ASK NC

Hello,

I've been thinking about building my own NAS, but honestly something that is already more ready out of the box and user friendly like a Synology product is perfectly fine for me. What I also do want to get right though is future proofing, specifically from a software perspective.

Essentially, once I have a NAS, the things that can go wrong in the long term are: 1) the NAS breaks: buy a new one; 2) a hard disk breaks: buy a new one; 3) software updates? My concern is that using Synology software they might stop releasing updates for it when a piece of hardware is not the newest, thus kind of forcing you to buy new hardware only because the software doesn't receive updates.

If this is the case, do you think it is a problem to be concerned about? Is it too risky to keep Synology hardware with outdated software? If so, might it be best to go through the hassle of building my own NAS to have open source software that will always receive security updates?

Many thanks,

Matteo

Thank you for reaching out with your concerns about future-proofing your NAS. Synology is known for providing software updates for up to 10 years from the date of release, which is similar to QNAP's policy. This means that even if a specific hardware model becomes older, you can still expect to receive software updates and security patches for a considerable period. This helps in ensuring that your NAS remains up-to-date and secure.

With this assurance from Synology, you can confidently choose one of their NAS products that fits your current needs and can anticipate it being supported for many years to come. You won't need to worry about outdated software causing problems down the road.

Building your own NAS with open-source software is also a viable option, but it may require more technical knowledge and maintenance efforts on your part. However, if you prefer having complete control over the software and regular updates, it could be worth considering.

In conclusion, both options have their merits, and it ultimately depends on your preference and comfort level. With Synology's extended software support, you can confidently choose one of their NAS solutions that best suits your requirements and enjoy peace of mind knowing that you will receive updates for an extended period.