Synology DS218play DiskStation NAS 6TB 2-Bay (1GB RAM) (2 X 3TB Western Digital WD Red)
Our Review:
7.5
OVERALL
DESIGN
7.00
FEATURES
8.00
PERFORMANCE
7.00
VALUE FOR MONEY
8.00
design
A classic, compact Synology case, the DS218PLAY is a good balance of loq power consumption, low noise and easy to put down on a shelf or in a cupboard and never think of again.
features
Though it is mainly geared towards multimedia use (4K, 1080p, DLNA, etc), unlike previous Synology PLAY series NAS, this unit has a better access and ability to run applications that are more business or file based - also the CPU used is efficient and powerful enough to be able to multitask very well indeed,
performance
In multimedia use, this device performs very, very well indeed. It also provides standard levels of performance on other network attached storage applications. It does what it says on the tin!
value
This IS a good NAS. If you need a compact and capable NAS server from Synology that will let you house and access your entire multimedia collection, the DS218PLAY will do the job, as well as provide additional support for everything from Apple Time Machine, to 3rd party cloud migration, file servers, download servers and support a website. It may not make teh top 5 NAS of the year, but it would get into the top 15
design
It is a shame that that Synology did not use a hotswap chassis with trays, or even the modern 2017/18 casing that is being used in the DS218 series. Also, Synology have yet to re-introduce the SD Card slot that was present on the DS214PLAY back in 2013/14 - such a shame
features
As mentioned, it is a much better performance threshold than the DS216PLAY, however, the price is still close enough to the DS218+ that for spending just a little more you can get a significantly more powerful NAS. Disappointing that PLEX has not yet released supported plex app.
performance
Even though this is a multimedia tasked NAS, Synology still have yet to introduce common multimedia demands like HDMI support and Audio out ports - features like this would push it easily into the front for MANY users and would also result in converting many QNAP NAS users
value
It may feel a little underwhelming a couple of years down the line once you start using non multimedia applications
The Synology DiskStation NAS DS218play 2-Bay (1GB RAM) 6TBis Network Attached NAS Storage device. It features a Realtek RTD1296 64-bit Quad Core 1.4 GHz CPU and with 1GB RAM providing outstanding performance for those looking for a cost effective Network Storage option. This Synology DiskStation NAS DS218play is backed with Synology’s 2yr limited warranty.
Out of the box this NAS can handle 2 x 3.5" hard drives / SSDs, giving it a maximum capacity of 32TB via 16TB drives.
Key Features
Pre-populated with 6TB of storage capacity (includes 2x 3TB Western Digital WD Red HDD)
RAID Levels: 0:1:
Realtek RTD1296 64-bit Quad Core 1.4 GHz CPU
Running on Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)
1GB Random Access Memory (RAM)
SATA to Gigabit Ethernet (1,000 Mbit/s)
Arrives with 2yr warranty for enclosure and 3yr warranty for hard drives
Includes Western Digital WD Red 3.5" SATA 6Gb/s Hard Drives
Combining Synology DiskStation NAS DS218play and 2 Western Digital WD hard disks will provide you with a solid, long term Storage solution.
Combining Synology DiskStation NAS DS218play and 2 Western Digital WD hard drives provide you compact but highly efficient Network-Attached Storage solution. Giving you the ability to share and distribute your media throughout the home and accross the internet, create Apple Time Machine backups, conduct Surveillance tasks and still furnish you with a strong Synchronisation system running in the background.
Vital Statistics (per drive)
Model Number: WD30EFRX
Rotation: 5400RPM
Interface: 3.5" SATA 6Gb/s
Form factor: 3.5 inch
Capacity: 3TB
Cache: 64MB
Warranty: 3yr
Back of the Synology DiskStation NAS DS218play box (the connections)
LAN Network Port / Ethernet Port – Giving your Synology storage device to both send, receive and manipulate files over the internet. However that is just the tip of the iceberg. Via the connection of devices such as IP camera, mobile apps and other system tools, you can use multi-purpose applications for homes, small business and enterprises uses.
