NAS SELECTION

[Enquiries]

Hello,

Can I just say I have watched a lot of your youtube videos before typing this. They have been very helpful.

I am looking for my 1st NAS, a 2-bay which I can put 2 drives in and run a raid configuration. I have well under 1tb of data.

The primary reason for buying a NAS is to back up the thousands (40,000) of travel photos I have and some book drafts that I have done. I also would like to be able to sync photos to a NAS whilst I travel. That's it really.

So far I have found 3 options which seem to fit my budget and needs

-Synology DS223J
-Synology ds223
-Asustor Drivestor 2 Pro AS3302T

I just wanted to ask:

1.If you have an opinion on which of these 3 offers best value for money, for my purposes?
2.If you suggested any better options than those, for my purposes?

I really appreciate your time.

All the best,

Chris

[ed]

Thank you for the kind words about my videos, I’m glad they’ve been helpful! Based on your requirements for backing up photos and book drafts, as well as the need to sync photos while traveling, I have some thoughts on the NAS options you’re considering.

For your use case, where your primary goal is to back up files and sync photos, all three NAS options you’ve mentioned are quite capable, but each has its pros and cons depending on your specific needs.

1. Synology DS223J
This is the entry-level NAS from Synology and is quite affordable, which is a big plus if you’re on a budget. It offers the reliability of Synology's DSM (DiskStation Manager) software, which is user-friendly and feature-rich for backups and syncing tasks. It supports basic RAID configurations like RAID 1 for redundancy, which is perfect for your use case of storing photos and drafts. However, the performance is more geared toward light tasks, so if you anticipate more demanding workloads in the future, you might want to consider something a bit more powerful.

2. Synology DS223
The DS223 is a step up from the DS223J, offering a more powerful processor and more RAM, which would result in better performance for tasks like syncing large batches of photos while traveling. It also comes with support for more advanced features in DSM, like better remote access options and better data management tools, which might come in handy as your data grows over time. It’s a bit pricier than the DS223J but could provide better long-term value.

3. Asustor Drivestor 2 Pro AS3302T
The Asustor Drivestor 2 Pro is another solid choice. It offers 2GB of RAM, which is quite good for the price. It also supports 2.5GbE for faster network speeds compared to the Synology models (which use Gigabit Ethernet). While Asustor’s ADM software is less polished than Synology’s DSM, it still offers essential features for file sharing, backup, and syncing. If fast file transfers are important to you, the AS3302T might be the better choice.

Conclusion
Given that you have under 1TB of data and your primary goal is backup and syncing photos, I think the Synology DS223 strikes the best balance of performance, ease of use, and long-term value for money. It’s slightly more expensive than the DS223J but offers better performance, which could be beneficial if you decide to scale up your storage or add more features down the line.

If you don’t mind sacrificing some advanced features and want the most budget-friendly option, the DS223J is also a perfectly fine choice.