Synology DiskStation DS220j NAS Device Review

The Synology DiskStation DS220j is a budget-friendly storage solution that is perfect for small businesses and home users. It offers a variety of features and capabilities, making it an ideal choice for anyone who needs a reliable storage solution. The DS220j is equipped with 2GB DDR3 memory and a SATA 6Gb/s hard drive, making it capable of storing large files and data. The Synology DiskStation DS220j is a 2-bay NAS device that supports both Windows and Mac OS X. It offers a fast Intel Atom processor and 4GB of internal storage. The DS220j is also expandable to 6TB with an optional expansion unit.

Design

The Synology DiskStation DS220j has the same glossy white exterior as its little brother the DS218j. There are four LED status lights along one side to indicate status, drive activity, and LAN activity. In the back, you’ll find two USB 3.0 ports and a GB LAN port. You’ll need a small screwdriver to open and close the enclosure. Be careful because the screws are tiny! The drives are not included in this NAS so you’ll have to provide you’re own. This is the case with all but a few NAS devices. Hard drives that are designed for NAS use such as WD Red and Seagate Iron Wolf drives are recommended.

Features

The Synology DS220j may look identical to the DS218j but it includes some major hardware upgrades. The processor has been upgraded from a 1.3GHZ dual-core to a 1.4GHz quad-core. The 512MB of memory has also been upgraded from DDR3 to DDR4. The maximum drive space capacity is now 32TB. Wow! RAID levels supported by the DS220j are SHR (Synology’s Hybrid RAID), RAID 0, RAID 1, and JBOD. Detailed explanations of the different types of RAID and their uses can be found in my eBook. Synology’s NAS Operating System is known as DiskStation Manager or DSM for short. It can be accessed from a web browser just like a WiFi router’s web interface can but the DSM feels much more like a full-fledged Windows Operating System. You’ll find Package Center, Control Panel, File Station, and Help are all intuitively designed and easy to use.

Synology DiskStation DS220j Setup

First, you’ll need a small screwdriver and a bottle cap to keep your screws in. Simply remove the screw on the rear panel and slide the enclosure off. Inside are the bays for your hard drives which should slide in easily. Button up the NAS, connect it with an Ethernet cable, power it on, and enter http://find.synology.com. Make sure to make note of your IP address because it may this may only work once. Once you’re in you’ll want to run the setup wizard to complete the installation. The quickest RAID type to set up is SHR. Detailed setup instructions can be found in my ebook.

Performance

The DS220j’s file transfer rates were noticeably better than the DS218j and nearly equal to the Asustor AS4002T NAS. Of course, straight-line file transfer rates don’t tell the whole story. Other factors such as file size, transcoding, and the number of connected users at a given time will also affect your overall performance.

Synology DiskStation DS220j – Video

Conclusion

This is a great basic NAS for home use. It excels at file sharing, backups, and even streaming multi-media files as long as they’re not too large and on your home network. The DS220j’s improved performance and affordable prices make this a great entry-level NAS device.

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