Synology vs UniFi NAS Comparison
UPDATE – The UniFi UNAS Pro NAS is now available and can be found HERE
In the world of Network Attached Storage (NAS), Synology has been a dominant player for over two decades, recognized for its extensive range of products, robust features, and seamless user experience. UniFi, by contrast, is a newcomer in the NAS market, having built a reputation for excellence in networking solutions under the umbrella of Ubiquiti. With the recent release of the UniFi UNAS Pro, the company is entering a highly competitive space dominated by established NAS providers like Synology. This article takes an in-depth look at both Synology’s NAS solutions and UniFi’s first NAS system. It compares the two across key aspects such as price, hardware, software, expandability, and company history, offering insights for both casual users and IT professionals considering which NAS system is right for them.
UniFi UNAS Pro vs Synology NAS – Price
When it comes to pricing, Synology and UniFi are positioned at different ends of the spectrum, catering to a wide variety of users with different needs and budgets.
UniFi‘s UNAS Pro, priced at $499, offers a 7-bay rackmount NAS with 10GbE networking capabilities, making it a highly competitive option, particularly for users already embedded in the UniFi ecosystem. This pricing is aggressive for a rackmount system, as most NAS systems with similar features are priced higher. The UNAS Pro is designed to offer an affordable entry point into the world of NAS for small businesses, IT enthusiasts, or existing UniFi users looking to expand their infrastructure with file storage.
By comparison, Synology offers a wide range of NAS devices, starting with affordable 2-bay home systems and scaling up to high-end rackmount systems designed for large enterprises. For example, the Synology DS923+, which retails around $499, provides a 4-bay desktop solution with expandable 10GbE support and an x86 processor, giving it a slight edge in performance over the UNAS Pro for the same price. However, Synology’s rackmount offerings, such as the RS422+, start at $599 for a 4-bay system, and prices quickly rise for larger models with more features and higher-end hardware.
The price difference between these two brands becomes more apparent as you explore Synology’s higher-end options. Their enterprise-grade NAS systems with features like redundant power supplies, dual controllers, and PCIe expansion slots can cost well over $1,000, whereas UniFi’s UNAS Pro remains a single, relatively fixed offering at the lower end of the price range.
In terms of long-term value, UniFi clearly offers a more affordable entry into the NAS market, particularly for users who already use UniFi’s networking products. However, Synology provides a much broader pricing structure, with options that allow users to scale up based on their growing needs—whether for home, SMB, or enterprise use.
Synology vs UniFi NAS – Hardware / Range / Value for Money
The hardware offered by both Synology and UniFi reflects their differing approaches to the NAS market. UniFi’s UNAS Pro is positioned as an affordable 7-bay rackmount solution, with a focus on simplicity and integration into the broader UniFi ecosystem. The UNAS Pro features a quad-core ARM Cortex-A57 processor, 8GB DDR4 memory, and a 10GbE port with an additional 1GbE port. Its hardware is designed to deliver adequate performance for tasks like file storage, backups, and basic networking, but it lacks advanced features like NVMe SSD support or expandable RAM. This makes it a good fit for users who want reliable storage without the need for heavy processing power or extensive scalability.
Synology, on the other hand, offers an extensive range of hardware, from small 2-bay models for personal use to enterprise-grade solutions. Synology’s systems often feature Intel or AMD processors, expandable RAM, and support for NVMe SSD caching. For example, the Synology DS923+ comes with an AMD Ryzen R1600 processor, expandable RAM, and optional 10GbE support, making it more powerful and flexible than the UNAS Pro for users needing higher performance. Additionally, Synology’s rackmount models like the RS422+ offer robust hardware for business environments, with support for redundant power supplies and PCIe slots for expansion.
Where Synology truly shines is in the variety of hardware it offers, allowing users to select devices that suit their exact needs, whether it’s a small 2-bay NAS for personal backups or a large-scale rackmount NAS for a data-heavy business. Synology’s hardware flexibility ensures that users can start small and scale up over time, adding more storage, faster networking, or additional computing power as needed. The comparison below highlights the differences in hardware between UniFi and 1 Synology NAS at a similar price point (DS923+), and another that is similar in hardware (RS422+:
| Feature | UniFi UNAS Pro
|
Synology DS923+
|
Synology RS422+
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $499 | $500-550 | $599-699 |
| Bays | 7 SATA | 4 SATA | 4 SATA |
| Processor | ARM Cortex-A57, Quad-core, 1.7GHz | AMD Ryzen R1600, Dual-core | AMD Ryzen R1600, Dual-core |
| Memory | 8GB DDR4 (Non-upgradable) | 4GB DDR4 (Expandable to 32GB) | 2GB DDR4 (Expandable to 32GB) |
| Networking | 1x 10GbE, 1x 1GbE | 4x 1GbE (Upgradeable to 10GbE) | 4x 1GbE |
| Redundant Power Supply | No | No | No |
| NVMe Support | No | Yes (for SSD cache) | Yes (for SSD cache) |
Verdict on Hardware: While the UNAS Pro provides excellent value for its price, especially with its 7-bay capacity, Synology offers a broader and more flexible range of hardware options. Synology’s systems are better suited for users who need scalability, processing power, and more advanced features like NVMe SSD caching and expandable RAM.
UniFi NAS vs Synolgoy NAS – Software Presentation
The software interface of a NAS system is crucial to its usability, and here, the differences between Synology and UniFi are stark. Synology’s DiskStation Manager (DSM) is known for its user-friendly, graphical interface that feels similar to using a desktop operating system. DSM provides users with a desktop-like environment, complete with drag-and-drop functionality, customizable wallpapers, and a taskbar for quick access to applications. This layout makes it easy for both novice and experienced users to navigate the system, install applications, manage files, and perform backups. The interface is intuitive, with large icons and a clean, modern design that encourages exploration and productivity.
In contrast, UniFi’s UNAS OS is designed with a more text-based, data-centric approach. Borrowing from UniFi’s successful networking interfaces, the UNAS OS focuses heavily on analytics and system monitoring, making it ideal for users already familiar with UniFi’s ecosystem. The interface provides detailed insights into system performance, file transfer speeds, and network activity, which are displayed in simple, granular dashboards. While it may not have the graphical polish of Synology’s DSM, the UNAS OS excels in presenting network data and providing tools for IT administrators who prioritize system efficiency over aesthetics.
UniFi’s single-pane design keeps all relevant information within reach, but it lacks the app-based approach that Synology users are accustomed to. Synology’s DSM, on the other hand, organizes features into discrete applications, making it easy to jump between tasks like file management, backup scheduling, and multimedia streaming. Below is a table that summarizes the key differences in software presentation between UniFi and Synology at a glance (bigger chart soon, don’t worry!):
| Feature |  UNAS OS |
DSM 7.2 |
|---|---|---|
| User Interface Style | Text-based, network analytics | Desktop-like, graphical interface |
| Customization | Minimal | Quite customizable (wallpaper, layout, shortcuts) |
| Mobile App Support | Limited | Extensive |
| Third-Party App Store | No | Yes (Synology Package Center) |
| Storage Interface | Simplified, easy to use | Comparatively Advanced, easy-to-use |
Verdict on Software Presentation: Synology’s DSM clearly offers a more engaging and customizable user experience, while UniFi’s UNAS OS focuses on providing a streamlined, efficient interface for users already familiar with the UniFi ecosystem. Users looking for an intuitive, desktop-like experience will prefer DSM, while those focused on networking performance and integration may find the UNAS OS more suitable.
Synology vs UniFi – Software Security
Security is paramount for NAS systems, as they often store sensitive data and operate in environments where external access is necessary. Both UniFi and Synology offer security features, but they take different approaches based on their respective ecosystems.
Synology DSM offers a full suite of security features, including two-factor authentication (2FA), firewall configuration, and behavioral analysis to monitor suspicious activities. DSM allows users to integrate third-party security tools, such as Google Authenticator or OTP services, providing flexibility for businesses that already use external authentication systems. Additionally, DSM includes SSL certificates and IP blocking, ensuring that only trusted users can access the system. Synology also has an inbuilt security scanner that checks the system periodically (ad hoc if you want too) for potential weaknesses in the system configuration,which can be set to a home or business class standard (custom too).
UniFi’s UNAS Pro integrates security measures more closely tied to the broader UniFi ecosystem. 2FA is also available but typically relies on UniFi’s own authentication services, such as the UniFi Identity App. This may be limiting for users who prefer third-party authentication tools. The UNAS OS benefits from UniFi’s enterprise-grade network security tools, such as IP monitoring and network relay services, which are crucial for maintaining the integrity of the entire network infrastructure. However, its NAS-specific security tools, such as DOS protection and auto-lock, are less extensive than Synology’s.
UniFi’s focus on network-level security makes it ideal for businesses that already use UniFi networking hardware, as the UNAS Pro can integrate seamlessly with UniFi switches and security gateways.
However, Synology’s in-system security tools are more comprehensive, making DSM a better choice for users who prioritize NAS-specific security features. It’s also worth remembering that the majority of remote access security features of the UniFi UNAS Pro are locked into use with he UI.COM / UniFi account system. You cannot use 3rd party 2FA/OTP applications or use 3rd party remote access services like Tailscale or Teamviewer.
That said, BOTH systems provide a regular rotation of security and feature system updates over the years that they will be in operation, so the latest security fixes and improvements that are needed to combat vulnerabilities that appear i nthe wild can be automatically adjusted for. However, UniFi does provide a little something extra with simple modular update control. Synology DOES allow you to install updates on the whole OS and/or individual Apps (or be alerted about them but action when it best suits your needs for a restart), but the UniFi UNAS Pro presents this in a much easier to action single option, that allows for full update control to be more granular for either the OS or the application service(s). It’s no more/less than the synology DSM option, but it is presented a great deal more cleanly.
UniFi NAS OS vs Synology DSM – Software Features
When comparing the software features of Synology and UniFi, it’s clear that Synology has had years to develop a rich, feature-packed operating system, while UniFi‘s UNAS OS is still in its infancy. Synology DSM (DiskStation Manager) is known for its vast ecosystem of first-party and third-party apps, which provide a wide array of functionalities beyond basic file storage.
By contrast, UniFi UNAS OS focuses on core NAS functions, offering fewer features but maintaining tight integration with UniFi’s networking solutions.
Synology DSM is renowned for its wide range of software features that cater to home users, small businesses, and enterprise environments. DSM is designed to be a complete solution, offering robust support for file management, multimedia streaming, backup solutions, virtualization, and containerized applications. There is even support of a 3rd Party App center that can be added in less than a minute to add even further applications and services to your Synology NAS system:
One of the standout features of DSM is its application center, known as the Synology Package Center. Here, users can find hundreds of first-party and third-party apps that can be easily installed to extend the functionality of their NAS. These apps cover a broad spectrum of use cases, including:
- Plex Media Server / Video Station (for now!) / Audio Station / Synology Photos for media streaming to smart TVs and mobile devices.
- Synology Active Backup for High-end license-free backup management across hundreds/thousands of devices
- Hyper Backup to manage domestic backup Operations
- The Office Collaboration Suite for an email manager, user chat facilities, office package and more
- Synology Container Manager / Docker for running containerized applications, which is essential for developers or businesses needing to test software in isolated environments.
- Virtual Machine Manager (VMM), allows users to run multiple operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and DSM Virtual Appliances, on a single NAS.
For businesses, Synology offers Active Backup for Business, a powerful backup solution that supports PCs, physical servers, virtual machines, and even cloud services like Office 365 and Google Workspace. This makes Synology DSM an attractive option for organizations looking for a comprehensive, multi-platform backup solution. DSM also excels in multimedia management. Apps like Synology Photos and Audio Station allow users to organize and access their photos, music, and videos from anywhere. Video Station, though recently phased out in favor of third-party options like Plex, has historically provided an easy-to-use platform for media streaming and management.
For surveillance needs, Synology offers Surveillance Station, which allows users to turn their NAS into a full-fledged NVR (Network Video Recorder), supporting IP cameras from a wide variety of manufacturers. This feature makes Synology NAS systems a compelling choice for businesses or homeowners who need both data storage and security monitoring.
While UniFi UNAS OS lacks the extensive feature set of DSM, it provides essential NAS features for file storage, snapshot management, and backup scheduling. It’s clear that UniFi’s focus is on simplicity and integration with their broader UniFi ecosystem. Drive is the primary app available on UNAS OS, offering basic file storage and sharing capabilities with snapshot and backup support.
