An Easy Guide to Buying the Right UPS for your NAS System
The popularity of uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) has risen significantly in recent years. Not just for businesses, but for home users as well, who often have limited power setups such as houseboats, pop-up offices, and mobile homes. The value of having a safety net for your power-consuming devices is undeniable. Additionally, for those whose data is critical and whose business or personal life relies on constant access and read/write operations, a UPS can provide peace of mind. In the past, power failure solutions were only accessible to large enterprises and high-level businesses, with prices starting in the five figures. However, with the rise of network-attached storage (NAS) in homes and the increased efficiency of mass production techniques, owning a UPS device to protect data in both homes and businesses has become more affordable. However, choosing the right UPS for your NAS device, such as a QNAP or Synology, and finding one that fits within your budget can be challenging. In this guide, we will address the three commonly asked questions by users considering a UPS but unsure of which device to choose: 1) How does a UPS work and how will I benefit? 2) How do I determine the right Watts, Volts, and Amps to choose the best UPS? 3) How much will a UPS cost? We hope this guide is helpful for NAS buyers looking at brands such as Synology, QNAP, Asustor, Terramaster, and others, and also for anyone looking to choose the right UPS for other devices.
Click HERE to Skip ahead to the Recommended UPS for different NAS drives
What Are the Factors I need to consider when buying a UPS for my NAS?
Choosing the right UPS (uninterruptible power supply) for your Synology or QNAP NAS (network-attached storage) can be a complex task, as there are many factors to consider. However, by following a few key guidelines, you can ensure that your NAS is protected against power outages and other issues that could cause data loss or corruption. The first thing to consider when choosing a UPS for your NAS is the amount of power that your NAS requires. Desktop NAS devices with external PSUs typically have a power consumption of around 60-120 watts and rackmounts generally 250W and above, although this can vary depending on the specific model and the number of hard drives that are installed. It is important to choose a UPS that can provide at least this much power, as well as a bit extra to account for any other devices that may be connected to the NAS. Another important factor to consider is the runtime of the UPS. This is the amount of time that the UPS can keep your NAS running in the event of a power outage. The runtime of a UPS is typically measured in minutes, and you should choose a UPS that has a runtime that is long enough to allow you to properly shut down your NAS in the event of a power outage.
Another important feature to look for when choosing a UPS is the ability to communicate with the NAS. Some UPS’ have built-in USB or serial ports that allow them to communicate with the NAS and provide status information. This can be very useful in case of power outage, as it can allow you to monitor the status of the UPS and take appropriate action. Finally, you should also consider the size and weight of the UPS, as well as its overall design. A UPS that is smaller and lighter may be more convenient to deploy, but you should also make sure that it is well-designed and built to last. When choosing a UPS for your NAS, it is important to consider the amount of power that your NAS requires, the runtime of the UPS, the ability to communicate with the NAS, compatibility and the size and weight of the UPS. By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your NAS is protected against power outages and other issues that could cause data loss or corruption.
What is a UPS and Why Should I Buy One for my NAS?
The most frequently asked question about UPS is typically “What exactly is a UPS and what does it do?” UPS stands for Uninterruptible Power Supply and many users believe that purchasing a UPS means they can run their devices and access data from their NAS, DAS, or SAN for hours after a power failure. While this is technically true, it would require a significant financial investment in the form of a 5-figure sum. In reality, most users do not require hours of protection for their read/write data operations on HDD media. Instead, what is often needed is enough time to safely shut down the server or RAID storage. This can be achieved by spending only hundreds of pounds, not thousands, as it depends on the number of devices drawing power, their specific needs, and the efficiency of the chosen UPS. For more information on UPS and how to choose one, please watch the video below.
How Does a UPS Draw Power and How Do I Connect My Devices?
This topic can be challenging for some, so we will break it down and explain it in a simple way. Before delving into technical terms like Watts, Volts, and Power, let’s use an analogy that’s easy to understand. Imagine receiving electricity to your device as drawing water from a tap.
To understand this concept, we can use an analogy of a tap and water. Just like a tap needs water and pressure to deliver it through the pipe, an electrical circuit needs electrons and voltage to deliver electricity to a device. The water represents the electrons that carry electricity from the power source to the destination device, like a NAS, DAS, or PC. The tap represents the destination device and the water/electrons are going around in a circuit back to the water/power source, which is mostly unseen in the cables.
The pressure in the analogy represents the VOLTAGE, which is the strength of the electricity being pushed by the electrons in the circuit. It’s important to measure this as some devices are designed to only accept a specific amount of voltage. If the voltage is too high or too low, the device will not function correctly.
AMPS represent the amount of electrical charge that passes a given point in a second, similar to how much water passes through the pipe per second.
