Review: Synology Router RT2600ac

Conclusion

Synology is signalling its router ambitions with the launch of a second, more powerful product, the RT2600ac. Armed with upgraded internal components and touting combined wireless speeds of up to 2.53Gbps, the router has performance promise and delivers support for forward-looking standards such as MU-MIMO.

It's telling, however, that in 2017 headline speeds and the promise of future-proof technologies aren't enough for a router to stand out from the crowd. Consumers have cottoned on to the fact that the usefulness of the hardware will be difficult to realise as client devices tend not to be as capable. MU-MIMO, for example, is a seemingly logical addition, yet not one of the various web-connected gadgets in my home is currently compatible.

Manufacturers are responding with innovations that offer genuine, realisable advantages to the out-the-box experience. Some are turning router design on its head by substituting a single large box for multiple, smaller access points dotted around the home, but Synology takes a different approach by pairing a traditional router to forward-looking software.

So is the RT2600ac worth the premium over a basic ISP-provided router? The box may be big and bulky, yet the hardware delivers in terms of performance and if you're inclined to make use of features such as traffic management, parental controls, file sharing and even VPN, Synology's supporting software provides robust tools for power users and businesses alike.

Synology Router RT2600ac

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