The Synology DiskStation DS216j is a dual-drive consumer network-attached
storage (NAS) device that's simple to install and administer. After you set it up with a couple of internal drives, it's ready to serve files over both your home network and the Internet. Downloadable apps give it plenty of extra functionality such as personal cloud syncing, multimedia services, and security camera recording, though you'll have to install each service separately.
Out of the box, the DS216j is a central file repository, so it's ready to keep your backups and files in a central location that's accessible from anywhere. The white plastic DS216j is about the size of a large external desktop hard drive, measuring 6.5-by-3.9-by-8.9-inches, so it is fairly unobtrusive if you connect it to your home router and just leave it there.
On its front panel are the Power button and status LEDs for power, LAN activity, and the activity of the two internal drives. The back panel has a Gigabit Ethernet port, a Kensington lock port, and two USB 3.0 ports for moving data to external drives.
You'll need a Phillips screwdriver to install your own 3.5- or 2.5-inch SATA drives, since none are included. The NAS is sold diskless for a lower purchase price, and to give you flexibility when choosing how much storage you ultimately want to pay for. We installed one 4TB Seagate NAS drive. The capacity of the Synology DS216j maxes out at 16TB with two 8TB NAS drives, the largest currently available.
The drives in the NAS are effectively sealed away after you screw closed the DS216j's case. Once set up, the DS216j is preset to share files with Linux, Mac, and Windows PCs, as well as any Android or iOS mobile devices on which you've installed Synology's DS file app. Other functionality is available after downloading add-on packages from Synology's Package Center.
It works like an app store, so you can add a DLNA-compatible media server, download management tools (including BitTorrent, FTP, and so on), photo and music libraries, cloud sync functionality, note server, surveillance camera recording, iTunes server, Plex server, antivirus protection, and many other services to the NAS.
Remote access is excellent thanks to the built-in QuickConnect service. During the initial setup, you can register your NAS with Synology. The NAS's control panel will then show a QuickConnect ID, which you can enter into a mobile app or use with the QuickConnect.to website for access over the Internet.
You'll then interact with the NAS's control panel and any add-on packages using a simple GUI that looks like a desktop OS. Essentially, this replaces the need to set up a VPN on your home router, since Synology handles the secure connection between the remote PC in your workplace and the DS216j.
Mobile app support is decent, with individual Android and iOS apps for NAS monitoring (DS finder), downloads (DS download), file management (DS file), and cloud syncing (DS cloud), as well as self-explanatory apps like DS audio, DS note, DS mail, and DS video. Having so many individual media apps is a little over the top, though, since the simple DS file app can view photos and open music and video files on your mobile device. The DS216j comes with a two-year warranty.
The NAS is powered by a dual-core Marvell 385 88F6820 processor running at 1GHz, and has 512GB of RAM. The drives spin up quickly from sleep, so you're ready to access your files or the DiskStation Manager interface over the Web in a few seconds.
The DS216j performed admirably on our wired write (68MBps) and read (74MBps) tests. The Synology DS216j is a speedy and easy-to-administer NAS for the home user. It has plenty of optional extras like media services, a backup server, surveillance camera support, and antivirus protection, and you don't have to install or use those services if you don't need them.
Remote file and media access is top-notch, so you can access your home file store while on the road, in a coffee shop, or at work. The Synology DS216j will definitely get the job done if you're on a budget.
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