And from what we can tell, it works fine, provided you have access to the internet, of course.įor testing purposes we had the DS1513+ create a “Synology Hybrid RAID” (SHR) from our three drives and set it off in motion. While a CD used to be the preferred method of installation, Synology has gone the Apple Route and provided a direct over-the-internet download solution. Once we identified the DS1513+’s network address, we entered into our browser to bring up the new Synology Web Assistant.Ĭlicking through the web assistant’s prompts had us downloading and installing the latest Disk Station Manager (DSM) software via the internet. While Synology provides a freely downloadable utility to locate the unit’s network address, we utilised our router’s “attached devices” page. With three of the five drive bays populated, we connected the DS1513+ to our Gigabit network via CAT6 and fired her up. It is worth noting that the hard drive caddies are also able to house 2.5″ drives, although due to their form factor, they are unable to take advantage of the new screwless system. With the new click panels removed, hard drives can still be screwed into their caddies the old fashioned way but for what its worth, we found the new system to be quite secure and an overall improvement on the old screw in system. To secure 3.5″ hard drives into the new caddies, one simply unclicks the caddy’s two side panels, slides the hard drive in as per normal and then presses the panels back into place. Unlike the previously reviewed units, Synology has employed a new screwless caddy system in the DS1513+. Having found the same three 500GB drives we used in the DS1511+ review, we ejected the drive bay caddies and began slotting them in. Synology ships their NAS devices sans drives, so the first thing we did was hunt around for some winchesters. In an enterprise environment however, these ports can be used to balance load, increase link redundancy and improve overall network performance. On the far right is the power receptacle and a small opening for a kensington lock – Are we paying attention, Apple?Ĭonsidering the DS1513+ works perfectly using just one port, the four Ethernet ports may seem excessive to the average home user. To the right are another four USB 2.0 ports as well as four Gigabit Ethernet ports and a small reset button. Dominating this face are two large (and user serviceable exhaust fans) with two USB 3.0 ports and two eSATA ports beneath. Like the previous models, the DS1513+ has a large Synology logo on each side which doubles as passive venting but predictably it is the rear of the unit that is more interesting. Beneath these LEDs are the familiar five lockable hard drive bays. To the right of the power button are four LED indicators, one for each of the rear Gigabit LAN ports and to the left are two LEDs, indicating power and status respectively. Another design cue taken from the DS1812+ is the centrally located power button. And I guess it’s environmentally responsible, too.Īs we removed the unit from its packaging we noticed that Synology has moved away from the piano black of the DS1511+ and DS1512+ and instead gone with the more industrial look of the DS1812+’s matt black finish. While some may lambast Synology for no longer offering the Disk Station Manager software on CD, most users of the DS1513+ will know that by the time a CD is printed, a newer version of the software will likely be available online. Also included in our package was an Australian three prong power cable and a small welcome booklet. The only regress is a slight increase in power consumption which has risen a few Watts to 51W during disk access and 25.7W while the hard drives are in hibernation.īeyond the DS1513+ itself, Synology bundles two CAT5E Ethernet cables, a small bag of screws, a perfunctory warranty sheet and a set of drive bay keys. Synology also lists a 3 dB(A) reduction in operating noise and curiously, a doubling of the amount of maximum shared folders. Fast forward four months and now we have the brand new DS1513+ on our review bench.Ĭompared to its previous iteration, the DS1513+ has had some minor but welcome upgrades, including a doubling of onboard RAM to 2GB and two additional Gigabit LAN ports. It wasn’t all that long ago that we took a look at the five bay DS1511+ and even less long ago when Kevin Cheng gave us a photographer’s view of the DS1512+. Time stops for no man – especially if that man is developing NAS devices down at Synology.
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