Introduction
Synology launched a new 2-bay with the Synology DS220+ at the end of last year. This one has been sitting on the shelf here for quite some time. Now is the time to put it to use and put it to the test. How do we like it? You can find out here.
Specifications
Let’s start with the specs.
CPU Model: Intel Celeron J4025
CPU Quantity: 1
CPU Architecture: 64-bit
CPU Frequency: 2-core 2.0 (base) / 2.9 (burst) GHz
Hardware Encryption Engine (AES-NI): Yes
System Memory: 2 GB DDR4 non-ECC
Total Memory Slots: 1
Maximum Memory Capacity: 6GB (2GB + 4GB)
Drive Bays: 2
Compatible Drive Type*:
3.5″ SATA HDD
2.5″ SATA HDD
2.5″ SATA SSD
Maximum Single Volume Size*: 108 TB
Hot Swappable Drive: Yes
External Ports
RJ-45 1GbE LAN Port: 2 (with Link Aggregation / Failover support)
USB 3.2 Gen 1 Port*: 2
USB / SD Copy: Yes
Internal Drives :
Btrfs
EXT4
External Drives:
Btrfs
EXT4
EXT3
FAT
NTFS
HFS+
exFAT*
Size (Height x Width x Depth): 165 mm x 108 mm x 232.2 mm
Weight: 1.30 kg
Others
System Fan: 92 mm x 92 mm x 1 pcs
Full-Speed Mode
Cool Mode
Quiet Mode
Brightness Adjustable Front LED Indicators: Yes
Power Consumption*:
14.69 W (Access)
4.41 W (HDD Hibernation)
Warranty
2 Years
Packaging Content
Main Unit X 1
Accessory Pack X 1
AC Power Adapter X 1
AC Power Cord X 1
RJ-45 LAN Cable X 2
Quick Installation Guide X 1
Unpacking
It is time to unpack the DS220+.
For this review, I’m using both the Kingston KC600 SSDs and a 2x 6TB WD Red.
Synology obviously supplies a number of items with the DS220+.
– 2x UTP cables
– 1x power cable + adapter
– Quick Installation Guide
– Screws to attach the HDDs/SSDs
We are used to the shapes and colors of the Synology series by now. Like the other 2-bays from Synology, the DS220+ has a plastic cover on the front that you can easily remove.
The nice thing about this type of Synology NAS is that it is easily expandable with hot-swappable drives. If a disk breaks during use, pull it out and put the new one in. Synology then rebuilds the system.
Both the left and right sides display the Synology logo. Because there is a kind of mesh in the logo, airflow is also possible through it.
Because there is one 92mm fan on the back, there is excellent airflow in the case. The HDDs stay cool.
The Synology DS220+ is equipped with two network connections (for Link Aggregation / Failover support), a Kensington Slot, and a USB connection. Of course, the adapter connection is not missing. Where the larger Synology NAS devices just have a normal connection, as you have on the back of a PSU, the smaller Synology NAS devices use an adapter. That’s nice because it allows you to keep the case small. As long as you don’t walk past it often and can potentially remove the NAS from its place, it wouldn’t come off easily either. 🙂
The nice thing about a NAS like this is that it is easily expandable with memory. Thus, via Docker/Virtual Machine Manager, an additional system can still be run – even with dedicated memory.
A nice thing about such systems is that HDDs can easily be placed and mounted in the bay. And then it is very easy to put the HDDs into the slots.
The ease of Synology’s bays, I’m full of praise for that. You remove pins on the side and place the HDD in the bay. Then push the pins back in by pushing the sides back and you’re done… the user.
Then the HDDs/SSDs can be pushed back into their slots.
Once booted, the lights of the bays, the LAN ports that are in use, the power button, and the status are lit. In the event of an alert, the alert LED will flash.
When the HDDs are also heavily used, you will see the small LEDs in the bays flicker. This is very convenient. This way you also know which bays are already in use, and which are not!
Because the other HDD was not available at the time of the shooting, you only see DISK 1 on.
This is of course very convenient – and I have already touched on it – that the ‘C’ button at the bottom (above the ON/OFF button) ensures that when a USB stick/SD card is connected via USB, by pressing the button can be copied to a predefined folder in no time.
Software
In my previous reviews (including the following: DS416play) I have shown Synology’s software in detail a number of times. In order not to make the review too long (again), I’ll grab some images from the other review. Because Synology uses uniform OS/software that is the same across all NAS devices. Does this change minimally? 😀 This is also a big advantage with the DSM because you do not have to read a new book every week to understand what a particular software can do and how it should be set up.
Since the DS220+ doesn’t have an LCD screen showing an IP address, I use the Synology Assistant to search for the DS220+ in the network. This actually always works properly.
Browsing the IP address will take you to the installation of the NAS. By following a number of steps, the system can be set up as desired.
The DS220+ can be set up in such a way, without automatic port forwarding, to be addressed via the internet. This is done via your Synology account. At the bottom, there is also an option to skip the step.
When selecting to do it yourself, port forwarding has to be set manually.