USB 3.0 – The newer and faster evolution of Universal Serial Bus, USB 3.0, can transfer data at up to 5Gb per second. Now becoming commonplace, you can transfer data between devices such as external hard-drives and flash storage keys. In more advanced, larger devices you are able to connect peripherals such as mice and keyboards to the enclosure, however we highly recommend contacting the manufacturers website here for more details on connectivity and compatibility
Free Synology DiskStation NAS SpanStor Build & Test
You can have JBOD,RAID 0,RAID 1,SHR set up on Synology DiskStation NAS DS218play. We offer our completely free and highly recommended SpanStor build service for your Synology 2-bay enclosure.
We ensure that your Synology box and Western Digital WD drives are in perfect working order before we send it out, at no additional cost. That's not all.
We can install the latest Synology firmware or even construct a custom build from the ground up! Depending on the nature and complexity of the setup you request, this can take from a few minutes to a few hours, all done here at SPAN, thereby saving you time and money.
Possible RAID options for your Synology 2-bay box are explained below.
JBOD- is a cost-effective network storage solution. If you have a lot of temporarily data to store, JBODs are an economical solution. Mind that the data is not critical or you have an effective backup scheme in place.
JBOD is either a single or number of disks which are grouped together and presented to the Operating System as a single volume, called 'Spanning'. If you lose a single disk in the JBOD then you possibly will lose data, as the concept of a JBOD does not include not fault tolerance.
RAID 0 is ideal for non-critical storage of data that have to be read/written at a high speed, such as on a video editing station or an image retouching. RAID 0 offers great performance, both in read and write operations. All storage capacity is used, there is no overhead.
RAID 1 (mirrored drive) is ideal for critical storage, like accounting systems. It is also suitable for small servers in which only two data drives will be used (disc mirroring). It offers excellent read speed and a write-speed that is comparable to that of a single drive. In case a drive fails, data do not have to be rebuild, they just have to be copied to the replacement drive (mirroring hdd
). It can be used as back up mirror.
Synology Hybrid RAID can combine different sized hard drives to create a storage volume. When sufficient hard drives are included, SHR allows for 1- or 2-disk redundancy.
Choose your RAID here ->Spanstor Build And Test If you buy this Synology DiskStation NAS and hard drives we do free build and test for the unit and hard drives. So you can use this device straight out of the box. All free of charge in DS218play price.
Same Day and Next Day Delivery available in UK and fast WorldWide delivery for products in stock.
FREE Business Quotes available for products with specific requirements or quantities. Often cheaper than Amazon.
Synology DS218play DiskStation NAS RAM / Card upgrade options
If you change your mind, you can return all or part of your order.
Next Day Delivery
Order before 4pm*, and in-stock products will be with you the next day. (Or Saturday. Or even Same Day).
WorldWide Deliveries
Wherever you are in the world, we can get your order to you at high speed.
SpanStor Build & Test
Our free service helps you choose the right NAS and Drives, then makes sure it is built & ready to use as soon as you get it.
Professional Live Support
We are here to assist you - before, during and after your purchase, by phone, email or live chat.
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5.7 Miles from Teddington (TW11).
10.8 Miles from Earlsfield (SW18).
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12.7 Miles from Croydon (CR).
13 Miles from Center of London (WC).
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FREE Build & Test Pre Sales Expert advice!
Compatibility Checks
Your Apps pre-installed and configured
RAID setup/ NAS & HDD Stress Test
After Sales Support Included!
US power plug included on request
Synology DS218play DiskStation NAS 6TB 2-Bay (1GB RAM) (2 X 3TB Western Digital WD Red)
Our Review:
7.5
OVERALL
DESIGN
7.00
FEATURES
8.00
PERFORMANCE
7.00
VALUE FOR MONEY
8.00
design
A classic, compact Synology case, the DS218PLAY is a good balance of loq power consumption, low noise and easy to put down on a shelf or in a cupboard and never think of again.
features
Though it is mainly geared towards multimedia use (4K, 1080p, DLNA, etc), unlike previous Synology PLAY series NAS, this unit has a better access and ability to run applications that are more business or file based - also the CPU used is efficient and powerful enough to be able to multitask very well indeed,
performance
In multimedia use, this device performs very, very well indeed. It also provides standard levels of performance on other network attached storage applications. It does what it says on the tin!
