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Synology DiskStation DS224+
The Synology DiskStation DS224+ is the successor to 1 amongst the extra neatly-liked NAS enclosures from the firm, rocking an Intel processor, upgradable RAM, and a incredible OS.
Pros
- Simplest in-class NAS OS
- Better cloud toughen
- More cheap
Cons
- Less RAM and fewer ports
- Weaker CPU
- No M.2 slots
Summary
- Availability and toughen: Synology affords a broader sequence of readily on hand fashions and has greater after-sales toughen with a three-twelve months guarantee, while QNAP limits guarantee to 2 years.
- Hardware: Synology specializes in offering a huge sequence of NAS fashions with varied specifications, while QNAP affords extra “prosumer” hardware alternate options. Every corporations obtain within the same device priced and configured enclosures on the decrease dwell of the market.
- Operating machine: Synology’s DSM has a conventional Windows or Linux interface that is easy to navigate, while QNAP’s QTS has a extra smartphone-esteem interface with animations and aloof transitions. Every working methods are thought to be potentially the most productive within the enterprise.
The community-connected storage (NAS) space is dominated by a handful of producers, including Synology and QNAP. The 2 corporations obtain limitless NAS fashions on hand, the whole lot from one-bay user NAS to venture towers with a huge sequence of bays and developed options. On this files, we are going to trot you via among the crucial similarities and differences between Synology and QNAP NAS, to boot to a pair guidelines to assist you pick the fair NAS for you. To launch your NAS skedaddle, we recommend getting both the Synology DiskStation DS220+ or the QNAP TS-251D.
Availability and toughen
Counting on which country you’re in, one amongst the 2 corporations (if not both) can obtain a broader presence to your space, affecting the sequence of readily on hand fashions. This additionally straight away interprets to the vary of after-sales toughen you would possibly per chance ask from the emblem. In most cases, Synology takes the lead with three years of regular guarantee on most of its NAS devices, while QNAP limits that to 2 years, with paid alternate options to develop it further. Namely for agencies, here is something that would possibly per chance per chance earn or smash the deal.
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Synology DiskStation DS224+ QNAP TS-262 Price Synology QNAP CPU Intel Celeron J4125 Intel Celeron N4505 Memory 2 GB DDR4 4 GB DDR4 Power Bays 2 2 Ports 2x 1GbE, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 1x 2.5GbE, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB-A 2.0 Caching No Yes OS Synology DSM QNAP QTS Model $300 $387 Dimensions 165 x 108 x 232.2 mm 168 × 105 × 226 mm Weight 1.3 kg 1.55 kg
Hardware
Right here’s the assign Synology and QNAP vary vastly. The agencies obtain a varied focal level in terms of launching contemporary enclosures. Synology focuses extra on offering a enormous vary of NAS with differing specifications, including Intel Celeron and ARM chips. With later generations of enclosures, Synology is adding extra AMD Ryzen processors to its parts catalog. QNAP goes all out with ARM, Intel Celeron, and even Intel Core — the identical chips you are going to secure within an damaged-down desktop PC.
Yow will hit upon far extra “prosumer” hardware from QNAP than Synology, though both corporations supply within the same device priced and configured enclosures against the decrease dwell of the market. Right here’s amazing in that it affords a salvage risk for buyers to make a risk from, but it’ll additionally present daunting for anybody having a build a query to to aquire their first NAS. Let’s take a look at potentially the most cheap enclosures from Synology and QNAP to assign a query to if there are any differences there.
You’ll be able to hit upon the above two NAS servers obtain the same specifications, including an ARM processor, 1GB of RAM or less, and one pressure bay. You’ll be able to ideal secure 1Gb networking and lawful two USB ports. The scale and weight are additionally very the same. To earn matters worse for selecting lawful one to aquire, both working methods, DSM for Synology and QTS for QNAP, are very factual and class-main. Nevertheless, the obtain of their fee NAS does vary hugely, so you ought to light trot alongside with whichever build a query to you desire.
