Speaking from personal experience, these are an awesome NAS and this is a great price. I got mine several months ago for $640 and couldn't be happier with it. Easy to setup then you can just forget about them while they chug along 24/7. Absolutley hassle-free and a joy to setup & use. Can't recommend more.
UPDATE: The cheeky buggers just raised the price by $10 so it's no longer $619.65 as it was when this deal was originally posted :( Bit rude.
I've got the 418play and can confirm, awesome piece of hardware - but more than that, the software is what really shines. Super easy to manage, even for a newcomer.
Yup. I came from a DIY Xpenology NAS which was basically running an old version of 418play OS from memory. It was excellent and worked flawlessly as a basic NAS (Plex & SONOS Streaming and just data storage) for years however once I connected my IP Cameras and purchased extra camera licenses for Surveillance Station I began hitting annoying limitations due to not having an up-to-date OS. Bought this earlier this year and boom, everything just worked first go and has been ever since I don't even know it's there!
The software is fantastic, but don't make the mistake of buying one of the very cheap models, as they aren't capable of running the software in a reasonable manner.
This one would be superb.
How Good are these with Plex? I generally have up to 3 people using mine at once currently, and I'm looking to upgrade from a WD My Cloud home.
They work great with PLEX however I'm only coming from a household running a single stream at a time… maybe two tops. Can anyone else comment on 2+ PLEX streams?
I got the 716+ at home, streams Plex no issues with 3-4 at the same time I imagine it’s better with this. Haven’t tried 4K but I don’t think my 716+ can handle it…
The 918+ supports hardware transcoding, so I've heard it's pretty good.
Yeah cheers, Just found this forum post. https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-server-on-ds918-perfect-hardwa…
Seems like it would be a great upgrade!
Just be aware that for hardware acceleration you need to run Plex natively (i.e no Docker) and you need an active Plex Pass subscription. I got caught out by it :( Before that, I had 97% CPU usage transcoding to Chromecast sometimes
(i.e no Docker)
Sorry, what does this mean?
I have a Plex pass subscription.
I currently run it with me and my house mate, and remotely for my parents. It's been working fine with my WD 4tb My cloud Home, but I want to upgrade storage so thought I'd go for an all round upgrade.
@ONEMariachi: It means install the official application from the Synology store and not run it in a container (which is what Docker is). Don't worry - it's much harder to get it running in Docker so there's no risk of you accidentally doing it. Just go through the Synology store and download Plex from there.
More of a heads up for people that prefer using containers.
@DreadPirateRoberts: The official app in the Synology store is not the latest version - It's a long way behind. You can get the latest Synology Plex application by downloading directly from the Plex site then manually installing it from the Synology store. https://www.plex.tv/media-server-downloads/?platform=synolog…
I use it on my DS916+ that I upgraded to 8Gb memory and it works great with multiple concurrent 4k steams
I assume if you're transcoding, you can run 3x 1080p simultaneously but probably not 3x 4K.
For just streaming, it'll be able to effortlessly support 3.
That's what I understand from the specs and what they claim, I do not own one.
Thanks OP, been waiting for this sale and just ordered one.
I recently installed a Unifi Network in my house. Is this as easy as plugging it into my switch to stream it off the WiFi network?
Yep, should be! That's all I'm doing with mine.
You can run Unifi Controller from a Docker container - There's also one for Unifi Video - both work 100% and saves you money as you don't need another PC, NVR or a Cloud key
Should I be able get this one or the DS218+ for Plex?
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/472785
Most of my content is in 720/1080P rather than 4K, so therefore shouldn't need transcoding when viewing on a tv/phone? (I'm not sure how transcoding works/when it kicks in)
Thanks in advance! :)
Spend the extra and get this. Ignoring everything else, just the fact it can handle 4x HDDs is a massive benefit as you can run it with two HDDs to begin with then scale it up later on whenever you need more storage and/or have some spare cash to spend on HDDs.
Thanks mate. I remember you from your helpful dashcam post. Mine is still going strong.
This is so much more powerful than the 218+ no brainer get this. It’s annoying to upgrade later on so this will give you a run for ages. I’ve got the 716+ for 3-4 years now never missed a beat and I remember the Amazon deal for $640. Just in perspective my 716+ was $750 back then for a top of the line 2 bay. 4 bay for $630 is a insane deal.
How difficult would it be to migrate from RAID 1 to RAID 5 / 6?
Add more drives then the NAS will ask you what you want to do with them. You then just tell it that you want to expand the original volume across all drives and it'll go away and do that for you autonomously! Prepare for that to take a good day or three though (depending on how much data you have). It's like magic.