So, now we need to know the WATTS of the device. This is compiled with the following equation:
AMPS x VOLTS = WATTS
or
Water Volume x Water Pressure = Water Power
If you’ve ever experienced weak water pressure in a shower while living in an apartment on a higher floor, this is likely due to the water pressure not being strong enough to deliver the water to the destination device. Similarly, a smaller battery pack is often measured in milliampere-hours (mAh), which represents the amount of charge available, rather than time. Using the analogy of water, this would be like a large drum of water. The amount of water and how fast it travels from the drum is not as important as the available water that can be carried over to the tap. The output and result is heavily affected by the AMPS and VOLTS, similar to the pressure of water and the maximum or minimum amount of water the tap can receive.
Choosing the right UPS Battery for your Home or Office
The majority of UPS devices have a similar setup. You connect one end to your main power outlet (3 Pin, 2 Pin, etc) and the UPS has multiple ports for connecting your destination devices (PC, NAS, etc). Inside the UPS chassis, there is one or more batteries that are charged from the wall plug, while your devices are powered directly from the wall and not drawing from the batteries unless there is a power failure. In the event of a power failure in your home or business, the destination devices will switch to drawing power from the batteries, giving you time to save your data and shut down your devices safely, protecting your digital storage from corruption or loss. It’s worth noting that when buying a UPS, there are many figures to consider, but the power drawn by computing equipment is typically measured in Watts or Volt-Amps(VA).
BUT
The power in Watts is the real power drawn by the equipment.Volt-Amps are called the “apparent power” and are the product of the voltage applied to the equipment times the current drawn by the equipment.
Inexpensive UPS devices typically have a shorter running time because they don’t provide as much charge. Mid-range UPS devices, on the other hand, offer longer charge times, more features, and additional functionality such as network alerts, internet alerts via SMS or email, an LCD display, USB connectivity for maintenance, and the ability to automatically save or shut down certain NAS or PC machines in the event of a power failure, eliminating the need for manual intervention.
There is more to choosing the right UPS than matching the WATTS of your destination device and that of the UPS
UPS capacities are giving in VOLT-AMPS , not WATTS
Remember again,
VAULTS x AMPS = WATTS
Well, Resistance present in electrical load means that the WATTS cannot be matched Like for Like. So:
How do I Choose the Correct VA for the Watts on my NAS, PC and more?
You will need to consider a UPS with a VOLT-AMP 50-70% higher than the WATTS present on your destination device. Don’t forget to factor into your consumption any other devices that are drawing from the UPS, as this consumption is not per device, but TOTAL.
What is Line Interaction on a UPS?
Some UPS devices have a “Line Interactive” feature that can strengthen a weak or inconsistent power supply, particularly useful for those in remote areas where maintenance may be less frequent. When it comes to sizing a UPS, it’s important to note that equipment nameplate ratings are often in VA which can make it difficult to determine the Watt rating. To avoid oversizing the UPS, it’s recommended to configure the system such that the VA rating of the load is no greater than 60% of the UPS VA rating. This will prevent exceeding the Watt rating of the UPS. However, this approach may result in an oversized UPS and a longer run time than expected.
– Battery Packs, Listed in VOLTS and can be added to an existing UPS
– Replacement Battery Cartridges, an Internal Upgrade, RANGE specific
– Available in Desktop or Rack mount
What Are the most popular brands in the UPS Market?
There are many brands that provide UPS (uninterruptible power supply) devices in the market, but some of the most popular ones include:
- APC (American Power Conversion) – APC is a well-known brand that has been providing UPS devices for many years. They offer a wide range of UPS devices, including standalone units, rack-mount units, and network-grade units. They also offer a variety of software and accessories to help manage and monitor their UPS devices.
- Tripp Lite – Tripp Lite is another well-known brand that provides UPS devices. They offer a wide range of UPS devices, including standalone units, rack-mount units, and network-grade units. They also offer a variety of software and accessories to help manage and monitor their UPS devices.
- Eaton – Eaton is a well-established brand that provides UPS devices. They offer a wide range of UPS devices, including standalone units, rack-mount units, and network-grade units. They also offer a variety of software and accessories to help manage and monitor their UPS devices.
- CyberPower – CyberPower is a brand that provides a wide range of UPS devices, including standalone units, rack-mount units, and network-grade units. They also offer a variety of software and accessories to help manage and monitor their UPS devices.
- Schneider Electric – Schneider Electric is a brand that provides a wide range of UPS devices, including standalone units, rack-mount units, and network-grade units. They also offer a variety of software and accessories to help manage and monitor their UPS devices.
