The Synology DiskStation DS223j is the company’s answer for an affordable two-bay NAS in 2023. This enclosure replaces the DiskStation DS220j, which was a favorite of those seeking out their very first NAS purchase or needing somewhere to stash some files and safely store backups. Android Police has spent a week with this enclosure, testing out the CPU upgrades and seeing how it compares against its predecessor. Could this be the newbest NASfor those on tighter budgets?
Synology DiskStation DS223j
Synology’s newest affordable two-bay NAS
We were big fans of the DiskStation DS220j and the successor promises better performance with a newer ARM processor. Everything else remains the same, which is both a blessing and a curse.
Price and availability
The Synology DiskStation DS2203j launched in 2023 for $190. This is the same price as the Synology DiskStation DS220j even with a more recent Realtek ARM CPU. Like all other enclosures, this is a diskless NAS andstorage driveswill need to be factored in for cost and purchased separately. The DS223j comes with 1GB of DDR4 RAM and access to the company’s DiskStation Manager (DSM) NAS operating system.
Design and hardware
The design of the Synology DiskStation DS223j follows the same language as the DS220j and other affordable branded enclosures. Instead of an all-black metal and plastic shell, the DS223j keeps things simple (and cheap) with an all-plastic white casing. There are no removable drive trays, as everything is handled by opening up the NAS. Synology doesn’t even secure the two parts of the chassis together in shipping, so it’s easier to pull it apart and install some drives.
Speaking of which, the process of installing drives will require a screwdriver since four screws will be required per 3.5-inch drive. These are provided alongside the DS223j, however. Simply line up the drive with the sled and SATA ports and slowly slide it backward until it clicks into the SATA port. Then install the four screws and do the same for a second drive, if another is being installed. Then, you reattach the outer shell to the main chassis and secure it using two provided screws.
Up front are a few status LED indicators and a single power button. The sides have Synology branding that doubles up as ventilation for the single 92mm fan on the rear of the enclosure. The back of the DS223j houses the single 1GbE RJ45 connection, DC input from the external power supply, and two USB-A ports. Inside the Synology DiskStation DS223j is a Realtek RTD1619B, which has four physical cores and is capable of bursting up to 1.7GHz. This is joined by 1GB of DDR4 RAM, which is more than enough for running DSM.
Software and features
Synology NAS are powered by the company’s DiskStation Manager (DSM) operating system, which is downloaded and installed when first booting up the NAS. Once the DS223j has been turned on, connecting to the NAS with a browser will allow you to install the OS and configure the NAS with a primary user account, manage how the drive(s) will be used, and create a Synology account for more convenient remote access when away from the LAN. After that, all it takes is to load the IP, log in using the created account credentials, and you’re good to go!
Synology’s Package Center acts like an app store with various apps available for installation. Adding a package is as easy as clicking install and waiting for the magic to happen. For storing files and connecting to various devices, including PCs running Linux, macOS, and Windows, no additional software is required. A number of protocols are supported by DSM by default and can be enabled within Control Panel. It’s a user-friendly OS interface that takes a few moments to get used to, making the DS223j a great NAS for beginners.
Competition
Synology faces stiff competition from the likes of TerraMaster, especially in the more affordable segment of the NAS market. The TerraMaster F2-212 has the same Realtek RTD1619B processor, 1GB of RAM, and the same configuration of ports on the rear. What the F2-212 does have that the DS223j does not are drive bays like a traditional enclosure. This means you don’t have to pull apart the TerraMaster NAS for any reason since the RAM is not upgradable.
The TerraMaster F2-212 is priced at $170, a full $20 discount compared to the DS223j. TerraMaster’s operating system is not as polished as DSM and the company doesn’t provide as many cloud services, but if you’re not planning to take advantage of them then this additional savings may be worth it.
Should you buy it?
Whether you should purchase the Synology DiskStation DS223j depends on what you plan on doing with the NAS. If all you require is somewhere to store some data that won’t take more than 20TB or so of space, the DiskStation DS223j is a great budget-friendly enclosure. It’s best suited to file storage and collaboration between devices and locations. The DSM operating system runs well on the Realtek ARM CPU, and it provides a slight uplift compared to the outgoing NAS.
Where things fall short with this NAS are the limited storage capacity, lack of any expansion options, and the single 1GbE connection. This is good enough for home and office use, but we’d recommend another enclosure for media streaming and more intensive tasks. The best part about the DS223j is the potential savings over longer periods of time compared to cloud storage subscription services. Factoring in the cost of a NAS drive (or two), you’re looking at least $300 for a fully assembled DS223j.
This would pay for itself compared to cloud subscriptions in a couple of years, all while providing more capacity from the get-go. Synology did many things right with the DS220j, and it’s good to see not much has changed with the DS223j’s successor. For lighter tasks and usage, this is one of the best NAS enclosures out there.
Synology’s DiskStation DS223j is the replacement for the popular and well-received DS220j, an affordable 2-bay enclosure with access to the company’s excellent DiskStation Manager (DSM) OS. Rocking a new ARM processor and more RAM, it’s a solid choice for those who simply wish to store files and backups.
