(NAS) DS214 vs DS213j ?

[MoInSTL]

Amazon has the DS213j for $199+ free shipping.

The DS214 $329+ free shipping. Is dual core and USB3.

The $129 price could cover the cost of a drive if I went with the DS231j. Is the price difference enough to justify the dual core processor? USB3 is not a big deal to me as both would be wired.

I will be using it as a simple file server, backups and storage.

Have never had a NAS and my head hurts after spending a couple of hours of reading and researching. I could really use some input. The $329 price is absolute tops. Besides Synology, are there comparable units I should consider?

Some advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated

 

[Cerb]

The more expensive one will be faster, but for basic storage and backups, and the fact that 2 disks limits you to RIAD 1 or JBOD, it likely won't be worth it. If you want an external drive to backup to from the NAS, USB 3.0 support might be worth having, but I don't know about $130 worth.

You can see relative performance differences here (note: the DS213 and DS312j are different NASes), for file server usage:
http://us.hardware.info/reviews/502...-nas-devices-performance---1-disk-intel-naspt
It's slower, but not all that much. If you want to use additional server programs, to replace a server that would otherwise require a Windows license (and thus jack up the cost), the $130 could be worthwhile, but for basic file serving, I don't see it.

Drobo and Buffalo are good alternatives, though Buffalo's lower cost options are often slim, and they don't have all the add-on apps like Synology does. QNAP's support sucks, both the software interfaces themselves, and trying to get any kind of help. I can't speak for Synology specifically, but I can say I would not buy a QNAP (I can just say, "it was like that when I got here").

 

[MoInSTL]

Thanks for the response and the link. Unlike a lot of folks here, I don't have a ton of stuff like video, gigantic music collection, etc. I have a drive dock with eSATA and a 1TB drive as well as some other HDDs and a bunch of flash drives and CD/DVDs. I would rather just store it all of it on a NAS. So I don't need a 4 bay.

The reviews for the Synology NAS are very positive. I also spent some time reading their forums.


Synology uses DSM. It's Linux under the hood. Windows license? You lost me there. I do have Windows 7 Ultimate x64 just sitting in a drawer.

 

[Cerb]

Windows license? You lost me there.

As in a Windows Server machine. If you want to build your own server from scratch, and are OK working directly with Linux or FreeBSD, it can be cheaper than building a server running Windows. However, if you're not comfortable with that, and/or can't take the time, you can typically do 95% of file and print serving stuff with one of those NASes cheaper, due to no MS tax.

 

[tsupersonic]

I would also spare the money and go for the DS213j. I have had the DS213 (slightly more powerful than DS213J) for about a year, and I use mine for backups, streaming media to 360, and it's fast enough.

Synology DSM is great - easy to use, quick, and plenty of addons. You can try a live demo of DSM at Synology's site. They just released the DSM 5.0 in Beta.

 

[MoInSTL]

As in a Windows Server machine. If you want to build your own server from scratch, and are OK working directly with Linux or FreeBSD, it can be cheaper than building a server running Windows. However, if you're not comfortable with that, and/or can't take the time, you can typically do 95% of file and print serving stuff with one of those NASes cheaper, due to no MS tax.

Duh! Okay, gotcha, I have Server 2003. Pretty darn old. IIRC, it's x86. I used it for an Active Directory class. MS Support ends in 2015. My limited Linux skills are rusty but I can manage.

I'm an old school OC'er and used to have fast, loud PCs and didn't divulge in Newsgroups I was female until I had established my reputation. I used different user names and in fact was participating here at AnandTech early on. But I forgot which user name I used and password and had to start over.

I have been building my own since Pentium 133. Prior to that I did several upgrades to my 486. It took a long time to limit myself to 1 desktop, 1 laptop and 1 tablet. I have a bunch of spare parts and could do it with what I have but prefer a quiet NAS humming in the background.

I do have an old Laser Jet with a JetDirect card and a ton of RAM. Would be nice to move that over too.

So there you have it.

 

[MoInSTL]

I would also spare the money and go for the DS213j. I have had the DS213 (slightly more powerful than DS213J) for about a year, and I use mine for backups, streaming media to 360, and it's fast enough.