value
This IS a good NAS. If you need a compact and capable NAS server from Synology that will let you house and access your entire multimedia collection, the DS218PLAY will do the job, as well as provide additional support for everything from Apple Time Machine, to 3rd party cloud migration, file servers, download servers and support a website. It may not make teh top 5 NAS of the year, but it would get into the top 15
design
It is a shame that that Synology did not use a hotswap chassis with trays, or even the modern 2017/18 casing that is being used in the DS218 series. Also, Synology have yet to re-introduce the SD Card slot that was present on the DS214PLAY back in 2013/14 - such a shame
features
As mentioned, it is a much better performance threshold than the DS216PLAY, however, the price is still close enough to the DS218+ that for spending just a little more you can get a significantly more powerful NAS. Disappointing that PLEX has not yet released supported plex app.
performance
Even though this is a multimedia tasked NAS, Synology still have yet to introduce common multimedia demands like HDMI support and Audio out ports - features like this would push it easily into the front for MANY users and would also result in converting many QNAP NAS users
value
It may feel a little underwhelming a couple of years down the line once you start using non multimedia applications
The Synology DiskStation NAS DS218play 2-Bay (1GB RAM) 6TBis Network Attached NAS Storage device. It features a Realtek RTD1296 64-bit Quad Core 1.4 GHz CPU and with 1GB RAM providing outstanding performance for those looking for a cost effective Network Storage option. This Synology DiskStation NAS DS218play is backed with Synology’s 2yr limited warranty.
Out of the box this NAS can handle 2 x 3.5" hard drives / SSDs, giving it a maximum capacity of 32TB via 16TB drives.
Key Features
Pre-populated with 6TB of storage capacity (includes 2x 3TB Western Digital WD Red HDD)
RAID Levels: 0:1:
Realtek RTD1296 64-bit Quad Core 1.4 GHz CPU
Running on Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM)
1GB Random Access Memory (RAM)
SATA to Gigabit Ethernet (1,000 Mbit/s)
Arrives with 2yr warranty for enclosure and 3yr warranty for hard drives
Includes Western Digital WD Red 3.5" SATA 6Gb/s Hard Drives
Combining Synology DiskStation NAS DS218play and 2 Western Digital WD hard disks will provide you with a solid, long term Storage solution.
Combining Synology DiskStation NAS DS218play and 2 Western Digital WD hard drives provide you compact but highly efficient Network-Attached Storage solution. Giving you the ability to share and distribute your media throughout the home and accross the internet, create Apple Time Machine backups, conduct Surveillance tasks and still furnish you with a strong Synchronisation system running in the background.
Vital Statistics (per drive)
Model Number: WD30EFRX
Rotation: 5400RPM
Interface: 3.5" SATA 6Gb/s
Form factor: 3.5 inch
Capacity: 3TB
Cache: 64MB
Warranty: 3yr
Back of the Synology DiskStation NAS DS218play box (the connections)
LAN Network Port / Ethernet Port – Giving your Synology storage device to both send, receive and manipulate files over the internet. However that is just the tip of the iceberg. Via the connection of devices such as IP camera, mobile apps and other system tools, you can use multi-purpose applications for homes, small business and enterprises uses.
USB 3.0 – The newer and faster evolution of Universal Serial Bus, USB 3.0, can transfer data at up to 5Gb per second. Now becoming commonplace, you can transfer data between devices such as external hard-drives and flash storage keys. In more advanced, larger devices you are able to connect peripherals such as mice and keyboards to the enclosure, however we highly recommend contacting the manufacturers website here for more details on connectivity and compatibility
Free Synology DiskStation NAS SpanStor Build & Test
You can have JBOD,RAID 0,RAID 1,SHR set up on Synology DiskStation NAS DS218play. We offer our completely free and highly recommended SpanStor build service for your Synology 2-bay enclosure.
