Synology DiskStation DS116 1-Bay Value NAS Review

Introduction Large and massive can quickly end in something being overpowered for the intended usage and let us face it, it isn't everyone that needs the same. Today's review is for just such a case. May it be because you only just want to dip a toe into the NAS waters first or whether you simply don't need more than a single drive, then Synology's brand new DS116 1-bay value NAS might be just the right choice for you. With the availability of 8TB consumer NAS storage drives and 10TB enterprise grade drives, one drive bay may be all you need to your setup. A small size can pack a lot of capacity these days. It should be noted that the DS116 only supports up to 8TB drives, officially, but there shouldn't be anything preventing the use of larger drives that might become available down the road. The only downside to a 1-bay unit is that you can't set up a redundant drive setup to minimize downtime. But that doesn't mean that you can't create viable backups solutions with the DS116. There are plenty of options for this too. The DS116 is a compact but all-purpose 1- bay NAS with supreme performance versus price ratio and it is simply designed to make your daily data storage activities simpler than ever. It comes equipped with a Marvell ARMADA dual-core CPU (385 88F6820) with a 1.8GHz clock speed and it comes with 1GB onboard DDR3 RAM. This is a great CPU for NAS usage as it features both a hardware encryption engine and a floating-point unit. With a hardware like that at the heart of the NAS, the DS116 is able to deliver a great performance. With tested read speeds over 112 MB/s and write speeds over 111 MB/s, the DS6 does a great job. Encryption is a hard job for any CPU, but the built in hardware engine helps a lot and the DS116 is still rated for over 61MB/s reading and 46MB/s writing under such conditions. The floating point unit speeds up internal operations such as thumbnail generation. This will in return give you a much smoother experience when actively accessing data from the NAS. The great base set by the hardware is continued through the software. As all Synology NAS, the DS116 also runs the award-winning DSM operating system in its newest version, DSM 6. You get an intuitive user interface that is quick to respond and allows you to change all the aspects of your NAS, from user settings to services and apps. Speaking of apps, while the NAS comes with pretty much every feature available, you can still choose between and install hundreds of apps available through the built-in Package Center. With such a variety of software applications, it's no problem to turn the DS116 with your hard drive into a versatile storage server. Whether you want to use it as a private and personal cloud system from which you can access your files anywhere or just want to use it as a backup target for your workstations, it does the job. Whether you want network attached storage in its essence for all your connected devices or create photo albums for your family and friends, it does that too. You can also use it as a local copy of your public cloud or as a 24/7 download portal. Just to name a few scenarios. The DS116 is kept simple when it comes to connection options, but that's a given considering that it is an entry-level value-oriented device. It still features the obligatory 1Gbps Gigabit Ethernet LAN port and it comes with two USB 3.0 ports as well. The USB ports can be used for high-speed data transmission to a variety of portable storage devices or you can use them to attach other USB devices such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth dongles, printers, driver readers, and much more. Naturally we also get a Kensington lock options to secure our NAS to the premises. Physical security is just as important as digital security. The DS116 naturally supports cross platform sharing, so whether your systems are Windows, Mac OS, Linux, or Unix based, you will be able to access all your files from all those systems. Mobile systems such as Android and iOS are also widely covered with a long list of available apps. This puts the control into your hands, no matter where you are. Windows AD and LDAP are both integrated, making it quick and easy to fit the DS116 into existing network setups. A personal cloud system is great, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you don't want to use commercial and free options too, and you can, thanks to Cloud Sync. It can keep your Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Baidu, and Box storage in sync with your local Synology DiskStation too. Local synchronization between all your systems is just as easy thanks to the Cloud Station Suite that collects all the functions into a single app that's easy to use and quick to set up. All of this is naturally done through HTTPS connections and the DS116 also features firewall and IP auto-block mechanisms. Network attached storage in itself is great and so is cloud storage, but a big part of a NAS usage will usually be for multimedia purposes. The DS116 can do this just as well as its bigger brothers with the only exception that this one doesn't come with direct media connections such as HDMI and