Currently, UNAS OS does not support advanced features like Docker, virtual machines, or third-party media server apps such as Plex. This limits its appeal to more advanced users who need the ability to run multiple services or applications from their NAS. However, UniFi’s focus on network-level integration could be seen as a strength for businesses that already use UniFi networking hardware and want a NAS that fits seamlessly into their existing infrastructure.
There’s also potential for future growth. UniFi has a robust history of adding new features to their products post-launch, and it is possible that UNAS OS could see support for containerized applications like Docker or surveillance software such as UniFi Protect in the future. However, currently UniFi has not allowed Protect to be deployable on the UNAS Pro system – however you can use the UNAS Pro as a targetted storage system for your existing UNVR or UDM system. Most of the features of the UniFi UNAS Pro are not presented as ‘applications’ or ‘optional services’, but rather they are backed into the UX of the NAS OS already. Snapshots, Shared Drives, Security management, SMB file/folder management, Encrypted Drives, etc – all of it is in the OS already. That said, it still feels comparatively feature dry vs the Synology NAS pplatform.
I know I seem to be hammering the UniFi’s UNAS OS hard here, but currently it lacks many of the popular/current advanced capabilities that may appeal to users, favouring their simple and integrated experience over a large feature set. For perspective, here is a full list of what is there and what isn’t:
| Software / Service | DSM 7.1/7.2/7.2.2 |
UNAS Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | DiskStation Manager (DSM) 7.x | UniFi OS (UNAS-specific OS layer) |
| User Interface | Highly polished, desktop-like interface, intuitive | Simplified interface, single-pane dashboard, focused on network metrics |
| Mobile Apps | DS Finder, DS File, DS Cloud, DS Photo, DS Video, and more | UniFi Mobile App (Drive management, Snapshots, Backups) |
| Virtualization | Virtual Machine Manager (Supports Windows, Linux, and DSM Virtual Appliance) | No virtualization support |
| Container Support | Docker via Container Manager | No Docker or container support |
| Surveillance | Surveillance Station (2 free camera licenses, additional paid licenses) | No support for UniFi Protect (at launch) |
| Multimedia Streaming | Plex, Synology Photos, Video Station, Audio Station | No multimedia apps (no Plex or streaming apps support) |
| RAID Support | Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR), RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, Basic, JBOD | RAID 1, 5 and 10 (with RAID 6 coming soon after launch) |
| Snapshot Support | Yes (Btrfs for supported models), Advanced Snapshot Replication | Yes (Snapshots with scheduling and backup options) |
| Cloud Backup | Synology C2, Amazon S3, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive | Google Drive (Limited cloud backup options) |
| Local Backup Solutions | Hyper Backup, Snapshot Replication | Local NAS backups supported (NAS to NAS) |
| File Synchronization | Synology Drive (Supports syncing with Windows, macOS, and Linux) | SMB, basic file synchronization with mobile app |
| Backup for PCs | Active Backup for Business (PCs, Servers, VMs, SaaS, NAS, and Cloud) | Basic backup for Windows, no advanced backup suite |
| Backup for macOS | Time Machine Support | Time Machine support (via SMB) |
| External Backup | USB and eSATA Backup | No external backup support |
| Cloud Integration | Synology Cloud Sync (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.) | Google Drive cloud sync only |
| Security Features | 2FA, firewall, SSL certificates, VPN, Active Insight monitoring | 2FA, SSL certificates, integration with UniFi Identity for SSO |
| Encryption | Full-volume encryption, Folder encryption | Full-volume and folder encryption |
| Multimedia Apps | Synology Photos, Video Station, Audio Station, Plex | No multimedia apps available |
| Third-Party App Store | Synology Package Center | No third-party app store |
| Mobile Backup | Synology Drive (For mobile devices) | Basic mobile backup via UniFi Drive |
| Cloud Sync | C2 Cloud Sync, Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive | Google Drive only |
| Collaboration Tools | Synology Office (Similar to Google Docs, Excel) | No collaboration tools |
| Virtualization Backup | Active Backup for Business (VMware, Hyper-V) | No virtualization backup |
| AI-Powered Apps | Synology Photos (AI-based photo organization) | No AI-powered apps |
| High Availability (HA) | Synology High Availability (for redundancy) | No high availability features |
| NAS as VPN Server | Yes (VPN Plus Server, supports PPTP, OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec) | Yes (VPN integration with UniFi Gateway and Identity Enterprise) |
| App Virtualization | Docker, DSM Virtual Appliances | No virtualization or Docker support |
| Remote Access | QuickConnect (secure remote access without complex configuration) | UniFi cloud access (requires UI.com account) |
| Cloud Applications | Synology Cloud Station | No cloud applications beyond Google Drive sync |
| Video Editing | No built-in tools, use third-party apps like Plex | No video editing or AI tools |
| Remote Replication | Snapshot Replication (Supports replication between NAS devices) | NAS-to-NAS backup and remote replication supported |
| Multi-Version Backups | Hyper Backup (Supports multi-versioned backups) | Yes (multi-versioned backups via Snapshots) |
| Email Server | Synology MailPlus | No email server functionality |
| Web Server | Web Station (Supports hosting multiple websites) | No web server support |
| Music Streaming | Audio Station, Plex | No music streaming or audio apps |
| Drive Health Monitoring | Disk Health Monitoring (SMART, regular drive checks) | SMART drive monitoring |
| Antivirus | Synology Antivirus Essential, third-party apps | No antivirus tools available |
| PCIe Expansion | Yes (for some models, supports 10GbE cards, M.2 SSD cache cards) | No PCIe expansion options |
| Thunderbolt Support | No Thunderbolt support | No Thunderbolt support |
| SSD Caching | Yes (supports NVMe and SATA SSD caching on select models) | No SSD caching |
| ZFS File System | No (Uses EXT4 or Btrfs on supported models) | No ZFS support, BTRFS |
| Ransomware Protection | Yes (dedicated security updates, Snapshot Replication) | Yes (Snapshots, network security via UniFi Gateway integration) |
| Browser-based access | Yes (Full access via web browser, similar to desktop) | Yes (Single-pane UI via web browser) |
| NAS-to-NAS sync | Yes (via Synology Drive and Snapshot Replication) | Yes (Basic NAS-to-NAS sync) |
| Plex Media Server | Yes (App available in Synology Package Center) | No Plex or multimedia server support |
| Built-in AI Tools | Synology Photos (AI-powered photo management) | No AI-powered tools |
Synology NAS H/W vs UniFi UNAS Pro – Hardware and Storage Expandability
Hardware and storage expandability is a critical factor for users looking to invest in a NAS system, especially for businesses or power users who expect their storage needs to grow over time. In this area, Synology excels, providing a broad range of options that allow users to easily expand their storage capacity and enhance system performance. On the other hand, UniFi’s UNAS Pro offers more limited expandability, focusing instead on offering a compact, all-in-one solution without much room for future upgrades.
Synology NAS systems are designed with scalability in mind. Many of their models, especially in the DS and RS series, allow for storage expansion via external expansion units. For example, the Synology DX517 expansion unit can add up to 5 additional drive bays to models like the DS920+, increasing the total number of drives and overall storage capacity. Similarly, Synology’s rackmount NAS solutions like the RS1221+ can connect to RX418 expansion units, enabling businesses to significantly increase their storage capacity as their data needs grow.
Additionally, Synology’s rackmount models often come with PCIe slots, allowing users to add features such as 10GbE networking, SSD caching, or even NVMe drives for high-speed storage pools. This level of hardware flexibility means that Synology systems can grow alongside a business’s needs, offering features that improve performance and expand storage without requiring a completely new system. For users seeking to maximize performance, Synology also offers support for SSD caching, which can greatly improve read and write speeds by using NVMe SSDs or SATA SSDs to cache frequently accessed data. Models like the DS1621xs+ support dual NVMe M.2 slots for SSD caching, giving users the ability to enhance performance even further without sacrificing drive bays for traditional hard drives.
Beyond the hardware expandability, Synology’s storage management features are equally powerful. Synology’s Hybrid RAID (SHR) technology allows users to mix and match drive sizes, making it easy to upgrade individual drives over time without losing data. SHR automatically optimizes storage space and provides RAID-like redundancy, ensuring data is protected even if drives fail.
In contrast, the UniFi UNAS Pro is designed as a more compact, self-contained unit. The 7-bay capacity offers a solid amount of storage from the outset, especially for SMBs and home users. However, the expandability options are much more limited when compared to Synology. For instance, the UNAS Pro does not support external expansion units, meaning that users are confined to the 7-bay configuration from the start.
Moreover, the UNAS Pro lacks PCIe slots or NVMe support, limiting its ability to be upgraded with features like 10GbE or SSD caching. This is particularly noticeable when comparing the UNAS Pro to Synology models that allow for these kinds of hardware upgrades. While 10GbE is included on the UNAS Pro, its lack of PCIe expandability means users cannot add additional features like dual 10GbE ports or SSD caching to further improve performance. Another limitation of the UNAS Pro is the inability to upgrade the RAM. While 8GB of DDR4 RAM is included, this cannot be expanded, which may be a limiting factor for users who want to run more intensive applications or serve multiple users simultaneously. In comparison, many of Synology’s NAS devices, such as the DS1821+, come with expandable memory, allowing users to increase RAM up to 32GB or more depending on the model.
Overall, UniFi’s UNAS Pro offers sufficient storage capacity for most small businesses and home users, but its lack of expandability makes it a less flexible solution for those who anticipate needing more storage or advanced features in the future.
Key Examples of Synology’s Expandable Hardware Features:
- DX517 Expansion Unit: Adds 5 additional bays to compatible DS series NAS devices.
- PCIe Slots: Found in models like the DS1621+, allowing for 10GbE upgrades, SSD caching, and more.
- NVMe Support: NVMe SSD caching is available in devices like the DS1621xs+, improving I/O performance.
HOWEVER, we also need to factor in that Synology has recently been reducing the number of 3rd party HDDs and SSDs that are listed as ‘compatible’ and ‘supported’ on their product advice pages. The majority of 2024/2025 systems now either list ONLY Synology HDD/SSD media (such as the HAT5300, SAT5210, SNV3410, etc) or list only a handful of storage media from established brands such as Seagate and WD (around 15-18 – out of potentially hundreds), despite them being proven to work successfully. UniFi has it’s own range of storage media drives for their UNAS Pro, UDM and UNVR systems, however they also widely support 3rd party drive utilities.
This would not be an issue in the case of Synology if their own branded storage media was the same price or superior – but the reality is that Synology storage media IS more expensive and in many cases a better, faster and/or larger drive from Seagate/WD is available at the same and/or lower price. This is less true on the entry NAS class of HDDs (eg Seagate Ironwolf vs Synology HAT3300, with only 2-4% difference), but once you look at higher capacity HDDs and more durable HDDs and SSDs, the price difference is kinda crazy:
Synology promotes their solutions are ‘all on one’ solutions and focus all their development towards a single NAS ecosystem, so focusing support, compatibility and operations towards their own media makes sense in a development sense. However, many first time Synology NAS buyers who are scaling up from smaller solutions or migrating away from SAAS/PAAS/Cloud storage in a big way might be unaware of the media storage policy they seem to be persuing. By no means a dealbreaker for many, but something to be aware of!
Synology vs UniFi ANS – Verdict and Conclusion
Choosing between Synology and UniFi NAS systems comes down to evaluating your specific needs, the level of software and hardware expandability you require, and whether you prioritize a more established ecosystem or tighter integration with your networking infrastructure. Both brands offer compelling NAS solutions, but they target different user bases and excel in distinct areas. For users who prioritize software features, scalability, and a broad range of applications, Synology is the clear winner. With over two decades of experience in the NAS market, Synology has fine-tuned its DSM (DiskStation Manager) software to offer an impressive array of first-party and third-party applications. Whether you’re a home user looking for a media server or a business seeking comprehensive backup solutions, Synology DSM provides an extensive feature set that meets almost any need. The rich support for virtualization, containerized apps, and backup tools makes it a top choice for advanced users and businesses with diverse requirements. Synology’s hardware lineup is also far more diverse, with options that cater to everyone from entry-level users to enterprises. Their hardware is expandable, supporting PCIe slots, NVMe caching, and external expansion units, which makes them suitable for users with growing storage needs or demanding performance requirements. Moreover, Synology’s Hybrid RAID (SHR) and flexible storage management tools are ideal for users who need to easily expand their storage without dealing with complex RAID setups. The downside of Synology, however, is its cost. While its hardware is packed with features, it comes at a higher price point, especially as you move up the product range. Additionally, some users have criticized Synology’s recent push to restrict third-party drive compatibility in newer models, which could be a drawback for users looking for more flexibility in their hardware choices.
