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Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM) 6.1 Review

Conclusion

Synology’s DiskStation Manager (DSM) has come a long way since its beginning and today we had a look at the latest version of the same. We were not disappointed the previous times that we looked at this operating system, and to no surprise, it was the same this time around. It is better than ever and loaded with great features.

Casual and enthusiasts will love the comprehensive media package that comes included with every Synology NAS in the form of Audio Station, Video Station, and Photo Station. The names explain their function area and with them, you can quickly organise all your media files, watch them, and even share them with others. Thanks to the easy-to-setup QuickConnect, you can connect to all this as easy from the road as you can from home.

DSM 6.1 is packed with great security features too, preventing unauthorised access and offers handshakes during firmware updates. You can monitor everything from connected users to the resources and have log files and notifications sent to your preferred devices.

Controlling your files on the NAS is easy thanks to the File Station which is installed by default. It acts much in the same way as your Windows File Explorer, just on your NAS. You can also use it for easy 24/7 download tasks rather than to occupy your default system with these tasks. Speaking of your systems, Synology’s DSM supports cross-platform sharing on all systems, naturally.

It isn’t just computers you can connect from; your mobile devices will work just as great. You can either use their built-in browsers the same way as you do on your PC, or you use the better alternative. Synology is the only NAS manufacturer that supports all three major mobile OS’ with a full set of apps. Android, iOS, and Windows Mobile users will find all the Synology apps they need to enjoy their NAS from the mobiles.

Whether you’re using the NAS at home or in your office, the new Office App along with the Note Station offer a great solution. You can have all your spreadsheets and documents on your own server and still benefit from easy collaboration and sharing tools. Keep your data where it belongs, on your premises.

DSM 6.1 also offers one of the best search tools available. It doesn’t just search filenames; it also searches content, meta tags, and much more. It can even search through your apps and the built-in help files. All in one tool, and it’s fast.

A new feature that I couldn’t test today is one of the best ones: The Btrfs volume format. It is my favourite as it brings performs and features to the table. It can automatically detect corrupted files and recover them with mirrored data, it offers SMB server-side copy, and it offers snapshots. Big points for this.

Pros