Which NAS should I buy???

[Enquiries]

Hi

After watching your DS224+ YouTube video, I was very impressed and thought that I'd seek your opinion. TBH, I tend to use Google Drive for any documents I need fully backed up so my need for a NAS is mainly for video footage from my IP cameras - 6 x Axis cameras streaming 3+MP video files when motion is detected, overwritten every 2 weeks. I've had a DS211J and, on the whole, have been hugely underwhelmed. It's recently fallen off the network (again!) and is completely unreachable. I can see it with Synology Assistant but it has no MAC address, the IP address is unreachable and it's just a total pita. I can rebuild a reinstall the DSM (6.2.4) and it'll work again for a bit but as I last did this just 3 days ago, I'm losing patience and will likely drop kick it into the path of a passing train.

When the Synology NAS works I've been impressed with their software and apps (when they don't crash and hang the NAS) so could be persuaded to remain with Synology.

[ed]

Thank you for reaching out, and I appreciate you sharing your experience with the DS211J.

It sounds like you've outgrown the DS211J, especially with its recent connectivity issues. Given your use case with IP cameras and video footage storage, as well as your frustration with reliability, I would recommend considering a more robust and future-proof NAS. Since you've had a positive experience with Synology’s software and apps, sticking with Synology might be a good choice, especially if you value their ecosystem.

Here are a few options based on your needs:

Synology DS423+:

This is a great option for small to medium setups. It offers good performance, especially for handling IP camera footage and video streaming. It supports 4 drives, which gives you flexibility for future expansion, and its hardware is significantly better than the DS211J.
If you're using Surveillance Station, the DS423+ will support more cameras and higher resolution video than the DS211J, and it comes with newer hardware that will be more reliable.
Pros: Easy setup, good for streaming and file sharing, robust software ecosystem.
Cons: If you're considering future-proofing with higher storage needs or heavy camera footage, you may eventually want to look at the DS923+ or DS1522+.
Synology DS923+:

This model has a more powerful CPU and supports 5 bays, giving you more room to grow. It would be ideal if you have plans to scale up or require higher performance for video processing.
Pros: Stronger hardware, more storage options, and better handling of multiple streams, especially if you plan to upgrade to higher resolution cameras.
Cons: Slightly higher cost compared to the DS423+.
QNAP TS-453D:

If you want to explore an alternative to Synology, the QNAP TS-453D is a solid choice. It offers 4 bays, 2.5GbE networking, and a powerful Intel Celeron CPU. QNAP also provides excellent camera surveillance software with the QVR Pro app, which could work well with your setup.
Pros: Great hardware, supports virtualization and containerized apps, and has 2.5GbE ports for faster network speeds.
Cons: The QNAP interface isn't as polished as Synology’s DSM, and it might take a bit of time to get used to.
Given that you value Synology’s software and ecosystem, I’d recommend starting with either the DS423+ or DS923+, depending on your storage and future scalability needs. If you’re planning to expand your camera setup or increase video quality, the DS923+ would give you more flexibility.