DiskStation DS218play
Your personal multimedia library

Overview:

Synology DiskStation DS218play is a feature rich, two-bay tower equipped with a 64-bit quad-core processor. Featuring powerful multimedia processing capabilities, DS218play supports real-time transcoding of 4K Ultra HD source content, and is perfect for multimedia streaming and file sharing for home users. Synology DS218play is backed by Synology’s 2-year limited warranty.

• 2-bay NAS with optimal multimedia solution for home users
• 4K video transcoding on the fly with 10 bit H.265 codec support
• Up to 112 MB/s and 112 MB/s sequential reading and writing throughput, respectively.
• Over 112 MB/s encrypted sequential reading throughput and 112 MB/s encrypted sequential writing throughput
• Powered by a 64-bit 1.4 GHz quad-core processor with 1 GB DDR4 RAM
• Supports a single volume of over 20TB raw capacity
• Supports up to 15 IP cameras

4K Ultra HD Entertainment Center

Synology DS218play is a multimedia-optimized 2-bay network attached storage solution equipped with a 64-bit quad-core 1.4 GHz processor and 1 GB RAM, delivering sequential reading throughput at over 112 MB/s and writing throughput at over 112 MB/s under RAID 1 configuration. An encrypted sequential data transmission at over 112 MB/s reading and 112 MB/s writing1. DS218play further supports real-time 4K Ultra HD (4096 x 2160) video transcoding of up to 10bit H.265 (HEVC) content.

Personal Multimedia Library

DS218play helps you easily manage your multimedia content and share them across Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms. With Video Station, you can easily organize and sort your personal digital video library with comprehensive media information and watch 4K Ultra HD movies and films. Photo Station allows you to effortlessly organize photos into customized categories, smart albums and blog posts, and link them to social networking websites within a few clicks. Audio Station comes with Internet radio and lossless audio format support, and is capable of music playback via DLNA or AirPlay-compliant devices.

Cross-Platform File Sharing and Data Synchronization

Synology DS218play supports comprehensive network protocols, ensuring a seamless file sharing experience across Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms. Windows AD and LDAP integration allow DS218play to fit quickly and effortlessly into any existing network environment without the necessity to recreate user accounts. Cloud Sync keeps your Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Baidu and Box storages in sync with your personal DiskStation at home. The Cloud Station Suite allows you to sync files among multiple devices — Windows PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android tablets/ phones — effortlessly keeping everything up-to-date. DS218play combines seamless file sharing capability with hardened security, even over the internet with HTTPS, built-in firewall, and multiple IP and account intrusion auto-blocking mechanisms.

Easy Backup Solutions

With block-level incremental backup and cross-version deduplication, Synology Hyper Backup provides multi-version backup with optimized storage utilization and allows data backup to multiple destinations–local shared folders, external hard drives, network shared folders, rsync servers, and public cloud services.

Anywhere/Anytime Availability

Synology provides mobile applications that allow you to enjoy your multimedia library even when on the go. Available on iOS, Android and Windows Phone platforms, DS photo, DS audio, DS video, and DS file enable access to your Synology NAS through Photo Station, Audio Station, Video Station, and File Station. What’s more, you can use DS get to remotely manage and monitor download tasks on Download Station. QuickConnect allows you to connect via a simple customizable address so that you can instantly access media and work files on any Windows/Mac/Linux computer, laptop, or mobile device.

Energy Efficient with Cool and Quiet Design

Synology DS218play is designed with energy efficiency in mind. Compared with its average PC counterpart, Synology DS218play consumes relatively little power at 16.79 watts when accessed and 5.16 watts when hard drive hibernation is enabled. The scheduled power on/off feature further reduces power consumption and long term operation costs.

Features:

Ideal Entertainment Center with 4K Ultra HD Capability

Designed for multimedia enthusiasts, DS218play supports real-time transcoding of 4K Ultra HD source content. With the availability of centralized management, DS218play is ideal for fast file sharing and reliable backup for all types of devices.

Multimedia powerhouse

Access your multimedia content anytime, anywhere with an intuitive web-based interface.

Video Station
Video Station lets you easily manage and oraganize movies, TV shows, and home videos, and stream to other computers, smartphones, and media players.

Photo Station
Photo Station allows you to effectively organize and share photos and albums, while easily communicating with others using labels, comments, and more.

Audio Station
Audio Station is your personal music center, designed to intelligently sort and organize your audio files and stream to Google Cast enabled devices easily. Audio Station supports lossless formats ensuring pristine audio quality.

