Question 1

Does this support RAID? I was planning to run 2 4tb Western Digital Reds in RAID 1

Accepted Answer

Yes, this is the exact configuration I am using and it works perfectly.

Question 2

how much internal cache storage does this unit have? Can I add more?
Does this connect to a network cable or is it strictly wireless?

Accepted Answer

Wired connection.  can use with WiFi or internet access, but those are external links.   That's really what you want.   I can upfgrade my WiFI and still keep the same DS216j box.

it's fast.  Ethernet speed is the limit, for us.

can't add more internal memory.
 
Synology has complete tech details.

The thing that really, really maters is the Synology supports their products.  That is EXTREMELY important - and why I buy their products over and over.  It is a sound, extremely well designed unit.

I seriously recommend this unit.   I maintain multiple units - many older.  So have a good bit of experience.

Supplement this with a UPS station...   250-500W is fine.   It will buffer out line spikes and noise..  that matters...

Question 3

Nowhere did I see a maximum HDD size? 2gb per disk or can it hold 2 6gb drives. Did not see it anywhere

Accepted Answer

This unit will support 2 3.5" drive of any capacity and will configure in a RAID 1 environment for data redundancy.

Question 4

So will this show up as the "D" drive (or whatever letter is next) in my system and I can just use it as if it's a local drive (even though it's on my router)?

Accepted Answer

Yes and no. Use the symbology website and QuickStart guide to get everything setup. You can then map it on your network and it will show up under "my computer". There are tons of YouTube videos on setting this up. It is the easiest and best supported home NAS.

Question 5

If you decide to scrap this device, are the disks able to be connected to a PC to retrieve data?  Or would they be formatted in an incompatible format?

Accepted Answer

The disks use an ext4 filesystem, which is a common Linux format.  Windows doesn't understand ext4 without extra software, but you can boot a Ubuntu live CD to read the data from the disks.  You could also connect an external USB disk to the NAS and copy the data from the internal hard disk to the external drive.  Of course, The easiest way to get the data would be to copy it over the network before turning the NAS off for the last time.

Question 6

Does this provide disk mirroring? Will it backup my programs as well?

Accepted Answer

I run two 3TB HDD's in my which uses a Hybrid Raid which mirrors both drives so if one fails my data is safe. I also backup to a 5TB external USB drive, which I occasionally install to a computer which is backed up offsite using CrashPlan. Triple redundancy: DS216J: internal mirror, to External HDD in case that fails, to Cloud Backup in case of fire or theft.

Question 7

Can I use two hard drives of different capacity, such as a 750MB and a 1TB together for storage?

Accepted Answer

Depends if you run raid 0 or 1. It will either size to the smallest or combine them for one big one.

Question 8

Will I be able to access the Synology DS216j from a  Windows 2000 system? I have an old system that can't be moved off of Win2K yet.

Accepted Answer

I copied this form their website.
I suggest you go to their website to further investigate before purchasing.
It is a web based OS, that works on Linux, Mac and Windows systems.
Hope this helps.
System Requirements

Internet Explorer 9 or later
    Chrome
    Firefox
    Safari 8 or later
    Safari (iOS 7.0+ on iPad)
    Chrome (Android 4.0+ on tablets)

Question 9

Is it PLEX ready?

Accepted Answer

Yes, there is a third party PLEX Media Server available. It's offered by PLEX and appears to work fine. No issues so far.

KS

Question 10

Can this take SSD's?  Does it make sense to use SSD's for better speed?  My home drive only needs about 1TB of storage.  Or is that way overkill for a NAS for home use and some offsite upload/downloads.  Thanks for any answers.

Accepted Answer

I suggest you check Synology's web site regarding the use of SSD. I believe they publish a list of recommended drives.
I'm not sure SSD would do much in practice since you will be limited by the bandwidth of your home network.

Questions & Answers