Synology DiskStation DS1522+ A Potentially Fast NAS

Storage

Synology DiskStation DS1522+

Pros

  • Good software
  • Spacious storage capacity
  • Fast performance
  • 10GbE option

Cons

  • Fairly expensive
  • No hardware transcoding
  • No built-in 10GbE port
Synology DiskStation DS1522+ EN Review

Introduction

Are you looking for a powerful and versatile NAS for your home or office environment? Then the Synology DS-1522+ might be something for you. This is a five-bay NAS with an AMD Ryzen processor, 8 GB DDR4 RAM, M.2 SSD slots and the possibility to install a 10 Gb LAN adapter. With the Synology DS-1522+ you can safely and quickly store and share all your important files, backups and media. Moreover, you can benefit from the many applications and features that Synology DSM 7.1 offers, such as Synology Drive, Moments, Active Backup, Surveillance Station and more. In this review we will take a close look at the Synology DS-1522+ and test how it performs in different scenarios. We will also discuss the specifications, design, software and usage of this NAS. Read on to find out if the Synology DS-1522+ is the right NAS for you.
Synology send me the nas, so that I could review it (partly sponsored nas).

The Dutch review of the DS1522+ can be read here! 

The Dutch review of the DS3622xs+ can be read here! 

Specifications

The Synology DS-1522+ is a NAS with the following specifications:
• CPU: AMD Ryzen R1600, a 6-core processor with a clock speed of 2.6 GHz and a boost up to 3.4 GHz
• RAM: 8 GB DDR4 ECC SODIMM, expandable up to 32 GB
• Bays: 5 slots for 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch SATA HDD or SSD, with a maximum capacity of 100 TB (20 TB per disk)
• Expandability: up to 15 disk slots with 2 DX517 expansion units, with a maximum capacity of 300 TB (20 TB per disk)
• M.2 slots: 2 slots for NVMe SSD, which can be used for caching or storage pool
• LAN: 4 built-in 1GbE ports with support for failover and load balancing
• Optional 10GbE: a dedicated slot for the E10G22-T1-Mini network upgrade module
• USB: 2 USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports
• eSATA: 2 eSATA ports for connection to the DX517 expansion units
• Cooling: 2 fans of 92 mm
• Power consumption: 52.06 W in operation and 21.86 W in sleep mode
• Dimensions: 166 mm x 230 mm x 223 mm
• Weight: 2.7 kg
With these specifications, the Synology DS-1522+ can be used for various applications, such as file server, backup server, media server, surveillance server and more. You can choose from dozens of apps for small businesses and use the flexible and user-friendly Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM) as operating system. Whether you want to store, share, sync or protect your files, the Synology DS-1522+ offers you a versatile data hub for home and office, but more on that later.

Price

The Synology DS-1522+ is not cheap. It costs about 800 euros without disks. That means you have to spend extra money on hard disks or SSDs to fill and run the NAS. Depending on the capacity and quality of the disks you choose, this can add up to hundreds of euros extra. So you have to think carefully if this investment is worth it for what the NAS has to offer.There are also other NAS devices in the same price range that you can consider, such as:
– QNAP TS-653D: more slots, faster network, more expansion, same CPU, more RAM
– TerraMaster F5-422: same slots, 10GbE network, less CPU, less RAM
– Asustor AS6604T: less slots, faster network, HDMI port, same CPU, less RAM

Unboxing

The Synology DS-1522+ comes in a sturdy cardboard box with the Synology logo and model name on it. Inside we find the following contents:
– The Synology DS-1522+ NAS itself, wrapped in a plastic bag and protected by foam
– A power cord and an external power adapter
– Two RJ45 network cables
– A quick start guide and a warranty card
– A bag with screws for attaching 2.5-inch disks or SSDs
– A key for locking and unlocking the disk trays
To install the NAS, we first have to remove the disk trays from the enclosure by unlocking them with the key and pulling on the handles. Then we can place our 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch SATA HDD or SSD in the tray and secure it with the included screws. For 3.5-inch disks no screws are needed, because they are held by plastic pins on the sides of the tray. Then we can slide the tray back into the enclosure and lock it. We can repeat this for up to five disks.
If we want to use NVMe SSDs for caching or storage pool, we first have to remove the top cover of the NAS by loosening two screws at the back. Then we see two M.2 slots on the right side of the motherboard. We can place our NVMe SSDs there and secure them with the included screws. Then we can put the cover back and tighten it.
Now we can connect the NAS to a power outlet with the power cord and power adapter, and to our network with one or more network cables. We can also connect optional accessories, such as USB devices or eSATA expansion units. If we want to install a 10GbE network card, we first have to remove the rear fan by loosening four screws. Then we see a PCIe slot where we can place our network card and secure it with a screw. Then we can put the fan back and tighten it.
When everything is connected, we can turn on the NAS with the power button on the front. We hear a beep as a sign that the system has started. Then we can go to find.synology.com on our computer to find and configure the NAS.
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SYNOLOGY DS-1522+ EN REVIEW

The DS1522+ comes with the following:
– manuals
– power cable and adaptor
– two network cables
– screws to tighten the hdds/ssds and keys to lock the drive bays – so you can’t just take out the storage.