Easy file access with QuickConnect

Access files on your Synology NAS over the Internet without the hassle of setting up port forwarding rules, DDNS, or other complicated network settings. QuickConnect allows you to connect via a simple customizable address (e.g. https://customID.quickconnect.to), so that you can instantly access media and work files on any Windows/Mac/Linux computer, laptop, or mobile device without additional charge.

Seamless integration with your mobile devices

Synology mobile applications are designed to allow quick and secure access to your data wherever you are.

• DS Audio
• DS Photo
• DS Video
  

Powered by Synology DSM

Product Views:

Technical Specifications:

1. Status indicator
2. LAN indicator
3. Drive status indicator
4. Power button and indicator
5. Fan
6. USB 3.0 port
7. Reset button
8. 1GbE RJ-45 port
9. Kensington Security Slot
10. Power port

Hardware Specifications:
CPU
CPU Model	Realtek RTD1296
CPU Architecture	64-bit
CPU Frequency	Quad Core 1.4 GHz
Hardware Encryption Engine
Hardware Transcoding Engine	10-bit H.265 (HEVC), MPEG-4 Part 2, MPEG-2, VC-1; maximum resolution: 4K (4096 x 2160); maximum frame rate per second (FPS): 30
Memory
System Memory	1 GB DDR4
Memory
Drive Bay(s)	2
Compatible Drive Type	3.5" SATA HDD 2.5" SATA HDD (with optional 2.5" Disk Holder) 2.5" SATA SSD (with optional 2.5" Disk Holder)
Maximum Internal Raw Capacity	24 TB (12 TB drive x 2) (Capacity may vary by RAID types)
Maximum Single Volume Size	108 TB
Notes	"Compatible drive type" indicates the drives that have been tested to be compatible with Synology products. This term does not indicate the maximum connection speed of each drive bay. The maximum single volume size is not directly related to the maximum raw capacity.
External Ports
RJ-45 1GbE LAN Port	1
USB 3.0 Port	2
File System
Internal Drives	EXT4
External Drives	EXT4 EXT3 FAT NTFS HFS+* exFAT*
Notes	exFAT Access is purchased separately in Package Center.
Appearance
Size (Height X Width X Depth)	165 mm x 100 mm x 225.5 mm
Weight	0.87 kg
Others
System Fan	92 mm x 92 mm x 1 pcs
Fan Speed Mode	Full-Speed Mode Cool Mode Quiet Mode
Brightness adjustable front LED indicators
Power Recovery
Noise Level	19.9 dB(A)
Scheduled Power On/Off
Wake on LAN/WAN
Power Supply Unit / Adapter	60W
AC Input Power Voltage	100V to 240V AC
Power Frequency	50/60 Hz, Single Phase
Power Consumption	16.79 W (Access)  5.16 W (HDD Hibernation)
British Thermal Unit	57.29 BTU/hr (Access)  17.61 BTU/hr (HDD Hibernation)
Environment Temperature
Operating Temperature	5°C to 40°C (40°F to 104°F)
Storage Temperature	-20°C to 60°C (-5°F to 140°F)
Relative Humidity	5% to 95% RH
Other
Certification	FCC Class B CE Class B BSMI Class B
Warranty	2 Years
General DSM Specifications:
Networking protocol	CIFS, AFP, NFS, FTP, WebDAV, CalDAV, iSCSI, Telnet, SSH, SNMP, VPN (PPTP, OpenVPN , L2TP)
File system	Internal: ext4 External: ext4, ext3, FAT, NTFS, HFS+, exFAT3
Supported RAID type	Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR), Basic, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1
Storage management	Maximum internal volume: 256 Maximum iSCSI target: 10 Maximum iSCSI LUN: 10
File sharing capability	Maximum user account: 2,048 Maximum group: 256 Maximum shared folder: 256 Maximum concurrent SMB/NFS/AFP/FTP connection: 200
Privilege	Windows Access Control List (ACL), application privileges
Directory service	Windows AD integration: Domain users login via SMB/NFS/AFP/FTP/File Station, LDAP integration
Security	Firewall, encryption shared folder, SMB encryption, FTP over SSL/TLS, SFTP, rsync over SSH, login auto block, Let's Encrypt support, HTTPS (customizable cipher suite)
Supported client	Windows 7 and 10, Mac OS X 10.11 onwards
Supported browser	Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer: 10 onwards, Safari 10 onwards, Safari (iOS 10 onwards on iPad), Chrome (Android 6.0 onwards on tablets)
Language	English, Deutsch, Français, Italiano, Español, Dansk, Norsk, Svensk, Nederlands, Русский, Polski, Magyar, Português do Brasil, Português Europeu, Türkçe, Český
Packages and Applications:
File Station	Virtual drives, remote folders, Windows ACL editor, compressing/extracting archived files, bandwidth control for specific users/groups, creating sharing links, transfer logs
FTP Server	Bandwidth control for TCP connections, custom FTP passive port range, anonymous FTP, FTP SSL/TLS and SFTP protocol, boot over the network with TFTP and PXE support, transfer logs
Universal Search	Offer global search into applications and files
Hyper Backup	Support local backup, network backup, and backup data to public clouds
Backup tool	DSM configuration backup, macOS Time Machine support, Cloud Station Backup Shared folder sync - maximum task number: 4
Cloud Station Suite	Sync your data between multiple platforms by installing the client utilities on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS devices, while retaining up to 32 historical versions of files Maximum concurrent file transfer: 200
Cloud Sync	One or two-way synchronization with public cloud storage providers including Amazon Drive, Amazon S3-compatible storage, Baidu cloud, Box, Dropbox, Google Cloud Storage, Google Drive, hubiC, MegaDisk, Microsoft OneDrive, OpenStack Swift-compatible storage, WebDAV servers, Yandex Disk
Surveillance Station	Maximum IP camera: 15 (total of 450 FPS at 720p, H.264) (Includes two free camera licenses; additional cameras require the purchasing of additional licenses)
VPN Server	Maximum connection: 15, supported VPN protocol: PPTP, OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec
Mail Server	Supported Mail Server protocol: POP3, SMTP, IMAP, support LDAP/AD account
Mail Station	Webmail interface for Mail Server; receiving mails from multiple POP3 mailboxes, customizable SMTP server
Collaboration Suite	Chat maximum user: 500 Office maximum user: 100, maximum simultaneous editing user: 30 Calendar: support CalDAV and access via mobile devices
Note Station	Rich-text note organization and versioning, encryption, sharing, media embedding and attachments
Storage Advisor	Volume and quota usage, total size of files, volume usage and trends based on past usage, size of shared folders, largest/most/least frequently modified files
Security Advisor	Malware detection/removal, user account/password, network, system-related security scan
Web Station	Virtual host (up to 30 websites), PHP/MariaDB, third-party application support
Antivirus Essential	Full system scan, scheduled scan, white list customization, virus definition auto update
Download Station	Supported download protocol: BT, HTTP, FTP, NZB, eMule, Thunder, FlashGet, QQDL Maximum concurrent download task: 50
Other packages	Video Station, Photo Station, Audio Station, DNS Server, RADIUS Server, iTunes® Server, Log Center, third-party packages available on Package Center
iOS/Android applications	DS audio, DS cam, DS cloud, DS file, DS finder, DS get, DS note, DS photo, DS video
Windows Phone applications	DS audio, DS file, DS finder, DS get, DS photo, DS video
Environment & Packaging:
Environment	RoHS Compliant
Packaging Content	DS218play main unit Quick Installation Guide Accessory pack AC power adapter RJ-45 LAN cable
Optional Accessories	VisualStation VS360HD, VS960HD Surveillance Device License Pack 2.5" Disk Holder (Type C)

