Synology DS720+ is an ideal DiskStation – powerful yet affordable

Synology DS720+ is an ideal DiskStation – powerful yet affordable

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 DS720+ system that has been reviewed here. The extra drives allow for greater overall capacity, more resilience against drive failure, and less chance of data loss.

Ever since computers were developed, Data Storage has become one of the very important pain points for every user. Hence we all need to have a data storage system always ready and handy where ever we are. Since the Covid 19 pandemic outbreak, the Data Storage System like HDD has become an essential product more so as we are Working from Home (WFH) these days. HDDs and SSDs are the hot selling disks so far in the industry due to their easy portability and high capacity storage.

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 a 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 switch over from External Hard Drive to NAS System?

Here are a 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 a few limitations associated with hard drive usage. With technological advancements in data storage and retrieval, the use of Hard drives has 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 are 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.

Synology DS720+ Unboxing

Pain points of today users

1. Pain points of notebook and mobile phone users

• Notebook and mobile devices are running out of storage space
• SSD notebooks or mobiles are overpriced for their storage space, so upgrading your devices isn’t a smart option.

2. Pain points of external hard drives’ users

You used to rely on external hard drives. But as time goes by, your digital files scattered around heaps of external hard drives. The drawbacks include difficult to locate a particular file, lack of off-site access, and lack of automated backup (usually forgot to backup data which causing data loss).

3. Pain points of public cloud users
   1. Recurring payment –which is expensive in the long run
   2. Data handled by third-party and privacy concern

How Synology help users to overcome the pain points

·  Synology NAS is the best alternative of external HDD and public cloud, which help you to achieve the below purposes

• A centralized storage place to back up/sync the whole family’s PCs and notebooks
  • Drive allows the whole family to sync/back up files between a centralized NAS and their PC/Mac in real-time. Drive also supports restoring previous versions. (know more)
  • Remote access made easy
  • Users can access files remotely setting up port forwarding, DDNS and via browsers and mobile apps. In addition, users can access their NAS remotely with a QuickConnect ID, without the hassle of setting your router or network’s configuration(tutorial).
  • Synology NAS supports various file protocols, including SAMBA, AFP, NTS, FTP, WebDAV
• Backup your photos on your cameras/ mobile devices to NAS
• Photos can be backed up onto your NAS through DS photo to Synology Photo Station.
• Imagine that you are traveling, you can utilize hotel’s free WiFi to back up photos taken during your trip from mobiles to your NAS at home, providing an additional layer of protection for your precious memories
• Share your photos or files with secure links on NAS
  • You can easily share photos or share your other digital files by using Synology Photo Station or File Station to your family and friends through one secure link with custom permission levels
• Download digital content, build a multimedia hub and stream content
  • Video Station
    • Video Station allows you to stream videos stored on your NAS to large-screen TV(know more), Plex Server is also supported
• Download Station
  • If you used to download files from the Internet, you can now offload the download tasks from your PC to your NAS with Download Station. Download Station is a web-based download application which allows you to download files from the Internet through BT, FTP, HTTP, NZB, FlashGet, QQDL, and eMule, and subscribe to RSS feeds
• Only a one-time cost is required
  • More economical than the public cloud. See below comparison table for details.

Salient features

• Synology 2020 Plus series member
• Synology Plus series are powerful NAS ensuring data integrity with instantaneous snapshots and point-in-time recovery protection.

Key features include-

• An average of 15% performance boost of photo and document-indexing in Moments and Synology Drive.
• 95%-130% performance boost of Web PHP response efficiency.
• DS920+, DS720+, and DS420+ come with built-in M.2 NVMe SSD slots that permit cache acceleration without occupying storage drive bays.
• DS220+ comes with dual 1GbE ports supporting Link Aggregation and network failover.

Overview of Plus series specifications

DiskStation DS720+

• Capacity-scalable NAS with SSD Cache Acceleration Capability
• Powerful and scalable NAS for IT Enthusiast/ Prosumers/ Content Creators
• Featured with the Intel Celeron J4125 quad-core, burst up to 2.7 GHz
• 2GB DDR4 memory, expandable up to 6 GB
• Dual 1GbE ports supporting Link Aggregation and network failover.
• 3 years warranty, extendable to 5 years
• Flexibly scalable up to 7 drives with Synology DX517

Reach Optimal Performance and Storage with SSD Cache

• 2 Built-in 2 2280 NVMe SSD slots permit cache acceleration without occupying storage drive bays

Protect and Restore Data in a Snap

• Back up critical data and reduce your Recovery Time Objective (RTO) with Snapshot Replication

Safeguard Your Physical Assets with 24/7 Surveillance

• Feature-rich Surveillance Station with user-friendly management tools

Empower Collaboration and Productivity

• Build powerful private cloud storage with no recurring subscription fees. Synology Drive provides comprehensive file access with just a web browser or mobile app. Synology Office allows multiple team members can work simultaneously on one document

Accelerated Application Performance

Under each performance comparison chart, we’ve added notes to indicate the unit to be compared.

• For Web PHP, the higher the score, the better the performance, as it indicates how many responses the model can handle per second.
• For Drive and Moments, the less the score, the better the performance, as it takes less time to transfer/index the same amount of files and photos.
• Performance comparison to the previous model (DS718+)

Review Analysis

We have been associated with Synology for the last two and a half years when they were part of a delegation from Taiwan Trading Exposition held in New Delhi. We have reviewed Synology Disk Station DS720+, 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 Unboxing Video.

Synology’s DS720+ 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 US$ xxxxx only on Amazon India. Shall be released in July 2020.

Easy Setup / User Friendly

Commissioning is very simple. 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 DS720+ 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.

The new Synology DS720+ comes with a powerful CPU, an Intel Celeron J4125 4-core 2.0 GHz, burst up to 2.7 GHz with compatible drive types • 2 x 3.5″ or 2.5″ SATA HDD/SSD and 2 x M.2 2280 NVMe SSD. This is a revolution. The DS720+ it is fully compatible with the upcoming DSM 7 operating system.

Synology DS720+ Video Review

Synology DS720+ DiskStation NAS, 2-Bay, 2x NVMe (2GB RAM)

It offers all the 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 smartphones 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.

Perfect Work From Home Solution

Synology Drive Empowers Remote Work – this means that now if you are working in an MNC or any industry where storage is a key component. Then this is the most ideal pick for you. With Remote Work options, you can easily share all your office/business files with your colleagues in just a few simple clicks. Nevertheless, all the data you keep/upload on your Drive remains protected with all the basic and advanced level security systems. Mostly, all the other public cloud storage requires costly subscription fees. If you are looking to buy a storage solution or if in case you want to save extra money, We will definitely ask you to get a Synology NAS as this is going to be your one-time investment plus you save your hard-earned money which can be invested on other business-oriented developments.