Synology DS220j: The ONLY Budget NAS Worth Considering

[@briantorney980]

I've used Synology NAS devices for years. I started with a DS212J and now have a DS420J. The storage is used by all of the home PC's and Surveillance Station. Massive storage and redundancy is what you need if you cannot afford to lose any data. Their OS is easy to use and they offer numerous apps called packages for all of your needs.

[@jermainecastleberry4002]

Never seen this channel before, subscribed literally based on this guys voice alone I can tell this is a keeper. Love it.

[@MakeUseOf]

I'm either flattered, or falling for some new type of spam ;)

[@diezel5267]

I must say, this video/review was awesome. James answered all of my questions, and I was pleased with each answer. I too, see myself using this NAS for years and perhaps decades to come. Thanks for the insights!

[@MakeUseOf]

Glad it was helpful!

[@LIVEFRMNYC]

I recently bought the DS720+ and very happy with it so far.

[@MakeUseOf]

Nice! Do you think you'll be restricted by the 2-bays though?

[@LIVEFRMNYC]

@@MakeUseOf Well I have two 10gb nas drives inside, which leaves me close to 9gb using shr. I've only used about 1.5tb so far, so I should be good for awhile. If I find myself needing more storage, I'll probably get an extension bay or upgrade to a 4 bay unit.

[@andyio1293]

I was considering this NAS, then saw this video. Thank you dude. Very clear and comprehensive video.

[@MakeUseOf]

Glad it was helpful! Did you end up buying it?

[@andyio1293]

@@MakeUseOf Yes sir. Should be delivered today!

[@RalfvandeSand]

At the moment I have the 'WD My Cloud Home Duo 8TB', but it seems the support on that device will stop as of June 2023. So I'm looking to by another, affordable NAS. The DS220j seems like a good option. Question: Can I use the HDD's I have in my current WD setup and plug them into this Synology, WITHOUT losing the data that's stored on them?

[@jstoyanov61]

Excellent review - very detailed and to the point without a lot of useless stuff like "this is how you take it out of the box" that I see on other reviews. Particularly liked the demo of some of the software features I have been running multiple 4-6TB external hard drives and has become a mess to manage. I was debating between the DS220j and DS220+ but your video helped answer some questions I had and the DS220j will be fine for my needs. Thanks again! Great job!!

[@MakeUseOf]

Thanks Jeff! I personally can't understand the point of unboxing videos, a single shot of other bits in the box is sufficient if there's really soimething to talk about there~

[@martianvideo]

How is the DS220j going?

[@jstoyanov61]

@@martianvideo Still working great. Have consolidated all my old external drives to it and much easier to manage and access.

[@flexwrite]

Outstanding review. I wish all reviews on UTube would be focused like this.

[@MakeUseOf]

I appreciate that!

[@KC-vp7wn]

I'm looking for an entry NAS. At the moment I'm just using a 2Gb USB3 drive connected to my Netgear router running Readyshare . I want to go to the next level. Thank you for this video!

[@zodiacfml]

amazing. first time YT suggested a Nas video to me for a long time, I guess people looking to NAS as Google removing unlimited uploads to Google Photos

[@vikashayyappan438]

Yep

[@techster69]

True, me too 😅

[@ittech4714]

%100

[@HudShot]

Just thinking the same thing.

[@Terrible_Peril]

Yep. Steve Wozniak warned us about all this as “cloud” stuff was really gaining popularity. Which only really started happening when net neutrality was set aside in favor of corporate polyarchy. This pandemic has shown us some things for sure: 1 they’ll use anything to squeeze you harder with no remorse 2 solid internet connectivity is a utility that should be treated like any other municipality.

[@Aqilm56]

Thank you for this excellent video. After watching your video, I bought this NAS and I am very happy with it. First, I used two drives of 2TB each. Then I realized that it may not be enough. So I bought two 6TB Seagate IronWolf hard drives and I am going to increase the volume. Thanks again!

[@MakeUseOf]

Excellent! It's great to be able to upgrade without losing access to the volume in the meantime, it just upgrades everything in the background while you keep using it.

[@loucipher7782]

do you get any warning messages anywhere if one of the HDD fails? dont tell me about the led light because stuff like this we just set them up and never bother looking at it ever again just sitting in a spot somewhere

[@MakeUseOf]

Not by default, but you can set up notifications to email you various reports. I can't remember if this one beeps or not. Obviously if you login to the web interface you'll see a system message, but you might not do that often..

[@loucipher7782]

@@MakeUseOf do all the other 2 bay model beeps? like ds223 or ds220+? i just found out the j is useless lol they cut out too many features

[@garshamrobertson3618]

Excellent tutorial thank you. This is my first NAS and now I'm confident about getting this devics

[@zeeanemone6482]

So you can plug your external USB HDDs in the back and back them up there to the NAS drives? or is it only for accessing those USB HDDs on the NAS network?

[@MakeUseOf]

It can do both, yes. Not sure about NTFS formatted drives though, would need to be somethign linux compatible.

[@SK-qu4wo]

Can Jellyfin be installed on this Synology NAS? How many 1080p/2GB x265, direct play, remote streams can this NAS run simultaneously?

