Synology DS223 8TB 2 Bay Desktop NAS Solution installed with 2 x 4TB Seagate Ironwolf Drives

I bought this a year ago for uploading converted Blu Ray movies and music from CD. The family can now stream the movies and music from anywhere in the world if they have good wifi and I've also got rid of Dropbox because you can get the app to send your photos and documents from your devices.It's fast and secure and set up with RAID which means you have almost zero chance of losing any data.Well worth the price especially as I don't pay the family Dropbox sub anymore.

Easy to change drives , operating system is much better than the first one

Synology stuff is solid and this is no exception.

After a bit of research into purchasing a two bay NAS, I finally opted for the Synology DS223. It was the middle ground I was looking for in terms of price, performance and expansion. There were three other two bay models from Synology I considered. The DS220+, the DS223J and the newest model at the time of writing, the DS224+. The price differential between the most powerful and most cost effective was around £180. I considered what I needed this NAS for, my own personal cloud server. Like some, I wanted to move away from using commercial cloud services, such as the likes of Dropbox, Google Drive etc and host my own. So, this is essentially all this device does, along with being a repository for my Blu Ray ISO files that I stream to my TV via an Nvidia Shield.I already own a Synology NAS, a rather higher end eight bay system for my main storage needs. I could've simply utilized this beast to also provide the cloud service I wanted. however, I didn't want all of the hard drives spinning all the time to provide this, nor did I want that system accessible over the Internet. No, instead I wanted to leverage the increasingly cheaper 2.5 inch SSD's to provide an always on, ultra low power device. This was the other consideration, the DS223 utilizes a very power thrifty Realtek ARM CPU, the RealTek 1619B, which is a quad core CPU that offers enough performance to meet my needs.I could;have opted for the £70 cheaper DS223J, which is essentially exactly the same as the DS223 but with half the RAM, with 1 Gb. You need to bear in mind that the RAM on the DS223J and DS223 is not expandable, so factor that when choosing your system. As it stands right now, my DS223 with it's 2Gb of memory runs only the Synology Drive server service that gives me the aforementioned personal cloud facility, and the system runs silently with around 25% of its memory in use. it also runs snapshots (a very useful data-pointin time feature of the BTRFS file system) and a nightly backup, using the HyperBackup app from Synology and all without a hiccup. Generally speaking, the more RAM your system has, the better it can handle running multiple apps.So, if you're wanting a bit more oomph in a two bay from Synology, may I suggest either the DS220+ or DS224+. The intermediate priced DS220+ uses a dual core Intel CPU that, despite its two fewer cores than the RealTek ARM option in the DS223J/DS223, scores higher in CPU benchmarks. Further, the DS220+and DS224+ offer a pair of 1Gigabit Ethernet ports as opposed to just the single port on the two 223 models. This might matter to you if you are lucky enough to have a very fast Internet connection or employ 2.5Gigabit networking. Synology has a neat little option to combine multiple Ethernet ports to boost throughput. Therefore, with a dual Ethernet port system, you can use something called SMB Multi Channel to increase connection speeds beyond that of a single 1 Gigabit Ethernet connection. The 1 Gigabit Ethernet port is why this system gets four and not five stars. Synology have been dragging their feet when it comes to having 2.5Gigabit Ethernet ports on their newer systems, unlike the competition. Considering the cost is likely less than a couple of Dollars to Synology to use the faster Ethernet ports, it loses a star from me for this. Having said that, 1 Gigabit Ethernet is likeley absolutely fine for the vast majority of users looking at a system like this.Other factors to consider, the DS220+ and newer DS224+ allow for RAM upgrades beyond the 2 Gb of system memory as standard. You can upgrade to 6Gb of RAM on these models, unlike either of the 223 systems.One other thing to note with Synology NAS devices, not all of the multitude of Synology apps and features are available to lower power models. This wasn't a factor with me as I don't have any need of the High Availability service or virtual machines. Oddly, Synology giveth and taketh away. The cheaper DS223 I have comes with three USB 3.0 ports, while