Synology WRX560 Overview: Greatest Mid-Tier Wi-Fi 6 Router

A yr or two in the past, the Synology WRX560 https://pointbreakstore.com would have been an superior router.

However contemplating the present ubiquity of Wi-Fi 6E and the upcoming Wi-Fi 7, Synology’s newest router, first introduced in late October 2022, appears awfully dated. Although glorious, because it proved in my testing, this one continues to be a middling Wi-Fi 6 broadcaster.

The brand new router does have the UNII-4 novelty however that’s fairly irrelevant contemplating it’s a chunk of Twin-band Wi-Fi {hardware}, and there’s no consumer supporting this portion of the 5GHz band.

The underside line is that this: In the event you’re proud of Twin-band Wi-Fi 6 — and usually, you don’t want something greater than that — the Synology WRX560 is a wonderful router. It’s greater than value its present avenue value of $250. I’d even name it one of the best amongst its friends.

However getting it means you’ll miss out on so much, together with top-tier Wi-Fi 6 specs and the 6GHz band, which is a serious a part of Wi-Fi’s future.

The WRX560 is a bag of combined emotions. To purchase or to not purchase is the query.

Synology WRX560: A stable mid-tier and opportunity-missed Wi-Fi 6 router with a 2.5GbE WAN port

The WRX560 is each households but completely different. It shares the identical firmware as the remainder of Synology’s routers — apart from the previous RT1900ac that’s caught with the older firmware model — but is available in a brand new design and a few novelties.

Good however considerably impractical design

Out of the field, the WRX560 seems to be good. It’s bigger than I imagined — nearly as massive because the RT6600ax although considerably lighter.

Designed to work in a vertical place, the brand new router has just a few standing lights on the entrance and community ports on the again. These ports are a bit recessed, making it tough when it’s worthwhile to take away a community cable — there’s no room to press down the cable lock.

However, the USB 3.0 (5Gbps) port is on the facet of the router, inflicting the entire bundle to be a bit awkward if you plug in a transportable drive.

However total, I just like the Synology WRX560’s design.

What I had a tough time with was determining the intention behind the brand new router.

A lot that I adore it for what it’s, the brand new router jogs my memory of these Twin-band Wi-Fi 6 routers I reviewed years in the past, such because the Asus RT-AX58U or TP-Hyperlink AX50.

So, the WRX560 is late to the sport. Reality be instructed, I assumed the Ubiquiti Dream Machine could be the final Twin-band Wi-Fi 6 router I’d ever evaluate.

And in contrast with the newest Wi-Fi routers, together with Synology’s current Tri-band RT6600ax, the brand new router is modest as a standalone machine and doesn’t make sense as a part of the Synology Wi-Fi mesh ecosystem.

With that, let’s test the tech of this “newest” router and its detailed pictures.

{Hardware} specs and energy consumption: Synology WRX560 vs RT6600ax

The WRX560 breaks from the RTxxx naming conference, and as a Twin-band machine, it’s not the Wi-Fi 6 model of the Tri-band Wi-Fi 5 MR2200ac, regardless of sharing a considerably related up-standing design.

In comparison with the RT6600ax, Synology’s first Wi-Fi 6 router that got here out in Could 2022, the brand new WRX560 is far lesser in {hardware} specs.

The WRX50 has comparatively decrease energy consumption, which is all the time good. It makes use of much less power than most routers of comparable specs I’ve examined.

Synology WRX560: Element pictures

The impractical novelties

As you may need famous within the specs desk above, the Synology WRX50 has two issues of notice: The two.5GbE Multi-Gig port and the help for the UNII-4 portion of the 5GHz band.

Sadly, neither will show vital in real-world utilization.

That lonely Multi-Gig port

The WRX560 has only one 2.5GbE LAN/WAN port. And that’s an enormous missed alternative. Issues could be a lot completely different if it had a second Multi-Gig LAN port.

Just like the case of all single-Multi-Gig-port routers, you’ll be able to’t have a Multi-Gig connection out of it — you want one other port for that.

Consequently, the WRX50 can host a Gig+ broadband connection or a quick laptop (or a NAS server.) Both manner, you’d solely get round Gigabit on the way in which out by way of the router’s Gigabit ports or its mid-tier 5GHz Wi-Fi bands.

And this single Multi-Gig port additionally means there’s no possibility for a Multi-Gig wired backhauling for those who select to make use of a number of WRX50 items in a mesh Wi-Fi system both.

And eventually, if you use the two.5GbE port as a WAN port, you’ll be able to’t flip the default Gigabit WAN port right into a LAN — it’s nonetheless obtainable as a WAN port in case you may have a Twin-WAN setup. If not, it’s not used in any respect — a bummer for these with Gig+ broadband who want an additional LAN port!

And that brings us to the router’s second novelty that’s much more ineffective in real-world utilization, which is the help for the 5.9GHz portion of the band.

