September 13, 2017

[Deal Alert] Synology RT1900ac and RT2600ac routers down roughly $30 at several retailers

We love Synology's products here, but this latest deal isn't on the company's famous NAS gear but its lesser known routers. Jordan has already reviewed the RT2600ac, one of Synology's two routers, and came away impressed. He called it a beast thanks to its good range, speed, as well as its user-friendly interface and Android app that lets you control priorities and change settings easily from your phone.If you were looking for a router (and you're not swayed by the various mesh options), I'd suggest you check out Jordan's review first and then look at these deals. Both the RT2600ac and its older sibling the RT1900ac are being discounted around $30 on Amazon, Newegg, and B&H.  Here are the links to the deals:

Read More
June 25, 2017

How to create a virtual machine on a Synology NAS

A common request I’ve seen among Synology NAS owners, is the ability to run virtual machines directly from their NAS. Recently Synology released a beta version of their new Virtual Machine Manager package that allows users to do exactly that. Below I’ll detail how to install, configure, and create a Windows 10 virtual machine on my Synology DS1815+. Before getting started, your Synology NAS not only needs to be compatible but also needs to meet a couple requirements: Have at...
Read More
April 22, 2017

Synology DiskStation DS416play review: Cloud who? Personal servers can be cool and feature-filled too

This is one of the most difficult reviews I've had to write to date. I've been using the Synology DS416play for several months, yet everytime I sat down to start writing, I felt overwhelmed by what I should and shouldn't discuss and eventually found myself drifting to work on another simpler and more urgent news article. I love detailed reviews, I enjoy delving deep into every single feature a product offers and discussing its benefits and limitations, as evidenced by the lengthy reviews I've written on Android Police over the years. But if I wanted to do the same for this NAS, I knew I'd end up with 10K+ words at the very least without even scratching the surface of many options. A 300-page book wouldn't cover everything I want to talk about with the DS416play, because it's that feature-filled.So naturally, compromises had to be made. I eventually convinced myself that I'd have to selectively choose from the hundreds of screenshots and notes I've taken over the months and tackle the review from a specific point of view: the Android user. After all, we're on Android Police and it makes sense to focus on what the average Android user would get out of having this personal NAS server. The other limitation is a personal one: it's true that I know about nerdy things more than your average Joe, but I have nowhere near the detailed understanding and expertise of an advanced user. I came to this review with zero previous experience with personal servers and no background whatsoever in networks, NAS servers, and connectivity. I don't know the jargon and I am not very interested in learning it unless it's essential for a feature I'm actively setting up or using.With that preamble out in the open, what do I think of the DS416play? In one word: outstanding. If you're thinking about buying a personal server and you're not easily terrified by having to set a couple of things up and research a few acronyms, then the Synology experience should be very approachable to you. The performance is excellent and the options are mind boggling once you start digging deeper. There's a lot here for more advanced users too, though I wouldn't have the slightest idea if the specs satisfy the super-uber-mega demanding users. I'm sure some of our readers can easily point to a couple of specs and scoff saying they wouldn't touch a server with at least quadruple that number and/or with 3 other missing options. But everyone else probably wouldn't complain.

Read More
April 19, 2017

Synology RT2600AC review: A beast disguised as a router

When Synology approached us with an offer to review a new product, I was thrilled. The company is well-known for its NAS (Network Attached Storage) machines, but the item in question turned out to be a router. Now, I know what you're thinking: a router review from Android Police? As some of you may well know, we do not exclusively handle Android-specific products like phones, tablets, etc. Sometimes, we like to provide all of you with our opinions on other accessories and the like to help improve your experience with your Android devices. Get it?A router is a pretty crucial thing to have in your home, especially for your phone (unless you have unlimited data, but still). But there's a lot more involved than simply picking the cheapest or most expensive one — I mean, you have speeds, frequencies, features, firmware, range, and security to consider. Luckily, the RT2600AC by Synology provides some of the best performance in all of those categories without being needlessly expensive.For lack of a better way to say it, this is one hell of a beast. But I don't want to spoil one of the few router reviews to be featured on Android Police, so let's dive in.

Read More
January 11, 2017

Synology DS apps see updates, Android TV, fingerprint and passcode security, and automatic backup features inbound

Uploading your files to the cloud might be fashionable these days, but some still like to keep their files, photos, videos, and anything else secure from prying eyes, yet still accessible if they're not at their computer. Synology, a maker of Network Attached Storage devices, which the company calls DiskStations (DS for short), has updated four of its apps; DS photo, DS file, DS note, and MailPlus.

Read More