Can definitely vouch for Synology NAS Units. Bought a DS411+II in 2012, still going today as my main Plex server with 8TB. They really know how to build them to last.
What can a pleb like me use this for?
Primarily they're used for network data storage so instead of storing things splattered across many USB HDDs and connecting them to various things when required you can chuck it all onto a NAS and access it from any device connected to your home network with high speeds and far better reliability than a USB solution. On top of that though, the Operating Systems in most modern NAS boxes such as this can do soooo much more including look after all your Security Camera recording, PLEX Streaming, the list goes on & on & on! This model in particular offers extra scalability too so as per other NAS boxes you could start with a single HDD and then add a second HDD when required then add two more after that… but you can then go even further and add another entire separate NAS to this and link them up if need be. Pretty amazing flexibility. For data redundancys sake though it's always best to start off with two HDDs in a mirror config but this NAS does this by default so no need to even 'think' about setting it up that way as it's all done for you :)
I use it as a media server. So everyone don’t need local storage and everything laptop, iPhone, tablet all have Plex installed and stream directly from the Synology. I also use it to backup my families photos as I have gone from iPhone 6 to 8 and now max I have been able to backup all my photos in the background and my wife as well as my mum and dads phone. It has saved a lot of hassle and just centralised everything.
Sorry I'm a newbie but how does the file system work - I read it can only be in btrfs or ext4 format.
Can I map the NAS as a network drive onto my Windows or Mac computer and simply copy/paste files from my local drives?
Yes you absolutely can.
Be aware though that every time you update the Plex server to the latest version - you'll need to reset the shared folder permissions so Windows can access the mapped drive again.
All of this works great with uTorrent and Filebot, automatically renaming and copying torrents on completion to the Plex library.
Lastly, Remember to set the RAID type to SHR, so it is expandable and transferable for any future upgrades.
I've never had to redo shared folder permissions after updating Plex, just as a personal anecdote and can't imagine why it's different
They just bumped this up $10 in price to $739 before the code. Was $729.
Shopping express have it for $725.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Synology-DS918-Network-Storage-4…
= $616.25
Boom! That's deal-worthy… but not by me as I'm trying to get work done ;)
Sold out now too unfortunately.
Nasty! I've just added an update comment but will change the price in a tic… once I know it's for real. This isn't like them, pretty disappointing :(
Good find - the same request as below but was someone able to take a screenshot of the checkout page with the coupon applied? I was hoping to use price protection
Was someone able to take a screenshot of the checkout page with the coupon applied? I was hoping to price match. - Thanks
Why not just get it via Shopping Express as per PlasmaPuffs link above? It's even less there than it was when I posted this deal originally!
My mistake, I meant price protection through the 28 degrees card.
Let me know if you succeed with this. I got a 28 degree card recently and wondering if I can use it with ebay codes like this for price protection.
Very tempted to get this after reading all the positive comments above and messing around with usb hard drives for too long!
I have almost zero knowledge in this area but I wonder how future proof this system is and whether I'll be shopping for something better next year? Maybe something that runs SSD's? I don't know??
If you have a 'spare' $620-ish I say just go for it. A NAS truly changes everything for home networking/streaming/data storage.
I’ve said in a post above but I spent $750 4 years ago on 716+. I have not had the need to upgrade. I imagine when everything is 4K then it will be time for a change but that will be ages away. Some people say a mini pc is cheaper and more cost effective to run as a media server and all that but this software just makes everything very easy and also in preeety sure it’s more energy efficient than running a computer 24/7
This unit has two sockets for m.2. pcie nvme drives, I don't know how much more future proof you need it to be. :)
You could install traditional 2.5" SSD's in it too, you'd probably need to make some kind of support so it doesn't fall off the contacts though.
Can this somehow be programmed to run Jdownloader or something similar so I can DDL files and not have my PC on?
Pretty sure you can. A quick Google search seems to show results of others doing that however my works firewall is blocking most sites.
Is that for torrents? Synology has a app called download station which downloads straight into the NAS and a media server installed like PLEX will automatically sync it up
Not torrents. It's for videos for sites like Mega or Zippyshare that are compressed into multiple files.
It can definitely torrent though.
Yes, you can use the Jdownloader docker image combined with the official Docker add-on. Instructions here.
Heeyyyyyyy everybody!
Dammit Jack! You haunted this deal :)
Shallothead has 5 available at $624.75 which is the next cheapest!
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Synology-DiskStation-DS918-4-Bay…
Error "Looks like this page is missing"?
I might just have to spend the extra $3.50 and stick with the above link?
Yep, do it! Even at $700+ these are excellent value for what they offer IMO so there's no point worrying about a few dollars here & there.
