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Synology RT6600ax Review: A Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6 Router That Has (Almost) Everything

Synology’s first router in years, the RT6600ax, is finally available today. And, like the Ubiquiti UDR, it’s a near-perfect Wi-Fi 6 machine that does not have a lot of love for Multi-Gig users.

For the rest, the new router is as good as can be. And its support for the last 5.9GHz portion of the 5GHz spectrum is the icing on the cake.

If you’re in the market for a standalone Wi-Fi 6 router, the Synology RT6600ax will likely be the best 299 you’ve ever spent. In fact, get a few units if you want to build a serious Gigabit mesh network.

Dong’s note: I first published this post on December 2, 2021, when the RT6600ax was announced, and updated it on May 11, 2022, to a full review after thorough hands-on testing.

On Synology and Wi-Fi

• Synology hardware

• Synology mesh routers:WRX560 | RT6600ax | RT2600ac | MR2200ac
• Synology mesh:Home Wi-Fi turned pro
• Synology NAS:Why you’d want it | How to pick one | DSM 7 | Synology NAS security

• Wi-Fi:All you need to know
• Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be): Beyond the rumors of true Multi-Gigabit Wi-Fi
• Wi-Fi 6E (802.11axe): The 6GHz novelty
• Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax): It’s complicated
• Upgrade hardware:Add Wi-Fi 6/6E to an existing router or a computer
• 5.9GHz Wi-Fi 6 (UNII-4): The exciting last frontier

• Wi-Fi mesh systems explained:How to best use multiple broadcasters
• Best mesh Wi-Fi systems:Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 5
• Wi-Fi routers explained:How to pick that perfect one
• Best Wi-Fi routers:Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 5

Synology RT6600ax Wi-Fi 6 Router: A (late) beginning of a new exciting chapter

The RT6600ax was long in the making.

To put things in perspective, this is Synology’s only new router after the MR2200ac that came out in 2018. I was still an innocent teenager at the time.

Fast-forward to now, the new router does come with an exciting novelty. It’s the first that supports the last 5.9GHz portion of the 5GHz spectrum.- more below. (The Asus GT-AX11000 Pro will soon follow suit.)

Still, to put it mildly, the RT6600ax is a bit late to the Wi-Fi 6 game. Since late 2021, the world has moved to Wi-Fi 6E and is now eyeing Wi-Fi 7.

But for those looking to upgrade their current Synology routers, namely the MR2200ac, RT2600ac, or RT1900ac, this new router is welcome news.

And it sure is worth the wait. Let’s start with what we’ve come to expect from Synology: the firmware.

RT6600ax: The first router to get Synology Router Manager version 1.3.

Synology Router Manager (SRM) is a Linux-based operating system similar to DiskStation Manager (DSM) used in Synology NAS servers.

You still use the web user interface to manage the router, but the webpage itself is similar to the GUI of a native operating system. You have a desktop, a taskbar, a Control Panel, etc., and can run multiple apps simultaneously, each in a separate window.

In short, SRM is easily one of the most, if not the most, comprehensive firmware for Wi-Fi routers. Among other things, you’ll find all that you’d need in networking configurations, both wired and Wi-Fi, with it.

In fact, for home users, the OS can be a bit overwhelming though not to the degree of the Ubiquiti UDR. (Hint: opt for the DS Router mobile app instead!- more below.)

SRM 1.3 is an incremental upgrade to the existing version 1.2 and is first available to the RT6600ax.- Synology told me that the RT2600ac and MR2200ac would also get this version later in 2022.

SRM 1.3 has a couple of major new features geared towards business and pro users, including:

• 802.1q VLAN tagging: A networking standard helpful to business-related applications and Quality of Services (QoS).
• Multiple advanced virtual networks and SSIDs: Users can create up to 5 virtual networks and SSIDs and distribute them to all endpoints across different subnets to achieve network isolation and customize firewall rules.

The virtual SSIDs were only available when the bands worked separately in my testing. They were not applicable when SmartConnect is in use. Synology later confirmed this to be the case. Future firmware might change this.

Those are on top of what you can already with SRM 1.2, now also with incremental improvements, including:

• Mesh Wi-Fi configuration​: Additional Wi-Fi points automatically broadcast all SSIDs associated with their respective network.
• Safe Access​: Built-in online protection and Parental Controls for the entire network based on Internet access rules.
• VPN Plus​: Users can decide which network remote devices should connect to, and more.
• Add-on apps via the Package Center.

Generally, SRM is for advanced users. And if you have used a Synology router or a Synology NAS server before, you’ll feel right at home with SRM 1.3.

If you’re new, keep in mind that this firmware allows you to set up a Synology router like any standard router with a web user interface. So, if you have worked with a router web interface before or are fluent with any operating system, you will be able to figure out the SRM relatively pronto.

Note on Synology router migration

Synology routers can generally take the backup file of one another, but only when they use the same firmware version.

Consequently, if you want to migrate from an RT2600ac or MR2200ac to the RT6600ax and keep existing network settings, you first need to upgrade the existing router to SRM 1.3 (when that’s possible) before you can load its backup file to the new router.

Generally, it’s best to set up a router from scratch, but this type of universal restoration can save time if you have lots of settings.

Still simple QoS feature

It’s worth noting that SRM 1.3 has no improvement in Quality of Control. Its support for QoS.- via its Traffic Control section.- remains the largely same as SRM 1.2, which is rather simplistic.

Users will need to configure the settings manually to set prioritization at the client level, and only up to three clients can be on the priority list.

This feature will work out in most cases but compared to other routers that can prioritize based on applications and services, the RT6600ax is quite modest on this front.

New Synology DS Router 2.0 app

With the RT6600ax, Synology also overhauled its DS Router app to version 2.0. That’s the first update to this app since late 2020.

This app, the user-friendly mobile alternative to the web user interface, also works with routers running SRM 1.2 but has more to offer to those running SRM 1.3.

Specifically, users can now configure Internet connections and manage VPN connections directly from the mobile phone. What’s more, essential functions like port-forwarding, multiple SSID management, and traffic control are also included within the app.

The app also has other improvements in user interface and accessibility. It now comes with a better-thought-out design that includes four tabs, including Overview, Device, Safe Access (that includes Parental Controls), and Settings. Each will take the users to specific parts of the network.

I believe Safe Access will make many parents happy, though this app is much more than just Parental Controls. You can use it to manage many security and privacy aspects of the network, including adblocking. Most of that is available via the DS Router app, but certain in-depth settings of the feature require the web interface.

If you choose to block ads at the router’s level, which is the default when you pick the “Child” blocking profile, remember to make a note of that and add certain sites to the allowed list when necessary. Adblocking can cause webpages and services, including those of this website, not to function as expected. And it can be frustrating if you’re not aware of the cause.

Safe Access worked very well in my trial. It proved to be one of the most comprehensive features of its type, and it’s free.

It’s worth noting that, just like the web user interface, you can use the DS Router app locally or remotely.- when you’re out and about. In the latter case, you can opt for the easy route via a login account with Synology and use QuickConnect.- privacy risks implied.- or via Dynamic DNS.

The DS Router app worked well on my Pixel 6 for the most part. It did crash a few times, likely due to first-release bugs but not to the point that caused concerns. I have no doubt Synology will work out the kinks via future updates. On top of that, I’m a fan of the web user interface, anyway.

During my partially pre-release trial, the interface had minor bugs, too, which was normal for a new router. Generally, it’s a good idea to wait for at least one incremental firmware update before expecting the hardware to be fully functional.

Besides the Router app, SRM 1.3 comes with a few other mobile apps to manage its many add-ons that you can install via the Package Center, as mentioned above.

Synology RT6600ax: Hardware specifications

The Synology RT6600ax is a Tri-Band 4×4 Wi-Fi 6 router with a top speed on the 5GHz-1 Band of up to 4804Mbps. The other two bands, the 5GHz-2 and 2.4GHz, cap at 1200Mbps and 600Mbps, respectively.

You can read more about UNII4 in this post, but for decades, this controversial portion of the 5GHz spectrum was reserved for other applications. In late 2020, FCC approved it for Wi-Fi use and made it available for unlicensed use in early 2021.

