DS212j vs DS212 vs DS212+ vs DS411 Slim

[pz1]

SqueezeCenter for example should not run with less than 256 MB RAM, better is 512 MB.

I disagree. As several others have reported also, version 7.7.1 runs just fine on the 128 MB DSx07+

[keiron99]

I have read that it is not the 128mb that is per se the problem, it is how many tracks you have

I have over 40,000 which I guess will be a problem on my 128mn DS410j.

I have downloaded the Logitech Media Server to try out before I consider buying a squeezebox.

For me to log into the Logitech Media Server web interface takes about 60 seconds. When I click "Artists", it takes about 10 secs to load a page, then another 10 secs to select the album and so on.

I don't know whether that's a consequence of me having a low end NAS or something else, but either way it's a major disappointment.

[pz1]

For me to log into the Logitech Media Server web interface takes about 60 seconds. When I click "Artists", it takes about 10 secs to load a page, then another 10 secs to select the album and so on.

The WEB interface here tends to be slower. My artists list takes some 6 seconds before it is displayed. My Touch takes 2-3 seconds to display the list, which is acceptable for me. For large collections as yours I think it is easier to use the search function and type the first few characters of an artist or whatever.
(Apologies for abusing this thread. For specific squeeze-questions please continue in the squeeze center subforum viewforum.php?f=131&start=0)

[canumaso]

No Worries Forsis. Glad I could help.

I also have a question to Canumaso,

I have two new harddisks at home, both are 2.5", 500Gb and 320GB respectively and both run at 7200.

Can I use them in the 212, or do they have to be the same size? How about Raid 1?

Thanks,

Sorry, haven't been on the forum in a couple of months, but I'm glad to hear that so many found my feedback useful.

In response to your question, you can run two different capacity drives as single, stand-alone drives (this is the way I have all my drives set up). In terms of raid, I believe Synology offers a hybrid raid option which allows you to combine drives of different size and manufacturer. But I've never used it, nor do I know anyone who has, so I can't speak with any knowledge on it. You've probably already found the answer to your question by now anyway, just thought I'd respond, albeit a tad late.

[canumaso]

This post has been extremely helpful confirming my decision to go with the 212 over the 212J. I will be using it to back up my laptops and to store all my picture, music, and video content and stream to multiple locations. The one question I have is what is the best way to get existing CD and DVD content onto the box and in what format to best stream at the highest quality. I am assuming its not possible to load one of the DVD/CD Ripping software programs onto the box and connect a USB DVD rom to directly transfer the content? I am assuming I need to load the software on a PC and then let it rip the media, find lable covers, etc. and then transfer it to the NAS. Is this a correct assumption and what is the best file format to store music and video in on the NAS for streaming and what software have folks found the best to use for ripping CD and DVD's.

Thanks in Advance.

For ripping movies and music to your hard drive, there are so many programs and formats, you really need to figure out what's best for you. In terms of video encoding, H264 is the best format out there right now, but depending on what media player your using, it might not be compatable. Then there's the container, do you use mkv or mp4, or the more compatable but less space efficient avi? Are you going to be streaming to your xbox or PS3? If so you'll need to format things in a very specific way. If you haven't already figured this out (as I'm a month late in reply), you'll probably want to start here and determine your needs, which will then narrow down the options for you in terms of the method.

For myself, I do H264 mkv rips via Handbrake. For Audio, mp3 is fairly standard. I'm a bit of an audiofile so I prefer 320kbs, but for most people 192kbs is sufficient. Just about any program will allow you to do this. Lame and mp3PRO are both good. I like to use variable bitrate as I find it a more efficient.

Hope this helps.

[Marko]

Cunumaso: I was wondering is the DS212j (or DS411j) powerful enough to simultaneously stream a HD movie and music (flac) and download a torrent file?

My needs are 24/7 torrent (and this is absolutely necessary) and streaming machine that will work with low energy consumption for years to come.

Also I have a question how do you unrar/unzip the files that you download on the ds nas?

[canumaso]

Cunumaso: I was wondering is the DS212j (or DS411j) powerful enough to simultaneously stream a HD movie and music (flac) and download a torrent file?

My needs are 24/7 torrent (and this is absolutely necessary) and streaming machine that will work with low energy consumption for years to come.

Also I have a question how do you unrar/unzip the files that you download on the ds nas?

