Synology is aware of methods to make an ideal NAS server, and its greatest differentiator is not the {hardware} — its merchandise do not normally have the very best {hardware} on this phase — however the software program. The model’s DiskStation Supervisor (DSM) has the very best interface mixed with a terrific set of utilities, and its this stage of polish and refinement that makes Synology the very best NAS producer.
However what for those who do not need to get a full-fledged NAS, and are enthusiastic about a fundamental server simply to retailer your information, images, and movies? Beforehand, your possibility was to get one thing just like the DiskStation DS220j or the DS223j, add a tough drive, and set it up in your house community.
There’s now a better approach, because of the introduction of the BeeStation. Just like the BeeDrive that debuted final 12 months, the BeeStation is a centralized storage answer that is aimed toward customers that do not need to cope with the complexity of establishing a NAS. It’s just like WD’s My Cloud collection in that regard; the BeeStation is basically an enclosure that homes a 4TB HDD, you join it by way of Ethernet to your router, and it then backs up knowledge from numerous units in your house.
The truth that it has an built-in HDD is an enormous deal, and the BeeStation could be very reasonably priced — the 4TB mannequin is on the market for simply $199. I have been utilizing the BeeStation alongside my ordinary NAS servers — the DiskStation DS1522+ and the huge DiskStation DS3622xs+.
There are just a few limitations with the BeeStation; it is clearly not a full-fledged NAS, however for those who want a fundamental answer to retailer knowledge, it might simply be what you are on the lookout for.
Synology BeeStation: Worth and launch date
Synology launched the BeeStation in choose Asian markets on January 31, and the product shall be obtainable globally beginning March 6. At launch, the BeeStation is offered in a single variant with a 4TB HDD that retails for $199. Contemplating it has a HAT3300 drive that retails for $99 by itself, you are principally getting an ideal worth right here.
Customers in India can get their fingers on the BeeStation proper now, with the server debuting for ₹21,000 ($253).
Synology BeeStation: Specs
The BeeStation is exclusive in that it has a tough drive built-in, however in any other case it shares numerous the identical {hardware} as its full-fledged NAS siblings. That is what you are getting:
| Class | Synology BeeStation |
|---|---|
| CPU | Realtek RTD1619B |
| Storage | Synology HAT3300-4T 4TB HDD, 5,400rpm |
| RAM | 1GB DDR4, soldered |
| Ethernet | 1 x Gigabit Ethernet |
| Ports | 1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 |
| System necessities | Home windows 10 (Construct 17063 or above), Home windows 11, macOS 12.3 or above, iOS 15 or above, Android 8 or above |
| Dimensions | 148 x 63 x 196mm |
| Weight | 820g |
Synology BeeStation: Design
The BeeStation has an unobtrusive design that does not appeal to numerous consideration — simply appropriately. The design aesthetic is totally different to that of most DiskStation NAS fashions; there are not any vents on the facet, and apart from a stylized BeeStation brand, you do not get any branding by any means. The unit has passive airflow that is delivered by vents on the prime, and there is no energetic cooling.
What you get right here is an enclosure to accommodate a 3.5-inch NAS onerous drive, and since there is no want for detachable drives, it’s considerably smaller in dimension than most full-fledged NAS fashions. The design itself is modern, and also you get a single LED that serves as a visible indicator to system standing.
The plastic chassis has good construct high quality, and there are rubber toes on the backside to make sure the BeeStation stays planted on a desk. There is not a lot else to speak about on this space, and whereas WD has fashionable fashions within the My Cloud collection that stand out, that is not the case right here, and I just like the subdued design.
Synology BeeStation: Options and configuration
The BeeStation is all about ease-of-use, so that you get a restricted set of options, and never a lot in the way in which of customizability. The server has a Gigabit Ethernet port on the again together with a USB-C and USB-A port, and identical to the model’s NAS servers, you’ll be able to simply switch knowledge from an exterior drive to the BeeStation with relative ease. You additionally get the power to make use of an exterior drive as a secondary knowledge supply, however you’ll be able to’t use it to increase the storage of the BeeStation.
The BeeStation makes use of a quad-core Realtek RTD1619B chip — the identical because the DiskStation DS223 — and also you get 1GB of DDR4 reminiscence. The onerous drive is the Synology Plus Collection HAT3300-4T, and the 4TB drive connects over the same old SATA 6Gb/s interface and spins at 5,400rpm. It tends to get a bit noisy underneath load, nevertheless it is not far more so than equal IronWolf or WD Purple drives.
Organising the BeeStation is about as easy because it will get. All it is advisable to do is scan the QR code that is included within the package deal (it is also situated on the underside of the product), sign up with a Synology account, and join the Ethernet cable to your router. You will want to carry down the facility button for 4 seconds to instantiate the software program, and this can be a great way to make sure that nobody can take management of the BeeStation remotely.
As quickly as that is completed, you can provide your BeeStation a reputation, and get began with the product. There are cellular apps that permit you to view the information saved on the BeeStation from anyplace, and you may entry the net interface by going to portal.bee.synology.com. You will want the net interface to ask members of the family to make use of the BeeStation — you’ll be able to have as much as 9 whole customers — arrange integration with public cloud companies, and extra.
Inviting customers is extraordinarily straightforward, and the BeeStation creates a novel hyperlink that may be shared with your loved ones. There’s additionally the availability to create an area account that is solely obtainable by way of LAN, and once more, this can be a good transfer. There is not a lot else in the way in which of settings, and going to the Superior settings tab means that you can arrange e-mail notifications for system alerts.
