Synology Drives required for ALL 2025 PLUS MODELS?

Summary

Synology’s recent policy change requires the use of Synology-branded drives for all 2025 and beyond Plus models, a shift from their previous practice of allowing third-party drives. While businesses may not be greatly affected, this decision will impact home users and enthusiasts who valued flexibility and cost-effectiveness. Synology’s move seems geared toward business users, aiming to increase revenue from drive sales and reduce support costs. This shift may alienate hobbyists but aligns with the company’s focus on larger, enterprise-level solutions as the NAS market evolves.

Takeaways

• 😀 Synology is requiring Synology drives on all 2025 and beyond Plus models, marking a significant policy shift.
• 😀 This new requirement extends beyond just enterprise models to include smaller models like the DS225+ and DS1825+.
• 😀 The policy change is part of a broader trend that started in the 2020s, with Synology increasingly requiring its own drives on more models.
• 😀 Home users, hobbyists, and tinkerers will be most affected by this change, as they traditionally preferred third-party drives.
• 😀 Synology's move is focused on business users, especially those with larger budgets who are less likely to call customer support.
• 😀 While third-party drives will still be supported for migration purposes, new users will be locked into using Synology drives for creating pools and volumes.
• 😀 There’s a possibility that Synology may open the door for third-party manufacturers (like Seagate or Western Digital) to pay for certification and support on Synology devices.
• 😀 Synology aims to increase revenue through the sale of its own drives, as hard drives often account for a significant portion of NAS purchase costs.
• 😀 This shift will likely discourage home users and tinkerers from buying Synology products in favor of competitors like QNAP or ASUSTOR, which offer more flexibility.
• 😀 The 2025+ models may artificially limit drive size (e.g., 16TB) to restrict home users from using larger, more cost-effective drives in smaller NAS units.
• 😀 While Synology's move may alienate some segments of their user base, they are positioning themselves to focus more on business users who have fewer support issues and larger budgets.

Q & A

What major change did Synology announce regarding their product line starting in 2025?

Synology announced that starting in 2025, all models in the 'Plus' series will require Synology-branded drives. This marks a significant shift from their previous policy, where only larger enterprise models required Synology drives.

Why did Synology decide to require Synology drives on all 2025 Plus models?

Synology's decision stems from the success of their high-performance drive series. They aim to ensure better compatibility and support for their products, as well as potentially increase their revenue by selling more of their own drives.

How will this change affect home users and tinkerers?

Home users and tinkerers who previously used third-party hard drives (like Seagate IronWolf) in their NAS devices will now be restricted to using Synology's own drives if they want to avoid warnings or issues with volume creation.

Will businesses be impacted by this change?

Businesses are less likely to be impacted by this change because they typically have larger budgets and are already familiar with the requirement for Synology drives in enterprise models. Additionally, businesses are less likely to require as much support from Synology.

Can users still create pools and volumes with third-party drives in the new system?

No, users will likely not be able to create pools or volumes unless they use Synology drives, as the system is being locked down to ensure compatibility and support. Users will still be able to use third-party drives, but this will trigger warnings.

What about users who already own Synology NAS models with third-party drives?

Existing users who have third-party drives in their current models will be able to migrate those drives to the new models without any restrictions for now. However, it is unclear how long this will remain possible.

What are the potential benefits for Synology in requiring their own drives?

By requiring Synology drives, the company stands to increase its revenue from drive sales, reduce the number of support calls (as businesses are less likely to need help), and ensure better integration and reliability within their ecosystem.

What is the expected impact of this change on Synology's competitors?

Synology's competitors, such as QNAP and ASUS, may see an increase in interest from home users and tinkerers who prefer more flexibility in choosing their own drives. This shift could push these users to explore alternatives that allow third-party drives.

Will Synology consider third-party drive certifications in the future?

There is a possibility that Synology may eventually introduce a certification program for third-party drives, allowing brands like Seagate and Western Digital to pay a certification fee in exchange for official support, but this is speculative.

How does Synology's decision to limit drive sizes affect the product line?

By limiting the drive sizes to 16TB, Synology is potentially limiting the storage capacity of their NAS models, making larger NAS units (with more bays) more appealing for users seeking larger storage capacities. This may also influence how cost-effective their smaller models are compared to competitors.