Synology to end support for DSM 6.2 in the course of 2024, many older NAS systems affected

Anyone who has an 11, 12 or 13 in the product number of their DiskStation or RackStation should have a look at Synology's annoucements concerning the new year, as the NAS manufacturer has discontinued version 6.2 of Diskstation Manager (DSM). From October 1, 2024, NAS systems that are still running this version will no longer be supported.

This affects devices that came onto the market between 2010 and 2013. The last two digits roughly indicate the year of release. For example, a DiskStation with the product number 211 was launched in either late 2010 or during 2011.

Nevertheless, many of these devices are still supported. For the 13 to 15 series, Synology recommends upgrading to version 7.1. According to the security whitepaper, this version is currently classified as Long Term Support (LTS). So anyone using version 7.1 can expect security updates until mid-2025 before they have to update to the next DSM version. However, there is a list of NAS systems that are supported with an LTS version. Synology points out that not all devices will benefit from the long-term support.

Newer devices should be updated to version 7.2 immediately

Anyone who has a NAS system that will no longer be supported after October 1, 2024, should take precautions. Important security updates that were previously guaranteed will likely no longer be available. Direct network access is thus recommended to prevent attackers from taking control of hardware.

In general, precautionary measures also apply to the operation of outdated notebook operating systems. Old network storage can usually still be used quite well as offline storage, which is only activated specifically for backups. However, in the case of 3.5-inch hard disks in particular, caution should be exercised so that the backup does not fail during a labor-intensive restore operation for hard drives.