Synology DS225+

It's a good thing Synology lifted its hard drive restrictions; otherwise, this product would be a clear no-go. You have to install the correct drivers for Intel's QSV yourself (via SSH or a script). And contrary to the product description here, the device only has one 2.5g port.

If you're not yet part of the Synology ecosystem, avoid it. The jump from the DS224+ to the DS225+ doesn't bode well for the future. With the exception of that single 2.5g port, this device is, on paper, the same as—and in reality, a downgrade from—its predecessor.

After six years, it was time to upgrade my old Synology NAS. The drives were a bit newer, so I could keep them. Of course, I watched tons of tutorials on how to migrate, but it was a breeze. It's really just a matter of transferring drives and you're done. The DS225+ is fast, not exactly quiet (with the ventilation), but certainly acceptable.

I buy a new one every five years, and then you just transfer the drives. Click and go. I mirror the drives for secure storage. It's professional software that I don't understand much about, but you can do absolutely anything with it. I just use it at home; no cloud storage subscriptions required, each family member has their own share of the drive. You can easily transfer photos from your phone to the NAS and watch them easily via an app or on the TV. I don't use music anymore; Spotify is more convenient.