Synology DSM is great - easy to use, quick, and plenty of addons. You can try a live demo of DSM at Synology's site. They just released the DSM 5.0 in Beta.

Thanks for your comments. I did watch the live DSM video and it looks simple and flexible. Since I do no transcoding or streaming I think it will be fine. My only fear is that it may be too slow since it's single core. I looked at what you have and it's a 2.0 GHz. Is it dual or single core. It didn't mention it's dual core so I am thinking it's not.

 

[BoT]

i have the DS412+
it's a bit pricey but i love all the features it comes with. from backup programs to virus scanners. you can offload dhcp and dns services as well as host a webserver. wordpress, joomla, phpbb, drupal, ftp, ssh, vpn, you name it. there are also great options for developers like installing a python, tomcat or java environment. oh and did i mention a plex server, itunes server, logitech media server aside from it's own DLNA media server.
if non of this is interesting to you go with the 213j but if you have use in any or all of this is interesting to you or sounds like it could make your life easier then go with the 214 and if you can justify the extra money like i did then the DS412+ is a great option as well. with 4 drive bays you have expandability and if you really don't need it you could speed things up by using one bay with an ssd for drive caching. yes it can.

 

[MoInSTL]

It's sounds interesting. I have an old Python book on the shelf alongside the O'Reilly books on DNS and Bind and some other titles. I like learning new things, but I no longer work for a large, well known ISP or in global data centers. It helps to have uber sysadmins around to ask questions on IRC, in person and be shown stuff. I was a sysadmin but that was 10+ years ago. I do remember that there was a newsgroup that I was into that we didn't carry and one of the admins showed me how to add it. It was a small thing, but at the time it was cool. I did much better in that sort of environment. Now I'm old and tired.

 

[BoT]

similar story here. i still dabble in code every now and then. it's good to be able to have an environment up and running in no time and to be able to scrap it the same. no harm, no foul on your PC or having to run a separate machine or even a server.

 

[tsupersonic]

Thanks for your comments. I did watch the live DSM video and it looks simple and flexible. Since I do no transcoding or streaming I think it will be fine. My only fear is that it may be too slow since it's single core. I looked at what you have and it's a 2.0 GHz. Is it dual or single core. It didn't mention it's dual core so I am thinking it's not.

The DS213 has a single core 2.0GHz. For backups, storage and file server, 1.2 GHz single core should be quick enough.

Oh, and btw I meant try the live demo, not the video. Link: live demo

 

[Jocelyn84]

I recently went through the same thing trying to decide between both of these over the past few weeks, and my advice would be to get the DS213J. With the exception of running all kinds of apps (way more than downloads, media, and backup stuff), which I don't think either of us will be doing, the only time you're going to notice a big difference is during the original disk verification process. Even then each 4TB disk will still probably take eight hours vs. ten hours, but this is a once and done thing. The only exception to this would be if you needed to rebuild after a disk failure or want to swap drives, but you can do this overnight while you're sleeping, meaning the dual core is not worth the extra $130.

Also, the DS213J's fan will turn off if the disks are hibernating and its running cool enough due to the fact that Armada 370 runs very cool. The same thing isn't true about Armada XP (DS214 & DS214+) and most previous models including DS213. Originally, DS213 and other previous models did the same thing, but Synology has since changed the fan profiles starting with DSM 4.3.

FWIW, the fans are not loud, but I'm a silence addict, so keep that in mind. It's also nice knowing that the DS213J uses only 3.65W while the disks are hibernating, because no other unit comes anywhere close to this.

In case you're interested, I'm personally not using Raid 1 for my setup. I have two basic 4TB volumes and I have backups scheduled for "important things" like documents, etc., cloned from volume A to volume B. I also do two external backups via usb (one off-site/one on-site). Some of the advantages to not using raid 1 would include obviously more space, retaining a duplicate of a file should you accidentally delete something, time backups allowing you to have multiple revisions of file(s), and if your NAS gets damaged, you can simply pull the drives, put them into external enclosure, and plug into a computer running Linux to get your data. I believe the same thing can be done with raid 1 disks, but it's definitely not as simple.

The only possible advantage I see to raid 1 would be rebuild times after a you get your disk back from an RMA due to a disk failure. Personally, I don't feel the time saved is worth the space lost.

