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Synology Confirms Compatibility Requirements for Plus Series Devices

The well-known NAS manufacturer, Synology, has recently clarified a policy initially unveiled on its German website. Effective with the release of its upcoming 2025 Plus series, the company will mandate the use of Synology-branded hard drives to ensure full operational compatibility during the initial phases.

A representative from Synology explained in an email to Ars that “Synology-branded drives will be necessary for the usage of the new Plus series. There are plans to expand the Product Compatibility List as more drives undergo thorough vetting in Synology systems.” They emphasized that extensive internal testing indicates that drives adhering to a stringent validation process are less likely to experience failures and compatibility issues when matched with Synology devices.

Failure to use a Synology-approved hard drive in these devices could lead to significant operational challenges. Specifically, NAS devices may struggle to create storage pools and could forfeit advanced features such as volume-wide deduplication and lifespan analysis, as highlighted in a recent press release from Synology’s German division. Similar restrictions are currently standard for the XS Plus and rack-mounted models, although options for workarounds do exist.

In addition to these requirements, Synology intends to establish a “carefully curated drive compatibility framework” for third-party drives in the future. This initiative will allow users to submit drives for evaluation and documentation. The firm noted that drives meeting their rigorous standards may be validated for use, thus providing users with more flexibility while still ensuring the integrity of their NAS systems.

Source
arstechnica.com