Yesterday, 02:57 PM
If you want something that behaves as trouble free as possible with macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android, Synology is still the safest recommendation for the use case you described. DSM remains the most polished operating system for simple file serving and photo backup, and its SMB implementation is the most consistent with macOS. A modern model will feel dramatically faster and far more stable than your DS212j. A DS224 plus or DS423 plus fits comfortably in your budget and will be several generations ahead of what you are used to.
If you want to avoid Synology entirely, the closest alternative in terms of ease of use is QNAP. Their QTS software is more feature rich than DSM and works very well for file serving, Time Machine, Windows sharing, and mobile photo backups. It is slightly more technical than Synology, but still friendly enough for home users. A QNAP TS 464 would fit your needs and budget and will give you much more performance than your old system.
UGREEN is another option worth considering. Their recent NAS models have impressed many users with very fast hardware and a simple interface. They are newer to the NAS market and the software is evolving rapidly, but for basic file access and phone backup they work well.
Given your requirements, the simplest guidance is this.
If you want the most polished and stable experience, choose Synology.
If you want more hardware power and still a simple interface, choose QNAP.
If you want very fast hardware for the money and do not mind a newer platform, choose UGREEN.
If you want to avoid Synology entirely, the closest alternative in terms of ease of use is QNAP. Their QTS software is more feature rich than DSM and works very well for file serving, Time Machine, Windows sharing, and mobile photo backups. It is slightly more technical than Synology, but still friendly enough for home users. A QNAP TS 464 would fit your needs and budget and will give you much more performance than your old system.
UGREEN is another option worth considering. Their recent NAS models have impressed many users with very fast hardware and a simple interface. They are newer to the NAS market and the software is evolving rapidly, but for basic file access and phone backup they work well.
Given your requirements, the simplest guidance is this.
If you want the most polished and stable experience, choose Synology.
If you want more hardware power and still a simple interface, choose QNAP.
If you want very fast hardware for the money and do not mind a newer platform, choose UGREEN.