Synology launches DiskStation DS216 NAS system with a range of user-friendly features
Synology launches DiskStation DS216 NAS system with a range of user-friendly features
Synology has announced the DiskStation DS216 NAS server, a two-bay system targeted at office environments that require a reliable data sharing and protection solution.
Since Synology’s global world-tour press conference in September where we previewed some of its upcoming products and overhauled NAS operating system, we’ve seen a gradual rollout of its latest NAS servers. The DiskStation DS216 joins the DiskStation DS216play, DS416, and DS716+ that launched earlier in providing a collaborative and secure data storage solution for a wide range of needs and budgets.
The DiskStation DS216 is designed to offer the best price-to-performance ratio while still delivering an optimal multi-tasking experience. It features a dual-core 1.3GHz processor, 512MB of DDR3 RAM, and supports hot-swapping of drives and tool-less drive bays for easy maintenance and a hassle-free installation process. Like the DiskStation DS216play, it also has a built-in Floating-Point Unit (FPU) which bolsters the capabilities of the main CPU by speeding up thumbnail processing and enhancing photo viewing at different resolutions.
However, one thing to note is that it lacks the hardware transcoding capabilities of the DiskStation DS216play because the latter system is intended more for home users who deal more frequently with multimedia files.
The new NAS system is intended to replace the DiskStation DS214 and is capable of delivering read and write speeds exceeding 111MB/s in the mirrored RAID 1 configuration in Windows.
Compared to the DiskStation DS216play, the DS216 also has a couple features to make data transfers even easier. These take the form of an additional USB 3.0 port (for a total of two) and a USB copy button on the front panel that can quickly move data from an external drive to the NAS server. The encryption engine also helps offload encryption calculation tasks away from the main CPU, thus speeding up file transfers.
The front LEDs can also be toggled between four different levels of brightness to achieve a level that is comfortable for you. This is especially important if you're going to set the device up in a prominent location. In a particularly nice touch, Synology has even made it possible to schedule the brightness levels according to the time of the day so you won't have to keep adjusting it.
Like Synology’s other new NAS systems, the DiskStation DS216 will run DiskStation Manager (DSM) 6.0, Synology’s latest NAS OS. The DiskStation DS216 is already shipping globally and will retail for S$399 locally.