Synology DS-209

Product Survey: NAS

The Synology DS209 is one of our favourite NAS systems. Just like the DS207+, it has two bays, but slightly different hardware: this model has a 1.2 GHz CPU with 256 MB of RAM and a 70 mm fan to keep the whole thing cool. The case is in white plastic, with some nice details that give it a stylish appearance. The DS209 won't look out of place either on your desktop or in your living room. The configuration utility is simple and intuitive. Despite the wide range of features available, the interface is easy to navigate, even for a beginner. It's a great start. As well as working as a file server, the DS09 offers several other useful features. It can run a web server with PHP and SQL, for instance, which is perfect for hosting your own website. If you connect a printer to one of its USB ports, it can also act as a network print server, which is great if you only have one printer but several computers. Synology includes the Audio Station and Photo Station 3 software with the DS209. These tools allow you to share music, photos and videos with several users in the form of a blog that's accessible over the Internet. Along with that, there's a fully-blown multimedia server that covers music, photos and videos, which gives DLNA-compatible devices the ability to launch a photo or video slideshow of the content on your DS209 over the network.