optical audio connections. But the management and streaming parts, those are covered well with Synology's Photo Station, Audio Station, Video Station and accompanying mobile apps. Stream to DLNA capable devices and use it in combination with AirPlay or Bluetooth get your media files to any networked device around your household and even on the road. When it comes to personal cloud usage, file synchronization, and media streaming outside of your home, you'll need some sort of easy method to connect. Most people don't have a static IP address these days and that is where Quick Connect and EZ-Internet comes into play. With these two functions, it's as easy to connect to your NAS from anywhere outside your home as it is at home. In its essence, it's a dynamic DNS (DDNS) service with advanced features and tuned for use with Synology devices. A few clicks in your user interface and it's all setup. One of the newer functions for Synology NAS' are the comprehensive office features. We already know the VPN and RADIUS features, but the DS116 also offers the SpreadSheet app that allows you to create, edit, and collaborate on spreadsheets with other people simultaneously in any browser and directly on your NAS. Synology's Surveillance Station is also supported and allows you to manage IP cameras deployed in your office or home. Always keep an eye on what's going on. Feature Highlights Compact & quiet, blending into your small offices and home Dual-core CPU with hardware encryption engine Over 112.53 MB/s reading, 111.41 MB/s writing Dual USB 3.0 ports for external storages and printers Multimedia streaming via DLNA-certified media server Brightness adjustable front LED indicators with schedule control Easy to use, web-based operating system on all browsers Packaging and Accessories The DS116 comes in a simple brown package with a two stickers, one on the front and one on the back. I really like this package style as its better for the environment. It allows for an easier production line with fewer steps as well as the use of fewer colours. Let's face it, it's a box. Once we've unpacked it our brand new NAS, we will never look at it again. Despite the simple-designed layout, we still get all the relevant information. The device itself is pictured and the feature highlights are visible right on the front. On the rear, we find more details on the hardware specification as well as a photo showing where what is located. It's quick to view and you won't need to hold the box in your hands for long before you know all the details. There is quite a bit packed inside this little box, so don't let the size fool you. Besides the NAS itself, we find drive and enclosure screws, an RJ45 LAN cable, and an AC/DC power adapter with a plug fitting the region that you bought it in. There is also a welcome and quick install guide that will help you get the NAS set up in very few steps. It's also worth nothing that Synology always includes mode screws than needed. In this case, there are two extra drive screws and one extra enclosure screw. This is a great bonus in case you drop one or the cat or vacuum cleaner decides to eat one. We all know, those things happens now and then. A closer look Now that we have learned a lot about what features the DS116 has, it is time to take a closer look at the actual unit itself. Starting with the exterior, we get a simple but beautiful black NAS. The surface is soft coated which makes it pleasant to hold and there are LEDs on the front for all things except USB. Status, LAN, and Disk activity are located at the top while the power button has a built-in LED too for the actual power state. The soft coating does trap dust and finger residue a bit different than a blank coating will, as seen here, but it is easily cleaned again. So that's nothing to worry about for the clean freaks. Both sides have the Synology logo edged into the chassis which doubles as ventilation area. A clever combination of design and functionality. The DS116 is a classic 2-piece enclosure as we've seen them before. The two parts are held together by two screws in the back and can be slid apart once they're removed. Slide in the hard drive and screw it in and you're ready to power up your brand new NAS. Before we power it up, we'll take a deeper look at it internally - while I already have it open. Moving a bit closer up to the drive mounts, we see that there aren't any rubber grommets or protections on the bottom nor the sides. This was to be expected with this being a value model and it's nothing that will create an issue in any way. With only one drive running in the NAS and NAS hard disk drives being vibration optimized, it isn't really needed anyway. The PCB isn't large at all, in fact, it's pretty small. Less hardware means fewer things that have to be powered and thereby a more economical NAS. A perfect fit for a device like the DS116 Turning the PCB over, we see the CPU cooled by a passive cooling block. This is plenty for a system like this and the case does have a little fan. The 1GB RAM is onboard, so there aren't any upgrade abilities here. The SATA connector is soldered directly onto the motherboard, making the entire system a one-piece. Well, except