panel could cause the company to collapse. In order to keep people out, we use keycards (NAS user authentication).
Some of the door names (ports) are very specific to a certain NAS. This is how hackers can guess what kind of NAS you own.
A remote scan from a MAC terminal using the command nmap would show not just a few, but all single ports open.
Why open ports are potentially dangerous?
With additional commands like ‘vuln’, and ‘exploit’ hackers will check for software vulnerabilities. All services need regular updates. If not updated specific scripts will detect an outdated service and will allow hackers to abuse it. Similar to having an office key that is 100 years old. Even kids could break in.
So your first defence here is your router. If you have not opened any ports since you received your modem/router from your broadband company you should be safe.
But it is worth checking those ports. When you log into your NAS as an admin you can tell your router to open ports. This will be called Port Forwarding. Be careful what you click. There is nothing wrong with open ports if you have security set up. I will talk about security configuration later on.
Here is a list of QNAP default ports link And here is Synology.
Brute force
Now when hackers know you have a NAS with certain ports open, they can start the most basic attack which is guessing your password.
They will try the most common usernames and passwords (such as Admin Password).
Where do hackers find my passwords?
First of all, they will use robots to try every single word inside the dictionary.
When someone is asked to replace or improve the password people so often simply capitalise the first letter, then add the number 1 and ! mark at the end of the password. Of course, hackers will try all stolen passwords with this modified version of it.
Phishing Attack
This is more popular among targeted attacks where people gain access to your personal data which is priceless. Since this attack is more profitable hackers can spend more time on every person individually. They would normally send you an email that looks very similar to QNAP official emails. They will say something like “your password is compromised, please change it here”. Then they will ask for old password and the new one. This is where they steal your password because you landed on hackers website that looks like QNAP. Always make sure URL is actually QNAP and not something like QNAPpp.com.
MAN in the middle
Another popular phishing method is in places with Public Wifi (coffee shops, trains etc ). Man in the middle can see all data you send and receive if you don’t use HTTPS in URL. Hackers can also direct you to the page that again looks similar to QNAP page where you put your password in. But actually, it’s hackers website. Never access your important stuff or log into anywhere from free wifi EVER!
Zero-Day Exploit
Every piece of software becomes vulnerable with time. Either it is an Operating system or individual apps. Zero-day exploit means that there is a way to break into a system because there is no patch created or the patch has been installed on a particular system. So this makes it a ticking time bomb. They don’t even need your username and password.
It depends on each company how they deal will vulnerabilities. Some companies run Security Bug Bounty Program and some don’t. When a hacker finds a new security hole in the system they have to make a choice. Either they sell this information to a NAS brand or they sell this information to the black market. Or sometimes people simply share vulnerability info for free here https://www.cvedetails.com/vulnerability-list/vendor_id-10080/QNAP.html .
It is up to each brand how quickly they make a patch for each hole. Until there then you either need to disable the service or add another layer of security that doesn’t allow hackers to take advantage of this security hole.
You can scan your network for vulnerabilities and exploits using NMAP command.
This will be vare rare occasion to get an actual virus. This usually happens with computers when you try to open a suspicious email attachment file. It could be zip or exe file or similar. On a NAS this could happen when manually installing OS or app. Instead of using AppStore or automated updates.
These viruses include worms, spyware, ransomware, adware, and trojans. This could be done via cheap smart plugs from China or elsewhere if you connect them in the same network (it’s good practice to connect them via guest wifi).
How To Choose The Right Settings to Secure Your NAS?
How do you secure your NAS
Now it’s time to go through the checklist and make sure your NAS is safe. You do not need to tick all of the boxes on the checklist. You start with the top and make your way down. The lower you get, the more secure your system gets.
Security Level
Protects against
BASIC
A strong password
IP/USER autoblock
Two-Step auth
Disable Admin
Create non-Admin users
Remove Apps
Disable services
Change/ close ports
Brute Force Attack
MEDIUM
Enable auto-updates
Install Security Advisor
Install Antivirus / Set scan schedule
Enable Firewall (GEO)
Set User access rights (shared folders)
Use VPN to connect to your NAS remotely (Norton etc.)