- Liebert – Liebert is a brand that provides a wide range of UPS devices, including standalone units, rack-mount units, and network-grade units. They also offer a variety of software and accessories to help manage and monitor their UPS devices.
These are just a few examples of the many brands that provide UPS devices in the market. There are many other brands available, each with their own set of features, specifications, and pricing options, so it is worth researching different options to find the one that best suits your needs.
How Do Synology, QNAP, Asustor and Terramaster NAS work with a UPS?
Almost all NAS drive brands support the use of a smart UPS, connected via USB for monitoring or via the network. That said, how each NAS system reacts to a power cut and switching to the UPS battery does differ. I recently tested the CyberPower 1500 system with a selection of 4-Bay UPS systems to see how each NAS brand’s hardware and software react. Below is the video for each brand. Just click the video, or you can open them up in a separate tab by clicking the title.
| Synology NAS UPS Test
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QNAP NAS UPS Test
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| Asustor NAS UPS Test
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Terramaster NAS UPS Test |
Recommended UPS for Different NAS Drives from Synology, QNAP, Asustor or Terramaster
Below are a number of tiered UPS systems for your individual power needs and budget. These are based on the Watts you need to cover and based on a single NAS of different size each. This, of course, is just the tip of the iceberg and for more precise advice based on a whole office or server room of hardware, we recommend getting in touch with us directly using the Free Advice section (no commitment and the advice is totally impartial) so we can save you money as well as provide you with a solution that will help you sleep at night! All solutions that I recommend below have to arrive with at least 2 Years of Manufacturers’ Warranty, 2 Years of Battery Warranty/Replacement Coverage, USB and/or Network Support, NAS compatibility, provides at least 10-20mins of continued client operation in a power-cut, support of line interaction and AT LEAST 6x mains power points for devices
Budget/Basic UPS (No Frills!) for Value and/or ARM-Based NAS
For much more modest Synology or QNAP NAS setups, as well as factoring in additional home/office equipment I would recommend the following UPS Device.
- 1-4 HDD NAS Drive with 90-120w PSU
- 1x Desktop PC with 250W PSU and Laptops/tablets
- 1x Router 30W internal PSU
- + Misc Other Office Equipment (50W avg)
- Floor or Tower Versions
- No LCD available
Option – The Amazon Basics UPS, Available in different versions that cover 400VA to 1500VA, 6-8 Ports – Starts at $49
Find it on Amazon HERE
Best UPS for a 1-2-Bay NAS Drive for Home or Home Office Use
For much more modest Synology or QNAP NAS setups, as well as factoring in additional home/office equipment I would recommend the following UPS Device.
- 1-2 HDD NAS Drive with 60-90w PSU
- 1x Desktop PC with 250W PSU
- 1x Router 30W internal PSU
- + Misc Other Office Equipment (50W avg)
Option – The APC BE600M1 , Available in different versions that cover 550VA to 850VA, 7 Ports – Starts at $99
Find it on Amazon HERE
Best UPS for a 1-2-Bay NAS Drive for Business
For much more modest Synology or QNAP NAS setups, as well as factoring in additional home/office equipment I would recommend the following UPS Device.
- 1-2 HDD NAS Drive with 60-90w PSU
- 1x Desktop PC with 250W PSU
- 1x Router 30W internal PSU
- + Misc Other Office Equipment (50W avg)
Option – The APC BE650G2, Available in different versions that cover 185W to 520W, 8 Ports – Starts at $169
Find it on Amazon HERE
Best UPS for a 4-8-Bay NAS Drive for Prosumers
For much more modest Synology or QNAP NAS setups, as well as factoring in additional home/office equipment I would recommend the following UPS Device.
- 4-8 HDD NAS Drive with 100-250W PSU
- 2x Desktop PC with 250W PSU
- 1x Router 30W internal PSU + Switch with 25W PSU
- + Misc Other Office Equipment (100W avg)
- Battery/Coverage Insurance ($500,000 Connected Equipment Guarantee)
- Tower Style
Option – The CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD PFC Sinewave UPS System, Available in different versions that cover 850-1500VA (1000W), 10-12 Ports – Starts at $389
Find it on Amazon HERE
Best UPS for an 8-12-Bay NAS Drive for Medium Large Business and Video/Photo Editors
For much more modest Synology or QNAP NAS setups, as well as factoring in additional home/office equipment I would recommend the following UPS Device.
- 8-12 HDD NAS Drive with 250-350W PSU
- Rackmount entry point (factor in dual/Redundant PSUs)
- 3x Desktop PC with 250W PSU
- 1x Router 30W internal PSU + 10GbE Switch with 90W PSU
- + Misc Other Office Equipment (400W avg)
- Rackmount Style (Desktop alternatives available, but cap at 2000VA)
Option – The Tripp Lite SU3000RTXL3U Sinewave UPS System, Available in different versions that cover 750-3000VA (2400W), 7-9 Ports – Starts at $799
Find it on Amazon HERE
How Long do UPS Batteries Last?
