Transcend SSD250N is a 2.5-inch SATA solid state drive designed specifically for NAS
If you need to store a lot of... legally obtained media files... such as films and TV shows (piracy is bad, mmkay?), a network attached storage device, or "NAS," is a great way to do so -- especially if it has a built-in Plex server. This is what I use in my home -- some hard drives set up in RAID filled with media that my family enjoys streaming through Plex on Apple TV. For the most part, this works well. There are only two problems -- the hard drives are rather slow and loud. The latter is a major issue, as the NAS is stored in my living room and hearing the drives spin up can be annoying.
I can obviously replace the hard disk drives with solid state drives, although it would mean a decrease in overall capacity. Still, it would be nice to have faster transfer speeds and less noise -- the cooling fan would still whir a bit though. SSDs are not typically ideal for constant reading and writing, however, but a new such drive from Transcend apparently is. Called "SSD250N," it is a 2.5-inch SSD designed specifically for NAS usage. The focus of this drive is reliability and longevity.
Synology launches DiskStation DS1520+
How to handle storage is a very tricky business. Some people prefer storing files locally, while others like the convenience of the cloud. Thankfully, you don't necessarily have to choose between the two -- you can sort of get both simultaneously. In other words, you can set up a network attached storage (NAS) device to store your files locally but also access them on the go -- a self-hosted cloud, if you will.
Synology is one of the most trusted names in network storage, and for good reason. Its storage/server devices are very robust -- high-quality and chock full of features. I have personally been testing one recently, and find it a great way to backup files and access media files (Plex server FTW). Today, Synology launches its latest such product. Called "DiskStation DS1520+," it has an impressive five bays. It also has two NVMe PCIe SSD slots for cache.
Synology selling its own SSDs for some reason
Synology makes some great network-attached storage (NAS) enclosures. Whether for home or business, its devices can be filled with storage disks to set up collaborative file-sharing over a network. Synology's offerings are fast and dependable, making them smart choices for consumers. There's a reason so many people trust the brand.
The company's NAS products can work with any brand of storage disk, but still, Synology has decided to begin selling its own solid state drives for some reason. Yeah, it is kind of odd to see drives with Synology branding, but here we are. I suppose the company saw a money-making opportunity, so who can blame it for trying to increase profits. The company isn't just offering 2.5-inch SATA SSDs either, but M.2 PCIe-based drives too. Nice.
Seagate launches fast and reliable IronWolf 510 PCIe Gen3 M.2 NVMe NAS SSD
PCIe-based NVMe solid state drives are pretty common in consumer devices these days. Seagate, however, would like to bring them to another area -- network attached storage for business. You see, today, the company unveils the all-new IronWolf 510 -- a PCIe Gen3 M.2 NVMe NAS SSD. Performance is quite respectable, with a top read speed of up to 3,150 MB/s and a top write speed of up to 1,000 MB/s (depending on capacity, of course).
But what exactly makes the drive a "NAS SSD" anyway? Is that just marketing? Actually, no. The IronWolf 510 provides higher endurance and reliability than a normal such SSD -- ideal for network attached storage. You even get a limited five-year warranty. While the drive is designed for both businesses and professionals in a network attached storage application, but they can obviously work for other things too.
Open source operating systems FreeNAS and TrueNAS are merging
iXsystems has announced that its two open source operating systems for network attached storage are unifying. Moving forward, FreeNAS and TrueNAS will merge into TrueNAS Open Storage.
Despite the unification, there will still be two versions of the operating system available: TrueNAS CORE and TrueNAS Enterprise. Both are billed as enterprise-quality software, but TrueNAS Enterprise requires a license and offers an extended set of features, while TrueNAS CORE is free.
Western Digital launches WD Red SA500 NAS SSD and 14TB WD Red NAS HDD
For some people, it makes sense to store your data on someone else's drives -- that's what cloud storage is, after all. For others, they want full control of their data by storing it locally on their own storage devices. Keep in mind, just because you are storing data yourself, doesn't mean it can't be accessed remotely or by other machines on the same network. By using network-attached storage (NAS) you can easily access your data on your own terms.
