What is the best Synology for me? Many starter Synology NAS models you’ll come across are DS213, DS218, and DS216. The “DS” stands for DiskStation, while the “2” reflects two hard drive bays or slots.
The numbers “13,” “16,” and “18” indicate the release year of the model. One important factor to note is the “+” suffix and the memory configuration. The “+” means higher processing power, while the base memory is typically 2GB but should ideally be at least 8GB.
For example, the DS2415+ offers 24 bays, was released in 2015, and belongs to the “+” series, indicating enhanced specs. The latest equivalent hardware to the DS2415+ is the DS2419+. The DS2415+ provides significantly more storage capacity and better protection options against drive failure, making it ideal for a small business environment.
The latest equivalent hardware to the DS2415+ is the DS2419+. The DS2415+ provides significantly more storage capacity and better protection options against drive failure, making it ideal for a small business environment.
So, what is the best Synology for me? It depends on your storage needs, budget, and performance requirements. If you’re a small business needing robust storage and reliability, a “+” series like the DS2415+ or DS2419+ is a great fit. For less demanding setups, smaller models like the DS218 might suffice.
Table of Contents
RAID 6 is Better Protection Against Drive Failure
Most people will choose SHR or RAID 5 which will allow 1 disk failure. You will want to choose SHR 2 RAID 6 if you are concerned about potential disk failures. Please refer to the link below if you would like more information on RAID. This post allows you to choose a RAID Type, understand the benefits of one RAID vs another, and discusses volume capacity.
How much Storage for Standard Photos, Videos, and Documents?
Depending on how much files you have and photos you have, the drives capacity will choose will be different. Same goes for if you are utilizing the DiskStation for backup. The HDD/SSD compatibility list below will give you what drives are known to work for DS2419+.
Check out the hard drive compatibility and capacity list for the DS2419+ and other Synology product models.
Max Storage Capacity is Reduced by Your RAID Configuration
RAID redundancy is necessary for avoiding catastrophic drive failure. You will be able to get a approximate RAID storage capacity from the RAID calculator below:
We chose 16TB drives x 12 of them in our default pic with a RAID type of SHR-2, RAID 6. This gave us a grand total of 160 TB. The DS2419+ was offered as a recommended NAS for its scalability plus the configurator offered plenty of other solutions. Please do note that true capacity will be around 90%-92%ish.
What is the best Synology for me summary
There are obvious many other variables for making an informed decision on a Synology but I think every starter Synology should be something like a DS219+. Need additional resources? Check out our Synology IT support blog post or start window shopping today.
