NAS Selection

[Enquiries]

I currently own a DS218+ with 2x 4TB hard drives.
Currently using Synology Hybrid Raid meaning I only have 4 TB of storage available.

I recently ran out of storage and was considering my options:
1) Replace 4TB drives with 8/12 TB drives.
2) Buy a 4 bay unit (DS423+, DS920+, DS923+) with 4x 4TB drives
3) Run plex on other device and use NAS only for storage & surveillance station
4) Any other recommendations ...

I mainly use the device for:
- Photo back-up
- Plex media server
- Surveillance station (1 IP, probably will add 3 more in the future)
- (some dockers containers)
- (file back-up)

I was considering buying the DS923+, but since I mainly use it for Plex and it doesn't have an integrated graphic CPU I didn't yet. My current setup doesn't have it but this does cause some issues sometimes when streaming from Plex.

Any advice?

Thanks in advance!

[ed]

Based on your use case, here are my recommendations:

Replace 4TB drives with 8/12 TB drives: This is a cost-effective solution, but keep in mind that upgrading one drive at a time will take a while, and your data will be vulnerable until you've replaced all of the drives.

Buy a 4 bay unit (DS423+, DS920+, DS923+) with 4x 4TB drives: This is a good solution if you want to upgrade your storage capacity and also have the option to expand further in the future. The DS920+ or DS923+ would be the best options as they have more processing power and RAM compared to the DS423+.

Run plex on other device and use NAS only for storage & surveillance station: This is a good option if you have another device with a more powerful CPU that can handle the Plex server duties. You can still use your current NAS for storage and surveillance station.

Any other recommendations: You may also consider using an external storage device connected to your NAS for extra storage, or you could consider setting up a backup plan to an external storage device to free up space on your NAS.

Ultimately, it comes down to your budget and future storage needs. If you plan on expanding your storage capacity in the future, I would recommend going for a larger NAS like the DS920+ or DS923+. If you just need more storage for now, then replacing the drives or adding an external storage device may be a good option.

DS923+ has no graphics, but it woks just fine inside the local network.