for the power button that has its own little PCB due to the LED functions. Everything is more or less handled by the CPU, but there's also a Marvel Alaska 88E1514 Gigabit Ethernet controller located in this NAS. We can also spot some of the EMI pads protecting the setup and connecting everything to the chassis. There are only solid capacitors used everywhere inside the NAS, which is something that's a pleasure to see at any given time. They'll last longer and thereby give you a better value for your money by granting the NAS a longer lifetime. The small fan is from Y.S TECH FD126015LL which is a normal square 60x60x15mm fan powered by 12V and 0.12A. System Specifications, Features & Power Consumption Hardware Specifications General Features and Applications Add-On Packages Login The default login page is very simple in itself which makes it load quickly over any connection type. We still have the ability to customize it to our liking. We can change the page title, welcome title, and welcome message to something else and we can also change the background. Dashboard The dashboard is simple but effective. We have our taskbar at the top with the main app button on the far left (start menu for Windows users). From here everything can be dragged onto the desktop itself to create shortcuts and faster access to the function you need repeatedly. System widgets can be launched as overlay windows that give a quick glance at your systems health status and usage load. There's also access to the notifications and user settings as well as the search function directly from the taskbar. There are two basic themes available, Light and Dark. Light is the default setting. Every user also has the ability to customize their own experience with user dependent menu styles, icon size, colours, and background settings. Power Consumption The chart contains the actual power consumption measured at the PSU connection and while loaded with a maximum amount of drives. Peak, or maximum, power draw will occur during boot times. Setup - Initialization, User Settings, and Storage Initialization The initialization of a Synology NAS is as easy as it could be. You barely have to do a thing but power it up and select a few basic settings. The easiest way to get started is by using the Synology Assistant software. It will quickly discover any Synology device connected to your network. It also offers more features than that, so it is well worth installing. When the Synology Assistant discovers a Not-Installed device, it will launch the Web Assistant for the device automatically. From here on it's just a few steps to complete the initialization. The first thing to do is to install the latest version of DSM. Download link and features will be available here, so you just need to click to download and then select it once it has finished. The installation won't take long at all and you can follow the entire process on the screen. Once the NAS is done with the installation and formatting your installed drive, it will reboot one last time before it is ready. Upon rebooting, the setup will refresh and you can now give your new DS16 NAS a name so you can recognize it in your network environment. You also have to provide a username and password for the administrator account. And that's it. The system is ready to be used. While we're technically done, the initialization wizard still offers a few more settings for us right up front, such as the update schedule and install configuration. We can also connect the NAS with our QuickConnect account right away or create a new one. This is by far the easiest way to reach your NAS over the internet and when you're on the go. It is also completely free, so there really isn't a reason not to do so. Last but not least, Synology offers us to install some of the most used apps right away. You can either install them or simply skip this step. And that's it folks, the DS116 is ready to serve your files. The first time you enter the user interface after the initialization, you're greeted with a small welcome tutorial explaining the basic parts of the interface. The small 5-step guide is followed by the DSM Help file, a very comprehensive help solution that can answer most questions you might have on features and usage. User Settings Every DSM user has a row of settings available of which depend a little on their access level. It starts out with the basic details, 2-step verification options, and account activity. As an admin user, I don't have any drive quota, but that might be different for a lot of your users. Here you can keep a close eye on how much of your allowed space that you're using. You can also change a good deal of Desktop options from background to menu style. Email accounts are easily connected, especially when you're using one of the big services such as Gmail and Outlook. But you can also configure custom providers to match whatever setup you have. The final user page has a few general options such as preview on the taskbar, keyboard shortcuts, and notifications. Storage Options The NAS created the basic volume during the initialization and with a 1-bay unit, we don't have much choice towards other types of setups. That doesn't mean