Lastly, I'm not sure which drives you plan to use, but if you decide to use WD Reds in a non raid environment similar to mine, don't believe anything you read about TLER being bad in a non raid environment.

Disclaimer - It's late, I can't get to sleep and I'm swyping all of this via Tapatalk on my LG G2 lol

Edit - I should add that every computer owned has nothing but SSDs (Plextor or Samsung) and not a single mechanical drive internally, meaning I'm used to everything being quick. Just wanted to put my DS213J recommendation into perspective

 

[MoInSTL]

I recently went through the same thing trying to decide between both of these over the past few weeks, and my advice would be to get the DS213J. With the exception of running all kinds of apps (way more than downloads, media, and backup stuff), which I don't think either of us will be doing, the only time you're going to notice a big difference is during the original disk verification process. Even then each 4TB disk will still probably take eight hours vs. ten hours, but this is a once and done thing. The only exception to this would be if you needed to rebuild after a disk failure or want to swap drives, but you can do this overnight while you're sleeping, meaning the dual core is not worth the extra $130.

Thanks for posting your real world, down to earth experience. Especially pointing out "once and done".

Also, the DS213J's fan will turn off if the disks are hibernating and its running cool enough due to the fact that Armada 370 runs very cool. The same thing isn't true about Armada XP (DS214 & DS214+) and most previous models including DS213. Originally, DS213 and other previous models did the same thing, but Synology has since changed the fan profiles starting with DSM 4.3.

FWIW, the fans are not loud, but I'm a silence addict, so keep that in mind. It's also nice knowing that the DS213J uses only 3.65W while the disks are hibernating, because no other unit comes anywhere close to this.

That's really good to know. After years of noisey HDs and fans I used the Fractal R4 and have an older Intel 330 120GB, a Samsung EVO 250GB and a 5,400 2.5" Toshiba 500GB I had after replacing it in my laptop with a Samsung 840 Pro 128GB. In other words, no internal 3.5" spinners. It's very quiet.

In case you're interested, I'm personally not using Raid 1 for my setup. I have two basic 4TB volumes and I have backups scheduled for "important things" like documents, etc., cloned from volume A to volume B. I also do two external backups via usb (one off-site/one on-site). Some of the advantages to not using raid 1 would include obviously more space, retaining a duplicate of a file should you accidentally delete something, time backups allowing you to have multiple revisions of file(s), and if your NAS gets damaged, you can simply pull the drives, put them into external enclosure, and plug into a computer running Linux to get your data. I believe the same thing can be done with raid 1 disks, but it's definitely not as simple.

I just assumed I'd be using RAID1. I feel comfortable setting that up. Otherwise, I could just get more external drives or enclosures. But you gave me more to consider.

The only possible advantage I see to raid 1 would be rebuild times after a you get your disk back from an RMA due to a disk failure. Personally, I don't feel the time saved is worth the space lost.

Lastly, I'm not sure which drives you plan to use, but if you decide to use WD Reds in a non raid environment similar to mine, don't believe anything you read about TLER being bad in a non raid environment.

I haven't gotten to which drives yet. But the WD Reds seem to be a popular choice.

Edit- I should add that every computer owned has nothing but SSDs (Plextor or Samsung) and not a single mechanical drive internally, meaning I'm used to everything being quick. Just wanted to put my DS213J recommendation into perspective

Thanks again for your detailed information. I have to get ready for work and don't have time to go back and quote selected text. Sorry! You gave me a lot to think about. Edit: Cleaned up reply.

 

[Unoid]

Instead of using raid 1 in my 212j I use synology's hybrid raid, Mirrored array but I could slap in a 4tb drive next to one of my 2tb's rebuild array, and add another 4tb later without needing a 3rd option for storage backup.

 

[Jocelyn84]

Instead of using raid 1 in my 212j I use synology's hybrid raid, Mirrored array but I could slap in a 4tb drive next to one of my 2tb's rebuild array, and add another 4tb later without needing a 3rd option for storage backup.

True, but there's not really any difference between SHR and raid 1 when using a two bay.

 

[MoInSTL]

True, but there's not really any difference between SHR and raid 1 when using a two bay.

Just skimmed the Synology article on SHR and it looks like more than 2 drives are needed.

