Synology DS509+

My favorite product of 2009 was the Synology DS509+, a five-bay standalone NAS/SAN storage system that is tiny, nearly noiseless, and a great value. It is available in several configurations from Amazon and other retailers, offers capacities up to 8TB (in RAID5), and a great feature set, considering the $2,500 price tag. It provides seamless network-attached storage functionality and unlike most small NAS boxes, also includes iSCSI support. It doesn't support replication or thin provisioning, but those features could be added with additional software such as DataCore's SANMelody.

The DS509+ comes with a huge list of small-to-midsize-business-oriented features, including backup software to allow PCs and laptops to back up to it, an integrated Web server, database server and a media server that can stream sound to PCs, Macs or even iTouch and iPhone clients. It even includes an external sound port that can be used to play music or make the server room more pleasant.

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Synology DS509+

My favorite product of 2009 was the Synology DS509+, a five-bay standalone NAS/SAN storage system that is tiny, nearly noiseless, and a great value. It is available in several configurations from Amazon and other retailers, offers capacities up to 8TB (in RAID5), and a great feature set, considering the $2,500 price tag. It provides seamless network-attached storage functionality and unlike most small NAS boxes, also includes iSCSI support. It doesn't support replication or thin provisioning, but those features could be added with additional software such as DataCore's SANMelody.

The DS509+ comes with a huge list of small-to-midsize-business-oriented features, including backup software to allow PCs and laptops to back up to it, an integrated Web server, database server and a media server that can stream sound to PCs, Macs or even iTouch and iPhone clients. It even includes an external sound port that can be used to play music or make the server room more pleasant.

Setting up the DS509+ is very easy, as befits a product aimed at the SMB market, with wizard-based setup for all major functions and a clean, clear interface. Even iSCSI is easy to set up and use. The DS509+ could easily replace a standard Windows or Linux server in small offices, is easy to set up and inexpensive.

2. Belkin N+ wireless router

Another favorite of mine is the Belkin N+ wireless router and N+ PC card and USB adapters. The system is not only fast, the router provides a USB port to allow an attached hard drive, turning it into a NAS system, and also includes a modem port, allowing for failover access if the LAN connection goes down. It provides 4 gigabit Ethernet ports, a stateful packet inspection firewall and excellent wireless speed.

The setup process is easy for both the router and the USB and PC card adapters, with a wizard for initial setup and straightforward Web interface for changing settings. With support for the latest security standards, setting up a secure wireless network is straightforward. There is an optional Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) setup that is very easy to use, literally a matter of pushing a button on the router and enrolling, or starting the enroll process and providing an eight-digit PIN.

I observed speeds of 200M to 270Mbps throughput inside the office. There's a cute speedometer (a row of LEDs) on the router that tracks Internet download speeds, giving a visual indicator if something drastic happens to the Internet connection. With great ease of use and a nice feature set, the N+ wireless system from Belkin is an easy way to up your wireless speeds and range substantially with very little pain.

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