One of the best selling network-attached storage (NAS) on the market has got to be the Synology DS920+. It packs a lot of power into a tiny device that is ideal for home and small business users. In its tiny form factor, easy to operate and its affordable price, no wonder it is one of the best.
Introduction to Synology 4 bay NAS DiskStation DS920+
The DS920+ is a network attached storage (NAS) device made by Synology. It is a device that allows users to store and access files on a network, making it easy to share files among multiple devices. It is a high-performance device that is designed for use in businesses and homes with a large amount of data to store and access. It is equipped with a powerful processor (Intel quad-core processor) and has the ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
In addition to its powerful processor, the DS920+ also has a large amount of memory and storage capacity (4 slots expandable hard disk drives slot), making it ideal for storing and accessing large amounts of data. It can be used to store and access files such as documents, photos, videos, and music, and can be accessed from any device on the network. It also has a number of advanced features, such as the ability to automatically back up data and support for streaming media to other devices.
Highlights of DS920+ Synology
- Processor – Intel Celeron J4125 4-core 2.0 GHz, burst up to 2.7 GHz
- Memory – 4 GB DDR4, expandable to add 2 extra slots of M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
- Hard Disk Drive Slots – 4 x 3.5″ or 2.5″ SATA HDD/SSD (Hot swappable)
- Size – 8.78 x 7.83 x 6.54 inches
- Weight – 4.93 pounds
- LAN – 2 x Gigabit (RJ-45)
What you can do with the Synology NAS DS920+
The possibilities are almost limitless with what you can do with a Synology NAS. It is basically a lightweight and powerful home server system. Here are a few things you can do with the NAS Synology DS920+
- Photos – The Synology Photos app is one of the best available. It beats iCloud and even Google Photos. You have the ability to store your photos and videos in your own network-attached storage (NAS) without relying on a third party cloud server (risk of data breaches, lose access to your account due to suspicions of breach of TOS). More over, the Synology Photos app has artificial intelligence capabilities. It can automatically sort your images by face recognition or location. You can share similar face images with your family and friends with ease.
- Drive – The Synology Drive app beats storing your data on the cloud. You have full ownership of your own private data. You can access your data remotely and securely without storing them at cloud providers (risk of data breaches and hacks). You also have the ability to share your data with ease (whether to share it privately or publicly). Just like Synology Photos app, you can access your data on any operating system, whether you are using MacOS, Windows, Linux, Android or iOS.
- Note – The Synology Note Station makes note taking highly efficient. In a meeting and need to scribble notes? Just pop open the Synology Note app on your Android or iPhone. After you are done, it will automatically sync in your NAS. You can access them later in your PC or Mac easily.
- Plex – Plex media server can be run in the Synology NAS 920+ with hardware transcoding capabilities. You can easily store your TV shows and movies in your NAS and watch on your TV or mobile device using Plex.
- Surveillance – You can run surveillance on your NAS with ease with the Synology Surveillance Station app. Easily manage IP cameras to watch and record live videos. You can monitor it using web browser or mobile device (Synology DS Cam) for remote viewing.
- Time Machine Backup – Easily backup your MacOS into your NAS automatically. Schedule automatic backups everyday and run it in the background seamlessly.
- Office Spreadsheet, Documents, Slides – You can open word documents, spreadsheets or power point slides on your NAS and collaborate with your colleague. Edit documents in real-time and share, just like using Google Docs, only better autonomy and privacy over your data.
- Calendar, Contacts, Email, Chat Server – Yes, Synology even have apps for calendars, contacts and even email server and chat server. You can run all locally in your NAS and use. This is helpful for small business owners who want private control of their internal management and have autonomy of their data without relying on third party services.
- Apache, PHP, WordPress, Python, TeamViewer, Docker – Yes, just like a server, it can run third-party apps easily. You can even host a WordPress blog using your Synology NAS. The possibilities are endless.
However of course, the more applications you run on the same NAS, you risk exposing your network-attached storage device to hacks. To minimize the risk of these hacks, you should limit to the apps you use frequently and not installing unnecessary applications. You can also consider using a separate NAS device for running third-party apps, to minimize the risk of damage if hacks occur. Fortunately, Synology teams are very professional in providing updates for the system once bug or exploits are detected.
How easy to operate the DS920+
When you first receive your DS920+ NAS, you will receive a unit together with its power adapter, power cord, LAN cables (can be quite short), some screws and hard disk drive tray keys (keep it in a safe place – do not lose it, you will need it to open the hard disk drives bay).
Before powering up your NAS, you should install the hard drives first. Follow the instructions in the manual. It is really a breeze and nice experience. It can support 3.5 inch and 2.5 inch hard drives.
Then install all the cords and plug the LAN cables to the router. Power on the device and install DSM (DiskStation Manager) (the operating system Synology made for the NAS). On a PC or MacOS, on the same network as the NAS, open a web browser and type find.synology.com or synologynas:5000 .(synologynas.local:5000 for Mac computers) Follow the onscreen procedure to proceed.
Pros of owning the DS920+ NAS by Synology
4 Slots meaning you can install 4 hard disk drives for expandable storage capabilities. You can always start off with just 2 hard disk drives and add on in the future when you need to increase your storage capabilities. And it is just as easy as plugging in the new drives and Synology will automatically work its magic.
The fan runs quietly to cool down the NAS. So if you run it at your home, you will not be bothered by noise to be honest. Like desktop PCs with fans, occasionally you will need to vacuum off those dust on your NAS device.
It is small in size and lightweight compare to what it can do. A small sized computer server with all the capabilities in a small form factor. It can run Plex videos effortlessly with the base NAS without adding additional RAM.
Good if you need to access your data from multiple ecosystem. If you use Mac and Windows regularly, you will know how hard it is to transfer files from MacOS to PC and vice versa. You can also access your data easily from your iPhone or Android. Lots of apps built to support that. For a low price, with so much features, it is worth every dollar.
It is easy to set up and run the applications like Photos, Drive and Plex just to name a few.
How to build your NAS Synology DS920+
It is really a straightforward process. When you buy a NAS, it will come in without the hard drives. You will need the following
- DS920+ NAS
- Hard disk drives (NAS grade) – eg. Seagate IronWolf or WD Red
- UPS (uninterruptible power supply) – to safeguard your NAS in the event of power failure
- High grade ethernet cables (preferably Cat 8)
- High speed internet
- High speed router
- Additional RAM memory (optional)
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