Is Synology ds210j worth $100+ over Iomega ix2-200

[branon]

I am considering buying a NAS device strictly for home user stuff- centralized storage of music, photos, video, backup of our computer work, itunes server, possibly streaming music to a logitech squeezebox in the near future, and of course some sort of easy remote access but nothing too complicated.

I was thinking mostly along the lines of a synology but noticed that the iomega ix2-200 seems to garner good reviews from mainstream blogs (engadget, slashgear, etc) and has also good user reviews on amazon and newegg.

On the other hand it is clear that Synology is a dedicated NAS company (Whenever i think of iomega i think of zip drives...) and seems more active about firmware upgrades and adding software features.

Yet on the other hand, all these blogs mention that iomega setup is a breeze and some user reviews of Synology, while ecstatic about the product, seem to indicate that novice users (me?) would find the setup complicated.

Regarding the subject line of my post- the iomega ix2-200 can be had for around USD 200 now and has 1TB capacity. The Synology ds-210j is selling for around $199 before adding a 1tb drive. Yet Synology seems to be targetting it to home users. Both nas'es have 2-drive bays. The processor on the iomega is slightly faster and the RAM is greater too. There are some other similarities - neither have esata, i think torrent download features are limited, etc.


Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[thiggins]

Iomega is a subsidiary of EMC, a leading company in storage and many times Synology's size. Iomega was well respected as a consumer and small business storage company on its own before EMC purchased it. In other words, don't worry about Iomega's dedication to storage and NASes.

Your question is a good one. Synology and QNAP have really put the pressure on the US NAS companies (and Buffalo, too) by raising the bar very high in terms of features. They do, however, command a high price for all those features, many of which the average consumer will never use.

The ix2-200 can meet your needs except for running Squeezecenter. For that, you need a NETGEAR ReadyNAS, QNAP or Synology NAS.

 

[branon]

Tim
Thanks for your clear reply (and its also reassuring to know that the question made sense specially since I am a novice).
After having weighed the pros and cons, I have decided to get the Synology. In addition to the squeezebox, it seems that they have a backup system that allows continuous backup which is important for my research and iomega does not. Also, it helps to know that they have an android app in the works (it turns out they sent a tweet on this recently).
Best

 

[thiggins]

it seems that they have a backup system that allows continuous backup which is important for my research and iomega does not.

Could you please explain? Both can do scheduled backups to attached drives. And the ix2 can backup to and from both rsync and SMB shares, while the Synology can only back up to rsync targets.

 

[branon]

Tim
Maybe I should do more research before I spend my $$. Honestly being new to all this, I could not understand what you said in the sentence
" And the ix2 can backup to and from both rsync and SMB shares, while the Synology can only back up to rsync targets."
Is there anywhere I can look up what these terms actually mean (rsync, SMB, rsync targets)?

Here is what I need

Since the NAS will be used partly as a backup of work on my PC and laptop, I need the accompanying software to monitor changes in files (everytime i make changes in a file...e.g I am writing a research paper, and I work on it for some time and then save it. I need a software that will back it up to the NAS immediately or at least every few minutes (if it cannot do it immediately). Right now i use a software called smartsync pro to back up my work on the attached USB drive. It is actually quite effective and they seem to indicate it will work with a NAS device too. However, obviously, I do not want multiple backup software installed on my computer.

My understanding is that the Synology software will do something similar but the iomega software will not.

Am I missing something?

Thanks again.

 

[thiggins]

Sorry. I didn't understand that you were referring to the backup client software included with the NAS.

If your backup client software is working for you with an attached drive, then as long as it supports backup to a mapped drive, it will work with a NAS.

I don't pay much attention to the backup software included with NASes, so can't provide any guidance there. Sorry.

What I was saying about the ix2 is that it can copy to and from any shared folders, without requiring any backup software running on the machines that you want backed up. But it sounds like that isn't a deciding factor for you.

 

[branon]

Not at all, Tim. I am deeply grateful for your advice and the issues you raised.

I finally went ahead and ordered the Synology ds110j.

Just for info, I am pasting the responses regarding constant monitoring and backup from pc to NAS from the two companies:

*******
Synology:

Thanks for your interest with the Synology DiskStation DS110j, about your questions, Synology Data Replicator 3, is a free backup client tool which is provided with the DiskStation. If you use Data Replicator 3 with your computer in “sync” mode, then all committed changes to the “monitored” folders will be sent the DiskStation for backup purposes. You can even set the Data Replicator 3 to use file versioning control, where 20 revisions of the same file can be kept on the DiskStation.



Hope this answers your questions, please let me know if you have any further questions or comments

Have good weekend.

*******

Iomega:

Thank you for contacting the Iomega Online Store! The EMC Retrospect backup software that is included for free with the ix2-200 Network Attached Storage device does not include continuous backup. The included software can do regularly scheduled automatic backups to keep your data safe. If you upgraded to our Professional version of the software we do have Open File backup that you could purchase as an add-on to the software. I am not aware of any Home/Small Office Network Attached Storage devices that include continuous backup software with the drives. If you have any additional questions or would like to purchase the ix2-200 please respond to this email or contact the Iomega Online Store directly at 888-516-8467.

*******

 

[claykin]

I feel compelled to chime in here.

branon - You are not obligated to use the NAS vendors backup/sync app. Yes, Synology provides Data Replicator 3 and it may work for you, but for some people its not sufficient. There are many 3rd party sync apps that can essentially do continuous data backup and they'll work with just about any NAS that supports CIFS/SMB.

Syncback - www.2brightsparks.com
Superflexible - www.superflexible.com

There's more, but this is a good start.

 

[branon]

Claykin
Thanks for letting me know.
I will certainly try and see what my existing synchronization software (smartsyncpro) can manage with the NAS (arriving tomorrow!). OfIdeally I want to have one software running on my computer and not multiple backup software running.
Would I not need to have DSM running in any case for other Network related stuff?

 

[claykin]

Claykin
Thanks for letting me know.
I will certainly try and see what my existing synchronization software (smartsyncpro) can manage with the NAS (arriving tomorrow!). OfIdeally I want to have one software running on my computer and not multiple backup software running.
Would I not need to have DSM running in any case for other Network related stuff?

Looks like the current version of Smart Sync Pro can do it. See here: http://www.smartsync.com/smartsyncpro/scr.php?img=/img/screen7.png&title=Advanced Scheduler

DSM is the firmware loaded on the NAS. Maybe you are referring to the Synology assistant app that helps you setup the NAS? This assistant app is optional. Data Replicator 3 is also optional, especially if you are able to do what you need with Smart Sync Pro.

 

[branon]

Claykin
Many Thanks for your input! I now have the box up and running. Its great (and I see what you meant not having to install all the software on my PC).
Everything is working great..now only if I could get remote access to work. I just cant seem to do that but I guess that no longer a topic for this sub-forum.