14 DAY TRIAL // Synology has launched quite a large number of storage products over the past couple of months, and now, they're back with yet another interesting offering in the NAS (network-attached storage) segment, namely the DiskStation DS1511+ . The DiskStation provides a reliable solution for the standard NAS roles such as easy file sharing, scheduled backups, remote access, and centralized management, while additional services can also be enabled, such as a built-in web server capable of hosting up to thirty sites at once, or an add-on email server.
Plus, remote access has been further enhanced with apps available for free on Android and iPhone smartphone platforms.
What's also very important to mention is that the new five-bay NAS will accept up to two DX510 expansion units for a total of up to 15 drives, which, when using 3TB drives, yields up to 45TB of storage.
The new DiskStation runs Synology's DiskStation Manager (DSM) 3.0, including an intuitive desktop-like interface to simplify access to the DiskStation, whether locally or remotely.
With its user-friendly Storage Manager and Synology Hybrid RAID, users can quickly and easily create redundant volumes, while DSM 3.0 also brings a rich integrated feature set for business users.
Enhanced iSCSI support (including MPIO and MC/S) allows businesses to consolidate their storage without the cost and complexity of a SAN (storage area network), while ADS integration allows use of existing domain users and groups for domains up to 100,000 users and groups.
Furthermore, it's also interesting to mention that the DS1511+ also includes Surveillance Station 5, turning it into an affordable NVR (network video recorder) solution quickly, as it offers a unified interface for multiple cameras, and supports over 700 models of IP camera.
"The DS1511+ is the most scalable and full-featured NAS of its class," said Franklin Hua, a Technical Marketing Manager at Synology America, adding that "with the DS1511+ so affordable and packed with all the features Synology is known for, why would anyone choose DAS? This is a tremendous value."
And, in fact, the NAS unit from Synology offers quite an OK performance/price ratio, since it retails for under $900.