Once the installation is complete, you will arrive in DSM, the operating system of Synology. In my opinion one of the better OSs of the NAS devices that are currently on the market.
Clicking in the upper left corner opens the menu.
The control panel, in my opinion, is uncluttered. If you really want to see all the options, I definitely recommend reading the entire review of the DS416 (which I linked previously). There is too much to mention.
The advantage of DSM is that many apps have been made available. See [url=”https://www.synology.com/en-us/support/download/DS220+#packages”]here[/url]) for a complete list of apps available on the DS220+.
In addition, there are of course also 3rd parties that offer software. However, I want to give a quick look at what is available ‘by default’.
For the downloaders of ‘Linux ISOs’, there is also Download Station :D. This app allows downloading by BitTorrent or NZB or the like. It is also configurable such that when an NZB or Torrent is placed in a particular folder, it is immediately downloaded and processed on the NAS.
Before anything can be installed, a storage pool must be created. This is also just easy to set up.
In a dual bay NAS like the DS220+, in my opinion, it is recommended to use a RAID1 setup. RAID0 is fun/fast until something goes wrong. Then you will lose all your data. And with a storage device, that’s the last thing you want. However… also with a NAS, I want to emphasize that it is still important to make backups of the important files. A NAS can also fail (SPOF).
The other WD Red was also plugged into the DS220+. It is time to format.
I can assure you that running a ‘drive check’ takes a long time. The WD Reds were rattling for days.
Once the data pool has been created, the volume can be created. Here too it is possible to set up a volume in a few easy steps.
Personally, I always use Btrfs.
Do you want multiple volumes per data pool? Then this is easy to adjust by manually setting a size.
Once everything is installed and set up, it’s time to set something up. I’ve been wanting to play with pi-hole for a while – to cut down on the commercials (unfortunately, YouTube is still a thing). Of course not on Tweakers <3.
Using Docker it is easy to search for images. Installing and managing via DSM is really a lot easier than the other NAS devices – such as those from QNAP. It’s just a little more difficult there.
The container is loaded in no time. DNS from the router/internal systems in your network towards the pi-hole and then it’s time to fine-tune it (if anyone has good lists for pi-hole, I’d love to hear about it! :)).
Windows/Mac software
You can also download the necessary software for Windows and Mac via the website of Synology.
Apps
Synology has quite a few apps available in the iTunes and Android store that allow you to watch movies, listen to music, and manage files. There is also a cloud app available, and a number of others…
In the iTunes store, there are 15 apps from Synology that help the D220+, for example, stream music or movies, and manage or stream music/movies.
Curious about Synology’s apps? Then take a look at the App Store or Google Play.
Speeds
Of course, it is also important to look at the possibilities of HDDs. For these tests, I only used 1 network connection – whereas most have that using a 2-bay. The WD Reds really did write the data away without difficulty. No idea why I called the share SSD – a force of habit, but the DS220+ eats the data at 113 MB/s. The maximum was achievable with 1GB/s. The CPU peaked at 50% at that point. And I think that’s pretty neat. This means that the CPU is fast enough for the data. And that even when I was using Pi-Hole and a number of other applications.
However, it is again no powerhouse that just converts 4k MKVs to 1080p. For that, you really need to look a little further.
Also back from the WD Reds to the desktop results in good scores. The data is raked in at 113 MB/s.
Conclusion
With the DS220+, Synology has brought a ‘nice’ NAS to the market. The file share/data storage does what it does and still has just enough power to run just that little bit extra. The 2-bay NAS is easy to set up and manage. And that is exactly the purpose of such a 2-bay NAS. Not too much fuss.
Despite being the plus series, I wouldn’t advise you to use 4k transcoding on Plex. The little beast is not going to pull that off. By the way, you don’t want to fill a 2-bay NAS with movies, because it generally fills up pretty quickly. I would look for a 4-bay NAS for that.
If you are a Tweaker who prefers to build a NAS yourself, then in general do not think that you would really differ greatly in terms of costs. Of course, separate hardware is cheaper (you can also purchase it via pricewatch), but the time and energy that is put into DSM, well .. that costs something too. In the end, it’s also about convenience. Do you want to continuously update and figure out things yourself, or do you believe the manufacturer on good/working updates – which are also regularly rolled out….
With DSM, Synology also provides a standard OS on which a lot of apps can run. And that is the strength of DSM. Of course, you pay for it, but you do get something in return, namely a system that continuously gets new updates and features.
The entire list of apps can be found here).
It is clear that the 2-bay NAS from Synology is small. However, with today’s large-capacity HDDs, there is quite a significant gain to be made in terms of writing space. But that too must be proportionate. Buying an HDD that is twice as expensive as the NAS itself (and then again because of a raid1 setup) is also a bit crazy.
Anyway, the DS220+ surprised me again. Synology has put a faster CPU (newer generation) in the NAS, and it shows. The option to add additional memory also provides additional features.
I am pleasantly surprised with the DS220+. It’s just a shame that at the time of writing, DSM 7.0 is not yet out. I would have loved to click through that, and take you as a reader into it. Perhaps with the next Synology review.
The DS220+ gets 5 out of 5 stars from me.