UniFi’s UNAS Pro series is a newer player in the NAS field but leverages Ubiquiti’s expertise in networking to provide a product that is tightly integrated with the UniFi ecosystem. If you’re already invested in UniFi’s networking gear, adding a UniFi NAS to your setup can make network management and storage integration much simpler. UniFi’s controller-based system allows users to manage their entire network—including their NAS—from a single dashboard, which is a significant convenience for users in SMB environments. The UNAS OS, while still in its early stages, does an admirable job at nailing down the fundamentals of NAS functionality, such as file storage, snapshots, and backups. However, it currently lacks the depth and range of applications found in Synology DSM. This makes UniFi a better choice for users who are looking for simple storage solutions rather than advanced features like Docker, virtual machines, or third-party multimedia apps. When it comes to hardware expandability, UniFi lags behind Synology. The 7-bay UNAS Pro offers a decent starting point for storage, but the lack of PCIe slots, NVMe support, or external expansion units limits its long-term scalability. Furthermore, the inability to upgrade RAM or add additional 10GbE ports means that UniFi’s NAS might not grow as effectively with your needs over time. However, it does come with built-in 10GbE, which could be a compelling feature for users looking to take advantage of higher network speeds out of the box.
Which NAS Should You Choose?
- If you’re a business or power user who needs a highly customizable, feature-rich NAS with long-term expandability, Synology is likely the better choice. Its DSM software, extensive hardware options, and proven reliability make it a solid investment for users who want full control over their storage and the ability to run advanced applications.
- On the other hand, if you’re already embedded in the UniFi ecosystem and prioritize network integration over advanced NAS features, UniFi’s UNAS Pro may be more appealing. Its ease of use and seamless integration with other UniFi devices make it a great option for SMBs and users who prefer simplicity over extensive customization.
Ultimately, the decision between Synology and UniFi NAS depends on whether you value software flexibility and advanced applications (Synology) or seamless integration and simplicity (UniFi).
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| CONS | CONS |
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Check Amazon Below for the Latest Synology NAS
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Visit the UniFi Store for your UNAS Pro Below
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Synology stands out for users seeking a high-performance and highly expandable NAS system with a mature software ecosystem, while UniFi shines in integrated network solutions for those looking for simplicity and efficiency in small business and home office environments.
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The Synology backup software for vm’s makes it a no brainer for our company…
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Good stuff thanks for making this video
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Your comparing apples and oranges there no data center using qnap
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I think if you are use to the way Synology DSM works, it makes it easier. If you are use to Unifi then that is easier. I find I get lost in Synology DSM, where as I don’t get so lost in Unifi as I find it more intuitive. This really comes down to what you are use to and I feel people who have used Synology for a long time tend to know where things are in DSM, where as a newer user will not know which app to use for what to the same extent. That makes long term Synology DSM users leaning toward finding DSM easier, like you have done as you are a long term Synology user. 🙂
On the processor side, the 923 may be an x86 processor, but it is a very low power x86 processor, and only dual core.
Synology may have the edge on the app ecosystem though, but I don’t think Ubiquiti are aiming to make their NAS into a small home server. It does what it says on the box really well. It’s a NAS. ????
If you want a home server, UI’s UNAS is not the device you seek. ????
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Would be awesome if they released the nas SW as an app for the NVR lineup.
Can’t hurt to dream…
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I’m definitely interested in the UNAS to replace my Synology but I’m not willing to risk my data on a v1 product. I’ll give it a year or two then switch
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16 bay version will be here soon and it’s also already at a cheaper price than Synology. They do have stacking but I would assume that’s also possible
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You give UI too much of a pass for being an ecosystem and as such they don’t have to play nice with others. You also mention the word “Enterprise” numerous times. So does UI whenever it can. These two add up to missing one big fundamental, as you put it, which is directory integration and I’d argue licensing bc it’s a huge part of the marketing. Everything “Enterprise” must have directory integration, that’s what pretty much the term really means. UI in its AzureAD/Keycloak/Okta/ADFS/etc knockoff — none of which ALSO requires specialized branded hardware BTW — put LDAP/AD integration behind a per-user per-month subscription, despite the fact that unlike the aforementioned, they aren’t providing any service at all, only the permission to connect your own hardware to your own systems, AKA: licensing.
This storage thingy is worthless is you need to keep separate accounts for it. It opens doors for so many problems. If you want to use the Enterprise moniker you need to integrate or have a system so well thought out that you can cover any need, absolutely any need even if it’s convoluted, perhaps egregious, like Cisco’s. This ecosystem thing is cute until it starts being a headache, the pretty dashboards in day-to-day are rarely useful, and the push for a cloud dependency, the fact that your network devices tasked to guard your data are exfiltrating it from your network, the fact that UI relentlessly pushed for mobile app-based mgmt revokable at any point leaving gear unmanageable (like UniFi Video did) are headaches waiting to happen.
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1. Power By Intel N100 CPU
2. The DIY NAS MINI PC is compatible with 3.5″ and 2.5″ SATA HDD， up to 2*20T
3. Support Multiple Operating Systems an Softrouting, NAS,, ESXI, PVEvirtualization platform(support VT-X,VT-D
4.N100 mini PC is equipped with Type-C (supports 65W charging, requires GaN charger), DP, HDMI, 2*USB3.2 GEN2, 2*USB2.0, 2*RJ45 2500M LAN, 1*Audio Interface, 1* microSD card port ，1*DC port
it only cost 298 in prime member Nas Intel N100 32G+1T
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It’s underpowered, given that it has a 10gb interface , fully saturated with ssd would generate 3500 mbs yet the controller I will be only half the hd capacity transfer rate
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Bye Synology and Helllooo Teramaster i5-1235U (10c -12trd).. TOS 6.. Nice ..
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All I need is a dumb bullet proof NAS with a good UI. Unifi seems to fit that bill.
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Its not equivalent to a QNAP or Synology YET, its a brand new product, and it will get better over time with software updates and future iterations of it.
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I’m curious if the RAM it does have is even ECC. For me, ECC is a requirement for a NAS.
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When it comes to NAS, the fewer apps, the better . Be good at the one thing. That said, the Unifi NAS is lacking in several areas. I’ll buy one once they add in the missing features (NFS & iSCSI).
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UniFi’s equipment is designed to be accessible, and this new NAS seems aimed at fulfilling a specific purpose: providing network storage at a competitive price point. Whereas Synology’s product line seems to blur the line between providing a networked storage solution and a home server. Let’s face it, if you have a server rack at home, you likely already have a dedicated machine running various network services and if you’re planning on running a bunch of VMs or containers on bare metal, wouldn’t you prefer to have a dedicated machine for that? I think UniFi are doing the right thing here by focusing their efforts on solving one problem; and solving it well (even if it doesn’t have redundant power supplies, additional networking ports for link aggregation & no SSD caching, I imagine those features will come later).
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I think you will really like the 16-bay Enterprise NAS when it comes out.
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I was going to get another Synology NAS and have decided to go with an Ubiquiti UNAS instead as it is much easier to set up files and file shares with the Ubiquiti software. I prefer the UniFi way of showing the information over the Synology interface. Looking forward to getting the new UNAS next month when it finally ships.
I am looking for purely a NAS not something that runs a bunch of apps and Docker containers. I will run that stuff on a server.
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Unable to have a phone app for backup pictures and videos is a deal breaker for me on the Ubiquity side. I will just go with 2 20TB HDD and DS224+. 2Gb/S data transfer(SMB3). Phone backup app, UPS USB battery management support, and Docker. Black Friday shopping for $250(hopping) for Synology. 2 years later we will see what happens.
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Hi there, thanks for the video.
I am looking to see the following:
1. iPhone and Android Applications to backup the pictures from the phone into the UNAS.
2. something similar to google documents to create office documents directly on the UNAS.
3. backup up one entire windows computer to the UNAS, similar to synology backup for business. .
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As someone who was about to pull the trigger on a RS1221+, I am now feeling more confused than ever. I am deeply invested in Unifi equipment in my home so I am interested in this and I also keep hearing that it’s a good idea to separate your NAS from your media server box if possible so you can scale them individually. However, this Unifi NAS doesn’t really seem to offer any hardware upgrade paths so in this case it doesn’t seem to be a good argument.
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People, people. We are buying Synology not for the hardware, but because of the software.
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UniFi’s UI is terrific, but their equipment is garbage, as is their support, as is their security. I wouldn’t let an enemy use UniFi’s trashy products.
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I will get one because I have a ton of UNIFI in my house (Personally, I would not use Ubiquiti at work. Not Ent enough for that). But what I love about Synology is all the apps you have access to, and the more significant benefit to me is upgradability. On my 1821+, I tossed in a 10G card, two 2TB NVME caches, and 32 GB RAM.
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Thanks.. good review. I have converted all my networking to Unifi and am considering while building a new house whether I want to use Unifi cameras. If this could have replaced the UDM it would have been a no brainer, but as a satisfied UnRaid user of 20 years, the lack of some networking and apparent inability to mix/match drive sizes may make me just get a UDM and keep my existing UnRaid. Definitely something to keep my eyes on though.
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So now that their lineup is available at retail (at retail pricing), and their OS has had time to mature, maybe it’s time to revisit UGREEN. A comparison between UGREEN’s NAS OS and Ubiquiti’s would be interesting. UGREEN had to create a NAS OS from scratch in a space where there’s a lot of competition. They didn’t get much of a pass, as I recall, at the time of their initial release. So, now that UGREEN is no longer the new kid on the block, let’s see that comparison.
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I disagree that this is not an exciting product. I think it is exciting to see such an intuitive user interface, a focus on the basics, and very capable hardware for such an unheard of low price. I don’t use the snazzy bits of my Synology NAS and would prefer the 10Gb/s connection and the intuitive interface of the UniFi NAS. UniFi don’t unecessarily prescribe any UniFi-branded hardware and are yet to remove features that one paid for, like Synology. Can’t wait to see RAID 6 support and perhaps a future model with support for media-transcoding and a USB port.
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for me at thos time That NAS is only for hosting backup of my data and config of Synology nas becouse I need runn all my services from nas. I actuaky run old websites on my nas and run docker on my main Synology. But Synology pice me of when I see deleted apps – webstation plugin deleted from DSM 7.2 – old PHP (Update php code for that sites is not cost effective in terms of time or money to rewrite them to the latest php) and I mast be on DSM 7.1 – deleting support too apps fron old dsm on new version pice me of but I intrested to have uptodate nas.
UNAS for me is also to big and have too big energy consumption and 7 HDDs is not form me.
If UNAS will be based on 4 HDDs UNVR and have webstation like on Synology and docker support (to install DNS Server on difrent docker apps).
About Unifi apps for me will be good Use UNAS as unifi backup target storage for auto backup network or protect or UnifiOS on UNAS – If I see that things on Unifi devices as UNAS I probably will swich from Synology.. – I’m a homrlaber have a unifi network on my home.
I think UNAS Pro ss for me for a bog misness or enterprise where data access tiime or suoort alot users too data on drives, on home is too big and bare additional functions as for energy consumption.
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no advertised hardware specs can fuck off
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I personally think it’s like comparing apples and pears
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Ummm what is a ‘knicker’ ?
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The Unify NAS would be a highly viable solution if Unify were to consider upgrading the internal hardware to incorporate a SAS backplane by default. This would maintain compatibility with both SATA and SAS drives, offering the best price-to-performance ratio in refurbished enterprise HDDs per terabyte, including warranty. Whilst understanding that USB ports would introduce security risks, a third 5Gb LAN port would be beneficial, as it would be sufficient for speeds under 500MB/sec. I wouldn’t object if they were to replace the 10Gb connection, which can hardly reach its full capacity without an internal SSD cache
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Have they changed shipping date; I saw Oct 25th. Now it says Nov 4th!
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7bay rack mountable for $500 is a good price
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I wish this had docker support, it would make it an amazing deal.
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With the limited amount of drives we need stacking
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Does it come with any sync app for windows?
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They could do the same Nas with unifi ‘s 4 bay NVR. Instead of their 7 bay unit.
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So the probleem with the UNAS is that it’s a NAS? I have a Mac Mini as server that can do way more and better than the synology al-in-one closed system. The UNAS will be a great addition to my network. At one point in time UniFi will introduce al-in-one system that will be more expensive and with faster hardware like they did with the gateways->UDM. But this is a NAS, please compare it with an NAS.
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I’m currently running a UDM SE, so the Unifi NAS is a no brainer. especially at that price point.
I’ve been on the fence for a long while about a NAS solution, Thankfully Ubiquiti has come to the rescue.
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can you run duel network/gateways with the two nics?