SYNOLOGY DS-1522+ EN REVIEW

As we are used to from Synology, this nas also has the same layout.

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SYNOLOGY DS-1522+ EN REVIEW

The DS1522+ NAS has an 8 GB DDR4 ECC SODIMM, which is expandable to 32 GB.

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SYNOLOGY DS-1522+ EN REVIEW

What is a nice option of the 1522+ is that it has two M.2. has slots, so the NAS can be made even faster, or even used as data storage / application storage.

SYNOLOGY DS-1522+ EN REVIEW

SYNOLOGY DS-1522+ EN REVIEW

The backside of the NAS is actually not that very special, a kensington lock, 4x 1GbE, USB and two connections for external drive bays. What’s probably special is the 10GbE expansion that must be purchased separately, which goes into the slot under the left fan.

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For the tests I use Toshiba 18TB drives. And they work great in my opinion.

SYNOLOGY DS-1522+ EN REVIEW

Of course, the HDDs can also be screwed in place, which also applies to SSDs.

SYNOLOGY DS-1522+ EN REVIEW

Let’s put the drives in and turn on the DS1522+. Time to take a closer look at the software/OS.

SYNOLOGY DS-1522+ EN REVIEW

SYNOLOGY DS-1522+ EN REVIEW

Software

The Synology DS-1522+ runs on Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM) 7.1, the operating system that is specially made for Synology NAS devices. DSM 7.1 has a super handy and easy web interface, where you can set up, control and monitor the NAS. You can also access the NAS via mobile apps, such as DS File, DS Photo, DS Video and more.
DSM 7.1 also has a lot of apps and features that you can install and use on the NAS, depending on what you want to do. Here are a few examples:
– Synology Drive: a cloud service that syncs and backs up your files between your devices and the NAS, and also lets you collaborate on documents, spreadsheets and presentations
– Synology Photos: a photo app that automatically sorts your photos based on faces, subjects and locations, and also lets you share albums with family and friends
– Synology Moments: a photo app that uses artificial intelligence to group your photos based on faces, places and subjects
– Synology Active Backup: a backup solution that protects your data on different platforms, such as Windows PCs, Macs, VMware, Hyper-V, Office 365 and G Suite
– Synology Surveillance Station: a video surveillance solution that works with more than 8,000 IP cameras and provides live views, recordings, notifications and analytics
– Synology Video Station: a media server app that organizes and streams your videos to your devices, with support for subtitles, thumbnails and metadata
– Synology Audio Station: a media server app that organizes and streams your music to your devices, with support for playlists, internet radios and smart speakers
– Synology Download Station: a download manager app that downloads files from the internet via HTTP, FTP, BitTorrent, NZB and more
– Synology Hyper Backup: a backup solution that backs up your data to local or remote locations, such as USB disks, other Synology NAS devices or cloud services
These are just a few examples of what you can do with the Synology DS-1522+. You can discover much more on the Synology website or in the DSM interface itself.
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SYNOLOGY DS-1522+ EN REVIEW

The storage of the Synology can be set up in different ways;
SHR, SHR-2, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10, Basic, JBOD and RAID0.
All these raid types have their own good feature. It is therefore good to read in what you need for your storage.

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The coolest thing about Synology is that there are a huge number of apps available.

SYNOLOGY DS-1522+ EN REVIEW

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SYNOLOGY DS-1522+ EN REVIEW

SYNOLOGY DS-1522+ EN REVIEW

The configuration menu is also not bad, here – as we are used to from Synology – a lot of things can be adjusted.

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SYNOLOGY DS-1522+ EN REVIEW

The Synology NAS can also be joined to a network domain or even LDAP. Even SSO is an option.

SYNOLOGY DS-1522+ EN REVIEW

Of course things like firewall, security, network access can be added.

SYNOLOGY DS-1522+ EN REVIEW

SYNOLOGY DS-1522+ EN REVIEW

If you are a techie who likes to play with the terminal / CLI, that is also an option with Synology.

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Fortunately, the system can be kept up-to-date quickly by setting it as an automatic update or by clicking the button for the manual DSM update.

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One of the important programs is really the storage manager. This has all the information about the status of the hard drives / SSDs / NVMes.

