Dreams ∙ Passion ∙ Digital World
My Synology DS1515+ started rebooting randomly recently and switching the NAS to another wall socket did not rectify the situation. It’s inbuilt power supply is failing and I can’t cannibalize the power units of the DS216+ nor DS916+. I need to RMA the defective Synology NAS and how do I go about doing it?
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Let’s Encrypt is a certificate authority (CA) that provides free X.509 certificates for Transport Layer Security (TLS). Simply said, Let’s Encrypt provides free SSL certificates for your websites. To make the deal sweeter, tools are available to simplify the process of acquiring SSL certificate (i.e. generate private key, get the certificate signing request, download SSL certificate). Let’s Encrypt is seamless for servers with shell access or when the hosting provider offers Let’s Encrypt support. However, the manual process could be daunting if you are on shared cPanel hosting (like me) but I hacked up a way to automate Let’s Encrypt SSL renewal for it.
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It has been almost a decade of using network attached storage (NAS) to store my files. It is a brilliant storage device. Although I have switched between different brands of NAS (i.e. D-Link, Netgear, Asustor, Synology) and used different devices to create or update files along the way, the precious memories (i.e. family photos and videos) and data that I care about remains safe. However, the amount of documents (word, eBooks, news clippings, etc.) that I amassed over time made searching tedious or slow through Windows File Explorer or OS X Finder. Recently I discovered that the Synology Universal Search can locate the contents a whole lot faster.
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Solid State Disks, or SSD, are pretty the norm in computers nowadays. They offer the access speed and vibration/ shock stability unmatched by mechanical hard drives. However, how often do you take note of your SSD’s remaining lifespan or wear leveling count? For me, I peeked at it once in a blue moon and it was too late when the SSD failed.
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Seagate and Synology collaborated to include the IronWolf Health Management feature into Synology’s NAS. IronWolf Health Management monitors the health of Seagate IronWolf and IronWolf Pro series of hard disks more accurately than the usual S.M.A.R.T utility. Aside from monitoring the drive parameters traditionally used by S.M.A.R.T utility, IronWolf Health Management monitors more than 200 drive parameters that may influence the health state of hard disk.
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The Synology RT2600ac wireless Gigabit router is the latest addition to Synology’s router family. It is the successor to the RT1900ac. At the core of the RT2600ac is the Synology Router Manager (SRM) operating system. SRM offers an intuitive desktop-like interface for users to manage various aspects of the router like network settings, firmware management, reviewing intrusion logs, etc.
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We came across this Boogie Board Scribble n’ Play while travelling in Hong Kong. Ariel was amazed by the fact that she could draw on the board with the various tools. She almost refused to let me put it back onto the display shelf (in the shop). She enjoyed doodling and seeing colourful lines appear as she runs the tools across the Boogie Board.
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Ambi Climate is a small Internet-of-Things (IoT) device that makes your existing remote-controlled air conditioner smart. It learns about your habits and preferences; and auto adjusts the air conditioner for the ideal temperature for your comfort. In fact, you will (potentially) yield energy savings, resulting in cost savings in the long run.
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The Synology DS916+ is the latest addition to Synology’s “Plus” series of NAS appliances. It is for IT professionals and small businesses who wants an affordable four-bay network storage with growth in the future. With the Synology DX513 expansion unit, the DS916+ becomes a nine-bay NAS that boasts 90TB of raw storage (9 x 10TB) with great data protection features.
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