This 5.9GHz part of the spectrum opens up new possibilities.- for the first time, there’s a clean 160MHz channel on the 5GHz. And that makes the 5GHz Band comparable to the new 6GHz Band of Wi-Fi 6e in reliability, without the innate reduction in range.

Without this 5.9GHz portion, existing 160MHz channels on the 5GHz frequency Band need to include at least one of the DFS sub-channels.

DFS shares airspace with radar signals, which have priority. Using DFS for Wi-Fi, therefore, can cause intermittent disconnections.

The use of the 5.9GHz only removes the need for these potentially problematic sub-channels in delivering Wi-Fi 6’s top performance via the 160MHz channel width.

Unfortunately, there was no supporting client during my testing for this review, but I’ll come back when they are available, hopefully later this year. But even without them, the RT6600ax’s performance proved excellent.- more below.

This portion of extra content is part of the posts on Dual-Band vs Tri-Band vs Quad-Band.

5GHz Band: Channels allocation, DFS vs Non-DFS

A Dual-Band Wi-Fi broadcaster (2.4GHz 5GHz) has two distinctive sets of channels. One belongs to the 2.4GHz Band, and the other to the 5GHz Band.

By default, each channel is set at the lowest width, which is 20MHz. When applicable, the hardware can combine adjacent channels into larger ones that are 40MHz, 80MHz, or even wider.

Depending on your locale and hardware, the number of available channels on each Band will vary, depending on how wide the Band is.

In the US, the 2.4 GHz Band includes 11 usable 20MHz channels (from 1 to 11) and has been that way since the birth of Wi-Fi. Things are simple in this Band.

The 2.4GHz Band uses channels of 20MHz or 40MHz width. The wider the width the few channels you can get out of the frequency.- the entire Band is only so wide.

On the 5GHz frequency, things are complex.- we have DFS and regular (non-DFS) channels. (On top of that, the last 5.9GHz portion of the Band was reserved for other applications until late 2022.- more in this post on UNII-4.)

The 5GHz Band uses channels of 20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, or 160MHz width. Wider channels are desirable since they deliver more bandwidth.- faster speeds. And the problematic nature of DFS channels is the main reason behind Wi-Fi 6E.

Here is the breakdown of the channels on the 5GHz frequency Band at their narrowest form (20MHz):

• The lower part of the spectrum includes channels: 36, 40, 44, and 48.
• The upper part includes channels: 149, 153, 161, and 165.
• In between the two, we have the following DFS channels: 52, 56, 60, 64, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 120, 124, 128, 132, 136, 140, and 144. (Channels from 68 to 96 are generally reserved exclusively for Doppler RADAR.)

In a dual-Band (2.4GHz 5GHz) broadcaster, the 5GHz Band gets all the channels above (#1, #2). It’ll also get #3 if the broadcaster supports DFS.

In a traditional Tri-Band broadcaster (2.4GHz 5GHz 5GHz), the first 5GHz Band (5GHz-1) will get the lower channels (#1), and the 2nd 5GHz Band (5GHz-2) gets the upper channels (#2).

If the broadcaster support DFS then the 5GHz-1 gets up to channel 64, and the rest (100 and up) goes to 5GHz-2. If the hardware also supports the new 5.9GHz portion of the 5GHz spectrum, it generally has three additional channels to its upper part, including 169, 173, and 177.

The splitting of the 5GHz spectrum ensures that the two narrower bands (5GHz-1 and 5GHz-2) do not overlap each other.

As a result, while the total width of the 5GHz spectrum remains the same in a traditional Tri-Band broadcaster, we have the option of using two portions of this Band simultaneously.

However, each portion (5GHz-1 or 5GHz-2) has fewer channels to choose from, making it harder for them to use the 80MHz or 160MHz channel widths. Physically, the channel-width options are now more limited than when the entire 5GHz spectrum is used as a single Band.

Synology Mesh-ready

Supporting Synology mesh, the RT6600ax’s new 5.9GHz Band is an excellent backhaul in a wireless mesh configuration. That’s the case when you use multiple units together.

However, in this case, its 5GHz-1 Band is only available to 5.9GHz-ready clients (which weren’t available at this review.) So for practical reasons, it’s best to use one of the lower channels on this Band for the job. Or better yet, use a network cable as the wired backhaul.

By the way, Synology mesh is the only real rival to Asus’s AiMesh. Both allow multiple standalone routers to form a flexible mesh system with lots of customizability.

For now, you can only use multiple RT6600ax together, but soon, when existing routers, namely the MR2200ac and RT2600ac get SRM 1.3, you can use a mix of them.

Synology even hinted that SRM 1.3 would also allow the RT2600ac to work as a satellite instead of only in the router role as it has always been. That’d give Synology mesh more options in terms of hardware, though still really far behind AiMesh.

I did try the two RT6600ax units in a mesh setup briefly, and they worked well. I plan to keep testing this and update the post on Synology Mesh later with more information.

Synology RT6600ax: Detail photos

Excellent free add-on apps (packages)

As mentioned above, SRM allows the additional app to run within the router, and the RT6600ax support seven apps by default. These are Linux applications (or packages) that add more functionality and features to the hardware.

You can run some apps using the router’s built-in storage. Others will require plugged-in storage, namely a portable drive. It’s generally recommended that you have an external storage device to run multiple apps.- the router has limited flash storage. I used one for the testing.

I tried all of these apps.- one at a time.- and they worked as intended. What I loved the most were the Download Station and Threat Prevention.

The Download Station is the same app found in Synology NAS servers that allows users to search for items they need and download them. You can also enter the download link manually. It then works by itself. It’s an excellent tool for computer-less downloading.

Download Station also has a mobile app, the DS Get, which allows you to manage downloads from anywhere. So you can start a download when you leave work, and the file will be ready for you when you get home.

When coupled with the router’s network-attached storage feature.- more below.- and the Media Server app, the RT6600ax can function as one of the best router-based mini NAS servers. It’s the closest experience to a real Synology NAS server.

Threat Prevention, on the hand, is a comprehensive online protection app that detects threats in real-time and blocks them based on user-defined policies. It’s an excellent tool for those wanting to keep tabs on their network’s security.

Overall, the add-on apps add tremendous value to the router, and they are all available for free. Remember, though, that it’s a router you’re using; it has limited resources. It’s best to use only the apps you need and not all of them just because you can.

A note of caution

Just because a router can do many things doesn’t mean you want to use them all simultaneously. Generally, you want to give the hardware some breathing room.

Like previous cases of Synology routers, the RT6600ax might need a few firmware updates to work fully as intended.

Synology RT6600ax: Stellar performance

I tested the Synology RT6600ax for over a week.- almost 10 days, in fact.- and it exceeded all expectations. A couple of things to note:

• I couldn’t test its 5.9GHz portion of the Band since there was no supported client yet. I’ll come back to this when possible, though the result will likely be the same.
• I tested all of its bands separately, and in the case of the 2.4GHz, both with the router’s USB port working in USB 3.0 and 2.0 modes.
• This review is mostly on the RT6600ax as a standalone router. I will cover its mesh function in a separate post.

I was able to connect the 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 test client to the router’s 5GHz-1 Band via a 160MHz connection (at 2.4Gbps). As mentioned above, this negotiated speed would also have been the best possible had I been able to use the 5.9GHz portion.

Update, May 21, 2022:

During extra testing for the post on Synology Mesh, I used a second RT6600ax solely as a wireless client and connect a Multi-Gig computer to its 2.5Gbps port, effectively turning it into a Multi-Gig media bridge.

With this setup, I was able to test the router’s sustained Wi-Fi speeds and ranges via a 160MHz connection using the 5.9GHz portion. As expected, they were similar to that of any other 160Mhz channel of the Band.

In short, this new portion of the Band is only significant when you live in an area where the use of DFS channels is problematic.- as mentioned above.- or when you want to use the 5GHz-1 Band as the wireless backhaul of a Synology Mesh setup.

