Synology DS212j NAS Review – the new budget class leader

1. Introduction2. Synology DiskStation DS212j3. Synology DS212j NAS (Super High Res Gallery)4. The DiskManager Operating System5. Testing Methodology & Performance6. Acoustics, Power Consumption and Temperatures7. Closing Thoughts8. View All Pages

The Synology DS212j arrives in a stylish white box with the name of the product detailed on the top.

Inside, they supply literature on the product, a power cable and adapter, gigabit lan cable and mounting screws for the hard drives.

The DS212j is crafted from durable plastic and has the company name engraved into the side. It is an attractive, unobtrusive little NAS system designed to blend into any environment. It weighs 0.94kg and measures 165mm x 100 mm x 225.5 mm.

Along the front are LED indicators for hard drive and network activity as well as a power button and indicator.

Along the bottom of the NAS are four tough rubber feet, to ensure it won't slip on a variety of surfaces.

There is a cooling fan at the rear to ensure both hard drives receive adequate airflow. Along the bottom are two USB 2.0 ports, a GB Lan Port. There is also a reset and power connector nearby.

The DS212j is a external tool-less design and can be opened by simply pulling hard on the side panel as shown above. The unit then ‘splits' in half giving direct access to the internal components and tray mount system.

The upper part of the DS212j is a metal construction and this is bolted into the outer chassis with four long screws. The metal drive bay is separated into two by a drive holding section. There is a small daughtercard at this section which holds both data and power ports for direct connection to the two hard drives. Synology are using a quality 92mm fan for the cooling.

Wireless transmission is possible, although an external dongle would need to be purchased separately.

The DS212j is an entry level Synology product, however Synology have upgraded the hardware for 2012. It is powered by a 1.2ghz processor and they have included 256MB of Hynix system memory, which is double the previous model. It can accept two 3TB drives, which aren't included.

Installing the hard drives is a painless experience as the engineering construction is millimeter perfect. Both hard drives slide into the rack and subsequently into the connectors on the daughtercard. They are then screwed and held in place. The unit can then be resealed.

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