TechRadar Verdict
Pros
- +
Good features
- +
Download options
- +
Web server functions
- +
Sharing options
Cons
- -
Not the easiest to set up
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The DiskStation DS211's excellent features make it an ideal NAS drive for home and small business users.
As well as FTP and HTTP servers, it supports PHP and MySQL. It can control and record up to 8 IP cameras, and its backup software enables Windows users to set up scheduled backups.
For Mac owners, it's Time Machine compatible, and its USBCopy function lets you back up data from a USB storage device with a single button press. Downloads with BitTorrent, FTP, HTTP, eMule and NZB are supported, as are RSS and RapidShare.
After installing the Mail Station package, it can be used as a mail server, and with Web Station it can host up to 30 websites. Audio Station is perfect for organising and playing your music, or listening to internet radio with station information provided by SHOUTCast and RadioIO.
You can stream digital media to any DLNA/UPnP compatible home device, including the PS3, Xbox 360 and compatible televisions. It's compatible with iTunes too.
Photo Station 4 lets you share your photos, videos and blog over the internet, and there are mobile apps for streaming music, viewing videos and accessing files through an iPhone or Android device.
Don't expect the DiskStation to be the easiest to set up, but its versatility, excellent interface and the ability to download mini-apps from the Synology website for extra functionality make it a real winner.
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It's also available as the DS211j, with a little less RAM, a slightly slower processor, and a £179 price point. Beyond that however, both units are almost entirely identical.
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