that the Storage Manager is unnecessary, especially since this NAS supports iSCSI despite being a value NAS. The state of the volume and its usage can be viewed here and you can both remove and edit the existing setup. Health and SMART information are available for the installed disks, in this case just the one. You can view logs for the specific drive, and schedule tasks and tests. The write cache is another function that you might or might not want to have a look at, just as the bad sector warning feature. Both can be very useful features. We can also view the installed drive in details within the Health Info function. From this overview. To all the details. I was surprised to find the iSCSI feature in the DS116 as that's usually a feature reserved for SMB and better systems. However, it is a positive surprise and I will naturally also be testing this performance later on. There are many benefits to an iSCSI setup and it is quick and easy to do. It is also supported on basically any modern operating system such as Windows 7 and newer. Just search for iSCSI through your start menu and you'll find the initiator. Set the type and capacity, enter a name and select the target volume to be used - and that's it. You can optionally enable CHAP and use password protection for the iSCSI target. And that's it, the setup is ready for your connection. External Devices The main function for the USB ports will most likely be for storage as seen here, but that isn't the only thing that the DS116 supports in its ports. You can also connect USB printers through the NAS and turn ordinary devices into network capable ones. Wireless and Bluetooth dongles are also supported, but we'll take a look at that in a little bit. Setup - Users, Shares, Services, and Network Up until now we only created our basic setup and got one administrator user, and that is something we need to change. The logical next step would be to create users, groups, and shared folders. All three of these settings are found in the Control Panel and then in the File Sharing group. User Accounts You should never use your administrator account for everyday usage, simply for security reasons. You shouldn't let people share accounts either and there is no need to. You can basically create as many user accounts as you want to and every one of them will have their own options available. Besides the manual creation method, there's also the option to generate a batch of users at once through the use of a text file. But the main way to create a user is through the normal creation option. The only mandatory fields are the username and password, and the password can be automatically and randomly generated. You can assign the user to a group right away if you already created some. There are a few default groups available already. Each user has their own access rights for the shared folders on the system. Deny access, give read only access, or read and write permissions where it's needed. Each user can also have their own user quota, the amount of space that they are allowed to use. Similar as with folders, you can also specify which apps the users should have access to and which they shouldn't. Last but not least, you can limit transfer speeds for each service individually for every user. And that's it, after this page you'll only get a confirmation of your settings before you apply them and create the new user. There are also a few global users settings in the Control Panel, to be found under the User Advanced Settings. These include password settings, 2-step verification, and home directories for users. User Groups A lot of users are great, but it can also be a lot to manage. User groups make that a lot easier as you can set the same rules as we've just seen for users, but for a whole group of users. Shared folder and Application access can be set for an entire group, allowing you easy maintenance and quick changes that affect everyone in a group. Domain and LDAP Should your setup already contain a Domain or LDAP setup for your credentials, then that's just as easy connected as you would expect it to. Enter the details and hit apply ... and you're done. Shared Folders The Shared Folders are kind of the backbone of your NAS. These are the folders that you'll see in the network environment and that you're able to mount on your various systems. There are some created by the various apps installed and you can create as much more as you'd like. Creating a new shared folder is quick and painless. The name is the only required thing to add, the rest can be left as it is. You still got a lot of options, such as network recycle bin, encryption, and the ability to hide shares from being visible when the server is browsed. You can set both user and group permissions during the creation process, so there is no need to go back and edit it later. The advanced permissions tab contains a few more settings that most will skip, but they're great to have when needed. You can disable features such as directory browsing, modification of existing files, and even prevent file downloads. And that is how you create a new shared folder, in this case, an encrypted one. After all, the DS116 supports hardware encryption. Services