Introduction

This is the second product we've seen from Synology with the first being the DS411+II. Our first run with the DS411+II was an eye opener and we walked away with a firm admiration for the products Synology is releasing on the market. NAS appliances are not like video cards or other traditional computer components, these aren't components that get swapped out every couple of years and because of that most people don't get to see everything the market has to offer. Because of that you need to determine what it is you are looking for first and the options are vaster than you may imagine.

The Synology products I've seen so far tend to excel in the ease of use category. I would be comfortable dropping a DS212 off at my mother's house and letting her sort the installation and connections. I couldn't say the same thing about the typical QNAP or Thecus products I've tested in the past. Those products are easy for TweakTown readers to setup, but nothing like the Synology DS212.

A large reason for that is the way Synology configures their software layer. The QNAP and Thecus products are more tech based while the DS212 is more laymen, like a toaster, you get a couple of dials and a big lever to pull before everything works exactly like you want it to. Users looking to go head on into technology bliss still have all the other options to fine tune their NAS appliance, but it isn't a requirement.

So, in short the Synology DS212 is a consumers NAS built for your mom to hold pictures that you wish she didn't scan from your youth, is easy to setup and has an attractive price. The DS212 is also a NAS for you too with lots of bells and whistles and that is what we are going to focus on today.

Read on to see why this tame entry can easily turn into a tiger.