Synology is getting ready to roll out new restrictions on third-party laborious drives in its future community connected storage (NAS) gadgets later this yr, the corporate confirmed to Ars Technica. The modifications might make it a lot more durable to make use of third-party drives in Synology’s gadgets for typical use circumstances, like backing up family computer systems or as native media servers. The excellent news is that in the event you already personal a Synology NAS, the corporate says the change gained’t have an effect on you.
Synology says in an EU press release that “beginning with Plus Sequence fashions launched in 2025,” solely Synology-branded drives and people the corporate has licensed to fulfill its specs will “supply the total vary of options and help.” In line with Ars, Synology plans to replace its compatibility lists to mirror which third-party drives that it has licensed.
The brand new restrictions imply that with out Synology-approved drives, you may not be capable to do issues like pool storage between disks or benefit from drive lifespan evaluation provided by the corporate’s software program. The change doesn’t apply to Synology J- and- Worth-series gadgets, and gained’t have an effect on consumer-grade Synology Plus gadgets that have been launched in 2024 and earlier. Nor will it have an effect on laborious drives which are migrated to this yr’s gadgets from its current NAS programs, in response to Synology’s press launch.
As for why it’s making this transformation, a Synology spokesperson instructed Ars, “In depth inner testing has proven that drives that comply with a rigorous validation course of when paired with Synology programs are at much less threat of drive failure and ongoing compatibility points.” The corporate says comparable issues in its press launch, writing that the restrictions will “cut back compatibility points and improve system reliability and efficiency.” Synology didn’t instantly reply to The Verge’s request for remark.
Restrictions like this are irritating. To Synology’s credit score, it’s introducing them in a manner that’s much less egregious than one thing like a printer firm blocking third-party ink with a software program replace. However that doesn’t repair the truth that homeowners of its future NAS gadgets may have fewer decisions — and due to this fact fewer probabilities to economize — in relation to shopping for the drives to stay into them.