We recently upgraded our home network and needed a new modem from our provider. While there, the installer looked askance at our Synology RT2600ac “You know that thing isn’t even Wi-Fi 6 compatible, right?”. I was so happy with my nice, stable router with an easy to manage OS and a suite of apps to control it on my phone that I dismissed him out of hand. Turns out, Synology agreed with my installer and sent me the new WRX560 to review.
First, let’s talk about what hasn’t changed – Synology continues to use their SRM OS, with constant security updates. The WRX560 still works the the same mobile apps, and it has the same mesh functionality as the previous RT2600ac and MR2200ac routers. Which is good (although you’ll want to make the WRX560 centerpiece of your network) .
What’s changed? First, the aesthetics. Let’s hear it for a router that doesn’t look like an upside down insect. The WRX560 is far more pleasing to the eye. You might even be tempted to have it out where people can see it. And not having big external antenna makes no difference in reception – I placed it in the same location as my RT2600ac had occupied and I not only got my existing coverage, but better! In fact, I had my mesh extension off for a week before I noticed (oops).
What about the Wi-Fi 6 factor? Did it make a difference? In a word, yes. For a while now we’ve had a family guest who was a heavy gamer. While she was here, my wife was working from home and attending graduate school online. So we had a real need for a well-balanced network. Adding extra bandwidth from our provider didn’t cut it – we still had stuttering and lag. Swapping in the WRX560 helped balance the load, and the extra throughput of Wi-Fi 6 did the trick. I also took advantage of changing out my router to finally make a dedicated 2.4 network segment specifically for my IoT devices, which helps me clarify which devices are using my main network.
If you’re currently using an older router, I would strongly recommend a Wi-Fi 6 in general and the WRX560 in specific.
