No more improvements for older models?

[rmg]

Just to jump in and also voice my disappointment that the 106J is no longer going to receive firmware updates.

Improvements to the firmware was one of the key reasons that led me to choose a Synology product.

I understand your comments as follows:

However, please note that this decision to discontinue firmware support x06 models was made over a year ago, as we are moving forward. While some have stated that recompiling is a simple task, it is not, and requires the resources of our development team, and further testing with an aging system where it's resources are limited, and our development team resources are limited. There is other likely reasons besides recompiling which is why firmware support for x06 models has been discontinued, much like firmware supported was discontinued for the DS-101g+, where the firmware would exceed the hardware abilities of the DS-101g+.

But I do feel that the 106J is still a current product (I have owned mine for less than 2 years) and is worthy of further firmware development alongside some of the newer (and more expensive) models.

Very disappointed UK Synology customer

[jo62]

I'm also very dissapointed on stopping support of a ACTUAL sold System (106j).
Can you please explain why? I'm not willing to acceppt this, because I bought a second modell just some weeks before now and there was nowhere a notice that this system will no longer get the newest firmware (106e was stopped but NEVER Synology gave a notice of EOL for 106j).

The 106j is still on your website!!!!

Please think about your policy on this topic.

Thank you

[DRAGandDROP]

[quote="Franklin"]

However, please note that this decision to discontinue firmware support x06 models was made over a year ago, as we are moving forward.

[/quote]

I'm really happy with the functionality and frequent updates you make available for your nas'es, but it's confusing to read that you decided to discontinue firmware support for x06 models in 2007 already. That is only 1 year after release of the product.
Do I have to worry, that if I decide to buy a DS107+ for example (and I am really considering that!), that it won't get firmware updates till the end of this year? When this is supposed to happen, than I will have to buy a nas of another manufacturer.
I do understand that you have to discontinue some products because of poor hardware performance, but on the other hand you should consider not to add such hardware-eating features that only the latest products are capeable to use.

Another question: Why is DS108j is still supported and the DS106j not? The only difference I can see in the specs is the internal SATA connector. So why won't the DSM2.1 not work on the DS106j? OK, if Mail-support is not available, that would be no problem, but the other features can't get so performance-eating when it's still running on a DS108j!

DRAGandDROP

[Seattle]

[quote="DRAGandDROP]Another question: Why is DS108j is still supported and the DS106j not? The only difference I can see in the specs is the internal SATA connector. So why won't the DSM2.1 not work on the DS106j? OK, if Mail-support is not available, that would be no problem, but the other features can't get so performance-eating when it's still running on a DS108j!

DRAGandDROP[/quote]

So, if the hardware capabilities the same and your Product is not at the End of Life - so treat us 106j Users just as the User of actual models - cause you have still the 106j on your website and sell it. Think of the Customers who bought a 500 or 750 GB IDE Disk for their system. When their get a new PC - what should the do with their old IDE Disk? - right! - buy a 106j !

Thanks

Seattle

[unhuman]

Hey all...

I'm really appreciative of everyone is speaking loudly and clearly to the Synology folks about this problem.

Let's try to stay positive - I'm struggling here myself - but... We need to let these guys know the following:
1. We love our Synology NAS
2. We strongly feel that our boxes are still viable and don't understand why they don't agree.
3. We want (need, really) ongoing support.

At the same time, we also know that:
1. Our boxes were not inexpensive - they cost more than simpler, less feature-rich brands.
2. That affects the value proposition when considering the purchase next time (which I don't think any of us is ready for yet).

Synology knows how to deliver a good product. Until this point, we've had very good support with firmware upgrades and features. They definitely have listened to requests. Hopefully they can learn to deliver excellent support.

-H

[RangerFish]

I was wondering if Synology would consider an open source, community-maintained variant of its firmware, if support for older models was too expensive for them to maintain. Perhaps fork a stable version off so that 101 and 106 can recieve community-provided security patches (and perhaps functionality where the hardware is up to the job).

Additionally, could Synology publish a list of a projected life cycle for current products? By that I mean showing when x07 and x08 products are expected to reach their end-of-life?

This might seem like I'm asking a lot but it would buy a lot of good will from the customer base, I reckon...

Thoughts?

[edmond]

@all

Please do not use Online Support to voice your concerns! This will create an unnecessary load of emails which are not related to support. Instead, I've forwarded this thread to our marketing director for further consideration.

However, please note that this decision to discontinue firmware support x06 models was made over a year ago, as we are moving forward. While some have stated that recompiling is a simple task, it is not, and requires the resources of our development team, and further testing with an aging system where it's resources are limited, and our development team resources are limited. There is other likely reasons besides recompiling which is why firmware support for x06 models has been discontinued, much like firmware supported was discontinued for the DS-101g+, where the firmware would exceed the hardware abilities of the DS-101g+.

Hope this helps

Dear Frankling,

The hardware of the cs406 is almost as good as the cs407 series, i believe, and the ds106j is the same as the ds108j why is the beta update than not available for the ds106j, it is still full supported on the site, and by the way if i can help with the synology products i il do it, like testing etc.

i have at the moment the cs406 and the ds106j.

[thejonson]

It i s extremely disappointing to only now hear that development for the x06 range of products has stopped. Considering that the "decision to stop development was made over a year ago" yet there was no notification to the loyal forum users / fan base that this was the case.