Storage administration
How QNAP and Synology system storage administration differs in that the dilapidated ideal supports ext4. Synology continues to work on Btrfs, which affords the firm with about a files protection and recovery advantages. Synology affords about a causes why one ought to light settle Btrfs over ext4 when creating contemporary storage swimming pools on a branded NAS:
- Recordsdata protection options, including snapshot, replication, and level-in-time recovery.
- Recordsdata integrity protection.
- Particular person quotas for each and each shared folder.
Synology states that Btrfs would greater suit applications for storing excessive enterprise files, requiring files integrity and protection. It would additionally be greater for total file sharing, offering iSCSI LUNs for server virtualization and other developed functions. The firm has labored piquant to make its accumulate proprietary automated RAID resolution known as Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR), which is a little bit extra versatile than conventional RAID ranges, in particular in expanding the storage pool.
That every and each particular person talked about, ext4 isn’t without its accumulate tricks, and QNAP makes sure it enables M.2 slots on NAS to be damaged-down for not ideal caching but high-slither storage too. QNAP additionally enables you to encrypt whole volumes to boot to folders. Synology is working on enforcing such functionality to carry its Btrfs offering up to par, but for now, M.2 SSDs storage is proscribed to a pair DiskStation enclosures.
Operating machine
Their obvious system to user skills turns into superb-making an attempt evident from their Linux-based proprietary working methods. Synology’s DiskStation Manager (DSM) takes inspiration from a conventional Windows or Linux interface. Somebody with classic pc literacy won’t steal a range of time to search out their system around the applying. DSM doesn’t truly feel cluttered, and the integrated administration apps consist of neatly nestled alternate options that assist the UI build a query to powerful cleaner and further accessible. And Synology’s most intelligent application optimization ensures that its accumulate apps and DSM are constant without reference to your NAS model.
Left: Synology DSM 7, Accurate: QNAP QTS 5.
In the meantime, QNAP’s QTS leans against a extra smartphone-esteem interface. It appears to be like neatly-liked with the total animations and aloof transitions across the OS and first-celebration apps. Nevertheless, the interface comparatively feels busy, which is able to earn somewhat complicated to navigate, especially for those utilizing a QNAP machine for the predominant time. From the initial setup course of to the preserve watch over panel (which you’re going to employ loads for managing the whole lot on the NAS) QTS throws a range of alternate options your system, ensuing in a a little bit overwhelming skills from the earn-trot.
But at the same time as you are up and working, both working methods are potentially the most productive within the enterprise.
Installing apps
Synology has a definite focal level on application, which is why its first-celebration apps don’t lawful quilt a huge sequence of employ cases but are additionally robustly designed. These first-celebration apps will assist you to earn started and not utilizing a want a watch any third-celebration plugins for classic stuff — though Synology DSM’s package heart doesn’t obtain a range of third-celebration apps, with the exception of for some total ones esteem Plex and TeamViewer.
Left: Synology DSM Kit Center, Accurate: QNAP QTS App Center.
The assign Synology lags, QNAP shines with a a lot richer sequence of third-celebration apps and products and companies on hand thru its App Center. You earn apps esteem IFTTT for easy home automation, Google Chrome, productiveness apps esteem Libre Office, and loads extra. Then there are third-celebration (unofficial) app stores esteem Qnapclub, which has over a thousand packages with far extra mainstream and niche apps on hand.
Android apps
Every producers obtain a sequence of apps for Android telephones to assist you to remotely organize your NAS and earn admission to the records on it. In our skills, Synology Photography for Android turned out to be a incredible risk for anybody having a build a query to to swap away from Google Photography, with options esteem automated media backup and face tagging/grouping. QNAP’s different additionally has many of those tidy options, but or not it is not quite up to par
Other apps from QNAP enact loads greater than its Photography app. As an instance, the Qfile app appears to be like powerful cleaner and more straightforward to employ than Synology’s convoluted two-app file administration machine (DS File and Synology Power). As neatly as, QNAP’s NAS administration app known as Qmanager affords you the total vital files with lawful about a faucets. It is additionally neatly supplied, while or not it is fundamental to dig to search out the identical files on Synology’s DS Finder.
