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Synology DiskStation DS112+

NAS specialist Synology has added yet another model to its wide range of business storage appliances. The DiskStation DS112+ is an updated version of the existing DS112, an entry-level single-bay enclosure based on the new consumer DS112j model, which it closely resembles in appearance.
Written by First Take , Previews blog log-in

NAS specialist Synology has added yet another model to its wide range of business storage appliances. The DiskStation DS112+ is an updated version of the existing DS112, an entry-level single-bay enclosure based on the new consumer DS112j model, which it closely resembles in appearance.

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Synology DS112+: an entry-level single-bay NAS box powered a 2GHz CPU with 512MB of RAM

Distinguished from the consumer version externally by a black crackle-finish paint on its plastic casing, it also boasts extra features such as twin USB 3.0 (SuperSpeed) ports and an e-SATA port for external expansion, shared printers or backup use. Internally, it has an upgraded 2GHz CPU with 512MB of DDR3 RAM — a significant improvement on the DS112j's 1.2GHz processor and 128MB of RAM. It supports 3.5in. and 2.5in. hard disks, including the latest 4TB models, although a separate adapter (not included) is needed for 2.5in disks.

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The DS112+ has two USB 3.0 ports and an e-SATA port

Measuring 166mm by 71mm by 224mm, the DS112+ is a compact unit designed for desktop use. It has a longitudinally split case secured by a single screw at the rear, and the disk bay is a standard four-screw affair. The disk can only be formatted with the EXT4 filesystem.

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DiskStation Manager 4

The latest version of the excellent DiskStation Manager (DSM 4) software is supplied, allowing even non-technical users to get up and running with little difficulty. The modular design allows easy installation or removal of the numerous bundled applications, which include a web file manager, a web server, a mail server, a surveillance server and a media server. Data Replicator software is provided for backing up connected clients.

We found that the extra processor horsepower makes the DSM 4 interface very responsive to use, and in tests using our standard 250GB Hitachi CinemaStar drive the DS112+ also showed a decent level of performance. PassMark's Performance Test web server workload (100% random reads, 3.3GB file size) returned an impressive 85MB/sec. In the file server workload (random read/write, 512MB file size) it managed 18MB/sec. It operates very quietly and draws under 15W in operation, and supports scheduled and timed hibernation.

The DS112+ costs £186 (inc. VAT; £155 ex. VAT) and goes on sale on 19 June.

Kelvyn Taylor

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