Use SSL (HTTPS)
Isolate NAS apps
Use separate Volumes for storage and OS
Phishing Attack
MAN in the middle
Zero-Day Exploit
HIGH
Firewall (IP based)
Ubiquiti unify dream machine, pfsense switch
Open VPN, quWAN
Hide NAS IP via free VPN
Isolate smart devices VLAN (plugs,speakers etc)
Backup
Targeted attack
1. How to Check and/or Change Your Password
If you use the same password on multiple websites to log in, you risk that your password could be stolen from one of those websites and used to log in to any of your accounts on any other website.
It is humanly impossible to create a strong password that is unique to every account and Still Remember it. So use password generators and save those passwords. One day, when two-step authentication will be required on every system, then weak passwords will not be an issue anymore. And all passwords as you know them will seize to exist.
Protecting ADMIN account with a Very complicated password is the most important thing you have to do. Hackers will be able to access ANYTHING they want on your NAS. If they gained an access to a non-admin user the damage will be very limited.
You can use this random string generated every time you reload this page
Or with Google Chrome browser use an auto generator
QNAP default Admin password is NIC MAC address, maybe you can use a similar method with a strong password printed on sticker
To change a password, log into your QNAP and click on your user name on the top bar. Then select Options.
Click on the tab ‘Password Settings’
If you do not trust Google password wallet, you can store your passwords on an encrypted SSD like datashur. You will need to physically have this USB stick around and it can be accessed only with a pin code.
Something similar to a password is a SSH KEY. Instead of having an 8-character string, you can have an entire document filled with random characters. This is called ssh key. You can keep it on a fingerprint-based memory stick. Simple LexarUSB will do the trick.
You can enable SSH Key login option when you open User settings and click on SSH Keys tab.
2. How to Enable IP/Account autoblock
Hackers will usually deploy robots to use all possible combinations and stolen password lists to hack your account. If you enable autoblock this will stop the robot after a certain number of attempts. You can block an IP or the user account. You will find respective tabs when you open Control panel/ Security. IP Access Protection is for IP based blocks and Account Access Protection is for locking the account for everyone not just that IP. Some advanced robots will be using various IP addresses from the zombie computers they have gained access to before.
3. How to Enable two-step authentication
Two-step authentication means that you will use a code from another device that only you can have access to. This could be SMS code, email code or Authenticator App code. QNAP only allows Authenticator App that you can install on your Android or iPhone.
4. How to Disable Admin Account Access
Just like I mention above, ADMIN account has no limits on what it can do. You can create several Admin accounts. All hackers know that the default Admin account is named ‘Admin’, so all they need to do now is try all possible passwords. Simply disabling the main Admin account and creating another one with some unusual name would slow hackers down quite a lot. Slowing down does not mean stopping them. So make sure accessing this account is very difficult, even for you.
5. How to Create non-Admin users and tailor their Access
When accessing your NAS on daily bases you should use a non-Admin account that has limited functionality and access to the services and files.
6. Remove Apps you don’t use – How to Check and Change Them
When people get a new NAS they usually are so excited and install every possible app to try it out. But no one removes them nor updates them. More apps you install, more potential attacks you can expect. Each app has its own volnurabilities that gets fixed via regular updates. If you never use half of your apps, why take the risk of potential security holes in any of those apps? Disable or remove apps you don’t use.
7. How to Disable Services that you don’t use
This could include SSH/Telnet that us used for command line access to your NAS. And UPnP / CloudiD firewall hole punching for remote access.
Telnet
SSH
UPnP
QNAP CloudiD
You can find all services in QNAP Settings page
Go to app center/ myQNAPcloud to find UPnP and CloudiD settings
8. How to Close Unused Ports and/or Change ports
Disabling services you don’t use will also close relevant ports. If you do enable services such as SSH, make sure you set a different port. This will confuse and slow hackers down. By default, hackers will test if you have port 22 open before they decide to attack. If ports is changed to 2889, you are less likely to be attacked. The most important ports hackers will use are SSH/Telnet and Ports 80, 443, 8080 and 8443 (HTTP and HTTPS).
9. How to Enable auto-updates on your NAS
Every time there is a notification about new updates indicates that hackers have found a new hole in the software. Not always hackers can get into your system because of this software bug. But in certain circumstances, they can. The chances to attack increase dramatically when you have open ports on your router and have no firewall or any malicious traffic prevention tools enabled.