Hi Marko,

First off, if you live in the U.S. I would recommend against downloading torrents via your synology. Unless I'm mistaken, it doesn't allow you to run Peer Block, not that this is 100% effective anyway. Point is... downloading torrents in the U.S. is very dangerous. People are getting letters in the mail every day with an option to get sued for $250,000 or settle out of court for $2,500. But this isn't really the proper section of this forum to discuss such matters, so I'll move on to the hardware issues.

Downloading torrents 24/7 could lead to hardware difficulties, particular with your drives. I've never had a single drive failure in any of my synologies. I use only WD and Samsung (prefer Samsung nowadays), and with the exception of formatting and large USB backups, my synologies are generally in hybernation more than they are in use. This preserves longievity, though I would imagine that with a few hard drive replacements over the years, your synology will still be running. These things are built to last. Or at least they were. You can still find the much slower 2007 models selling on ebay for over $100. There's a demand for them because they continue to run reliably. They're the Hondas of the NAS industry. Assuming the new ones are built as solidly, you should be set for a while with this baby in terms of the lifespan of the unit itself.

But to answer your initial question, I cannot truly say whether the 411J could do what you are asking efficiently as I have never tried. I'd imagine it could handle it, I've streamed HD video while running a backup on my 211J (identicle specs to the 411J but the two-bay version) with no problem at all... but if you can get away with the two-bay 212J, that one has double the RAM and will be able to handle multi-tasking a lot better. All depends on how much space you need.

I initially started with the 211, anticipating that 4tb in total would be plenty for a long time. Then I had to pick up a 211J to double my capacity. The 211J does what it needs to, but takes longer to wake up from sleep (not a major issue but an annoying one). Also, one of the USB ports drops connection every once in a while. Nothing a bit of soldering wouldn't fix I'm sure but with three USB ports its hardly necessary. In general, I don't hate it, but I'm less happy with it than the 211 model and will probably just turn it into a redundant network back up for half of the four-bay I'm thining of getting. I'm just waiting for the 412 or 412J to come out. Assuming the 412J has 256MB DDR2 like the 212J, I may go for that one. If I were to get one right now, I'd probably spring for the 411 over the 411J.

Also, just figured I'd mention that the 212 model has a slightly higher processor than the 212J (1.6 as compared to 1.2) and gives you USB3.0 ports. If you are content with a two-bay and think you might want to use USB3.0 at some point down the line, it might be worth it. I may go for the 412 over the 412J if USB3.0 is present. Will depend on the price I guess.

In any case, I hope my thoughts are of help to you.

[heyyu]

Hi all,

Wondering if anyone would care to weigh in on whether the DS212 is worth the extra $100 cost over the DS212j.

I currently have a HP Mediasmart Server, and it has been giving me nothing but troubles recently, so I'm looking for a good, cheap alternative. After reading a lot of reviews, I am very impressed with what people have to say about Synology products, and am ready to take the plunge!

I know the DS212j has faster ram (DDR3 vs DDR2), USB 3.0, and SD card slot, but I'm wondering how much use I would really get out of those features.

Thanks again for your input!

Sam

[heyyu]

Sorry, newbie mistake. I just realized there is a separate forum dedicated to questions like this. Got my question answered here - viewtopic.php?f=188&t=44151

Looks like I'll save my pennies and get the 212.

Thanks,

Sam

[grazzt]

I too am new to the site and have been lurking for a while. I too am looking to buy a NAS for home use. I see a lot of recommendation for DS212. But what features in the DS212+ would steer someone to purchase this for the extra $100? that the DS212 cannot deliver?

$100 more will get you...
2.0 GHz vs. 1.6Ghz
512 MB vs 256 MB
Windows ACL support
Did I miss anything?

Is it worth the extra $100 for this?

[canumaso]

Hi Grazzt:

Depends on what you're planning on using your synology for. Most home users rarely do more than stream media and use the photo server, for example. For this, the DS212+ would probably be overkill. But if you plan on using the synology for its full capablities (surveillance system, email server, etc.) then the extra memory and cpu power could come in handy. Really depends on how many apps you plan on enabling. If you're simply using it for NAS storage with minimal other uses, the DS212 is more than sufficient. For simple NAS use, even the DS212J is probably good enough, though IMO the DS212 is worth it over the DS212J for the USB3.0.

Hope this helps. Welcome to the community.

[grazzt]

Thanks canumaso. I appreciate your feedback. I guess I need to read up more on the features of the NAS. I know it will more than likely be overkill for home use with 4 users. The best price I seen for this is about $370 for DS212+ so it is within $70 of the DS212.

I have my studies to learn more what I could do with either... then the trigger will be pulled.

Thanks again!
grazzt