Synology DS1522+

I came from a DS415play, which I was quite happy with in itself, but this older model was just too slow. This is certainly not the case with the DS1522+. Fast and snappy. Even a virtual machine runs like a charm as well as Docker instances. It is a pity that the interface for docker is very limited. Fortunately, you can just do a docker compose in the shell and you are free of GUI restrictions. The AMD processor doesn't have integrated graphics, so I was a bit worried about transcoding with Plex, but it does 1 stream at 1080p High Quality perfectly - with 80% CPU usage. The 8GB memory is more than enough to start with many Docker instances, but you can upgrade it to 32GB if necessary. By default, there is 1 slat of 8GB, which ensures that it runs single channel. The processor can handle dual channel, so it can be even faster if you work with 2 slats. The Ryzen 1600 used supports max DDR4-2400, so buying faster is unnecessary. The use of the SSD cache drives is also recommended with frequent docker use. 1 M.2 SSD only gives you a read cache; for read-write cache you need 2 identical M.2 SSDs. By the way, you cannot create volumes from these M.2 SSDs; this only serves as cache drives. This write cache is always used, even if the mechanical disks are fast enough. So definitely don't put camera surveillance on a volume with write cache, otherwise you'll quickly go through the life of your SSD. Simply create a separate volume for this purpose. I have bundled the 4 LAN ports into a bridge and they are all on my managed switch. This gives me 4Gbps of bandwidth out of the box or about 450MB/sec. If I need more, a 10Gbps expansion card can be used. On a 1Gbps connection I now continuously get 110MB/sec on the same drives from my old DS415play; where I barely reached 50MB/s. I even get these decent numbers without the M.2 SSD write cache. The installation of both the mechanical HDDs and the M.2 SSDs is completely tool-less. The mechanical HDDs can be locked with a lock. The M.2s located at the bottom of the device are not secured. In principle, a thief can lay the device on its side, open the cover and remove the SSD without a screwdriver.

Had a 1511+ model (so it has 5 discs and was built in 2011) and after 13 years of loyal service, the green LED just kept flashing, even without the discs in it. Apparently motherboard problems. Given the age (13 years old) decided to buy a new one (1522+). Put all 5 drives back in the same slot position (as in the old one) and then switched them on for the first time. Immediately recognized that it was 1511 format and asked permission to migrate to 1522. Have this done and then restart and LUCKYLY EVERYTHING is restored and accessible again as it was in the "old" one. For me, Synology is an absolute top brand.

After unpacking the NAS, it can be used quickly. Hard drives are very easy to install. After switching on the NAS, the DSM operating system is installed and you can get started fairly quickly. There are also plenty of videos on YouTube that tell you exactly how to install the NAS.