Synology makes the best plex nas server, and I have used its products for more than a decade. While the brand does not have class-leading hardware, its software suit remains the best in the industry, and its NAS servers have been reliable. Currently, I use diskstation DS1823xs+ as my main NAS, more than 140TB, and I have more than 80TB of data as DS1621xs+ a secondary NAS.
Synology had a cool 2024, but the brand is soon set to launch its 2025 portfolio. But when the new plus series models appear, there will be a significant limit: these discustation models will be compatible with the first-party drive of synology, not the best NAS HDD from seagate and western digital.
Synology began to implement it in 2021 to its business-centered NAS model-coincidentally when he started his drive-but it was mentioned at a time that this step would not affect the consumer discustation series. But at the same time, the brand significantly reduced the number of eligible third-party Ironwolph and WD Red models, and now it is completely limiting earlier claims and its discusation plus series to its drive.
From the press release (in German): “For users, it means starting with the plus series model released in 2025, only the certified third-party hard drives will be compatible and provide a full range of tasks and support as per the specifications of their hard drives and synology.”
The brand notes are valid only with the plus model that debuts 2025 and later, so discusion in existing portfolio is unaffected DS923+, DS224+, DS723+, and all other models. Synology also mentioned that migrating drive from existing NAS to 2025 Plus server will not provoke any restriction: “There will be no change for the plus model issued by 2024 and will be possible for a new model to a new model.
Originally, if you use anything other than a synology-branded hard drive in the 2025 discustation plus model, you will not be able to use key features such as volume-wide Diduplication, Lifespan analysis and automatic hard drive firmware updates. Synology states that it is making changes to “reduce compatibility issues and increase the credibility of the system”, but the real reason is to do with money – brand rather you will buy your drive instead of seagate and WD products.
In a statement, Cyneology stated that it conducted a 7,000 -hour rigorous test with his own hard drive in combination with the upcoming discusion plus model, and in general it “saw a decrease of 20% in support tickets related to storage and drive issues when using Sinology’s HDD.”
It is understandable that the brand is trying to provide a strict integration between its drive and the NAS server, but the option must eventually be made by the user. As someone uses seagate’s ironwolf and exoS, Toshiba and WD Drives extensively with Red HDD, I don’t want to go to selecting just a drive.
I have always recommended the Synology NAS server for their strong feature-set and ease of use, but this deliberate user-rhetoric trick has rethinked me that decision. As long as I will wait for the decision to get my hands on the plus model (they are soon debut), but as an enthusiastic, I cannot help, but it can feel that Sinology is leaving its loyal userbase, just to get out additional profits.