I have been a long time fan and supporter of the Synology product, it has been a terrific device and I have found use for all of the features that have been adding along the way with the regular firmware updates. But if this is the case and the x06 series is dead, would Synology consider assisting those with older hardware with a trade-in / rebate scheme that could ease the blow of existing Synology customers having to replace 2 year old (in my case) hardware so soon (I know if I were to tell my boss that we had to replace all our 2 year old servers because they are no longer supported, I'd probably been shown the door with a pink slip )

I understand that with the current economic climate as it is, and being a reseller myself, that profit margins are extremely thin when it comes to hardware sales, and I also appreciate the logistics of offering a global rebate initiative but if a rebate scheme on new hardware meant that I could keep customers as loyal as those on the message boards I think it would be worth it.

Hope that this message is read by the Moderators and the PR Team a Synology, as I feel that something such as a rebate scheme is a sure-fire way to secure the existing fan base, whilst maintaining a level of development for new product lines.

[eta]

As an owner of the 106e I am ofcourse also disappointed. I also never found the actual quote that the 106e would be discontinued.
Only in the 2.0 firmware upgrade sep. 2008. That is very crude to say:
In three months your system has is End Of Life.. Normally this is said one or two years before EOL. But then again... (Some of) These models where not even sold 2 years ago I think.

We have to maintain and support our software at work for more then 10 years, but then again, we charge our customers a lot more

Maybe we can have some sort of poll to see how many of us are willing to pay for firmware upgrades.
Maybe resource intensive applications will not work as well, or maybe should be disabled by default, but then the
decision is up to the end-user.

Paying $ 5.- to $ 15.- a year for support seems better then to buy the new DS-209+ for $ 500.- every 2 years.
(Although I would like to have the performance of the DS-209+ )

Based on the numbers sold of the 106 and 406, Synology Support could then consider, to invest (our (paypal) donations) in the up-to-date keeping of te firmware of one or two year old products.

[thermal]

Ok, here's another consideration for the Marketing Director, and for anyone who feels comfortable when a manufacturer supplies them with a constant stream of "updates".

To begin with, I for one, am perfectly satisfied with my Synology product.
Apart from the very noisy default fan, it adheres to my requirements and performs to its specifications. Period.

And that's exactly what to expect from such a product, on which you store a Terabyte or more of your invaluable data.
I expect such a product to run reliably hardware wise for at least a couple of years, and is shipped from the factory with properly designed- and tested software.

I do not want to own a product that needs my constant care and worry, and I do not feel comfortable at all when I see a product that floods its customers with updates.
Be it Synology, a refrigerator, a car, or anything.
I want a quality product that lives up to its specifications.!
To me, many updates simply means that a product was not fit for release.
I cannot afford the time to browse the forums of all the products I own in search for "updates".
And I don't want to live in fear of product failure either.
Quality is what I ask, and want to pay for, not updates.

My 2 cents.

[jo62]

Hey all,

I also read the notice of the EOL for the 106e, but there was never a notice on the EOL for the 106j. As I told in my previus post I bought my second 106j because of the realy good support and software of Synology. But now I'm at a point to think about selling this two boxes and looking for a other manufacturer how give me a notice earlier.
Again, I was very happy with the system until I read about the EOL of the 106j. Please, give us a chance to stay with your company.

Thaks
Jo

[DRAGandDROP]

I hope Synology will release a firmware that supports the DSx06 models. I can pass on high-performance apps like mail server, but I can't imagine that the new Filestation 2 and all the other great improved features will not work on DSx06 models!
It's already in the firmware, that you have to enable every feature. So why not check the DS-model and then tell the user that this feature can't be enabled due to hardware limitations.
But I do want to use the other great improvements on audiostation, filestation and usermanagement, that are no brand new features!

In spite of everything, I'm still very happy with my "old" DS106j.

DRAGandDROP

[edmond]

first i was thinking about to buy the ds209 but with the noticed that the device can also be unsupported in 2 years, i'm thinking about an dlink or other nas, with full support and stable firmwares instead of about 26 buggy firmwares, en then a new feature wit again still the bugs inside.

[ZeusII]

first i was thinking about to buy the ds209 but with the noticed that the device can also be unsupported in 2 years, i'm thinking about an dlink or other nas, with full support and stable firmwares instead of about 26 buggy firmwares, en then a new feature wit again still the bugs inside.

do you really think the dlink and others work better than synology ones? just take a look and online reviews... preciselly, dlink are got really bad reviews out there...

I don't really think that synology is releasing buggy firmwares, since I bought my DS207 2 years ago, I've didn't got any major problems or bugs, and thanks to public beta periods, the stable firmwares work nicelly.

anyways, just remember that other companys aren't better in terms of support or updates... they are just the same or more bad... It's hard to find something better.

[ZwaaiHaai]

the 106J is still on stock and being sold at the Retailers. http://www.alternate.nl/html/shop/produ ... no=T3LNH0&
True that not all suppliers and retailers are giving a decent "support period" after the sale has been made. But hey, when I buy a NAS at the "ALDI" http://www.aldi.nl/ I know what to expect.
If a "support period" is communicated by a company than this shows added value, and I know what to expect. Therefor this is for me an interesting topic.