Synology is best known for its NAS solutions, but they’re also building a name in the WiFi6 router market. Today in our Synology RT6600ax Router Review, we’ll look into the RT6600ax. It’s a tri-band WiFi6 router that’s easy to install and manage.
The router also displayed a powerful 2.4GHz throughput performance during our test. It has parental controls, free network-security software, and multi-gig network ports.
This Synology RT6600ax Router Review will run you through all the specifications, design, features, and other details related to the router. We’re also sharing our experience with the router after testing it for a couple of weeks.
Synology RT6600ax Router Packaging
There isn’t anything fancy about the router’s box. It’s a simple thick cardboard container with Synology Router written on the lower-left corner.
On the upper-right side, there’s a big sticker displaying the router with a few details about the product.
Inside, you will find the router placed in a corrugated cardboard cut-out. It has a protective material wrapped around it, so you don’t need to worry about damages while in transit.
The first thing you’ll see after opening the box is an information guide. It’s a helpful piece, but since the router is straightforward, you won’t need to rely on it.
Aside from the router and guide, the box includes an AC power adapter and RJ-45 LAN cable.
Synology RT6600ax Router Review – Design and Functionality
We noticed the router’s design while writing our Synology RT6600ax Router Review. It uses a black 2.5 x 12.5 x 8” (HxWxD) enclosure with six non-removable and adjustable antennas.
Grillework conceals the front and upper panels, while seven LED lights are status indicators at the top. These are the power, LAN, WAN, and WiFi.
The right portion of the RT6600ax holds the WiFi off/on and the WPS buttons. On its rear, you’ll find the router’s physical ports.
There are three gigabit LAN ports, 2.5 gigabit WAN & LAN ports, and a gigabit WAN port in the area. Even a USB 3.2 port, a power jack, plus reset and power buttons are available.
Since it’s a tri-band router, it can handle data rates as high as 600Mbps on the 2.4GHz band. On one of the 5GHz bands, it can go for 4,8000Mbps and 1,2000Mbps on the other 5GHz bands. That’s a total of 6,6000Mbps, theoretically.
The RT6600ax is powered using a quad-core CPU that runs at 1.8GHz + 1GB of DDR3 memory. It supports WiFi6 802.11ax technologies like OFDMA, 160MHz channel bandwidth, beamforming (direct signal transmissions), and WPA3 encryption. Lastly, it also supports MU-MIMO simultaneous data streams.
The router also utilises the UNII-4 spectrum (5.9GHz) for accessing an extra 20MHz and 160MHz channels.
Like other routers, you can configure the RT6600ax as a mesh router together with extra compatible Synology routers. Just remember that the routers are purchased separately as WiFi nodes.
You’ll only take a minute to boot the RT6600ax since its default settings let you use it directly. You’ll only need to link an Ethernet cable to a current network or via WiFi using its pre-configured SSID.
This router has numerous modes of operation. It can manage devices and forward packets when utilised as a router. The product can even work as an AP (access point) that forwards packets from one port to another.
And finally, it can link to another RT6600ax using a mesh configuration. Doing this will extend the WiFi network’s range.
Key Features of the Synology RT6600ax Router
Synology has always been famous for its high-quality NAS products, but can its router stand out from the competition too? We’ll discuss this product’s key features in our Synology RT6600ax Router Review to see what it can offer.
High-speed and Secure Wireless Connectivity
The RT6600ax features a tri-band WiFi6 to distribute your devices between radios. It optimises performance and range while avoiding bottlenecks.
With its quad-core 1.8 GHz processor, this router delivers fast connection and management speeds, even with multiple connected devices. Enabling all features doesn’t affect it.
It supports the 5.9 GHz band for more reliable high-speed networks that use clear 80 and 160 MHz channels. Its 2.5GbE port is configurable for LAN or WAN to support high-performance or ultra-fast internet plans.
Create Five Networks
The RT6600ax lets you create up to five networks and 15 WiFi SSIDs. These are to distribute the connected devices depending on their purpose.
Easy Bandwidth Allocation
With traffic control, you can guarantee an optimal experience for all users. When using the RT6600ax, you can set various limitations for every connected device.
While testing the product for our Synology RT6600ax Router Review, we used these features, and everything worked effectively. Also, allocating bandwidths was easy, thanks to Synology’s user-friendly app.
Network Segmentation
With the RT6600ax, you can isolate networks or set one-way access rules for limiting connectivity to and from vulnerable devices.
VLAN Tagging
You can integrate the router into existing networks with full VLAN support in AP, router, and mesh configurations.
A Strong Threat Detection and Web Filtering Feature
The RT6600ax allows you to quickly enable default profiles or customise these based on the connected devices. It will give you maximum control over your network.
This router also features schedules, quotas, and safe searching to keep offensive content out of reach. You can also limit internet access based on quotas/schedules.
When users have reached their quotas or when they attempt to access blocked sites, the router gives you alerts. It automatically generates reports and provides additional insights on your network usage.
Manage Settings to Suit Your Network Needs
Your primary network is where most devices connect. The Safe Access lets you create a default network profile with restrictive filtering on shopping and accessing content. It’s ideal for managing children’s online time and activity.
Synology SRM also isolates guest networks and configures access to Chromecast or Airplay devices easier. You can also set strict bandwidth requirements to ensure connection and network quality.
Aside from managing your primary and guest networks, you can control your IoT, office, and surveillance networks.
Secure Remote Network Access
The RT6600ax has several VPN features, including Synology SSL VPN, WebVPN, Remote Desktop, and site-to-site VPN.
