We could barely get a Windows 10 instance up and running, and saw similar performance issues when we ran a lightweight Linux distro as well. More strenuous tasks such as virtual machines will definitely put a strain on the Synology DS920+ if you don’t slot in an extra RAM module. Transcoding performs slightly better than it did on the DS918+, which is good to see. The 4GB of onboard RAM is sufficient for most tasks such as file sharing and media streaming via Plex or through Synology’s own video apps. Given the base cost of the DS920+ as well as the drives, we would have definitely have like to see the networking side of things also get an upgrade for faster transfer speeds. These speeds are acceptable, but we really feel that Synology should have tried to up this by using 2.5GbE ports. Network file copy of a folder with multiple file sizes peaked at about 127MB/s when copying to the NAS, and about 134MB/s when copying from it. Our test setup used two Seagate 4TB drives in a RAID 1 array, without caching.

The Synology DS920+ will vary on performance based of course on your drive and RAID setup, as well as whether or not you’re using the NVMe slots for caching. There are also apps that allow you to run email, VPN, and other services, or turn your NAS into a private cloud solution through Synology’s native cloud apps. You can also add the NAS to your current network domain to allow Active Directory to manage permissions accordingly. If you’re setting this up as a business NAS, then you definitely want to look at some of the backup apps, in addition to setting up several file shares and allocating users accordingly. Everything is clearly labeled and easy to navigate, with detailed instructions for some of the more complicated packages. From media applications such as Plex to cloud storage solutions, there’s a myriad of software you can install to really make your NAS come alive.Įven if you’ve never used or set up a NAS before, the Synology DSM OS makes it really simple to get around. Once its up and running, the Package Center will be your first stop, as this is where you’ll get to decide what you want to get out of your Synology DS920+.

Best synology packages