[@gary3729]

It's hard to believe that this NAS came out in 2020 has still only has 512MB of Ram. I got my DS213J in 2013 and it also has 512MB of Ram! Really poor from Synology. It would be nice to see them invest some of their profit in hardware. I think they doubled the memory in this years upgrade - about time

[@chriswilliamson590]

I haven’t bought a Synology yet but really looking to get one soon. Can I go direct out of the back of my Mac or pc using a network cable going straight in to the Synology?

[@HudShot]

Very nice review. Just the right amount of info and detail. So refreshing. Seriously considering one of these now.

[@drug6764]

best walk through iv found, thankyou. Iv decided. I'm getting one and this video is what sealed the deal.

[@cyberairwolf]

Hi sir! abit of a newbie question here, im planning to get a macbook but obviously it does not cater expandable storage and I am wanting to basically get a Bay of harddrives and have it sit at home desk as i've already got tons of External hhds/ssds soo I guess NAS is the way to go? but what if I dont want it to connect to my local network? Just want the access to myself from laptop to the NAS using a cable.

[@MakeUseOf]

It sounds like you want a DAS system, not a NAS. That let's you combine drives in the same way (RAID for protection, etc), and acces it over USB. I use TerraMaster for this - www.terra-master.com/uk/products/homesoho-das.html

[@DenudationCS]

I had a scare with a drive being corrupted on my desktop, 2TB of Photography over the years gone, luckily it was just a cord that was faulty. Big enough scare for me to get this, thanks for the video

[@DigitalArt-T]

How well do you think this would work for a Yearbook Classroom? Just photos would be uploaded and download to about 25 computers.

[@johnchiluiza2841]

I have a question i installed plex on my pc which i use as media for movies and dvr recoder. I wamt to get a Synology but its for movies so i can watch on chrome cast with google tv, what is best Synology box to buy . To watch in 1080p

[@hailbows]

I see you mention the ssd caching r with 5 bay drives only. is there a way to do this solution with a smaller cheaper option? I am a student so i'm really struggling how i'm going to manage this in an economic way

[@nickgood8166]

This should have waaaaay more views. Good job, well done.

[@hoyschelsilversteinberg4521]

I just bought this based on this review thanks MakeUseOf

[@digitalsnot]

Noob question... I want to add NAS storage and mobile photo/video backup/access but my job has me touring so I am plugged into a different internet source every week. Will a NAS from synology need to be configured every week across my devices or does it not matter if I am changing its location and internet from week to week

[@MakeUseOf]

Synology QuickConnect is what you'll want: www.synology.com/en-global/knowledgebase/DSM/help/DSM/AdminCenter/connection_quickconnect - so you can connect remotely from anywhere using a simple web address. I don't use it myself, but the native apps like Moments or Cloud backup should work with it. Initital configuration will be needed at your home location, setting up ports on the router and such for best performance.

[@gimbatul9761]

Please can you provide the name of the generic background music. I've encountered it hundreds of times, but no one ever links it to their bio. Can't even Shazam. Been trying to find it out for uears

[@MakeUseOf]

Ah, sorry - it's all from the KZbin creator library, which requires no attribution. Impossible to say since I don't have the project files anymore, but it would be in the library under Ambient genre.

[@JGV_IX]

Just ordered one! thanks a million!

[@Wistbacka]

So this is what I've been asking and searching info about: I have now a Synology DS224+. i.e. a 2-bay NAS. I have it set up on SHR, btrfs. At the moment I can't afford more than 2x4 tb drives but I plan on upgrading to 6 or 8 tB down the line. Can I simply slot in a 6 TB drive in one bay, let it clone the other one, and then when cloning is done, add a second 6 tb to be cloned by the first one? On Synology's webpage it says I must add 2 new drives at once; so I would need a 4-bay NAS (or higher) to expand this storage. Or have I misunderstood this? If it is infact limited like this, how do I go about to expand to 6 TB later on?

[@MakeUseOf]

Yes - you do it one by one. You just won't get any extra storage until both drives have been replaced, and you may need to gin and manually tell it to expand to fill the new space. It's quite a long process since you have to wait for it to replace one drive, replace the next, then expand, so allow a week or so.

[@Wistbacka]

@@MakeUseOf Thank you! I am not worried about it taking long. I was just worried if it was even possible. With raid 1 it isnt, and the way they describe it on Synology's website it sounded like I wouldnt be able to do it without a 4+ bay device with SHR.

[@davefriedholm2844]

Question: If a largely mismatched drive set is used, can "leftover" space on the larger drive be used as a volume, or is it just lost?

[@MakeUseOf]

Lost. Using different sizes is only worthwhile in units with more drive bays, as it can be more efficient. I only mention it in this review for when it comes times to upgrade - theres no benefit or way of using that space in a 2-bay system.

[@komradwide4660]

Can you use regular WD Blue 1 or 2 TB for the hdd or does it have to be a NAS hdd like the WD Red?

[@MakeUseOf]

You can use any drive, but the ones that aren't rated for NAS use may not last as long as they're not designed to run 24/7.

[@patrickmadziar3860]

Thanks for the concise summary. You provided clear information for everything that I had an interest.

[@hailbows]

if im working on video files and want to work on them without keeping them on my pc, does this device give ssd type speeds or just HDD speeds.