Sometimes NAS is configured in a specific way that an update might disable important features. It is OK not to update these NAS ASAP as long as the system is not exposed to the internet thanks to open ports.
You can enable automatic App updates when you open AppCenter/ Settings/ Update.
You can also enable automatic operating system updates when you open Control Panel/ Firmware Update/ Auto update
10. Make Sure You Install the Security Advisor and Councilor Application!!!
With so many apps and services, it is hard to know what is going on behind the scenes. Security Advisor will run system checks and will alert you if any apps have open ports or have changed configuration that is not safe. You can install it via AppCenter.
You can then choose the level of security you need. The basic level is often all you need for home use. Businesses might go for the Advanced level. Top-level will suggest disabling a lot of features that is not useful for home use.
11. Install Antivirus and Set a Scheduled Scan on Day 1
Security counsellor app will allow you to enable 4 crucial parts of your NAS security.
Security Checkup (will scan for configuration weaknesses)
Antivirus (scan files for viruses)
Malware Remover (Remove any malware found on the system)
QuFirewall (limit the access your NAS based on IP, GEO and other rules)
By enabling Antivirus, this actually do not do any scans. You need to manually set the scan schedule. Go to Control panel/ Antivirus/Scan Jobs to set it up.
12. How to Enable Firewall protection on Your NAS on Day 1
Having a firewall will automatically block anyone if they do not pass tests like location or IP address. Similar to WD NAS, you can choose to have access to the admin panel ONLY when you are physically present inside your business network. Any access attempts to the control panel over the internet will be blocked. You need to open QuFirewall app and select one of these
Basic protection (allow your country only to access)
Subnets Only (allow only your local network to access)
Restricted security (allow access to popular services only)
13. How to Set and/or Change User Access Rights
As suggested before, only use non-admin accounts for daily use. Admin account is only meant to be accessed for configuration changes. Make sure that users have no access to other user data. You can create separate shared folders that can be shared. If hackers will manage to gain access to this user account, they can only destroy this user’s data and not others. If the admin account is hacked then all users will lose the data.
You can create a separate shared folder with unique access rights under Control Panel/ Shared Folders. I would have separate shared folders and user names for Multimedia, surveillance and Backups.
You can also specify different volume for each shared folder. This could also protect your data. Last ransomware attacked only volume1. Those with multiple volumes were not as affected. Especially who use volume one for OS and apps only. You can also encrypt shared folder. If someone steals your NAS, they can not see any data in this folder.
14. Use VPN to connect to your NAS (Norton etc.)
Never connect to your NAS via free WiFi. If you have to, use VON on your phone or computer. This will create a private network between your laptop and VPN server. No one in this free WiFi network will be able to see what you are doing. What data you are sending or receiving.
15. Install an SSL (HTTPS) Certificate for Encrypted Access
If you do not have VPN installed on your laptop and you are for some reason connected to free wifi or work wifi that you do not trust, always make sure you use HTTPS in the URL. This will encrypt any user names, passwords and any other data you fill in boxes on any website. Same applies to the URL when visiting NAS applications. If for some reason it has no HTTPS/ SSL/ TLS encryption enabled, you can install a new certificate in Control Panel/ Security/ SSL & private Key tab.
16. How to Separate and Isolate NAS Applications
If there is a security hole within an app like Video Station, hackers will damage as much data as possible using the username from this app. If an app is using Admin-level access rights, hackers can not only damage this app but also gain access to anything else on your NAS. With Synology, you will notice that for example, Plex app has its own username and shared folder created automatically. This user has no other access. The worst hackers can do is delete or enjoy your movie collection. On QNAP you will need to create a Video user manually. Then you go to settings and allow only this user within the app. No admin.
Control panel/ multimedia console/ video station permission settings is the place to configure this. Similar steps apply to other apps.
If you go to Control panel/ user groups and click the last icon (application privilege), you can choose which apps user can have access to.
17. How to Separate Volume for Storage and the OS Installation/Storage
If you have separate volumes, this might save you from lazy hackers. In the last ransomware attack, they only targeted volume1. This saved a lot of people’s data.
