Source: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central

Best Synology NAS Android Central 2020

If you're looking to invest in a network attached storage for the first time or want to make the switch to a more powerful model, Synology has plenty of great options across all price points. A NAS lets you easily back up data from Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices, and you can build a robust media server for streaming audio and video to all devices on your home network. These are the best Synology NAS enclosures you can buy.

Source: Synology

If you're buying a NAS for the first time or looking to upgrade, the DS220+ is the ideal choice. The NAS enclosure has two bays, and it can accommodate a total of 32TB worth of storage across the two drive bays. That should be more than enough storage for most users, and you get upgraded internal hardware in the form of an Intel Celeron J4025 chipset and 2GB of DDR4 RAM. You also get two Gigabit Ethernet ports at the back, and thanks to Link Aggregation, you can combine the two ports to get a boost in data transfer rates across your home network. There are also two USB 3.0 ports, and a single fan at the back. Because of the beefier hardware, the DS220+ can handle 4K video transcoding with aplomb. Hardware is just one half of what makes a Synology NAS great. The brand's DiskStation Manager software is the best in the industry, and you get a powerful suite of features that make the DS220+ stand out. You can easily use the NAS as a media server and stream audio and video from it to all devices on your home network, and even access the NAS from anywhere in the world. The DS220+ also offers powerful tools to back up data across all computers and phones on your home network, and it has built-in tools to organize your photos into albums. if you're interested in getting the DS220+ and turning it into a media server, know that the NAS works just fine with Plex. With 4K transcoding, you will be able to stream content to your TV or other devices without any issues. I would recommend picking up two 4TB IronWolf drives to slot into the NAS. If you need more storage, you can always opt for the 6TB model or get the 8TB version. Pros: Great for media streaming

4K video transcoding and Plex

Up to 32TB of storage across two drive bays

Powerful software features

Two Gigabit Ethernet ports Cons: No eSATA port for expansion

No M.2 SSD caching

2. Synology DiskStation DS220j: Best Budget Option

Source: Synology

Need a NAS enclosure for under $200? You'll like what the DS220j has to offer. It is a 2-bay model and you get the ability to slot 16TB drives in each bay, just like the DS220+. That means you can add up to 32TB of storage in the NAS. It has 512MB of RAM and has a Realtek RTD1296 chipset, as well as a Gigabit Ethernet port and two USB 3.0 ports. You get all the same great software features as the DS220+, including the ability to back up data from all devices on your network, stream audio and video, and so much more. The DS220j technically works as a Plex server, but it doesn't transcode videos. So if you already have content that will play natively on devices across your home network, it doubles up as a decent enough media server for streaming files over DLNA. For hard drive recommendations, I would go with 4TB IronWolf drives. Two of those drives will set you back to the tune of $210, but you are getting 8TB of storage, and that should be plenty if you're looking to build a media server. You could always pick up a single 8TB IronWolf to get things started, and pick up one more down the road. Pros: Great value

Excellent software features

Runs quiet

Gigabit Ethernet port

Two bays with up to 32TB of storage Cons: Limited memory

Not particularly great as a Plex server

3. Synology DiskStation DS120j: Best For $100

Source: Synology

If you don't want to spend too much money but still get a taste of what a Synology NAS has to offer, the DS120j is the ideal option. Available for just $100, the NAS is the easiest way to get started with Synology's excellent DiskStation Manager (DSM) web-based operating system. Synology has fully-featured apps available for Android and iOS that let you stream locally stored audio, video, and photos to all devices on your home network. The DS120j is a 1-bay model, meaning you can slot in a single hard drive. It can accommodate a drive up to 16TB in size, and my recommendation for this model would be a 2TB IronWolf drive, which will set you back another $80. You can also pick up a 4TB IronWolf for $105 if you want more storage, and in doing so you'll have a decent entry-level NAS option with 4TB of storage for just over $200. That's pretty great value when you consider the hardware on offer here. The DS120j is powered by a Marvell Armada 3700 chipset, and you get 512MB of DDR3L RAM onboard. You get a single Gigabit Ethernet port at the back, two USB 2.0 ports, and there's a 60mm fan to ensure the NAS stays cool under load. Overall, the DS120j is a steal at $100. Pros: Most affordable way to access DSM software