An excellent Wi-Fi machine

As a 4×4 Wi-Fi router with a 2.5Gbps LAN port, the RT6600ax delivers excellent Wi-Fi speed in my testing. My 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 test client indeed got Gig sustained speed from it.

In fact, its 5GHz-1 (upper channels) was one of the fastest Wi-Fi 6 routers to date. Again, note that I tested this Band using regular channels. However, per the standard, its 5.9GHz bands will deliver similar sustained throughputs.- it’s just more reliable.

Its 5GHz-2 Band is of modest specs but faired well among its tiers.

On the 2.4GHz Band, the RT6600ax performed about the same as its peers. This Band has always been slow in my testing across the board.

The Synology RT6600ax passed our days-long stress test with no disconnections at all. It always worked as expected.

The range was excellent, too. It’s always hard to gauge this, but the RT6600ax has about the same coverage as any high-end Wi-Fi 6 router I’ve tested, like the Asus GT-AX6000 or the TP-Link Archer GX90.

Generally, my experience suggested that this router could cover a home of some 2000 ft 2 (186 m 2 ) when placed in the center. But your mileage sure will vary.

As for real-world Internet speed, the router’s 2.5Gbps port proved capable of delivering Gig broadband in my anecdotal testing, as you can see in the screenshot above.- chances are the 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 connection was the bottleneck.

The Internet speed tests were done with the router’s only 2.5Gbps port working as a WAN port, instead of as a LAN during the Wi-Fi tests above.

If you have Internet speeds up to 1.5Gbps, the RT6600ax is your safe choice. Any faster speed grade will require a router with multiple Multi-Gig ports.- preferably with faster-than-2.5Gbps speed grades.- since you can only experience that via a wired connection, for now. (I detailed the reasons in this post on super-broadband.)

A viable mini NAS

Synology is a known NAS server maker, and that showed via the RT6600ax.

When coupled with an external storage device.- I used a WD My Passport SSD.- connected to its USB 3.0 port, the router can work as an excellent NAS server.

Apart from hosting shared folders with advanced user management, the router can also stream media and work as a download station, as mentioned above. Most importantly, it has the performance to match.

Indeed, in my testing, the throughputs were excellent. Clearly, to make it work as a mini server, you’ll need to use the USB port in the USB 3.0 mode and sacrifice a bit of the 2.4GHz Band’s performance. I tested the router in that setting, and it did very well, as you can see on the chart.

If you’re looking to dabble in the world of network-attached storage, the RT6600ax is the next best thing besides a real Synology NAS server. For causal network storage needs, just get a nice, spacious portable SSD (or hard drive), and you’re all set.

Synology RT6600ax’s Rating

Pros

Fast and reliable Wi-Fi with support for 5.9GHz UNII-4 spectrum, mesh-ready

Robust, comprehensive yet user-friendly SRM 1.3 firmware with excellent web interface and DS Router app

Lots of useful built-in settings and networking features, helpful add-on packages with accompanying mobile apps

Can work as a full-featured NAS server

Practical design, wall-mountable

Cons

No Link Aggregation, awkward Multi-Gig WAN, rigid default WAN port

Only client-based QoS, 5.9GHz clients are scarce

Conclusion

For the most part and for most users, the Synology RT6600ax is worth the wait.

It’s an excellent Wi-Fi 6 router that meets or exceeds what you’d expect from Synology, with similarly well-designed firmware, a rich feature set, and stellar reliability. It’s worth every penny of its reasonable 299 suggested retail price tag. And it’ll become even better over time via updates. So, you should get one today!

The router is entirely new. Like all such routers, generally, you should wait for one or two rounds of firmware updates before counting on it, especially if you intend to use all or most of its features and apps.

On the downside, the lack of a second Multi-Gig port and 10Gbps ports means the RT6600 will forever remain behind in the wired speed curve. While that doesn’t affect the general audience, advanced users and hardcore geeks will find this shortcoming rather painful simply because the RT6600ax is so close yet too far to be that perfect router.

And I speak from experience.

Want to know how the new router performs as a member of a mesh system? Find out more in the post on Synology Mesh.

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173 thoughts on “Synology RT6600ax Review: A Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6 Router That Has (Almost) Everything”

Thanks for letting me know, Chris. I would be helpful if you could be more specific. What browser were you using for example? The site is optimized for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. Reply

Dong: I am thinking of replacing my FIOS Quantum router, G1100, with the Synology RT6600Ax and using a Synology RT2600AC as an access point to provide coverage in the far end of my home and the back yard. I have Fios 1GB service and FIOS TV. My plan is to use the Quantum router to provide the TV and Internet service and use the Synology routers for Wi-Fi coverage. I do have CAT 5e cabling in place to connect the Synology routers. Is this a doable plan? I am not the savviest tech user, but I am usually able to figure things out and make them work. Reply

That’s doable, Thomas. You should turn the FIOS gateway into the bridge mode to avoid double NAT — more in this post. Reply

Hi Dong, Is there any particular reason why the Synology router creates a hidden Wi-Fi network mimicking your existing 5Ghz-1 one? The 5Ghz-2 doesn’t seem to do it. It uses a non-existent MAC address. My main concern is that the hidden network is ON even when the Wi-Fi is scheduled to be OFF, and that it allows WPS even though it is not enabled in settings. The hidden network details can be seen if using a Wi-Fi Analyzer app on laptop or phone. I am wondering if I may have caused this hidden network by playing around with the router settings, and if there is a way to disable it. Have you ran into this whilst testing your unit? Has anyone else seen this? Thanks, Drei Reply

I haven’t noticed, Drei, but if so, that’s likely for its Synology Mesh feature. Dig around, and you probably find a setting somewhere to turn that off. Reply

Hi Dong, is the download station fast like the nas or is it limited by resource? What’s your download peak during the tests? Thank you Reply

You can control it, Giacomo, and generally it’s limited by the remote party (the download source) if you had unlimited Internet speed — I speak from my 10Gbps broadband (2.5GbE in the case of this router.) Reply

Thank you for the reply Dong. Yes, I know, but I mean if the download station is limited by low router resource compared to NAS. I’ve 1Gbit symmetric fiber at the moment, can I reach the full speed with download station on the router? Thank you and have a good Sunday! Reply

You will never reach 1Gbps in downloading. Period. Not even with a real NAS server. Be realistic. here. Here’s how I test Wi-Fi routers. Reply

I agree, I mean the 900Mbs, actually with my Nas I can reach 900 with download station, can I do the same with this router or with the new WRX560? Thank you again!

Likely not since there are other things in the router that need the resources. Read the post I linked in the previous reply for more.

Hello Dong Can you please tell me, out of all the tri-Band ax wireless routers that you have tested, which router has the longest range, including passing through brick walls and multi-level buildings. I currently use a Asus RT-AC87U and I am considering purchasing the Synology RT6600ax. Does that have better range than the Asus ? Reply

They all generally have the same range, John, which depends on the Band (2.4GHz, 5GHz, or 6GHz) and the broadcasting power. on the ranges of different bands in this post and more on broadcasting power, which varies from one region to another, in this post. The Synology will be better than the Asus, but mostly because they are of two different Wi-Fi standards — the latter is Wi-Fi 6. In terms of range, the two will be very similar — here’s the review of the RT6600AX. Keep in mind that I only test hardware made for the US. Also, range doesn’t mean anything if you can’t get a good connection out of it. Reply

Thanks for that info Dong. I live in a unit block. I give guest network access to others on various levels from ground level up to level 3 that are in close proximity to my unit. Most of the connecting devices use the 2.4 Band. I’m just looking for a new router that will give more units access to the network, while at the same time, giving me the benefits of the latest standards within my own private network. Reply

Then the Synology will give you more options, the extra 5GHz Band will help, too. Good luck, John! Reply

What are your thoughts of setting up two rt2600ac as a mesh under SRM 1.3 update 1 vs adding in a RT660AX? I currently run one RT2600AC and one MR2200AC. Reply

I’d stay with the same hardware in your case or add another MR2200ac if you need to extend the coverage. It’s generally not good to mix Wi-Fi standards. That’s of course if using the RT2600ac as a satellite is now possible — I haven’t tried. Reply