The lifespan of a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) battery can vary depending on several factors, including the type of battery, the quality of the battery, the usage, and the environment in which the UPS is used. However, on average, a UPS battery should last between 3-5 years with proper usage and maintenance. Lead-acid batteries, which are commonly used in UPS systems, have a typical lifespan of 3-5 years. However, this lifespan can be shortened or extended depending on the usage and maintenance of the battery. For example, if the battery is frequently discharged to a low level, this can shorten its lifespan, whereas proper charging and maintenance can prolong it.
It’s important to note that the lifespan of UPS batteries can also be affected by environmental factors such as temperature, humidity and the amount of use. High temperatures and humidity can shorten the battery life, while keeping the UPS in a cool and dry environment can extend it. It’s also worth noting that most of the UPS batteries have an end-of-life indicator, which will alert you when the battery is no longer performing as well as it should. This will give you an idea of when the battery needs to be replaced.
In conclusion, the lifespan of a UPS battery can vary depending on several factors, including the type of battery, the quality of the battery, the usage, and the environment in which the UPS is used. On average, a UPS battery should last between 3-5 years with proper usage and maintenance. Keeping an eye on the end-of-life indicator and maintaining the battery in a cool and dry environment can help to extend the battery’s lifespan.
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Very nice and complete video; thanks! But, as an user living in Brazil, I’m still a little bit confused concerning the “smart” area of an UPS; how can I be sure that a specific UPS model supports the functionality of powering off my QNAP 2-bay NAS when my home lacks of power and the UPS goes working on its battery? If the UPS has an USB port is it possible that it supports that function? Could you please help me out identifying if an UPS has or has not the needed functionality? Thank you so much! Cheers!
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Thanks!
Hey buddy, Just wanted to say a massive thanks for all your videos. It rally helped me to make better decision – went for TS-473e, by the way 😉
Thank you again !
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One important thing not covered is NAS and UPS compatibility. Synology have a very limited compatibility list on what UPS Synology will happily work with.
I had to purchase an APC UPS because Synology would not “talk” to my rack mounted top shelf UPS.
All UPS have software that will talk to a PC but not a NAS, and a UPS is of little use if the UPS cannot communicate to the NAS that there has been a power failure, and the battery time remaining so the NAS can safely shut down. Even Synology’s compatibility list is rubbish, the APC UPS can communicate with my DS1618+ but not my DS1621+.
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Thank you for your video and it is very insightful. I would like share my experience in using UPS to protect my NAS and get your comments as well. My overall experience in using UPS to protect NAS in a home is not very positive. I had a bad experience on power trip before. So I bought an APC EasyUPS BVX700LUI-MS UPS to protect my Synology DS210J, 2-Bay NAS drive. I thought this is no brain things, since my NAS power consumption is very low, I bought a cheapest APC UPS I could find 3 years ago. After 3 years, I had number of the issues/observations with this UPS — 1) It is running very hot. my unit consumes about 18W of power, with no load and fully charged battery. There are 3 types of UPS — standby, line-interactive and online. Except standby, they all have active electronic circuit running constantly, to generate a lot of heat. My unit is line-interactive type to protect over and under voltage of the AC power. I am not sure whether it is necessary, as my Synology’s power supply can accept AC voltage from 110V to 240V. 2) UPS battery life is shorter than you expected. My unit has battery life 2~3 years in its datasheet, and replacement of lead-acid battery might not be as cheap as you think. My UPS unit’s replacement battery (APCRBC110) cost about $100 in Amazon, more than the price I paid for the entire new APC UPS BVX700LUI-MS! Given a such short life, your UPS runtime may not be what you think as you measured with a fresh, new battery. After one or two years, your battery may be on the way of dying, your runtime can get shorter and shorter over the course of 3~5 years time. 3) cheaper UPS is not always consumer friendly, besides total cost of the ownership, (battery replacement, higher power consumption etc). It usually uses a LED and sound to tell you the status of your UPS. in the case of my UPS unit, it emits a very loud, constant sound when the battery is detected to be dead. It could be very annoying when you place it at home, especially if this happens in the middle of night. My unit is supposed to to battery test every 14 days. 4) The UPS may fail to detect a dead battery when the load is too low. My house had a power trip few days ago and the UPS immediately cut off all prower, provided almost zero backup time. I had a dead battery inside without any advanced warning. I did further investigation, and realized that it is because the load of my UPS is simply too low — one 2-bay Synology drive with one HDD installed, one Buffalo NAS with two HDD, a network switch, a Wi-fi router with a 700VA/360W UPS! I tested my UPS with a 60W light bulb as load, it immediately give me a warning message when I turned the unit on. My APC UPS clearly lacks of more sophisticated method to detect the end life of a battery. 5) lastly, if you are using UPS at home to protect your NAS, without a business-like setting, such like data center, operators and tools to monitor equipment 24×7, then you’d better to buy a UPS with a communication interface directly connected to your UPS, and it can shut down your NAS automatically during AC power outage, after a predefined time. Because for the home use, you may not always at home when power outage happens. Although this does not happen to me yet, I am still very much regretted not buy one with the built-in communication interface. Overall, I don’t think the current UPS products in the market are friendly to the average consumers for home uses. APC website provides a plenty of the information on their products, but others are not. You may only get to know whether they are good or not after you actually buy and use them for a while.
