Synology 2GB DS418 4 Bay Desktop NAS Enclosure

Product Information

When it comes to being a multimedia server, DiskStation DS418 has a significant limitation: it uses an ARM processor that does not hardware transcode media files. This means that it does not run the Plex Media Server. If you want this feature, you should buy Synology DiskStation DS418play, which looks and works the same but uses an Intel Celeron J3355 dual-core processor, instead of Realtek RTD1296. The Intel processor does hardware transcoding and allows your NAS to turn into a Plex Media Server, or run virtualization solutions that are not available for the model that we tested. The DS418play is typically sold diskless, allowing you to install the specific drives you desire. That said, if you want the latter pre-installed, some retailers do sell this NAS box with drives, but at a rate that's often more expensive than if you did it yourself.

DS418 4 Bay Desktop NAS Enclosure Synology 2GB DS418 4 Bay Desktop NAS Enclosure

We are big fans of the DSM platform available for the Synology DiskStation DS418. Setting up this NAS, and configuring it was pleasant and comfortable. The modular software is excellent and easy to use, and the user documentation is good enough to help you when required. How fast is Synology DiskStation DS418 at transferring data?

We tested the Synology DS418play equipped with 2GB of RAM, using 4x Seagate IronWolf Pro HDDs, and running Synology’s hybrid RAID. To emulate a typical network, we tested using a Gigabit Ethernet LAN, with connections running to the NAS, a desktop computer and Hisense smart TV. Synology DiskStation DS418 is 6.5 x 7.8 x 8.7 inches or 166 x 199 x 223 mm in height, width, and depth. It also weighs a little over 5 pounds, or 2.28 kg, without any hard disks inside. Synology does a really good job at sharing the complete specifications of their product, so in this review, we discuss only the bits that we considered the most interesting. DiskStation DS418 is powered by a 64-bit quad-core Realtek RTD1296 processor, running at 1.4 GHz, and 2 GB of RAM DDR4. The DS418play can run a Plex media server, which is a fantastic way to access your personal media collection. Final verdict

Download Center - DS418 | Synology Inc. Download Center - DS418 | Synology Inc.

Video surveillance - if you have a small business or a private property that needs to monitor several areas with surveillance cameras, you can use the DS418 to store their video footage, and access it whenever it is needed. There is nothing to complain about in the performance offered by the Synology DiskStation DS418. The most meaningful impact on speed is going to be generated by the hard disks or SSDs that you install inside the NAS. If you desire maximum performance, you should also invest in fast storage. What is your opinion of the Synology DiskStation DS418? The DS418play is built around a now slightly dated Intel Celeron J3355 dual-core CPU, which can burst up to 2.5GHz. While the CPU does technically include Intel Graphics, there are no HDMI outputs. The NAS comes equipped with 2GB of RAM, plus an empty slot that can handle an additional 4GB, for a total of 6GB. While the NAS handles itself well with 2GB, it’s well worth the effort to add at least an extra 2GB. It’s also very easy – just pop out the drive bays and the RAM slot is easily accessible. We enjoyed testing Synology DiskStation DS418. It is a well built NAS (Network Attached Storage) solution, with top-notch software, and good hardware. It manages to provide solutions for almost all the needs people have when buying a NAS. There is almost nothing that it cannot do. We recommend it to home users, IT professionals, and small businesses that benefit from creating their network attached storage solutions. Unboxing the Synology DiskStation DS418 The Windows 11 taskbar looks good but may not include the icons you want. You may need to pin to the taskbar the apps you use frequently or remove icons for apps or Windows features you don’t use. For example,... How to open any program (or app) with a keyboard shortcut in WindowsFor those craving higher throughput, the dual Gigabit LAN ports can be aggregated together. Multimedia capabilities

DiskStation DS418 - Synology DiskStation DS418 - Synology

Four hot swap drive bays make it easy to populate the DS418play with either 3.5” or 2.5” drives. Setup & software The key features of the DS418play all revolve around handling media. Most importantly, the device has the ability to transcode two 4K video streams at the same time. If you're wondering why exactly you might want to do that, or aren't already very into serving up your own media, then you probably don’t need this kind of feature. But as 4K video content becomes more popular, it could certainly be a great option to have for future-proofing. Though it's compact and unassuming, the DS418play hides a powerful Intel CPU inside. Synology DS418play price & availability These are all satisfying speeds, for most users. However, the link aggregation did not deliver significant improvements when it comes to the maximum speed you get. Link aggregation is useful when multiple clients want to access data from the NAS at the same time, for load balancing and failover. The 418play also offers hardware-based AES-NI encryption, and doesn't lose any appreciable performance with it's switched on.

A four-bay NAS with a strong multimedia focus

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Reviewing Synology DiskStation DS418: Modular and well built! Reviewing Synology DiskStation DS418: Modular and well built!

Private cloud storage service - you get access to apps for all platforms, and you can create your version of Dropbox or OneDrive. With a full load of four drives, the throughput is mostly limited by the network connection itself. That won't be a problem for most typical users, as even two 4K streams won’t saturate the available bandwidth. That said, for more advanced users, having the option to aggregate the two network ports together is great. The DS418play performed well, and had no issues streaming media to multiple devices at once. Transcoding worked flawlessly too, although it took a bit of fiddling to get Plex up and running. The DS418play happily maxed out our network with large file transfers, at 108.5 MB/s reading and 109.2 MB/s writing.