Synology issued a DSM update enabling some 2025 model-year Plus, Value, and J-series DiskStation NAS units to accept non-validated third-party drives and create storage pools with them. The change reverses an earlier expansion of a verified-drive policy that had required Synology-branded or validated drives on more units. Synology previously asserted that rigorous internal validation and customized firmware reduced drive-failure risk and compatibility problems when paired with Synology systems. Synology-branded drives were introduced in 2021 and often carried substantial price increases compared with commodity hard-disk hardware.
"If you were considering the purchase of a Synology NAS but were leery of the unreasonably high cost of populating it with special Synology-branded hard disk drives, you can breathe a little easier today. In a press release dated October 8, Synology noted that with the release of its latest Disk Station Manager (DSM) update, some of its 2025 model-year products-specifically, the Plus, Value, and J-series DiskStation NAS devices-would "support the installation and storage pool creation of non-validated third-party drives.""
"Prior to today, the network-attached storage vendor had shown no signs of swerving from the decision, painting it as a pro-consumer move intended to enhance reliability. "Extensive internal testing has shown that drives that follow a rigorous validation process when paired with Synology systems are at less risk of drive failure and ongoing compatibility issues," Synology previously claimed in an email to Ars."
Read at Ars Technica
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