The services are all collected in a single page with four panes in Synology's DSM, so there's no need to browse a lot around to find them all. The basic file sharing settings such as Windows, Mac OS, and NFS are found on the first tab and each of them has their respective advanced function via popup. DSM also comes with a very good FTP server built in. It supports SSL connections as well as FXP transfers, SFTP and speed limitations on the entire scale. This is a comprehensive solution for a built-in one and something that scores a lot of points in my book. FTP is probably my personal preferred method of file transfers from system to system. TFTP is great for those who need it, but it's probably not a feature used much on this specific NAS. Still, there is no need to remove it and users that might need it will be happy to find it. It's a basic feature, but it works and it's proven. Rsync is also found here and not in the Backup app, something that seems a bit off. On the other hand, it's a vital file service in my opinion, which makes it positioned right. Rsync is a great and efficient way for automatic file synchronization and backups and it is one that is supported by virtually any system. Network Configuration The DS116 only has one LAN port and as such there isn't that much to be done in the Network settings. Well, that might be what you're thinking, but in fact, there are a lot of things here that you might want to take a look at. The first pane has the default network settings such as server name, gateway, DNS, and proxy settings. In 99% of all cases, this is set as it should be by default. The Network interface pane is where we usually bond our network connections on the systems with more than one LAN port. We can still do things here such as set the Service order. This becomes particularly useful when a USB WiFi dongle has been connected, giving the NAS an extra connection. The Traffic Control and Static Route features explain themselves and the last pane is filled with connection options for DSM itself. You can change the default ports, force specific type connections, and disable discovery methods. There are more network features in the Wireless area, but those are only accessible when a USB dongle has been connected to the system. Connecting to a wireless network from here is no different than any other place. Scan for available networks or manually add one and hit the connect button. Once connected, you have all connection settings available in the same place. Bluetooth works the same way, but my adapter doesn't support Bluetooth. Setup - Information, Hardware, Notification & Other System Features So far, I've mostly focused on the basic file distribution features, but there is a lot more and that includes hardware monitoring, notification, and security features. Information Center The Info Center within the Control Panel is a great way to get all the information about your NAS in the quickest possible way. The first page will show information about the NAS itself, such as what CPU is inside, how much RAM, what DSM version, time, thermal status, and much more. The second pane gives you a view on your network settings. And the third does the same for the storage. Again, with just a 1-bay unit and a single LAN port, these pages don't have the highly spectacular information available. They're still critical tho. The Service panel is awesome. You can quickly enable or disable services as well as set the port forwarding rules automatically in your router. Whether it's internet services, local services, or app services, you can control them from here. Hardware and Power The Hardware and Power settings allow you control over audio notifications through the built-in speaker and control the fan mode. You can also adjust the LED brightness and even create scheduled brightness changes. An awesome feature, especially if it is placed in the bedroom or similar locations. And you can do that with a unit as silent as this one, without any problem. You can also create power schedules. Why should the NAS be running at times where you don't access it at all? For example at night or when you're at work and got no time to browse your content. Have it turn on and off by your rules. The default HDD hibernation time is set to 20 minutes. My preferred setting is 30 minutes, but that really comes down to personal usage. You can also set the hibernation time for connected USB drives. UPS devices are also supported, should you want to hook your new DS116 up to an uninterrupted power supply. Resource Monitor There is also a quite extensive resource monitor built in, and you can naturally find that in the start menu to the top left in your taskbar. The resource monitor is as you'd expect it, a place to monitor what's going on in the system and with the connections as well as the drives. You can also keep track of your users that currently are connected and their usage. There aren't many settings available here, but we can enable usage history and set the real time duration for the monitor. Security There are a lot of security features built right into DSM itself, starting with the basics such as logout timers and improvements against cross-site