*Model specifications are subject to change without notice. Please refer to www.synology.com for the latest information.
¹ Performance figures may vary depending on environment, usage, and configuration.
² DS218play can transcode 4K video to 1080p or lower. The maximum number of concurrent video transcoding channels supported may vary depending on the video codec, resolution, bitrate and FPS.
³ exFAT Access is purchased separately in Package Center.

Performance:

2-bay NAS

Synology strives to enhance the performance of our NAS with every software update, even long after a product is launched. For enterprises and users that demand uncompromising performance from their servers, check the figures below to find the most suitable choice.

1GbE SMB - Sequential Throughput (64KB)

Model	RS217	DS718+	DS218+	DS216	DS218play	DS218j	DS216se
Read	221.65	226.22	113.11	113.02	112.83	113.11	101.8
Write	171.6	188.27	112.62	108.54	112.1	112.35	64.1

1GbE SMB - Sequential Throughput via Encrypted Shared Folder (64KB)

Model	RS217	DS718+	DS218+	DS216	DS218play	DS218j	DS216se
Read	118.64	226.13	113.11	112.35	112.69	105.67	30.21
Write	64.64	184.7	112.04	69.97	112.93	58.93	12.6

1GbE SMB - Windows File Transfer (3GB file x 1)

Model	RS217	DS718+	DS218+	DS216	DS218play	DS218j	DS216se
Windows Download	111.89	112.36	112.77	111.47	112.23	111.95	96.33
Windows Download	111.32	111.83	111.55	110.67	110.78	109.31	59.37

