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As we mentioned earlier the Synology DiskStation DS412+ appears very similar to the smaller DS212+ in design. On the surface this appears to just be a larger version of the DS212+ and it is.
Like the DS212+ we find the quick copy feature on the front of the DS412+, a feature which was missing on the DS712+ and DS1512+ units. Unfortunately like the DS212+ the quick copy feature is not supported by USB 3.0, and rather a much slower USB 2.0 port has been used. Additionally the SD card reader which was present on the DS212+ has been removed from the DS412+. When compared to its predecessor the DS411+, the new DS412+ is slightly lighter tipping the scales at just 2.03kg, while the older model weighed 2.23kg. Yet despite being lighter and almost 20cm shorter, the DS412+ is actually 10% larger overall. From the front the DS412+ is entirely black. The strip down the right hand side features the power button, copy button, USB 2.0 port and a number of imbedded LED lights which indicate system status, network activity and of course hard drive activity.
The front panel of the DS412+ is removable, as it is attached by four large rubber grommets that pop out when gently pulled. Behind the panel are four removable hot-swappable SATA cages which support 2.5” and 3.5” drives. There is a small push release latch at the top of each cage which allows them to slide out of the DS412+. This is a very nice design that is both aesthetically pleasing and highly practical.
Around the back the design is again very different to the older DS411+. The larger 92mm fans feature a new custom grill which can be removed without having to gain access into the case. The fans also have an added redundancy feature in case of failure. With both fans operating correctly they spin at a low, near silent RPM. However in the case of a single failure the remaining fan will spin up to cover the work load of the downed fan.
Also at the back users will find a pair of Gigabit Ethernet ports, a 12v 4-pin DC input, eSATA port and a pair of USB 3.0 ports. The addition of USB 3.0 means that the DS412+ will be able to copy data from external hard drives much faster than the DS411+ which is limited to USB 2.0.
Finally it is also worth mentioning that Synology has gone with a 100% solid capacitor design, making this a more durable product. The DS412+ also comes with a 2 year warranty and will support the latest 4TB hard drives. |
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hammond |
Posted on: 06/20/2012 09:15 AM
Synology make the best NAS servers hands down! |
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hate you |
Posted on: 06/20/2012 11:47 AM
I have the DS411+ and this review really made me want to upgrade. So I kinda hate ya - sorry  |