I bit the bullet!
Any recommendations on a hard drive for this?
@JTTheMan: Ok, this is where it gets interesting. Some only ever use NAS HDDs in a NAS however others (like me) have never had a problem using the lowest common denominator type HDDs purely based on price. I've run with shucked USB HDDs in all my NAS boxes from my original Netgear ReadyNAS back in about 2007 through to all the DIY NAS boxes I've built running Xpenology and now through to this proper Synology and have never ever had a HDD failure even though they're not strictly recommended. I suppose it all depends on how much & what type of data you want to store. Is it just for home or is it for a business? Would you ever consider hooking security cameras up to it etc.?? So many questions.
@SteveAndBelle: It's just for home use at the moment so I might try shucking one of my spare portable USB drives? Or can I just purchase any cheap SATA drive?
@JTTheMan: Best to use 3.5" HDDs because of their better duty cycle. Also best to start with two HDDs in a mirrored config if possible then expand on that later. So how much data do you think you have to store right now?
@plasmapuff: Yep, pretty basic… the NAS throws the same data onto both HDDs (ie. mirrored) so if one drive fails the NAS seamlessly continues accessing the data off the other HDD like nothing happened but of course it will warn you that a drive has failed and to take action. Once a replacement HDD is physically installed the NAS will then automatically regenerate the mirrored data onto the new HDD and you'll be back with full redundancy in no time. IT IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR REGULAR BACKUPS but it certainly takes the load off worrying about the safety of your data if you only ever had it on a single drive. Different of course for those who only store downloaded torrents or whatever but those like me who've spent many months over many years and multiple instances ripping & re-ripping their Audio & Video collection and who store important family documents and historical photos etc. then this is very important. You still need to make backups though and even better store them offsite… but that's all up to the individuals risk assessment. Of course 2x 4TB HDDs only gives you 4TB of data storage so it's a balance between capacity & redundancy but hey, that's life ;)
@SteveAndBelle: Thanks for the advice!
I would probably have about 1tb of valuable data that I don’t want to lose and about 2-3tb of other stuff that I wouldn’t care too much about if lost. So then I would need to mirror 1tb + 1tb and an extra 2tb of loseable data for a total of 4tb.
What’s a good source for some 3.5 inch drives?
@JTTheMan: OK, I'd either go for 4x 2TB HDDs or 2x 4TB HDDs. I'd personally go for 2x 4TB HDDs as that would allow easier & instant expansion at a later date as you could just slide the extra drives in and let the NAS look after the rest. It would automatically change it from a two-drive mirror to a four-drive RAID without you needing to do anything. Pretty clever. Have a look around for the cheapest 4TB HDDs you can find anywhere either raw HDDs or shuckable from USB HDDs. Either way you'll be right. If you've got a little bit more to spend you may even want to look into getting 2x 8TB HDDs instead but that's your call :)
@JTTheMan: As an example, I purchased two of these WD Elements Desktop Hard Drive 8TB to shuck and put in my DS918+ when it arrives.
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B07D5V2ZXD/ref=ppx_yo_d…
If you don't think you'd ever use 8TB look into the equivalent 4TB model.
Looks like they relisted it here:
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Synology-DiskStation-DS918-4-Bay…
$624.75
Has the price been jacked?
Yep, jacked by $10 since originally posting which is very unusual for CA, very out of character :(
I thought Computer Alliance were known for NOT pricejacking?
So did we… until today :(
So apart from more storage what would be the benefit over my 2-bay NAS? Would a different RAID setup (6 or 10?) allow me to avoid having to do an external backup to HDD each month?
Performance is pretty decent in this unit so maybe that's something to investigate as it may run things better for you. More storage and easier scalability when required is another plus however a RAID should never be treated as a substitute to backups. If the whole NAS died due to a Power Supply fault and took out all your HDDs at the same time or your home/office burnt down then you'll lose everything! Unfortunately nothing will ever replace regular backups but even better still are regular backups stored offsite/cloud but there are apps around that can simplify that if required. These are excellent & rock solid devices and I've personally never had an issue with mine nor with any HDDs I've used in any of my NAS boxes however nothing's perfect, ever. Extreme high-end enterprise grade HDDs (& associated hardware) worth 20-30 times domestic HDDs can easily fail too!
OK cheers. :)
So taking all that into account what type of raid array would be the best for four HDD's? (I understand that raid 10 halves your storage capacity which would defeat the purpose of going up to 4 bays?)
