Synology DiskStation DS218play 2-bay NAS review

The Synology DiskStation DS218play ships in a compact brown box with a sticker in the top right hand side displaying an image of the unit. Under the image are a row of icons describing some of its features; 64-bit quad-cored CPU, 4K 10-bit H.265 transcoding, adjustable LED indicator brightness and over 20TB raw capacity.

The opposite bottom corner of the box carries Synology and DiskStation branding. The rear of the box has a label towards the bottom with front and rear images of the unit along with a numbered list of its features and ports. Next to these images is a panel listing the DS218play's hardware and what's in the box.

Both sides of the box feature a list of feature icons. One side displays icons for Mobile Support, Surveillance, Backup and Data Security while the other side has File Sharing, Anywhere Access, Cloud Synchronization and Multimedia uses listed.

The box bundle for the DS218play is a simple affair; a 60W power adapter (CWT KPL-060F-VI), screws for securing both halves of the enclosure and for fixing the drives into position, a good quality Ethernet cable and a quick installation guide. There is also an additional bracket to support the hard drives if you are concerned about the rear end of the drives being unsupported.

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