Synology DiskStation DS213j

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Product Description

The Synology DiskStation DS213j is a network attached storage (NAS) device with a built-in web server and application platform. The DS213j’s primary function is making common data storage easy to manage and available to the whole network. It’s a great system for data backup with two hard drive bays and RAID 1 mirroring for reliability. Apache web server comes pre-installed and the user interface makes it easy to access Synology’s library of one-click applications.

We’ve found the DS213j to be an excellent candidate for educational institutions where content hosting and sharing is important, both in computer labs and across networks. Lesson plans, rich media and student records need to be secure, accessible and easy to manage. The content needed in an education environment may be web-based or locally accessible, and in either case the DS213j makes the information available to authorized users through any browser. Regular files can be accessed via various networking protocols, custom web content – including a LAMP stack and Python code – can be run, and if the content provider has an offline version (as in the case of Wikipedia) the DS213j can host it. The dual-drive system means that if one drive fails, the other keeps the information intact and accessible. Comprehensive user permissions make it easy to give access to those who need it and keep the system secured from those who don’t.

Our recommendation is especially based on the following criteria:

	Value Tons of features. Out of the box the device can perform as a basic content server, and it’s easily expandable. With an App Store approach to expansion, dozens of packages including DNS, DHCP, phpMyAdmin (database), WordPress (blog), Magento (shopping cart) and Asterisk (telephony) are available with an internet connection and a few clicks.
	Power The DS213j has a great power consumption profile. You’re able to set timed power ons and offs, and send it into a power-saving mode. The device does take a few seconds to wake back up again, but the lower power consumption makes this an excellent tradeoff.
	User Experience The UX of the DS213j is great. The admin controls are intuitive with lots of helpful prompts that pop up exactly when you need them. The documentation is also very complete.