You can create volumes under Storage & Snapshots / Create
18. Hide NAS IP with VPN
You can install VPN on your router or NAS. This way, no one knows what your real IP address is. This can prevent targeted attacks. Nord VPN will change your IP every 5 minutes. This is the average time hackers will need to scan through every single port on your network. So if they find open ports or vulnerabilities, it is too late. You now have a different identity. Do this only with trusted VPN service providers. At the end of the day, when you connect to any VPN server/proxy, you do not know who else is connected to that VPN.
I would use a separate MR2200ac router connected to my main router. All unsafe devices like smart plugs, light bulbs and other similar devices would connect to this individual WiFi network. These smart devices if hacked would have no access to your NAS and other important devices with sensitive data.
If you have Synology router with SMR 1.3 you can avoid setting this up on your NAS itself
To use your Synology Router as a VPN client, go to Network Center > Internet > Connection > Primary Interface > VPN settings to modify the settings.
19. Alternatively, How to Use Open VPN, TeamViewer, nConnect , quWAN
You can create a VPN server on your NAS. You can then connect to your NAS via a computer client using this encrypted tunnel.
If you own QNAP smart switches and you want to link your office with your home, use quWAN. This will link these two networks together. This will give a feeling that you NAS and other network devices are actually in the same room.
Here is some more info https://www.QNAP.com/en-uk/software/quwan
Here is a video on how to set this up.
You can also achieve similar results with two MR2200AC routers (priced at around $100 each).
20. How to Isolate smart devices VLAN (plugs, speakers etc)
This allows you to create an invisible fence in your existing network. You can connect all devices using LAN ports on your switches/router. In the management portal you can select which LAN ports can or can not tlk to each other. So this way you can connect your NAS, computer and other important devices on VLAN1 and less trustworthy devices such as smart home system and speakers on VLAN2. Even though you ports on the router are closed, these smart devices are allowed to open doors from inside. Similar to your computer. You can only received data back after your computer have sent a request to some destination. This opens a private hole in your network for this transaction. Who knows how safe those cheap smart home devices are.
21. Ubiquiti unify dream machine, pfsense, Synology switch with an intrusion system
As I mentioned in the paragraph above, your devices in your local network are opening and closing holes in your network every second. If your computer has a malware infection, it will be opening ports and sending your private data to hackers. You will notice your computer being slower than usual. I would recommend going to the system monitor and checking the resources consuming most of the CPU, running time etc. Then research what is service name is about. Also, go through installed apps and see if there is something you don’t recognise. And install Antivirus and scan the system when you notice unusual activity.
If you purchase DreamMachine router, pfsense or Synology router, you will get an intrusion system built in. This will scan all your internal network devices. What ports they are opening and where data is being sent. This traffic will be compared against databases that daily update IP lists from hackers etc. These routers will also block traffic from unknown devices that run a suspiciously high number of requests.
23. Backup, Backup, BACKUP!!!! Set up a QNAP NAS 3-2-1 Backup Routine
The last and most overlooked thing to do is a backup. It is not IF, but WHEN your NAS will be attacked, stolen or broken. Runing automated backups nowadays is easy. You can even make an agreement with a friend that you back up each others NAS. One reserves some space on their NAS for you, and you do the same for them. Every night or hour your data will be encrypted and stored there. Only you can access it.
We covered pretty much ALL the ways you can backup your QNAP NAS in this video below:
Quick Setup – How to secure your Network?
Secure your router
Check open ports and close unnecessary ports
Enable firewall
disable ping response
disable port forwarding [if there is no firewall and other measures in place]
disable router remote management option
Use WPA2 or newer WiFi mode and make sure the password is strong
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How Well Does the Terramaster T9-423 NAS Perform as a Plex Media Server? Of all the brands that I discuss here on NASCompares, very few have evolved with the speed that Terramaster has. Although coming up on a decade in the commercial network attached storage industry, they have managed to carve an impressively sized portion […]
Synology has finally given us a little more information to chew on with regard to their new ‘x23+’ series, with the recent reveal of the new Synology DS723+ NAS Drive. This new expandable 2-Bay Diskstation is the intended follow-up to the Synology DS720+ NAS (released in June/July 2020 – so a 2.5yr refresh time is pretty standard) and although we do not have full hands-on with the device, the information we have gives us a pretty good indication of what this device is going to be capable of. Although we have unofficially known about this device for a few months (here in our video on early 2023 leaks and predictions) it is thanks to a reddit post by user ‘ntrprnr‘ that confirmation of some of the hardware in this system has been confirmed via a Synology site source (the Synology Knowledge Center). It confirmed that this new 2-Bay will be following in much of the design of the DS720+ (as expected), but is also switching its internal architecture more towards that of the summer 2022 released DS1522+. Let’s discuss what we know about the DS723+ NAS and what we are likely to expect from this expandable 2-bay diskstation.
