Synology has just about perfected the NAS solution for small
businesses and the home user. The company’s Value Series is
considered to be one of the best examples of NAS units
available; in particular the DS216Play.This is a two-bay NAS drive complete with an STM STiH412 dual
core processor running at 1.5GHz, 1GB DDR3 memory and a
built-in 4K hardware video transcoding system with support for
H.264, H.265, MPEG-2 and VC-1.Other features include a single USB 3.0 and a single USB 2.0
port. The large 92mm fan, located at the back of the unit, does
an excellent job of keeping the two installed hard drives cool,
even when under substantial load.Naturally this increases the noise of the device somewhat, along
with the drives chugging away in the internal cradle but the
design of the DS216Play does dampen the noise levels slightly.
The on-paper level indicates 18.5 dBA but we’re tempted to say
that even with a pair of 6TB drives fitted and whirring away, the
noise levels were below that and barely audible at all.The DS216Play is actually quite a stylish looking unit. The matt
black finish of the body, with air vent Synology logo imprinted
on the sides, is complimented by the piano-black polished trim
that houses the indicator LEDs.Behind the hardware though is the real star of the show, the
DiskStation Manager operating system. Now on version 6.1,NAS units for the home have improved immensely over the years, thanks
in part to the technology used in business server rooms and superb
manufacturers such as Synology.
Synology DS216Play
Advanced Cloud Uses