Synology’s DiskStation DS211j is a Network Attached Storage (NAS) box that caters equally to both consumers and home offices in need of a centralized file server. It has also been designed to be operating system-agnostic and to provide access using mobile devices like the iPhone and Android handsets.

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Figure 1: The Synology DiskStation DS211j NAS

The nifty consumer-friendly packaging touts the DS211j as a one-stop solution to serving up files, along with the ability to leverage home security cameras as well. On paper, the DS211j is an NAS that offers an array of features that are meant to cross a gamut of needs for a home or office.

A camera server for IP-based surveillance cameras, as mentioned above, is joined by built-in server applications for mail, printing, downloading, FTP and backup. A little later in the review, we will go over some of these features and explain what they can do.

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Figure 2: The front of the DS211j is a simple design with few buttons

On the front of the DS211j is a row of four LED lights, indicating the status of each of the drive bays inside. Below that is a USB port with an automatic backup button underneath. This comes in handy in cases where you want to back up anything from files on a small USB thumb drive or even from a portable external hard drive. And finally, underneath that is the unit’s on/off switch.

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Figure 3: The back of the DS211j is limited to just two USB ports and an Ethernet port

On the back are two more USB ports, both of which can be used to expand the DS211j’s storage capacity. They would need to be configured to show up as extra drives, and you can’t really apply any of the extra features to them as you would with the SATA drives within the unit itself.