Synology DiskStation DS223j review

Synology releases new NAS sometimes lately, leaving over 2.5 years from when the DS220j appeared to the brand new DS223j.

Utilizing an similar enclosure, the brand new DS223j has all of the hallmarks of the painfully incremental nature of Synology NAS. Subsequently, this design has a touch higher CPU than the mannequin earlier than it. And, extra reminiscence however the identical 1GbE LAN port and lots of the acquainted restrictions on drive sizes and utilizing SSDs. Its means to run the most recent 7.2 DSM working system, together with lots of the high-quality apps from the Synology steady, is barely extra attractive.

Is that this sufficient to maintain prospects from getting extra concurrent options from TerraMaster, Asustor and QNAP, or is the DS223j designed to curiosity solely these already invested within the Synology infrastructure?

Design & Construct

• No new styling
• No drive trays
• Disassembly required

It wasn’t an enormous shock, however the DS223j presents no new styling and seems similar to the DS220j, with the apparent exception of a tiny printed brand on the entrance.

In my TerraMaster F2-212 evaluation, I solely took that machine aside out of curiosity as a result of it has drive trays. However the Synology DS223j should be disassembled to suit any drives because it comes with no drive trays or bay accessibility from the surface. Inside is an easy steel body that you may mount two 3.5-inch SATA drives, and Synology doesn’t present a way to make use of 2.5-inch drives with out an extra accent that isn’t included.

As most homeowners gained’t be altering drives commonly, this train isn’t an enormous annoyance. What’s much less acceptable is that these wanting to make use of 2.5in drives do face an additional outlay for the official Synology 2.5in Disk Holder Sort C, whereas most different 2-bay NAS can take each kind components inherently. Aside from mounting drives, there isn’t a different function for going inside. As a result of the RAM on this machine is soldered to the mainboard, there are not any SODIMM enlargement choices or different inside upgrades.

What’s essential to understand is that Synology doesn’t need the DS223j to change into a reasonable choice for small enterprise customers to keep away from spending on larger specification NAS, so it might probably’t provide something too helpful. However, as this evaluation discusses later, it could have been compelled to offer the DS223j extra potential than in all probability supposed.

Specs & Options

• Realtek 1619B SoC
• Two 3.0 USB ports
• Solely Gigabit LAN
• Lacks official SSD assist

The Realtek 1619B within the DS223j is an ARM-based SoC (System on a Chip), the identical one which the TerraMaster F2-212 makes use of, and it was designed particularly for TV containers. It is a fundamental however efficient quad-core chip constructed across the Cortex-A55 microarchitecture, with every core able to 1.3GHz.

On paper, the utmost reminiscence capability on that SoC is 4GB, however it is just provided with 1GB of RAM on this configuration. That stated, the DS220j solely had 512GB and a a lot much less spectacular SoC, making this the primary entry-level dual-bay NAS from Synology with this a lot RAM. Whereas extra reminiscence is usually a superb factor, and 1GB isn’t an enormous quantity, it is sufficient to run the most recent DSM 7.2 launch and lots of the important apps supported by that platform.

The SoC additionally offers two USB ports, and on this NAS, they’re each USB 3.2 Gen 1 specification, permitting for exterior storage to switch to and from the NAS at as much as 1,000MB/s. Or that may be attainable if the inner drives or the LAN port might maintain that stage of efficiency, which standard exhausting drives can’t.

Each ports are on the rear of the NAS, and there’s no button to switch the contents from an exterior drive to the NAS.

Synology is a kind of NAS makers that gives permitted drive lists for every NAS, and the DS223j isn’t any exception. Its compatibility lists embrace Synology branded mechanisms as much as 12TB, the largest capability they provide, and as much as 16TB drives made by Seagate, Western Digital and Toshiba.

Whereas no 18-, 20- or 22TB are listed at the moment, it doesn’t appear unreasonable to count on they may or will do as soon as the compatibility lists are up to date. Formally, that limits the whole capability to 32TB, assuming a configuration with no resilience or 16TB for individuals who wish to shrug off drive failures.

