Testing
My computer and my NAS are hooked up TO A D-Link 100mbps switch which has an an Ethernet cable straight from the modem. My computer is a homebuild Windows 8.1 PC powered by a 4th generation Intel Core I5 Haswell processor running on a Samsung 840 series 250GB.
For testing I copied some files back and forth between my PC and the NAS. I copied a small folder with some music of 228MB and a large folder with some video files of 11.4GB. All of the moving was done from my SSD to the NAS, in windows explorer (Network locations made in Mapstation)
The small music folder took 22.5 seconds to copy from my PC to the NAS, with an average speed of 10MB/s.
Then coping from the NAS to my PC took 20,5 seconds with an average speed of 10.5MB/s
The big 11.4GB file took 17 minutes to copy from my PC to the NAS with an average speed of 11.4MB/s.
Coping from the NAS to my PC was about the same.
When coping other internet trafic is really slow.
NOTE: I only have a 100mbps switch, so the maximum speed I could get was around 11 or 12MB/s. With a 1000mbps switch you would proably have a speed around 60mb/s. Both my PC and the NAS support Gbit ethernet.
Verdict
So, here we are again, as usual we will take a look at the pros and the cons of this product. I was very happy to see that there was an Ethernet cable included. Another big plus is the price, for around 130 euros you can own an entry level NAS. Then the OS, the DS214se is based on Synology’s own Diskstation Manager 5.0 (DSM 5.0) and I really love it, easy to use and lots of options. Then in the package center there are lots of different packages or apps to install to get more use out of the NAS, like download station, mail station, VPN server,…
Now, on to the cons: It is a bit unfortunate Synology did not include a 2.5″ drive holder. Loading and opening of programs and files inside DSM is a bit slow on this NAS, probably because of the relatively slow CPU. I also would not recommend to use it Simultaneously with multiple users again of the slow CPU. You do need to consider that the NAS is a lot cheaper the the DS214. Other then that it is a great NAS.
Pros:
– Ethernet cable included
– Low price
– DSM 5.0
– Lots of packages to install
Cons:
– No 2.5″ drive holder included
– Opening/loading files/programs a bit slow (Slow CPU)
– I do not recommend to use the NAS simultaneously with multiple users. (You will lose a lot of performance because of the slow CPU)
Final Words:
The Synology DS214se is a great entry level NAS, for people who want a NAS for a low price, have lots of options and is easy to use. Although the CPU is a bit slow to do heavy multitasking or heavy file transfers, you can not really complain because it is a really cheap NAS. For around 130 euros you have one. For me personally I would like a more powerful one. And I really recommend a gigabit switch (I really need to buy one). I really find that the DS214se deserves the Funkykit value award.
SCORE
7/10
