DS223 Home & Office Backup Hub - Centralize Files, Protect Data & Monitor Property (2-Bay Diskless NAS)

The DS223 delivered a smooth deployment from the moment I installed the two drives. DSM recognized the disks instantly, storage pools built without errors, and all mobile devices completed their backups through Synology Drive and Photos with zero conflicts. Migrating documents and media from iCloud, Box, and Dropbox was straightforward thanks to Synology’s cloud‑sync tools and the file structure consolidation is far cleaner now. Internal LAN access is fast, and external access via QuickConnect and secure HTTPS works reliably for the entire family. For a compact 2‑bay NAS, the DS223 performs like a small office appliance which is stable, efficient and ideal for centralized backup and data management.

I have been a fan of Drobos for decades, but recently when one of my Drobos failed I found out that Drobo is no more. The went out of business in 2020. So, the hunt was on for a replacement. The key feature (for me) of the Drobos was that they could hold drives of different sizes and would automatically adjust storage if a drive failed so that you only had to replace that one drive. To my knowledge none of the other DAS or NAS manufacturers supported this functionality. In my hunt, I looked at several NAS and when I got to Synology, I stopped in my tracks. Turns out Synology has an operating system for their NASs called SHR which stands for Synology Hybrid Raid. It doesn’t work like Drobo, but it is similar enough that you can put different drives in your drive station and the OS will handle it. The only down side from what I can determine is that when different size drives are used, then some space will be wasted because essentially the Synology SHR breaks each drive into very large chunks and pairs them up for data protection. If one of the drive chunks can’t be paired with a chunk on another drive then it will not be used. For example if you put a 4TB drive in your NAS paired with a 7TB drive, then SHR will only be able to match chunks for 4TB of total space and 3TB will be wasted. Not great, but usable until you can afford to buy another 7TB drive to match up with the 7TB you already have. Functionality: I wish I had known about the Synology SHR years ago, cause now that I bought their NAS and am learning about it, I am finding that there is an enormous amount of functionality that it brings to the table. I have struggled for years with sharing data between my Windows computer and my Macintosh because of the incompatible by design philosophy or either Microsoft, Apple, or both. The Synology NAS makes sharing data a breeze. Now, I need to mention that I am a software engineer (retired), so I am used to handling a certain level of complexity. So, I need to make it clear that Drobo was much simpler than the Synology NAS to setup. The Drobo was essentially a really big USB hard drive. You just format it and use it like any other drive. No muss no fuss. The Synology on the other hand is essentially a completely separate and very powerful computer that happens to have a whole bunch of storage in it. Synology try’s to make things simpler by allowing you to control everything through your web browser. Once you are connected to the NAS with you browser, you get what is actually a desktop on your NAS. I have included a screen shot of the desktop displayed in a browser window so you can see what I mean. The desktop includes various tools to adjust the configuration of you NAS as well as providing a way to download and install both updates, as well as additional applications (packages) for other things you might like your NAS to do. With Package Center you can install apps to turn your NAS into a download server, a DHCP server, And audio and or video media server, a mail server, you can load an office suite as well as a simple text editor, you can install a VPN server and eve a chat server. There are also Open Source applications that can be installed and also a category called Contributor that has some third party applications like TeamViewer and KodiExplorer. Overview: The DS423 I purchased has two Gig-T Ethernet ports on the back, along with two USB3 ports that can be used to backup the NAS to external USB drives. It has slots for four drives. As a replacement for my failed Drobo, the Synology NAS does a great job, at the expense of having to learn how to set it up. That is the only real down side. If you are a novice computer user, then you will need someone to set it up for you, or you will need to just go with a USB external hard disk and forget about using a NAS. The operating system in the NAS is Linux, but Synology has hidden it very well, so you don’t need to be a Linux expert, or even a Linux user to master the Synology, but you will need to brush up on some of the network terminology that is essential to configuring a NAS. Do I recommend the Synology NAS, definitely. I had mine up and running in a minimal configuration in a few hours, but exploring all the options takes time so expect to spend some additional hours learning some new stuff. By the way, Synology makes a 2 drive bay NAS DS223 that has all the capability of my DS423, but only costs $250. Add a couple of big drives and you have a pretty good backup system for little money.

