Synology’s newest 2-bay quad-core NAS is meant to serve growing businesses that expect their storage needs to increase, but want to minimize their initial investment. Unlike many of their other 2-bay offerings, the DS715 can be daisy-chained with a DX513 expansion unit, total raw capacity from 16TB to 56TB. The DS715 also provides impressive performance, with reported transfer speeds of 216.1MB/s read and 142.5MB/s write (RAID1), as well as 2GB of memory. In addition to its standout scalability, the DS715 carries with it all of Synology’s other DiskStation features and their popular DSM.

Thanks to its hardware encryption engine, files stored on the DS715 can be encrypted on the fly with only a very small drop in performance (205.6MB/s read and 77.62MB/s write). The device comes with dual LAN, which offers redundancy as well as enhanced connection speeds. Thanks to Surveillance Station, the DS715 can be used as an NVR server supporting up to 30 cameras, with real-time or recorded viewing either with a computer or mobile device. Other programs like User Home, Storage Manager, and Synology CMS make the DS715 well equipped to serve a small business.

In terms of backup, the DS715 can be set as a backup target through Cloud Station, and the contents of the DS715 can be backed up to other DiskStations, external drives, or various third-party cloud services (e.g., Amazon S3, Glacier, Microsoft Azure). The DS715 also functions as an all-in-one server through Directory Server, Proxy Server, Web Station, Mail Station, and Print Server. In the event of downtime, Synology’s Heartbeat function will automatically detect interruptions and activate passive servers (if passive servers have been designated).

The DS715 has a 2-year warranty and carries a price tag of $469.99 (driveless).

Specifications
CPU Model: Annapurna Labs Alpine AL-314
CPU Frequency: Quad Core 1.4GHz
Memory: 2GB DDR3
Drive Bays: 2 (7 with expansion unit)
Max Internal Capacity: 16TB (56TB with expansion unit)
External ports: USB 3.0 x 2, eSATA port x2
Compatible Drive Types:
3.5″ SATA(III)/SATA(II) HDD
2.5″ SATA(III)/SATA(II) HDD
2.5″ SATA(III)/SATA(II) SSD
Dimensions: 157mm x 103.5mm x 232mm
Weight: 1.69kg
LAN: Gigabit x2
System Fan: 92mm x 92mm x 1pcs
Power
Power Supply: 72W
AC Input Power Voltage: 100V to 240V AC
Power Frequency: 50/60Hz, Single Phase
Power Consumption:
21.37W (Access)
9.37W (HDD Hibernation)
Environmental
Operating Temperature: 5ºC to 35ºC (40ºF to 95ºF)
Storage Temperature: -20ºC to 60ºC (-5ºF to 140ºF)
Noise Level: 19.2dB
Relative Humidity: 5% to 95%
Certifications: FCC Class B, CE Class B, BSMI Class B
Warranty: 2 years

Design and Build
The DS715 resembles most of Synology’s other DiskStation models. Drives can be accessed from the face of the device, which also uses LED displays to indicate drive activity, system status, LAN 1 and LAN 2 connectivity, and system power.

The sides are plain black with Synology’s typical branding, and the bottom has four textured pegs to hold the device in place.

The back of the DS715 has one large fan, two LAN ports, the power port, a reset button, two USB 3.0 ports, an eSATA port, and a Kensington lock slot.

Conclusion
The DS715 was designed as a starter NAS for growing businesses that plan to upscale in the future without compromising quality. The DS715 comes with a quad-core CPU and 2GB of memory, and delivers solid performance for a 2-bay NAS. If daisy-chained to Synology’s DX513 expansion unit, the DS715 can manage up to 56TB of raw storage. In addition to its scalability and performance, the DS715 includes all of Synology’s standard features, such as DSM, CMS, Cloud Station, Storage Manager, and its suite of all-in-one server applications (e.g., Directory Server, Web Station).

The DS715 performed well overall. It seemed to excel in the 8k sequential and 128K benchmarks when configured in CIFS, but tended to perform better when configured in iSCSI for mixed workloads. The DS715 performs well with both WD and Seagate drives, depending on the specific setting. Overall the DS715 holds its own well for a 2-drive NAS, making it a good starting point for businesses that expect a smaller data footprint out of the gate, but expect the data needs to grow over time.

Pros
Expandability options
Good performance for an entry-level NAS
Synology’s suite of DSM features

Cons
A little expensive for a 2-bay NAS
The Bottom Line

The Synology DS715 is the perfect NAS for small growing businesses that want to retain the ability to expand their storage in the future without compromising on quality and performance in the meantime.

from: https://www.storagereview.com/review/synology-diskstation-ds715-review