Synology is greatest recognized for its NAS (Community-Hooked up Storage) units, however over the previous couple of years, it’s expanded into promoting routers and entry factors. I’ve been happy with my current Synology router. However these days, I’ve been searching for extra throughput now that I’ve a gigabit cable velocity in addition to an rising reliance on lively intrusion detection. So, I upgraded my dwelling workplace router, a Synology RT2200ac, to the brand new Synology RT6600ax Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 router shortly after it got here out. It has an MSRP of $299, but it surely’s currently $399 on Amazon.
As with its NAS items, a part of the enchantment is Synology’s easy-to-use and well-supported software program. That is very true for individuals who are already acquainted with Synology’s NAS OS or its DiskStation Supervisor (DSM). In case you’ve skilled these, its router OS, Synology Router Supervisor (SRM), shall be completely acquainted.
I’ve waited to put in writing a assessment till Synology up to date SRM to permit me to make use of the brand new router with my outdated router and MR2200ac entry factors, so I might consider its mesh routing efficiency. Total, the brand new router is a big improve and a really aggressive providing.
Synology RT6600ax by the Numbers
The 6600 upgrades the dual-core 1.7GHz CPU of the 2600 to a quad-core 1.8GHz mannequin. Extra cores do appear to make the system extra responsive and able to dealing with extra functions on the similar time. There are additionally two extra antennas, and one of many ethernet ports can deal with as much as 2.5Gbps.
The SD card reader is gone, however there’s a USB 3 port for exterior storage. You’ll want that for sure functions like intrusion detection. Its high velocity is elevated to 4.8Gbps utilizing 802.11ax. It’s additionally considerably bigger and heavier than its predecessor, however that shouldn’t make a distinction in most use circumstances. The 6600 comes with the identical two-year guarantee and has about the identical 11-watt energy consumption when lively.
So far as theoretical whole throughput goes, the RT6600ax is a tri-band AX6600 router, rated for speeds of as much as 600Mbps on the two.4GHz band, 4.8Gbps on its first 5GHz band, and 1.2Gbps on its different 5GHz band, for a possible whole of 6.6Gbps. It helps the 5.9GHz band, giving it some additional channels. It doesn’t assist Wi-Fi 6e, though the 5.9GHz band provides you most of the similar benefits if in case you have {hardware} that helps its 160MHz channels.
Positioned subsequent to the 6600ax (the highest 4 Wi-Fi assessments), I used to be capable of get double the throughput I might get from the identical system when it was subsequent to our older 2600ac (backside Wi-Fi check). My velocity did drop off pretty quickly with distance. For extra detailed assessments, the lab at our sister publication, PC Journal, was used in their review.
Just a few different specs have been bumped up that will make the router extra thrilling for classy customers—together with the addition of VLAN assist. Within the case of our dwelling + workplace, we now have near 50 units on our LAN, about 30 of which relate to IoT of some variety. It’d make a variety of sense to maneuver these to their very own VLAN given how prevalent safety points are for low-level units.
There are some elevated Protected Entry and Parental Management choices, however I haven’t had time to experiment with both of these. There are additionally loads of different packages you possibly can set up if you wish to do extra tweaking of the router’s performance, by including a DNS or VPN server, for instance. Synology’s packages are basically curated variations of Linux apps with a easy interface for putting in and updating them.
Synology’s SRM router OS offers a fully-windowed consumer interface that could be a shut cousin to its DSM NAS interface.
Synology SRM 1.3 Software program
Synology’s Router app
As somebody who spends an inordinate period of time coping with obtuse router, swap, and ATA configurations to get my work performed, I respect Synology’s means to supply a easy, mostly-clickable, interface to the performance of its units in contrast with the command-line instruments many others require. It’s not good, although. Specifically, discovering its checklist of DHCP purchasers at all times appears elusive. Nevertheless, SRM’s Search characteristic is nice for locating instructions and settings, and the screens are well-designed, with good suggestions once you make a change, or when a change is incompatible. There are additionally loads of choices for a way and once you need to get upgrades for each packages and the OS, and I’ve at all times discovered the improve course of seamless.
Mesh Routing Utilizing the RT6600ax
One cause I’ve waited to publish this assessment is that mesh routing wasn’t absolutely supported till lately. With SRM 1.3.1, you should utilize your RT2600ac and MT2200ac units as Wi-Fi connection factors. The interface is similar to that of the older mannequin, and allows you to add Wi-Fi entry factors both wired or over Wi-Fi. I acquired confused at first as a result of the assistance file says to reset the entry factors earlier than you add them, but it surely additionally says they must be upgraded to the most recent OS model. Given my assumption {that a} reset would reset the OS, I went round in circles a bit till Synology assist helped me out by saying I might improve after which reset with out shedding the brand new OS.
Synology makes it simple to create a mesh Wi-Fi community utilizing its routers. My present MR2200ac units labored effectively, with good efficiency. Surprisingly, my outdated RT2200ac didn’t carry out effectively as a mesh entry level.
The one challenge I’ve had with the mesh resolution to date is that if I place two entry factors and the router in a triangle, then units can generally get dropped. I believed it is perhaps as a result of one of many APs adjustments from getting fed by the router to getting its backhaul from the opposite AP. I locked that down in settings (a pleasant characteristic), however that wasn’t the reply. Finally, I simply moved the APs to be in additional of a “line” out from the router.
Excessive-performance Risk Prevention
One challenge I’ve discovered with many routers is that regardless that they may supply an possibility for intrusion and risk safety, that possibility drastically diminished the system’s throughput. With the RT6600ax, I used to be pleasantly shocked to seek out that I might run Synology’s Energetic Risk Prevention and nonetheless get practically 1Gbps from our cable supplier by way of to linked units. On the 2600ac router, activating its equal package deal brought about a efficiency hit, even at decrease speeds.
Synology Updates and Assist
In my expertise, Synology’s software program updates and assist are highlights of the corporate’s choices. Each product I’ve examined has a simple interface that means that you can verify for, obtain, and set up updates. Newer releases allow you to set these as much as occur robotically. That’s particularly useful if in case you have some “equipment” NAS items for video surveillance or different low-level capabilities that you just aren’t spending time actively managing. All of the releases even have complete launch notes. Synology assist has additionally been fairly responsive, at all times with higher than a 24-hour turnaround in my expertise.
Value and Availability
At its MSRP of $299, the Synology RT6600ax is a bit more costly than some fashions with comparable specs, however you get a wonderful set of pre-packaged functions, a straightforward interface for including and managing new packages, and a well-tested router OS. Nevertheless, proper now it’s exhausting to seek out one for that value, for some cause. Hopefully, that can change quickly.
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