A perfect product. Easy setup, expandable, quiet, efficient. I bought this on the advice of my son-in-law, an IT guy who has pulled all his information and creative programs off the Cloud, after losing information, and in fear that his proprietary programs and information might be pirated or stolen by hackers. He uses one himself, and advised me to use an initial roomy 16Tx2 drive setup, expandable as needed later, using the drives recommended by Synology, and running standalone. I installed the drives and downloaded the Synology software as called out in the quickstart guide, setup an account and passwords, and powered it up. After setting up the drive parameters- (There are some setup guides on youtube as well) it initialized and was recognized on my network. I have loaded about 3T of information so far, (Family photos, movies and documents accumulated over the last 50years (and longer) that were formerly spread over 5 local drives.) I have about another 2T to go, but it is a great convenience and makes it much easier maintain control of the data structure having it one place, and at long last there is hope that I may be able to bring order to my wife's CD filing system- (City Dump, not Compact Disc) - so give it a try- it seems pricey, but the expandability,and the fact that it has good expandability, and was purpose built as storage, (is not a computer that has been converted into the service,) should give the reliability needed. I wish it would have been available years ago-

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) I recently had the pleasure of diving into the world of network-attached storage (NAS) with the Synology NAS, and I must say, the experience has been nothing short of exceptional. From its effortless setup to its silent operation and smooth DiskStation Manager (DSM) interface, this NAS has exceeded my expectations on multiple fronts. **Ease of Setup: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)** Setting up the Synology NAS was refreshingly straightforward. Thanks to its intuitive design and well-documented instructions, I was able to get the NAS up and running within minutes. The included quick-start guide was easy to follow, and the web-based setup wizard made the process hassle-free even for someone with limited technical expertise. The fact that I didn't need to fiddle with complex networking configurations was a huge plus for me. **Silent Operation: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)** One of the standout features of this NAS is its almost silent operation. Unlike some other NAS systems I've encountered, the Synology unit emits minimal noise, making it a perfect addition to any home or office environment. Whether placed on a desk or tucked away in a closet, the whisper-quiet operation ensures that it doesn't disrupt the tranquility of the space. This is a huge advantage, especially when considering its potential placement in shared living areas. **Smooth DSM Interface: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)** The crown jewel of the Synology NAS experience is undoubtedly its DiskStation Manager (DSM) interface. Navigating through DSM feels like a breeze, thanks to its user-friendly layout and comprehensive features. Whether you're a tech-savvy user or a novice, DSM caters to both ends of the spectrum. I found the management of files, applications, and user accounts to be exceptionally well-organized, making it simple to customize the NAS according to my needs. **Conclusion:** In conclusion, the Synology NAS has proven to be a game-changer in the world of network-attached storage. Its seamless setup process, virtually silent operation, and smooth DSM interface make it a top-tier choice for both individuals and small businesses. Whether you're using it for personal data storage, media streaming, or even as a backup solution, the Synology NAS delivers on its promises. Its blend of user-friendliness and advanced capabilities truly sets it apart, making it a product I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone in need of reliable and efficient storage solutions.

I wok as an IT Professional and have used Synology in many production environments. I have nothing but love for their products. I purchased the NAS to convert an 8 TB external drive into a NAS for my home network. It has been running amazingly. It was easy to set up and get going. It has more features than I need, but I will be implementing some in the near future. The one and only thing that disappointed me and has knocked a star off of what otherwise would be a perfect rating: The drive had preexisting data on it. I installed the drive in the NAS and went to do initial setup. It warned me that all the data on the drive would be wiped. Alright, thanks for the warning! I took the drive out of the NAS and placed it back in the external enclosure it was in... and to my horror the drive had already been formatted! It warned me AFTER it had already erased all the data from the drive! Luckily I have backups of most of my data, but I still lost about 500 GB of (thankfully) replicable data. SO be warned, if you are using a drive with data on it, it will be wiped the moment the NAS initializes for the first time.

I've had this for a several months now with no issues. This unit is easy to setup and configure. The UI is intuitive and clean. It's pretty much set and forget except for the occasional update of firmware, which I choose to do manually.

