Synology is well established as a NAS maker and they’re frequently recommended as a solution that while not the cheapest “just works”. And sometimes “just works” is worth paying for.
This device caught our eye as it’s not using Synology’s standard DSM operating system but instead is using their ActiveProtect system. What this really means is that your NAS is now limited to the purpose of backing-up your data. That may sound like a strange statement to focus on, since that is a primary function of a NAS. But do not underestimate the other purposes and functions a NAS gets used for. A NAS is a computer, after all, and can be used for an infinite number of other purposes, even when the processor and other specs are relatively weak.
The Synology DP320 NAS features:
- 2 HDD bays
- AMD R1600 (2 cores)
- 8GB of RAM
- 1 x 1GbE RJ-45 Port (Management)
- 1 x 1GbE RJ-45 Port (Data transfer)
- 3-Year warranty
The benefits of limiting the functionality of the device is that it should be able to do the job it’s assigned better, and more simply. This does seem to be what Synology accomplished, to at least some extent. So we cannot totally disagree with this approach but we do prefer the flexibility that the DSM operating provides.