Hey everyone, it's Colin. How's it goin'?
Your home internet router is probably something you don't think about much.
But the technology behind it is advancing rapidly, and competition in that market is becoming kind of fierce.
So, this time, let's take a look at how Synology's first crack at it stacks up.
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This is the RT2600AC, the higher-end of two router models Synology offers,
and which the company kindly sent me to review.
At first glance, it looks like a typical router.
Around back, there's four gigabit LAN ports for client devices,
and a gigabit WAN port for Internet access.
There's also a USB 2.0 port for connecting a printer to share on your network.
What sticks out the most are the Wi-Fi antennas.
The 2600AC offers 802.11ac Wave 2,
4x4 multi-user MIMO, with beam-forming and wide channels.
It offers up to 800 megabits per second in the 2.4 gigahertz band,
and 1700 megabits per second at 5 gigahertz.
That's all quite a mouthful, but basically it means that you can get fast wireless performance,
even with multiple devices connected.
Wireless range is pretty good, though this will, of course, vary based on how big of an area you need to cover
and what obstacles are in the way.
On the left side, there's a USB 3.0 port for connecting an external drive for network file sharing,
though for cable management purposes, I'd prefer it be on the back.
Likewise, there's an SDXC card slot on the front, but because of the downward
angle caused by the rear feet, it would be better located on the side.
Over on the right are buttons for connecting devices quickly through WPS
and for turning off the Wi-Fi entirely.
Overall, the router certainly isn't tiny, but it's not gigantic, either.
Synology's opted to go with slightly edgy styling on the 2600,
but with its matte black plastic finish, it doesn't scream for attention.
I just wish the power supply was internal
instead of being a bulky plug pack.
The software and setup experience is really where the Synology stands out.
Initial setup is easy and takes only a few minutes, and the interface is clean and intuitive.
The OS is called Synology Router Manager, or SRM,
and if it looks familiar,
that's because it takes on after the UI used in the company's network storage products.
Of course, it does all the typical router stuff:
NAT, DHCP, port forwarding, IPv6 support, and isolated guest networks.
I found it can handle very fast Internet connections without an issue.
A lot of routers run out of steam on connections of a few hundred megabits,
but the 2600's dual-core processor has no problem maxing out its gigabit WAN port.
And on top of that, the first LAN port can also be configured for an Internet connection
and the router and load-balance or fail-over between the two.
What also puts that CPU power to good use are the options for controlling and managing network traffic.
You can set specific times when devices are allowed to connect and also
blacklist or whitelist websites, both of which are features that parents can likely appreciate.
But the big network mangement feature is application-specific quality-of-service (QOS).
Simply put, when your Internet connection gets maxed out,
this lets you prioritize certain kinds of traffic,
like online gaming or video chat.
So if you've ever had a game lag or disconnect because someone else at home started a big file download or cloud backup,
well, this feature can really help.
Synology's baked in some features from its network storage products, too.
A connected USB hard drive or SD card can be set up for network file sharing or backup,
including support for Apple Time Machine.
It can function as a home media server,
and also allow remote access through a VPN connection.
There's even a download station app where the router
can download files through protocols like FTP and BitTorrent all on its own.
As I found with Synology products, there are just a ton of features built-in,
more than I can easily cover in a review like this.
For the most part, it's straightforward to manage and simple to find the settings you're looking for.
SRM is still relatively new,
but the router supports scheduled automatic updates to make sure you're always running the latest version.
The two-year warranty is also nice peace of mind.
So to sum up: the RT2600ac easily competes with other performance or enthusiast-oriented routers on the market,
and at about $240 US, it's comparatively priced.
For those with basic needs or lower speed Internet connections, it's probably a bit overkill.
But if you have many devices hungry for bandwidth and want powerful features for managing 'em,
well, then this router is definitely worth a look.
I owe a big thank you for Synology for sending out a 2600 for me to review.
I'll include a link in the description so you can check it out.
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