The Synology DS723+ NAS Hardware Specifications
There is no avoiding that the CPU choice inside the Synology DS723+ NAS is going to split opinion the tiniest bit. Until now, this 2/7-bay expandable product family has been exclusively Intel-based and integrated graphics equipped (Celeron, with a brief dance with Pentiums in 2016) which all benefited from particularly good multimedia & graphical handling when it comes to server-side transcoding/conversions, especially with more complicated and dense media formats such as HEVC/H.265. This is why the DS720+ (and DS718+ and DS716+ predecessors) were so popular for use as a Plex Media Server, Synology Video Station, Surveillance Station and even Virtual Machine deployment. The new Synology DS723+ NAS on the other hand is the latest system that has jumped ship from Intel over to AMD, with the DS723+ being built on AMD architecture, with a Ryzen Embedded Dual Core R1600 processsor. Now, it is worth highlighting that the R1600 IS a very good CPU. It is the same processor that is in the DS1522+, which we demonstrated could saturate 10GbE in a RAID 5 (more on this later) and also the DS1522+ NAS performs well in Plex at 1080p and native (non transcoded/convereted) 4K too, so the switch by Synology from an Intel to this AMD is not without merit. Before we dig deeper though, let’s discuss the specifications that we know about the DS1522+ NAS, alongside educated guesses we can make that are based on the CPU, product family and Synology’s past with the diskstation series:
Note: Images are for demonstration purposes and are NOT official product images. Additionally, all estimations/predictions are in bold and will be addressed/confirmed closer to the official release:
CPU
CPU Model
AMD Ryzen R1600
CPU Architecture
64-bit
CPU Frequency
2-core/4-Thread 2.6Ghz which can be burst/turbo to 3.1GHz
Hardware Encryption Engine (AES-NI)
Yes
Memory
System Memory
2-4GB (Previous generations had 2GB, but still TBC here)
Memory Module Pre-installed
TBC
Total Memory Slots
TBC
Maximum Memory Capacity
32GB Supported by CPU. Still need confirmation of slots available on the DS723+
Storage
Drive Bays
2
Maximum Drive Bays with Expansion Unit
7 (DX517 x 1)
M.2 Drive Slots
2 (NVMe) – Almost certain
Compatible Drive Type
3.5″ SATA HDD
2.5″ SATA SSD
M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
Hot Swappable Drive
Yes
Again, there are NOT official product images
External Ports
RJ-45 1GbE LAN Port
2x (Not confirmation of Speed/Bandwidth, but 1GbE looking increasingly certain)
USB 3.2 Gen 1 Port
2x (Based on previous releases)
eSATA Port
1 for expansion)
PCIe
PCIe Expansion
1 x Gen3 x2 network upgrade slot, for the E10G22-T1-mini. A small Cooper Upgrade module that Synology released in Summer 2022 and is almost certain to be featured on the Synology DS723+ NAS (even on a 2 Bay system that might struggle to saturate 1,000MB/s without an expansion)
File System
Internal Drives
Btrfs
EXT4
External Drives
Btrfs
EXT4
EXT3
FAT
NTFS
HFS+
exFAT
Appearance
Size (Height x Width x Depth)
166 mm x 106 mm x 223 mm (size of the DS720+)
Weight
1.5 kg (weight of the DS720+)
Others
System Fan
92 mm x 92 mm x 1pcs (Based on the design of the DS720+)
Fan Speed Mode
Full-Speed Mode
Cool Mode
Quiet Mode
Brightness Adjustable Front LED Indicators
Yes
Power Recovery
Yes
Noise Level*
TBC
Scheduled Power On / Off
Yes
Wake on LAN / WAN
Yes
Power Supply Unit / Adapter
65W (Based on the DS720+)
Warranty
3-year hardware warranty, extendable to 5 years with EW201 or Extended Warranty Plus
So, in terms of its hardware capabilities, the DS723+ NAS is highly comparable to the DS1522+ NAS than that of the DS720+, but we should take a moment and ponder why Synology has made this rather big portfolio change recently towards AMD over Intel? The Synology DS723+ NAS is by no means the first example of this and in fact you can trace the shift in the brand’s CPU choices all the way back to 2020 when they replaced the Intel C3238 in their SMB solutions with the AMD Ryzen Embedded V1500B. Then the DS1522+ followed suit from man Intel J4125 in the DS1520+ into the R1600 in the latest release. Finally, in spring/summer of 2022, we learned that the highly enterprise SAS tier of their portfolio would switch from Intel to AMD and their EPYC processors in the SA6400 and SA6200 Rackstations. So, the Synology DS723+ NAS arriving with the AMD R1600 is not exactly coming out of nowhere. Still, there are going to be some users who will debate the utility of this CPU at the Home/Prosumer tier vs quad-core Intel integrated graphics CPUs. Perhaps Synology has seen the winds changing in the last few years, as Intel is regularly hit by hardware shortages that continue to undermine their market dominance AND recent news that Intel are killing off the Celeron and Pentium branding, gives AMD growing appeal (especially with a better comparative price point on many of their processors vs likewise architecture/powered at Intel).