Hi Dong and josh, I can speak to using the RT2600ac (and 2xMR2200ac) in mesh with the RT6600ax while on the latest Beta firmware 1.3.1 Update 1 on all devices – it worked perfectly fine. Great, in fact. The RT6600ax definitely has much stronger Wi-Fi in general than the RT2600ac, so I think there is less need for mesh with having the 6600 as primary, but as I detailed here or elsewhere as a comment on one of these reviews, even my 1000 square foot house benefited from using the 2600 and my 2×2200’s in mesh with the 6600. I didn’t do so long-term in my test, but it worked great for the couple of days I did use it that way. None of my 30 Wi-Fi devices dropped out at all during that time. Cheers! Reply

Hi Dong Really helpful article and thanks for all the details you put into all your articles. I am a big fan of synology servers already and I have a few so this seems like a great addition. I am struggling to decide if it is worth the cost though my setup is: 1000 sq feet apartment on one floor 600mbps fibre broadband office is at opposite end of the flat to fibre connection It seems like a combination of the RT6600AX with the MR2200ac is not ideal as one is tri-Band and the other dual-Band so there will be some noise in the backhaul. I would go with 2X RT6600AX but that feels like a very expensive setup considering I would go for AiMesh like Asus ZenWiFi AX at half the cost. What would you suggest? Reply

A couple of things, James: 1. The MR2200ac is a Tri-Band router — here’s its review. 2. You probably don’t need a mesh if your place is only 1000 SF. — more on that here. And here’s a post on Synology mesh. 3. I generally only answer questions that are not yet addressed. Make sure you read this post and the ones linked above carefully first, before leaving any further questions. Reply

Hi Dong, I’m piggy-backing on your reply to another user this time. I hope you don’t mind. I just wanted to comment that our small home is only 1000 square feet (single floor, no basement), and my RT2600ac by itself definitely didn’t cut it, but the 1xRT2600ac 2xMR2200ac is almost perfect. You may remember I recently also had this RT6600ax in the mix – I’m the one who could not get the RT6600ax to work directly with two different model Frontier-supplied ONTs for gigabit fiber – and that I only got Frontier’s gigabit fiber working directly from the ONT to the RT2600ac with a workaround of hooking up my old Spectrum cable internet to the port first). Anyway, my point to this is that for the 20 days I had the RT6600ax, it absolutely did do much better for me in my 1000 square foot home than the RT2600ac. I didn’t fully test the RT6600ax by itself, but using the RT6600ax with all three of my other Synology routers in mesh (wired to the RT2600ac, then wireless to the 2xMR2200ac) ran very noticeably better than my current setup. Sadly, I had to return the RT6600ax only because it wouldn’t talk directly with Frontier’s ONT for whatever reason that Synology couldn’t figure out in 20 days, and it wasn’t worth keeping it if I had to have another router in between the ONT and 6600. I apologize that I can’t provide more specific information about using the RT6600ax alone, other than that it definitely did better than the RT2600ac, but I mainly just wanted to emphasize that mesh in general can definitely provide noticeable benefit to a 1000 square feet of home. Before I had the 2xMR2600ac, I had very noticeable drop-outs with some Wi-Fi items including cameras and Smart outlets. Cheers all. Reply

For a difference experience: I have the RT6600ax placed in a closet in the middle of a 2-story 2400 sq/ft home. I get great reception everywhere in the house and all over my 1/3 acre property, except in my driveway, probably because the metal garage door. Reply

Holy moly – never seen that many Комментарии и мнения владельцев under a review – Dong you are somehow my last resort – you – as one of the very very few – were the only one to mention, that AiProtection from TrendMicro sends your data to a third party. Question for me: What does threat prevention do under the hood? Do they also send to a thrid party? What exactly are they doing? Where are the obtaining info re security? It is a bit of a shame, you can not select any of the LAN Ports as secondary WAN. Since I do not want to waste the precious 2,5 Gbit on Failover… Reply

To clarify, you can select LAN1 as secondary WAN. I did while I returned my RT6600ax. Of course, the problem remains that none of the other ports are 2.5 Gb, so the single 2.5 Gb LAN1 port is only helpful if you can saturate several other connections, which is doubtful. Reply

I described what I know about TP is in this review, Brucie. It’s a Synology app and all that implies. Reply

Thank you Dong, you did – but it doesn’t answer my question So either it is comparable to Asus, or they come up with something completely new. As much as like to believe – I prefer facts Reply

This type of feature is nuanced. There’s no absolute protection or security. You need to find the level that you’re comfortable with via real-world experience. Reply

Bro thats what I am trying to do – and exactly this feature could be part of my strategy. However I can only assess this, if I have facts. If you say: Haven’t checked, since I FOCUS on other things like Wi-Fi speed – totally fine for me. But “There’s no absolute protection or security.” is a 100% violation of “Welcome to the No-Nonsense Zone❗”

Looks like you’re living in a black and white world, or you simply don’t know what you’re taking about despite having a strong belief that you do. I don’t have all the answers. Nobody does. If you truly want to know what an app does, go read it source code, but then it might have bugs etc. The “facts” you’re looking for don’t exist, so to speak. FYI, second-hand experience is not “real-world”. You need to use something over time to find out yourself, instead of asking somebody else to validate your beliefs or “strategy”. And don’t “bro” me, please.

Wow – you must be trolling me… So in previous reviews, you have stated a detail – regarding a feature of a product (Asus AIProtection). This detail proved that you looked into the feature profoundly. Based on this, I have asked about more details regarding a feature in THIS review. Since what you are stating is pretty much the same marketing info you get from Synology itself. Being a journalist / tech blogger whatever, and given your eye for the detail in a previous review, I assumed you would take same pride in yourself, and check it out here as well. You didnt. Totally fine, than you give an answer to a question I havent asked regarding total security. Classical Strawman. Again being 100 % free of bullshit I would have assumed, you understand where my question comes from: Since a) normal routers have a firewall and b) advanced systems have an IPS, or potentially send information to a third party (see AIProection, or Sophos etc.) So first and easy question are third parties being involved in the Synology Threat prevention or not and second question (what would add value to your review) what does Synology coem up with here? Is it real security? They are a new kid on the block. Do they use open source? What is under the hood, it is very unlikely for a company of the size of Synology to re-invent the wheel, in particular if you the see the efforts it takes for the establsiehd players. — For whatever reasons you chose not to dig deeper – fair enough. Why dont you have the courage, or honesty to admit? You come up with some bogus stuff, and reply either I have to accept to non information in the review or look into the source code, whose world is black and white? I very much appologize I mistook you for serious blogger, and do not worry, I wont ever Bro you again, since I am not wasting my time here ever again. BTW: The sheer amounts of commets with diammetral findings to your review speaks for itself. Pleae remove the no bullshit claim, its false advertising.

What did not I admit? You should read my replies. You’re looking for specific wording that fits your narratives — here’s what I’ve said: that was all I knew, I didn’t have all the answers, and that you should try for yourself. There’s no way anyone can look into every aspect of every single piece of hardware or every single app. I don’t write for you, but the mass. If you want something so specific, do it yourself. Asus makes dozens of routers, and Synology makes three or four so far, so clearly, my experiences with them are proportionately different. “100% no-nonsense” doesn’t mean it has all the info you’d want, just not the deliberately misleading information — you should follow that link to find out what you can expect from this site. As for your mistake about this website, that’s likely the least of your problem in life. I mean it sincerely. But you’re welcome to find your stuff elsewhere. Take care!