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You keep harping on about the unas ” requiering” aditional unify gear for functionality, sorry but duh thst is the whole point of unify, it’s a complete stack and now thay have added a nas offering. On the the fact the unas doesn’t run docker, well I know synology does thst, by my question is is that really the job of a nas, or js that mor a combination of a virualisation/container hist and a nas in a box? I know that containers an vm guests need storrage but isn’t it better to have less powerhungry storrahe and have the compure separatøt thst cabån be scaled accordibg to need, you might nedd massive compute an modest storrage, or the situation may be reversr. You might want an nvr or not. Stuffing irvall in one nox just intruduces a singel point of faliyr. Ok containers die idåf storrage goes avsy, but the nas does not go down if the cpu in a dedicated nvr koes down
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For refence before someone picks the below apart…. I have been a Synology user for the last 12 years and only a Unifi user for the last 1… these are my own opinions and as my home network grows (CCTV, Media room, IOT integration).
There have been no major improvements to the Synology OS for a while, the GUI interface is stale (iOS 6 or Android 5.0 vibes) clunky and just lacking compared to other OS, then you throw into the mix them taking features away, locking the OS to either their own devices (why USB Wi-Fi was taken away I don’t know, it was a handy feature when you can’t use CAT and the NAS is in another room) or just lack of any real apps (Docker the exception), its just lacking flexibility compared to others.
As for backups (time machine for want of a better phrase) don’t get me started on how complicated this is and how many times it falls over, then there is surveillance station costs….. hold on I have just spent $$$$$$ on a NAS, had to pay yet more for the 10GbE NIC and now you want me to spend more on licences…. no ta!
However that being said, I’m not going to be ditching them just yet besides the cost, the DS1821+ in the media room and the RS422+ do the job, BUT will be replaced once Ubiquiti fix the following short falls, minimum, (1 x 2.5GbE minimum / 2 x 10GbE / Nvme cache) once these are standard, then i’ll be one of the first to ditch Synology.
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Currently a Synology user leveraging surveillance station. Looking to move my network to unifi, including my cameras as well. I’ve seen you can only effectively move your protect footage to the synology with a third party solution (git). I understand the unas doesnt come with protect natively – dies this literally mean you csnt take Unifi camera footage and store it on the UNAS? I know that is a dense question… but if thats really the case, thats dumb as hell!
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I will use my synology as my front line trooper. It will carry my plex and photos and use the Unifi NAS as the back up to it and all the files, like a solid home base
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I haven’t looked at the hardware I think ubi will have much nicer and capable software.
I have qnap but it seems to be completely overwhelmed by the software and just screwed
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LOL I’m currently getting away from Unifi. Sick of their “ecosystem.” Sick of their crap. Having to use HTTPS and 2FA for my UDM that’s local.
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The Mac of NAS. Ecosystem is Apple-like
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I really like Synology but their recent business decisions around ignoring home users, being way behind in hardware for many devices and downgrading their software especially around codecs is not a good look and doesn’t give me a lot of confidence in recommending them to new users trying to get into the home “cloud” space.
It was only a matter a time before Unifi did this. Their NVR is basically already a NAS they just needed to make a more NAS focused software. This new NAS is a great addition to their portfolio and will be good for anyone already in the Unifi space. However, I don’t think it will attract many people from the outside. Especially those who are less techy. Most people just want a desktop unit like the classic Synology.
Then there is there is the app support and functionality. Synology is still way ahead in that when it comes to providing a cloud at home experience. Especially things like Synology Drive, Synology Photos, Docker and VM support, backup solutions amongst a lot of other things.
In conclusion the Unifi NAS is a great start. It is definitely targeted at current Unifi users and people that need literally only a NAS and nothing more. (Which is fine). They probably smell some blood in the water with all the miss steps Synology has been making and want to try and capitalize on it a little.
Unifi, if you are listening… I need a 5 bay m.2 1U NAS with dual 10G Ethernet for $699….
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Not fully through the video but if the UNAS Pro supports SSH, can’t you install docker on it?
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To me the UniFi NAS is targeting different people than Synology. The Synology obviously has better software and hardware. But it is not just a NAS, but an all-in-one solution that a lot of people use for other applications as well (docker, vms, etc). The UniFi UNAS is what it’s name implies: A network attached storage. As long as the UNAS Pro serves as a reliable easy to use storage solution than that’s fine for me as well.
Maybe sometimes the “less is more” mindset, as in purpose built machines (just storage, just computation etc) might be better if things are developed properly. But we have to see how Ubiquiti will develop the UNAS in the coming months and years.
I will probably buy the UNAS Pro because my DS420+ died right after warranty ended and I lost all of my data (around 25TB). I will probably look for a power efficient 1U server for other applications like docker/plex etc.
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Great comparison but not sure you should compare them as they are for very different people . I doubt unifi will ever put user apps like plex on their nas
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It’s Ubiquiti. You know their NAS will be a toy for years to come. It’s based on the NVR hardware which I already have for Protect and I find it quite disappointing both hardware and software.
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Well, Synology got what it deserved. I have 923+ for backups (spinning rust HDDs), my SSD grade NAS will be UNIFI, as soon as they release PRO MAX or Enterprise grade model.
I want 2x 25G SFP28, more CPU cores, and at least NFS service. iSCSI would be also great. I absolutely don’t care about docker and VMs in the NAS (I have the server for that).
But I expect to see much more settings there to fine tune everything.
@NASCompares – please test all SSD array, how it performs?
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tbh Unifi NAS is kinda trashy at the moment. Using almost the same hardware as NVR, but without supporting NVR feature lol.. money grabbing stuff.. no?
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the Unify is a beginners low end NAS, in a fancy wrapper
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Unifi Nas
Hot swap drives?
add new disk when system is live?
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I am confused if those backups are incremental or not, and what the retention period is if they are?
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could you try “apt update && apt install unfi-protect unifi-talk” from SSH to see if you can install protect and talk?
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Iam pretty much a noob when it comes to networks and stuff. My parents wanted a mesh network and from there on out Iam building a surveillance system (camera, already have a separat system for locks and windows) on unifi gear atm. So far that worked great. However, Iam not sure when it comes to a NAS. So far, they “had” a QNAP desktop 4 bay, but it was basicly never used. I convinced them to get a NAS, so in case of harddrive failure, the family fotos and videos wont be lost.
I guess the unifi nas does just that. But there are two questions still open for me:
1. How can I get phone back ups on there, even if its just the media stuff. My idea was google drive and then have that somehow downloaded to the nas. But I didnt look into it much further.
2. How can I display pictures and videos from the nas to a potential smart tv (say sony bravia 9, we would buy one) on the network. we could just hook up a laptop every xmas, but if there can be a more elegant solution, ill take it.
the budget isnt that much of an issue. we would like to populate the nas with 24 or 26TB WD ultrastar. i just want something that works with more than 4 bays if possible. I was looking into the QNAP TS-855eU, as it will be rack mounted (short rack). Or the Synology RS 1221+. But most of the stuff these NAS can do seems… not to be for my use case? I dont like to connect to that system like its a remote pc. Just upload and display media, like its a better external hard drive. What would you suggest?
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Unifi absolutely lets you use 3rd party authentication app. be that google authenticator app (or other authenticator app) or Azure Entra. Synology also allows this. so, they are pretty much equal.
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Question. You told me to wait until today. Underpromised and overdelivered! Always appreciate your work. I couldn’t live without Tailscale on that UniFi. For now I’m sticking with my DS920+ w/4 2TB Crucial MX500 HDDs in SHR1. Need an online backup solution using Hyper Backup. Considering C2 Storage. I have a 1.2 TB data cap on my US broadband plan. Any sense how much traffic (data) would be used during an integrity check of a 1 TB backup with average file size of say 1 MB?
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I bit off a stupid comparison as your not comparing apples for apples with UniFi
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exposing the NAS to the internet is a really bad idea, ether it being Synology, Ubi or whatever
the best way is to use VPN or some reverse proxy setup
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My network is Unifi and my NAS and backup NAS is Synology. No need to upgrade now but I do like the idea of integrating my NAS in to my Unifi network once feature set expands. Right now I’m a fan of SHR and Hyper Backup. The price is right. Just waiting for the feature set to evolve.
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I haven’t had a “modern” NAS, I have a bit of a basic question. Can I buy this NAS, throw in two 20TB drives in RAID5, and then expand and switch it over to RAID6?
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after seeing this im glad i havent got one , qnap and Synology are just the gold
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We have multiple NAS in our company.
And we don’t use any further functions/ apps then iscsi or smb shares maybe the UniFi aims at this kind of usecase
Yes i know iscsi isn‘t available yet
What I want to say on a semi-professional level these apps aren’t used very much.
The same here at home I have my NAS and only use it as a storage.
If I want apps I would prefer a server or raspi
And I think file backups on a second device would be able over the smb-shares
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Everyone needs to consider that unifi is dipping it’s toes in nas. Using the UNVR Pro chassis allows them to gauge the appetite before committing to creating further chassis types. Personally, I am holding off for a 12 bay device, and then I will go all in. I love their other kit and ui. I only hope this is the beginning of a great journey.
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I own a Synology 4 Bay. They are spectacular all-in-one boxes!
After watching the bombardment of Tech-Youtuber UNAS reviews, I have decided to buy a UNAS to supplement the Synology. I have never liked the “File Server” NAS aspect of my Synology. Synology File Station is not intuitive and the Home/Homes folder and Sharing of Photos logic is difficult to explain to a layperson.
The UNAS seems to be designed to move files easily from A to B.
Apples to Apples -Value
The 4 Bay RS422+ that you compared the UNAS Pro can ONLY have 2GB with an extra $100 for a 10GB card.
I think from a hardware perspective
$1300 Synology 8 Bay RackStation RS1221+ (4 GB, no 10GB)
$499 UNAS Pro 7 Bay 8GB w10GB
Does the Synology software platform cost $800? If you want it sure. As others have said, there is definitely a place for a well designed INEXPENSIVE Network Attached Storage device that just moves files.
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All Synology needs to do is release a few new products with MODERN processing power and there would be no point in comparing them to anything else…
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this isn’t a serious question, the UNAS Pro is a toy as of right now
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Insane that this isn’t capable of running Protect.
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The best NAS is the quietest NAS. 😉
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Thanks, been following all your UNAS videos. I’ll gonna buy one this side of Christmas and will definitely use your links.
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I like the UniFi software presentation a lot more as so many companies including Synology go for a “Modern aesthetic” last time I checked looking like a knock off Android 4.0 isn’t modern. At least UniFi realises what works and sticks with the basics.
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Personally UniFi is to expensive, but on the otherhand i use 2 DELL PowerValt md3220i and a DELL R630 with a 4 sfp+ 10gbit ports and a h730 mini raid controller and 2 compatible Raid controller with SAS 12gbit.
i yeah if this stuff would be new, this is properly even more expansive. But i payed for my R630 300€ and got both PowerValt md322i for free because those were damaged, i spend about 130€ for repair. i bought over the last 2 years, 2 xeon e5 2683v4 and replaced my single e5 2609v3 and bought another set of 4 4RX32GB 2133mhz ECC for the second socket and have now 256GB total System memory and 32 cores and 64 threads, instead of only 6 cores and 6 threads.
In the end, i spend for all of that 700€ the upgrade included.
IF someone asks about the drives, both PowerValts were be filled with 12 1.8tb SAS 10k drives as I got them. Both PowerValts got dropped so they thought the drives are done so they left the drives in the system. Lucky my R630 had already 2 PCIE Raid controller cards in it for PowerValt and a massive 40gbit NIC with 4 10gbit sfp+ ports. I mean, i guess it makes sense if you have only 6 cores and relative massive amount on RAM, using it as a server for storage makes sense in this configuration.
My R630 and both PowerValt with the drives run fine, besides the fact Both powervalt don’t fit in my 5U rack encloser because i have, there are a bit bend but i don’t care they work.
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Can the unifi nas be used as a nvr storage instead of going for the unifi cloud max gateway with storage?
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If you have unfy network and synology nas. Can’t you then mount the unas with smb to the synology for the synology features ? Because it’s cheaper then a bigger synology, and with the 10GB fiber it should not make your read and writes slower then an internal disk i guess.
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lets wait till Unifi has more software for their NAS. for now its more like a normal server thing, to put files on.