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Hi Sir,
Just wondering – I took your advice and bought a UPS, now I’m wondering where to put it (and therefore, also my NAS). Should I be looking for a place that is safe in case it ever caught fire? Or am I being ridiculous??
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Build your own do much longer run timr wich i do ????????????????i have power ???? station i build can charge 12 cell phone 2 ???? ????????
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Thank you for your advice great work.
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Your channel is just so darn good. Thank you so much
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Thanks for the very thorough and useful info. One question I would love to see covered is how to use 1 UPS for multiple NAS devices and have them all able to communicate with the UPS for power management features? Let’s say I have 3 synology NAS devices and 1 UPS, can I connect all 3 via USB hub or is there a different/better/proper way to set this up?
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I appreciate the reviews. On your site, can you specify which are manageable too?
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Great video but does this work on a Synology Disk Station DS1522+ – 5 Bay NAS & what UPS would be best for this NAS
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One thing you didn’t cover in this test is what happens if the power doesn’t come back in in under 10 minutes? I know you demonstrated that the NAS unmounted the drives and kicked people off but did it power down at any point? It was hard to tell from this test if it completely powered off. Because when we lose our power it is usually out for hours some times over a day.
I know the first choice you showed about powering down after 5 minutes would but I’m curious about the option you used.
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I am in UK and just want a UPS for my 923+ NAS, I want it to cope with a power outage of say 4 or 5 hours, what would you recommend please?
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At 10:21 you talk about some features that a UPS should have, could you name them please?
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might be worth taking an electrical engineering course to help your explanation
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At this point I’m just debating on going with an Ecoflow or BluYetti lithium battery powered generator that has a UPS mode and just using that instead of having to deal with replacement batteries and just having the option to recharge another way seems clutch.
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Як налаштувати від одного UPS APC RS 800 Synology 918+ i Qnap TS-210?
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*@NASCompares* one thing that you did not mention, most of those NAS units (unless you run a huge massive 8 bay unit or something similar) are drawing so little power (less than 60-70W) that most proper UPS units are too over-powered for them, correct me if I am wrong, but if I have an APC UPS with a rating of 1600VA and I connect to it a NAS unit which only draws 60W, the UPS will fail to correctly function, let me know if I have got anything wrong on it but that is from my general knowledge. and those low-end UPS units (that look like a fat extension cord) are built so purely that I will not trust them for anything more sensitive than a router
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When will the backup UPS guys get smart and sell a high capacity DC UPS? One that can support 12V and 19V outputs so we’re not charging DC batteries and then converting it back to AC just to power DC devices???
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Avoid Cyberpower UPS…..that brand is a complete joke and a fire hazard.
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This was great. Thanks!
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Just coming across the video, and you cover a lot of great info. The one point I didn’t see covered is this:
– The VA / Watt rating is only the output capacity of the inverter, NOT the battery capacity
– The battery capacity is very difficult to find, but if you dig enough, you can find something like:
Battery Size: 12V/9Ah
To get the 100% efficient estimated run time, you would multiply the V by Ah, to get Watt Hours, then divide by your load:
12 v * 9 Ah = 108 Watt Hours
This means, that while a 1500 VA / 1000 W CyperPower PFC can run 1000 watts of output, the run time will be VERY low:
108 Watt Hours / 1000 Watts = 0.108 Hours ( or 6.48 minutes )
However, this value is for a 100% efficient inverter, which doesn’t exist. Looking further into the CP1500PFC specs, it does list the run time:
At full load: only 2.5 minutes!
At half load ( 500 watts / 750 VA ): 10 minutes.
While the capacity does commonly track a bit to the VA/Watt rating, a higher VA/W rating does not always mean higher Battery Capacity. Dig deep into the specs, and figure out your estimated run time to prevent serious disappointment, and buy the right run-time, the first time.