@Brucie I can’t reply directly to your comment below but just wanted to say that you’re such a disrespectful troll! Get a life! Reply

@Brucie, the way I see it, you couldn’t find what you wanted for free, and you attacked Dong’s integrity. He has no obligation to answer any of your stupid questions! You’re a self-entitled, uneducated, hypocritical piece of hit. Reply

Hi everyone, I appreciate your sentiment, but, please, no more Комментарии и мнения владельцев on this threat. I considered the matter resolved with my last reply to Brucie. Thank you! Reply

Hi Dong. I thought you might want to know my experience with the Synology RT6600ax – actually in general about all Synology routers. In my area, at least, they don’t work with Frontier Fiber gigabit. They don’t see the internet directly from the ONT at all. I’ve spent the last three weeks deeply troubleshooting the RT6600ax, and several weeks before that I was trying to do the same thing with my RT2600ac and even MR2200ac. Eventually, through all my troubleshooting, I happened on a workaround which got the gigabit fiber working on the RT2600ac at least. Short version is to hook up my Spectrum cable internet to the port I want to use for my fiber gigabit, wait for the Spectrum cable to work, then unplug it and plug in the fiber Gigabit immediately. This method is repeatable on the RT2600ac, even after a factory reset. One time I had to reboot the router after, but the other 2-3 times I tested the process a reboot wasn’t needed. Unfortunately, this workaround doesn’t work at all on the RT6600ax. Synology has been pretty great as far as tech support – they’ve tried to help the best they can. I’ve gotten up through Tier 3 support, plus they had their developers in Taiwan remote into my two routers with my permission, using them in Smart WAN configuration (and I always factory reset the router before allowing them to remote in). I’ve reached the point where that although I’m very disappointed, getting the fiber gigabit to work directly with my RT2600ac is at least satisfactory for now, as that’s what I was trying to do in the first place. My wife and I both work remotely at home, and I have 30 Wi-Fi devices I count on, so it was really, really difficult to do troubleshooting or to arrange things to let them remote in – mostly because I’m not letting anyone remote in before factory resetting the router and keeping everything disconnected other than a single PC. I’m returning the RT6600ax as defective for a refund, although I noted that I don’t believe the particular unit is defective – either the model or the software or both are. Spectrum cable internet works immediately in either router, and I had tried all the things people suggested on Reddit and other places including using a semi-managed switch between the ONT and router and nothing helped. The only way to use the RT6600ax with my Frontier Fiber gigabit was to have a spare non-Synology router in between their ONT and the Synology. Unfortunately, the only “spare” ones that aren’t Synology I’ve had are the ones that Frontier provided, which include the “Smart” (dumb) Eero Pro 6, and the much nicer Sagemcom FWR226e (FAST5290). I seriously considered upgrading to the 1xAsus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 1x or 2x some other Asus for mesh, either wired if one mesh router, or one wired and one Wi-Fi if two mesh routers, but it’s hard to justify the cost when my current 1xRT2600ac 2xMR2200ac meet my needs. FYI, just the other day I did have Frontier replace my FOX222 ONT with a much nicer, newer ONT I don’t want to touch right now to find the label on, and that’s when they also replaced the 2xEero Pro 6 with the Sagemcom FWR226e, but the ONT exchange didn’t help me get Frontier’s gigabit fiber to work directly with the ONT, and in the end, it wasn’t acceptable to me to have the Sagemcom (with Wi-Fi off) between the ONT and the RT6600ax in order to get it to work with the fiber. Sorry for the wall of text. I hope this is useful information to you or anyone else. Reply

Thanks for sharing your experience, Roirra. I’d say that must have had something to do with the Internet service provider. I tested the router with Sonic for my hands-on, and it was fine. Most ISPs provide a standard or generic broadband, others might have some specific settings or requirements. Reply

You’re welcome! Thank you for your knowledge and detailed reviews. I certainly believed it was Frontier’s fault too for a long time. Even two of their most seasoned tech support people who came out two days ago (when they replaced the ONT and Frontier-provided router) were very sure that the problem is in the router. The evidence that I was able to workaround the problem on the RT2600ac, but not the RT6600ax, does give evidence that it’s the router hardware or software that’s the problem. At minimum, there’s a problem with the 2600’s SRM software, since I only could get things working with my workaround, not just plugging it in to start with. I feel there’s a very slim chance it was just my particular 6600 unit, since the 2600 had the same issue. On the 2600, the issue was the same whether on the 1.2.5 firmware or the new 1.3 including the newest 1.3 Update 1. For details of my workaround for the 2600: Factory reset (might not be necessary, just wanted to start clean for testing purposes). Set it up without internet access. Enable the secondary (LAN1) internet interface. Plug the Ethernet cable from my DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem for my Spectrum internet into LAN1. I don’t remember if I had to manually “Enable” the secondary interface as the default gateway in this particular scenario. Wait the 30 seconds or a minute to confirm the cable internet is working normally. Swap the Smart WAN priorities so LAN1 is #1 and WAN is #2. Unplug the cable modem Ethernet cable from LAN1. Plug the Ethernet cable coming from the Frontier Fiber FOX222 ONT’s 10 Gbps port to LAN1. Wait the 30 seconds or a minute to confirm fiber internet is working normally. Did a command line speedtest to verify speeds are normal. Plug my cable internet into WAN as failover backup. Wait the 30 seconds or so to verify WAN shows up as available backup. Also – I was able to reproduce this from scratch with a factory reset of the RT2600ac. Unfortunately, the same steps did not work on my new RT6600ax, and I factory reset it again to try from scratch again with no luck. But at least my original aim is achieved, although either way, Synology has bugs on their hand. 1) it shouldn’t require those steps to get it working on the 2600, and there is no way to get it working on 6600 without putting it into AP mode. Reply

Dong, You might find it interesting to know that after my months-long debacle of trying to get Frontier Fiber’s 1GB plan’s ONT (tried two different models of the ONTs they supply) not working directly with any of Synology’s RT6600ax, RT2600ac, or MR2200ac (except for the thankful caveat with the 2600 of setting it up first using my cable ISP, then swapping out to the Fiber ONT), I just had to give up on Synology. I hated to, but I want to get rid of my cable ISP and I couldn’t as long as I needed another internet source would be required to set up the 2600 from scratch. I never got around to testing if using 4G first would work from scratch, and then swapping to the ONT, as I’m rather burned out on my networking problems. Note that with the 2600, I had the problems trying to use directly with the ONT while still on the most recent Stable v1.2.5 firmware, before upgrading to Beta 1.3.1 Update 1. I went with the Asus GT-AXE16000 to replace the Synology system, and I am getting another strong Asus AXE router for wired 2.5Gbit mesh (it’s possible that a couple of years from now I’ll update to 2Gbit Fiber), because the two farthest corners of my house still don’t have as strong Wi-Fi as the rest, and I want to ensure there are no drop-outs. The GT-AXE16000 was so easy to set up and worked right out of the box directly with Frontier’s ONT, so that was a huge relief after all the trouble I had with Synology. Thanks again for all your reviews and detailed information. Reply

Securifi Almond Guard DIY Home Security System: A Beta-Testing Report

Securifi’s products have been covered before on AnandTech. They were the first consumer networking equipment vendor to successfully integrate a working IoT hub in a Wi-Fi router. By integrating ZigBee and Z-Wave support into their touchscreen routers, they managed to open up their addressable market and go up against more established players in the space. Today, Securifi is making public their plans to build upon their IoT platform. The Almond Guard, a DIY home security system, is being launched via a crowdfunding campaign. Starting with the Almond 3 platform, Securifi has added home security system features to both the hardware and software. An optional professional monitoring service will also be made available for 10/mo.

Over the last couple of months, I have been beta-testing one of the early Almond Guard units with alpha firmware and an alpha app. They were linked to a Cloud server configured for evaluation purposes. In this piece, I will provide some thoughts on why home security is the killer app for consumer IoT before going into the details of the Almond Guard and my experience with it. A brief discussion of the competitive landscape for the product precedes the summary section.

Background

A couple of years ago, consumer IoT was heralded as the next big thing in the tech space. Unfortunately, it has not lived up to expectations. Industrial IoT, on the other hand, has made sure that the companies investing in it have some returns to show. However, consumer IoT / Smart home devices is our FOCUS in this article.