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Synology the best
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Synology is better, we all know this. As you said, More than 25 years of experience. Ubiquiti should’ve made this a NAS/Protect solution. Looks like a money grab to me that they didn’t. I’ll probably get it just to mess with it and sell it to a client that only needs backups. I need to upgrade my Synology, and the whole hard drive lockdown thing has really pissed me off. Should be illegal to do those things. If Ubiquiti gets better with allowing apps and better hardware I’ll switch over immediately! Needs redundant psu, needs at least 2 SFP ports, needs better CPU and ALOT more RAM! We all know they have a “MAX” version under their sleeves. So let’s see what that has to offer.
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I think people who pick up the Unifi NAS are likely also owners of Unifi network products. I think Ubiquity are likely targeting their pre-built customerbase. Personally I run Protect on my UDM Pro, I’m not interested in the same thing on my NAS. I want it to integrate well and it would be nice to get proper access to my raw video footage via the NAS rather than messing around downloading clips via the frontend (haven’t watched you deep dive yet). I also don’t want duplicate network functionality in a Unifi product, that would just be bizzare.
If NAS manufacturers are moving more towards a NAS just being a NAS as Synology seem to be doing, with increasing numbers of their products being ARM based and support for transcoding being removed, I think maybe users have to consider the possibility of a low powered mini PC to run their docker containers and if that’s the direction of travel then maybe Unifi starts to eat at Synologys market share. It’s possible that Unifi are ahead of the game in this regard and have set their user expectations early rather than Synology’s long history of being great for a multitude of purposes.
I think the hardware comparison was bizzare, find a like for like comparison and then conclude that Synology wins based on range of product!?!
If I were chosing a new NAS today with the Unifi and Synology products that are currently available, I’d stick with ASUS because I want that flexibility and power in my primary NAS. If I needed a secondary NAS to act purely as a NAS, I might go Unifi because it integrates well with my current set up and I know the Unifi experience.
Ask me a couple of years ago and I’d have told you Unifi for networking and Synology for everything else.
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The three best things about the about the UniFi system at that low $499 price point are … rack mounted, 7 drive bays, and most of all … a 10 Gig port.
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Would be nice if it actually came out though…
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I think that there will be a max version and a lite version later
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I’m thinking to switch from my Synologys 1621+ to two UNAS Pro. The integration in Unifi is great.
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Unifi Nas is way too limited at the moment.
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I much prefer the Unifi NAS software presentation / UI. Why NAS companies try to recreate a windows feel is beyond me… Once you have mapped drives etc, I rarely log in. The fact that I can see everything on my management interface for Unifi, with immediate performance… It’s so much better.
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There was no new NAS from Synology for almost 2 years /last one 224+/. Some nonsense Beestations, Active protect enterprise and very very little on App front I think they either switch to Enterprise or will go bankrupt /means downhill to no more usable in SOHO/. Zimaboard, Unifi Drive, Truenas etc. Its sad.
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I think a fun video would: Buy the UniFi UNAS Pro paired with a beelink mini PC for Plex and performance around that. Also maybe a nice tutorial on how (lol)
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3rd comment !!!
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I want a rack NAS. Wanted a Synology but it is stupidly expensive for outdated hardware. I am considering getting the unifi nas and adding a 1u server running intel hardware for dockers VMs etc. It still comes to half price of a synology rackmount nas. Do you think this approach makes sense?
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Great video, thanks for putting this together. For me, the big gap is the missing nvme cache
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Its their NVR with different software… I think for MOST. Home users and even small businesses it is a great design!
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Not really a fair comparison to compare to Synology really as Synology are not just a NAS, they have an app ecosystem too, where as the Unifi NAS is just a NAS and no extra crap.
I think the hardware is identical to the UNVR Pro, except the UNAS is 8gb RAM. Price is identical as UNVR, and I feel the price point is pretty good for a 10gbp link, Directory Service integration. UI have advised they are adding Raid 6 in a firmware update, so they do listen to the users. I don’t think M.2 is really a big deal, you can get adaptors from M.2 to 2.5″ 2.5″ SATA will max out a 10gbps connection anyway. The single PSU is not an issue as it supports the Unifi USP device as well when you want redundant power supplies. It would add cost if you had a redundant PSU and this is NOT an enterprise version of the device.
I have seen several reviews of this unit and the speed tends to be consistent. Again, remember this is not an Enterprise version of the device. This is a Pro version, which is in between standard and enterprise. A lot of Synology devices at similar price point only have 2 x 1gbp NIC’s
I feel if this sells well, UI will likely release an Enterprise and standard version, based around the other UNVR form factors they have.
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Is it true it doesn’t do iSCSI or NFS?
If so it should be called the “UniFi NAS Home”, or “UniFi NAS SMB”
I am fine with it not doing containers or VM’s, but not doing NAS features such as iSCSI or NFS, and then calling it a “PRO” NAS is ridiculous
I am even fine with the price point, but the NAS PRO name without iSCSI or NFS is ridiculous
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No USB ports useful for local Backups and also no UPS support due to the lack of a USB port. Major failure if you ask me …
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this iust a simple and very basic NAS / filer but lacks « business » features specially for the number of drives that it holds:
* NVMe Cache
* Better and more capable processor
* More RAM!!
* Dual 10GbE RJ45/SFP+ for LACP & redundancy
* Dual PSU for power resilience
* AD Authentication integration
* FIPS 140-2 compliance for business that is required
* No SCSI or NFS support
Wouldn’t recommend this unit for professional use.
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Raid 6 is a curious omission, with raid 10 you have to rely on luck for more than one drive failure especially here with an odd number of drives. So three options, basic protection(raid 1), advanced protection raid 6) and performance (raid 10 would have been ideal. Perhaps a max version with raid 6 and zfs/NFS is in their future. I don’t see the point personally of adding docker etc when most will use another more powerful scalable server for virtualization (proxmox etc)
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It is “cheap”, short depth, quiet, and Unifi. Those are the selling points. Everything else goes hard to the other guys by all appearances. Qnap has a few very short depth (13cm) NAS as well, but the price point speaks for itself.
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But can it run Plex or Jellyfin?
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its has ssd cache support?
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Look Unifi is a cult like Synology BUT ….a NAS that doesn’t have docker, apps, rubbish ,,,a NAS that actually prioritizes local Network attached storage? …Well that is very interesting to me.
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Huge question for using this at work: What is the Active Directory integration like? I saw the checkbox option being moused over many times, but it was never explored on the video. Can I manage access to shares based on group rights, and apply group rights to a share, or a folder within a share?
From a business perspective, the lack of a second PSU is definitely problematic… they really want to push their weird outboard PSU, I know, but that just doesn’t fly if you’re trying to play with the big boys. For small environments and homes, however, it seems pretty great… as long as what you want is STORAGE and not all the extra stuff Synology and the like have grown into becoming.
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I would love this plus something like the Synology Drive software.
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could i put my backup copies of movies on this and run plex from a computer and access from any tv?
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Excellent review. Thank you. I would really be interesting to knowing what drive setup with RAID5 would be needed to saturate the 10b both for reads and writes. Your numbers are not that great with the drives you used. Could faster hard drives do it? Would SATA SSD’s do it and how many would be needed? I am not buying another NAS with 10g that will only do less than half the network capabilities. With this unit in particular, it really needs to have 10g file transfer capabilities.
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Be nice if they allowed for backups to AWS or Backblaze via their AWS api thing.
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So no PLEX available?
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can i ask what hdd temperature at full load all 7bay?
and the cpu is too weak,that power only enough at 2 bay
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can it present iscsi LUNs at all ?
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How you add Reolink Cams to the unifi protect?????
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A teeny tiny bit frustrated that I ordered a backplane mini-ITX case from AliExpress last month (and am still waiting on delivery) intending to build my homelab server/NAS for my Unifi stack then they announce this thing. Chances are it’ll be like the 2U PDU they make & stay out of stock for 10 months…
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I might’ve missed it, but does it really not have NFS or iSCSI support?
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A NAS that’s not trying to be a golden goose-do-it-all homeserver where you run everything but the kitchen sink on.
Take my money
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Waiting for the NAS pro MAX if it has docker/vm support.
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499?! Holy crap. If this does RELIABLE storage, I cannot care less about Qnap and Synology bloatware!
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GREAT video and I love that they have nailed the fundamentals. In your comparative videos, I suspect it’s going to be REALLY hard to find something in this price range that can even come close. (Find an off the shelf 7 bay NAS for $500?)
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7:26 There is a secondary PSU. Uni does it using the Unifi RPS… That is Unifi’s redundant power supply device. Also if you are worried about noise then RACK MOUNT HARDWARE ISN’T FOR YOU! Only a little over 7 minutes and I already dislike this review.
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Everybody is going nuts over the price but that’s by design. V2 will charge extra for redundant power supply and other status quo features.
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Is there currently a feature where you can backup pc clients like active backup for business on synology?
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♥♥
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Wonder why this isn’t just available as an app for other Unifi devices with disk storage?
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Can this replace Synology Drive?
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But can it run plex?…
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Great comprehensive video. I absolutely love all things Ubiquity but I feel like I want to wait for another version or at least more apps. I have a Synology now and don’t even scratch the surface of the features available (including things like running docker images) but the one thing your video suggested is given the lack of use of file metadata I would certainly be missing some app features like the Synology photo app at least and probably video as well so I could look up pictures by person (facial recognition) or geo (show me my Aruba vacation pictures)
I have wanted all things Uniquity on my network and maybe I just need to wait a few software and maybe even a hardware revision or 2. I feel like it may need more memory and CPU once and IF they start to add more app features.
Also, I wish they would have done an M.2 drive slot at least for caching.
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What is your opinion regarding UNIfI selecting BTRFS for their filesystem? I see many video stating that BTRFS with RAID is not ready for production. This is a topic that I would love for you to expand in one of your future videos for the UNIFI nas.
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Does it have Docker?
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@NASCompares Can you test throughput with SATA SSD setup? Like Samsung EVO drives?
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If the unit included NFS, multiple volumes and mixed hard drive sizes . . . that would be then end of Synology for me.
A luxury version with larger screen – summarising all the data at a glance would be a nice option.
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I’m running a bare metal k8s cluster, so I really don’t need to be able to run docker containers on a nas. This is exactly what I wanted and at a great price. Ubiquiti nailed their first NAS outing
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Great video, this is almost exactly what I have been looking for, just need the ability to make immutable backups (WORM) which it sounds like you are expecting from them in the near future. Will be looking forward to your future videos.
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wow imagine releasing a “pro” NAS that is 100% SATA and not being able to have redundant 10 Gb uplinks…. Ubiquiti has no idea what they are doing
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When the UniFi Pro NAS dies, can you take the drives and plop it into a new UniFi Pro NAS and carry on like Synology NAS’s ?
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Will this run Plex so I can ditch my Synology?
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10:01 you’re forgetting that this is unifi’s “pro” line not “pro max”. “Pro” really just means rack mount entry level SMB for unifi devices. I wouldn’t expect dual 10Gb on the regular “pro” model.
Now a “pro max” NAS I would expect to have NVME, more bays, dual 10Gb and a single 25Gb.
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I would be interested to know how the hardware compares to the Protect UNVRPro? But none of the reviews peek under the lid. Is it the same hardware but with more memory or is the more to it?
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Thanks!
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no x86, no good…
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So, can you designate drives? Maybe use 5 of them for raid and 2x as backup?
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Thinking if these do well they will come out with a ‘Max’ and ‘Enterprise’ editions.
I’ve been looking at getting a Synology or building my own TrueNAS system for home. Now this came out, I have more research to do to see this will work for my home and families needs.
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Does it support NFS ISCSI?
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Having already invested in Unifi gear (including a Pro switch with a spare SFP+ port) and already having a fairly beefy Proxmox host in play to host applications this seems like a great option!
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It’s pretty clear their goal for this device is having basic file storage for users of a home/small business that are going to connect to shared folders on mac and windows systems. What a NAS by definition really is… I see a lot of people complaining about lack of redundant network ports, NFS, iSCSI, etc. IMO, I think all those features they’re wanting are things needed when you are building enterprise infrastructure and Ubiquiti knows that’s really best handled by a proper SAN product from the likes of Dell, HP, IBM, NetApp, etc.
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Can an existing UNVR-Pro be turned into a UNAS Pro? Is the hardware identical? Is the software the only difference?
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How can some spend nearly an hour reviewing a NAS and not address file systems?
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Will this support SATA and SAS drives? Haven’t been able to find this anywhere.
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11:30 on my Synology rs3614rpxs, those read and write speeds are what I was getting with five hard drives, over a SPF+ DAC cable. When I switched to a LC om4 fiber SPF+ cable, I was achieving 750MBps or 7Gbps.
Not sure why I’m getting better numbers from fiber cable over the copper cable. Both cables are rated 10gigabits per second
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Can hardly wait for the Enterprise NVR to be released as a NAS WOW
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How about power consumption? Did I miss that part?
