Home Synology DiskStation DS216 and NVR216 Announced

Synology DiskStation DS216 and NVR216 Announced

by Lyle Smith

Back in October, Synology released the DS416, DS216play, and DS216se, the latter which we reviewed. Today, Synology has announced the DiskStation DS216, an all-in-one, high-performance NAS server, which is catered more towards small offices and workgroups. Compatible with the latest version of DSM, the Synology DS216 is an effective centralized backup solution using both Windows and Mac operating systems.


Back in October, Synology released the DS416, DS216play, and DS216se, the latter which we reviewed. Today, Synology has announced the DiskStation DS216, an all-in-one, high-performance NAS server, which is catered more towards small offices and workgroups. Compatible with the latest version of DSM, the Synology DS216 is an effective centralized backup solution using both Windows and Mac operating systems.

The DS216 is equipped with a hardware encryption engine to effectively protect user data while offloading encryption calculation tasks away from the main CPU to free it up more important tasks. In addition, it offers a 50% increase in encryption reading speed as well as a 110% increase in encryption writing speed over its predecessor, the DS214.

The DS216 also delivers improved read/write transfer speeds, as it is quoted with an average over 111MB/s in both reads and writes speeds when configured in RAID 1 under a Windows environment. The built-in floating-point unit improves the overall performance of the main CPU as well. Like all DiskStations, it leverages hot-swappable drive for easy installation, which helps to ensure easy maintenance and continuous service uptime in the event of a hard drive failure.

DS216 also introduces the company’s new USB copy button for easy data transmission and comes equipped with adjustable LED indicators.

Synology DS216 specifications

  • CPU Model: Marvell Armada 385 88F6820
  • CPU Architecture: 32-bit
  • CPU Frequency: Dual Core 1.3 GHz
  • Floating Point   
  • Hardware Encryption Engine      
  • System Memory: 512 MB DDR3
  • Storage:
    • Drive Bay(s): 2
    • Compatible Drive Type (See all supported drives)            
      • 3.5" SATA III / SATA II HDD
      • 2.5" SATA III / SATA II HDD
      • 2.5" SATA III / SATA II SSD
    • Maximum Internal Raw Capacity: 16 TB (8 TB HDD x 2) (Capacity may vary by RAID types)
    • Maximum Single Volume Size: 16 TB
    • Hot Swappable Drive     
  • External Ports:
    • USB 2.0 Port: 1
    • USB 3.0 Port: 2
    • USBCopy            
  • File System:
    • Internal Drives: EXT4
    • External Drives:
      • EXT4
      • EXT3
      • FAT
      • NTFS
      • HFS+ (Read Only, with max. volume size 2TB)
  • Size (Height x Width x Depth): 165 mm x 108 mm x 233.2 mm
  • Weight: 1.3 kg
  • RJ-45 1GbE LAN Port: 1
  • Wake on LAN/WAN       
  • System Fan: 92 mm x 92 mm x 1 pcs
  • Fan Speed Mode            
    • Cool Mode
    • Quiet Mode
  • Wireless Support (dongle)          
  • Brightness adjustable front LED indicators           
  • Power Recovery              
  • Noise Level: 18 dB(A)
  • Scheduled Power On/Off            
  • Power Supply Unit / Adapter: 60W
  • AC Input Power Voltage: 100V to 240V AC
  • Power Frequency: 50/60 Hz, Single Phase
  • Power Consumption:
    • 15.48 W (Access)
    • 7.2 W (System Hibernation)
    • British Thermal Unit: 52.86 BTU/hr (Access)
    • 24.58 BTU/hr (System Hibernation)
  • Environment Temperature
    • Operating Temperature: 5°C to 40°C (40°F to 104°F)
    • Storage Temperature: -20°C to 60°C (-5°F to 140°F)
    • Relative Humidity: 5% to 95% RH
  • Warranty: 2 years

Also announced is the Network Video Recorder NVR216, featuring expandable storage for surveillance footage as well as mobile apps for anywhere access. With its dedicated 1080p HDMI output and support up to four or nine IP camera channels, Synology’s NVR216 is designed for offices and retail stores where a small physical footprint is needed.

The NVR216 comes with a variety of ports, including USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 for mouse and keyboard support. This allows users to easily navigate between different camera streams and management tools. The NVR216 is also designed for low power consumption at just 14W and can be scaled up to four drives by connecting a DX213 expansion unit.

Because it is powered by Synology Surveillance Station, users can leverage the Live View panel with on-screen operations which can:

  • Monitor video streams from multiple IP cameras.
  • Use the Timeline panel to select a date and time and play back recordings from multiple channels at on once.
  • Set up smart analytics tools, such as Motion Detection, to detect suspicious behavior.

In addition, the DS cam mobile app allows for access Surveillance Station anytime and anywhere using mobile iOS and Android devices.  

The Synology NVR216 ships in two configurations: NVR216 (4CH), which supports 4 IP camera channels; and NVR216 (9CH), which supports nine IP camera channels. The NVR216 (9CH) is now shipping globally while The NVR216 (4CH) will be available by the end of 2015.

Synology DiskStation DS216

Synology NVR216

Synology Hub

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