# Synology DS120j NAS Review | YASH



## _.yash007._ (Jul 12, 2021)

Hello there, 



> Well before starting the review let me tell you some things that are happening with me, which are maybe happening to you too. So apparently, Google has come up with its new storage policy, which is pretty annoying to me. Now, I have very limited storage and have to compromise even for the quality of my media. And not only that, my Gmail, Drive also count to this storage.



Are you too someone who is rankled by facing such problems and is scared of sharing data to other random cloud services?

Well, let me introduce you to the solution for all these problems... The Synology NAS.

Now before I go any further, let me tell you in brief about What is a NAS?

So, have you ever wondered about what happens when you upload a file to a cloud service say Google Photos, where does it actually go, get saved? Probably somewhere on the other side of earth in a data center. What If I told you, you can do the same with your own private cloud at the back of your desk? To consolidate these files into one safe place, you need a secure and centralized storage solution.
Well that’s what a NAS is basically. NAS or Network-Attached Storage is a device that gets connected to your network and allows you to store and retrieve your data from your anywhere. You can attach your own hard drives, connect it to your network and voila.

Synology happens to be one of the Top brands out there you can trust to buy a NAS. They offer various options varying for different scenarios.

In here, I will be telling you about the Synology Disk Station 120j.

From the J series, the DS120j is a small, compact & a versatile entry-level single-bay NAS for home and personal cloud storage.

First things first, the Synology DS120j comes packed neatly with the below contents :


The Main Unit
AC power adapter
Quick Installation Guide
Bunch of screws for the hard drive as well as the main unit
1 X RJ-45 LAN Cable
Quick Installation Guide
HARDWARE

The DS120j is a pretty sturdy build with a sleek look, you can put in a 3.5”/2.5” SATA Drive. It comes with two USB 2.0 ports, a 1GbE (RJ-45) LAN Port. It is also only 700 grams, so pretty lightweight and fits almost anywhere. You get to see a flashing power button at the upfront with Illuminated status lights for LAN connectivity, Disk, and the Status.

Also here are some Specs you might want to have a look at :


> *CPU*CPU ModelMarvell Armada 3700 88F3720CPU Quantity1CPU Architecture64-bitCPU Frequency2-core 800 MHzHardware Encryption Engine*Memory*System Memory512 MB DDR3L non-ECC*Storage*Drive Bays1Compatible Drive Type* (See all supported drives)3.5" SATA HDD
> 2.5" SATA HDD (with optional 2.5" Disk Holder)Maximum Single Volume Size*108 TB*External Ports*RJ-45 1GbE LAN Port1USB 2.0 Port2*File System*Internal DrivesEXT4External DrivesEXT4
> EXT3
> FAT
> ...



SETUP

Well, the setup is really easy. You just have to plug in your NAS(I used Ethernet) and then go to find.synology.com on the subnet

There, it will easily detect your NAS, Wipe the inserted drive, Installs the OS, and then re-start the device.

You get to set up your administrator account and other stuff over there.


SOFTWARE

The DS120j works with its own Linux-based software Operating System made by Synology known as the ‘DSM’ or DiskStation Manager. It is pretty much like using a windows OS. It is really user-friendly. You get to see and also add a bunch of Widgets onto the screen. They are really helpful in displaying various info. Like disk status and other device analysis. You also have an app drawer that shows you all the available apps you can use; A notification button as well as a download queue button.



 



The DSM 6.2 is installed after the setup, though you can update it to the latest DSM but it isn’t really endorsed to go for it considering the 512MB RAM..
In this review, I’ll be mostly highlighting the use cases and apps that you can use with NAS.

A really good way to access and manage your files on the NAS is via mapping it to your Windows/MAC and using the File Explorer/Finder.

All you have to do is, bring your device(s) to the subnet via any means and enable the SMB service on your NAS which you can find under File Services in Control Panel. Then you can easily find the device on your network, log in, and voila. I would prefer this means of sharing than any other due to the speed difference that can be observed.







#1 File Station

It’s pretty much like file explorer. You get to create folders on the hard disk. You can create user-specific folders as well as ‘Shared Folders’ that can be accessed by all the users. It’s is good for collaborative purposes.

But here’s the upsetting part, even on the Ethernet mode, transferring files you get a peak speed of 30MBPS and around 11MBPS on specific folders.















#2 Moments

You can download this app on your mobile device and of course your NAS, this application helps you organize your photos lucidly allowing you to keep track of all your media in great detail. It is a lot like Photos by Google and can help you if you happen to have a bad storage situation on your phone. You can back up your media in original/high resolution with all the other metadata that is all the Data associated with each photo or video, such as creation time, comments, resolution, and location. One thing that I noticed in here was that it took a decent amount of time to upload the data but accessing it on the web client really took a while to load and the same goes for the thumbnails. This wasn’t a problem while using other applications on the NAS. Also, one more problem was that I could observe a few photos/videos missing on the web client that were on the android app and vice versa though the photo sync was completely finished.


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## _.yash007._ (Jul 12, 2021)

# VideoStation

One of my personal favorite applications. I really do like accessing my media on many devices, and copying those hither and tither makes it really sad.. plus the quality which is then seen isn't really convincing
The feature wherein I can use NAS as an ultimate media streamer using Video Station looks awesome.. One of the best parts is the availability of the software across platforms. You can access your media on your phone, NAS of course as well as download the DSVideo app on your Smart TV. That is pretty cool because as I happen to have a Samsung TV which is not really known for having an app store with many applications available and doesn’t even allow you to download apps using an external source.










# Surveillance Station

This was the best thing that helped me out. Surveillance Station basically paired up with my Wireless IP camera and let me have a full access to it. The features that you get to see here are really awesome. Since I had a motorized camera, I could turn it around, toggle the flash, even record video manually. I think I can say that this was at par with the camera’s official application. I could also do all this with my mobile.






Here are a few more things of the DS120j that I want to point out

1. The upload speeds are pretty unsatisfactory, which I believe happens due to the inordinate CPU load as well as the hindering RAM.

2. The USB 2.0 Ports provide a sluggish data transfer speed. The inclusion of USB 3.0 Ports would be a good upgrade.

3. If you want to abort all uploads there is no option for that, you will have to manually click on each file to stop uploading. An option for doing that can be helpful.

4. This NAS has a really low power consumption. I got an average of 11W on testing. Also, it really does suit to high-temperature Indian weather with the fan making an imperceptible sound.



CONCLUSION

This sure is the best option for you if you’re a first-time buyer who is looking forward to having access to all the essential NAS functionalities. DS120j is also pretty pocket-friendly at its price point of 99USD but I still think an improved RAM and CPU will make it even worth the price.



Thanks to the DIGIT team for providing the units. The above review is totally based on my own experience and isn’t influenced by anyone.


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## _.yash007._ (Jul 12, 2021)

RESERVED


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