Hardware
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With Synology there is no 1bay NAS (with only one hard drive - no RAID-enabled) in fortuitous segment. The DS114 is a compromise. Since Synology makes no bones about it. 1bay NAS are probably the most attention even when users in use that do not require a RAID or on the costs. The installed processor is fine. The 512MByte RAM in my opinion, necessary if one pays attention to the performance. On this subject, but later. The housing is handy, but plastic. So if a high-quality aluminum housing expected will be disappointed here. To install the housing is already open. One drives the hard drive is an easy, until it clicks into the contacts. Fasten with four screws close the housing again and with another two screws the whole thing is then stabilized. Here QNAP provides whole hard drive bays. This has the advantage that you can replace hard drives quickly if you work with several. This is clearly more complex when Synology. However, this is to the benefit of weight. The NAS does not look cheap despite plastic. It has good rubber feet that give einn stable stand. Along with the hard disk is the DS114 to 1.5 kg, a peak. And that was the main reason for my purchase. I'll take that part with, so to speak as a mobile server, when I am on vacation with the family. The boys do not want to give up their films and radio plays. So I always doing my Multimedia Files. For me the Synology offers the perfect solution.
Software
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The Disk Manager of Synology has since version 5.1. Like most NAS first this firmware needs to be installed, the hard disk is formatted here in the file system of the NAS and possibly partitioned. Synology also offers a small program with which you can always track its NAS in the network environment. So easy it accesses via browser on a web-based interface to the admin tool, where you make all the settings. First you will be guided through an installation menu. This is actually intutitiv and easily. For me it did not work, however, download the data from the Internet and install it. I had to download the latest Disk Manager and then manually load. In order to determine afterwards that already followed a first update. But it worked so, albeit with detours. The Disk Manager 5.1 is in my opinion a stunner. Had no NAS in my opinion such an intuitive interface. It is strongly reminiscent of Windows. It has a desktop and can it take the main shortcuts to his taste. Even Widgets there where the performance, utilization, etc. appear. Who willeth that can click through the settings in a list format. I found right away immediately everything I was looking for and wanted to administer.
Performance
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I have to compare it to. The DS114, which had previously already clear to me, is suitable for backups, streaming and data transfer over the network, as long as you do this alone. However, if a family wants at the same time access on several occasions, it could well lead to performance degradation. So we can not expect miracles. Got my whole data played by my main NAS to Synology. Other was not big on the network. The processor of the DS114 was partially characterized busy already 90%. However, data transfer rates were really impressive with large files. As I reached over 60Mbit / s, although the two NAS does not have the same file formats. For my purposes, I am more than satisfied, since as mentioned a NAS for holidays or special events is yes.
Power consumption / noise
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When power consumption I can rely only on information from tests that I have read. And because the DS114 performs well. Here a single hard disk and not extremely powerful processor is rather positive for influence. What struck me, however, immediately: only at startup and shutdown of the fan can be heard. Otherwise, the purring of a cat is louder. My main NAS beside the other hand, was like a turbine. So who cares to, to have a very quiet NAS which comes fully at its expense. Not too sensitive characters can make even in a bedroom that thing well. Living room are no problem anyway.
From my side a strong buy recommendation. Who does not put too much emphasis on RAID, NAS needs a light, which is also still in the moderate price range, which is very well served. If there has to be something-quality and even better performance, I recommend the QNAP. 131
