My Synology DS213+ has been a reliable central storage for all the household for several years.

When it reached the end of its support lifecycle, I started looking for the most suitable upgrade in 2021: The DS720+ (after some hesitation with the DS 220+)

 

This is a short recap of what's needed to set up a regular backup of a Synology shared folder onto an USB drive plugged on an Asus router (running with Asuswrt Merlin).

The information needed for this specific operation is generally scattered in different places, so I regrouped everything while it's still fresh from my recent actions.

The latest upgrade from Synology to DSM 6.1 will disable the Plex server.

This is how to resolve it.

The first Wanscam product I reviewed last year left a very good impression.
The HW0049 is the latest addition in the HW series.

IP Cameras are getting increasingly smart, easy to use and affordable.

They are convenient security add-ons but they also have potential to be exactly the opposite!

If you ever wished that you could add download tasks to your Download Station directly from any page in Chrome, (iow without having to go to the DSM interface), this is now possible with this neat extension.

After a year of inaction, LG pushed an update to the 2016 WebOS 2.0 models with 2.2.0-145, allowing Plex to eventually show in the app store.

A major improvement in Synology Surveillance Station came in almost unnoticed (at least from me) since the release 7.1-4056.

For years, users have begged Synology to implement a way to add RTSP URL's.

The reason: most P2P entry-level IP Cameras don't come with an HTTP server anymore.

Synology has a list of User Reported Compatible DVB-T Sticks, most of them ranging from 10 to 100€.

There're even cheaper devices perfectly fit for the job, such as this little gizmo...

HitMob's IP Camera Viewer for Android and iOS can be configured to access the IP Cameras through Synology Surveillance Station, with the distinctive advantage that such connection can be encrypted.

The process is not over-complicated but deserves to be properly documented.

The current ONVIF implementation in Dericam H502W/Cybernova WIP604MW IP Cameras does not allow High Resolution and Pan & Tilt control in Synology Surveillance Station.

This method initialy published on the Polish web site, webcam4.eu, will  bring some improvement on that regard.

After a beta phase slightly longer than usual (2 months), DSM 4.2 is now officially released.

The latest release 6.0-2383 of Synology Surveillance Station brought some further support for the ONVIF-based IP Cameras.

The DSM 3.2 just finished its beta cycle and is available for updating the Synology DiskStations!
Below is a non-exhaustive list of the most remarkable changes in release 3.2-1922:

One of my best purchase in 2010, the Synology DS109 (and family) is getting even better with the release of Disk Station Manager 3.0.

The huge quantity of features added over time during the DSM evolution resulted in a revamped and multi-tasking user interface to make the server configuration even more intuitive than before.

Difficult to tell which AJAX web interface from QNAP V or Synology is the best, but it's clear that the fierce competition between the two leading brands is an excellent thing for us!


Read more at www.synology.com.

Power cuts are very common in my area with about 2 incidents monthly. So far, the damage has been minimal with just one hard disk full of games lost. It would have been another story if it happened to the NAS dedicated to my  photos, music and movies.
After comparing different brands and models, the BE700G(-UK) from APC appeared as the obvious choice.

I became increasingly concerned by the safety of my data after that some loss and corruption occurred on my NexStar LX NAS, apparently following episodes of heavy disk activity. I'm still not sure who to blame: the NAS or the old Seagate Barracuda inside.