Synology 2-Bay DiskStation DS223j (Diskless)

Finally took the plunge into getting a more solid backup solution. I have been backing up stuff for YEARS due to a heavy lost back in the 90's. So since then I've started to back up religiously!! The sad part is back in the 90's the HD was like what... 3GB maybe 6GB. Now you got TB's. Well more stuff on 1 disk, but if that disk dies or fails.... you are SOL right. Well, I've been just backing up from drive to drive piggy backing if you will and finally I decided to try a better solution with this drive/backup system.It was recommend by someone in IT as pretty decent and it didn't break the bank! So I got it, came pretty fast I think 4 days max along with a 14TB drive (different order) this thing doesn't come w/ a drive just so you know. Setup was pretty easy, but the interface is something I was not familiar with, so it took a little bit to get use to it, but now after a month or so its just doing its thing since I have it setup.PRO's - Nice design (looks nice), easy to open/close get your drive in etc. It also has USB port in the back which is excellent! I hooked up all my (old drives to be backed up) and once setup, I was able to transfer easily from those drives to my big 14TB. So pleased with that. The webpage/browser access is ok, lots of stuff which I have no clue how to use or why I would use it... Just wanted a drive that I could "share on network" without having to have it hooked up to a pc/laptop running 24/7. This does the trick as it has a network cable and is accessible without a PC being hooked up to it. *Although I haven't figured out how to access it lol* But hey any access I need I am at home so all good for me. For your techies you can probably figure out the offsite access fairly easy I am sure. Ohhhh one feature I did understand and was able to setup really easy is this power on/off of the drive. You can setup a power off and power on time, which is cool and I think that helps because I have it turn off like midnight and then back on around 7am. So it gets a little breather..... as I am sleeping. hahahahahaCON's - Hmmm the software is bit complicated for my taste, but maybe these types of setup are ALL like this so it may not be a huge CON if that makes sense. The stuff I needed to figure out and to use I did, so if you are along my speed (know enough to be dangerous) you should be fine. The only CON and its not huge, but it drives me crazy is this one. So when you plug in a USB drive to the system.... it calls the drive USB SHARED 1. I'd like to change the name to something I can remember... so my naming convention was out the window and luckily I still had my old laptop hooked up to figure out what drive what was so I could AT LEAST keep the (drive letter) the same. That I was familiar with so a little pain, but workable.Overall.... SOLID! I'd get this again for sure! If you don't have the $$$ for a larger drive system (like 4) then this TWO drive system is affordable and solid so far. I think there is even a RAID function for cloning drives in the system if you want to do that, but for me I just wanted to backup the other USB drives I had to another drive and I've done that. So I have 1 slot open for a drive to expand when the time comes. Maybe when I get bored I will look into the webpage "apps" and see what all I can do. There are photo apps and things which I think will let you share photos.... its basically like your "own" personal cloud although I don't have it setup for access like that it would seem. I did however get my PLEX stuff over to the drive and so that's cool!Hope this is somewhat helpful for at least those who may now be as knowledgeable like myself with these setups. :-)

I’ve been using a Synology NAS for around 10 years without any issues, so when I needed to upgrade, I decided to stick with the brand. The main reason for upgrading was that I recently moved, and my old NAS was simply too large and heavy to take with me on a plane. I ended up using portable storage to carry all my data, while leaving a backup of the data and the old NAS behind.Over time, my needs for a NAS have shifted. I no longer prioritize extra features or high performance; instead, I focus on stability and ease of use. Based on my trust in Synology, I chose their entry-level home product, the DS223j, and paired it with two hard drives from different brands.After using it for a while, I can confidently say that the installation and setup were as familiar and simple as always. The DS223j has performed well so far, but its true stability will only be tested over time. It has met my current needs, and I’m hopeful it will continue to do so.Overall, if you’re looking for a stable, easy-to-manage NAS for home use, I would highly recommend the DS223j.

Now for the long story which is important. I have been working with computers for a long time. I taught the nuts and bolts of a main frame in the Navy. Nand, And, Or, Nor gates and registers and the like. Way before integrated circuits. Much later I became a programmer and have built many PCs over the years. But I know very little about networks. This is all relevant. When it comes to networks, I am a tyro. For many years I had a WD Mycloud. I have a bunch of computers and having it made life simpler, a central point for certain files. Then came Windows 11 24H2 and bye bye My Cloud. It is OLD and doesn't have an SMB whatever the heck that is. I tried a fix, but MS laffed at me. So I decided to get a NAS. Unknown territory to me. I looked at several and liked the DS223j. I asked if it could run under Win11 24H2 and was told yes by several people. I ordered it and I had several drives handy for it. At the time I didn't know about NAS drives. In any case, I put in a 1TB and a 2TB and chose SHR and tried to get them recognized which didn't happen. So what do you do? Reboot and try again. I got 921GB on the 2nd try after reboot. And I mapped it to Z drive and it works a whole lot better than My Cloud. I did order 2-2TB NAS drives which I may try to install at some point after a reset of the NAS. But since all is working and I don't need a lot of NAS space, I will stick with what I got. I am a little leery about my data being exposed by Synology or I think it is being exposed. They say they will send me any email if breeched. Why does it have to be public to be hackable, I don't know. Again, I have no idea about this stuff. All I know is companies aren't happy unless all your data is exposed to hacking. That is why I dropped Quicken and wrote some spreadsheets instead. They to wanted me to put all my banking data on the cloud for all to see!! I mean, my banks are already happy to put all my data out there for the hackers without me aiding them!!