Synology DiskStation DS216+ NAS Review

Synology DiskStation Manager Overview
Synology’s DiskStation Manager (DSM) OS is extremely easy to use and makes configuring your NAS simple. Many people just want to set a few settings and be done with it when it comes to setting up a NAS. In the past we have seen really complicated and sluggish NAS management software. Since DSM has the feel of and works much like a normal operating system it is easy to learn and get used to.

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Check out the video below of me going over many of the main features in DSM 6.0 and how easy it is to use!

The DiskStation Manager software allows you to install “Packages” which are just like apps that you would install on your phone or tablet. They add extra functionality to your NAS. Just like installing apps on your phone or tablet you just hit install and the package is installed and started.

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There are many different packages, but I wanted to focus on three ones that I feel most people will use.

First lets start with Photo Station. This application makes it very easy to organize and view your photos. You can easily upload your photos to the photos shared folder on the DS216+ and they will show up here. You can also upload photos from your mobile device using the DS Photo App which is available for both iOS and Android.

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Video Station is next and it is a manager for all of your movies and videos. You have the ability to designate folders for movies, TV shows, Home Video, TV Recordings etc. Within the application you can play all of your videos, right in your browser. So you don’t even need to have a media player installed on your computer to enjoy media. Video Station will transcode videos for you, even 4K video! Video Station allows you to stream to DLNA devices too. If you want to watch movies on your tablet or phone there is a DS Video App for that.

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The last thing is the Cloud Station Server. This is what you can use to create backups and a “cloud drive”. There are specific applications you can download for your PC to enable these features.

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