Which is the best Synology 2 Bay for your NAS Needs?

It is safe to say that when it comes to NAS, one of the biggest names out there is Synology. But with so many units being added to their every increasing range every year, it can all get a little confusing. Everyone’s data needs are different and what is important in integral to one user can be a superfluous unrequited feature to another. There’s no denying that the accessing, sharing and distribution of media is a big demand of NAS, but equally there are the concerns of those looking for image based backup, a centralised download server and wireless surveillance. With these needs in mind many first time NAS buyers can get lost quickly.

What is the best Synology 2 Bay of 2016

So, with that in mind we present you with our ultimate guide to the 2 Bay NAS devices of Synology’s 2016 range, their strengths, their weaknesses and more importantly, which one is best for which NAS purpose.

Before we get into the nitty gritty of which is best for what, it’s important we highlight the things they can ALL do, the features you will expect from such an established NAS brand like Synology NAS. All 2016 Synology NAS two bay units support the following (though results may vary):

• Synchronization with public cloud storage providers
• BT/HTTP/FTP/NZB/eMule Downloads
• Malware detection/removal internally without a client machine
• Virtual host for multiple websites
• iTunes^® Server Support
• Supported by all common browsers
• All supported by the Android, Mac mobile apps
• OS X Time Machine Support with multiple images
• Surveillance Station support with Multiple IP cameras used at once (all units arrive with 2 free licences and more can be purchased as needed)

Below is a breakdown of the currently available two bay NAS units of 2016 available from Synology with their specs laid bare for you.

[polldaddy poll=9310750]

Design
Model	Synology DS716+ Buy from nascompares.com	Synology DS216+ Buy from nascompares.com	Synology DS216 Buy from nascompares.com	Synology DS216PLAY Buy from nascompares.com	Synology DS216J Buy from nascompares.com	Synology DS216se Buy from nascompares.com
Price ex.VAT	£290	£233	£185	£174	£115	£93
CPU	Intel Celeron N3150 64-bit Quad Core 1.6 burst to 2.08 GHz	Intel Celeron N3050 dual-core 1.6GHz, burst up to 2.16GHz	Marvell Armada 385 88F6820 dual-core 1.3GHz	STMicroelectronics STiH412 dual-core 1.5GHz	Marvell Armada 385 88F6820 dual-core 1.0GHz	Marvell Armada 370 88F6707 800MHz
RAM	2GB RAM	1GB RAM	512MB	1GB	512MB	256MB
Ports	2x LAN 3x USB 3.0 (One touch back up) 1x eSATA	1x LAN 1x USB 3.0 (One touch back up) 2x USB 2.0 1x eSATA	1x LAN 1x USB 2.0 (One touch back up) 2x USB 3.0	1x LAN 1x USB 3.0 1x USB 2.0	1x LAN 2x USB 3.0	1x LAN 2x USB 2.0
Power Consumption	25.84 W (Access) 8.84 W (HDD Hibernation)	17.57 W (Access) 7.52 W (HDD Hibernation)	15.48 W (Access) 7.2 W (System Hibernation)	15.08 W (Access) 6.83 W (HDD Hibernation)	13.42W (Access) 5.28W (HDD Hibernation)	13.73 W (Access) 5.12 W (HDD Hibernation)
Drive installation	Trays – Hot Swap	Trays – Hot Swap	Trays – Hot Swap	Screw – Internal Install – No Hot Swap	Screw – Internal Install – No Hot Swap	Screw – Internal Install – No Hot Swap
Warranty	3 Year Warranty	2 Year Warranty	2 Year Warranty	2 Year Warranty	2 Year Warranty	2 Year Warranty
Read & Write	Average   216.1 MB/s  Read 142.5 MB/s Write   RAID 1 Config Link Aggregation	Average   113 MB/s Read 109 MB/s Write   RAID 1 Config Encrypted	Average   111 MB/s Read 111 MB/s Write   RAID 1 Config	Average   107 MB/s Read 91 MB/s  MB/s Write   RAID 1 Config	Average   105.8 MB/s Read 87.6 MB/s Write   RAID 1 Config	Average   102 MB/sec Read 59 MB/sec Write   RAID 1 Config
Transcoding	4K HD	4K HD	No	4K	No	No
Expansion	YES   DX213 DX513	YES*   Only as an independent Volume	No	No	No	No
Internal File System	Btrfs EXT4	Btrfs EXT4	EXT4	EXT4	EXT4	EXT4
Surveillance   Max Cameras	2 Licences Inc   Maximum   IP camera: 40	2 Licences Inc   Maximum   IP camera: 25	2 Licences Inc   Maximum   IP camera: 16	2 Licences Inc   Maximum   IP camera: 15	2 Licences Inc   Maximum   IP camera: 10	2 Licences Inc   Maximum   IP camera: 5
Download  #	Upto 80X	Upto 80X	Upto 30X	Upto 50X	Upto 30X	Upto 20X
Shared Folders #	Upto x512	Upto x256	Upto x256	Upto x256	Upto x256	Upto x256
Plex   Transfer	Upto 720p*   *May transcode some low bitrate 720p media	Upto 720p*   *May transcode some low bitrate 720p media	Transcoding is not supported on ARMv7   only remuxing	Transcoding is not supported on ARMv7   only remuxing	Transcoding is not supported on ARMv7   only remuxing	Transcoding is not supported on ARMv7   only remuxing

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Need Advice on Data Storage from an Expert?

Finally, for free advice about your setup, just leave a message in the comments below here at NASCompares.com and we will get back to you. Need Help? Where possible (and where appropriate) please provide as much information about your requirements, as then I can arrange the best answer and solution to your needs. Do not worry about your e-mail address being required, it will NOT be used in a mailing list and will NOT be used in any way other than to respond to your enquiry. TRY CHAT Terms and Conditions   Alternatively, why not ask me on the ASK NASCompares forum, by clicking the button below. This is a community hub that serves as a place that I can answer your question, chew the fat, share new release information and even get corrections posted. I will always get around to answering ALL queries, but as a one-man operation, I cannot promise speed! So by sharing your query in the ASK NASCompares section below, you can get a better range of solutions and suggestions, alongside my own.

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