[@MakeUseOf]

HDD speeds - or even lower if you're over Wi-Fi, not wired. You'll also find most video editing apps don't work with network storage. You'll need something locally connected for video. I use a couple of SSDs for a scratch drive, plus a 4TB one for storing videos I'm working on. Finished product then gets archived to the NAS.

[@ryanseek774]

After a set up is complete, would this storage device simply show a folder in Finder/Explorer to be accessed when ever I want? Or would I have to log in. I am trying to find a NAS that inside my house will simply show a folder on my local computers.

[@MakeUseOf]

If you tell Windows to save your network credentials, then yes, you don't need to login again. It would just be there, on the network part of file explorer. Alternatively, you can "map" a network drive, which automatically mounts it on start up and presents it as, for example, the "X:" drive in explorer.

[@Permangor]

Excellent 😁 is it posibel to acces for other ther is not on your network? I have scan familie photos in from 89’ and forward and i want to share som of them. But not everyone should have the same access, there are different directories, I think 10 different family accounts. Can ds220+ do that?

[@MakeUseOf]

You can use Synology's free QuickConnect proxy system: www.synology.com/en-global/knowledgebase/DSM/help/DSM/AdminCenter/connection_quickconnect . You can create individual users who have different shared folder access, but it works at a share level, not directory, so you would need to create different shared folders for each access level. You also wouldn't be able to use Synology Moments photo mangement for this, as it generally assumes everyone has the same access and one storage point.

[@TheStealthSide]

I know this video is a year old, but I’m hoping to get some clarification as I head down the road of building one of these for my home. I am looking at getting two of the 10TB Ironwolf NAS hard drive for this system, but want to ask if these will work just fine with this system? I also wanted to ask if the hard drives I mentioned above will work with both MAC’s and PC’s, since I have a couple of each in my house. I want to be able to read/write to the NAS from both MAC and PC. Will these work for this or would I have to format them in someway to make them work? Any help would be great! Thanks!

[@MakeUseOf]

Yep, in fact those are the best choice for drives! Anything on your network will be able to access the network shares you set up as long as they have the right access level. The NAS handles the drive-level formatting, so whatever client you use is agnostic to the hardware - all it sees is a Samba fileshare. However, you can't just pull the drive out of the NAS and put it into a PC / Mac to get the data back off it. It'll be tied to the NAS unless you reformat and lose all the data.

[@TheStealthSide]

@@MakeUseOf Thank you so much for this information! Your explanation was exactly what I was looking for! Thanks again!

[@jimmykaka89]

Great video! I have a question around streaming video files. If I have 4K movies stored on this NAS would I be able to access and play them via VLC on my Nvidia Shield 2019?

[@MakeUseOf]

I dont have a shield to test with, but if everything is wired over ethernet, the bandwidth will be fine. The question is more whether the sheild can natively play the 4k and file format you load, rather than where the file is stored on the network.

[@londonerr7430]

If CCTV decides to backup to this whilst I’m watching a film through Plex in my smart TV. All using new CAT6 cables, with only 1 switch in between. Should be ok?

[@MakeUseOf]

That shouldn't saturate your connection, no, should be fine. I mean if you have 10 cameras being recorded, then you might want to start separating things.

[@ianleevlog]

Hi, If this is connected via ethernet with internet, is this also possible to access the nas drive remotely? Im planning on getting this for my home, but if im on vacation in another location, will I still be able to access my files via internet?

[@MakeUseOf]

Yes, Synology has a built-in remote access short address you can use to access the admin features / files etc. However, know that anything you open up to the public will be a security risk, so make absolutely sure you're using a very strong password. kb.synology.com/en-af/DSM/help/DSM/Tutorial/cloud_set_up_quickconnect?version=6

[@hellopira1]

Excellent review, very detailed and clear. Was considering buying a ds220j and this video made my decision!

[@WhoDeanyUnchained]

QNAP TS-230. Check that out as well. Similar price

[@maleitch]

How is this excellent, it is nothing but an infomercial for synology which they sent him for free. He never mentions why this NAS is superior to others since it is the only one "worth considering". He does zero comparison.

[@pofy6478]

how do you protect these NAS devices from blackouts. or are they safe without UPS?

[@MakeUseOf]

You buy a UPS, yes. Not safe without one.

[@IvanAlvarezCPACMA]

Yes, the DS220j is AMAZING! Highly recommend.

[@LoxD123]

Sorry for my bad English, can it go online? I would like to set it up in my office and then access the files in my home.

[@MakeUseOf]

Yes - Synology has something called QuickConnect, which gives you a web URL you can access from anywhere without needing to configure your router with port forwarding or complexities like that. www.synology.com/en-global/knowledgebase/DSM/help/DSM/AdminCenter/connection_quickconnect

[@TM-vg4mx]

I bought WD cloud as NAS, although it seems easy to use I struggled with it, would you suggest this or any other NAS for total beginners? or do you think my WD cloud is the easier one to use. thanks for the great video.

[@lenhanthanhngoaingu3379]

Thank you very much for this useful video. May I ask: Can I actively transfer files between my computer disk and the NAS disk(s) or only automatic backup is possible? Can I delete any file in the NAS disk(s)? Thank you very much for your response.

[@MakeUseOf]

You can access it like a normal hard drive, yes, and delete anything you want - either with or without recycle bin enabled.