We ensure that your Synology box and Western Digital WD drives are in perfect working order before we send it out, at no additional cost. That's not all.
We can install the latest Synology firmware or even construct a custom build from the ground up! Depending on the nature and complexity of the setup you request, this can take from a few minutes to a few hours, all done here at SPAN, thereby saving you time and money.
Possible RAID options for your Synology 2-bay box are explained below.
JBOD- is a cost-effective network storage solution. If you have a lot of temporarily data to store, JBODs are an economical solution. Mind that the data is not critical or you have an effective backup scheme in place.
JBOD is either a single or number of disks which are grouped together and presented to the Operating System as a single volume, called 'Spanning'. If you lose a single disk in the JBOD then you possibly will lose data, as the concept of a JBOD does not include not fault tolerance.
RAID 0 is ideal for non-critical storage of data that have to be read/written at a high speed, such as on a video editing station or an image retouching. RAID 0 offers great performance, both in read and write operations. All storage capacity is used, there is no overhead.
RAID 1 (mirrored drive) is ideal for critical storage, like accounting systems. It is also suitable for small servers in which only two data drives will be used (disc mirroring). It offers excellent read speed and a write-speed that is comparable to that of a single drive. In case a drive fails, data do not have to be rebuild, they just have to be copied to the replacement drive (mirroring hdd
). It can be used as back up mirror.
Synology Hybrid RAID can combine different sized hard drives to create a storage volume. When sufficient hard drives are included, SHR allows for 1- or 2-disk redundancy.
Choose your RAID here ->Spanstor Build And Test If you buy this Synology DiskStation NAS and hard drives we do free build and test for the unit and hard drives. So you can use this device straight out of the box. All free of charge in DS218play price.
Same Day and Next Day Delivery available in UK and fast WorldWide delivery for products in stock.
FREE Business Quotes available for products with specific requirements or quantities. Often cheaper than Amazon.
Synology DS218play DiskStation NAS RAM / Card upgrade options
As a family we have built up quite a massive music collection! Wanting a central storage for all of us to access we went for this music friendly NAS with 2x4TB of WD Red HDS in a mirroring RAID. It gave us plenty of storage with room to spare (yay more music to buy!) as well as back up in case of a drive failure. Music reigns!
17/03/2018 | Donna | |
Synologys budget media savy 2 bay Network Attached Storage device. This would work very well for anyone with a load of music and films that are taking over their laptops. Transfer them all over to the NAS and get yourself some space back.
19/02/2018 | Richard St. | |
Bought DS218play for the kids to access their movies and music (well away from me - damn those songs are annoying!) doing a great job for them, quick and easy for them to get to grips with.
06/02/2018 | Nisha | |
Synology has made a lovely little 2 bay media powered NAS in the 218play! The CPU is so film and music friendly, it copes with everything we throw at it. Great recommendation from Spans Youtube channel and they were spot on. Built it for me with 2 6TB WD HD and the turn around was really swift.
04/01/2018 | Mila | |
I choose this over DS218 non plus version which has the same processor. This is cheaper and very same performance.
11/12/2017 | Greg | |
Good value for money multimedia NAS. Luckily I am not using it for PLEX - other are disappointed that there is no support yet as today. Otherwise it trans-codes 4k video with no problem. Dual drive safety put my mind at ease too.
27/10/2017 | Guest | |
Couldn't see in the specs, but is the memory upgradeable? It looked from the preview video that it would have the same 2GB DDR3 as the 418play, but instead has 1GB DDR4. I wouldn't mind expanding later to 2GB if it was possible.
27/10/2017 | Joseph | |
If you are looking at DS218play- that basically means you are not happy with DS118 single drive solution or ds418 empty drive bays. Dual drive means that you can still use DS218play even if one drive inside breaks. Still should do regular backups. But this will give you peace of mind that your data is safe.
* Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
DISCLAIMER: Product information and images on this page are for guidance only and are liable to change without notice. Some details may refer to the whole category or range, rather than this particular item. Specifications shown are our best interpretation of information supplied by the manufacturer, and are as up-to-date as possible. If you require clarification on any item, please contact us and we will be glad to help you.
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