ZigBee, Z-Wave, and Bluetooth have emerged as the connectivity options in this area. Low-power Wi-Fi also has a strong presence. Most Smart home devices come with a hub to bridge the communication network with an IP network. It is evident that integrating the radios into a router and avoiding the hub makes for a more unified solution. Securifi was the first vendor to bring such a product to the market. This integration has slowly started spreading to products from other manufacturers also. For example, Google’s OnHub router has a 802.15.4 radio, but the firmware does not enable it. ASRock recently started supporting ZigBee peripherals with their X10 IoT router. Z-Wave has a wide install base, and, to our knowledge, the Securifi Almond routers are the only ones supporting both ZigBee and Z-Wave.

Consumer IoT has not taken off as planned because of the fragmented ecosystem. Each vendor wants the user to use their own app and Cloud backend. Recent efforts such as Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa have a partial solution for this problem. Despite being forced to have some sort of integration with the above services, Smart device vendors still opt to make most of their products entirely Cloud-reliant. Cloud infrastructure needs maintenance. Hardware sales alone are not enough in the long run. The vendors have therefore been forced to partner with larger companies or turn to subscription-based ‘Smart home as a service’ revenue model. The average consumer does not see much value in paying monthly fees to each IoT device vendor.

The ‘Smart home as a service’ (SHaaS) model works in the general case only when tangible benefit is provided to the end user. Incumbent players who receive recurring revenue from the average household are ISPs and TV service providers (such as Comcast, and ATT in the US), and home security / alarm service providers (such as ADT, Frontpoint Security, Livewatch Security etc.). Essentially, SHaaS has to be an add-on to such services. ISPs and TV service providers are harder to disrupt because of the capital expenditure involved in the consumer premises. This has allowed incumbents like Xfinity (with Xfinity Home) to make significant inroads with this approach. On the other side, ADT and other similar security / alarm service providers have also been making a killing in the market by adding home automation / Smart home functionality as an expensive add-on to their offerings (with the package rates going up as more sensors are monitored). However, the expensive nature of this value addition has prevented Smart home technology from becoming popular through this market segment.

Home Security : A Market Ripe for Consumer IoT to Disrupt

Traditional home security service vendors have kept the cost of adding / extending Smart home functionality high. This has led to customers waiting for credible cheaper alternatives to emerge. Consumer IoT / Smart home vendors, on the other hand, have supported most of the sensors and equipments used by home alarm / security vendors. Most of them have a Cloud backend also. However, they have not had much traction in obtaining recurring revenue from their user base. Some IP camera vendors are notable exceptions. Nest, Ring, Canary, and a few others have managed to create a recurring revenue stream from a significant chunk of their user base.

Given these two aspects, it is surprising that the move of IoT / Smart home vendors to the home security alarm market has taken so much time. Over the last few month we have seen a number of these vendors introduce offerings in this space

• Nest with Nest Secure (optional professional monitoring)
• Ring with Ring Protect (now in limbo, as ADT sues them) (optional professional monitoring)
• Canary (self-monitoring)
• Samsung SmartThings (optional ADT professional monitoring)

In addition, we also have traditional alarm services with a DIY twist such as SimpliSafe and Scout. Recently, Honeywell also launched their Smart Home Security product through a crowdfunding campaign.

Cybersecurity has also become important. Ransomware and other threats due to botnets / insecure IoT devices have become causes of concern for connected households. Home security is not only related to physical security, but, increasingly on the online front also. Vendors who can target both offer more value in this market.

Securifi is one of the very few vendors who can target both of these aspects. At CES earlier this year, they introduced a subscription-based internet security service. Other vendors in the space concentrated on the antivirus and antimalware aspects. At that time I wasn’t sure whether the value offered was worth the subsription being charged. However, inclusion of home alarm motoring for a modest increase in premium would definitely deliver more value. Securifi is working towards that by introducing the Almond Guard.

Almond Guard : The Hardware

The Almond Guard hardware builds upon the Almond 3 platform. All the features available in the Almond 3 are retained in the Almond Guard. As a recap, the Securifi Almond 3 is an AC1200-class router with a dual-core MIPS-based Mediatek SoC (MT7621AT) as the network processor. The MT7602E and the ME7612E fulfil the 2×2:2 bgn and anac radio duties. It also has a SiLabs EM357 ZigBee radio on the board. Z-Wave is supported via a USB dongle. The system allows operation in a mesh configuration with multiple other Almond 3 units. The mesh firmware is something built specifically by Securifi unlike the Qualcomm Wi-F SON platform used as a base by the leading vendors in the mesh space.

The main differences between the Almond Guard (Almond 3S) and the Almond 3 in terms of hardware are:

• Different form factor to enable wall mounting similar to traditional alarm panels. The Almond 3S is closer to the Almond in appearance, rather than the Almond 3.
• Addition of a SIM slot to enable cellular backup (both for alarm data as well as traditional Internet communcation
• Addition of a battery to enable continued operation in case of a power failure

All the updates essentially replicate the functionality required by home alarm panels.

The picture of the updated PCB above shows the LTE module used for the cellular backup prominently. The Quectel LTE EC21 is a 10 Mbps / 5 Mbps LTE Cat 1 module optimized for M2M and IoT applications. Securifi indicated that the final version would sport a LTE module with specifications that would match the EC21 at the minimum.

Almond Guard : Software Features

The firmware in the Almond Guard has the updates necessary for the operation as a home alarm system. On the touchscreen, we have the shortcuts for arming. typical of traditional alarm systems. The other features are similar to that of the standard Almond 3. the device can be configured in router, range extender, or access point mode. It can act as a home alarm system in any of those modes.

The 4G settings can also be configured via the touchscreen interface (assuming that the SIM slot is populated with a valid card).

The web interface is very basic (even for the Almond 3). Securifi expects most of the management to be done using the mobile app.

During our beta testing period, the web UI didn’t have any particular enhancements for the home security system aspect. Given that the whole market has moved towards a mobile-first approach, we weren’t surprised that the bulk of the efforts were being put towards honing the Almond app.

Almond Guard : App Cloud Back-end

The Almond app has been redesigned to accommodate usage as a home alarm monitoring app. The redesigned home screen looks similar to one of the four screenshots below

Note that the mobile app can connect to the Almond Guard via the local network or through Securifi’s Cloud servers. In the local connection mode, the system can be set to Home and Away. Arming and disarming the system is available only in the Cloud connection mode. This makes sense given that the system can inform the monitoring services only if it can connect to the Cloud servers. The Cloud connection mode also enables users to sign up for the Internet Security and/or Professional Monitoring services. The Almond Guard can also uses inferred information (using a Wi-Fi device availability-based scheme) to automatically arm or disarm the system.

The gallery below shows the updates made to the app to support the configuration of the home alarm system.

The initial setup of the system as well as association of sensors is similar to the Almond 3. However, the menu options for each sensor are different. Certain types such as the Almond Click and the motion and door sensors can be configured to sound the siren when activated in the Armed mode. An option is also available to send a CMS (central monitoring station) alert under such circumstances. Rules and scenes can be associated with the sensors, but, that aspect is the same as in other Almond hubs.

Once all the sensors are set up, users can proceed to the security set up. The sensors that need to be monitored for alarm purposes need to be selected. They can be further configured to send a push notification when activated (under different conditions. armed as well as disarmed). Entry and exit delays can be configured to allow sensors to remain in a triggered state before the disarm or arm command is received by the hub. The duration of the siren (after getting triggered in the armed state) can also be specified via the app.

A four-digit PIN is used to disable the alarm via the hub’s touchscreen. A duress PIN and a safeword can also be configured. These are features that are available in traditional home security / alarm systems.

Competitive Landscape

The home security market is ripe for disruption, and a number of players have entered into the market recently. Consumer Reports recently updated their pick for the best DIY security system. Scout emerged as the best value with professional monitoring considered. Doing the equivalent math and specifications comparison shows that the Almond Guard comes out on top in every metric. The professional monitoring plan is 10/mo compared to 20/mo. for the equivalent Scout plan. On top of it, Almond provides Cloud connectivity for free (6/mo. for cellular backup if professional monitoring is not chosen), compared to Scout’s 10/mo. On the hardware side, the Scout hub needs to be connected to the router, but, the Almond 3S is a router by itself.

