Synology DiskStation DS416slim
Synology has released a compact new 4-bay NAS server aimed at home users and professionals. The DiskStation DS416slim is an easily portable, energy saving device that is capable of packing in a maximum of 8TB of storage (4x 2.5-inch drives). It can offer up to 30 per cent better performance than its predecessor and will use only 17.17 watts on average when active.
Despite its compact size (its longest side measures just 15cm (6-inches) long), Synology has managed to design the DS416slim to be easy to maintain and install/uninstall drives. A snap-in drive tray system allows users to hot swap its four possible 2.5-inch drives. The device's bottom mounted fan module can be easily removed and cleaned. Its small size and modest weight (700g) make the DS416slim easy to carry and install in many spaces.
The brains behind the DiskStation DS416slim are an Armada 385 dual-core 1.0GHz CPU, with a dedicated encryption engine, backed by 512MB of DDR3 RAM. Configured with a single Gigabit LAN connection, write speeds can be as fast as 78.81MB/s and read speeds up to 112.77 MB/s. With link aggregation enabled, making use of the device's dual-LAN connectivity, this new Synology NAS can provide up to 170.23MB/s read speeds.
Synology has placed a USB 3.0 port on both the front and back of this NAS for convenience. Located on the back of the unit are the 2x 1GbE RJ45 LAN ports, DC power in, a Kensignton lock slot and access to the four easy removable drive trays. On the front we have a pair of LAN activity LEDs and a quartet of drive activity LEDs. On the side of the unit there is the power button and a system status LED.
The Synology DiskStation DS416slim is now available worldwide. It is priced at £222.00 including VAT or €248.64 excluding VAT.
Synology DiskStation Manager 6.0
Following six months in beta testing, the full official release of DSM 6.0 is now available. Synology says this software "introduces major enhancements in every aspect including Virtualisation, Cloud Solution, Collaboration, Security, Multimedia, Accessibility and many more".
Looking through the features it is interesting to see the software now has a 64-bit version. Furthermore DSM 6.0 is modular with non-essential applications loaded only when requested. As well as lessening the system burden, this is better for patching and updating, says Synology. Last but not least DSM 6.0 intros new accessibility features for the visually impaired.
You can read more about DSM 6.0 if you are interested in acquiring a Synology NAS, or are a current user, on the dedicated official page.