Still, we are still talking about a 2-core (4 threads to be fair, so four virtual CPUs for VMs and also the support of ECC memory) processor that will use more power to perform heavier graphical tasks. I am still a little confused as to why Synology have yet to adopt the AMD embedded graphics processors (AMD Vega Graphics) from both the R1000 and V1000 CPU families yet. Perhaps there is a question of TDP and power, or that they are holding back on these for the DS423+ and DS223+? Here are the specifications of the AMD R1600 CPU in the DS723+ NAS:
Moving away from the CPU, we CAN talk about one thing that is likely to arrive onboard the Synology DS723+ NAS – potential 10GbE support. Now, before we get too excited, it’s really important to highlight that this would be delivered via an OPTIONAL single 10G Copper (10GBASE-T) module. The DS723+ will almost certainly arrive with 1GbE network ports, which will definitely disappoint some users who were hoping that 2022/2023 would be when Synology finally adopts 2.5GbE – especially when 2.5GbE is available on the Synology Router, arriving on many ISP routers, value routers, switches and more. It is not totally out of the question that Synology will surprise us and integrate 2.5GbE into this system, but realistically, they have been pretty clear about how little interest they have in it and I think they would see optional 10G on the DS723+ as a far more palatable choice – even on a comparatively bandwidth light 2x SATA bay system like this. 2.5G is now more than a fad in 2022. As greater than gigabit internet connectivity is becoming increasingly common (even ‘affordable’), so the thought that a NAS has the potential to be capped at 1GbE (109MB/s) when a particularly well-connected internet cloud service could exceed that is pretty disheartening. Still, the option of 10GbE would be very welcome, though in this case. some might wonder why they didn’t just roll this in and increase the DS723+ NAS price a fraction.
The possible 10GbE upgrade for the DS723+ would be an incredibly easy process – via the E10G22-T1-mini module and is significantly slicker than traditional PCIe Card upgrades. Arriving on a PCIe Gen 3×2 board, this single port accessory would slot into the back (power down necessary, as this is a PCIe upgrade) and would immediately add the 1,000MB/s+ bandwidth connection to your DS723+. As this NAS is a 2-Bay system, there is the question of whether there would be enough media throughput the saturate the full 10GBASE-T connection. Using a fully SATA SSD populated device will likely three-quarter-to saturate the 10G connection, as would using the 5-bay DX517 expansion in a combined RAID with the main 2-Bays (the DX517 connects over eSATA which is capped at 6Gb/s – so a combined RAID with the primary storage is the only way you are going to hit 1,000MB/s), but what about if you are only using the main 2x DS723+ bays with 3.5″ hard drives?
