04-10-2025, 03:53 PM
Thanks for reaching out—and welcome to the NAS world! You’re definitely on the right track with your plan. The DS423+ is a solid choice, especially for someone who’s techy but wants a smooth experience. Synology’s DSM interface is clean and intuitive, and Docker support is great for when you want to start experimenting.
To answer your questions:
Drives: You don’t need to go with Synology-branded drives unless you really want the quieter acoustics and tighter integration. IronWolf drives are absolutely fine (and officially supported on the DS423+), especially if you already own one. Just make sure the drive's SMART status looks good before reusing it.
Storage Plan: Setting up 2x8TB first, copying your data over, and then adding the existing IronWolf as a third drive is a logical and safe approach. Start with SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID), as it gives you flexibility later when mixing different drive sizes.
UPS: The APC BE850G2 is a great match for a small NAS setup. It’ll give you safe shutdowns in case of power cuts and help prolong your NAS’s lifespan.
Network: A basic 5-port 1Gbps switch is perfect for your setup. If you want to spend just a little more, switches from TP-Link or Netgear tend to be reliable.
Wi-Fi Access: Totally fine for everyday photo backups and streaming. Just keep in mind, big transfers (like the first full backup or large video files) will be faster if you can plug into Ethernet temporarily.
To answer your questions:
Drives: You don’t need to go with Synology-branded drives unless you really want the quieter acoustics and tighter integration. IronWolf drives are absolutely fine (and officially supported on the DS423+), especially if you already own one. Just make sure the drive's SMART status looks good before reusing it.
Storage Plan: Setting up 2x8TB first, copying your data over, and then adding the existing IronWolf as a third drive is a logical and safe approach. Start with SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID), as it gives you flexibility later when mixing different drive sizes.
UPS: The APC BE850G2 is a great match for a small NAS setup. It’ll give you safe shutdowns in case of power cuts and help prolong your NAS’s lifespan.
Network: A basic 5-port 1Gbps switch is perfect for your setup. If you want to spend just a little more, switches from TP-Link or Netgear tend to be reliable.
Wi-Fi Access: Totally fine for everyday photo backups and streaming. Just keep in mind, big transfers (like the first full backup or large video files) will be faster if you can plug into Ethernet temporarily.