attacks. The firewall is basic in itself, but it can be a useful tool to have at your disposal. There's also a basic Denial of Service (DoS) protection built directly into the system. The Auto Block is again one of the simpler security features, but it's effective. It will in its essence prevent brute force attacks on your password by blocking users after a set amount of failed attempts. The default SSL certificate is a self-signed one by Synology, but you can change, modify, and add to that as you please. The final security pane controls the HTTP compression settings and SSL Cipher settings. In the start menu, you'll also find the Security Advisor. A useful little tool that will scan your system and suggest improvements. How long the scan takes will depend on how much data you got on your system, as with any other malware detecting system. Once it's done, you can view single group details or the overall results all put together. There are a few settings for this feature too after which it will recommend settings. Home and business users don't necessarily need the same security. Notification You have access to your notifications right from the taskbar at the top of DSM. It will be highlighted when new notifications happen and pressing the button on the bottom of the list will open the full view as seen to the left in the shot below. Within the control panel, you can edit the notification settings. One of the features you'll most likely want to use is the email function. Effectively, the NAS will send you an email when something happens that you should know about. If you have an SMS provider or feature at your disposal, then you can set that up too. This will most likely require third-party subscriptions as you're used to from your mobile phone. Push service can be used in combination with mobile apps on your smartphone and tablets. This is a very convenient way to get notifications directly on your mobile device and in almost real-time. The final pane within the Notification settings allows you to control what kind of events trigger what kind of notification. You'll find any event alert possible here and can make the appropriate changes. More Features There are a lot more features in DSM itself and you can add even more through the use of apps. One of them is the Media and File Indexing that is greatly aided by the floating point unit in the CPU. It especially speeds up the automatic thumbnail creation, among other things. The Task Scheduler is an easy way to run automated tasks at specified intervals. One item already added here is the DSM Auto Update that will keep the system itself up-to-date with the latest features and fixes. Apps - Cloud, Download, Note, and other Stations and Apps There are so many available features in DSM that it's a hard job to show them all. There are still a few more that are worth highlighting and we also need to take a look at the Package Center (App Center). Package Center The package center is where you find all the extra functions, both from Synology and Third parties. The first two pages allow you to see your installed packages and easy updates when needed. There are eight recommended apps and they are recommended for a reason. They're awesome in their respective field and well worth checking out. There is a lot more, from Antivirus over extra backup solutions such as Hyper Backup and HiDrive, to more advanced features such as SpreadSheet or Wordpress Sub categories make it easier to navigate between all the available apps and find the things that you're looking for. Cloud Station This relatively new app is awesome and your one-stop location for file synchronization and backup across all your devices. It is as easy to setup as a shared folder and allows you to not only backup files from PCs and mobile devices, but also sync with other Cloud Stations. Keep track of the sync versions of your shares and edit your sync profiles - and everything is created so even the most novice NAS user will find their way through the setup and configuration. Download Station Having a headless download station is awesome. You don't need to have you main system running for this, nor do you need to spend its resources in order to download files. The NAS is running anyway and it is most likely the place you'll move your downloaded files to anyway. Why not let it handle it right away. Synology's Download Station is quite comprehensive and supports anything from BitTorrents over eMul to HTTP, FTP, and NZB. Multimedia Stations Synology also provides a full set of multimedia apps such as the Audio Station. Stream and play your music on any connected device. The PhotoStation does the same for images And the Video Station does it for your video collection. Media Server For other systems, DSM has the built-in Media Server that can stream to DLNA and UPnP digital media adapters such as stereo systems, TV sets, or gaming consoles. If also features its own audio transcoding functionality. Note Station The Note Station and SpreadSheet apps provide you with an impressive office solution. Create calendar notes, text files, and spreadsheets directly on your own personal Synology DS116 NAS. Testing Method Most of the hardware for NAS testing