Although 2x SATA drive 10G performance on the DS723+ and it’s CPU+Memory combo cannot be confirmed right now, I CAN answer the question of how the R1600 CPU and pro-class hard drives will perform over 10GbE in a four drive combo. Previously here on the NASCompares, I was fortunate enough to run ATTO tests on the DS1522+ (same R1600 CPU, but 8GB Memory and more bays) with RAID 0 and RAID 5, over four WD Red Pro 22TB Hard Drives. Now, it is worth remembering that these are NOT your common, everyday SATA hard drives and are designed to be rugged, high-performance disks (7200RPM, 512MB Cache, 10x 2.2TB platters, etc) AND the DS1522+ was populated with four drives (twice the maximum bays of the DS723+). That said, the results in both a RAID 0 and RAID 5 setup and in particular file size tests, full saturation of read transfers of 1.15GB/s was achieved, with write performance peaking at around 800-900MB/s. Now, these ARE artificial tests (so, not really representative of everyday use), but are nevertheless very compelling results for the CPU inside the DS723+ being able (with sufficient media) to sufficiently saturate the E10G22-T1-mini upgrade. More domestic/smaller scale HDDs such as the WD Red Plus or Seagate Ironwolf drives in a 2-Bay configuration of the DS723+ would likely cap at around 400-50MB/s at most.
Synology DS1522+ with 4x 22TB WD Red Pro RAID 5/10GbE Test – 64MB
Synology DS1522+ with 4x 22TB WD Red Pro RAID 0/10GbE Test – 256MB
Another expected hardware element of the DS723+ NAS is that it will almost certainly arrive with two m.2 NVMe SSD bays on the base that allow you to install considerably faster SSD drives to boost the performance of particular internal file processes (with variable external bandwidth benefits). These bays cannot be used as traditional storage pools (not a tremendous shock, as Synology have maintained this position since introducing the feature way back in 2017/18 on their systems) are instead available for use in Read and Write caching. The former benefits the user by copying frequently accessed small files to the faster media to decrease access time, improve latency and make accessing the Synology NAS regularly a great deal more fluid and responsive. The latter write caching improves upload/input to the NAS by shifting initial write activity onto the faster storage media and then internally shifting the media to core storage afterwards. Synology has been one of the biggest backers in conventional turnkey NAS solutions of SSD caching since its launch, regularly updating their algorithm and efficiency on this with each update to DSM. It’s still a crying shame that these m.2 NVMe SSD bays are not usable for traditional storage pools (though it IS possible via unofficial mods over on github, it is not recommended by the brand and can potentially undermine your support down the line by them).
Image of the Synology DS720+ NAS
The Synology DS723+ NAS hardware is an interesting mix of the expected and unexpected (both internally and externally) and I think it is safe to say that this will divide opinion at the home and prosumer tiers considerably. At the small/medium business (SMB) tier of course it will be a different story, as the hardware architecture here is very competent and if the DS723+ will likely outperform the DS720+ in most other respects in/outside of DSM, so it will be very popular! Let’s discuss the potential software capabilities of the DS723+ NAS in DSM 7.1 onwards.
The Synology DS723+ NAS Software Specifications
The Synology portfolio has always been about providing software solutions. The hardware is certainly an important detail, but there is no avoiding that the brand has always had a larger focus on the software side of things and in the last year or so we have seen a large number of improvements in both the service platform DSM 7, as well as improvements in their C2 cloud services and dirty party tools. The Synology DS723+ will run DSM 7.1 largely identically to the DS1522+, but arguable different in a few ways to it’s intel powered predecessor DS720+. Below is a breakdown of the services and volume that the Synology DS723+ NAS will support (based on the DS1522+ hardware and DS720+ base):
Add-on Packages
Antivirus by McAfee (Trial)
Yes
Central Management System
Yes
Synology Chat
Yes
Maximum Users
Yes
Maximum Number of Concurrent Users
100
Document Viewer
Yes
Download Station
Yes
Maximum Concurrent Download Tasks
80
SAN Manager
Yes
Maximum iSCSI Target Number
128
Maximum LUN
256
LUN Clone/Snapshot, Windows ODX
Yes
Notes
Yes
Synology MailPlus / MailPlus Server
Yes
Free Email Accounts
5 (Licenses required for additional accounts)
Maximum Number of Concurrent Users
100
Maximum Server Performance
1,224,000 emails per day, approx. 37GB
Media Server
Yes
DLNA Compliance
Yes
Synology Photos
Yes
Facial Recognition
Yes
Snapshot Replication
Yes
Maximum Snapshots per Shared Folder
1,024
Maximum of System Snapshots
65,536
Surveillance Station
Yes
Maximum IP cam (Licenses required)
40 (including 2 Free License) (dependant on Memory)
350 (the number of connections that can be maintained when the recommended number of hosted files was reached)
Recommended Number of Hosted Files
5,000,000 (applies to files indexed or hosted by Synology Drive. For file access through other standard protocols, refer to the File Services section above)
Synology Office
Yes
Maximum Users
1,200
Video Station
Yes
Virtual Machine Manager
Yes
Recommended Virtual Machine Instances
4
Recommended Virtual DSM Number (Licenses required)
4 (including 1 Free License)
Notes
The specifications vary depending on system configuration and memory size.