One more factor fee noting is that QNAP’s Android apps are in total loads greater rated than their Synology counterparts, which says powerful about their quality and price from the customers’ standpoint.
QNAP earns some extra brownie points for including an quick HDMI out port on many of its NAS fashions. The HDMI out port is a big deal at the same time as you desire having your NAS stationed to your work desk, connected to the display screen, or terminate to your media console to hit upon movies straight from the NAS. Moreover, join a USB keyboard and mouse, and you likely can want a mini-pc fair to your dwelling room.
Synology, in contrast, is a purely community-based storage scheme, so none of its fashions present the form of skill. The firm is additionally switching from Intel Celeron to AMD Ryzen processors with its extra present enclosure releases. This wouldn’t usually be a roar, but they’re not including constructed-in graphics, which reduces the skill to transcode 4K content and affect other duties simultaneously.
Other miscellaneous differences
Alexa skill for Synology Audio Procedure.
Synology has the upper hand on the applying aspect of things, which reveals within the Alexa skill that enables you to circulation the song stored to your NAS as you would possibly per chance well from any other streaming service. As neatly as to that, it has a bigger community of customers on platforms esteem Reddit than QNAP, which ought to light come in at hand at the same time as you’re stuck someplace.
In QNAP’s opt, you earn a PCIe slot ranging from some low-to-mid-vary NAS fashions, which opens up an whole world of hardware expansion. You’ll be able to employ it so that you just would possibly per chance per chance add an even bigger community card, extra USB ports, SSD slots, and further. While you would possibly per chance earn such expansion fashions straight away from QNAP, there is a prosperous ecosystem of third-celebration accessories that will assist you to upgrade your QNAP NAS both internally and externally down the line.
QNAP is additionally greater at dealing with the media files that wants to be transcoded sooner than opening. As an different of having to settle particular particular person files each and each time (esteem it’s the case on Synology), you would possibly per chance pick an whole folder. This kind, any contemporary file added to the folder will be transcoded robotically and ought to light be stored ready for employ.
Things they’re both factual at
QNAP myQNAPcloud.
As I talked about earlier, both Synology and QNAP obtain got the basics fair, and there are a range of things that they are equally factual at. As an instance, their proprietary solutions to earn admission to your NAS over the accumulate and relief up your NAS to faraway storage earn the job finished superb-making an attempt neatly. And within the event you hit a roadblock proper thru setup or anytime later, their on-line property enact a incredible job of answering even your most intricate questions.
In the raze, at the same time as you happen to’re feeling the must add extra drives, both corporations obtain masses of expansion fashions that join to your existing NAS to present you many TBs of further space. If your predominant employ case is surveillance, both fee can earn the job finished. Every corporations obtain sturdy IP camera administration application and bundle about a free licenses with the probability so that you just would possibly per chance per chance add paid ones as you trot. Form say that QNAP’s contemporary QVR Expert affords eight complimentary licenses, though with some utilization and hardware obstacles.
Which is fair for you?
Neither fee is faultless, and albeit, none of their shortcomings are dealbreakers at the same time as you’re a home user, while prosumers and cramped agencies can weigh their merits to search out out what works simplest for them. To earn the resolution somewhat of more straightforward, I recommend going for Synology at the same time as you need to acquire things to work without any fuss.
Source: Synology
Synology DiskStation DS224+
Top preference
The Synology DiskSTation DS224+ is a salvage preference for of us that opt a extra fee-focused enclosure with fewer highlight top price options. It will get almost the whole lot fair, making it one amongst potentially the most productive entry-stage NAS around.
But at the same time as you’re somebody who likes to tinker with the hardware and application to secure potentially the most out of it, QNAP is the vogue to pass.