Synology SSL VPN lets you enjoy a high-performance connection, thanks to the dedicated VPN Plus client. It provides seamless remote connection via RDP, SMB, SSH, and other protocols.
WebVPN and Remote Desktop are convenient client-free connections with integrated RDP/VNC functionality. These allow remote operation of PCs and servers on your network.
Site-to-site VPN unites separate locations for families and teams to connect to the same network.
Specifications
Let’s look at the router’s specifications in our Synology RT6600ax Router Review. Does it have elements that work with your needs, or should you look elsewhere?
The router has a quad-core 1.8GHz CPU and 1GB DDR3 memory. Its antenna is a 4×4 MIMO (5GHz) and a 2×2 MIMO (2.4GHz/5GHz).
External ports on the router include a USB 3.2 Gen1x1 (5V, 0.9A power output). There’s also an IEEE 802.11ax and IEEE 802.11 a|b|g|n|ac|axe.
There are two 5GHz external ports: one is 4800Mbps, and the other is 12000Mbps. The router also has a 2.4GHz for 600Mbps and 4×4 160MHz port. An additional simultaneous tri-band WiFi port is available too.
WiFi Encryption on the router includes the WPA/WPA2-Personal, WPPA2/WPA3-Personal, WPA/WPA2-Enterprise, and WiFi Enhanced Open OWE.
Power and Dimensions of the Synology RT6600ax Router
The RT6600ax measures 175 x 320 x 200mm with antennas positioned upright. It isn’t too heavy and weighs 1.6kg.
It has a 2-year warranty that begins upon purchase. If you aren’t sure, it’s the date written on your purchase receipt.
The AC input power voltage of the router is 100V to 240V AC. Then its power frequency on a single phase is 50/60Hz. On access, it consumes 11.11W of power and 6.77W on idle.
Hands-on with the Synology RT6600ax Router
We used the router for a few weeks to see how well it performed. We’re ready to share what we’ve experienced here in our Synology RT6600ax Router Review.
Let’s start with how easy it was to install the RT6600ax.
Installing the RT6600ax was quick and easy. We connected the router to the modem, switched them on, and then linked a PC to the RT6600ax. Next, we opened our browser to access the web console (router.synology.com).
From there, we created an account, set an SSID & password, and configured it as a router. We selected the Auto IP and then applied the settings we made.
After 30 seconds of configuration, the installation was complete.
You can install and configure your RT6600ax via the DS Router app if you prefer to do it via mobile. Its interface looks similar to Synology’s DiskStation Manager console for managing the company’s NAS products. It’s colourful with icons that guide you through the different management screens.
The Network Centre screen is for managing network connections and monitoring resources. Here, you can also configure port-forwarding, port-triggering, and QoS settings.
The WiFi Connect icon brings up a screen that lets you configure and organise WiFi settings and enable guest networking. You can even find a list of the connected clients and the band they’re currently using.
Four other settings offer adjustments for extra features. You can utilise the Safe Access screen to make user profiles and assign web filters and devices to each profile.
The preset filters include Guest, Child, and Employee. You can even make a custom profile or choose None for no filters. Additionally, you can enable Network Protection to secure network devices against malware, phishing, and access to dangerous sites.
This feature also blocks any attempts to access inappropriate/dangerous sites. Plus, it lets you see the duration a client has been online.
The Control Panel lets you configure external storage devices, view the router’s status, and enable Mac and Windows file services. Also, this section allows you to backup & restore the router settings.
The Package Centre is where you install Synology’s VPN Server Plus software. It’s also where you can update the Safe Access software.
Using the Synology Router Manager, you can create profiles for different users. These features allow web filtering and configuring parental controls.
Network protection is one of its neat features that lets you see the duration of a connected client. It also protects your network from malware attacks and helps block access to malicious sites.
In our 2.4GHz and 5GHz tests, the RT6600ax delivered good results. It didn’t garner the fastest network speeds if we compare it with other WiFi6 routers we’ve tested previously. But despite that, we enjoyed fast and stable connections that effectively handled multiple devices and simultaneous activities.
On our proximity test, the highest network speed on 5GHz was 703Mbps. When we used 2.4GHz, the router yielded a maximum of 119Mbps. The former’s signal performance was better, and the router provided coverage in most areas.
Synology RT6600ax Router Review Summary
An excellent wireless router is necessary for homes and offices since it directly impacts productivity and entertainment experience. Whether you’re working, gaming, or streaming, you’ll need high bandwidth with broad coverage.
Aside from speed and coverage, protection and security against cybercriminal attacks are essential. But is it possible to get all of these for an affordable price? Fortunately, the RT6600ax from Synology offers speed, coverage, and security in a single package.
This router is the perfect option if you want to use wireless channels for multiple consoles, phones, PCs, tablets, etc. It’s ideal if you have a lot of gadgets that require internet access. The RT6600ax can offer an optimal internet connection to all linked devices for the best online experience for all users.
While testing for our Synology RT6600ax Router Review, this product impressed us. It delivered good results from network to file transfer speeds.
This product may not be the most powerful router on the market, but it’s a powerful router. It has numerous useful features and can deliver solid performance for your home or office network. With parental controls and a user-friendly mobile app or web console, managing the network has become easy.
Synology has always been manufacturing some of the best NAS products, and the company’s router is nothing different. It’s an impressive router, so we highly recommend it for your next LAN upgrade.
For more details about the RT6600ax Router, visit Synology‘s official product page.