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Where is the non-pro version?
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wudnt piss on this crap if it was on fire
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This is just a NAS network attached storage only. Not able to complete to Synology, QNAP, UGreen, etc. at this time. Is this NAS going to support docker, plex, etc
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Is it possible to use 1-2 HDD as a nvr Storage?
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If this is “Pro,” I wonder about their name for the (maybe) upcoming, more powerful version of this. UNAS MegaUltraProMaxSE
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I smell a Ultra Pro version with NVEM Cache Slot, which will be announced in 3-6 months.
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Have you actually logged in via SSH and poked around the system? I’m curious what filesystem its running on those drives; given the feature set, it sounds like they are using btrfs.
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Does this have a media server capability or a way to link up to Plex server??
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VMs are heavy on the ressources, I could understand why it ain’t there, but missing Docker support is a no-go. I remain on TrueNAS for the time being.
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What kind of raid protection is it using? What about the data if the unit fails? Are able to mix different hdds size like Sinolgy shr does?
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Maybe I missed but is there any thermal test for this machine? The front design of those drive bay let me suspect it might have thermal issue once you use it for some years later.
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ZZZzzzz they should enable this feature for UDM PRO MAX , it has 2 disk slots
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SAS support or just SATA?
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Some what disappointed, this is just a software patch of the UNVR with a slightly more RAM. I’m sorry to say this but I’m not going to buy it, well not until an NVME slot, 1x 2.5 gbe lans and 2x 10 gbe SFP+
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Me still waiting for a EU version of Unifi Cable Modem…
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Dude this is amazing how many people are now entering the consumer space. honestly if the software is stable and good like synologys and as a storage server this seems like a no brainer for a home user who doesn’t want to configure a lot.
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Now put in 4TB NAS based SSDs!
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A product like this is for a specific market and it’s not me. I prefer DIY… A used 12bay 2U server is about the same price but way more powerful and more versatile. I do like and use their networking hardware though.
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would love to see a 1u 4 bay version based on unvr as well.
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Such a detailed review, thank you ???? It is a pity about Docker/VM/Plex support (or lack of!), but I understand why Ubi have focused on making just a NAS right now.
Also re reply you made to another comment, I would love to watch the story of how you had to reshoot this video multiple times. Fair play to you on the patience.
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disappointed in the power consumption. Granted being 7 bays at 500$ seems decent but my AIO server is a much better fit long term. I hope they continue to add to their offering.
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Can you have a few drives in raid and a few as seperate single storage?
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Finally someone is throwing a bomb in the NAS market, $500 is CHEAP for a proper built system with solid software and hardware support from a company that is represented in the whole world.
And those that shout “software”, that is something completely different, it takes way more resources to come up with comparable features that Synology has. If that is the need Synology have you covered at a high price with weak specs.
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How about noise ? Is UNAS Pro quiet ?
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I think it’s very nice to have a system that’s actually ONLY a NAS. I do use docker on my Synology devices at home and in the office. And the Synology backup between these two sites is so great that I wouldn’t be without it.
But for something like an actual online disk system in the office, this fits the bill nicely at a much lower price. Also, as an on-site backup for the backup, this would do well.
The only reason why this is the case is the price, of course. If it had been comparable to Synology, why would you ever get it? It’s nice to see someone hitting Synology with a price hammer, though. They’ve been getting a bit pricey over the years.
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this is 99% what I need… I just now need docker so I can run off site backups to b2
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is there a way to gracefully shut down the nas in case of power outage (with a ups of course) maybe with NUT?
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I know you are looking for proxmox setups with the GMKtecK8 mini PC. Do one with the mini running proxmox and a vm like home assistance os (needs a vm) and another vm or proxmox container to run docker containers. The data or docker volumes are atore in the new Unifi nas using SMB (I hope one day it gets NFS)
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I did have a question, understand you were able to put a large seagate hdd without issues. But don’t you usually need more ram when total storage size is much larger? If so is there a limit? For instance, if I fill all 7 bats with 24tb drives let’s say, is it capable of that? Or will the 8gb ram be an issue?
Also if I put 3 drives inside, does it have the ability to add more drives as you go and expand your storage without wiping data from existing raid array?
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Now I need ubiquity to make a 1U server that can run media apps like plex or any of its alternatives and make it for about $200 since rackmount chassis are about $200 on their own which is insane
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70 c temp ? ????????????????????????
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Can you play 360 video within Unifi Drive?
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Need a SAS model!
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Time to ditch Synology. Had enough.
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No redundant replaceable power supplies or network , awful network options in general … sure feels like they left to much out for a Pro max / SE model later
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Can you mix and match drives? On the nvr pro it made me use old 2tb drives because when I tried to put in 2x 10tb, 2x 8tb, and 2x 4tb, it wanted to only use 4tb of d ery drive.
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My entire feed is now just tech tubers reviewing this device. I’m guessing they must have all been waiting for an embargo to end. I am, of course, watching this guys review because he’s THE MAN.
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Would using SSD’s reduce the top end power consumption and idle power consumption?
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I love your review. No shade on any of the other reviewers, but your review is geared more towards how “I” am looking to use a NAS for my work loads.
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It’s all a bit bizarre. Let me check…. yes, it’s definitely 2024. As always, beautiful interface, Ikea-style Unify minimalism, but NIC redundancy, no NVMe, single PSU, it’s all a bit drab. Can you run TrueNas on it ????
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Can be cool if those who dont have a server rack to be able to have Unifi Drive on a cloudkey g2 to have a small file storage without redundancy. Or even on the drive of a UDM.
As they keep the UNVR frame, im assuming they will have a UNAS Enterprise as well with the UNVR Enterprise frame 🙂
And no need apps on a NAS… its a NAS and not a server… I have Plex on my truenas and I regret not having it on my proxmox instead.
I will for sure ditch my TrueNAS for UNAS and migrate my Plex on a VM
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THANK YOU UBIQUITI…. Finally….
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This is the “beta” product. They will cut production quickly and check how many buyers, then renew the team that made it to continue with next unit. New unit will have slot-in PSU (regular server style) but still no backup, as they want to encourage purchase of the Ubiquiti UPS battery. Two SFP ports (depending on cost and users making use of 10G speed, could be one 10G and one 2.5G) and two RJ45 ports (probably regular 1Gbps or using the new 2.5G that throttles when hot). Likely one fewer drive bay. Newer CPU. More RAM. Double the price.
Pro: all driver ports will be SATA/U.2 compatible, much more expensive CPU, possible socketed RAM slot (onboard or soldered 4GB or 8GB). Pro will be around 10x the price.
Ubiquiti developer team isn’t huge, they will not support apps or VM until far future. Best you can hope is to SSH and attempt to install your own OS.
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its their 1st iteration, give them a break?
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Hey Ubiquiti, how about putting Drive on the UDM and NVRs? I want to learn the software while you are working out the bugs.
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The only thing I would have liked was for them to drop the RPS connection and put in dual hot-swappable power supplies. But I get it, they are using the existing hardware from the UNVR Pro so it takes much less effort to make one of these. I plan on getting two of these. One for my primary backups and then the second one for backups of my backups. I will use my current Synology NAS that I am currently using for backups as a Docker system running HA and Plex and move my backups from Synology to the Ubiquiti NAS.
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@nascompares, Robbie, I don’t think you mentioned the file system. Any idea what’s being used?
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no NFS either?
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I would buy this without hesitation if I could split data pools to have a 4 drive raid 1 nas as a data replication for my Synology, and a 3 bay raid 0 for unifi protect. To add to that, I would love love LOVE to also be able to use the drive bay in my UDM SE as an additional storage option for unifi protect. (I don’t need redundancy for my home cameras Ubiquiti, I just want as many days recorded as drives I have available).
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No SAS drive support either, that backplane SATA only 🙁
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This will save me a ton on having a NAS to backup my 1821+. My old 4 bay Synology died. So, I’m backing up one volume on my 1821+ to another volume on the same NAS, which obviously worries me. I can’t justify buying another 8 bay Synology, but I can justify this easily. As soon as it’s proven itself in production environments, I’m getting one.
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I quite like the NAS and just NAS approach they took. I have separate machines for hypervisors to run VMs and containers on and like the separation. Two of these in a shadow mode active-passive fail over setup would be tits.
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I feel like you miss the point of the single PSU. Unifi devices all ahve a single PSU and they have a solution for it that connects to multiple devices and acts as a secondary psu for them. I do not know of any NAS or computer/server that people typically use at home that have duel psu’s.
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It looked fantastic until I saw the weak CPU it has. It worse than my old 5bay QNAP.
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Great introduction and descriptive video to this NAS. Thanks for your efforts!
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Hopefully the firmware up-downgrade will be even easier than their other network devices, as they do sometimes release stinker of updates. Currently they broke many widely used IoT devices like shelly. It would probably be good for install-and-forget areas though.
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This as a no-frill local data replication of the Unraid and TrueNAS systems I already own. Absolutely perfect.
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This is basically a router cpu with storage attached ????
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Any piece of hardware that requires me to create an account just to be able to is it, goes into the trash.
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can you try via ssh `apt update && apt install unifi-protect unifi-talk` and see what happens? (on an EFG it installs both even though its not supported…)
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They are definitely after the home lab market, not commercial. Ticks all the boxes for me!
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WOW, excellent review, I have Unify network setup at home along with a QNAP NAS and heard on the grape vine that there may be a Unifi NAS released soon, and that price, you can’t go wrong… Can’t wait for future updates to see whether they include docker etc as I do like having the utils that QNAP provide. ????
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For my Home Lab this is almost what I need. I have QNAP 8 bay ARM (~1000€) but it’s not rack mounted. But I also use ssd in raid 0 as a cache. And I have about double the ram. I really use it as SMB store so thats fine. I wanted so bad to replace my QNAP with this but it seems, it will just be a backup for QANP storage with speeds I see. UNAS Pro MAX would just need to have 2 NVME bays for CACHE, double SFP+ and give us the 12 bays and 3U. But who knows, maybe the UNAS Pro is enough for raw video editing of SMB and playing games with Steam?
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Those poor hard drives will have no airflow.
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What rack is that?
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All I need is my private dropbox, ability to back up family phones and view uploaded and edited videos from hols on TV and phone. Dont care about plex or dockers (what are these?:)Is that going to cut the mustard?
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Hey there! Finally it came to life, so many years! Now I’m glad I never did spend time on switching OS on a UNVR, that time is now _saved_.
thoughts: It’s good that there’s no concept of pools. keep it this simple or it will just not fit into its very limited scope anymore.
If I could, and if it would already support the right bits, I would put one in each access switch cabinet and use them as archival storage or similar. Not as team folder or anything they would suck at. but as a way to spread out tertiary storage. The price is right, the URPS connector is suitable, don’t need a second 10g port for that either. Integrate moosefs or similar at the same level of hands-off-no-choices setup and this would be nice[tm].
I also would say the lack of WORM features is a pity. how well do they have that down in UNVR? it’s not a trivial feature to implement to any non-laughable level of reliability.
Given the price point, I’d even ejnoy a toggle switch that makes the whole device read-only and can only be cancelled at the front panel. Fill it, lock it.
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Kinda a bummer, i was holding out building something for myself. Sure Not having plex is a bummer butttttttt…. Not allowing Unifi Protect to be used on the NAS is a deal breaker….
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So 4-5 more years and (if they don’t abandon the idea) it actually might be a nice NAS brand 🙂
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Great review. Could you please also test performance with SSD drives? Would like to see how close to 10 Gbps those transfer speeds can be.
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I still have stuff on a DROBO-FS. So, this might be a great upgrade for me. ????
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hardware raid or softwear ?
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I saw this release announcement and instantly search your channel knowing you HAD to have been right on top of it!
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I guess they had a few nvrs laying artound nobody bought ????
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Good review.
I’ve a question about user management and “directory integration”. Does it mean that instead of creating local users in this NAS, if I’ve a MS AD server on ny network, I can assign rights for some network users on some directories ?
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Great video. Soon as they get Docker; I am in.
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Thanks for really nice video!
When sharing a folder, you can add a user. What user is this? Is this something that you create on your machine?
And how does the remote login for it look?
I’m currently using Nextcloud on Truenas to share large video files. All my friends and clients have a personal login where they view/download/reshare the media. I’m curious if I can replicate this with the UNAS.
Also, when you preview/stream remotely a video file does it transcode? If yes, does it also do h265? Sorry for the interrogation 😛 It’s just it can be a dealbreaker or dream for me depending on the answer.
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I wish you would slow down the screen caps.
