Prime Day is here, and we're already seeing countless deals that are well worth considering on products you actually need. Network-attached storage (NAS) is no exception here. As more people look to home servers to store and stream content, Prime Day and other promotions have become excellent opportunities to grab a deal on these pricey enclosures.
We've covered some killer NAS deals, but there's one enclosure that stands out from the rest — the Synology DiskStation DS220+. I gave this NAS server full review marks and included it in our best NAS for home collection. It's an incredible little machine that's a must-have even at full price.
Now that it's on sale for the next day or so, you'll regret missing out on this opportunity if you're looking for a NAS.
Synology DiskStation DS220+ | $72 off
Synology's DiskStation DS220+ is our favorite NAS for the home for one good reason: It offers tremendous value. Even at full price, this enclosure is well worth the money, sporting an Intel processor, support for so many third-party apps, as well as an excellent OS.
Synology DiskStation DS220: Powerful two-bay NAS
The Synology DiskStation DS220+ packs some serious firepower. Inside, you'll find an Intel Celeron J4025 processor, a dual-core chip capable of running at speeds of up to 2.90GHz. In addition, it can handle up to 8GB of RAM, and Synology allows one to upgrade the 2GB of RAM inside the DS220+ to a maximum of 6GB.
The processor and RAM alone are highlights to get excited about, especially if you plan on having more than one user connected to the NAS. While there are only two drive bays (and you should be running a RAID configuration on a NAS enclosure), these specs are actually good enough to run Plex Media Server and streak 4K content.
| Category | Synology DiskStation DS220+ |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Celeron J4025 |
| RAM | 2GB DDR4 (max 6GB) |
| Drive bays | 2x (SSD/HDD) |
| Capacity | 32TB |
| Cooling | 1x 92mm fan |
| Ports | 2x 1Gb LAN 1x Rear USB 3.0 1x Front USB 3.0 |
| Power draw | Up to 14.69W |
| Dimensions | 165 x 108 x 232.2 mm (6.5 x 4.25 x 9.13 inches) |
| Weight | 1.30 kg (2.86 lbs) |
Upgraded internals make the Synology DiskStation DS220+ the best value NAS for the home.
These two drive bays can handle up to 32TB of content, but if you run them in RAID1, you'll be left with 16TB. However, if you're only just starting with a NAS and want to see how it can handle media streaming or file storage, a two-bay enclosure is more than enough. Unfortunately, the one drawback of this NAS is the lack of attaching an expansion unit to the DS220+ later down the line.
Keeping everything cooled inside is a single 92mm fan, which you can barely hear unless you're up close to the server. On the rear, you'll find two 1Gb LAN ports (with link aggregation), as well as one of two USB 3.0 ports — the other is upfront next to the power button. Because it's a small and compact unit, the power draw is about 14.69W when under load with two drives installed.
Synology DiskStation DS220: The best NAS OS
DSM 7.0 is the next big OS update for Synology NAS, currently in beta testing.
When choosing your NAS enclosure, specifications are important but so too is the operating system. Synology's DiskStation Manager (DSM) is the OS you'll find running on the company's array of enclosures, and it's about as good as you can get. We've continuously rated DSM as the best NAS OS, and Synology is pushing it further with version 7.0.
Just like you do Windows (or another OS), DSM allows you to log in to an account, install/update apps, manage storage, and perform a whole host of tasks. It's what you'll be using to add/remove user accounts, updating the system, and connecting to other network locations. All that's required is a web browser and it's incredibly snappy.
I've been playing around with DSM 7.0, and it's looking to be quite the visual upgrade for the OS. Synology also has some big cloud-based plans for its NAS catalog, which should excite those who prefer to balance local and cloud services and storage.
Synology DiskStation DS220+ | $72 off
Honestly, there's very little to fault the Synology DiskStation DS220+. It has pretty much everything you need to set up your very own home server. You could even start a Plex Media Server and stream 4K content.
If the Synology DiskStation DS220+ isn't quite what you require, I've been keeping tabs on all the best Prime Day NAS deals, so be sure to give that resource a looking.
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