If you want more geekery on the difference between VA and Watts, do a search for ‘power factor’ or ‘apparent power’ and ‘reactive power’.
Hope this helps someone 🙂
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apcupsd goes well with apc the best one
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You also should look at the power – time graphic where you can find out how long a UPS can deliver the power you need continiously. I always use a time from 10 till 15 min for the needed power.
I even can tell you there are Brands who can deliverr a lot of power, BUT only for less then a few minutes !
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Hi, so if I plug only one 4 bay NAS to the UPS I’m fine with the recommendation UPS for a 2 bay NAS – correct? I really don’t wanna plug anything else to the UPS than the 4 bay NAS…
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Robbie, Thanks again for good overall info & at 23 min mark specific UPS ideas for different size NAS, PC, etc. Also at 20 min mark the concept of having multiple UPS units is good advice, too.
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If I have an Asustor Nimbustor 2 Bay, how long would it last for a 650va ups
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What about pure sign wave vs modified. I’ve seen the wave readings of some cheap UPSs which look outright sketchy. Can’t that cause damage over time if there a lot of power outages? Or are most NAS PSU’s pretty tolerant of garbage quality modified sign wave?
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An observation from personal experience: Where I live, we experience a power outage only once every several years so I have been rather lax about buying a UPS. Well, we had a power outage due to a house fire in the neighbourhood. When the power came back on, the Synology ran as if nothing at all happened. On the other hand, the QNAP had several corrupted apps. They appeared to be still installed but would not run. And could not be uninstalled. I had to go the the App Center, download the apps, and then reinstall them.
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Just to share my experience I deeply regret buying an APC UPS (Bz1500Xlbi). I literally thrown it on the trash last week, after only 6 months it wasn’t sustaining its own batteries for no longer than 8~10 seconds with only one single router. If the NAS was attached to it was just instantly. Even worse than not using UPS at all since the NAS starts its shutdown process but gets interrupted.
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Would the ecoflow river 2 work as a ups? “It can be an emergency power source (EPS), which will have the same result as UPS for most electronics. Here’s the difference. When your RIVER Pro is plugged into the wall, anything plugged into it gets power from the grid, not its battery. If power from the grid stops, RIVER Pro automatically switches to its battery supply mode within 30 milliseconds. That means anything connected will not have power for 30 milliseconds, which may mean sensitive electronics like desktop computers and data servers turn off. Test your devices individually to see if they need UPS to stay powered.”. I’m looking for an affordable lifepo4 solution.
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Not really informative video. Let me explain…
What we’re interested on when buying UPS, are two things:
1. How much power UPS can deliver
-although that’s covered in this video, it’s basically only told what we can see from specs anyway. For example, what does 950VA mean? In electricity VA is voltage multiplied by current (V x A) and result is power (W). So it “appears” that 950VA UPS should be capable to deliver 950W. Obviously that’s not the case, because specs says it can deliver max 520W and so in this case VA means nothing -is just a product label (bigger number means “more”).
2. How long can UPS supply specified max (or lower) power?
-this very important question isn’t covered in video at all. So for example, if we connect PC (~300W), monitor (~40W) and NAS (~20W) to 950VA UPS, how long will system run? The answer is… Inside 950VA UPS is usually a 12V 9Ah battery and such battery can deliver max 12V x 9Ah =108W/h. We should keep in mind that this is only theoretically possible. In reality (battery losses, voltage conversion losses) resulting power (efficiency) is only about 50W/h -not that much, huh? So, how long will our 360W system run on our UPS? 50W x 60minutes / 360W = ~8minutes -if battery is new and fully loaded.
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Hi, I am planning to buy the ups on 30:16 SMT3000RMI2U on the left. I am worried that it won’t be detected on the QNAP nas since I couldn’t find it on any compatiblty list. Is it compatible with the QNAP NAS?
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What UPS to use just for 4 bay NAS and router for central Europe market? There should be a minimum power draw for UPS to work properly, so I need something that would work just for 923+ and RT2600. Any recommendations? And what about the differences and significance of pure sine wave vs stepped sine wave for NAS usage.
Thnx
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Where do you sort UPS with USB alarm for automatic NAS shutdown?
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Russia- Ukraine conflict?
