Synology - DS-106 NAS Server Review
Former staff writer -Category: Storage / Hard Drives
Price: $300 USD
Introduction
Closer Look
Upon opening the package, you can see that the unit is wrapped in plastic and suspended via cardboard end pieces. There is also a separate box which contains the power cord, Cat5 cable, and driver disc/instruction manual.


Taking the unit out of the box and examining it, I immediately noticed that there are vents all over the unit. The vents were on the top of the unit, as well as on the sides. These vents are not the only means of cooling though, as there is also a small, thermally-controlled fan mounted in the back of the unit.

The RJ-45 port, the power port, as well as a reset switch are all mounted on the back of the unit. For those of you that also have external HDD’s, there is an ESata port, and a USB 2.0 port on the back as well.
The front of the unit contains the various indicator lights, as well as the power on/off button. From top to bottom are the power, status, HDD and LAN lights. In addition to the various lights, the front panel is also adorned with a copy button & USB 2.0 port.

When you receive the DS-106 there is no HDD installed. Installing a hard drive is not that hard. Simply remove the two screws in the left side panel on the back, and slide it back. Then you lift the panel and remove it by unplugging the connector from the main board on the unit. There is a small riser board that has the interface for a HDD to plug into, and on the other end there is a bracket that locks the HDD into place.