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For the price, this is great! I usually have my Plex server and VMs and stuff on another machine anyway. Seems pretty desirable to split the two so you have some redundancy.
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If you are going to say G U I instead of gooey, you really need to say N A S instead of nas as a word 😉 – (nice video BTW, really liked your analysis)
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Is this a VCR?
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So nice seagul shirt ????
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Please can you pop the cover off and show us it’s guts? I’m keen to see if the RAM is upgradable
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Needs iSCSI, NFS and SSD caching. Maybe Pro Max next year will have those.
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Nice start, but not a homerun.
Give it:
More cores/threads (n305)
Replacable RAM
NVME storage
Usb ports
Alligned front drives, not this masonry pattern
I’d like to run docker and apps like photobackup, torrent, jellyfin, home assistant.
Happy to pay twice the price
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Got it, this is intended to be mostly a pure NAS not a compute and app platform. For the cost that is a great value prop for SMB. They currently seem to have more interest in nailing the NAS basics rather than trying to run any and all docker apps. This seems ok. woah, directory integration, hope they extend that to the whole control plane and not charge a subscription for that.
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So, did I understood correctly, that with one drive you cannot set this nas up? It requires at least three hard disks, to set up required redundancy level?
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Given Ubiquiti’s history of never delivering promised features on new devices before they reach EOL, I’ll wait to see if they actually deliver the app that simplifies mounting of drives for end users before I decided to make a purchase… I’m over here having “Security Scanning Radio, SHD-AP” flashbacks…
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So Like it but I think you mentioned that Plex does not work on it at the moment? is there any ETA on that (Getting Plex on the the unit)
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Surprised they don’t sell the drive caddies separately haha
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Ubiquiti systems already run docker under the hood. So, it would be very easy for them to make a “hosting” app available under UniFi OS.
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Great video, lots of details thanks! One question, can you mix and match different HDD sizes? As someone who hacked unvr to NAS, I have installed 4 disks which automatically turned on raid 5. Is this the same case with UNAS PRO?
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Hi there,
Can files on this system be shared using Microsoft DFS?
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Buy yourself some new teeth, please.
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Kind of limited to me but I can see this being great for a lot of people, especially those already using Ubiquity equipment and/or who might be on the fence about buying Synology. Kind of refreshing to see a ‘pure’ NAS though as someone who still believes in separating storage and compute.
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Great video! will be using your link to purchase one.
I currently have a TrueNAS box that has 9 drives in it but going to scale down to 7 drives anyways to save power consumption (yes for me it does make that big of a difference). That is the biggest thing for me… when my NAS is at idle it is 90-100w and reading/ writing heavy it is 160-200 w. I don’t do docker or anything like that on my NAS, I have another machine for that. I just need something efficient and that will do the storage thing well, and it will match my other Unifi equipment…. lol
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I actually like that it’s not a Synology or QNAP. I can’t stand how those brands are trying to turn their NAS into a Swiss army knife. I don’t need my NAS to be a VM host, run Docker containers, host OpenOffice, Nextcloud, Home Assistant, act as a DNS or DHCP server, or provide LDAP, etc. I hve proxmox clusters, DC servers, and Routers that already do all of that. I need my NAS to do one thing, and one thing only—store stuff. And that’s exactly what this does. It’s a no-frills solution for straightforward storage.
That said, Ubiquiti has a bad reputation for exciting the world with new products then abandoning thrm 9 months to a year after release and leaving a bunch of early adopters with useless doorstops after they stop supporting it (ask me how i know), so I think I’ll hold off buying one until its been around for a while but it looks like a great jumping point for a platform. as it seems to be based off the UNVR Pro, I imagine the UNVR and UNVR Enterprise will eventually join the ecosystem as the UNAS and UNAS Enterprise so well see. lot of potential here.
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For simple business NAS this is probably more than adequate but anyone who wants a server like Synology/QNAP or something more advanced like Unraid won’t be interested in this at all. What would be cool is if they launched a 4U rack mount case with tons of hot swappable drive bays so we could build what the client (or Prosumers) wants.
I have a 90TB Unraid server in a desktop style ATX case. There are not many rack mount cases that work great imo other than those massive LTT style servers they build (forgot the companys name) but they don’t just sell the case.
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If it can do storage and permissions better then unraid/truenas then I could care less about vm/docker support. Proxmox does vms better and docker is just better on a dedicated machine
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I’ve got multiple Synology’s in my house, and I love them. I also have a full Unifi setup. I’d love to try transitioning to one of these in the future, but I’m going to wait until the software gets a little more polished, and some more features get added. But $500 for a 7 bay rack mountable NAS is a great price!
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ZFS? If not, I’m not interested
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What’s under the hood? TrueNAS Scale?
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I would want this but it’s lacks Docker and VM support. Without docker this is a deal breaker
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Hi, I like rack unit on wheels. Can you please share the link where you bought it from
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It’s surprising to see the same hardware as the NVR Pro, running Drive but doesn’t support Protect. If you combined the NVR and NAS into a single product line, eliminating the need to purchase and manage two separate sets of drives, I’d be ready to purchase it, even with the current software limitations. Over the past few years, Synology has been scaling back on features while continuing to charge a premium for hardware that is outdated. It’s hard to justify paying top dollar for a NAS that still ships with generations old CPU and 1Gb Ethernet. Unfortunately, UniFi’s solution doesn’t seem to be quite there yet either. I had high hopes that UniFi was going to get me out of the Synology downward spiral.
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What’s the underlying file system, BTRFS? No NFS 3 or NFS 4.1? No iSCSI LUN and target support? Upgradeable memory? Does it deliver data fast enough for 4K streaming (Plex) running on a connected device? Does seem disappointing compared to Synology.
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Question: Does it works with mixed size disks? For example like the SHR in Synology
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I don’t understand the connectivity/single PSU complaints. The thing’s 500 bucks. It’s got SFP+. This is 100% a repurposed NVR, and fit for purpose at a frankly insane price. Great for storing your jellyfin library and similar workloads. Don’t ask it to do stuff it wasn’t designed for.
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Hopefully seperate pools setup will be added in the near future 🙂
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I really like this product. Most home users these days want a “NAS” but really they want a home server that runs a lot of different services and stores files for their network and they think their NAS is supposed be that device. I appreciate that this device goes back to being what a NAS was originally intended to be and seems targeted perfectly to the small business and home business market.
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I’m not sure if it supports dynamic expansion, such as adding more hard drives later like SHR, or flexibly expanding by replacing one hard drive with a larger capacity. After all, not everyone is a professional who would spend a large amount of money to buy all the hard drives at once.
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A true lean, clean STORING machine. WONDERFUL!
UNIFI should pay you a comission. Your excellent thorough review just sold one device to me.
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You mentioned it’s quiet and I’ve heard the same from other reviewers. What HDDs were you using when you put the mic on it? It sounded just like my UNVR, which is very quiet. I can’t get over how quiet these Unifi devices are compared to my Synology with Ironwolf drives, which I can hear 2 rooms away.
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I’m not terribly impressed with the documentation on the website as it doesn’t cover what the back plane and system support. is it all SATA3 6Gb or does it also support SAS 12Gb? yes there’s only one 10Gb port BUT the fewer drives you need to saturate that bandwidth the more drives you can allocate for redundancy if you aren’t just looking to maximize storage volume. Despite my grump there, the price alone makes this device appealing and thanks for the video!
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UNIFI, take my money!!!
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Not sure how they can call this a “pro” device… Great review Rob
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Can you create an NFS share on a folder.
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@liamfoneill We have to wait for the UNAS Pro Max for NVME M.2 drive support!! 😛 😀 🙂
It’s also worth noting 1 PSU isn’t a big deal, it has a connection (from what I see from your pictures) for an RPS.
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now Unifi needs to come out with a 24bay Disk Shelf. 😀
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this NAS is a good machine for back-ups over the network
the only think I want to know is what if the unit fails (mobo/PSU) can I remove the drives and move them to another unit and have the data?
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Amazing review, thanks mate.
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ARM. Not A R M.
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This needs ubiqitui dedicated app for creating backups from phones.
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The photo sharing and date sorting is something that I am glad is present.
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Needs to have SFP+ for me to leave synology 2.5Gbps. I am very happy with synology software ecosystem (drive, photos, audio, video, VM Manager). I can’t leave that either.
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Wheres the little one that was on the website ????
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I’m wondering if the storage can be increased by adding more drives without destroying the data already there. Say you set it up in RAID6 with 4 drives and then add 3 more, do you have to wipe the array and start over or is there a way to expand the storage without losing the data already there? 7 disk bays, 10 gig and an easy to manage interface for $500 seems like a crazy good deal if you don’t want to hassle with a DIY job (which I’ve done and hate).
Edit: LOL should have finished watching the vid first
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Good start with a nice price, but I’ll just wait for the next iteration, unless I get Terramaster or Synology (if they ever release anything) soon.
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Exciting! Can’t wait for the content
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SATA SSD’s are cheap
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Cheap is not good. There could have been a bit more hardware and software for a 20% higher price.
It’s just a data repository with a fancy interface, there’s still a lot to do. I have UGreen NAS as an EA, it could do more than NAS when it came out and it’s not more expensive. For the little that the UNAS can do (lack of synchronization between PC and MAC, no NFS and iSCSI, no M.2 NVMe) you don’t need a “special” interface. And the worst thing for me is that I have 7 disks and I can’t set them up in different storage pools.
Is the video also available in slow mode? Many of the interfaces are hard to recognize and the video is extremely hectic.
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Would rather have a 4 bay at $300 and get two for HA
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Great price imo
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Great Video thanks. I’ve been waiting for something like this since I turned off my Power hungry Apple 1U Servers and huge Apple RAIDs and bought a Qnap, which I have hated for years. All I want is mountable storage , easy to use, no faffing about, couldn’t care less about Apps and Containers and real hot swappable storage. Gonna get one for sure.
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What’s the experience like for an iPhone user accessing photos/videos? Can this replace iCloud?
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give us Max version: x86 platform at least 4/8 core, nfs+iscsi, 4x NICs /2+2 10G/, nvme storage, wasabi+backblaze backup target, native apps or dockers. will happily pay 899+ EUR any day.
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That asymmetry is triggering my OCD,…..
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Sorry if i missed it but do they have any SHR like system for mixed sized drives?
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I guess the price reflect the features. But you can use it for Protect archiving recently released. I guess you have UDMP with protect and archive to this or the cloud. The cpu and memory on this are slim because it can’t run any other apps but it’s good for shuffling files. Also the Microsoft / Google account integrations for identity enterprise could be a big feature for businesses.
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I was excited until I discovered it does not have NFS or iSCSI, as I consider those services a fundamental requirement for even an entry-level NAS. I’d also love to see an NVMe RW/RO cache option.
I’d have instantly given UI my money if it had iSCSI, NFS, NVMe cache, and dual 10GB SFP+.
I guess those will come as a PRO MAX version 😛
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The perfect NAS… a pure local storage device without any extras.
When you don’t want another server, you get a NAS.
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Thank you, thank you, thank you for a great video on this system. I felt your review was very honest and unbiased. I totally agree on your Pro’s and Con’s and for me, I think the ‘current state’ of this unit is underwhelming for my needs. Maybe if they release another unit that will allow third party software, unifi surveillance integration, a better CPU, and memory upgrades. BTW. I’m almost all in on the Unifi ecosystem although I do have a QNAP and Synology NAS.
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Oh, what a great NAS!
Will it be available in Japan?
I am very much looking forward to it!
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Can I have multiple UNAS-Pros? If I need two for more than 7 drives, will that work?
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Well there goes my hope of not having to wait for synology. So you think if we dont get a synology announcement by first week of Nov no release again this year? I dont see how they would miss the holiday buying period. Unless their plan is to sell old NAS on black friday and release the new one right after and really p everyone off.
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a couple of nvme slots just for the caching would have been really nice.
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Sounds like a very good system for a backup for other NAS Systems. The possibility of 7 * 24 TB HDD for 499€. Sounds fair.
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The “Create a UI account” really seems to be disingenuous on UniFi’s part. Not being at all familiar with Unify, I would just think that it’s the normal user name and password to login locally to the desktop *User Interface* and not an online account. Unify could have been far clearer about this but I suspect that a fair number of people would have blindly proceeded with setting up the UI account which is what they are counting on. And, to put that in perspective, think back to your review of HexOS and the really solid push back by those who did not want an online login. I don’t like to do business with anyone who runs their business like that. No thanks.
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Synology is the only NAS brand where I think their software adds value beyond being a storage server. But if I’m being honest, over time as I’ve migrated most of my docker/VM services over to Proxmox or XCP-ng and have very little running on the Synology hardware itself.