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SYNOLOGY DS-1522+ EN REVIEW

Usage

The Synology DS-1522+ is not only a powerhouse in terms of software, but also in terms of usage. You can use the NAS for various purposes, such as storing and sharing your files, streaming your media, backing up your devices, monitoring your home or office, and more.
You can also expand the NAS with more disks, faster networks or extra features, depending on your needs. The Synology DS-1522+ is also economical in power consumption, as it uses between 16 and 53 watts, depending on your configuration and disks. Moreover, you get a 3-year warranty on the hardware, which you can extend to 5 years with the new Extended Warranty Plus program4.
To give you a better idea of how you can use the Synology DS-1522+, here are a few possible scenarios:
– Home use: You can use the DS1522+ to store and share all your personal files, photos, videos and music with your family and friends. You can also use apps like Synology Photos to organize and view your photos on all your devices, or Synology Video Station to stream your videos to your smart TV or mobile device. You can also back up all your computers and mobile devices with Synology Active Backup or Hyper Backup, so you never lose anything. And if you have a security camera, you can connect it to the DS1522+ with Synology Surveillance Station to view live images or record them.
– Small business use: You can use the DS1522+ to store and share all your business files, documents and projects with your colleagues and customers. You can also use apps like Synology Drive to collaborate on files in real-time, or Synology Office to create and edit online documents, spreadsheets and presentations. You can also back up all your computers, servers and cloud services with Synology Active Backup for Business, so you always have a copy of your important data. And if you need an email server, you can set it up on the DS1522+ with Synology MailPlus.
– Creative use: You can use the DS1522+ to store and edit all your creative files, such as photos, videos and music. You can also use apps like Synology Moments to enhance your photos with artificial intelligence, or Synology Audio Station to organize and play your music on all your devices. You can also back up all your creative projects with Synology Hyper Backup, so you can always restore them if something goes wrong. And if you install a 10GbE network card on the DS1522+, you can benefit from faster file transfers and access.
But this NAS is unfortunately not perfect. There are also some drawbacks that you need to consider before buying this NAS. Here are a few examples:
– No hardware transcoding: The AMD Ryzen R1600 CPU that powers the DS1522+ is good for file management and multitasking, but not for video conversion. If you want to stream a lot of media to devices that do not have native support for certain formats or resolutions, you will find that the DS1522+ is not able to play them smoothly. You need a NAS with a graphics-oriented CPU, such as the Intel Celeron or Pentium.
– No built-in 10GbE port: The DS1522+ does have the possibility to add a 10GbE network card via a dedicated slot at the back, but this card is not included by default. You have to buy it separately for about 150 euros extra. Moreover, this card is only compatible with the DS1522+, so if you ever want to upgrade to another NAS, you cannot take it with you.
– High price and no disks included: The DS1522+ is not cheap. It costs about 800 euros without disks. That means you have to spend extra money on hard disks or SSDs to fill and run the NAS. Depending on the capacity and quality of the disks you choose, this can add up to hundreds of euros extra.

Conclusion

The Synology DS-1522+ is a NAS that has a lot to offer for different types of users. It has good software, a spacious storage capacity, fast performance and a 10GbE option. With the DSM 7.1 software you can enjoy an intuitive and comprehensive file management, media organization, backup options, virtualization, security and more. With the five slots you can have up to 108 TB of storage space, and with the two eSATA ports you can further expand that to 360 TB. With the AMD Ryzen R1600 CPU and the 8GB RAM you can perform multiple tasks at once without delay. And with the possibility to add a 10GbE network card via a dedicated slot, you can benefit from faster file transfers and access.
But the Synology DS-1522+ is not perfect. It also has some drawbacks that you need to consider before buying this NAS. It is expensive, it has no hardware transcoding and it has no built-in 10GbE port. It costs about 800 euros without disks, so you have to spend extra money on hard disks or SSDs to fill and run the NAS. It cannot convert videos to other formats or resolutions, so if you want to stream a lot of media to devices that do not have native support, you will find that the DS-1522+ is not able to play them smoothly. It also does not have a standard 10GbE port, so if you want to benefit from a faster network, you have to buy a separate card for about 150 euros extra. But, once again that’s another 150 euros – which makes it quite an expensive NAS.
So, is the Synology DS-1522+ a good NAS for you? That depends on what you are looking for and what you need. If you are looking for a NAS that can do everything, the DS-1522+ is a good choice. It has good software, a spacious storage capacity, fast performance and a 10GbE option. But if you have a limited budget or specific needs, you might want to look at other NAS devices that are cheaper or better suited for you.
I rate the Synology DiskStation DS1522+ 4 out of 5 stars.

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