Synology has been a go‑to for a lot of us because of price, reliability, and that rich app ecosystem, but the recent changes around Active Insight, drive “compatibility,” and DSM 7.4’s storage efficiency are raising serious questions for MSPs. In this episode, I share what I’m seeing in production, how client quotes balloon when you go “all Synology,” and why these policy decisions feel less like engineering and more like a cash grab that erodes trust with partners. From there, I pivot into some nuts‑and‑bolts network talk: why I insist on managed switches almost everywhere, how to use port statistics to find bad cabling and terminations, and where tools like the Fluke LinkIQ Duo actually fit compared to NetAlly devices. I walk through real testing examples, pricing comparisons, and when it makes sense to spend three to four grand on a network tester versus just leaning harder on managed infrastructure and monitoring. === Chapters 01:02 Weekly Live Show Intro 02:49 Family Comes First 04:51 Synology Trust Issues 13:02 Synology Price Shock 14:39 Computex Announcements 17:04 DSM 7.4 Concerns 21:15 NetAlly Tip of the Week 26:04 Fluke LinkIQ Review 31:35 LinkIQ Test Results 37:26 Wi-Fi Testing Quirks 39:44 Tool Value and Pricing 40:52 Amazon Tool Comparison 46:29 When to Buy Expensive Tools 48:22 Sponsor Shoutouts === Shout-outs Eric Anthony: https://allthingsmsp.com/ Carey Holzman: https://www.youtube.com/@CareyHolzman Tom Lawrence: https://www.youtube.com/@LAWRENCESYSTEMS === TechCon Unplugged: https://www.mspunplugged.com/techcon-unplugged/ === Companies / Vendors / Products / Books Synology: https://www.synology.com DSM (DiskStation Manager) 7.4: https://www.synology.com/en-global/DSM74 QNAP: https://www.qnap.com TrueNAS: https://www.truenas.com Unraid: https://unraid.net Domotz: https://www.domotz.com Auvik: https://www.auvik.com Proxmox: https://www.proxmox.com Nutanix: https://www.nutanix.com NetAlly: https://www.netally.com/ Buy the NetAlly LinkRunner AT 3000 Kit: https://amzn.to/4eGEdbQ Buy the NetAlly LinkRunner AT4000 Kit: https://amzn.to/4vG8WwY Fluke Cable Testing: https://www.flukenetworks.com/enterprise-network/network-testing/linkiq-cable-and-network-tester Buy the Fluke LinkIQ Duo: https://amzn.to/4eGG4O5 === SPONSORS: Livestream Partner, ThreatLocker: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/threatlocker Technology Partner, NetAlly: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/netally/ Technology Partner: Bvoip: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/bvoip Travel Partner: TruGrid: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/trugrid Digital Partner, Designer Ready: http://itbusinesspodcast.com/designerready === SHOW MUSIC: Item Title: Upbeat & Fun Sports Rock Logo Item URL: https://elements.envato.com/upbeat-fun-sports-rock-logo-CSR3UET Author Username: AlexanderRufire Item License Code: 7X9F52DNML === Connect with Uncle Marv🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/🎙 Host: Marvin Bee🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcastIf you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

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