Great value for your money

Can accommodate up to 16TB of storage

Gigabit Ethernet

Runs quiet Cons: Single hard drive means no data protection

Doesn't work with Plex

Limited to USB 2.0 ports

4. Synology DiskStation DS920+: Best For Plex

Source: Synology

The DiskStation DS920+ has everything you're looking for in a Plex media server. The internal hardware has been upgraded, with the NAS enclosure now powered by an Intel Celeron J4125 chip along with 4GB of RAM and another DIMM slot for adding another 4GB memory module. With four drive bays and each accommodating a 16TB drive, you can add up to 64TB of storage on the DS920+. I used the DS918+ for several years as my home server, and it fared incredibly well for streaming Plex on all my devices. The DS920+ builds on that with beefier hardware, so if you're looking to set up a home server for 4K transcoding and Plex, this is the one to get. You also get two Gigabit Ethernet ports with Link Aggregation, two USB 3.0 ports, and an eSATA port that lets you hook up a DX517 expansion unit, giving you the ability to add five additional drives — and 80TB more storage — to the NAS. As with all other Synology NAS boxes, you get a full slate of software features via DiskStation Manager. Considering the DS920+ is ideally suited as a media server, I would suggest picking up two 8TB IronWolf drives to start off and add more as needed. Pros: Upgraded internals

Ideal for 4K transcoding and Plex

Powerful software

Up to 64TB of storage

M.2 slots for SSD caching Cons: Fewer DRAM slots than predecessor

No 10GbE (Gigabit Ethernet) ports

5. Synology DiskStation DS418: Best Value

Source: Synology

The DiskStation has been around for a while now, and it continues to be one of the best options if you're looking for a 4-bay NAS enclosure for under $400. You can slot in up to 64TB of storage over four drive bays, the NAS is powered by a Realtek RTD1296, and it comes with 2GB of RAM, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, two USB 3.0 ports, and dual fans at the back. The DS418 isn't particularly great at 4K video transcoding, but if all you're looking for is a media server to stream content to all the devices on your home network over DLNA, it is a great option. You get DiskStation Manager and all the features it has to offer, including an audio and video media server, ability to back up all the devices on your network, robust note-taking and mail clients, and so much more. The ideal hard drives for the DS418 would be the 8TB IronWolf. Just get these as needed and you'll have a NAS enclosure that will serve you well for several years. Pros: Accommodates up to 64TB of storage

Reliable performance

Great value

Dual Gigabit Ethernet

Robust software Cons: Not great for 4K video transcoding

Misses out on Btrfs file system

6. Synology DiskStation DS1019+: Best For Enthusiasts

Source: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central

Looking for the ultimate Synology NAS for home use? The DiskStation DS1019+ ticks all the boxes. The five-bay NAS enclosure has powerful hardware, a host of features aimed at both power users and small businesses, and it can transcode two 4K streams in real-time without breaking a sweat. Each drive bay can accommodate 16TB hard drives, leading to a total of 80TB. The DS1019+ is my primary NAS right now, and after nine months of usage, I can confidently say that it is the best NAS enclosure I have ever used. It delivers outstanding performance, and with dual 4K transcode, it makes a fantastic Plex server. You get sequential writes of over 110MB/s on average, and it goes up to 225MB/s. There are two 4GB RAM modules installed out of the box, and there's even two M.2 SSD slots at the bottom for SSD caching. You can also extend the storage of the NAS via the DX517 expansion unit, which will let you add another five drives of up to 16TB each, taking the total storage to 160TB. I use two 14TB IronWolf drives along with two 10TB IronWolf models with my DS1019+, and they're going strong. The DS1019+ has an exhaustive list of features that are ideal for SOHO (small office/home office) users. You get Hyper Backup, Active Backup for Office 365 and G Suite with a centralized dashboard, collaborative software, and so much more. If you want to, you could run your own mail server, VPN, and antivirus solution directly from the NAS, and with Docker, you can do so much more. The DS1019+ is great for streaming 4K video to several devices across your home network simultaneously, and it also doubles up as a great NAS enclosure for office use. Pros: Incredible performance

Dual 4K transcode

8GB of memory out of the box

Up to 80TB of storage

Exhaustive software features Cons: Costly

No 10GbE (Gigabit Ethernet) ports

What's the best Synology NAS you can buy in 2020?

Source: Android Central

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