Completely up to the individuals risk assessment of their stored data but personally I still find good old RAID 5 appropriate for most personal home NAS boxes as it offers the most usable capacity with the benefit of single-disk redundancy. Synology have their own hybrid RAID anyway so all you do is install the HDDs and let it figure out the best method. You can force it to do whatever you like but I've found the wizard to be faultless… even though I didn't want to trust it in the beginning ;)
@SteveAndBelle: Hey thanks, the automatic figuring it out sounds good. Now just have to convince myself to spend the money… :)
RAID 5 if you want 75% capacity, RAID 6 if you want 50% and ultimate reliability.
No. RAID protects against one kind of hardware failure, but there are plenty of other kinds of failures, software issues and user errors that might still cause you to lose something important on the RAID.
Very tempting pricing! Is 918+ worth the extra $85ish on top of the 418play?
Depends on your use. The 918+ comes with an extra 2GB RAM, 2x M.2 SSD slots for SSD cache, Virtual machine support, expansion bay support. More here: https://www.synology.com/en-au/products/compare/DS418play/DS…. It was definitely worth the extra for me.
I'm using a QNAP TS870 Pro and don't believe theres enough processing power on the upgraded CPU and 8gb RAM currently in there to support multi user plex seamless streaming in FHD or 3D files, network file server, Web server, 1 virtual machine for 2 subnets over 4 connections (2 paired). I wonder if anyone can talk me into Synology?
Ive had issues with QNAP since they removed 3rd party support for kodi (so downloaded and installed v17 separately) since their functionality for manual setup and play is terrible in their stock apps, I'm forced to rely on Kodi - but even this fails to even do the most basic things like setup and play a simple music playlist at parties or register library updates despite changing settings.
I like QNAP as it was fairly straight forward for a dope like me and their support by email isn't all that bad.
Buy a Synology at a good price like this, carefully unpack it and keep everything 'as new', give it a go then sell it off if it doesn't solve your problems. You wont lose much, if anything!
Sweet now i can close the tab ive had open for 6 months on Amazon hoping to see it on sale haha
My DS1813+ just died with 5 hard drives in it. I couldn't say what file structure it used, probably the Synology one. Could i use this 4 Bay system and let the Synology system work itself out?
Definitely worth a shot… especially if the old NAS was setup using all the default Synology settings! My 918 recognised my dodgy, very old Xpenology OS array when I was first setting it up which I was pretty impressed with however I had all my data backed up elsewhere so I initially let it do its thing but ended up blowing it all away and setting it up again from scratch as though the HDDs were brand new then copied all the data back over so it was super clean & fresh :)
Or I go DS1019+ and increase my chances…
Yes, that would be better still :)
Now we just need a good HDD deal. Shame we missed the 10TB shuckable external drives during the recent Amazon Prime sales :(
For the newbies/plebs (as you call them/yourselves) -
May have been mentioned or pretty obvious but, buying this is not the end of it. You will need to buy hard drives as well (if you do not already have them).
So if you want to get say, 2x 4TB WD Red it (4TB usable on SHR), you need 287$ more (PASTA15 code also with computer_alliance) on top of the 623$ DS918+
I'd personally get at least 3x hard drives to get most of SHR. I currently run a 5 year-old machine with 4x 4TB with 12TB usable space on SHR.
Cheers.
Yea, I was tempted too but figured the same and ended up buying DS218+ instead cause this seems a bit of overkill for my use.
I got the IronWolf HDD though, and saved $20 for 4TBx2 drives, but had to spend another 80 for 8GB ram upgrade since I'd be using VM on it, but well, I really hope all this investment would be worth it in the end.
It's sold out now.
I got one to go with this deal: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/470615
They arrived today!
Oh, no, missed it again.
Missed out goddamit, but waiting (patiently) hopefully for a ~$600 deal maybe via Amazon for cashback bonus! Already got 4 8TB WD Reds to chuck in this bad boy :)
Hey guys, wondering if anyone here has added/upgraded the ram on this thing? Reading forums of people using 12 to 32gb xD
Yep, I chucked 2x 8Gb in mine. The NAS recognised it and works fine but didn't do a 'before & after' test so have no idea if it actually helps much anyway. I also tried installing a couple of SSDs for cache however they weren't recognised by the OS so I assume it's a bit fussy and needs a specific variety. No biggie for me as the drives were out of old Laptops so cost me nothing plus having cache wouldn't really improve anything for my needs anyway. Depending on your needs you may not need to add anything so best to do some research before dropping hundreds or thousands on juicing it up for no reason.
![[eBay Plus] 4-Bay Synology 918+ NAS $628.15 Delivered @ Computer Alliance via eBay](https://files.ozbargain.com.au/n/83/472783.jpg?h=17df2db4)
If its anything like the Synology DS218j they are so easy to setup with minimal maintenance.