Synology is synonymous with NAS, or network-attached storage, and there’s good motive for that. The DiskStation line of merchandise is dependable and strong with an ideal neighborhood that helps shopper {and professional} use circumstances. Extra not too long ago, Synology has reached past conventional NAS options with BeeStation, a non-public and household cloud storage answer. I’ve not too long ago been testing the BeeStation Plus, a considerably much less succesful, however rather more approachable, product, and the DiskStation DS925+, a standard NAS with a well-recognized product title to us at 9to5. Each are nice in their very own approach. Right here’s how they carry out and evaluate.
BeeStation Plus makes non-public cloud storage straightforward
Let’s begin with the BeeStation Plus. Briefly, that is the NAS answer you possibly can suggest to family and friends who don’t care what NAS stands for. It’s far much less configurable than a DiskStation. That’s a plus for a mainstream shopper product. It requires minimal setup and analysis to make use of. The method consists of unboxing the unit, attaching the facility provide and included Ethernet cable, and scanning a QR code to provoke setup and replace firmware. After that, BeeStation apps on iPhone, iPad, and Mac make it user-friendly.
BeeStation Plus is a closed field with 8TB of whole storage. Of the 8TB included, 6.98TB is usable, with about 9% probably misplaced to drive math and one other 4% to system overhead. What are you able to do with all that area? BeeStation is designed to carry information and media. Truly getting your media to the BeeStation is surprisingly straightforward. For instance, I used to be capable of switch my 1.5TB picture and video library from my iPad Professional to the BeeStation with out a lot effort utilizing the BeeStation Images app. It has a couple of methods that make it work nicely, like utilizing a dim standby display to maintain the method lively whereas utilizing minimal assets. After backing up an entire library, you possibly can optionally clear area out of your machine every time.
Setup and file administration is straightforward by design
You too can use BeeStation Plus to behave as a super-simple cloud answer for all information to dump area out of your units. Integration with Finder on the Mac and the Information app on iPhone and iPad makes it doable to make use of BeeStation Plus with the built-in file administration apps too. BeeStation additionally talks to different cloud suppliers like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive to create a unified cloud storage answer. The unit additionally options one USB-C port and one USB-A port that allow you to join exterior storage or computer systems for transferring information to the BeeStation Plus storage. You too can do one-time transfers from Google Images, or have ongoing sync with iCloud Images for computerized backup.
Backups and specs
A couple of different issues to say. Synology is all about backup, and BeeStation Plus helps a number of backup strategies. First, you possibly can again up BeeStation Plus to Synology’s cloud safety service known as BeeProtect. Like Time Machine on the Mac, BeeStation is intelligent in the way it handles variations of backups: one from every day of the final week, and one from the earlier week, permitting eight variations in case you should revert or restore one thing from a couple of modifications in the past.
After a free trial, BeeStation Plus has an affordable price of $11.99/month or $119/yr. There’s additionally a typical BeeStation product with 4TB storage as a substitute of 8TB, however the whole lot is quicker along with having extra storage with the Plus mannequin. BeeProtect is priced 50% much less on the BeeStation mannequin with half the storage. Alternatively, you possibly can again up BeeStation Plus to a DiskStation, which is nice if you’d like BeeStation for a number of the ease-of-use advantages however have a DiskStation for extra superior work.
The opposite factor about BeeStation Plus that potential customers ought to in all probability know, particularly in comparison with the usual BeeStation with half the storage, is its GPU (graphics processing unit) and NPU (neural processing unit). Each help AI options like facial and object recognition for picture search, however the Intel Celeron J4125 and 4GB RAM contained in the Plus mannequin will present sooner efficiency than the Realtek RTD1619B and 1GB RAM inside the usual BeeStation. Critically, the extra assets are additionally what make the Plus mannequin excellent for households (supporting simultaneous entry with out slowing down) versus the usual mannequin for private use. After all, when you’ve got bigger storage wants, Plus is the best way to go, particularly because the drives aren’t user-accessible.
Does BeeStation help Plex?
