Saturday 25 April 2015

Synology DiskStation DS415+ NAS Review

The Synology DiskStation DS415+ quad-core 4-bay NAS is designed for small and medium sized businesses and delivers outstanding performance, accelerated hardware encryption, and ample storage capacity — satisfying the growing need for both speed and security.


Equipped with a quad-core processor and AES-NI hardware encryption engine, DS415+ delivers blazingly fast file transfer speeds – even when handling encrypted data. With Link Aggregation enabled, DS415+ delivers average reading and writing speeds of 225.81 MB/s and 223.86 MB/s respectively1, while encrypted file transfers retain an astoundingly similar level of performance, exceeding 225.84 MB/s reading and 171.82 MB/s writing. That means you can safeguard data without sacrificing performance.
Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM) is a sleek, browser-based operating system running on every DiskStation and RackStation, which makes managing your Synology NAS a breeze. Featuring an intuitive user interface, DSM makes accessing and sharing your data smarter and simpler. Synology's Package Center lets you download and install useful add-on packages designed specifically for individual or business needs, meaning you can enjoy more entertainment in your life or better productivity at work.

Before we get in the review let’s take a look at some of the specs:
Hardware Specifications
CPU
CPU Model
INTEL Atom C2538
CPU Frequency
Quad Core 2.4 GHz
Memory
System Memory
2 GB DDR3
Storage
Drive Bay(s)
4
Compatible Drive Type
·         3.5" SATA III / SATA II HDD
·         2.5" SATA III / SATA II HDD
·         2.5" SATA III / SATA II SSD
External Ports
USB 2.0 Port
1
USB 3.0 Port
2
eSATA Port
1
File System
Internal Drives
EXT4
External Drives
·         EXT4
·         EXT3
·         FAT
·         NTFS
·         HFS+
Appearance
Size (Height X Width X Depth)
165 mm X 203 mm X 233.2 mm 
Weight
2.05 kg 
Others
RJ-45 1GbE LAN Port
2 (with Link Aggregation / Failover support)
System Fan
92 mm X 92 mm X 2 pcs
Fan Speed Mode
·         Cool Mode
·         Quiet Mode
Noise Level*
20.2 dB(A) 
Power Supply Unit / Adapter
100W 
AC Input Power Voltage
100V to 240V AC
Power Frequency
50/60 HZ, Single Phase
Power Consumption*
32.64 W (Access) 
14.78 W (HDD Hibernation) 

Packaging:
Well packaged and safely secure the Synology DiskStation DS415+NAS sits in a protective box ensuring safe transport anywhere it goes. Accessories are packaged up in smaller boxes and all perfectly slotted in the box.

Design:
Opening the packaging reveals the exquisitely designed DiskStation DS415+. It feels good and solid in the hand and looks equally impressive. The NAS comes with a removable front panel which simply plugs into the front of the NAS by the power of 4 rounded rubber locks which acts as a sound dampening tool as well, neat! Removing the cover reveals the 4 bays with removable drive racks in a vertical state. The drive caddies themselves are clean and simple to install. Removable clips on the sides of the cages assist with installing your hard drives without the need for any tools.
On the rear of the device you’ll find dual exhaust fans ensuring your drives stay cool, dual USB3.0 ports, eSATA port, Kensington Lock, dual Ethernet ports with Link Aggregation and of course the power point. At the front of the NAS you’ll find a single USB2.0 port, power button and LED’s for the disks and status.

Performance:
Powered by a Quad-Core processor the Synology DiskStation DS415+ has the guts to power most small to medium businesses daily data and storage needs. What really pays off with the DS415+ is the software. I’ve come across many NAS systems in the past but Synology so far has always been up there as the best. It’s simple, very easy to use, quick to learn and efficient. It has a plethora of server options for you to install and access should you wish (Plex, iTunes etc) and lets you do it with relative ease. Even somebody with not the greatest tech knowledge will be able to quickly learn and achieve what they want to accomplish.

It also features built in bit-torrent client for downloading even when your PC is off with the ability to auto-load torrent files from a specified folder. The DiskStation DS415+ does a good job of handling multiple streams from multiple sources with ease, as always the performance of the NAS will be subject to your network strength, the better network hardware you have, the better this will perform.

Overall this is a powerful NAS feature-packed for advanced users yet basic enough to handle your home storage needs.

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