Synology DS420 is an ideal DiskStation loaded with powerful software and comes at an affordable price. Ideal for Small Business & Home Network

Product Review – Synology Diskstation DS420j

Synology DS420 is an ideal DiskStation loaded with powerful software and comes at an affordable price. Ideal for Small Business & Home Network

Keywords – Multimedia, back up, powerful software, user friendly, unboxing video

The modern NAS drive has become a popular option for many homes, providing a convenient location to backup files from multiple devices and share them with others. Most start with a single or dual-drive system, and for those that grow large media collections, the next logical step is a four-drive solution like the Synology DS420j system that has been reviewed here. As a matter of fact, due to worldwide  Coronavirus outbreak situation, more and more people have to work from home, hence the need to have a NAS System which offers easy availability of data storage. 

The extra drives allow for greater overall capacity, more resilience against drive failure and less chance of data loss. As a J Series machine, the DS420j is aimed at those that want those good things, but at an affordable price.

Network Attached Storage or NAS devices have evolved from being plain data storage boxes to special-purpose computers that come in many shapes and sizes. From basic, two- (and even one-bay) devices targeted at home users, to multi-bay devices with specifications that can rival some enterprise servers, NAS devices serve various functions and are available at various price points.

For any business or institution to run efficiently, there is need to have a reliable data storage solution. It is worth noting that data storage solutions are mainly local or cloud-based. However, a NAS device is like a blend of both local and cloud based data storage solutions.

Why to switch over from External Hard Drive to NAS System?

Here are few questions we keep on hearing from users who are still dependent on Hard Drives.

• Does my external hard drive ensure no data loss?
• Are those photos that you took from the DSLR camera will be safe for a very long time in my hard disk?
• Can I access that video of my cute niece from your phone while my hard disk is sitting idle in your home?

In order to answer these questions, we have to understand the pain which the users are facing through and they need to switch over to the NAS System. Here are few limitations associated with hard drive usage. With technological advancements in data storage and retrieval, the use of Hard drives have become obsolete.  To make matters worse, hard drives also use a lot of power and generate a lot of heat, increasing both power consumption and cooling costs.

Finally, HDDs are more prone to data loss and downtime, mostly because they have moving parts, making them susceptible to shocks from being knocked or dropped.

Organizations spend large amounts of money on client systems, and these problems result in higher capital and operating expenses, as well as user dissatisfaction and lost productivity. They need:

1. Drive technology that increases performance by accessing data very quickly (latency) and moving large amounts of data rapidly (throughput)
2. Drive technology that doesn’t consume much power, doesn’t produce much heat, and doesn’t cause cooling problems – thereby reducing the load on laptop batteries.
3. Drives that are highly reliable and aren’t easy to break.

What is NAS?

A NAS device has its connection throughout an entire network, whereby a large number of PCs can access it provided they are on the same network. Here is the beneficial points of switching over to NAS-

• More Storage Space
• Flawless collaboration – Documents are available from one centralized location
• Speed
• Private Cloud Storage
• Automated Data Backup + Data Storage
• Data Protection
• User friendly / Simple Server Setup
• Convenience

The key benefits of network–attached storage are mainly speed and convenience. Instead of a hard drive connecting to your computer, NAS connects to your wireless router – enabling multiple users from multiple devices to access the files on the network.

Salient features

The DiskStation DS420j is a four-bay NAS that is an essential entry-level NAS for your Home or Small office

Build a private cloud for your home

DS420j is a 4-bay desktop NAS designed for home data backup, file syncing, and sharing. Supporting up to 64 TB raw capacity, you can easily centralize all your multimedia collections.

CPU – 64-bit 4-core 1.4 GHz

Performance – Over 112 MB/s encrypted reading and writing¹

Storage – Maximum 64 TB raw capacity

Energy-saving – 7.88 W in hibernation mode

Multi-functional advantages

Manage your photo collections

Smartly organize your photos with Synology Moments, a modern, AI-enabled photo management application that allows you to preserve your precious memories effortlessly.

Stream content to your TV

Turn your Synology NAS into a home media hub and stream your digital contents to your favorite devices such as computers, mobile devices, Samsung TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, and DLNA devices.

Seamless integration with your mobile devices

Synology mobile applications are designed to allow quick and secure access to your data wherever you are.

Cross-platform file syncing and sharing

Synology Drive allows you to sync files across Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile devices, keeping everything up-to-date

Sync files on demand: Save the storage space and network bandwidth of your PC

Go back in time: Easily retrieve previous versions of your shared files

Review Analysis

We have been associated with Synology since last two years when they were part of delegation from Taiwan Trading Exposition held in New Delhi. We have reviewed Synology Disk Station DS420j, which the manufacturer had dispatched directly from their manufacturing unit in Taiwan. At the outset we were overwhelmed with the tastefully designed and meticulous packing housing the Disk Station. You can go through the exclusive Unboxing Video.

Synology’s DS420j Disk Station is primarily aimed at home users who only need network storage. It should be noteworthy that the system offers all the convenience of Synology Diskstation Manager (DSM), and can do much more. Users can install up to four 16TB hard drives, but SSDs can also be used. The system is powered by a four-core processor, which should provide enough power for personal use. With a 1 Gbit/s Ethernet connection and two USB 3.0 ports, the DS420j offers relatively few connections, but the price is also pleasantly low at around Rs. 24,000 only on Amazon India.

Easy Setup / User Friendly

Commissioning is as simple as we count 1,2,3.  After the hard drives are installed, all cables connected, and the DS420j Disk Station is powered up, access is possible via the web interface. This is where the downloadable Synology Assistant or the Synology website to help you find the address of the local NAS server. Alternatively, you can simply look into the administration interface of your router, where the NAS server is also displayed with its IP address.

As a normal practice during the initial setup, the hard drives must be reset. If they are already in use in a Synology NAS, this is not the case. So if you need to reset the NAS, there is no need to worry about data loss.

A simple installation wizard will guide you through the setup. The operating system is automatically downloaded and installed, which takes a few minutes. After that, only an administrator account needs to be created. It is also possible to set up Quick Connect directly, which allows access via the Internet. A Synology account is required for this. Alternatively, you can simply use a dynamic DNS service later and set up your own domain.

Synology Diskstation Manager (DSM) is the operating system of Synology NAS servers, including the DS420j Disk Station, and offers an extremely high level of functionality, allowing for many ways to use the device not only as a network storage device, but also for various other application scenarios. It is a clickable web interface that resembles a desktop. It is based on Linux, which can also be accessed via SSH or other protocols if required to make in-depth settings. For the normal user, however, the web interface is sufficient.

It offers all necessary functions for network access. So you can create different user groups and users and assign them their own access rights. Of course, access to shared folders and files is also possible. The access is not only possible via the web interface, but can also be carried out via the Windows Explorer or the corresponding counterparts under MacOS and Linux after some settings have been made. Especially helpful here is the possibility to assign your own domain including SSL encryption via DDNS and Let’s Encrypt. Access from Smartphone or TV sets is of course also possible.

In addition to file management, the DSM also offers the possibility of image management similar to Google Photos. Synology calls the associated application “Moments”. It automatically categorizes images and also integrates face recognition. An Office package is also available. These and other applications can be easily installed and kept up-to-date via the Package Center.

Rating Chart – Synology Disk-station DS420j

Verdict

Synology Disk Station DS420j is ideal for beginners and home users who need four hard drive bays in their NAS. Synology DS420j is an ideal DiskStation loaded with powerful software and comes at an affordable price. It is recommended for Home Users as well as Small Business.