[@lenhanthanhngoaingu3379]

@@MakeUseOf Thank you very much.

[@taranagnew436]

is it possible to connect the nas to the internet wiressly (dongle)?

[@crazyphotobooth]

Im heading to the woods where there is no internet service at all. Can I just use the router to access movies or files from it from my phone? No signal from phone either.

[@MakeUseOf]

Yes, but look up instructions for your router on how to "create a local network without internet". Most routers can do this, the internet is just an external connection on an existing network, but some things will have problems so it depends on the application.

[@TechWithAdil]

and when playing plex 4k movies in original quality its work perfectly means no lag? the only issue is when transcoding?

[@MakeUseOf]

Yes, although obviously still dependant on your network infrastructure.

[@antoniocervantes6137]

I noticed with raid enabled plex lagged. With no raid enabled plex ran with no lag. I also have a 720 with hyper back.up.

[@TechWithAdil]

Antonio Cervantes Using raid and plex 4k direct play is fine

[@velocityfpv5231]

can I use Moments on an old pc with a few hdd in it? I want to test out how my photos get sorted and then buy a real nas once I know

[@MakeUseOf]

No, there's no way to run DSM on a PC as far as I can tell. There's a "virtual DSM", but that also needs to be run within DSM. However, you can try it out in your browser to get a feel for it, but that's not going to work with your photos, of course - demo.synology.com/en-uk/dsm

[@MakeUseOf]

(also, it's actually been renamed Synology Photos now, Moments is no longer used. Same thing though, basically)

[@MadelnMachines]

Can you format your drives as anything you want such as EXFAT if you want larger files?

[@MakeUseOf]

You can use JBOD, which combines the space and makes it appear as one drive, but you really shouldn't as it doubles the risk of data loss. If you need more space, best to buy a larger system. If you literaly mean larger files, there's no need to do format as EXFAT. The BTRFS linux filesystem will handle anything EXFAT could.

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

Very fine review! A question: can this device be used as a Time Machine backup disk from various Macs in the network?

[@MakeUseOf]

Yes, but you'll need to set up a new TM share point for each one, rather than having them all backup to a single time machine as I think the official one lets you do.

[@MakeUseOf]

community.synology.com/enu/forum/1/post/121649?reply=402672

[@andrewford80]

How did you go with this? I have tried this on a QNAP before and ran into issues after OSX updated and caused it to break to the QNAP.

[@IlMagodeiBambini]

as I'm noob in NAS, what if the energy shut down without warning? I had hhd in the past damaged by a black out, it's the thing that worry me the most...

[@MakeUseOf]

That's where a UPS comes in, which provides backup power for around 10 minutes or so, and if connected over USB to the NAS, will tell it to gracefully shutdown before the backup power runs out. kb.synology.com/en-nz/DSM/help/DSM/AdminCenter/system_hardware_ups?version=6

[@djcruz99]

Great review. I have a question about hard disk compatibllity. I am getting a DS220J and I ordered 2 WD Red 1TB SSD. These drives are not officially listed as compatible with this NAS. They have an Samsung Evo 850 (No longer sold) and a Kingston KC400 series drives. Can I use the WD or must I stick with what is officiallly supported?

[@MakeUseOf]

Any SATA disk should work, though you may not have any deep integration with the healthy disk monitoring stuff. But I'm curious why you're putting SSDs in there, given it'll be constrained by the Gigabit Ethernet connection. No speed benefit compared to spinning drives, you may be better off putting the money toward bigger 7200RPM NAS-rated HDDs.

[@djcruz99]

Thanks for the reply!, He's running a business off the NAS, the SSD drives are more for safety than anything else. The 1TB of storage will last him for many years :)

[@MakeUseOf]

Definitely worth reconsidering that - SSDs will wear faster and present more errors than HDDs, so there's a higher chance of them dying and having data loss. Also, worth looking at four or five bay model then, and using SHR-2 for two disk redundacy, just in case.

[@dr.peterscroll422]

Thanks for the review. I wanted to know if you had, for example, a 5 bay NAS, could you start it with 2 drives? After 6 months can you add another hard drive and 3 months later another one? Would they work by not placing all 5 drives in one go but in stages?

[@MakeUseOf]

Yes, absolutely. Just make sure the volume is created as SHR-1 (1 disk fault tolerance Synology Hybrid RAID, it's the default option), then as you add more drives your drivespace will expand appropriately. The drives must be the same size or larger than the largest currently installed drive, but otherwise, not a problem.

[@dr.peterscroll422]

@@MakeUseOf Thanks for letting me know that. It will allow me to build the NAS on a tight monthly budget.

[@LS-pq8qm]

Great video, but is it possible to configure a routine to backup things from a win7 PC in one network to this device in another network?

[@MakeUseOf]

That's more of routing question than a NAS question, but it won't work with the basic built-in windows backup tools. With third party software it might be possible, as long as you can configure a routing path/open up the right ports on the router. Quite complex though, in any case.

[@LS-pq8qm]

@@MakeUseOf Okay. Thank you for the fast response 👍🏼

[@ocrlr]

Awesome review! I have the Synology DS220j NAS, works great! You have to upgrade to a faster router to get decent network speeds. Those cheap 4 port routers just dont cut it! . Other than that this so called 'entry level NAS' is more than what I need. I haven't had the need to upgrade. You forgot to mention the great customer service they have. I use mine for movies, music, and software storage. no issues

[@MakeUseOf]

To be honest, I've never had a need to contact customer service, because they've always been really reliable devices for me! But good to hear your experience.

