Introduction

"Bookshelf NAS!" The first thing I thought when I opened the box that Synology's CS-406 came in was "Bookshelf! I can put this on a bookshelf!" Figure 1 shows a picture of the CS-406 on my favorite bookshelf.

Figure 1: The CS-406 On My Bookshelf

My previous articles for Tom's have focused on "do-it-yourself" NAS projects. This review covers the Synology CS-406, an "all-in-one" dedicated NAS appliance. Figure 2 illustrates how the CS-406 cube compares with one of my normal "Walmart Wonder" NAS boxes. Just unpacking the CS-406 left me feeling like I've been building "grubby country cousin NAS" boxes.

Figure 2: CS-406 Next To A Normal NAS Box

Figure 2 shows that there is no ventilation on the sides of the CS-406. Even when my evaluation CS-406 was running continuously, its sides kept cool. The discovery led me to email Synology and ask if it was OK to use my unit on a bookshelf. Synology not only said "It [was] fine to show it on a bookshelf," but they also commented that "Actually, putting the unit on a bookshelf [was] a good idea to show that the CS [was] designed for human living space."