I Finally Moved Away From My Synology NAS, and I Don’t Miss It

If you’d told me a couple of years back that there was a much closer NAS than Synology, I would not surprisingly have evaluated your taste in technology. Synology NAS was one of those weird chunks of tech that melded into the history. It did its project peacefully, realized years of information without problem, and also permit me emphasis on my job instead of babysitting structure. It wasn’t simply the hardware. Synology furthermore shipped optimal-of-the-line software that gained making use of a NAS sincerely easy. Yet, the issuer and also its items are zero a number longer unmodified. Provided that early 2025, Synology has adopted a bamboozle of anti-consumer regulations that are mammoth provision-breakers. So a number so that I’ve traded to a unalike NAS from another brand name, and also I’m sincerely cheerful via the judgment.

Why My Next off NAS Won’t Be A Synology

Synology is not unmodified as it lended to be, and also its NAS machines aren’t well worth the silver either. The issuer didn’t lose its side overnight, yet it took void dramatically, via a bamboozle of hardware accords that gained each neoteric generation really feel prefer a little worse well worth than the last.

The the majority of distinct priority is processor selection. Synology boxes were never ever around raw power, and also that was unanimously correct when the price reflected it. Yet in recent years, prices have gone upwards while CPUs remained underwhelming. I was in the sector for a neoteric NAS, and also for the price I was affording a criterion Synology tools, I can retrieve a a number strong NAS from another brand name. More recent models still ship via cheapened-power ingrained chips that struggle as shortly as you quantify beyond criterion document serving.

That dilemma became a number worse when Synology relocated away from Intel chips via Quick Sync to AMD Ryzen ingrained processors in its Plus lineup. While Ryzen audios prefer an upgrade, these fussy chips scarcity an combined GPU. That indifferent judgment has sufficiently slain hardware transcoding on agglomerations of more recent Synology contraptions. For a NAS that’s generally lended as a media server, this was a comprehensive regression. Work that lended to sprinted successfully on the iGPU now hammer the CPU instead, elevating agglomerations, warm, and also power draw while carrying worse productivity.

Networking has obeyed unmodified unsatisfactory pattern. While the rest of the NAS sector has largely relocated on, Synology still ships too high contraptions via indifferent gigabit Ethernet miens or, at safest, 2.5GbE. Earlier networking in some instances telephone refers to as for add-in cards or better-tier models that instantly push prices out of reasonable territory. As shortly as foes are offering 10GbE or multi-gig miens at unmodified price times, Synology’s hardware feels stuck in the past.

I can still keep via unanimously of the overhanging, yet what undoubtedly gained me lose confidence in Synology was their physical effort to lock more recent contraptions to Synology-branded tricky drives. A NAS is basically a storage void tools. Tightening which drives can be lended rotates otherwise qualified hardware into an artificially low item. Even but Synology later overturned course after public nefariousness, the glide gained it loud and also legible that hardware versatility is zero a number longer certain, and also that suspicion renders long-term investment harder to warrant.

Equipment Isn’t The Lone Defect

DiskStation Company, Synology’s operating system for its NAS, was always its strongest card. It was approachable without being limiting, and also strong without compeling you into continual manual job, yet that equilibrium has gradually eroded. I have spotted that recent updates let loose thieving out things I depended on instead of structure on what currently massaged.

For instance, Photograph Station and also Moments apps were slain off and also replaced via Synology Images, which landed here via fewer services and also weaker taking care of of metadata. Video Station obeyed a unmodified route, peacefully going away and also vacating consumers peeking for third-party accords.

On optimal of that, media stabilize has recurring to break down. HEVC decoding and also transcoding priorities gained everyday playback a number less relied on. Work that as shortly as massaged out of the box now necessitated Docker cylinders, workarounds, and also discussion forum digging.

The Button Was Simpler Than I Presumed

I have been peeking for a NAS to replace my years-ratty DS420j, and also it’s been tricky to situate one from Synology that offers nice hardware within my $500 spending arrangement. I ended up upwards recovering the Ugreen Nasync DH4300 Plus, which pricing around $364. There isn’t a indifferent Synology variation that matches it hardware-for-hardware at that price.

I contrasted it via the Synology DS423, DS423+, and also DS925+, and also indifferent the DS925+ matches the usability, yet it pricing almost twice as a number. The table listed beneath need to positioned things into standpoint.

While the hardware on the DH4300 Plus tackles the majority of of the priorities I had via Synology, the software additionally encompasses to the suffer. Ugreen NAS machines sprinted UGOS out of the box, simply prefer Synology runs DSM. Owning currently informed this on the DH2300, I can say DSM is zero a number longer the safest out there.

For the past 3 months, I have preserved it dashing 24/7 without any kind of priorities, via ensconced upwards maintenance as shortly as a week for updates and also Docker restarts. I furthermore have a ensconced upwards trim void for the HDDs as shortly as a month. There are two consumers, a couple of PCs connected, 3 Docker cylinders, and also automated photo and also cloud syncing. It furthermore handles my media server requirements, via Plex for movies and also Roon for trails.

UGOS furthermore comes via unanimously the apps you retrieve via DSM, in vessel you wear’t want to self-host everything. You retrieve an app for storing media documents prefer movies and also other video clips, and also you can stream them to your smart TV, whether you’re on Google TV or Apple TV. I started the Images app to be rather convenient. It forms photos by faces, scenes, and also places. It can furthermore spick-and also-expectations upwards reproduces and also even build cds on its own. You can evoke a internet affiliation or a QR code and also send out it to family members without gleaning them void anything.

You wear’t ultimata a NAS to savor agglomerations of of the merits. There are plenty of self-realized apps out there that permit you snag manage, even when realized on your PC. For starters, weigh out these safest self-realized apps that we can’t recommend enough.