I believe the pricier DS220+ only offers two. Check the number of USB ports on the model you are considering if that matters to you.The DS223 comes with a handy copy button at the front of the unit next to a front mounted USB 3.0 port. This permits you to easily and quickly copy data to or from your NAS via an external storage device at the touch of a button when configured. I believe the other two bay NAS's mentioned here also have a copy button, but always double check. On the subject of giving and taking away, the earlierDS218 offered an SD card slot that is no longer present on the DS223. The chassis used is the same however and there is now a indented line where the SD card reader used to be. Quite why they remove such features is strange, but one can always use a USB to SD card adaptor should you have SD media you want to use.Onto the chassis, which is a sturdy black, mat finished metal box with plastic drive trays. The drive trays are somewhat cheap feeling, but do the job nonetheless. They allow toolless use of 3.5 inch hard drives, although you will need to use the supplied screws if, like me, you opt for 2.5 inch SSD's.*NOTE* be advised that if you're like me, someone who doesn't bother reading instructions, you will not be able to insert the drive tray back into the NAS when using 2.5inch SSD's until you remove the 3.5 inch drive securing brackets either side of the tray.To my surprise, the chassis sits on its side in a vertical orientation. There are good rubber feet to facilitate this and are very secure, almost sticky, when sat on the glass shelf of my TV stand. However, looking at the case and it's rounded edges on one side, I suspect it was originally designed to sit horizontal with the rounded edges uppermost and the lower side with regular 90 degree corners. It does appear, though, that Synology had a lot of these chassis's around and reworked them to stand vertically. This is fine, it's just that my touch of OCD regarding symmetry is offended when I see the right side of the device with rounded edges and the left side squared off. The case is amply ventilated with the rather intricate Synology name cut into both side panels that give the DS223 a stylish sophistication. In addition, there is a whisper quiet 92mm rear fan that I cannot hear unless sat in a quiet room with my head under the TV stand. There are four LED's on the front that correspond to power, network access and drive activity for the two bays. Sinology's DSM allows for the brightness of these LED's to be lowered if needed to reduce distracting eye lines if, like me, yours is sat under a TV stand. Finally, the two drive bays are hidden by a removable plastic cover that attaches via some kind of rubber suction system. Perhaps not the best method, but there is no rattle that may be caused by the spinning hard drives and you only remove it when installing drives anyway. The cover makes for a clean front panel that is both pleasing and feels contemporary in design.bear in mind that a more powerful CPU as used in both the DS220+ and DS224+ may run hotter and thus noise may be elevated, though tests I've seen seem to suggest otherwise. If, like me, you're simply wanting to move away from commercial cloud options and host your own, the power sipping DS223 will suffice.I populated this unit with a pair of Crucial MX500's, one 1Tb and the other a 4Tb, for a two volume storage setup. Sinology's compatibility list appears to be ever shrinking as newer models are released, likely an attempt at squeezing third parties out. This will not, so far at least, prevent you from using other drives, both hard drives and SSD's in this system. All the DSM software will do is to notify you when installing the drive that it isn't in their compatibility list. You can simply click continue to bypass this warning.A word to those new to NAS and intending to throw in an old hard drive that may be lying around or purchase a cheap desktop model. Nas' systems operate in a way that can be crippled by use of desktop class hard drives due to the method in which they store data. Therefore, it is strongly recommended you opt for a NAS certified drive. Either opt for the Western Digital Red Plus line (not the standard Red) or Seagate's Ironwolf series of hard drives. Unlike in the past, the price disparity between regular desktop class hard drives (Seagate's Barracuda or WD's Blue or Black series) isn't that much. In fact, I've even seen Ironwolf drives for less than a WD Blue desktop hard drive. I am a born cynic and this advice isn't hype, it's a serious topic if you value data integrity and longevity. Check out my comprehensive review on Amazon for the Seagate Ironwolf 8Tb drive for a lengthier explanation regarding the difference between desktop and NAS hard drives.