Synology DiskStation DS1520+

A DIY high-end NAS drive

- Cliff Joseph

£689 FROM Synology, synology.com FEATURES 2.0GHz quad-core Intel Celeron J4125 processor, 2x M.2 2280 NVMe SSD slots, 5x drive bays, 8GB of memory, 2x USB 3.0 ports (one front, one rear), 4x Gigabit Ethernet ports, 2x eSATA port

For devices with limited onboard–storage – we’re looking at you, MacBooks and iPads – Network Attached Storage (NAS) is a boon. It essentially enables oodles of hard drive or solid-state drive (SSD) space to be added to your home network, which can then be accessed by anyone on that network at any time - perfect for shared music and movie libraries, and more.

The simplest NAS drives take a ‘plug and play’ approach, and are sold with drives already installed so you can simply connect them to your router and get started straight away. More advanced NAS are sold ‘unpopulated’ – that is, an empty box that enables you to install your own choice of storage, and configure the NAS to suit your needs.

Synology specialises in the second DIY approach, and its DiskStation DS1520+ is one of its high-end options for more experienced home users and small businesses. It costs £689 when sold on its own, meaning you’ll need to fill its five bays with your own storage drives – something you’ll need to budget for.