Replace Your Outdated Windows XP File Server With Network Attached Storage

If you have a file server that is still running Windows XP, it’s a massive security risk for your business. With the end of Microsoft’s regular security patch schedule for XP, you won’t have any protection against new vulnerabilities. If you upgrade to a business NAS to store your data, you’ll be protected against intrusion and find a swathe of innovative and new features as well. Let’s take a look.

Synology’s range of DiskStation network-attached storage (NAS) enclosures are fully-fledged mini-PCs, running Synology’s in-house-developed DiskStation Manager operating system.


Unlike a beige box Windows PC, they’re engineered specifically for business data storage, with easily accessible and hot-swappable 3.5-inch drive bays supporting disks from all major manufacturers. DiskStation Manager’s Hybrid RAID lets you add additional storage when needed without requiring complicated procedures, adjusting storage volume sizes on the fly.

DiskStation Manager gives you all the functionality you’d expect from a file server, with file-level permissions and support for access control lists and ADS domain support. You can set limits on user traffic and set quotas both on transfers and storage allocation. Easily installed apps, selected through the DiskStation Manager interface, let you add mail server, web server, VPN, DHCP control and other features when you need them.

Built For Reliability


With smart energy management and low-power components like Intel’s dual-core Atom processors, a NAS like Synology’s DS713+ or DS1813+ can save you money on your electricity bills by entering a low-power state when it’s not in use while still remaining accessible on your network. Once you have a Synology NAS set up, no ongoing maintenance is required.[clear]

Multiple wired Ethernet LAN ports can be used for link aggregation to massively boost transfer rates for bandwidth-critical applications, or can be used for failover redundancy. Multiple USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports let administrators directly backup from or transfer files to a DiskStation with external storage.

Passive component and active low-noise fan cooling for internal hard drives means a DiskStation won’t overheat or throttle its performance under heavy load. All of this comes with an energy footprint that is massively reduced from a conventional Windows PC file server.

Synology’s DiskStation NAS enclosures are scalable to suit anything from a small business to an enterprise, with a variety of 2-, 4-, 8-bay and larger configurations. DiskStation Manager offers a comprehensive feature-set of management and administration tools on all DiskStation NAS, so if you’re running a small business but have demanding or specific storage needs you’re covered.

Stay ahead of the competition with Synology DiskStations. Explore the range here.


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