-----START OF EDITAfter nearly a year of running a pair of Crucial MX500 SSD's in this unit, I can no longer recommend the use of such drives in this NAS. NAS units run for weeks and months before a reboot. It wasn't until a reboot was required that I had problems with the SSD's in my DS223. I'd hear my NAS beeping on a total of three occasions over the months as a result of a restart. The beeping indicated a critical issue with the drives.Each SSD had a volume assigned to it and on two occasions I'd have a critical issue with volume 1 and on another with volume 2. I was able to repair the issue via the on-screen link provided (assemble online, I think it was). However, in each case, a successive reboot would usually see the problem reoccur.The upshot of this was hours of rebuilding and data recovery via the backup I'd done. After the third such rebuild, I removed the pair of SSD's and replaced them with a single Synology HAT3300 6Tb hard drive—see my review on Amazon for this drive.Synology have been clamping down on drive compatibility more and more as each new NAS model is released. AN older Synology NAS I also have shows Seagate and WD drives on its compatibility list page but the newer DS223 now only shows Synology branded drives. Usually, this isn't an issue. You are allowed to continue installation after a nag warning. However, in my case, the use of drives not included in the compatibility list appears to have caused my issues. Whether this is because I am using SSD's as opposed to HDD's , I cannot say, though Amazon are selling DS223 options installed with either Seagate Ironwolf or WD Red Plus HDD's in addition to the Synology branded drives, so they could be fine. Either way, I can not recommend prospective buyers of this NAS to use anything other than Synology branded hard drives in the DS223.----- END OF EDIT-Those new to NAS devices may have also noted how the hardware offered by NAS vendors isn't exactly high end for the most part. No, its not. However, as NAS's do not run Windows, their resources they have are better utilized. Plus, NAS's are designed with 24/7 operation in mind, so low power is a key factor. So, what is it you're paying for then? Simple: The software that controls the NAS, it's OS, or Operating System. DSM, or Disk Station Manager, is Sinology's OS for their NAS's and, on balance, is considered by most the best out there. So, with NAS devices, it's the software ecosystem that you pay for. DSM is a superb OS and worth, in my opinion, the price premium. DSM makes it easy to allow your NAS to be accessible over the Internet using its Quick Connect app and it even allowed me to do this despite my ISP preventing me from using DDNS and port forwarding.If you want to save a few quid, opt for the DS223J with half the memory. based on my tests, it's sufficient if your use case is like mine. If you want better expandability and more powerful CPU options, then consider the older DS220+ with its larger list of compatible drives, or the newest DS224+, but at a significant price bump. In fact, I'd probably opt for the four bay DS423 over the DS224+, which at the time of checking was actually cheaper than the new two bay model, or even the DS423+ at a shade under £500.Oh, and Synology offer two and three year warranties on the models mentioned, so check to find out which has what. Synology support is very good and DSM even has an app to facilitate and track support tickets for you.All in all, if you're wanting a relatively inexpensive two bay NAS, especially as your first step into the world of NAS, then the Synology DS223 offers a good balance of price and performance and is well worth your consideration.

Easy to set up and works fine. It was supplies with a European power cable, which was careless but not fatal. More seriously, it appears that it is only possible to make one backup which, if you have several discs you want to support, is a problem. There appears to be no solution other than to buy a second NAS....

I bought a Synology device as historically they've always been excellent for quality and features. One of the drives in this one has failed with three months of purchase, and thanks to Synology only dealing with service and support in the US only, I now have to navigate Amazons laughable support to get something done, which I imagine is returning it and losing everything I have on it..I bought this product - and its "extended warranty," which is apparently useless - for it's resiliency and reliability and it's failed already. I'm absolutely outraged.