Today, Western Digital unveils new WD Red NAS storage drives, and it is very exciting. You see, the WD Red NAS line no longer just includes mechanical hard drives -- there are solid state drives now too! Called WD "Red SA500," there are two types of the NAS SATA SSD available -- 2.5-inch and M.2.
Intelligent NAS solution simplifies file management and reduces costs
Network attached storage (NAS) solutions traditionally require multiple systems and a relatively complex infrastructure.
Cohesity is launching a software-defined solution for NAS that simplifies things and provides a new level of intelligence, security, scalability and storage efficiency.
QNAP launches QXG-10G1T 10GBASE-T PCIe NIC for NAS, Windows, and Linux
In many households and small businesses, there are gigabit Ethernet devices in use. Believe it or not, most of them are not being used to their full potential. Why? Well, most internet providers don't offer service that can saturate it. Where 1Gbps hardware can be beneficial, however, is for sharing files between hardwired devices on a network, such as PCs and NAS. With the prevalence of Wi-Fi, that is largely a rarity these days.
With all of that said, there are cases where 1Gbps connections are being used fully by home and business users. On top of that, sometimes even more speed is desired. Luckily, cards capable of 10Gbps are becoming both more popular and affordable. Today, QNAP launches the QXG-10G1T -- a 10GBASE-T PCI-E network interface controller for QNAP NAS devices plus Windows and Linux computers.
Synology announces DiskStation DS218 and FlashStation FS1018 NAS
Synology has been slowly refreshing its NAS lineup in the past couple months, and now it is adding two more models to the range. The star of the show is the FlashStation FS1018, a high-end NAS that, as its name suggests, is designed with all-flash storage in mind. The DiskStation DS218, meanwhile, is the new two bay, mid-range NAS for consumers.
The FS1018 is an impressive piece of kit. It can house up to 12 SSDs (SATA), has 8GB of ECC (error-correcting code) RAM as standard, a dual-core, 64-bit Intel processor, a 10Gb wired connection and support for the Btrfs file system, just to name some of the highlights.
Synology DiskStation DS218+ review
The new DS218+ is the most impressive NAS in Synology's two-bay range for home users. It's got powerful hardware and lots of features that you expect in the high-end segment, like a versatile operating system, a solid selection of ports, and support for 4K video streaming.
Those specs make it a very attractive option for power users and consumers who want a future-proofed NAS. Question is, does it have what it takes to also impress in real-life? I've tested the DS218+ to find out.
Synology announces DiskStation DS218play, DS218j and DS118 NAS
Synology is slowly but surely updating its DiskStation lineup, with three new models entering its two-bay and one-bay NAS ranges today: the multimedia-optimized DS218play, value-focused DS218j and performance-oriented DS118.
The DS218play, like the DS418play which Synology announced a month ago, is designed with high-resolution content in mind, being capable of 4K 30FPS video transcoding.
Synology DiskStation DS418j is a four-bay NAS ideal for home users [Review]
The new DiskStation DS418j is among Synology's most attractive options for home users with higher storage needs. Part of the entry-level J Series, the four-bay NAS has solid hardware and all the right features that you expect in this segment, including a powerful operating system and lots of useful software add-ons.
It is also among the most-affordable NAS devices in the four-bay range, which makes it a prime choice for buyers on a budget. But, just how good is it in real life? I've tested the DS418j to find out.
Synology's new DS418play NAS lets you stream two 4K videos simultaneously
Synology has expanded the DS418 line with the introduction of the new DS418play. The NAS, which joins the DS418 and DS418j in the consumer-oriented four-bay range, is optimized for multimedia content.
The claim to fame of the DS418play is that it can transcode up to two channels of H.265 or H.264 4K content at the same time, which basically means that you will be able to stream two 4K videos at the same time on a smartphone and tablet using the NAS' processing power.
Synology announces DS918+, DS718+, DS218+ and DS418 NAS devices
Synology has updated its range of NAS devices aimed at prosumers, announcing the four-bay DS918+ and DS418 and the two-bay DS718+ and DS218+. Synology also unveiled its first six-bay tower NAS, called DS3018xs, which is designed with businesses in mind.
The DS918+, DS718+ and DS218+ are part of Synology's plus range, which is optimized for bigger workloads. The DS418, meanwhile, is meant to appeal to price-conscious buyers that are looking to store a significant amount of data.
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