 

[MoInSTL]

Oh, and btw I meant try the live demo, not the video. Link: live demo

I guess I did afterall. I logged in as admin and clicked all over the place. It looks good.

 

[Seaneboy]

Coming from a two Synology owner, one for business, and one for home.. You're on the right track with Synology. Honestly, I love these things to death. I have a 209j at work, Raid 1, and it's great. We use it as a file server, as well as for backups. We actually used it as a domain controller when our server went down. Thing is rock solid.
I have a 413j at home, and love that one as well, that has (2) 3TB drives in it so far. I wish I went for one that can transcode, as I use it for a media server, however that situation will soon be corrected when I build my new desktop. I love the unit at home as well, and have a huge collection of audio, movies, and photos on there. All of which is accessible via my phone, from anywhere. Definitely love that feature.
Anyway, I think that you'll be fine with either one you pick. Provided you don't have any expanding interests, and can simply 'use it for what it is', picking the less expensive one should be fine.
However, if you plan on using it for media, like someone had said before, you might want to consider going larger, etc. But, it seems like you're kind of set with the 213... Synology's UI is the coolest experience I've had in a long time. You'll be as proud an owner as I am. Their products seriously leave me asking, "why can't all products be as awesome, and well thought out, as Synology's are?!".

Certified Synology fanboy.

 

[fastman]

I've had the DS213j for two years now and it works great. Streams everything from it and works flawlessly.

 

[MoInSTL]

Thanks for everyone's thoughts, information and feedback.

I decided to slow down and started looking at my environment and discovered my Uverse Gateway (combo modem/router) was only 100Mbps. :'( Then I called AT&T and asked for their new gigabit gateway. Tech brought it by this evening. I'm golden as my NIC is reporting 1Gbps. This new gateway has a ton of new features. I only have Uverse Internet. No other Uverse services.

So at least now I can set up the NAS in a proper environment. Still vacillating between the DS213J and DS214. I'm leaning towards the DS214. I didn't think USB2 on the DS213j was an issue until I realized I will be getting an external drive and those are USB3. I will be using it to shuttle my data. Is the slightly faster DS214 with USB3 and dual core worth the extra cost? I didn't think so, but now I am thinking about how valuable my time is.

 

[fastman]

I'm thinking the HD's you place in it will be the deciding factor on its speed, not the dual core. I run WD Blacks in mine and it moves well.

 

[MoInSTL]

I'm thinking the HD's you place in it will be the deciding factor on its speed, not the dual core. I run WD Blacks in mine and it moves well.

Based on my research so far, I would go with the WD Reds. Glad the Blacks work for you but I don't want the heat, energy use and higher vibration. I am just going to use it as file server. I don't plan on using it as a media server.

Plus the gigabit pipe is going to be saturated way before any 7,200 RPM benefit may be seen.

 

[fastman]

Your decision of course, but unless your NAS sits in your lap the heat, energy use and vibration issues are in-perceivable. Mine sits about 1 foot from my knees on a shelf and I only notice it is when it spools up, though still very quiet. The main reason I went Black is the warranty. The Black is 5yr vs 3yr for the Red, 2 years additional was important to me.

 

[Jocelyn84]

Your decision of course, but unless your NAS sits in your lap the heat, energy use and vibration issues are in-perceivable. Mine sits about 1 foot from my knees on a shelf and I only notice it is when it spools up, though still very quiet. The main reason I went Black is the warranty. The Black is 5yr vs 3yr for the Red, 2 years additional was important to me.

Why would anyone go with Blacks for NAS? If you're going to spend that much money for the 5 year warranty, you might as well spend the extra few dollars and go with WD SE enterprise drives.

 

[Mgz]

The $129 price could cover the cost of a drive if I went with the DS231j. Is the price difference enough to justify the dual core processor? USB3 is not a big deal to me as both would be wired.

the DS214 now on Amazon is 299$ , now only 99$ price difference, I think you should get the DS214 cuz it is newer

then you will have to make decision on which drive to buy, 2X WD Red 4TD = 360$, or 2X Seagate NAS HDD 4TB = 350$ , or 2X Seagate Desktop = 330$ , the Seagate is a little bit faster (5900rpm) thou.