Even utilized in striped efficiency mode, the throughput of two 16TB drives will solely quantity to about 340MB/s, however that’s not a problem as a result of the DS223j solely has a single gigabit Ethernet port. That’s a sensible most of round 115MB/s, lower than the efficiency of most 3.5in HDDs. Synology’s fairly dogged insistence on not providing 2.5GbE is turning into more and more problematic.

Many cheaper Desktop NASs now include a 2.5GbE LAN port or the flexibility to make use of a USB adapter so as to add it, whereas Synology refuses to supply higher than 1GbE on most consumer-focused merchandise.

A associated truth is that Synology doesn’t assist SSDs on this unit for storage or caching. I discovered that SATA SSDs will work on this platform as storage, even when they arrive with loads of compatibility warnings, must you want to make this NAS virtually silent.

However then, with solely a 1GbE LAN port, utilizing SATA SSD drives that may obtain 500MB/s, 4 occasions the community velocity, might be pointless for file serving. For these jobs the place native processing is essential, utilizing SSDs may need worth, even when they’re not permitted by Synology.

It’s price noting that the TerraMaster F2-212, a competing system, additionally comes with a 1GbE LAN port by default, however it’s attainable to purchase an official USB 3.2 Gen 1 to 2.5GbE LAN adapter for round $30. Utilizing that system and with assist for SSD caching, the F2-212 can ship information at twice the perfect velocity of the DS223j.

Synology has tied the DS223j down successfully to keep away from treading on the toes of its extra feature-rich NAS choices, however the card up Synology’s sleeve is DSM 7.2.

DSM 7.2 OS

• The most recent OS
• Opens up new potentialities

For these unfamiliar with Synology DSM, that is simply probably the most mature Linux-based distribution constructed explicitly for NAS. It has the perfect purposes and, up so far, has a profitable monitor document of providing safety in opposition to malware.

In 2021, Synology launched DSM 7.0, the most recent level launch of its NAS working system, and on the similar level, condemned many older NAS designs to run DSM 6.2 perpetually. Its launch resulted from a three-year growth challenge to overtake the DSM constructions and make it higher capable of exploit the facility of newer processor applied sciences that the Synology NAS product traces now use.

However one of many points that got here with DSM 7.0 was that it wanted extra reminiscence to ship its full expertise, and even when among the Entry-level fashions might technically run this launch, with 512GB of RAM, the number of apps obtainable to them have been curtailed from what Synology NAS with 1- or 2GB might use.

Since then, Synology has labored tirelessly to repair a number of points that DSM 7.0 arrived with and just lately introduced the present launch as much as 7.2. That’s the model that the DS223j can run, and mixed with the 1GB of RAM, it abruptly opens an entire new world of performance that wasn’t obtainable to the DS220j or any of its prior 2-bay NAS incarnations.

There are many instruments that both aren’t obtainable to Synology NAS with lower than 1GB of RAM or don’t run nicely that the DS223j can entry with its expanded reminiscence. One of the crucial essential for builders is the Container Supervisor app by Docker Inc.

With the ability to run containers massively extends the capabilities of this NAS, changing a fundamental file server into the sharp finish of a software program growth system. And, for these wanting to make use of this NAS as a workable system, it’s also possible to run Beta variations of Synology Drive Server, Synology Workplace and Common Viewer.

In contrast with earlier Synology entry-level NASs, that one side is a revelation. It elevates the person expertise to be nearer to larger specification choices and offers a logical pathway for patrons to see what benefits dearer machines may provide them.

Efficiency

• Single Gigabit LAN
• 1GB of reminiscence
• SSD use

The bottleneck of this method is the 1GbE LAN port, and Synology doesn’t provide any method round these bandwidth limits, capping the utmost file switch speeds to round 115MB/s. A number of simultaneous customers will find yourself with a portion of that velocity, and the extra customers, the much less every one will get.

Being the primary tier of 2-bay NAS for Synology, these limitations include this worth level.

The DS223j diverges from earlier 2-bay fashions as a result of the four-core SoC and 1GB of RAM mixture make for a extra resilient system the place a single rogue activity can’t knee-cap the NAS to the purpose the place it turns into unusable.

The place utilizing instruments like Plex or Video Station beforehand restricted what the opposite purposes may very well be run alongside, on this machine, it’s attainable to have a couple of utility put in and hold issues shifting easily.