I had a bad experience about 7 years ago with another brand of NAS that was very difficult to set up and saved data in a proprietary compressed format. That NAS failed within a couple of years, taking my data with it. I needed a NAS to better manage and access the videos I produce for my YouTube channel. This time around I went with Synology as it appears to be the market leader for home use and does not compress data by default. In addition, the industry has progressed a lot in the last seven years. I chose the Synology DS423 as it has four bays so there is room for expansion but it also is full featured. I have a home network with internet from a cable that connects to the router and modem. I have Cat5e cabling that goes to three different rooms in the house and also goes via underground conduit to the shop building on my property that connects to a wireless access point for my shop. I have several wireless extenders set up as well. The first thing I did was install an ethernet switch to the router to which the incoming cable is connected. All my wired connections including the NAS and my TV are connected to the switch. I knew it would take some time to get the NAS set up and to learn how to use it but after about a week of part time fiddling, it seems to be fully functional. There are tons of Youtube videos on how to set up Synology NAS units. I set mine up as RAID 1 so the two disks I installed are mirrored (both are 4 Tb SATA SSDs that are not on the Synology approved list but they work fine). When larger capacity SATA SSDs become affordable I'll add a second set in the other two bays but for now the 4 Tb of mirrored storage gives me security and plenty of storage for the videos I produce for my YouTube channel. As expected, there is a learning curve, but now the NAS is working perfectly and is extremely fast even though my cabling only supports 1 Gb transfer speeds. I have mapped the NAS to both of my Windows machines using SMB and it works flawlessly. My go-to laptop around the house for watching Youtube, doing email etc is an HP Chromebook plus, and I eventually figured out how to map the NAS to it as a shared drive. There is a lot of conflicting information on the internet about how to do that but once I sat down and worked through the information, it turned out to be easy. Once that was set up it the NAS showed up on my android phone file manager as well. I did not intend to use the Photo feature of the NAS to back up my phone photos but tried it and it worked well. I had already organized my photos into folders on the phone. On the NAS, it kept the folders I had set up on the phone but also arranged the photos within the folders by year and quarter, which was nice. Now I can access them from any of my devices. I'm sure there is a lot more to learn but I've got the essentials up and running and it has been a very positive experience requiring some patience but I am glad I chose this particular NAS and I see why Synology is the leader in this market.

I bought this to store memories of my family. Admittedly, I don't know all the features and functions, it was still easy to get it set up and running what I need it for which is to store TBs of photos and videos that I take on my phone. This allows me to offload the content on my phone so I can take more. I feel like it is very capable, and after reading up on this model I was a little disappointed that it can only do face recognition because you have to buy a much more expensive model to get object recognition, however during a software update, they have now enabled object recognition as well! That makes this a great value al even though its not Google Photos level of recognition, it still works. I feel good knowing my family content is safely stored and I don't have recurring costs that a cloud solution would have. Syncing using the phone app works well, and so I don't have to plug in my phone to offload images.

Arrived early. Easy to set up, slotted 2x6TB... Hassle free setup.... Highly recommended for reliable NAS....

Was really easy to upgrade from my previous 10 year old NAS. Simply swap the drives over and run through the wizard 🪄. Works faster than my previous and not loss of data or configuration.

Ho acquistato questo Synology NAS DS223 a 2 alloggiamenti (senza disco) e ne sono davvero soddisfatto. È un dispositivo ben costruito, silenzioso e molto intuitivo, ideale per chi vuole centralizzare file, backup e multimedialità senza complicazioni. 🔹 Perché merita 5 stelle: Facilità d’uso: la configurazione iniziale è semplice e guidata, anche per chi non è esperto. Software Synology DSM: l’interfaccia è potente, ben organizzata e offre tantissime funzioni (backup automatici, condivisione file, accesso remoto, app multimediali, ecc.). Flessibilità: i due alloggiamenti permettono di scegliere tra varie configurazioni RAID o uso indipendente dei dischi. Affidabilità: il sistema è stabile, e il NAS gestisce bene carichi di lavoro anche con più utenti collegati. Silenziosità: funziona in modo silenzioso, cosa che si apprezza soprattutto in ambienti domestici. In sintesi: un NAS versatile, potente e facile da gestire, perfetto per backup, storage in rete o streaming multimediale. 5 stelle meritate! 💾📂✨

Ottimo prodotto, venivo da un DS418play che si era danneggiato, ho fatto la migrazione degli HDD (Semplicissimo) e tutto è perfettamente funzionante con le mie impostazioni. Ho notato con piacere che Il 423 è molto più silenzioso del 418. Servizio Amazon impeccabile, arrivato prima del previsto e con doppio imballo.

Pour la sélection des hdd, voir avant sur le site le tableau de compatibilité des marques