Advice

[Enquiries]

I would like my 1st home NAS system. Photo storage, accessible to all home units, Looking for backup if possible, raid 5, excellent photo recognition, the very latest in hardware and software, no more than four bays, very very user friendly reasonable price. Able to wait a month or two or take advantage of Black Friday sales. Strongly considering Synology

[ed]

Thanks for reaching out. Based on what you’re after, a 4-bay Synology is still the best fit for your first NAS, especially for photos, backups, and easy home access. For your budget of around $500, the Synology DS423 is the most suitable and recent model. It supports RAID 5, offers excellent photo management with Synology Photos, and remains very beginner-friendly. If you find a deal, the DS425+ or DS923+ are stronger long-term options with better CPUs and faster networking.

Synology is still one of the easiest platforms to manage, and DSM continues to get regular updates, so it should serve you well for 8–10 years. Pair the NAS with 4 x 4TB or 4 x 6TB drives from Seagate IronWolf or WD Red Plus to reach your 8–12TB target. If you can wait until Black Friday, you’ll likely see decent discounts on both the NAS and drives.