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Your channel is the worst NAS channel on youtube way too much rambling get to the point
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I used APC for what seems to be two decades for large scale events, office and home use as they were the only game in town. However service was not good in my country so when something went wrong you basically had to buy a new one. Also trying to work out what the various beeps meant when something went wrong, or muting it, was simply arcane. Switched 3 years ago to using Cyber power with a visual display. WOW. I am in love. Had to replace one under warranty and it was a simple exchange. Also, a tip I don’t see covered here yet, is that you only need the UPS to communicate with ONE of your Synology’s as the others that are connected to the same UPS on the same network, are able to be set up to use your main Synology to tell them when the power is down, and then shut down easily. So I have some old dumb UPS units that will see out their lives being a simple battery with out them communicating to their respective devices as the main Cyperpower is able to do so via my main Synology. I wish the Windows Servers I used to use were this intelligent.
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Remember, battery packs have a limited safe ‘shelf life’. Even premium brands can expand/catch fire if stored poorly
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Long video. Does anyone has summary of his suggestions?
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How this video has only 7.8K views ??
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EXTREMELY HELPFUL! I needed this as I am looking for a PSU to help preserve my NAS in the case of a high volt situation (I had one and it destroyed my previous APC PSU but it saved my PC, TV).
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Very helpful, thanks
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I have 3 APCs home and I couldn’t be happier. The only thing that I think needs improving is the ancient windows application.
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Surge current can trip a ups on transfer so remember 30 percent over maximum draw and you will be safe. Experience pays.
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Apc or Eaton only company’s to use. Period. Everything else is Walmart crap
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Good guide. I’ve recently installed a UPS for my Synology and I was shocked how many times it kicked in over just 1 month! Quick question, will it be better to use the UPS to turn on/off the NAS or use WOL? Could you make a tutorial on how to set these two options up?
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How to Auto Shutdown 2 pc ? because usb port just communicating with one pc !
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Did I miss something. Seems like he is confusing VA and battery capacity
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BE600M1 does NOT have a pure sine-wave output, beware if you have anything delicate on it.
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Good one ????I’ve got 1 upright 600VA/360W Riello UPS covering 3 light weight servers and network gear (wifi using PoE). One is primary and if there’s a power cut, it’ll tell 2 of the servers to turn off, before turning itself off. Smart! Most of the time it’s running at 30% usage (1 server+network gear), when everything is on it runs at 80%, but that’s rare (once every 2 weeks perhaps).
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Terrible advice.
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Thank you, this was very helpful for me.
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Just wondering, for a bigger setup, wouldn’t it be better off getting one of those high capacity portable power unit. Like Bluetti and Ecoflow? Not sure if they have a passthrough option. Just wondering.
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VA is Volt Amps (technically Amperes) not Voltage Amps. 1 VA is 1 W.
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I just had a power trip yesterday and I’m looking through UPS, now I see your video. Thanks.
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I use the 1000w pfc cyberpower for my refrigerator and freezer chest.
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Hey, YouTube advice here: if you want your video to get watched, then an “Easy Guide” should be under 5 minutes long. Perhaps make a second channel for the short Easy videos and keep the long form stuff separate.
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Wouldn’t trust cyberpower to protect my equipment. Unless you are on a tight budget or dont connect critical hardware, I would stick to real power equipment companies.
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I run a Eaton Ellipse ECO 800 USB on my DS1621+ (3x MG08ACA16TE HDDs +1x Crucial 240gb ssd for 12 dockers)
Aswell as TL-SG1008P poe+ switch, TL-EAP 245 Access point aswell as my Router PCEngines APU3 OpnSense.
All last around 20-25 minutes on full power backup.
More than enough of time for em all to auto shut down.
It is what it is.
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“Early Doors”? What does that mean?
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Very good video. However I wouldn’t bother facroring in or connecting a laptop into a UPS as they come with one built in..
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Also I saw that you recommended Pure Sine models – perhaps expand in the next video or in the pinned comment why this is preferred.
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Hi… well… your recommendations at the end are a bit confusing, because you mix the clients with the NAS when considering the Wattage… i have a Synology DS1821+ and i bought a Eaton 1600VA for it and my network hardware (Ubiquiti USG and Switch and also the internet provider router)…. NO PCs connected there…
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A minor point if I can.
Sometimes the transitions / dissolves are too quick to read the point before you start talking to it.
I found myself a couple of times rewinding the video or pausing it, so I had the context for your comments.
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You did another video about 6 months to a year ago that I saw shortly after I bought a ups only to find out it wasn’t on the Synology tested and list. I appreciate the work you do and if I had looked for videos first I wouldn’t have an incompatibility issue. I only looked for videos afterwards because I was having issues with my Synology recognizing how much battery remains. I don’t have the option to let it run till the battery is low and shut down cuz it thinks the battery is low after like an hour when I have over half left according to the display on the ups. So I just set it to shut down after 30 mins and then restart after power comes back online. Thankfully that part works well. After all there’s no reason I really need to run my nas for an extended period on battery. The primary reason I bought a ups was to protect it from data loss in a power outage. So as long as I have enough power to shutdown properly I’m happy.
