Synology has a strong hold on the traditional NAS space, offering a huge number of excellent NAS models across the price range; I still rely on my good old DiskStation DS920+ for everyday use. But for someone new to NAS, there are a lot of network setups and devices to figure out — so much so that it can easily discourage people from investing in one.
The company aims to solve this problem with the all-new Synology BeeStation, a simplified version of the regular NAS designed specifically for home users. You get a device that’s as easy to use as Google Drive and Google Photos, making it the right choice for anyone looking to get started with their first NAS. And if you ask me, the Synology BeeStation has got the basics down.
Synology P-Station
Synology has created a NAS system that is not at all complicated to set up and use. You can start using it in minutes, and you can do everything using just your phone without having to deal with a complicated web interface.
- Excellent value for your money.
- Built-in storage, unlike DiskStation NAS
- It is very easy to set up.
- Perfect for backing up family photos.
- Integration with Google Drive, OneDrive, etc.
- Small and lightweight
- The program has some problems in the beginning.
- No Plex streaming
- Needs higher storage level
Price and availability
The Synology BeeStation was officially launched last month in Asia Pacific, but it’s only now making its way to other global markets, including the US. You can already pick up this entry-level NAS through Synology’s official retail channels, like Amazon and Newegg, for $220. That price alone makes it a tempting purchase, considering all of its sleek and practical features, which we’ll discuss in the following sections.
What’s good about Synology BeeStation?
There’s a lot to like about it.
The difference between a full-fledged NAS, like the DiskStation DS224+, and a BeeStation becomes clear from the first boot. To set up the BeeStation, simply connect it to power and a router via LAN and pair it with your Synology account from the setup page. You can easily do this from your phone’s browser itself by visiting port.bee.synology.com.
After this point, all you need is your Synology account to access the BeeStation from different apps and devices. And if you’re wondering, you can set up a local account to continue using the device even when the internet is down.
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We often talk about how Synology Photos and Drive can be a perfect alternative to Google Photos and Drive, respectively, since you get virtually unlimited space for no monthly fee. Synology understands how important these tools are to end users and has brought them to the BeeStation in the form of BeePhotos and BeeFiles — two of the key features of this NAS.
Starting with BeePhotos, it looks and works very similarly to Google Photos. It can automatically back up the photos and videos on your phone to local cloud storage using the phone app. Your whole family can join BeeStation and have their own space to store media. The app has a decently powerful search tool for finding things based on what’s in your photos, and it can even automatically tag your media by who’s in it so you don’t miss out on the features you’re used to in Google Photos.
Similarly, Synology touts BeeFiles as a Google Drive alternative—indeed, the web interface looks similar, with a lot of borrowed features. There are a fair number of organization tools, along with the option to find your stuff by file type. You can create shareable links like you would on Google Drive to share files with people outside your home network. What’s more, BeeStation has desktop apps for both Mac and Windows to back up your PC folders and keep them in sync with your NAS. That’s a handy feature that ensures you always have a copy of your important files if one of your devices dies. But that’s not all.
Synology has gone all out with BeeFiles. There’s a way to sync folders with your favorite cloud storage services, including Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox, so your existing workflow doesn’t get in the way if you currently rely on those services. This feature also lets you create external backups of your NAS as a precaution. The BeeStation has a USB-A port and a USB-C port for connecting external drives like flash drives and portable SSDs to quickly and automatically import stuff (though you can’t browse their contents in BeeFiles). All of these BeeFiles features are designed for creators, designers, and video editors to make managing files offline easier, especially if you have multiple devices to switch between.
Considering everything, one factor that makes the BeeStation particularly suitable for beginners is its $220 price tag, making it ideal for home users who don’t want something too expensive to start with. And unlike a traditional NAS, this one comes with built-in storage, so home users can pick one up and start using it in minutes.
What’s bad about Synology BeeStation?
Nothing that would bother you, but still worth mentioning.
Since this is a brand new category for Synology, there were some initial issues with the BeeStation software. Early in my testing, I ran into a file transfer bug where it stuck at 98%. But Synology was quick enough to issue a fix with a software update. Additionally, the BeeStation Mac app wouldn’t let me sign in to my Synology account, forcing me to switch to a Windows PC to run the test. Synology told me my case was an isolated one, and the issue was resolved with a little help from them within a couple of days. It’s certainly comforting to see that the company is proactively listening to feedback and working to fix things that are broken.
While the photos and drive storage are great features, there’s something else home users would have liked to have: Plex streaming, something that Western Digital’s BeeStation competitor supports. Right now, you can store your movie collection on the device, but it won’t be streamed directly like Plex does. We have no idea if Plex will ever come to the BeeStation.
The BeeStation features a 4TB HAT3300 drive built in from Synology itself, which is why the company was able to price it so competitively. This is the only storage option currently available, but there should have been a higher-end 8TB storage option for creators who need more space for all their files. Additionally, the 8TB drive spins at 7,200 RPM, allowing for faster transfer speeds. Speaking of which, sharing files with external users via links relies on Synology’s QuickConnect servers, which aren’t the best for high-speed sharing. Speeds may be slow for recipients who aren’t connected to your local network, depending on a number of factors, including your network bandwidth and theirs.
Finally, I hope to make it a little easier to access BeePhotos and BeeFiles on the web with shorter direct links instead of a string containing a local IP address as we work to simplify things for home users. Your best bet right now is to go to the port.bee.synology.com web page and open the services from there. Meanwhile, their respective Android and iOS apps remain the easiest options by far.
Should you buy it?
There’s no doubt that the BeeStation offers excellent value for a NAS at a reasonable $220, considering Synology also covers it with a three-year warranty. Not only can this small desktop NAS backup your family photos, it can also sync and update your work files across your devices. It’s a boon for freelancers who want to streamline their multi-device workflow with a network storage device without breaking the bank.
By comparison, Google One’s 2TB plan costs you $100 a year if you pay upfront. Google Drive has some great collaboration tools while Google Photos gives you plenty of clever sorting and editing features. But the Synology BeeStation is still a better value, offering twice the storage for a two-year subscription — and it’ll last you a lot longer. It covers the basics and more, keeping your files under your control rather than on a third-party remote server.
Users who want something a little more advanced can opt for the DiskStation DS124, which offers much more flexibility with Synology’s flagship DiskStation Manager (DSM) operating system but comes at a slightly higher price. And if RAID protection against drive failure is a must, you can opt for the dual-bay DS224+, our current favorite NAS. However, for home users who just want to keep a copy of their photos and files offline, the BeeStation is a handy tool that won’t let you down.
Synology P-Station
The Synology BeeStation is a simplified network storage device for home users who don’t want to deal with a lot of technical IT stuff. And it does a very good job of it. You can rely on it to back up your photos and videos without having to do it manually – and at full quality, unlike Google Photos. And for the price, it doesn’t get much better than this.
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