Synology DS212J Diskless 2-Bay NAS Server $180 + Free Shipping (expired)

Yeah I really want a four bay but can't afford one. I figure if I slap in two 3-4TB that should be sufficient for what I need (few hundred movies, music collection).

Quote from VirtualShoplift : was going to pull trigger but just got the Asus RT-AC66U.... figure that does what I need.

So are you planning on using the USB ports to a external usb hd ? Aren't the USB ports usb 2.0 on that router?

Quote from Surfer Bob : Is it me or does this look like a toaster?

Yes, it does look like a toaster (minus the top slots for bread).

I bought one of these and all I can say is that it's awesome.

Very easy to hook up and install (on my schools network..)

The apps are great and work well (itunes server, download station).

I paid ~$215. This is an excellent price.

Still rocking my DS210j. I highly recommend the synology products

Quote from alexwbush : this any good for plex media server?

Great for storage to stream, but I don't know that I'd depend on the machine for streaming/transcoding of the data.

I run Plex on my desktop and use my 212j for storage and it works like a charm.

I'd say this NAS is great for a competent computer user. Non-tech savvy folks may have some issues setting it up and sharing.

Great for the price.

Quote from alexwbush : this any good for plex media server?

While they do have a Plex package available in their DSM ecosystem, the chipset in the 212j does not support it (requires one of the x86 models)

I just got this about a month ago. I'll say it's so-so. I realize there are a ton of glowing reviews out there. I'll post some things that I don't like, perhaps others will chime in and say I'm doing something wrong. Don't get me wrong, once you have media in place and devices recognize it on the network, it's very capable, my wife and kids make use of it. It's the usability of the system itself that I'm not totally thrilled with.

Doesn't stream ISO's, avi, wmv, mkv. I've only been able to stream m4v files. Which means, if I use the built in download manager, I then have to bring the files over to a computer and re-rip the media to m4v, and copy them back over to the Synology.

Speaking of the the download manager it was nice in that you could schedule downloads, but it didn't unrar/combine messages. I installed SABNZD which is much better, but I don't get near the download speeds I get when running through the computer. Literally talking a tenth of the download speed.

It's way underpowered. If you're moving files around, downloading, and using other features, the CPU & Memory will stay pegged at 100% for some time.

My issues could be learning how to use it more effectively, but after a month of working with it quite a bit, this is where I stand with it. I see that the previous posted uses Plex on the desktop and the Synology as the storage mechanism. Part of my goal was to lower overall power usage, the Synology is pretty green, I didn't see any point in having the computer and the Synology running, otherwise I'd just run Plex off of my computer.

Is this the model with the foscam support?

Quote from jamex : Yeah I really want a four bay but can't afford one. I figure if I slap in two 3-4TB that should be sufficient for what I need (few hundred movies, music collection).

One of the reviewers said it will take up to two 3TB drives.

Quote from XtraCrispi : One of the reviewers said it will take up to two 3TB drives.

FYI on storage: http://forum.synology.com/wiki/in...id_RAID%3F

I really want one of these.....but I am saving up for the model #DS213+

6 bays short of what I need... Good deal though.

thumps up because its a syn not to have a synology haha. anyone on the fence id say its worth it because with the apps and linux nice gui alone makes it worth the purchase. its rock solid and can host your on slickDealz website from your house. the possibilities are endless really.

Quote from fergy126 : Is this the model with the foscam support?

yup you mean DSM which last time i checked it was either 4 or 5. but theres an app that links in with the foscam and works pretty well for single use being free

What do you guys think of this vs. an older intel mac mini? If I just want 2 internal drives, I could slam that into a Mac mini and run plex, crash plan, and playon. I could also hook it up to my 2TB usb drive for a nightly backup.

Looking at Ebay, the oldest Intel mac mini's run about this price. Which would be better for transcoding?