In terms of initial hardware pricing, Securifi is selling the Almond 3S, 5x door / window sensors, 2x motion detectors, and 2x Peanut plugs (switchable power outlets) for 400 (early birds can get this for 300). An equivalent Scout package costs 372 up front (Scout doesn’t have a Peanut Plug equivalent. the corresponding Almond Guard package after removing that would be 360 / 260).

Configuring a similar SimpliSafe bundle resulted in a total cost of 320 up front (compared to 360 / 260 for the Almond Guard). SimpliSafe simply doesn’t have the home automation capabilities of the Almond 3S. Securifi also manages to undercut the professional monitoring services fee (10 vs. 15/mo.).

The Nest Secure base package is not directly equivalent to any of the Almond Guard packages. However, a base price of 500 and professional monitoring adding 25 (with a 3-year contract) / 35/mo. makes it a very costly solution compared to the Almond Guard.

Ring Protect matches the Almond Guard in the 10/mo. professional monitoring aspect. A system equivalent to the 360 / 260 Almond Guard package has an upfront hardware cost of 329. This actually makes it a very close competitor to the Almond Guard. Unfortunately, Ring Protect is currently not being sold due to a legal tussle between ADT and Ring.

An ADT / SmartThings package similar to the Almond Guard’s high-end package costs around 705 (compared to Securifi’s 400 / 300 pricing). On top of that, the minimum monthly subscription for intrusion detection monitoring with ADT is 25/mo. This also makes little financial sense similar to the Nest Secure package.

The latest entrant to the home security market is Honeywell with its DIY solution using an intelligent camera in its base station. A package similar the Almond Guard’s top configuration costs close to 700 (though, admittedly, the Honeywell base station is much more powerful with its IP camera integration). There is no professional monitoring service add-on, making a direct comparison to Securifi’s offerings much more diifficult. Canary’s offering is similar.

Thanks to being one of the early movers in this space, Securifi has also been at the forefront of integrating support for voice-based assistants such as Alexa and IoT services such as IFTTT. These are very popular features in the home automation space. That said, vendors like Ring, Nest, and even SimpliSafe, have their own IP cameras integrated in their alarm system package. Currently, Securifi has integrated support for a ZigBee-based 640×480 camera in the Almond Guard package (Nest Cam support is slated to come at a later date). The absence of a high-resolution video capture component in the Almond Guard offering could be considered as a drawback by some consumers.

Miscellaneous Aspects and Concluding Remarks

The hardware in the Almond 3S that I evaluated was feature-complete, though some features were not working in my beta unit as expected. The placement of some of the slots (such as the SIM card and the power inlet) were not final, and were difficult to access and use. The T-Mobile SIM that I tried didn’t work, though the fault probably was on my side since I couldn’t find a suitable SIM tray. The 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi SSID was also non-functional, but, that didn’t affect the operation otherwise. All these aspects are bound to be fixed in the final unit.

Almond 3S Operating in Battery-only Mode

While Securifi also touts the mesh Wi-Fi feature, I wouldn’t suggest power users to rely on it as the sole solution for their wireless network. The Almond Guard uses a Mediatek platform (the same as the Almond 3 launched in mid-2016). By the time the Almond Guard ships to retail in mid-2018, the platform would be quite out of date in the fast-moving Wi-Fi market space. It might serve the purpose for casual users / users satisfied with practical throughput rates of 50. 100 Mbps in their internal wireless network. Our recommendation would be to use the Almond Guard as a Smart hub, rather than a traditional router. Of course, one can associate Wi-Fi-based IoT devices with the Almond Guard’s WLAN.

Consumer IoT features are functional in a local network, but, some of the nice features (such as push notifications) are Cloud-only. I have been pushing Securifi to move more of these features to the local-only operation mode.

The Almond’s app and web UI have a separate Smart home section with the ZigBee and Z-Wave devices in it. I would also like Securifi to support Wi-Fi-based Smart devices (such as LIFX bulbs and WeMo switches) in that section.

The base of supported Smart home products should also be expanded (for example, some low-cost Z-Wave devices such as the Nortek GoControl thermostat are not fully supported). We would also like Securifi to support the 433 / 868 MHz sensors currently used in many of the incumbent wireless alarm systems.

Competition is mainly coming from a video background, but Securifi is currently not focusing on that aspect. It might be a deciding factor for some consumers. Personally, I believe dedicated IP camera solutions are the best bet. I would like them linked to a home security system as a second line of defence rather than recordings being stored all the time in the Cloud. In any case, Securifi plans to have ZigBee-based cameras initially, and later expand to support other camera models. They do not plan extensive Cloud storage options for video, since there are already better solutions in the market for the same.

A lot of the security features have already been ported to the latest firmware in the Almond 3 already available in the market. Consumers can already try them out, save for the battery backup and cellular connection.

Users installing their own SIM card can also opt to route data traffic through the cellular network. To our knowledge, this is the first router targeting home consumers that comes with a ready-to-use cellular backup connection.

Moving on to the home security subscriptions, the pricing is very disruptive at 10/mo. With this type of pricing (similar to the now-delayed Ring Protect), moving away from traditional alarm services like ADT or Livewatch Security is a no-brainer. The plans from the incumbents start at 25, and consumers have absolutely no visibility into the operation of these alarm systems. Smart home features add heavily to the monthly subscription. Securifi’s Smart home features are already proven, and they don’t require a subscription. The professional monitoring services severly undercut the incumbents. Assuming that works as advertised, I am sure power users will immediately move to these low-cost plans. Securifi could even sweeten the deal with their Internet-security solution as a modestly-priced add-on.

Another consumer-friendly aspect is that Securifi’s monthly charges are fixed irrespective of the number of sensors used in the system. Many incumbent home alarm service vendors often hike up the monthly for just adding a couple of sensors.

At the business end of the article, it has to be said that the Almond Guard has its pros and cons. Securifi still has work to do in order to perfect the system. However, as a Smart home hub, it really stands out for consumers wanting the right balance of local network flexibility and Cloud-based features. I am currently using the Almond as my Smart home hub, and I will be moving to the Almond Guard as my production Smart home hub once the retail unit ships. I will be giving their Pro monitoring services a try for a couple of months before shifting to it from my current 30/mo. alarm service provider.

It’s not just another Wi-Fi system.It’s better Wi-Fi and safer Internet ahead.

Coming with intelligent mesh Wi-Fi capability and best-in-class parental controls, MR2200ac is designed to keep all devices connected and everyone safe. Experience the award-winning Synology Router Manager (SRM) with an MR2200ac, and add more when you are ready to expand your coverage even further.

Smart Wi-Fi all around

Multiple MR2200ac can work together as a system to bring Wi-Fi to every corner of your home. Wherever you go, stay on a single Wi-Fi network and enjoy seamless connectivity from one place to another.

Tri-Band Wi-Fi Using an extra 5GHz Band for high-bandwidth communication between each other, MR2200ac ensures the greatest throughput for all devices.

Smart Connect Not sure if 2.4GHz or 5GHz is better? MR2200ac automatically steers a device to the Band that gives it the strongest signal and speed.

Enhanced roaming Comprehensive support for IEEE standards including 802.11k/v/r, offering devices a smooth roaming experience.

• Using an extra 5GHz Band for high-bandwidth communication between each other, MR2200ac ensures the greatest throughput for all devices.
• Not sure if 2.4GHz or 5GHz is better? MR2200ac automatically steers a device to the Band that gives it the strongest signal and speed.
• Comprehensive support for IEEE standards including 802.11k/v/r, offering devices a smooth roaming experience.

The intelligence behind your mesh network

The algorithms built into SRM make deployment incredibly easy. The system intelligently self-configures, self-optimizes, and even self-heals, always giving you the fastest possible path to the Internet. Watch the video

Whole-home Wi-Fi, easily managed

State-of-the-art technology doesn’t have to be complicated. See how Wi-Fi Connect makes your mesh Wi-Fi straightforward – and powerful.

This is your whole Wi-Fi system at a glance. The MR2200ac in the hallway got unplugged? You see it here.

