Review on 💪 Enhanced Synology DS720+ NAS Enclosure: Powerful 2-Bay Solution by Jnis Stepi ᠌

Name: 💪 Enhanced Synology DS720+ NAS Enclosure: Powerful 2-Bay Solution
Item: 💪 Enhanced Synology DS720+ NAS Enclosure: Powerful 2-Bay Solution
Rating: 5

May 03, 2023

Best price for this product, will buy more!

We have been using this NAS for a couple of months. They replaced the Synology 212, which worked for about 9 years. Changed due to the slowness of the old device. Although we didn't have anything really running on the 212: just a file washer for a dozen users and criss-cross synchronization with the remote Nas 218j. The new device is noticeably faster. If in 212 the processor load often reached 100% (and access through the web-face was sooooo slow), then 720+ does not load more than 10-15% for the same tasks.
The DSM 7 ate broke the synchronization between the two NAS, configured for DSM 6. I had to set everything up again and with slightly different means. All software comes from one company, knowing about ating and changing the composition of programs, it was possible to take care in advance that when ating DSM, software and personal settings would be migrated.
The new operating system introduced its own jokes: the Kyocera network scanner stopped saving files to shared disks. In addition, one of the working computers under Win10 fell off the network drives. After digging around in the NAS connection logs, it turned out that some old insecure protocols were disabled by default in DSM 7: SMB1 and ntlm v1. But do not throw away the MFP and media set-top boxes: the protocols can be turned on again in the NAS settings.

Pros

Small and quiet file server with great expandability. It is very easy to set up if you have at least minimal knowledge in computers and networks. It is friends with the UPS via a USB cable, it can shut down the work according to information from the uninterruptible power supply. Able to mount disks in its own raid on the fly. Those. after installing the second disk, the system becomes fault-tolerant, but the server's work on the reorganization of the array is not interrupted. Able to synchronize (Drive application) with other Synology even if there is no white IP. Enthusiasts can install a bunch of different programs from the manufacturer’s catalog on this crumb: databases, CPM, personal photo catalog, python, antivirus, etc. I don’t even know how smart the device will remain after such a zoo. But the very fact of a fairly large fleet of different programs for many will be the decisive argument when buying. I saw many such NAS and most used only file storage, photo directory, DLNA server, download torrents. There are several LEDs on the front of the drive that let you know from afar what the NAS is doing and what state it is in. Potentially, the drive expands well. Although, of course, not in the way that a self-made PC-based system would expand. For us in the office for several years, the basic configuration should be enough. Can only put more disks. I find it inconvenient to sculpt external drives through the connector. I bothered with storing an archive from a video surveillance camera (you can connect two cameras without reparations, if you need more - buy a license), but as a result I realized that constant recording on disks does not allow them to fall asleep and constantly jerks their heads. Without video, the disks spend about half the time in sleep mode (at night, that's for sure), and with the recording of a video stream (by the way, a very modest one), they no longer fall asleep at all. I took pity on the disks and switched the video recording to a local sd card. But it will be convenient for many to store the video on the file server too. Able to turn on after a power failure.

Cons

The cost is not at all humane for this piece of textolite and a plastic box. From a 10-year-old decommissioned computer, you can assemble a similar system almost for nothing. At the same time, choose any software for your tasks. Though free, though broken. And the possibilities of hardware expansion will not be an example more. God forbid contacting the official website for support - you will lose time and not get a reasonable answer in an urgent situation. Look for the Vkontakte group of Sinology and ask a question there. There is no quick answer there either, as well as knowledge of all the answers, but at least in 2022. The second network connector could not be used to increase the exchange rate of the drive - "that's not why mom raised her daughter ." I didn't like the DLNA mode very much. A Chinese media set-top box for 3000and the X-plore program made it possible to climb onto this NAS over the network and play any video files from it to the TV without recoding. It turned out a noticeable gain in quality and greater omnivorousness - it easily shows 4k movies via cable. An external power supply takes some of the power dissipation out of the case, but adds wires and connections. It would be better to stuff it inside. The warranty period varies from site to site. The most stingy - . Only 6 months are indicated on the Market. Someone saw 36 months.