[@ocrlr]

@@MakeUseOf yeah I had called when first bought, couldn't figure it out..very patient and helpful

[@francoisgs1]

am new at synology D220J have issue to download all my pictures, it is pretty slow and would like to find out if there is a faster way to do it thanks

[@MakeUseOf]

From your phone, do you mean? That'll be down to your Wi-Fi speed mainly. Sit close to the router.

[@francoisgs1]

@@MakeUseOf thanks for getting back to me , it am trying from my Mac Air but it only allow max 5000 pictures per transfer and it can take for hours , thought it would be a faster way to save all my pictures be it from my Notebook or iphone. thanks

[@jamskof]

hi! great video! just a couple of questions if you have a minute. if its linked to my modem, can a mac and a pc link to it? and also, is there a way of locking folders? i.e. stopping the mac from accessing certain folders?

[@MakeUseOf]

Yes and yes, sort of. Any machine on your network can access it, and you can create two user accounts, each with access to different folders.

[@net1202]

Can I use a QNAP TR-004 DAS with this NAS and set up as SHR? will it ok to remove or upgrade a drive from TR-004?

[@MakeUseOf]

No, you can't set up SHR on a competitors device attached to this.

[@kabloosh699]

I've got the 218+ and it does so much. I've got my unifi controller on docker, it does back ups for my 2 PC's. I have it running Synology Drive which is like my personal One Drive. It also backs up critical data to an external drive plugged into via USB. I would like to get another Synology device down the road so they can back up each other.

[@MakeUseOf]

Just uploaded my 920+ review, and Docker is awesome. Hoping to relocate my 418play to a bunker somewhere in the garden as a sort of off-site backup :)

[@caressboyonas2362]

How can we download the OS for this? Will be it bought separately or pre included?

[@MakeUseOf]

It's built into the system, no need to download. Just install your drives (or buy with them installed) and it'll be loaded up from memory.

[@apawstate]

Great video. I'm convinced, and will get getting one with a couple or WD Red 6TBs.

[@nickzouein]

What happens if the Synology NAS Hardware fails after some years but not the disks?

[@MakeUseOf]

Generally you can transfer the drives to a replacement model, but with a few caveats - and you should always make sure you have a backup. You can put them in a like-for-like replacement as long as it's running the same version. This may mean putting a spare drive into your replacement, downgrading the DSM to match, and then putting the old drives in. You can't usually go from a "j" model to a standard model, or to a "+" model. Full details of drive migration here - kb.synology.com/en-global/DSM/tutorial/How_to_migrate_between_Synology_NAS_DSM_6_0_and_later#x_anchor_id7

[@Visionery1]

I use MDIS to ensure my hard disks don't continuously power up and down, the worst for any hard disk. MDIS queries the drive every 'x' minutes to ensure it keeps spinning.

[@dbronx347]

would this be good enough for streaming lossless FLAC files? I'm worried about low RAM on this unit.

[@MakeUseOf]

Do the files need transcoding for some reason? If it's literally just reading the file to a player that can decode it, this will be fine. You can stream 4K movies from it, so I don't think FLAC would be any harder.

[@GreenLinuxPenguin]

If I was a first time NAS buyer I'd get this, honestly good enough for basically anyone, anyone who requires more would KNOW it.

[@Visionery1]

I'm currently running two external backup hard disks in their own enclosures, one via eSATA, one via USB. The drives appear as local drives in Windows and Retrospect Backup backs up to them via scripts. Will I be able to achieve the same with the DS220j, i.e. will Retrospect see the drives as local drives, I'm not interested in using the Synology interface?

[@Norain1992]

thanks for the review. Is it possible to remove one HDD and connecting it via HDD Adapter to the computer to get access to the files?

[@MakeUseOf]

Depends on how you've set it up. By default, no, because files get spread across all drives. If you've configured it as a simple one drive copies the other, then maaaaybe, you can access the partitions within linux. But don't rely on that, it's not really recommended. A NAS is only one point of ideally a three point backup system.

[@Norain1992]

@@MakeUseOf thanks for the fast reply. 😊 This would have been my next question, if I could choose which files are saved on which HDD . A solution for my purpose could be a hard drive connected to the fritzbox, but the speeds are very bad.

[@lukemadden3858]

Excellent review with a lot of very helpful information. Thank you.

[@SteO23]

Thanks for the video :) Would this device stream 4k video files (maybe 20-40gb file size) to a Nvidia Shield via router connection OK?

[@MakeUseOf]

Definitely should do yes, the Nvidia shield is powerful enough to play those natively, so assuming your network isn't running on super old ethernet cable, you'll be fine.