VPN Server
Yes
Maximum Connections
40
Of course (as mentioned at the start) there are a decent % of users who have been waiting on the release/reveal of the Synology DS723+ NAS for use as a Plex Media Server solution. The Synology Diskstation series have been recommended as great solutions for various scale Plex servers, with ARM-powered solution in the value tier for smaller scale/DLNA-based options and the plus series supporting transcoding and low-mid 4K media. However, the R1600 CPU choice in the DS723+ does throw a little bit of doubt on this. This architecture does provide a decent level of hardware power (crossing 3Ghz at burst) and when it comes to native applications for media, such as Synology Video Station (the excellent 1st party alternative to Plex with numerous client apps and arrives subscription free). Indeed, once again we can look at the performance of the similarly hardware-equipped DS1522+ with the R1600 CPU and how it performed in Video Station and Plex Media Server below. It is worth noting that 4K performance in this videos was only tested using rather advanced 4K files (at 120Mbps and higher), so although this NAS and architecture struggled with 4K playback in these tests, there are new and updated Plex 4K tests coming soon for the DS1522+ NAS on our YouTube channel that shows that it was able to playback a great deal more 4K at 16Mbps to 60Mbps quite well. Although it was still clearly using more CPU resources than an integrated alternative, even without client-side conversions.
Overall, the software support in DSM on the DS723+ is going to be very good and the depth of the hardware available means that although it will be a pinch less suitable for highly graphical tasks, it DOES have alot more capability in file handling and transmission – which is precisely what Synology want for this device and makes it increasingly appealing to traditional storage users. Equally, the architecture of this CPU inside the DS723+ allows its resources to be spread a great deal further (threads and simultaneous tasks) towards using the full range of services that DSM includes. The cloud/hybrid services too will greatly benefit form this architecture too and once again mean that this Synology NAS will bring a tremendous sense/feeling of ‘local’ storage to this network/remote server. Finally, it is worth highlighting that the DS723+ and it’s R1600 CPU benefit form more PCI lanes at PCIe3 rather than the PCIe2 of it’s predecessor, with allows better bandwidth availability to the hardware resources onboard (such as those m.2 NVMe bays)
The Synology DS723+ NAS – Release Date and Price?
The smart money would be on the Synology DS723+ NAS being released around mid-November 2022 (Maybe even very early December, post black Friday and clearance of the DS720+). This would place it 2.5yrs since the release of it’s predecessor, which is quite reasonable. Pricing is harder to pin down. The Expandable desktop 2-Bay tier of Synology’s portfolio (the DS7xx+ device) has tended to land at the £350-400 / $450-500 / €400-450 mark (don’t forget the tax!) when released. However, the DS723+ arrives with a new CPU, possible ECC memory and a possible option of 10GbE, so this could affect the pricing (and that is even without factoring hardware/component availability in 2022/2023 affected by continued shortages). Personally, I think Synology is going to try and maintain this familiar price point, as the tiering in their portfolio on either side of this device in the Value tier (which will also see DSx23 and DSx23j additions in Q1 2023) and bigger Plus series boxes are quite important to their brand. More information will be coming soon on this and other devices in the Synology 2022/2023 hardware range soon, so subscribe to the blog OR visit this page which gets updated regularly with new information on Synology 2023 Hardware. Have a great week!
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Prime Day Bargains on NAS, Hard Drives, SSDs, Cameras and Network Equipment ANOTHER Amazon Prime Day in 2022? Yep, just a month before Black Friday kicks off and Amazon has decided to host an impromptu 2nd in-house sale event beginning on Tuesday 11th Oct until midnight on Wednesday 12th Oct (in 15 countries; Austria, Canada, […]
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