I could see myself being interested in exploring Unifi as a storage server in the future, but I’d need a higher performance version.
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I love all the competition that’s popping-up recently.
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What is the Power consumption?
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Defiantly going to pick one of these up. Don’t give a hoot about the docker side, that’s why I have servers. I want a storage NAS that does just that, store things and get data to the right users, I don’t want to host my docker apps from it as well. Great video thanks for the review!
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Terramaster in 2U would be perfect option with non locked bootloader.
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How fast is it with SSDs?
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Is it even possible to saturate a 10G connection with spinning disks? Other than that, i assume this is meant to be connected to an SFP+ aggregator (USW-Aggregation) switch to split between multiple storage units
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A silent rackmount NAS is what I was searching for! Other rack mount NAS are too loud! I do not need docker, because I have docker on my Proxmox computer.
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Basically this is the NVR reworked to see if the NAS will sell, I would wait to the next generation
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This device is the beginning . It’s affordable and it’s easy to use.
If it catches on, you bet you’re bippy, more will come.
I’ve got four Synology unit in use between my family members and they are great but … I would love something that just efficiently stores data.
It also appears that it may easily, allow safe direct remote access.
I’ll have to watch how things go before I would purchase.
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So I see some real good here; one, Unifi has a track record of software upgrades, so I fully expect items like NFS/ISCSI. I do not in any way expect Plex, Docker, etc. and I shouldn’t – that isn’t who this product is aimed at. Two, the remote management through the UI account management system is a potential IT godsend in comparison to the way that this works in Synology. Three, I do like the snapshop methodology in comparison to the way that this functions in synology. Now, the biggest items I see that will be big is that it fits directly into the UI ecosphere, and that is good. Now, I can see a lot of room for improvement, but I can see where this can have a big future with some of the integration options this is going to have. I do like how this is a business ready product that isn’t moving to drives that are made by them and nothing else (screw you Synology on that one)
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Just a correction, the Unifi Power Backup is a redundant power supply, not a battery backup.
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Thanks for the deep dive. Any news on the ability to mix drive capacities?
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Soooooo ugly. I like Unifi, have a lot of their hardware. But just can’t understand why 7 drives? Why layout is so strange? Just… why? Can’t they just stack two 4-drives cases?
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Thanks for the review, well done and thorough. Not surprised to see no availability for Docker at this point. At the price point, this is great for fire storage. It’s not HA or high-speed system, which is fine. There are other players for that type of equipment. It appears that UI gave us a purpose-built system that does one thing really well, at a price that is hard to not smile at.
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This looks like a decent start – funnily enough while eating my bacon, egg and black pudding (and watching this video), I got the email from Ubiquiti titled “Welcome to Unifi Drive and UNAS Pro” (1134hrs EDT). As others have commented though, I won’t be swapping my DS920+ for the UNAS Pro. I do have a Ubiquiti network setup, so was very excited when I saw your video this morning. As always – great video and thanks for taking the time to post!
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I am… underwhelmed.
I was not expecting perfection, but… it lacks so much to be an instant buy. But yeah, it’s truly cheap (especially for Unifi) for a 2U 7 drive bay (which is really something) and would play nice into the ecosystem. But… no ZFS, no NFS, no iSCSI, no docker (because let’s be honest, even if purists say that a NAS should be just a NAS, but… it makes sense to have those hosts a few docker).
I know Unifi makes update, albeit slowly.. but.. at the moment it’s not worth it. But 500 euros… it’s super interesting when they started adding features.
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Does it support Jumbo frames?
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First galance. Where does the air flow come from to cool the drives. As not much air is going to get around those solid caddie faces. As a rackmount. Its supposed to have front to back airflow. The almost solid front panel raises questions.
The network ports have one up and one pointing down is an odd design choice. Not to mention being in the front.
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Were read/write speeds over 10GbE covered in this video?
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Did he say what OS backend it uses and what file systems the HD can use?
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This is just a pure NAS. Nothing more. I mean, yea. But at the same time it does not go up against things like Unraid or Truenas. Even OMV has more functions. For what this is, it is about $200 more then it should be for what you get. I was really looking forward to this to replace my Unraid server, but damn.
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I’d consider going with a Unifi Nas, but I don’t want rack-mount (5 bays would be great) and I’d like to see more configuration options. Docker support would be (really) nice.
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I’m disappointed in the backup options on this nas. Let’s be honest, no one will be backing up their 7 drives of data to Google Drive. That would be a insane cost. So this device doesn’t have a real, usable cloud backup that you can use. It doesn’t also have USB backup, so to backup this device you need to… get another NAS. Because you haven’t payed enough just yet.
I do agree it’s a good value target for a synology backup.
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The device feels like the perfect unit for low cost offsite backup storage. Easy to lock away in a comms rack and you wont saturate the write speeds over the wire.
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Amazing review! Thank you!!! Excited to see Uniquiti launch a simple JBOD NAS and looking forward to the future of where they take it!
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This is an superb video !
You really know your stuff and you really gave us an insight into the product, what it can and can’t do with lots of visual showing of it
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Looks like a VCR lol
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This looks really interesting to me. My big question though, what if you get more than 1 of these? Say I expand and need more than 7 drives, could I buy a second unit and have the pools merge between the 2? Because that would be cool. Also seeing performance stats of SATA SSD’s would be nice too!
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people complaining about the features for a $499 NAS drive from Ubiquiti, common guys .wait for next more expensive version will probably have all those missing features.
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No tower or 10“ version. Not suitable for a small rack in confined spaces. So my choice will be still Synology.
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what a disappointment, only 1gib network port. I would have liked it to have another sturdy switch, depending on the equipment, at least 1/2.5/5gib network connector.
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The demand was a bit manic. I missed the official announcement but guess it was today. Interesting there is only 1 of each network connection but let me watch the video
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It’s an ARM device (no virtualization means it won’t replace a home server). NEXT! ????????
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This seems interesting and I might even pull the trigger. It would be nice to have a single pane of glass to manage everything and not to have to worry about Synology and the lack of 3rd party device support. I mean from a NAS perspective it literally does just that and anything else can be added later.
Also, do we know anything about the file system or did I miss it in the video? Is it BTRFS or EXT4?
Also, more information about the backups would be awesome! Like is this sort of like hyper backup?
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Great and very timely review Thanks! Did I understand you correctly, can you uses different sized drives in the raid array (like Synology Hybrid raid) or do all drives the array need to be the same size?
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Brilliant and Honest review as always, thanks. I don’t think I will dumping my TrueNAS Scale box anytime soon, but it’s one to keep an eye on ????
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So the non pro will be the 4 bay nvr?
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Isn’t there a NAS brand called U-NAS?
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Can this do Plex hardware transcoding? ????
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I have nevered owned a NAS…just an OWC Thunderbay 4 nut need a NAS u now. So now that this item is released I’m wondering whether for my first NAS I should still stick to getting the Synology DS1522+ as a SOLO videographer and editor using 10TB per year?
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???????????? and couldn’t even get a 2.5gig port on it jeez
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why only 7 drives, at least 8 properly aligned drives…
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i wonder if the software plays nice if you wanna add a 2nd unas pro to your network down the line.
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SATA 2.5 inch SSD compatibility?
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Funny how SpaceRex uploaded his video at the same time. I guess NDA?
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Genuinely worried about this as ive been using a UNVR Pro for a while as a nas using SSH to install samba. I hope they dont artificially block people using the UNVR Pro now that there is an official NAS offering
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They could’ve gone with an Intel N100 or N200 which would’ve been so much better, even if they tack on an added $100-200 dollars to the price tag, unfortunately I’ll not be considering it. It’s nice tho, maybe they’ll release something with an Intel/AMD chip in the future…
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Well Robbie, you said so many times that with synology you pay for the software more than the hardware. It’s painfully obvious looking at this device.
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It’s one strange NAS.
Strange layout. Strange software. Strange hardware. Thermals are dubious. Rackable but lacking features standard for rack hw such as modular redundant PSUs.
Good for undemanding brand fanboys only.
When b- and c-tier brands and even nonames have started pumping out decent NAS devices, seeing such a device from a respectable brand is utterly perplexing. I’d love to get into the product development team’s heads and learn their thought processes that led to the appearance of this bucktoothed inbred monstrosity…
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Phenomenal review and THANK YOU for the well labeled chapter marks in the video. Wanted to jump around to just my highest importance spots first in the video before watching end to end.
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Release date? The US Site still has zero information about its existence
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Can’t wait for UNAS Pro ‘Max’ which has Docker and VM support ????
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Meh, the hardware specs are weak…
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Seems a little underwhelming re-using the same hardware as the UNVR-Pro with a 2012 processor and no NVMe caching.
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I think you hit it on the head at the end Robbie. I’m defo going to be replacing my onsite backup ext. drives with one of these (going by how stuff sells out on their site though, that’s probably going to be around 4/3 2025!). But it won’t be replacing the Synology for day to day work stuff that’s for sure.
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This thing is like half the price of a 8 bay synology. I was getting ready to buy an 8 bay in a couple months, but I might get this now.
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I am Supriesed by the Price. Would have expected at least double that.
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Awesome review! Can you set disks to spindown for lower power consumption when not in use?
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553,20 € the price is not that bad , but I Don’t know what the software has , does it use btrfs or zfs ?
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So is this the unvr but with new software. How are the temps.. 70?? . Can it transcode .. sorry soo excited, disappointed and confused at the same time by this nas
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Still don’t like their io on the front
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Good start, but no NVME, NFS or iSCSI – meh
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Their thinking on the 1G port is probably to use that on a management network for config management and use the 10G for data only. At least that’s usually how appliances set up like that are intended to be used. Would be nice to have more ports for flexibility though if you’re trying to do something like directly attaching vm hosts.
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and they couldn’t manage to align the FRIGGING DRIVE BAYS !!!
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Looks like your last video comments for opening CCTV and NAS has been addressed? I have just purchased the UCG_Max (F*kn brilliant!) and adopted 2 ONVIF camera (out of 3 in my setup) Awesome! And now I can also bin my sh!ty Google Doorbell and get the G4 doorbell! Oh.. and a Unify NAS? I hope i can connect that extra storage to my UCG Max!
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The price tag surprisingly low for 7 bay and it looks so good at the front
????
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I’M SO EXCITED! Let’s see how it stands up to Synology!
– Jonathan
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finally
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I have my NAS set up nicely and I even have it getting backed up to a remote location via a Tailscale application. However, I am confused on what application I need for backing up, and syncing a few folders from my PC to the NAS. I am currently using Microsoft Synctoy. I have read about Active Sync for business, as well as Synology Drive. Which is the best to go with?? If I simply want an automated backup of my computer folders to my NAS, what is the best way to go?? Thank you !!!
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I’m a super brand new NAS user; I just got my first machine (Synology DS1821+; thanks for recommending this unit for video creation). Super great videos!!! I started on your 2024 Setup Guides. I’m on a MacBook Pro, and I’m starting to get lost in this video because you’re using Windows (beginning at the 7:45 timestamp). Do you recommend I watch some other tutorials that cater to Macs? I’ve been learning a lot from your channel, but now I’m second-guessing whether this is the right move for me because of the learning curve on a Mac. Your thoughts and/or suggestions. Thank you!
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Just got my DS1821+ and populated 5 bays with 22TB Seagate Ironwolf pro drives. Also added 2 TB WD SN850 NVMe for cache and 10 Gbe pci card.
I’m debating what to do with the last 3 bays: either go 3 SSD or just put another 3X 22TB Seagate ironwolf pros.
Can’t wait to watch all the videos in this series to learn more about my new NAS.
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Is there away to get Synology Drive working on DSM 6.2 or a work around. ??
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???? Haven’t watch it yet but so excited for this series!!! Thank you!
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I’m definitely interested in a backup NAS for my current QNAP NAS but specifically with the capability to backup to a remote location. I see that Synology NAS software does support backing up a QNAP NAS to a remote Synology NAS but I’m unimpressed by the hardware Synology offers for the price. I guess with Synology it’s more about their software suite for the price. Does QNAP have same capabilities specifically regarding remote NAS backup/sync?
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a nas to nas back up utilizing synology or rsync wouldnt give us usable folders would it? it would give us a hyperbackup style file .hbk that contains everything within it? i want to backup my nas to a remote offsite nas weekly/monthly but allow the files to be used on that nas as they would on the local one. something akin to sync i guess
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Thoughts on Tailscale to run a backup to second NAS ???
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Engaging with fellow women in this thread feels like being part of a sisterhood, united by our love of learning.????
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