[@SteO23]

@@MakeUseOf excellent, thanks :)

[@IbanMieZ]

Spectacular review! Thanks a lot! Looking at this for taking my first NAS leap and i have a few questions... 1. Ironwolf 8TB vs 4TB in terms of noise in this enclosure? I know the 4TB is rather slower at 5900rpm, while the 8TB runs at 7200rpm 2. I have read before that it would be desirable to buy the drives with some 2-3 months between them, to avoid both drives being from a potentially fault-affected batch. How does SHR or Raid1 on these ones work in this situation? I get my DS220j today with a single 8TB Ironwolf, i do my setup and I start all my routines and I'll have 2TBs of data 3 months from now, when I get my 2nd 8TB Ironwolf. Do I have to destroy the 1st one's data, or does this 2nd one get automatically added to the SHR/RAID1? 3. I'm looking at getting this mainly for the Moments feature, as G Photos is cutting us out... Maybe some DLNA playback and a Time machine backup for a MacMini that I use once every 2 months at most. No fancy virtualization or dockers and such - I have my trusty raspberry Pi4 for that. Will this work mainly for my family's 4-5 phones sync-ing photos? Is the Moments feature that does AI facial recognition something that you can disable? 4. Should I go for a higher spec'ed unit considering the above? Currently, in my country, I can get the ds920+ for the same money as ds220j + 2 x 8TB Ironwolf drives (roughly 570eur VAT included). Thanks for taking the time to read through this!

[@MakeUseOf]

1. Not sure about noise, but 4TB total (given one disk SHR) isn't much room, I suspect you'll fill it quicker than you think! 2. If you set it up with the standard SHR1 (default), then yes, you can add another drive later and that'll become a redundant / backup disk. Of course you won't have any data security at first with a single disk, but ther's no need to start from scratch when you get a second disk. That sounds sensible, buying a few months apart, for sure. 3. It'll run the basic Moments fine and TimeMachine backup, but you won't actually be able to enable the AI features (nevermind disable them). That requires a + model. 4. That's tricky to answer. I don't think your basic data serving needs justify the 4-bay plus model, and you don't want the smart AI tagging or facial recognition in Moments? And if you want to keep docker on the Pi... I mean, the + model could do all of that, and give you more freedom and more efficient use of drives (the ability to mix and match lots of drives and upgrade more slowly).

[@IbanMieZ]

@@MakeUseOf thanks for the reply! Much to chew on these days... 4-bay sounds way more future proof, and + does seem like a good deal, considering all those. I would be tempted to also switch my home VPN over to the NAS, maybe... Cheers and thanks again for the thought-pills! :)

[@russelmason8841]

Hey really enjoyed the video. What would you would recommend as the next level up from the DS220J? Thanks

[@killakaminski]

DS420J

[@aaduthoma1]

Can you please explain why 2 SSD's are not a good option for the DS220j model with 2 Bay . Won't it give a better Read/Write performance than the HDD's ? . I am having a few SSD's lying around wont it be a better option than 2 HDDs

[@MakeUseOf]

SSDs degrade very quickly, introducing errors and corrupting your data. Especially if they're old ones. On top of which, there would be no speed benefit - the NAS is attached to the network, not directly over USB. USB bandwidth is higher, so a DAS (direct-attached storage) can get better speeds from SSDs. I do the same here for video editing storage, with two SSDs and a striped RAID. But over the network, you're limited to Ethernet speeds, meaning regular drives are plenty fast. So basically, no benefits, lots more risks, not worth it!

[@smilingwillows]

I do have a question. I'm an amateur photographer working in Lightroom on a MacBook Pro. Is it possible to edit images in Lightroom that are stored on the Synology DS220j? Would you notice any slowdown or lag while working on an image? 

[@MakeUseOf]

Sadly, no. Lightroom doesn't work with a network share storage. What I do is connect a big external drive, then back that up to the NAS daily.

[@zordonborz]

The short answer is YES. The performance will depend on your network and what other tasks your NAS would perform at the same time. Your Lightroom library files must stay on your MacBook but you can store your photos on the Synology. I get decent performance when connected via cable but my computer is wifi 'N' only. My recommendation is to use Lightroom's Smart Previews. This way you can edit your files even with the NAS offline and only need to connect to it when you want to export your photos.

[@NicolasP1973]

Great Video. I self use a DS112J and a DS1512+ they are great! One thing I am missing in your Video is what type of HHD do you recommend? I am using 1TB WD Black for the moment because I could have them. But I would like to upgrade and can't afford them now.

[@MakeUseOf]

While I started with a mix of random drives I had lying around, if I'm buying new I strictly go for Seagate Ironwolf drives. I haven't had one die on me yet in the past... 6 years or so?

[@hgodtx]

Great summary. I think you should slightly change your stance about RAID 0. If you are using it purely a backup device, and you need the maximum storage, then a RAID 0 is fine. Because if you lose it, you simply replace the bad drive, reformat and start backing up from scratch from your various devices. The odds of losing your device the same day as your NAS dies is almost zero. Other than simple backup, then yes, a RAID 1 is the only way to go. If you need versioning then a RAID 1 is also the only way to go.

[@MakeUseOf]

That's an interesting take on things. I guess I consider a NAS more as long term storage, to free up space from my machine, rather than another copy of something, so I've really never considered RAID 0. But if it's just another copy of a file being kept elsewhere, then maximising storage space is best.