isn't an important factor when it comes to benchmarks, most of it comes down to the network infrastructure. I will be teaming the two Intel Gigabit Ethernet ports on my test bench and connect them to my managed switch. The same will be done with the available LAN ports on the NAS, which should give a great testing environment. As part of the testing, the NAS is connected through a D-Link DXS-1210-12TC managed 10GBase switch and then to our test bench to give the best real world setup test that we can and the NAS itself will be packed with Western Digital's latest RED NAS drives. Intel's NASPT software does require us to drop the memory down to 2GB, as using any more would lead to data caching and skew the results. I will be testing the NAS box performance under each of the RAID options that it has available as well just a single drive. Full volume encryption and shared folder encryption will also be tested where available, to check what impact it has on the performance. Test system: Supermicro C7Z97-OCE Intel Xeon E3-1230Lv3 Exceleram EP3001A 2GB PC3-10666 Kingston HyperX 240GB SSD Sapphire R7 240 2GB be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 850W Thermaltake Water 3.0 Performer C Lian Li PC-T60 Disks in Product: WD RED NAS 6TB Angelbird SSD2go Pocket 512GB USB 3.0 Network Setup: D-Link DXS-1210-12TC D-Link DXE-820T We would like to thank our sponsors for supplying us with the components needed for the test system as well as drives. Software used: With a device of this sort having so many different applications, Intel's NASPT software covers all the bases and also gives us a set of results that we will be able to utilize and give a benchmark against other similar systems in the future. Intel NASPT (Network Attached Storage Performance Toolkit) performs its test by transferring varying sizes and quantities of data to and from the device based on twelve different scenarios. Newly added is also FlashFXP that I will be using to test the built-in FTP server features. FTP transfers are essential and as such it's a vital part to check. There are many available FTP clients on the market, but FlashFXP is by far my favourite. The amount of functions, the layout, and the log methods make the app perfect for this usage and having used it personally for the past 15 years, or longer, I'm familiar with its layout and functionality. As this is a new test, it is one that most likely will evolve as more reviews get done and as more relevant and advanced tests will be added. For now, I will run two tests: First, I'll transfer five DVD rips, each approximately 1.4GB big and with a total of 7.2GB consistent of movie files, NFO files, and subtitles. The second test is a single file, a 22GB uncompressed 720p MP4 HD video file. It goes for both types of tests, that I run every benchmark five times in a row and pick the best of the five results. In most cases it's actually the first one. HD Video Playback HD Video playback is a read test, where a single 2 Gb file is read in 256 kB blocks sequentially from the drive. This simulates where a 720p HD video is being watched across the network to a media player on the other end. 2x HD Video Playback 2x HD Video Playback works with exactly the same data set as the first HD Video test, however, this time, the same content is streamed twice from the NAS box simulating two simultaneous streams being made to external media players. 4x HD Video Playback In the same way that the 2x Video Playback streams to the equivalent of 2 external media players at the same time, the test here doubles that again up to a simulated 4 media players. HD Video Record The HD Video Record test is, as the name suggests, a write test to the NAS box. A single 2 GB file is written to the device in 256 kB blocks sequentially to the disk. HD Playback & Record The HD playback and record test now put the drive under the same single record and playback tests as before, but now at the same time. This will factor for the quick changes needed to switch between reading and writing two large blocks of data across the network to the device. Content Creation For content creation, Intel have simulated access to via video creation applications. This is made up of 98 files with 12 MB reads and 14 MB writes in varying sizes of blocks. The activity is predominantly non-sequential with the majority of access time made up of writing to the drives. There are quiet periods of read/write activity interrupted with busy periods to present a difficult workload on the drives. Office Productivity The office productivity simulation is very similar to the content creation, with a total of 607 files written to and read from the drive. A total of 1.4 GB of data is written to and read from the drive with a close balance between each made - the majority of write access is made up of 1 kB writes. File Copy To NAS This test quite simply put copies a single large file from the test system to the NAS box to show how well the system can sustain a single write speed. The 1.4 GB file is copied to the drive and written in 64 kB blocks. File Copy From NAS File copy from the NAS works in exactly the same way as the copy test, but it works in the opposite direction. The