Synology 2 bay NAS DiskStation DS218j (Diskless)
Score By Feature
OveReview Final Score
Product Description
Questions & Answers
It isn't going to transcode. To do so, get a used PC with at least a 3 GHz CPU and 8 GB of RAM, install Ubuntu Server, then Plex, and finally mount your NAS's shared media directories on the Ubuntu Server. It does necessitate some command line inputs, but there are dozens of YouTube videos that demonstrate how to do so. br>br>However, Plex is not required. Instead, spend $50 on a Raspberry Pi 3, install NOOBS, install OSMC, purchase the codecs ($5), and use it as your NAS streaming media player. That's something I've been doing with ripped Blu-rays for the past five years. rays with no buffering at all. It's both cheap and simple. (The Raspberry Pi is best used as a "direct play device," rather than a transcoding server.)
I've been working with a 7-inch tablet for a while now. USB port HooToo 3. For over 5 years, I've been using 0 hub with my Synology NAS with no issues.
You can use either or both backup features in Symbology because it has a much more advanced file history feature than Windows 10.
Selected User Reviews For Synology 2 bay NAS DiskStation DS218j (Diskless)
I gave it five stars because it meets *my* requirements. Before you invest in something like this, you should do a lot of research. br>br>1) I am not using this as a media server, though it can be used for that. br>2) Refer to the preceding paragraph. )br>br>As a result. Here's how I use it and why I give it a five-star rating in certain situations. br>*I've set up a RAID 1 mirror on the system. Because mirroring duplicates rather than providing additional space, I now have TWO 8TB disks. br>*On 5 days of the week, the Synology box is turned off. br>*On Saturday and Sunday, we use Acronis software to perform full backups of all five PCs in the house. br>*CONFIRM THAT YOUR BACKUP SYSTEM CAN ALLOW YOU TO BOOT A FAILED SYSTEM IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOU CAN SEE THE Synology NAS! br>*I also back up my Google Cloud stuff once a week (in case I make a mistake when deleting things)br>*I also back up all of my music and photos separately because they don't change much and aren't included in weekly backups. br>*After all of that is backed up, I either power down the system until next week, or bring my external USB 3. 0 hard drive in once a month. I brought in a single 8TB drive from my remote location to back up the entire NAS in the event of a fire or other disaster. br>br>So far, it has worked flawlessly to restore a failed HD.
I'm blown away by the number of 4 and 5 star reviews this NAS has received. I have a decent understanding of technology as the former owner of an IT company, but I spent two days attempting to do the most basic of tasks without success. Failure to get the DS Audio mobile app to work, failed Mac Time Machine backups, failed iTunes library sync, no visibility of library via Bose Soundtouch, and failure to get the DS Audio mobile app to work. I'm sure I'll figure things out over time, but unless you have a thorough understanding of networks, think twice before purchasing this NAS, because it will drive you insane.
br>br>I installed two 8 TB drives and am completely smitten with the Synology software and interface. As a primary gateway, I set up my photo, video, and VPN. I use my NAS all the time, whether it's from my phone or at work when I need to download something that I can't do on my work computer or simply transfer files/watch movies. My only issue, which may or may not be related to Android (though I've only recently acquired Ore 8), is that I can't seem to find a solution. When I am remote and trying to cast a movie from my Galaxy S7, DS video does not load a good range of movies I have. I searched forums for possible solutions, but none of them worked. Following the ore 8. On my phone, the 0 upgrade appears to be working properly, but I haven't given it a thorough test to see if the issue is indeed resolved by the OS upgrade. br>br>I like that synology releases updates frequently and keeps the system up to date with security patches and other updates, but I think what I like best about the system is the remote access via quickconnect and the ability to download things while I'm away using the DS get app. Since getting my NAS, I haven't spent much time on my computer. There are a plethora of useful packages available to help you get the most from your NAS. When I'm not connected to the internet, I set my phone to back up its videos and photos. I can't imagine ever not having redundant backup solutions for your photos and videos now that I've used this system. I mean, those are priceless moments to remember, not to mention all of your important documents, software, and data in general. You can't rely solely on an external hard drive.
This is a fantastic entry-level NAS device! I was hesitant to purchase a local storage device for my home, believing that with all of the cloud services available, I didn't need one. I am extremely happy with this model now that I have it. It's easy to set up and use, and it works well. It's simple to replace a failed disk. My wife and I were able to upload all of our digital photos from our smartphones, freeing up space on our phones, and I was able to upload all of my old home movies that I had previously transcribed to DVDs onto this device. Memories is an excellent app for backing up your digital photographs. The only drawback is that I can't seem to use a USB connection to transfer data directly from the phone to the server; instead, it insists on using WiFi. I would up move the photos to my laptop and then from my laptop to the NAS because I had a lot of photos and videos to transfer and because Wifi was slow and finicky at times. My son has a Synology NAS as well, and he recommended that I get one for my home. As a result of the syncing of the two devices, I was able to share old home videos with him directly. We now use the two NAS devices to backup each other's critical data. br>br>On the down side, there are a few peculiarities to be aware of. Drive (Synologies' equivalent of DropBox or Google Drive) does not appear to function as smoothly. Simply storing information in Drive does not appear to transfer it to the NAS device; however, if I mount the NAS as a shared folder, I can save documents to it, and they will appear in Drive on any device to which I add the app. It's possible that my lack of experience is to blame. Because Moments is linked to Drive, the more advanced CloudStation Server app cannot be used once Drive has been installed. In essence, you must choose between Drive and Cloudstation. Finally, this unit does not transcribe movie formats (which is my fault). If you have a mixture of formats, you'll need to recode them to MPEG using an external device. I should have done a little more research here, but the solution is simple: recode the files on your computer using open source software, then save the recoded files. br>br>I can play video directly from my Samsung Smart TV or an Apple TV (you'll need to use your phone to get the video to start on Apple TV, but once you do, you won't need it). This appears to be the same way Chromcast does). It also works on Roku, though Roku informs users that the video app isn't fully compatible and will be phased out by the end of 2018. br>br>I'm amazed at how much data you can store on this device; I bought two 4 Terabyte NAS disks and am only using about a terabyte of storage with everything I've put on it!.
Related Products For Synology 2 bay NAS DiskStation DS218j (Diskless)