There are limits to what the RAM can obtain, however these points are sometimes tied to a number of apps making an attempt to make use of the drive assets concurrently and thrashing the SATA drives. This drawback may be negated considerably through the use of SATA SSDs, even when Synology disapproves. The perfect answer would have been to have one massive exhausting drive and a single SATA SSD for caching, however Synology doesn’t provide that choice on DSM 7.2 on this NAS.

That will have accelerated indexing or post-upload processing duties on this NAS, however that in all probability made the DS223j extra helpful than Synology needed.

No matter storage used on this NAS gained’t massively affect the file serving efficiency (except the drive has an error), however sooner drives and SSDs might have a way more important affect on knowledge processing that occurs on the NAS on to the file system.

General, the efficiency of the DS223j is great and considerably higher than the DS220j or DS218j that got here earlier than it.

Value & Availability

The official worth of the DS223j is simply $189.99 within the USA and £189.99 within the UK, making it higher worth in America than in Europe. Nonetheless, it may be discovered for much less on Amazon within the UK, making for a better parity in worth.

That’s $20/£20 greater than the equally specified TerraMaster F2-212, a NAS that has each correct drive trays and might improve its networking to 2.5GbE speeds. However to stability issues considerably, the DS223j does have higher USB ports and a superior working system with DSM.

The asking worth can also be $10/£10 greater than the Asustor AS1102T 2 Bay Drivestor 2 Desktop NAS, a machine that comes with 2.5GbE as commonplace however makes use of the identical RTD1296 Quad-Core 1.4GHz SoC that was within the DS220j.

No matter you select, you must price range for drives since all these costs are for a NAS with out them. Suppose you don’t want all the pliability offered by the Synology app choice and are primarily interested by file serving. In that case, the identical outlay will get you a WD My Cloud Dwelling with 4TB of area pre-installed and 8TB for an additional $100/£100 extra. The worth of the DS223j is similar because the DS220j, which was launched in early 2020, and with inflation factored in, it is a significantly better deal.

This NAS makes good sense for these invested in Synology expertise and, like that firm, ignoring the sights of a 2.5GbE LAN, the DS223j makes good sense. Conversely, this may not be the only option if you wish to improve the community for larger efficiency.

Examine our chart of the greatest NAS drives for extra options.

Do you have to purchase the Synology DiskStation DS223j?

For these already utilizing Synology NAS, the DS223j is an ideal small addition that will get the person onboard with DSM 7.2 and lots of the OS’s glorious options.

Nonetheless, its selection could be extra problematic for customers who desire a NAS to dump massive video information and have computer systems that assist 2.5GbE or higher community protocols. For these wants, Asustor and TerraMaster have equally priced machines that may greater than double the velocity of a file switch, and most of them additionally assist SSDs for each storage and cache.

As a reviewer of NAS, I hope that is the final 2-bay NAS from Synology that arrives with a 1GbE LAN port and no means to improve it. However given the stubbornness exhibited on this level to this point, I wouldn’t take any bets on that.

Regardless of that omission and the additional expenditure wanted to make use of 2.5in drives, the DS223j has every part else {that a} house or small enterprise person may need from a NAS, and this specification makes for a considerably higher person expertise operating a number of apps.

Specs

• CPU: Realtek 1619B
• GPU: ARM Mali-G51 MP3
• RAM: 1GB DDR4 (not upgradable)
• Drive Bays: 2x 3.5/2.5 SATA
• M.2 Drive Slots: N/A
• Most Drives with Growth: 2
• USB: 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1
• Video Outputs: N/A
• Raid Varieties: Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR), Fundamental.RAID 0, RAID 1, JBOD
• Weight: 0.88 Kg
• Dimensions: 165 x 100 x 225.5 mm
• Networking: 1x 1GbE Ethernet (100/1000)
• OS: DSM 7.2
• Inner File Programs: Btrfs, ext4
• Exterior File Programs: Btrfs, ext4, ext3, FAT32, NTFS, HFS+, exFAT
• OS Languages: Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese Brazil, Portuguese European, Russian, Simplified Chinese language, Spanish, Swedish, Conventional Chinese language, Turkish, Thai