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Synology NAS and iCloud are built for different needs.
Synology NAS is a physical device that gives you full control over your data. It offers large, expandable storage and can run additional services like backups, file sharing, and media streaming. It requires some setup and maintenance but keeps your data local and under your control.
iCloud is a cloud service from Apple. It automatically syncs files, photos, and backups across Apple devices. It’s simple to use and doesn’t require any hardware, but storage is limited unless you pay monthly, and your data is stored on Apple’s servers.
For local storage, privacy, and advanced features, Synology NAS is more flexible. For seamless syncing and ease of use with Apple devices, iCloud is more convenient. Many people use both to cover different needs.
Setting up a RAID system in a custom PC can be useful, depending on your needs. RAID provides either faster performance, better data protection, or both. It’s commonly used by people who work with large files, run demanding applications, or need protection against hard drive failure.
RAID 0 improves speed by splitting data between drives, but it offers no protection—if one drive fails, all data is lost. RAID 1 mirrors data across two drives for redundancy. RAID 5 and RAID 10 offer a mix of performance and fault tolerance but require more drives.
For general use, like web browsing, office work, or gaming with a fast SSD, RAID isn’t necessary. It adds complexity and won’t offer much benefit for everyday tasks.
In summary, RAID is a good choice if you need high performance or data redundancy and you’re comfortable managing the setup. It’s not a replacement for regular backups. Always keep separate copies of important data.
If your Synology DS415+ NAS doesn’t turn on and you can’t replace the device, it is still possible to recover your data by accessing the drives outside the NAS. Since Synology uses the EXT4 file system and RAID (usually SHR or RAID 5), simply connecting the drives to a Windows PC won’t work.
One option is to connect all drives to a Linux computer or use a Linux live USB. Then use Linux RAID tools like mdadm to assemble the RAID array. If this works, you can mount the volume and copy your data.
If that method is not feasible or doesn’t work, specialized NAS recovery software such as R-Studio, UFS Explorer RAID Recovery, or ReclaiMe can reconstruct Synology RAID arrays and recover files. These require connecting the drives to a PC and running the recovery software.
If the data is critical or recovery attempts fail, professional NAS data recovery services can help. They have the tools and experience needed for Synology RAID and EXT4 file systems.
Do not format or modify the drives, and keep the disk order the same as in the original NAS.