NAS server: Qnap TS-251d and Synology DS220 + / please help me choose.

I have no experience with NAS servers. So please help me with my choice.
I would like removable RAM and these two models are relatively inexpensive and have this option. I would like them to be simple to configure and have a good amount of online support.

What I need it for:

- First and foremost, I want to be free of Google Photos. I want photos and videos from my wife's phone as well as mine to automatically sync to the NAS. It matters to me that I can mark a few folders for syncing on my phone.

- A local media server - so that the photos and videos stored on the NAS, as well as those synced from the phones, I can easily view on the nVidia SHIELD attachment, or another TV in the house. Perhaps as a samba network drive?

- Cloud, I would also like to exchange files publicly. Not on a regular basis, but when I occasionally upload something for a client so I can make it available for download.

- As an extra drive on my computer so I can keep some data there that I would need away from home as well as at home.

Which software and device to bet on: QNAP TS-251d or Synology DS220+?

takpoprostu wrote:

Which software and device to bet on: QNAP TS-251d or Synology DS220+?

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QNAP, always the technical innovations, worse with the software.
Synology the other way round, not necessarily hardware top of the range, but software much more refined.

I would choose Synology - it has 2 LAN ports (the lack of USB can be expanded in the server with a HUB, and the LAN port as a backup or second is difficult to implement a simple and cheap solution).

As for accessing the server from the internet - here you must have a strong upload.
A public IP is not necessary, although it makes things much easier, especially a fixed public IP with strong upload .

So bet on Synology in your opinion, thanks for your opinion. I understand that I can also find an app in DSM for cataloguing photos by date etc. I kept beating myself up with the thought of buying another GB package in the google cloud, well I prefer to have everything at home though.

As for the internet, well, that's where the problem is so far. There is a fixed IP - cable. Although the download is usually about 450-480 Mbps, the upload is unfortunately about 15-18 Mbps, but for my needs so far it is enough I think. They are planning to connect me to the fibre in the near future.

takpoprostu wrote:

I understand that also in DSM I can find an application for cataloging photos by date etc

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Of course I do and, in addition, there are also alternative addresses with applications (not all probably work, but around 90% for sure):
http://packages.synocommunity.com/
http://packages.pcloadletter.co.uk/
http://synology.acmenet.ru/
http://www.cphub.net/
http://www.hildinger.us/sspks/
https://synology.emby.media/
http://spk.unzureichende.info/
https://packages.page81.net/
http://spk.synologyitalia.com/
http://spk.unzureichende.info/
http://packages.jdel.org/
http://syno.dierkse.nl
http://www.brigittehelsen.be/plexconnect/
http://synology.nimloth.pl/
https://synology.cambier.org/
http://synology.nimloth.pl/
http://synology.nzbusenet.com/
https://get.filebot.net/syno/
http://synology.sysco.ch/

Synology also has apps for your phone in the Google shop.

takpoprostu wrote:

What about the internet, well, here a small problem so far. The fixed IP is - cable. Although the download usually about 450-480 Mbps, the upload unfortunately about 15-18 Mbps, but for my needs so far is enough I think. In the near future I plan to get a fibre-optic cable.

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20 Mbps isn't crazy, but it's always something.
And if going fibre, aim for a fixed public IP and a big upload too.

KOCUREK1970 wrote:

Synology also has an app for your phone in the Google shop.

Now I so glance that Qnap also has something there for photos. I'm counting... counting...

The Qnap TS251D with 4 GB RAM is £300 cheaper than the Synology. I would almost have a 4TB drive for the first one (planning 2x 4TB in raid1).... Well, and they are very similar in terms of computing power. Would I to use the better potential of the Synology DMS you write about.

And do you have any idea if the drives in Raid1 - will have the same number of working hours? If one drive is working and the other a backup - will the backup have the same number of hours as the first drive?

takpoprostu wrote:

Qnap TS251D with 4 GB RAM is £300 cheaper than Synology.

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This Qnap has 1 network card and the Synology has 2.
With more RAM it's not worth buying - you're overpaying and quite a lot, buy a cheaper one with less RAM and add it yourself.

takpoprostu wrote:

will the drives in Raid1 - have the same number of hours of operation ?

