Synology DS1618+ Review

When it comes to a new Network Attached System, the Synology DS1618+ may look familiar, but trust me, it is not. While the design may be synonymous with the already available DS3018xs and both feature 6-bay configurations, what sets them apart is the price tag and the obviously better processor that is on the DS1618+.

While everything checks out on paper, how does it fare in the real world?

Let’s find out –

Synology has always provided a great blend of functionality oriented hardware and a choc-a-bloc software package that lets you switch from basic to advanced in the blink of an eye. But when it comes to the more pricey offerings like the DS1618+, you really must use it to the maximum to really see its worth. The feature in the spotlight is obviously the six bay configuration.

Each bay allows you to mount a drive of up to 12TB, giving you an amazing 72TB of storage on one device, and while this may be too much for today’s time, it’s a device that has been designed to last the test of time. But coming to the applications of this much storage, you can basically do anything from uploading a week’s worth of surveillance data to the backup of all the devices in your home, and even then, the DS1618+ will have plenty in the tank for you to exploit.

A common notion today is that more the storage, bulkier is the storage device. The same cannot be said about the DS1618+. Synology has a notorious reputation of keeping their NAS devices as portable and sleek as possible, and the DS1618+ follows in those glorious footsteps with ease. We have a compact package which has been designed keeping enough space to accommodate 4 more drives should you ever feel the need in the future. The overall device is eerily silent considering that there are two fans for keeping things cool while the device is in use. Next up, we have 4 LAN ports on the back alongside two USB 2.0 ports. A solo USB 3.0 port finds a presence on the front of the DS1618+. An inbuilt PSU negates the requirement of an external power brick. We also have 13 LEDs on the front panel of the DS1618+ which are used to signify the different activities occurring in the device. Finally, we have a special tool that Synology provides with the DS1618+, and that tool is the only way you can remove the drives and maybe swap them out or perform other operations on them. This makes things very streamlined, and I must say that Synology has really pushed the bar this time around.

When it comes to the negatives, the DS1618+ does not have any glaring faults that I can name. Yes, the drive slots tend to crack or get damaged if the tool is not used properly, but that is purely on the customer because once you plug in the drive, it’s not easy to displace it in the slot. Another sort of drawback is the rather pricey bracket in which the DS1618+ falls. While the feature set is enough to justify the price, the absence of 4K encoding may put off a few buyers.

Overall the DS1618+ is a NAS device that may not appeal to homemakers who do not require multi drives. However, if you are someone who works in a company or runs a company of your own, then multi drives makes sense and that is why the Synology DS1618+ NAS device is a power packed device definitely gives a bang for the buck.