Synology DS225+ Review (vs. DS224+): A Solid Upgrade to 2.5GbE Connectivity

The DiskStation DS225+, first available in the US market on July 23, 2025, is Synology’s 2025 continuation of its 2-bay series in the Plus family.

I found this release somewhat surprising considering the 2024 model year, DS224+. That’s because all other previous 2025 Plus servers, including the DS925+, DS425+, DS725+, DS1825+, and DS1525+, are refreshed versions of previous models released at least two full years earlier.

Here’s the bottom line: Like the DS224+, the DS225+ is an excellent dual-bay server for those needing relatively modest network-attached storage space. If you can deal with Synology’s new storage lock-in policy—a bit easier to stomach in this case, considering you only need two drives—the new 2.5Gbps port grade will make the DS225+ more than worth its retail cost, which is comparable to that of the previous model.

Dong’s note: I first published this post on July 23, 2025, as a preview and updated it to an in-depth review on August 4, 2025, after hands-on testing and real-world usage.

Synology DS225+: The 2.5Gbps port that changes everything

As the name suggests, the DS225+ is a dual-bay NAS server in Synology’s DS2xx Plus lineup, which is a step up from non-Plus servers, such as the DS223. The new server is the refreshed version of the DS224+ as an incremental upgrade and has one feature that sets it apart from its predecessor: like other 2025 Plus models, it now features 2.5Gbps network connectivity.

In return, also like other 2025 models, it comes with a significant caveat: it requires Synology-approved storage. Generally, you won’t be able to use it with third-party drives. As a result, it’ll be a more expensive server to operate, considering Synology drives are priced noticeably more than third-party counterparts.

That aside, the new server is practically identical to the DS224+. The two share the same processing power and hardware design. In fact, you simply won’t be able to tell them apart from their appearances. The table below shows the hardware specifications of the two.

Synology DS225+ vs. DS224+: Hardware specifications

The two servers share identical appearances from all angles. You have to pay attention to note the DS225+’s 2.5Gbps port (LAN 1).

	DiskStation DS225+	DiskStation DS224+
CPU	Intel Celeron J4125 64-bit 4-core 2.0 (base) / 2.7 (burst) GHz
Stock memory	2GB DDR4 non-ECC (onboard)
Max memory	6 GB (2GB + 4 GB via a slot)
Support Drive Type	3.5″ SATA HDD, 2.5″ SATA SSD
Compatible Drive	Synology-approved only	Synology-approved, Third-party
Supported RAID type	Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR), Basic, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1
Hot-swappable drive	Yes
External port	2x USB 3.0 Gen 1
Storage expansion	None
System fan	1 x (92 x 92 x 25 mm) (replaceable)
File System	Internal: Btrfs, ext4 External: Btrfs, ext4, ext3, FAT32, NTFS, HFS+, exFAT
Dimensions	165 x 108 x 232.7 mm
Weight	2.9 lbs (1.3 kg)
Network Ports	1x 2.5Gbps 1x Gigabit	2x Gigabit
Link Aggregation	Yes
Wake on LAN/WAN	Yes
Scheduled power on/off	Yes
Networking protocol	SMB, AFP, NFS, FTP, WebDAV, CalDAV, iSCSI, Telnet, SSH, SNMP, and VPN (PPTP, OpenVPN, L2TP)
M.2 Slot	None
10Gbps Upgrade	None
AC input power voltage	100 V to 240 V AC
Power Consumption (per 24 hours)	≈ 275 Wh (tested with two hard drives)	not tested
Included camera licenses (Surveillance Station)	2
Warranty	3-year	2-year
US Launch Price (Check street prices!)	$399.99	$310

A frill-free, advanced dual-bay server with entry-level multi-Gigabit connectivity

As a dual-bay server, the DS225+ can host up to 40TB of raw storage, but that’s only because currently, Synology-branded hard drives are limited to 20TB each. The server could hold more space if or when third-party drives are supported.

In any case, for data protection via RAID 1 or SHR, you’ll get only half of that for usage—the other half is for redundancy. Or you can use RAID 0, which gives you the best performance and top storage space at a higher risk of data loss.

It’s worth noting that, unlike most Synology Plus servers, this dual-bay lineup doesn’t support storage expansion. As a result, from a storage capacity perspective, the DS225+ is suitable only for those with modest storage needs, which is limited by its two native drive bays.

That said, the 2.5Gbps port is the most significant improvement the DS225+ has over previous models, and that proved to be significant as shown in the performance section below. The DS225+ has much faster real-world speed than any previous dual-bay server from Synology, including the DS224+ and DS223.

A familiar Synology NAS experience

Other than that, thanks to DSM 7, you can expect the DS225+ to offer a similar experience to other Synology NAS servers.

Among other things, you can expect the following:

• Synology Chat: A Slack-like chat system with a back-end server and front-end applications via desktop and mobile apps. It works exceptionally well as a collaboration tool for a small office.
• Download Station: A well-designed self-download app that can download files from any source. It also has a powerful torrent search engine.
• Synology Drive: A must-have app that turns the server into a personal cloud and allows you to sync, share, and back up data between multiple devices. It’s like Dropbox, but much better and free.
• Snapshot Replication: A crucial app for data security. It includes the shadow copy backup (snapshots) and replication functions. The former can automatically save a version of the data according to a schedule, allowing you to restore it to a specific point in the past. The latter can automatically replicate the data in real-time to a different location, such as an external drive. The two keep data safe even when accidentally deleted, damaged, or altered.
• Active Backup Suite: This versatile backup app automatically backs up files stored on the server to multiple destinations, including USB drives and various online storage services, such as Google Drive, Amazon Drive, and Microsoft Azure, among others.
• Surveillance Station: This app turns the server into a comprehensive surveillance system when coupled with supported IP cameras. Note that the server includes only two camera licenses— additional licenses cost extra, unless you use Synology cameras.

Additionally, the server also features Virtual Machine Manager and Plex Media Server apps. It’s worth noting that to use VMM, you need to upgrade its RAM to the maximum, as 2GB is simply too limited.

Synology DS225+: Fast real-world performance

As for real-world throughput connection, the DS225+ did well in my testing. Thanks to the 2.5Gbps port, it was decidedly faster than the DS224+ with entry-level multi-Gigabit performance. However, without a 10Gbps upgrade option, it, as expected, wasn’t the fastest among the new 2025 models.

I tested the server using Synology drives, two 4TB HAT4400 HDDs and two 480GB SAT5221 SSDs, via SHR (RAID 1 in effect) and RAID 0, and the real-world rates matched that of its 2.5Gbps port, making it the fastest dual-bay NAS server from Synology to date.

Like other Synology NAS, the drive’s large ventilation fan made little noise during operation. There was only a subtle hum, audible only in a quiet room. Its internal Synology-branded hard drives made no noise at all, one of a few upsides in return for the new storage policy. The server also remained cool during the entire trial, which never hurts.

Conclusion

The Synology DiskStation DS225+ is an excellent compact NAS server for those needing modest network-attached storage space via simple RAID configurations.

While Synology’s new storage policy sure is a drag, the approved drives are exceptionally quiet with purportedly higher reliability and better tech support, which can give users more comfort and peace of mind.

That said, if you’re looking for an advanced dual-bay NAS server with entry-level multi-Gigabit performance, consider the DS225+ and a couple of Synology drives today!