8 bay RackStation RS1221RP+ (Diskless)

An upgrade on an older '+' style Synology box. The previous physical drives transferred over fine and the new PAT rebuilt the DSM without too much hassle. I forgot to delete the Bond setting from the previous Synology box (before backing it up) and thought I'd have to fry the DSM on the RS1221+ in order to clear that setting (moving from 2 ports bonded to 4 ports bonded) but I managed to use the reset and force it to delete and reconfigure. Only one Cat 5 could be plugged in while achieving this reset—not all four—once realised easily fixed. The password reset method isn't well described but otherwise everything is fine. Still running the drives back in on the new box without upgrading the RAM (32GB) or network connection (10Gb). It's nicely built, not over the top, and fits well into the rack. The fan noise has increased considerably over the smaller Synology boxes but not quite as loud as a dedicated server build (though this is only a quarter of the size). A two bay Synology is whisper quiet, a 5 bay had some fan noise but can be drowned out by drive chatter, this 8 bay unit has real fan noise (on it's lowest, 'quiet' setting) and has a presence in the office. Destined for a cupboard anyway but I'd suggest planning for isolation if you like peace and quiet. My last Synology box lasted for over 10 years without any huge issues but doesn't match this for pace of file delivery, build quality (much more metal involved) or simple storage capacity. It doesn't present the fastest preview yet (for really big files) but with plenty of upgrades to come it has the legs to be a powerful performer in a small form factor. It came double boxed and is well protected for transportation. It's a nice unit for those who just need things to work; have large storage needs; don't like constantly rebuilding backup solutions or having multiple drives rolling around. The Synology DSM has many reviews elsewhere. Thumbs up.

Upgraded from ad DS1515+ to the RS1221+ Though it work fine with 4GB RAM as default I'd recommend going with 32GB if you can swing it, the VM hosting capability is worth using but you do need RAM for it. I migrated, some WD Red Pros 3.5 spinners over and Seagate IronWolf Proa from the DS1515+ to the RS1221+, installed a non NAS WD Black 3 TB for the odd ball for DSM install in Bay 8 . It's working without complaint with the 3TB WD black, though un-raided. Migration from the DS1515+ into this was painless , followed the instructions on DSM update and them power down, moving to the RS1221+ installing in same drive order. Upgraded DSM following the prompts, no issues at all. I'm enjoying smooth operations and it's even snappier with the Ryzen 1500 over the 1515+'s Atom. My 1515+ was one of those that was eventually plagued by that Atom CPU defect where the device would no longer power on due to CPU manufacturing flaw. ****( Thank you Synology ! For extending extra year of free warranty to cover that issue and get a DS1515+ replacement to me free of charge. That alone earned you my trust in that you stood by a customer. ) I was testing a DS920+ and had nothing but issues with it corrupting Seagate Ironwolf Pros 4TB. several times. I returned that 920+ and just threw in the towel and jumped into the RS series and elected to go with the 1221+ 1/3 depth. ( Non-redundant power supply model ) I believe I got what I paid for and do like it a lot. Once difference between the DS1221+ and the DS1515+ is the Drive caddy installation. I like the 1515+better since it is screwless and the retainers just pop in on the sides of the trays. The RS1221+ do not have the pop-in retainers but bottom screw-in retainer, not as handy on hot swaps if you need to. Other than the retainers , small issue, I like everything about the RS1221+. ** Now the cost of official RAM and the 10GB Ethernet cards are another matter, way too expensive to just pull triggers on and buy, you do have to plan, save and think about it a bit. Come on Synology, I know the chipsets you use and the coding, it doesn't cost that much and the restrictions to OEM assets are a bit much especially with the OS ' capability for support.

Solid performance. This is the first rack mount Synology I’ve owned everything else has been desktop (we have three 8 bay desktop NAS as well). This is excellent, although much louder than our desktops but it does have redundant power supply and a smaller form factor so to be expected.

Exceptional quality and easy to use. Can use any brand HDD's

No issues.

Solid product. When RAM is upgraded it handles NAS tasks easily, and can still support additional tasks like operating as a NVR and running both docker containers and even a VM. Con: When using as an NVR, keep in mind you only get two free camera licenses. After that there is a per camera licensing fee. However, once you have your license key it CAN be transferred from one DSM to the next when you retire/upgrade hardware.

After much back and forth with the manufacturer, it turns out this device is VERY fussy about what drives are installed in it. Despite the fact that I purchased the recommended drives listed on the Amazon ad, they were not on the Synology recommended drive list. And of course, none of their recommended drives can be purchased, they've been replaced with what's currently available, but "not compatible". So starts the viscious Catch-22 circle, causing me to return everything. My advice is that if a drive is not on their list, you're in for a world of hurt. I elected to go a different direction with a much less fussy manufacturer.

ES MAS DE LO QUE ESPERABA

As a basic NAS / RAID device, it is great. But the RAM is too limited to take advantage of all its software features.

業務用途として RS1221+ を購入しました。通常運用では性能も十分で、筐体の作りもしっかりしており、DSM の使い勝手も良好でした。この段階では特に不満はありませんでした。 問題は、DSM の定例アップデート後の再起動で突然まったく起動しなくなったことです。電源ボタンを押しても反応がなく、LED もファンも一切動作せず、完全に沈黙しました。ハードウェア故障自体はあり得るとしても、その後のサポート対応でより深刻な問題が明らかになりました。 Synology も、正規代理店である 株式会社フィールド・レイク も、先出し交換（Advanced Replacement）を日本では一切提供していません。ビジネス用途であっても例外はなく、保証金や本人確認などを提示しても不可能との回答でした。その後の案内でも フィールド・レイク から「日本では先出し交換の仕組みがそもそも存在しない」と明言されました。 唯一の対応方法は「故障品を先に送り、台湾から届く代替機を代理店経由で受け取る」方式だけです。 ユーザーが故障機を フィールド・レイク に送付し、代理店が台湾から代替機を受け取り、それをユーザーに再発送する流れです。どれだけ急いでも数日〜数週間かかります。 業務用途でこの対応は現実的ではありません。北米や欧州で提供されているようなビジネス継続性を前提としたサポートは、日本には用意されていません。つまり、製品は「ビジネス向け」として販売されている一方で、故障した瞬間にサポート体制は完全に「家庭向け」レベルになります。ダウンタイムを抑える手段が存在せず、業務継続という観点では非常に脆弱です。 RS1221+ は正常に動いている間は問題なく使えます。しかし一度故障すると、日本国内のサポート体制では業務継続がほぼ不可能になります。Synology が日本でも本当にビジネス用途を想定するのであれば、サポート体制の抜本的な改善が必要です。 家庭用途やメディア保存用途であれば問題ありません（ラックマウントとしてはやや特殊ですが）。 しかし、業務用途、特にダウンタイムが許されない環境では適した製品ではありません。