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If new then yes and if used, then each as many as they have been scooped solo.

takpoprostu wrote:

will the backup have the same number of hours as the first drive ?

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As the paragraph above.
The operating hours of a given disk are not cloned.

Such a small note - the disk should be strictly matched to the server in question, and if you want RAID, practically only PRO/Korpo versions come into play. The drive must have the right mechanisms, software for RAID.
The most ordinary consumer disks are not suitable for creating arrays, and even if it works, there is no guarantee that not only the backup will fail, but the entire volume will be mechanically damaged.

KOCUREK1970 wrote:

Consumer drives such the most ordinary ones, are not suitable for creating an array, and even if it works, there is no guarantee that not only the backup will fail, but the entire volume will be mechanically damaged.

Yes yes, I know about that. That's why I'm aiming for WD RED by checking the compatibility list on the Synology and Qnap manufacturer's website. I'm also wondering about used drives. I'm thinking that a WD RED like this, which has 9,000 hours of service, is, as one would say in car slang, "barely touched".

takpoprostu wrote:

I think that a WD RED with 9,000 hours on it is, as car slang would say, "barely touched".

Don't look at the hours worked - it will be laaaaata before it cranks out 2 million hours.
Look at the number of start/stops the motor mechanism has made, how many times the heads have parked, look if there are any relocated sectors on the drive, look if the mechanism hasn't allocated or excluded some surface cluster, if there's been a drive shock, if any overload sensors have gone off, etc.
The life of a used drive is the least of your worries.

takpoprostu wrote:

This Qnap has 1 network card and the Synology has 2.
With more RAM it's not worth buying - you're overpaying and quite a lot, buy a cheaper one with less RAM and add it yourself.

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And do you think I will use the potential of two slots? Because there are only 4 of them in total on my TP-Link Archer C80 router. Because I understand that it would take me two ports, each has 1gig, so I would have a bandwidth of 2 Gb, so I would have a throat of over 200 Mbps yes?

And as for increasing the RAM, good point - thank you. I'm looking at RAM prices now and indeed another 2GB is £49. Whereas the price difference when buying a 4/2GB NAS from e.g. Qnap is almost 100£.

takpoprostu wrote:

And do you think I would use the potential of two ports? Because in total there are only 4 of them in my TP-Link Archer C80 router. Because I understand that it would take me two ports, each has 1gig, so I would have a bandwidth of 2 Gb, so I would have a throat of more than 200 Mb/s yes?

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To be of 2Gb ports, you would need LACP (Link Aggregation) support, so in your case it would have to be supported by either this TPlink or some switch. The 2 ports also mean that you can distribute resources in such a way that they are unreachable for someone because on another port a different IP.

takpoprostu wrote:

As for increasing RAM, good point - thank you. I'm looking at RAM prices now and indeed another 2GB is £49. Whereas the price difference when buying a 4/2GB NAS from e.g. Qnap is almost 100£.

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This RAM is nothing more than SODIMM dice, i.e. the ones for your laptop. You just need to pay attention to whether the RAM you need is low voltage/regular, whether it's DDR3/DDR4 and how many memory banks it has on the PCB side of the dice.

KOCUREK1970 wrote:

For there to be 2 2Gb ports, you need LACP (Link Aggregation) support, which in your case would have to be supported by either this TP-Link or some switch. The 2 ports also mean that you can distribute resources in such a way that they are unreachable for someone else because on another port a different IP.

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And this is my Archer C80 is a very basic router. It certainly doesn't have that. There is no information on the web that it has this option either.

Hi, I've been looking for some info for myself recently as I've also decided to buy a server. I was also considering the Synology220+, but comparable in price and probably a bit better is the ASUSTOR Nimbustor 2 AS5202T.
And then there's the QNAP TS253D with 2 2.5Gb/s LAN ports. You can also buy a remote control for pennies. RAM is also not expensive if 4GB is not enough for you.
These are the facts, although I am certainly not a network expert.

KOCUREK1970 wrote:

Of course they do, and in addition, there are also alternative addresses with applications (not all probably work, but around 90% for sure):

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Actually, many of these servers work, but an up-to-date list + search engine can be found at https://search.synopackage.com/sources.