[@hgodtx]

@@MakeUseOf It's hard to break old habits, like I had my large drives in my PC's backing up to USB external storage, then upgraded to urBackup to backup robustly and automatically to another PC. But these newest NAS's with all the software is just 'sick'. Like backup to a friends NAS across town. About to purchase a DS920+ or similar and have to rethink where I'm putting things. Like store most items on NAS, then have the NAS backup to another drive or volume for versioning, then backup to the friends house. Also, I'm guessing in a smash & grab break-in, PC's laptops, and cell phones are the first items to get hauled away, over an unknown black box. Was also using SyncThing to backup cell phones locally, but Synology apps will be much easier!

[@Live4Christ1995]

Really good review! Subscribed :D

[@DarkFly3r]

Thank you, this is one of the most comprehensive video on DS220J. I have a question, if the NAS system fails, can i transfer the hard drives with data to another system without losing them?

[@MakeUseOf]

Assuming it's a hardware issue with the NAS itself and not corrupted data, you can put them in another 220j, yes. If you want to change models, there are some restrictions on which you can transfer to (basically, j-series to another j-series is fine).

[@dmatcha]

Thank you for the clear review. Do we need a UPS to be attached in case of a power outage ?

[@MakeUseOf]

You don't _need_ one, no, but it's definitely advisable to avoid data loss. Depends on how frequently your power goes out. I had a decade without loss of power or data; but now that I'm out in the countryside, the power is a little less reliable.

[@vatevor]

Can you do remote access to access your recordings and files while outside of the network?

[@MakeUseOf]

Yes, very easy for Synology native app sif you use the Synology QuickConnect proxy, less easy for things like Plex as it requires you to sort out port forwarding on your router. But yes...

[@RudieObias]

Would NAS Drive work with a mesh network in the home?

[@MakeUseOf]

It can't connect over Wi-Fi, so the NAS itself would need to be plugged into your router. As long as your router doesn't isolate Wi-Fi and wired devices, anything you use wirelessly would be able to access the NAS, yes. Mesh wi-fi, access point wi-fi, or ethernet doesn't matter - as long as it's all on the same network. That said, performance can be horrendous with mesh wi-fi sometimes, because of the number of wireless hops it has to do , so you might have trouble natively streaming a 4K movie, for example.

[@natesofamerica]

I just bought this very NAS recently. What kind of encryption does it have by default?

[@MakeUseOf]

AES, but it's not default, per se, you need to do it on a per shared folder basis when creating them. Also, it automatically downloads a software key upon creation - be sure to delete that if you want it to be unbreakable.

[@jamesvandamme7786]

I like that it obviously runs some kind of Linux OS with a Gnome desktop... How do you update the OS? how long is it supported?

[@MakeUseOf]

Is that Gnome? Interesting! Updates can be set to automatically install if you want, but it always notifies you. One-click update, no fuss or bother in the decade I've been using them. To give an idea of update support - the 413j I reviewed back in 2013 still has full DSM updates, though "limited" tech support. www.synology.com/en-global/products/status

[@n9wox]

I just bought one of these. I don't need a huge amount storage, maybe 1TB. I'm leaning towards SSD. Any recommendations?

[@MakeUseOf]

No benefit of putting SSDs in this, you wouldn't read/write files any faster over the network. It really depends on what your use case is - with only 1TB of space, I can't see the utility of using a NAS. Backing up a single machine would blow through that. You sure you don't just need a new hard disk or a direct USB external thing?

[@jacksimple3766]

Can I put a NAS hdd to my gamer desktop and run games from it well?

[@MakeUseOf]

No, you should use an SSD in your desktop for that. You can't install anything to a network drive I'm afraid, and even if you could, the performance would be terrible.

[@jacksimple3766]

@@MakeUseOf it wont be in network but inside pc with sata cable like other hdd, I have lots of ssd inside but I want to get rid off, get a larger drive to store stuff, I will leave 1 or 2 ssd still if I need something faster to load. At the monent I have 5 pcs of 515gb ssd and a 2TB hdd but always run out of storage.

[@jacksimple3766]

@@MakeUseOf I have it now inside the computer, faster than my previous hdd, it can read and write at 196Mbyte/sec, my older only around 80-90 peak, takes a while copiing data

[@jkevinAH]

You mentioned inyour video that I can.use my older harddrives here, can I use my 3.5" inch HDD that i cant use on my PC anymore (migrated to a smallercase) or does this.need an NAS type drive, apologies if this is a simple.question as I never used a NAS before :p i think i'll.edit my question again if i think of more questions haha

[@MakeUseOf]

You can use any mix of drives, though be prepared for more failures if they've been heavily used. NAS drives are just rated to run constantly, and for longer, so they have a longer life span within a NAS environment. But given the higher likelihood of an older drive failing, you should definitely be running it with a spare disk (in a two-bay device, that pretty much means one of the same size).

[@jkevinAH]

@@MakeUseOf yes, i understand the risk so maybr ill just use it as sort of a shared media server. is there a downside for turning if the NAS when you dont expect any use (like when sleeping or when out of the house, pretty much how i use my PC)

[@dsarnson]

Thank you for the review. Is it true that this will not support the new upcoming DSM version 7??

[@MakeUseOf]

Neither my 414play or the 220j are on the supported list for the preview, but that might not correlate to the final release. I'll reach out to our rep to clarify, as that would really suck.