1GbE SMB - Windows File Transfer (1MB file x 3000)

Model	RS217	DS718+	DS218+	DS216	DS218play	DS218j	DS216se
Windows Download	82.04	85.53	84.53	82.11	82.81	80.28	5.62
Windows Download	58.54	68.21	68.39	59.47	63.9	57.82	32.27

1GbE SM - Windows File Transfer via Encrypted Shared Folder (3GB file x 1)

Model	RS217	DS718+	DS218+	DS216	DS218play	DS218j	DS216se
Windows Download	49.94	112.27	112.63	51.05	112.29	48.9	24.59
Windows Download	35.52	104.67	110.94	35.91	111.15	33.07	12.3

1GbE SMB - Windows File Transfer via Encrypted Shared Folder (1MB file x 3000)

Model	RS217	DS718+	DS218+	DS216	DS218play	DS218j	DS216se
Windows Download	40.53	85.27	83.43	40.9	57.03	39.1	20.94
Windows Download	21.9	41.87	42.59	22.24	43.5	20.8	8.14

1GbE AFP - Mac File Transfer (3GB file x 1)

Model	RS217	DS718+	DS218+	DS216	DS218play	DS218j	DS216se
AFP Download	94.46	93.5	94.25	93.96	94.44	93.01	84.35
AFP Upload	94.09	92.49	92.9	93.19	93.55	90.19	57.05

1GbE AFP - Mac File Transfer (1MB file x 3000)

Model	RS217	DS718+	DS218+	DS216	DS218play	DS218j	DS216se
AFP Download	50.25	68.68	69.81	50.26	51.73	50.08	42.2
AFP Upload	57.99	64.4	57.13	57.43	60.89	55.31	33.66

1GbE Web Server - PHP Response Efficiency

Model	RS217	DS718+	DS218+	DS216	DS218play	DS218j	DS216se
Responses per second	4502.74	13329.55	8763.35	4481.41	8920.13	4632.2	765.5

NAS:

• Operating System: DSM 6.1
• Volume Type: RAID 5 (4 bay), RAID 1 (2 bay), Basic (1 bay)
• Drives:
  • DS416slim: Fully loaded with Intel 535 Series 240GB SSDSC2BW240H6 SSD
  • Other models: Fully loaded with Seagate ST6000VN0001 6TB HDD
• File System:
  • EXT4:
    • [1-bay] DS118, DS115j
    • [2-bay] RS217, DS216, DS218play, DS218j, DS216se
    • [4-bay] RS816, DS418, DS418j, DS416slim
  • Btrfs:
    • [2-bay] DS718+, DS218+
    • [4-bay] RS815(RP)+, DS918+, DS418play
• 1GbE Network Environments:
  • For models with single 1GbE LAN port: MTU 1500; connected to 1 client PC via HP 2530-48G switch
  • For models with multiple 1GbE LAN ports: Link Aggregation is enabled for Sequential Throughput tests; MTU 1500; connected to client PCs via HP 2530-48G switch

Client PC:

• 1GbE SMB Network Environments:
  • For NAS models with single 1GbE LAN port: Intel Core i7-3770 3.40GHz; 32GB DDR3-1866; RAMdisk with 14GB source partition and 14GB target partition; Intel Gigabit CT; MTU 1500; Windows 7 64-bit
  • For NAS models with multiple 1GbE LAN ports: Intel Core i7-3770 3.40GHz; 4GB DDR3-1600; Intel 520 (120GB) SSD x 2; striped volume; Intel Gigabit CT; MTU 1500; Windows 7 64-bit
• IOMeter setting for Sequential Throughput tests: Continuously read from/write to a single 8GB file for 3 minutes; Block size: 64KB
• 1GbE Web Server Network Environment:
  • Intel Core i7-6700 3.40GHz; 16GB DDR4-2133; Intel Gigabit CT; MTU 1500; Ubuntu 16.04
  • (php) wrk -t 8 -c [10-250] -d 60s -H "Host: benchmark"http://DS_IP/echo.php
• 1GbE AFP Network Environment: Mac Mini; 2.3GHz 4 core Intel Core i7; 16GB DDR3-1600; RAMdisk with 7GB source partition and 4GB target partition; MTU 1500; OSX 10.9

Special Note:

• Performance figures are achieved in the Synology lab by using very powerful client computers with optimized network settings, and could vary in different environments. Regular office desktop or notebook computers may not be able to reproduce these figures.

Documentation:

Download the Synology DiskStation DS218play Datasheet  (PDF).