New to Synology Products?

Storage Device + File Server + A Whole Lot More = Synology DiskStations

Welcome! Thanks for taking some time to learn about Synology network-attached storage (NAS), otherwise known as Synology DiskStations.

If you aren't familiar with the term NAS, take a quick tour of our What is NAS? Page.



Synology DiskStations solve a variety of problems for everyone from the casual home user to a system administrator at a large company. Sharing files, backing up several computers at once, streaming media, and hosting websites are just a sample of what these powerful devices are capable of doing.

Synology DiskStations are designed to make your life easier. From automated backup to remote access, interacting with your data has never been this simple.

Synology has a wide range of storage solutions for every budget. Synology DiskStations vary by number of bays, or the number of hard drives the model accepts, and the performance capabilities.

First, to identify how many bays the model accepts, just look at the first number in the model. For example, the DS112 accepts one hard drive, while the DS412+ accepts four hard drives.

Next, there are three performance categories in the Synology DiskStation product family, denoted by how the model number ends:

  • The "j" series is the entry-level model and is good for budget conscious consumers who are not concerned with performance. (Example model numbers: DS112j, DS212j, etc.)
  • The standard workgroup series has no additional characters at the end of the model number and this line is where performance and price meet in the middle. (Example model numbers: DS213, DS413)
  • The "+" series are business-class models. This line is designed for heavy business use where performance is critical (Example model numbers: DS1512+, RS812RP+)
  • The “xs” and “xs+” series are designed for Small and Medium Businesses that need enterprise features at an affordable cost.

Synology DiskStations currently (as of 2013) are designed in native 1, 2, 4, 5, 8 and 12 bay models with multiple configurations within each bay group. Synology also offers a 4 bay and 10 bay rack mount systems, denoted by the "RS" at the beginning of the model number.

While securing your important files in a RAID configuration for data redundancy or accessing through encrypted FTP, your data is protected against drive failure and outside threats in a DiskStation.

As a new Synology customer, you may be surprised to know that all of our Synology product lines come with the full-featured Synology DiskStation Manager, our intuitive management software that includes a whole host of features to manage, share and backup your data. Regardless of budget, you will be able to experience all the features that Synology has become known for offering.



For more details on all the features that come with a Synology DiskStation, view our DiskStation Manager section which goes into detail about all the integrated features of DiskStation Manager, the software that comes with all of our Synology Disk and Rack Stations.

If you do have questions or need support, you will be happy to know that we have multiple avenues for you to address your questions.