single 1.4 GB file is read off the NAS in 64 kB blocks. Directory Copy To NAS In the directory copy to NAS test, a directory tree representing that of a typical commercially available office suite is copied to the NAS to trace the bulk copy of a complex directory. A total of 2833 files making up 247 MB are moved, but the file sizes vary considerably with an average size of 41.4 kB. Due to the varying sizes of the files, only around 50% of the writes are sequential. Directory Copy From NAS In the same way that the file copy from NAS traces the same file back across to the test system, the directory copy from NAS does exactly the same but to the entire directory that it copied across previously. Photo Album Last of all is a test based on a photo album. When a photo album is viewed on-screen, only the images that you see are loaded from the drive and so when you scroll through the album, the new images have to be fetched and read. The album here contains 169 photos with varying file sizes based on the size, quality, and detail in the image. Reading the files in a photo album puts an unusual read load upon the drive as the metadata is read, a thumbnail constructed and finally the image viewed. Average Throughput This page shows the average throughput from each of the previous 12 tests in one and it can serve as an easy comparison between products. Encryption Throughput A proper security setup is important for a NAS and we'll naturally also test how the unit performs in this regards. With built-in hardware encryption engine, we should still see a great performance here. FTP Performance For the FTP performance test I will be using FlashFXP, in my opinion, the best FTP client on the market and one that I've personally used for a very long time. It has every feature you could want, including scripting functionality and FXP support. As performance tests, I will transfer two sets of files from my 10Gbit-connected test system to the NAS. The first being a 22GB uncompressed MP4 file in its own folder and the second set being five DVD rips, each approximately 1.4GB big and in their individual sub-folders, including NFO files and subtitles for a total of 7.2GB data. These two tests will simulate tasks that should be common for FTP usage. Final Thoughts Pricing We can't provide actual shop prices at this time, as the review is written before the actual release and to be timed and published at the same time. But we do know the recommended retail prices by Synology and that's just as good. The Synology DiskStation DS116 will set you back $183.60 in the US and £127.20 in the UK. Overview Synology's new DS116 1-bay NAS has a lot more to offer than you would think when you hear that it is a 1-bay NAS that is being branded as a Value unit. Neither of those terms should scare you away in any form or way. Despite just having one drive bay, with modern HDD capacities up to 8TB and above, one bay may be all you need. While you don't have the options for a redundant drive setup here, you still have plenty of backup options to other NAS devices, external drives, and even to various cloud services. The Value tag refers more to the fact that we get a lot for our money here and it isn't just a run-of-the-mill budget unit. Synology put a lot of effort into the system and the result is one that offers a great performance with business-like features but at a low cost. The low cost goes both for the initial purchase of the unit and drives, but also for the total costs of ownership over time. The low power consumption will barely register on your electricity bill. The NAS in itself, despite its simplicity, has everything you'll want from a device like this. Starting on the inside, we find a 1.8GHz clocked dual-core CPU and 1GB DDR3 memory. Externally we have two USB 3.0 ports and a single Gigabit Ethernet port and that is basically what makes up the DS116. The CPU features both a floating point unit that, for example, speeds up thumbnail creation and it also has a hardware encryption engine. These two features will help speed up more demanding tasks and provide you with a fluent experience. Whether you want to connect with ordinary shared network folders on Mac OS, Linux, and Windows, or you want to use iSCSI - the DS116 has you covered. It also comes with a great backup, sync, and cloud station that will make backup jobs easy to create and manage. VPN, multimedia streaming, and mobile apps are also part of the deal. Overall, everything you want from a NAS. We saw a solid performance throughout all the benchmarks and there is no doubt that this is a NAS that delivers what it promises. A great system stacked onto great hardware and packed with all the features you want. Pros: Compact, quiet, and energy efficient Dual-core CPU with hardware encryption engine Dual USB 3.0 ports Brightness adjustable front LED indicators with schedule control DSM 6.0 operating system Comprehensive multimedia and backup solutions iSCSI support Cons: None "A powerful yet economical server that convinces through great hardware, plenty of features, and a wallet-friendly price tag." Thank You Synology for providing us with this review sample.

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