Lastly, I ought to point out Plex. Synology is a well-liked and improbable solution to host your individual Plex Media Server, particularly if you happen to don’t have an always-on desktop Mac. Whereas BeeStation Plus is a way more closed and polished product, Synology fortunately helps utilizing BeeStation Plus for Plex. That is the place the largest distinction between the BeeStation and DiskStation traces is available in. Briefly, DiskStation helps Docker; BeeStation doesn’t. Which means whereas you should utilize BeeStation Plus as a Plex Media Server, don’t anticipate to do any of the flowery automation that requires a ton of analysis and configuration anyway.
Consider BeeStation Plus as a constructed product you should utilize, whereas DiskStation is a product you possibly can construct for customized use. Relying in your wants, one or the opposite would be the proper answer with out loads of overlap.
DiskStation DS925+ delivers energy and adaptability
DiskStation, alternatively, is a field with swappable drives and RAID storage for redundancy and native backups. It runs Synology’s DSM OS, which mainly provides you a digital PC interface that you just management from the browser. Critically, this helps Docker and automation, self-hosting apps, and lots of further use circumstances together with operating a VPN, internet hosting your individual e-mail server, and a lot extra.
Along with having a 9to5Mac-like product title, the DiskStation DS925+ contains 4 SATA drive bays for flash storage and laborious disk drives, two M.2 NVMe storage slots, and two 2.5GbE networking ports. This mannequin helps as much as 180TB of uncooked storage when paired with the separate Synology DX525 Enlargement Unit. That’s based mostly on offering 4 20TB drives contained in the DS925+, and 5 20TB drives contained in the DX525. That’s each a formidable ceiling and an ideal enlargement story if you wish to add onto your DiskStation DS925+ after buy. The built-in M.2 slots can be utilized for both native caching or storage as nicely.
Along with offering strong storage for backup and restoration plus being a strong server answer, DiskStation DS925+ may run Synology Surveillance Station. This mannequin helps utilizing as much as 40 IP cameras concurrently, is suitable with over 8,700 IP digital camera fashions, and permits distant playback and monitoring.
By way of specs, DiskStation DS925+ runs on an AMD Ryzen V1500B quad-core CPU and comes with a single 4GB DDR4 ECC SODIMM RAM stick. There’s additionally a second RAM slot, and each slots are user-accessible with help for as much as 32GB of RAM (utilizing two 16GB sticks). Increased RAM is required for bigger storage swimming pools.
How DS925+ compares to different DiskStation fashions
In comparison with different fashions within the DiskStation Plus lineup, the DS925+ lands in the course of the vary. It gives considerably extra flexibility and energy than entry-level two-bay fashions, particularly because of twin 2.5GbE networking, NVMe help, and multi-bay expandability. On the identical time, it’s extra compact and inexpensive than five-bay and eight-bay fashions aimed toward bigger dwelling labs and small companies.
The place it stands out is its steadiness of efficiency and scalability. The DS925+ gives a contemporary AMD Ryzen CPU, help for as much as 9 drives whole with an enlargement unit, and full entry to DSM’s most superior options. Nevertheless, it lacks help for 10GbE enlargement that some prospects could anticipate. For many energy customers, it delivers a really perfect mixture of efficiency, reliability, and long-term improve potential with out pushing into overkill territory.
The Synology DiskStation DS925+ is a superb general-purpose NAS for customers who need a customizable Plex Media Server, HomeBridge for increasing HomeKit, Docker-based automation, or expansive native backup for media libraries and units. It strikes the proper steadiness for energy customers who want efficiency and adaptability with out committing to a full enterprise setup. With sturdy enlargement choices and help for superior DSM options, the DS925+ is well-suited for each dwelling labs and small workplace environments.
9to5Mac’s Take
BeeStation Plus appears like a brand new sort of Synology product that’s constructed for on a regular basis customers who don’t wish to take into consideration file administration however nonetheless need privateness and management. Its iCloud Images integration and streamlined setup make it straightforward to suggest with zero analysis. In the meantime, the DiskStation DS925+ is a correct NAS for energy customers or anybody able to develop into extra superior options. With DSM, enlargement help, and broad use case flexibility, it’s a contemporary, dependable basis for no matter you want your server to be.
BeeStation Plus with 8TB of built-in storage retails for $409.99 instantly from Synology and can be out there from Amazon. DiskStation DS925+ is priced at $639.99 earlier than including storage drives and is likewise out there by Amazon and different Synology retailers.
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