Synology DiskStation DS925+ assessment: versatile, expandable NAS drive

Worth When Reviewed

$640

Finest Costs Right now: Synology DiskStation DS925+

$639.99

Synology makes a variety of high-end NAS programs for company and enterprise customers, nevertheless it’s additionally one of many few producers that also caters to smaller companies and individuals who work from home. Its newest launch is the DiskStation DS925+, which gives an expandable storage system with loads of scope to develop sooner or later.

At first look, the DS925+ seems virtually similar to its predecessor – referred to as the DS923+ – with a sombre black design that gives 4 drive bays for laborious drive or SSD storage. There are additionally two M.2 slots on the bottom of the drive that can be utilized to put in SSD modules for a high-speed cache to spice up efficiency. Nevertheless, the older DS923+ continues to be bought on-line by numerous sellers, so ensure you purchase the brand new DS925+ mannequin when ordering on-line.

The upgraded DS925+ features a quicker quad-core AMD Ryzen V1500B processor operating at 2.2GHz, together with two 2.5Gb Ethernet ports for a high-speed community connection. Synology claims that this makes it considerably quicker than its predecessor, providing a most write pace of as much as 565MB/s and browse pace of 522MB/s – though, after all, this can very a lot rely on how your community is configured and the kind of drives that you just set up.

Like lots of Synology’s NAS drives, the DS925+ is bought ‘unpopulated’ – as simply an empty chassis, with no drives included. The unpopulated drive prices £575.00/$640.00, so that you’ll must price range for extra laborious drives or SSDs on high of that fundamental value. You additionally want to make sure that you choose 2.5-inch SSD or 3.5-inch laborious drives which have been accredited as ‘suitable’ by Synology. These could be purchased direct from Synology itself, or via a few of its on-line sellers. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to’t purchase the DS925+ itself from Synology, so that you’ll want to buy round on-line for the very best deal.

The utmost dimension of laborious drive suitable with the DS925+ is 20TB, so its 4 bays present a most of 80TB of storage (with numerous RAID choices additionally supported). Nevertheless, there’s an growth module additionally obtainable, referred to as the DX525, which could be related to the DS925+ if you wish to additional improve your storage. This prices £467.00/$449.00, and gives 5 further drive bays, supplying you with a most of 180TB of storage, so the DS925+ will be capable of sustain as your small business grows sooner or later. There are additionally USB-A (3.2) ports on the back and front panels, which let you join particular person exterior drives if required.

However whereas the {hardware} design is neat and environment friendly, Synology’s software program doesn’t make it straightforward for brand spanking new customers to get began. There’s a label with a QR code included within the field, however this merely takes you to some very lengthy, sophisticated Assist information on Synology’s web site, which might simply confuse anybody that’s utilizing a NAS drive for the primary time.

There may be an app, referred to as DS Finder, that’s obtainable for iOS and Android, and this app was capable of see the DS925+ when it was related to our workplace community. Sadly, the app merely informed us to make use of an online browser to obtain and set up the primary working system software program, referred to as DiskStation Supervisor (DSM), that’s wanted to regulate the drive.

Sadly, the net browser possibility didn’t work both, and easily displayed a message telling us to obtain a separate desktop app for Macs or PCs, referred to as Synology Assistant. That didn’t work at first both, though it did no less than present some ideas for adjusting the encryption settings on the drive. That labored in the long run, and as soon as we’d put in the DSM software program we have been capable of change again to the DS Finder app on our iPad to finish the set-up course of for the drive. And, in addition to an area community connection, the app additionally consists of an possibility referred to as QuickConnect that gives a distant connection to the DS925+, with the intention to use it as a form of ‘non-public cloud’ for accessing your information if you’re away from the workplace.

Foundry

Sadly, the DS Finder app additionally tells you to put in numerous further apps with a purpose to handle your information, images and different options, so Synology actually must rethink its documentation and its complicated choice of apps and utilities to make them a bit extra user-friendly for small companies and residential staff who might not have a skilled crew of IT workers obtainable to set every part up for them.

Ought to You Purchase The DiskStation DS925+

The compact design of the DS925+ makes it a very good possibility for any small enterprise or workplace, and its growth choices be certain that it will possibly present further storage sooner or later. Nevertheless, the software program aspect of issues is moderately untidy, so the DS925+ can be greatest fitted to individuals who have already got somewhat expertise of networking and establishing a NAS drive.

Try the opposite NAS drives we have now reviewed in our spherical up of the Finest NAS drives for Mac.