You can too again up the information on the BeeStation to an exterior drive or the model’s personal C2 cloud service, and equally restore knowledge for those who’ve beforehand saved knowledge inside C2.
Synology BeeStation: Software program and efficiency
The BeeStation runs a light-weight OS known as BeeStation Supervisor (BSM), and it has a restricted feature-set. The principle use case with the BeeStation is to again up information and images, and to that impact, you get two utilities: BeePhotos and BeeFiles. In contrast to the model’s NAS servers, there is no Package deal Middle, so you’ll be able to’t obtain any further apps.
The largest draw back is that there is no method to stream media, and also you miss out on the likes of Plex. Once I requested Synology concerning the potential for this characteristic to be added down the road, the model stated that the BeeStation is designed to be an “entry-level preconfigured storage answer” that does not have all of the options of a NAS, and that media playback or streaming will not be coming to this mannequin.
If that is one thing you want, then you’ll need to think about one of many model’s funds NAS servers, and there is loads of choices obtainable in that space — the DiskStation DS223 and DS224+ instantly come to thoughts.
In relation to backing up knowledge, the BeeStation holds up simply in addition to a full-fledged NAS. There is a BeeStation utility for Home windows that allows you to again up folders with ease, and the very best half is that you may arrange a two-way sync between the BeeStation and that folder. After you’ve got chosen a folder, the information is backed up robotically, and the utility is simply as dependable as Synology Drive on this regard.
It is also extraordinarily straightforward to again up knowledge from a cloud service supplier like Google Drive to the BeeStation. Simply enter your credentials, arrange what folders you need to again up, and the BeeStation does the remaining. I already do that with my NAS servers, and it is nice to see this characteristic make its approach into the BeeStation.
Whereas I used to be initially anxious concerning the safety of the BeeStation provided that there is not a lot in the way in which of safety controls on the machine, it has numerous safeguards baked in. BSM makes use of Synology’s QuickConnect relay service to ascertain a connection, and it principally creates a safe tunnel, so you’ll be able to simply entry your knowledge from anyplace with out having to fret about privateness points. I’d have favored the power to put in Tailscale on the product, however that is not the case.
As we’re speaking about distant connectivity, the very best a part of the BeeStation is the truth that you’ll be able to entry your knowledge on the go. There are cellular apps for BeePhotos and BeeFiles, and BeePhotos is simply Synology Images underneath a unique identify. Similar to that app, BeePhotos does a terrific job backing up images and movies out of your telephones, and it has the identical interface. You even get the power to forged images and movies to TVs and different Forged-enabled units.
I talked about how Synology Images is a viable different to Google Images because of an analogous consumer interface and the power to type images by faces, and also you get all of these options in BeePhotos as properly. BeeFiles does the identical factor, however with information — it’s positioned as an alternative choice to Google Drive, and also you get an interface that is practically similar to what Google affords.
In a month of testing, the BeeStation did a implausible job backing up folders from my Home windows gaming machine, in addition to images and movies from the dozen or so units I examined — together with the likes of the Vivo X100 Professional, iQOO 12, and some telephones I can not speak about simply but. I’d have favored extra configuration choices and the power to stream media, however the BeeStation is aimed toward customers that need an easy-to-use storage answer, and it hits that transient completely.
Synology BeeStation: The competitors
If it is advisable to stream media or need the power to put in further utilities, you need to think about getting a full-fledged NAS. The DiskStation DS224+ is my advice, and it’s a nice starter mannequin that has loads to supply. You get two drive bays, highly effective {hardware}, a flexible software program platform with a ton of helpful utilities, and twin Gigabit Ethernet ports. You must add your individual HDDs, and the barebones NAS itself prices $299, so it’s significantly costlier than the BeeStation. That stated, you additionally get far more extensibility.
In order for you a extra budget-focused answer, the DiskStation DS223 is a good selection. It would not fairly have the identical caliber of {hardware} because the DS224+, nevertheless it nonetheless does an honest job in every day use, and it holds up properly as a media streaming server.
Synology BeeStation: Must you purchase it?
You should purchase this if:
- You want a centralized storage machine to retailer images and movies
- You need a straightforward method to entry your knowledge anyplace
- You want an all-in-one answer that is straightforward to handle
You should not purchase this if:
- You want a storage server to stream media
- You want multiple onerous drive
I actually favored the thought of the BeeDrive, and used the product fairly a bit during the last six months. The largest draw back was that it could solely work when my machine was energetic, because it wanted to be plugged in to a USB port. I needed Synology to make a devoted answer that might work over Ethernet, and the BeeStation is that machine.
The BeeStation is not a full-fledged NAS, and it is not designed to be one; you do not get a lot extensibility or media streaming capabilities, so for those who’re after a NAS server for Plex streaming, you need to get the DiskStation DS224+ or DS223 as an alternative. The BeeStation is as an alternative aimed toward those who need an easy-to-use centralized storage answer to again up information, images, and movies, and it excels at these use instances.
There’s additionally the worth to think about, and retailing for simply $199, the BeeStation has lots going for it. So for those who needn’t stream media to linked units in your house and are as an alternative taking a look at an all-in-one storage server to again up knowledge, you’ll be able to’t go incorrect with the BeeStation.
