Synology DiskStation 713+ review

Although compact, the Synology DS713+ is one of the most powerful business-oriented NAS devices on the market, having a dual-core Intel Atom D2700 processor running at 2.13GHz and 1GB of DDR3 memory. This means that it’s well-suited to running some of the most resource-hungry add-on packages that you can download and install, such as an Asterisk phone server, which involves real-time audio processing.

Other packages available to download from Synology’s Package Centre include media servers, Content Management Systems for websites, mail servers, support ticket systems and almost any other applications a business is likely to need.

Synology’s DSM operating system has one of the best user interfaces we’ve seen on a NAS, with clearly labelled and comfortably familiar icons and windows to help carry out any task you require, from setting up FTP access and backup schedules to downloading and installing additional packages. The NAS can even act as a DHCP server for the rest of your network.

Synology’s interface is the best in the business and really easy to use

There are two Gigabit Ethernet ports at the back of the NAS, as well as an eSATA port and two USB3 ports to which you can connect printers and additional storage. At the front is a USB2 port, along with a copy button that lets you transfer the contents of any connected USB drive.

There are plenty of ports, including two Gigabit Ethernet and two USB3

Installing drives is simple: just screw your hard disks into a pair of removable trays and slide them back into place. Neatly designed locks on each of the bays lets you secure the drives and prevent their removal from the NAS.

Installing hard disks is easy thanks to the removable trays