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I run 3 APC 1500’s. One for the NAS, An ext drive for NAS backup, Modem, Router & Switch. One for the PC while supporting external drives & fans. One for my Desktop employing the monitor, desklamps, and ,minor accessories such as phone chargers. All are managed and monitored via software. This balances a Net result of about 3 hours of total high power usage. Smaller items can be taken offline, such as desklamps, external drives, etc. thereby increasing the time. One time I had a power failure and didn’t even know it until I went to the fridge. All 3 switched with absolutely no delay or hiccups. Lovin’ it !
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One consideration with a UPS is cable management… because it makes cable management a massive pain in the ass.
With a standing desk that can lift up and down, you would normally just clip a surge protector power strip to the back of the desk and plug everything into that, easy peasy. But with a UPS on the floor, you can’t really do that. Your only real options are to find exactly the right length power cables so you can run them neatly to the UPS but with enough slack for the desk to go up and down, or just never take the desk up.
I went with the latter option out of laziness, so my desk is a rat’s nest of cables underneath. Most devices having wall warts, external power supplies, etc instead of internal power supplies and ATX power cables REALLY doesn’t help.
The dream is to have the house wired for ethernet with a network rack and a server rack, so then you can just use rack mounted UPSes for most things and only need a floor UPS for big ticket items like desktop PCs, but that’s a lot of expense.
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Perfect!
My fully loaded DS923+ just arrived and I was researching for the last two days for a good UPS. Very informative. Thanks!
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Amazing, a UPS for NAS guide one month after I bought a UPS
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Nice video, very informative again!
PS: I would recommend to put the text in-between segments a wee bit longer please, I often have to rewind and pause to read..
I noticed that indeed often only the VA-value is provided and I think/believe because those UPS have a selectable(!) output-voltage? (irrespective from the input line-voltage) Plus you will need the V and A values for your wiring, circuit-breakers and such. And not forgetting power factor/reactive loads etc.
BTW., if you do not have enough plug-points, some UPS manufacturers do have “special” UPS Power Strips. Of course always do pay attention to the ratings!
Very, very important note: If you go for a UPS, pay attention if it supports SNMP out of the box or you need a (smart) optional network-controller. (= additional costs) Nowadays many UPS do have an ethernet-connection out of the box but that is often cloud-based only (yeah, go figure) and not for your local network integration unless you use their own App.
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If I use the USB port on my 720+ for a portable drive can I use a USB hub to connect the drive and UPS??
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This was very helpful to me. I did not knew I could do this. I plugged in the USB cable my 251 to my Eaton UPS and it just worked like you showed us. Thank you and nice socks by the way!
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What would happen to an expansion unit that’s attached to the synology? Would it go in to safe mode along with the main unit when power dropped, or do you have to configure it separately?
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Thank you for this video! I also bought a QNAP TS-251D, and i’m looking to buy a CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD, which I feel is kind of a must/insurance for a NAS, right?
My power tends to blink, or go out for 2-8 hours, randomly every other month. Old trees falling, new homes being built, and maintenance or wires being hit…
Would a full shut down be best? Or think that I could get away with just standby?
Basically, which is healthier for the NAS? I only plan to have the NAS connected.
I only use the NAS for media backup, and eventually playing backed up DVD’s. Only two 8Tb drives in raid 1.
But if power is out, I don’t need the NAS to be on…
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Can you use the UPS monitoring via Ethernet? I have 3 NAS and want them all to shut down in a power issue.
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Your not meant to yank the plug like that as you removed the ground, just flip the power switch is safer for testing.
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Great video thank you. I have my NAS’ electrical already connected to a UPS, but not the USB. Should I power NAS down to connect USB, or does that not matter?
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Thank you CyberPower for making this video possible and to NASCompairs for being awesome as usual. I now understand how important having a UPS attached to my NAS is and waisted no time in getting one and getting it configured. Thank you
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I have DS220+ that is not shutting down with a CyberPower CP825AVRLCD but seems to enter safe mode only. Does that mean it’s not compatible?
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Thank you! I think I’m going to get this cyber power ups. How’s it holding up?
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Can you please do a comparison of all the different UPS meant for Synology NAS? I’ve been told that I need to get a UPS as well after getting a NAS
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So what happens if your power is out for extended period of time in that standby mode you selected and battery runs out. Is the data safe on reboot? When the power comes back on will it still reboot itself or will you need a manual reboot?
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Does cyberpower bu800e can have enough support ds920+?
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Thanks for this video and some of the others connecting different brands of NAS to a CyberPower UPS. Very practical information!
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