Nikshep Myle, a dedicated contributor to Gadget Review for over 2 years, is a prominent figure in the consumer tech space. Outside the digital realm, Nikshep is an enthusiast of optimizing health and well-being, engaging in activities such as research, experimentation, and meditation. He finds joy in gaming, exploring new music, and embarking on travel adventures. In Nikshep’s world, technology seamlessly intertwines with personal well-being and a vibrant array of interests.
The Synology RT2600AC is a reliable, easy-to-use router with good speeds over both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, but unfortunately, it does not support link aggregation.
We’re reader-supported. Commissions finance our mission. Our ‘True Score‘ system independently powers ratings. Learn more
Table of Contents
Product Snapshot
Overview
The Synology RT2600AC router is an entry-level pick first announced in early 2017. Equipped with a 1.7GHz dual-core processor, the Synology router performs decently fast and boasts four external (and removable) Wi-Fi antennas for widespread coverage. The best routers have six antennas or more, but the Synology router still holds its own with support for MU-MIMO data streaming and dual WAN connectivity.
The router also has four Gigabit Ethernet ports on its back panel and two USB ports for connecting external devices or a 3G/4G dongle. It comes equipped with 512 Mbs of RAM for memory and download speeds of about 137.62 Mbps on a 2.4GHz network and 425.38 Mbps on 5GHz. The router can also be used as part of a mesh network for greater coverage with a wireless access backhaul connection.
Consensus
our Verdict
The Synology RT2600AC is a feature-packed router with four antennas and impressive download speeds on its 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, up to 137.62 Mbps and 425.38 Mbps, respectively. This ranks in the top 40% of our certified, tested list. The router works efficiently and is easy to set up.
The process takes about five minutes, and through its management software, owners can monitor traffic, balance traffic across both of its WAN connections, schedule bandwidth priority (check out the best secure router for added security), set up parental controls, and filter/block certain websites. Its external connectivity options are above par, with two USB ports and four Gigabit Ethernet ports on its back panel.
This router also supports dual WAN, is compatible with DD-WRT open-source firmware, and maintains reliable connectivity over a range of up to 100ft.
ReasonS to Buy
Fast WiFi speeds
The Synology RT2600AC can hit download speeds of up to 425.38Mbps on the 5GHz band and 137.62Mbps on the 2.4GHz band, which is quite impressive.
In terms of upload speeds, the RT2600AC averages 49 Mbps and 203 Mbps on its 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks, which places it between the top 40% to 50% of routers in its category.
Good connectivity over both close and long-range
The RT2600AC maintains reliable connectivity over ranges of up to 100 ft.
Easy to install and operate
Installing the RT2600AC takes less than 10 minutes, and its web kit is also easy to navigate.
Reason to Avoid
No support for link aggregation
Owners won’t be able to combine two LAN ports into a single connection for rapid connectivity.
Synology RT2600AC Specs
# of LAN Ports
4
# of Phone Ports
n/a
# of WAN Ports
1
App Compatible
Yes
Available Storage
n/a
Band Technology
Dual
Data Encryption Type
WEP, WPA, WPA-Enterprise, WPA-Personal
Energy Star Certified
n/a
Frequency Bands
2.4 GHz
Integrated Modem
No
LAN Ports
4 Gb Ethernet
MU-MIMO Support
Yes
Mesh System
Yes
Number of Antennas
4
Parental Controls
Yes
Processor Cores
Dual
Processor Speed
1.7GHz
Quality of Service Prioritization
Yes
WiFi Range
3000 sq. ft
WiFi Speed
2.4GHz
Wired Speed
Unknown
Wireless Standard
AC
All Specs
Test Results
These are the most important criteria to test for Routers based on our comprehensive Testing Methodology.
2.4 GHz Download speed (Mbits/s)
137.622
2.4 GHz Upload speed (Mbits/s)
49
5 GHz Download speed (Mbits/s)
425.388
5 GHz Upload speed (Mbits/s)
203
Router Range (ft)
100
Latency (ms)
0
6 Ghz Download speed (Mbits/s)
0
6 Ghz Upload speed (Mbits/s)
0
All Tests
Can You Trust What You Read Online?
Fake reviews are taking over tech journalism—45% of sites are faking product tests. Don’t be misled.
Sign up now for exclusive access to Gadget Review’s bombshell investigation and uncover the truth about tech journalism.
Plus, stay ahead with our daily newsletter, packed with insights you can trust.
The Synology RT2600AC router is an entry-level pick first announced in early 2017. Equipped with a 1.7GHz dual-core processor, the Synology router performs decently fast…
The Synology RT2600AC router is an entry-level pick first announced in early 2017. Equipped with a 1.7GHz dual-core processor, the Synology router performs decently fast and boasts four external (and removable) Wi-Fi antennas for widespread coverage. The best routers have six antennas or more, but the Synology router still holds its own with support for MU-MIMO data streaming and dual WAN connectivity.
The router also has four Gigabit Ethernet ports on its back panel and two USB ports for connecting external devices or a 3G/4G dongle. It comes equipped with 512 Mbs of RAM for memory and download speeds of about 137.62 Mbps on a 2.4GHz network and 425.38 Mbps on 5GHz. The router can also be used as part of a mesh network for greater coverage with a wireless access backhaul connection.
The Synology RT2600AC router hits download speeds of up to 137.62 Mbps and 425.38 Mbps on its 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks. This makes…
The Synology RT2600AC router hits download speeds of up to 137.62 Mbps and 425.38 Mbps on its 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks. This makes it faster than the Synology WRX560 on its 2.4 GHz, as the WRX560 hits a tested 120.42 Mbps. However, the WRX560 has faster download speeds of up to 640.41 Mbps on its 5 GHz band,
The Synology RT2600AC has two USB ports, giving it a slight advantage over the Synology WRX560, which has only one USB port. On the other hand, the WRX560 has two WAN ports, while the RT2600AC has only one. If the WRX560 sounds interesting, we’ve covered it in our Synology WRX560 review, so feel free to take a look.
The Synology RT2600AC hits download speeds of up to 137.62 Mbps and 425.38 Mbps on its 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks, but it’s still…
The Synology RT2600AC hits download speeds of up to 137.62 Mbps and 425.38 Mbps on its 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks, but it’s still not quite as fast as the Rock Space RSD0619, which achieves speeds of up to 574 Mbps on its 2.4 GHz band, and 1200 Mbps on its 5 GHz band. Additionally, while the Synology RT2600AC has two USB ports, the Rock Space RSD0619 doesn’t have any, and the Synology router also accepts DD-WRT open-source firmware, which the Rock Space router does not. Here’s our Rock Space RSD0619 review for more insight into what else it offers.
The Synology RT2600AC router boasts four external antennas, one more than the Asus RT-AX86U, which only has three. The Asus router also has more memory…
The Synology RT2600AC router boasts four external antennas, one more than the Asus RT-AX86U, which only has three. The Asus router also has more memory with 1 GB of RAM, while the Synology router only has 0.51GB. If you’re interested, check out our business router vs home router roundup to see what you could expect from a business router.