The ineffective UNII-4 (5.9GHz) help

The WRX50 joins a brief listing of Wi-Fi broadcasters that options UNII-4 — the final portion of the 5GHz band. And that’s a very good factor.

UNII-4: How the 5.9GHz band is superb for a Tri-band mesh

The dangerous, nevertheless, is the actual fact this portion at the moment has no supported shoppers. And since a band can work in a single channel at a time, for those who use the WRX560 in any of the UNII-4 channels, the router turns into ineffective to any current 5GHz units — they will’t join and even see this band’s SSID.

And whereas we will use the portion of the 5GHz band in a Synology mesh(*), the 5GHz band will solely work because the backhaul.

In brief, the UNII-4 help solely is smart for {hardware} with two 5GHz bands. In Wi-Fi 6, meaning a Tri-band broadcaster.

Till all current 5GHz units help this portion, which can by no means occur, this 5.9GHz portion on the Twin-bandWRX560 solely means you would possibly danger rendering the brand new router semi-useless. Don’t use it!

Synology WRX560: The acquainted and strong SRM 1.3 firmware

And the WRX560 is way from ineffective. Working the newest Synology Router Supervisor (SRM) firmware model 1.3, it’s, in truth, one of the best Twin-band Wi-Fi 6 router you could find.

In a nutshell, SRM1.3 is much like Synology’s DSM working system for its NAS server. It’s a Linux-based OS you’ll be able to handle inside an internet interface that feels and function equally to a local working system, akin to Home windows or macOS.

Aside from all the usual preliminary setup course of — which is identical as that of any router with an internet consumer interface — and customary networking options, SRM 1.3 comes with a Package deal heart that features half a dozen of helpful apps that you simply use can add to the router.

Half of those apps — together with the PC-less Obtain Station and Media Server, that are much like these of a Synology NAS server — require and are solely relevant if you add some exterior storage to the WRX560 by way of its USB port, which can flip it into a sturdy mini NAS server.

Moreover that, there’s the Synology Router cell app that enables for controlling the router in your telephone. On this case, you’ll be able to handle the router remotely by way of QuickConnect or Dynamic DNS.

General, like all different Synology routers, the WRX560 has the whole lot you’d want in a house router and presumably extra. On this entrance, aside from the brand new look, the {hardware} specs, and, subsequently, the efficiency, this new router is equivalent to the RT6600ax.

Synology WRX560: Wonderful efficiency

I examined the WRX560 as a standalone router for over every week, and it labored very effectively.

Contemplating its middling Wi-Fi specs and the one Multi-Gig port, it exceeded my expectations. It’s nearly as good as a Twin-band Wi-Fi 6 router may be.

Quick Wi-Fi ideas, glorious reliability, and prolonged vary

The two.5Gbps LAN port performed an essential position in my testing and helped the WRX560 high the charts amongst all mid-tier Twin-band Wi-Fi 6 routers.

In contrast with higher-end routers it was, as anticipated, slower, although not by a lot.

The WRX560 handed my three-day stress take a look at with no points. It didn’t disconnect or decelerate, and its Multi-Gig port appeared to ship near 2.5Gbps of whole bandwidth.

The Synology WRX560 confirmed a superb vary in my trial, much like the RT6600ax. It arguably has one of the best vary in contrast with any mid-tier Twin-band Wi-Fi 6 router I’ve tried.

And the router ran cool, too, even throughout prolonged exams with heavy masses.

It’s all the time exhausting to find out a router’s vary, however for those who dwell in a house of some 2000 ft² (186 m²), give or take, when strategically positioned, the WRX560 can ship Wi-Fi to each nook. However your mileage all the time varies with regards to Wi-Fi protection.

Good community storage efficiency when internet hosting a transportable SSD

The WXR560 is one of some routers that may give you actual community connected storage (NAS) expertise, due to the actual fact Synology is a recognized NAS maker.

Other than internet hosting shared folders and versatile consumer administration, you’ll be able to set the router to obtain information by itself, stream media to native community streamers, and way more.

And the router did effectively in my velocity exams, too, when internet hosting a transportable SSD — I used a WD My Passport SSD.

I examined with its USB working within the 3.0 mode — and never the two.0 mode which is appropriate for its 2.4GHz band as talked about above, and it delivers over 150MB/s in studying, not as quick as its 2.5Gbps port can do however loads quick for extra functions.

Conclusion

Add one other Multi-Gig port or a 3rd band — one other 5GHz, or the brand new 6GHz — and the Synology WRX560 shall be a superb router as we speak. Sadly, as is, its {hardware} is similar to these launched years in the past. It feels dated and is proscribed.

However due to the strong firmware and glorious real-world efficiency — for its specs — the brand new router continues to be a superb Wi-Fi broadcaster. In the event you’re nonetheless available in the market Twin-band Wi-Fi 6 router, it’s simply among the finest, if not one of the best. Get one as we speak!

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