[@dsarnson]

@@MakeUseOf Thank you, please keep us posted. I recently purchased one and was reading about Moments vs Photo Station and heard about the new -Photos- in v7 which will combine the 2, but alas, did not see the Nas listed on the support page for DSM7....Cheers

[@MakeUseOf]

They confirmed the DS220j will definitely be supported, just not the preview release yet. They said they support models with software updates for 7 years.

[@timsiggs4845]

Thankyou for this great review. Would you recommend this device for 4K video editing?

[@MakeUseOf]

If you mean as a scratch drive or somewhere to directly work from raw video, then no - you'll be very limited by the Gigabit LAN connection. Would be worth looking at NAS equipped with 2.5GbE or 10G instead.

[@timsiggs4845]

@@MakeUseOf Much appreciated.

[@Luksenburg00]

Will the DS220j be able to play 4k on plex without dying due to its half gig of ram?

[@MakeUseOf]

If you're streaming it to a client to play back natively, absolutely. If you need to transcode down for smartphone or mix in subtitles, not a chance. Or run the server elsewhere, with the NAS simply providing the media storage.

[@skyb0yTube]

Hello James At the same price with D220J, can you build a better NAS which uses FreeNas?

[@MakeUseOf]

I'm sure you could put together a tiny mini PC that's more powerful for same price (perhaps less power efficient), but whether running FreeNAS is better is debatable.

[@motalasuger]

It would depend a lot on how hands on you want to be and to lower the price, if you don’t care just as much about the price but about ease of management and lots of easy to use functionality, then a Synology would probably be more attractive.

[@figjoy]

Nice review... however, at 3:46 the quote "It's quite unlikely that both of the hard disks will fail at the same time" is kind of wrong. It happened to me. PSA: RAID is not backup. Back up your RAID because restoration on a failed RAID can be very expensive even when the data is in tact, but in accessible. With two or more drives in the same environment under the same conditions, the likely hood of any two drives failing at the same time is much higher than you would think. Also, NAS rated drives are more suitable... I notice the iron wolf drives in this review, nice.

[@kickedinthecalfbyacow7549]

Should I keep my NAS drive in the garden too?

[@MakeUseOf]

Yes. Active water cooling?

[@ahmedrashed78]

9:19 why is there no other raid options available (beside SHR)??

[@MakeUseOf]

There are if you select advanced setup, I think I'd already selected simple mode setup. It hides RAID options for beginners.

[@sdrtcacgnrjrc]

Other reviews say it can't even manage "Moments" due to only having 512mb non-upgradeable ram. Am considering it just for backup

[@MakeUseOf]

I can't say I had any issues when testing out Moments, but it was just testing and not extensive real world usage with hundreds of thousands of photos; nor does it support the advanced featured like facial recognition on this model. If that's a primary use case for you, defintely look at the premium models.

[@sdrtcacgnrjrc]

@@MakeUseOf thanks for the response James

[@Petrolhead66]

for just streaming films will the sj120 be ok

[@MakeUseOf]

Yes, if you don't want any data security, the internals are basically the same and it'll stream just fine.

[@jaredsheldon5667]

Great Video! Question: Would this drive allow me to access video files from my Mac and PC, and can I TimeMachine back up my Mac to this while storing other files? Any help is appreciated!

[@TimonSnetselaar]

Yes

[@MakeUseOf]

As Timon said: yes to all of the above, and more besides.

[@garybarham3992]

Great video, this was just what I needed a I was thinking of getting a NAS. I was getting into a rabbit warren of information from other creators but this was just right and paced well.

[@KastaRules]

Since the price is very reasonable, is it worth it to get 2x DS220j in a host-client configuration, instead of a more expensive single NAS with 4 bays?

[@MakeUseOf]

No, you cant daisy chain these or use it to expand another. Unless I'm missing something about the question. There are budget 4-bay devices in the j-series too: www.synology.com/en-uk/products/DS420j

[@KastaRules]

@@MakeUseOf Thank you for the reply! I'll look into the DS420j then! I had read this and I thought I could use 2 NAS: www.synology.com/en-us/knowledgebase/DSM/tutorial/File_Sharing/How_to_sync_data_between_multiple_Synology_NAS_via_Synology_Drive

[@nauolin]

@@KastaRules your link is for syncing two devices. By folder or the whole device. Remember that any hdd will fail. And increasing the number of parts that could fail increases that probability. Maybe not the drive, but the NAS itself, and your RAID couldn't be accessible. The NAS must be backuped constantly. A second NAS could be an expensive solution, but a single big usb hdd could be enough for your las tier backup plan.

[@hongzhou620]

Fantastically detailed review. Quick question: if I want to get a 4 / 5 bay synology, any model you would recommend in particular?

[@azxctbygalumbo9516]

wondering the same. as great as the features are, i just need more storage bays and at a reasonable price. if i find anything good, I'll reply back here,

[@MakeUseOf]

The 920+ is the top end 4-bay model, and can run VMs/Docker, in addition to being somewhat upgradeable. Best to use the NAS selector tool: www.synology.com/en-global/support/nas_selector

[@melnimbone]

Hi and thanks for the very good and briefing review. Which nas device of synology family would you recommand for plex streaming on 4k resolution?

[@MakeUseOf]

Any of them can stream 4K - as long as your client device can play it back natively. If you need to transcode, which isn't ideal in any situation, perhaps the + series, like the 920+.