A beautiful network map visualizes how your Wi-Fi points are interconnected and whether they are using 5GHz, 2.4GHz, or Ethernet uplinks.

Run performance tests to pinpoint what might be slowing down your network.

Set up a welcome portal for everyone connecting to your guest Wi-Fi. Tools like scheduling, auto password change, and MAC filters can help keep unwanted connections away.

My Smart home has gotten its mojo back, our IoT devices all now work, and streaming is solid everywhere in the house. – David Gewirtz talked about why he replaced Google Wi-Fi with Synology’s mesh networking gear (and why you might, too).

I tested the MR2200ac both as a standalone router and a mesh satellite, and it was consistently impressive compared with other mesh-ready routers. The MR2200ac is an excellent router for those needing reliable Wi-Fi for a medium home. And when you move to a larger house, you can get additional units to scale up the coverage seamlessly. And everyone will enjoy its vast amount of features.

This may be my favorite router now when it comes to parental controls. Synology, in my opinion, is years ahead now of anybody that I’d consider to be their competitors in this space. 1

“With its reliable performance and granular traffic/IP management features, Synology’s mesh system has helped us solve all the Wi-Fi challenges we faced in our staff dormitory.”

“The kindergarten cannot be a media-free room. We therefore looked to Synology to help us set up a wireless network so we could best prepare our children for the digital future.”

“In a fast-paced hotel environment, communication is essential for smooth operations. The RT2600ac and MR2200ac routers have provided a reliable Wi-Fi environment, enabling our staff to always be connected no matter where they are. With solid communication in place, we can FOCUS on what matters the most, providing an unforgettable experience for our guests.”

Create a kid-friendly online world

We want kids to be safe online, even when we’re not there. Safe Access helps you lay down rules for each kid without having to look for parental control solutions for every devices. Now you can get a full picture of how they’re exploring the world every day, and protect them until they’re ready.

Profile

Create a user profile to manage all devices someone owns at one time. You can also have one for all future devices connecting to your local network, one for guest Wi-Fi, one for IoT gadgets, and so on.

Time management

Set time limits and schedules. Encourage your kids to use their time wisely, and reserve some quality time for family.

Internet filtering

Safeguard kids from adult-only content and search results. Set up a whitelist so younger children can only visit those sites. Schedule a web filter to ensure no social media during homework hours.

Understand usage react

Gain insights into a kid’s activities every day. Reward him by giving him a few extra hours online, or pause all his devices if it’s time to talk.

Create a kid-friendly online world

We want kids to be safe online, even when we’re not there. Safe Access helps you lay down rules for each kid without having to look for parental control solutions for every devices. Now you can get a full picture of how they’re exploring the world every day, and protect them until they’re ready.

Profile

Create a user profile to manage all devices someone owns at one time. You can also have one for all future devices connecting to your local network, one for guest Wi-Fi, one for IoT gadgets, and so on.

Time management

Set time limits and schedules. Encourage your kids to use their time wisely, and reserve some quality time for family.

Internet filtering

Safeguard kids from adult-only content and search results. Set up a whitelist so younger children can only visit those sites. Schedule a web filter to ensure no social media during homework hours.

Understand usage react

Gain insights into a kid’s activities every day. Reward him by giving him a few extra hours online, or pause all his devices if it’s time to talk.

Security at the perimeter

It’s not just people that you need to protect. It’s all the connected things: IP cameras, Smart doorbells, alarm systems… things that can make a Smart home vulnerable. MR2200ac installs multiple layers of protection to shield your network against cyberattacks happening every day.

Wi-Fi Certified WPA3 Enhanced Open TM technology

Certified by the newest Wi-Fi security standards, including WPA3-Personal, WPA3-Enterprise and Opportunistic Wireless Encryption (OWE), MR2200ac equips homes, businesses, and open Wi-Fi networks with better defenses against snooping and other attacks. 2

Always up-to-date

Boasting a long track record of fast and continuous updates, SRM makes sure that your mesh network is ready to counter emerging threats.

Google Safe Browsing

Guarding over three billion devices from malware, social engineering, and unwanted software, it’s now brought into MR2200ac to keep everything in your network safe, regardless of the platforms used. 3

DNS IP threat intelligence

Several additional threat intelligence databases are integrated to block access to malicious domains and IPs. All events are logged for auditing purpose.

Advanced functionality made accessible

For small offices who don’t want the hassle of wiring access points everywhere, a mesh Wi-Fi solution fits in perfectly. Unlike others, MR2200ac doesn’t leave out the network management features businesses care about.

Granular Quality of Service (QoS)

Device- or application-based bandwidth control and traffic reports. Learn more

Intuitive and high-speed VPN

Business-grade SSL VPN, WebVPN, and Site-to-Site IPsec VPN. 4 Learn more

File sharing backup

Time Machine backup, remote file sharing, media server, and much more. 5 Learn more

Be mobile

Deploy a mesh network from your phone. Stay on top of the traffic usage, user activities, and security events wherever you are, and act on them with just one tap on the screen. With DS router, you’re never too far away from home.

What is an IoT Network?

Author: TP-Link City: California Released On: 2023-01-29 Views: 3333 Helpful: 6

The story was originally posted by Riley_S in What is an IoT Network?

The Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) describes a network of everything that is connected to the internet, from something as small as a toy or sensor, to as big as a train.

While IoT devices were a new concept just a few years ago, the concept of IoT has spread to almost every aspect of our lives, from medical services to Smart home devices, even to agricultural industries across the world. Advancements in Technologies such as Cloud computing, big data management, machine learning, artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, and mobile technologies have allowed IoT devices to offer better privacy, increased stability, and streamlined user experiences.

Why are IoT Networks Important? ?

IoT devices, since they are connected to the internet, are capable of communicating with devices across the entire network and with outside services, such as the TP-Link Cloud for both Kasa and Tapo devices. Connecting these devices to the internet, not only provides increased control and functionality, but the anonymous data collected can be used to optimize connections, communicate statistics (energy monitoring), or even create alerts/notifications. In industrial applications, IoT devices allow companies to better monitor, track, and predict changes that may occur on a larger scale, such as how the agricultural industry can even track the detailed humidity, solid moisture, and temperature across their property in order to provide the best-growing conditions for their crops.

IoT devices, while providing invaluable experiences to our lives and Smart homes, can also use a significant amount of bandwidth or crowd your home network. By placing all these devices on a separate network, you are freeing up your network for the devices where you want the best connection, such as your phone or streaming device.

Automation Efficiency

If you have ever attempted to create automations with your Smart Devices on a congested network, you will know that the overall performance, speed, and reliability at which the Automation is performed can be heavily affected or varying. By placing your Smart Devices on a designated IoT network, you can be sure that your devices can effectively communicate with each other to provide the best connections possible. This will also create additional bandwidth on your main wireless network that your streaming devices and phones can now take advantage of.

Simplified Setup

IoT networks can also simplify the setup process for your Smart devices as a separate and easier-to-input password can be used to connect the devices. IoT networks also provide methods for changing the bands and security used by these devices; meaning that if your device only connects via a 2.4 GHz connection, the 5 GHz bands can be disabled for the IoT network, allowing your other devices to keep their high-speed connection from the main network.

Furthermore, if you would like to use the newest security protocols but are limited by your Smart device’s compatibility, the encryption method of the IoT network can be different from the method used on the main network to connect your devices.

How is TP-Link Embracing IoT Networks?

If you happened to catch the Wi-Fi 7 Product Launch Event, you might already know that a Private IoT network is featured in all of TP-Link’s current Wi-Fi 7 Lineup. For Wi-Fi 7 Routers supporting the feature, both the Deco BE95(2-Pack) and the BE900 are available for preorder now.

IoT Networking is already beginning to roll out to specific deco models, such as the Deco X50/55 (v1 and V1.6) and the new Deco XE200. If you do not see the feature available, please check that you are running the most up-to-date firmware from your model’s download page. If your device is not yet supported, keep an eye out for New Beta Firmware on the official TP-Link forums, and for new firmware updates on your model’s support page.