Building Your Own DIY Surveillance System With Synology DiskStation

Modern video surveillance systems with video recording capabilities can an be an expensive proposition, especially if you contract out installation and service. However, the combination of a high-capacity storage device, like a Synology DiskStation NAS (Networked Attached Storage) and IP surveillance cameras is a great alternative way to add a layer of security to monitor your home or business without dropping major dough. The DiskStation, like any Network-Attached Storage (NAS) device, can be used in a variety of ways ranging from simple network storage to a media server. Today, however, we will examine how anyone can configure their own DVR surveillance system using a Synology DiskStation DS416j and their IP cameras of choice.


Synology was founded in the year 2000 in Tapei, Taiwan targeting centralized data storage and back-up. In 2004 the company launched its first NAS, the DS-101. Over the next few years, the company opened branches in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and China and continued to released various iterations of the DiskStation. In 2009, the company also released their first surveillance system. Today, Synology has multiple branches in various countries, and numerous versions of their DiskStation and related products. 


In this how-to guide of sorts, we will use the DiskStation DS416j to create our own personal surveillance system with video recording capabilities. The DS416j is equipped with a dual-core 1.3 GHz CPU and 512MB of DDR3 RAM. It features 4 drive bays and has a maximum supported storage capacity of 40 TB with the current firmware. For full specs, check out the table below.

For our set-up we used two Seagate 2 TB drives in RAID1, but many RAID modes are supported.  Every Synology NAS can also link to two cameras for free. Additional cameras will require a license at $50 USD per camera, however. The Surveillance Station software used in this how-to is also free to users. 

Synology DiskStation DS416j Specifications & Features

CPU	Dual-core 1.3 GHz Marvell Armada 388 88F6828
Memory	512MB RAM
Storage	4 Drive Bays
Compatible Drive Type	3.5" SATA III/ SATA II HD 2.5" SATA III/ SATA II HD 2.5" SATA III/ SATA II SSD
Maximum Internal Raw Capacity	40 TB (10 TB HDD x 4)
Size	184 x 168 x 230 mm 2.21 kg
External Ports	1 USB 2.0 and 1 USB 3.0
Noise Level	19.1 dB (A)
Power Consumption	21.6 W (Access) 12.75 W (HDD Hibernation)
Warranty	2 years
Pricing	Starting at $289 USD