Question SYNOLOGY RT2600ac Wi-Fi AC Router or better ~$200 Router?

[sidpost]

I have 50mbs internet connection and need a new wireless solution for my house and the surrounding area. I live on 40acres in East Texas and would like some signal on my front and back porches. The house is an old brick farmhouse so, I'm hopeful I'll have some signal outside.

I want some resistance to malware, phishing, and hacks in general along with good features including some security. I think the Synology brand is a good place to start. The RT2600ac has enough technology to not go obsolete anytime soon though, at $200 is a bit more than I would ideally like to spend.

Is this a good choice for me? Would I be better off with a mesh network or some other wireless router? Or, am I overbuying capability and technology?

I will be using this router to drive televisions and a bunch of tablets, cellphones, and computers as I occasionally do some software development from my house. This means network reliability is very important to me so, buying good equipment matters most with 'cheaper' coming in second. Realistically, I don't need WiFi6 or anything close to that though if I get a software job where it matters, ~$500 for a new router is part of the cost of the contract that will be taken care of then.

If I add a Synology MR2200ac, it is a simple 'plug and play'? If I don't get the coverage I want from just the router, a 'roaming' access point will be added over time. So, is the Synology MR2200ac a good match for this application?

TIA,
Sid

 

[kanewolf]

I have 50mbs internet connection and need a new wireless solution for my house and the surrounding area. I live on 40acres in East Texas and would like some signal on my front and back porches. The house is an old brick farmhouse so, I'm hopeful I'll have some signal outside.

I want some resistance to malware, phishing, and hacks in general along with good features including some security. I think the Synology brand is a good place to start. The RT2600ac has enough technology to not go obsolete anytime soon though, at $200 is a bit more than I would ideally like to spend.

Is this a good choice for me? Would I be better off with a mesh network or some other wireless router? Or, am I overbuying capability and technology?

I will be using this router to drive televisions and a bunch of tablets, cellphones, and computers as I occasionally do some software development from my house. This means network reliability is very important to me so, buying good equipment matters most with 'cheaper' coming in second. Realistically, I don't need WiFi6 or anything close to that though if I get a software job where it matters, ~$500 for a new router is part of the cost of the contract that will be taken care of then.

If I add a Synology MR2200ac, it is a simple 'plug and play'? If I don't get the coverage I want from just the router, a 'roaming' access point will be added over time. So, is the Synology MR2200ac a good match for this application?

TIA,
Sid

Don't expect any single router to cover. Why, because even if you get a 1000W amp on a WIFI router, your phone has 100mW. Blasting a signal from a single source is not the answer because your phone can't transmit back. You need receivers AND transmitters near your devices. Running ethernet cable and having multiple WIFI sources is how you get WIFI coverage. If you want coverage on the patio, you put an outdoor access point on the patio. Same thing for the front porch.

 

[sidpost]

I'm mainly looking for reception to read news and email and in my free time maybe some YouTube videos or news broadcasts. I can always stand by a window or doorway if I need to urgently send an email.

My tablets and laptops seem to have a stronger signal than my cellphone though so, as long as I have a steady signal, they seem to work pretty well. My little cellphone is not my primary device used to send an email.

 

[gggplaya]

The Synology router is an interesting product, but I'd rather just buy a router and NAS separately especially for RAID.

In texas, they don't normally have basements. Instead a crawlspace under the house? That would make it incredibly easy to run ethernet from one side of the house to the other, or run it outside to a patio area. Or does the house have an attic? You can put some access points in the ceiling at each end of the house.

If you do buy a NAS, you can run Ubiquiti Unifi software on the NAS and buy several Ubiquiti access points, including their outdoor models (rated for -40 to 70C, important for texas). You can run multiple ssid's off each access point like a guest wifi and your own. That'll help with security, especially if you limit the outdoor access points to guest wifi only. That means even if someone does hack in, they can only access the internet, not your intranet.

How fast is your internet ISP connection? If it's less than say 300mbps, I'd buy a Ubiquity Edgerouter X ($60), two access points to start, and a 2 bay NAS.

 

[sidpost]

I have a 2-bay Synology NAS. I only have crawl space under the really old part of the farmhouse. I am looking at Access points but, they all seem pretty expensive. My switches are all generally 1Gb so, not bandwidth constraints there.

I am looking for longer ethernet cables to possibly run in the attic to remote parts of the house and the porches.

 

[kanewolf]

I have a 2-bay Synology NAS. I only have crawl space under the really old part of the farmhouse. I am looking at Access points but, they all seem pretty expensive. My switches are all generally 1Gb so, not bandwidth constraints there.

I am looking for longer ethernet cables to possibly run in the attic to remote parts of the house and the porches.

Just buy a 1000ft "pull box" of ethernet cable -- cat5e is just fine. Teach yourself how to put on an RJ45 and how to punchdown a keystone jack. Get a simple cable tester like this -- https://www.amazon.com/Klein-VDV526-052-Scout-Junior-Tester/dp/B004CI9NRM
If you need help with pulling wire, get a set of fish sticks -- https://www.amazon.com/Ram-Pro-33-Feet-Fiberglass-Electrical-Running/dp/B07F2LWVDV
That will help you get cable to places you can't crawl, because you can PUSH the wire. Also remember to leave yourself a pull string so that if you need to pull more, you can. I use mason's line.

 

[gggplaya]

Keystone jacks are easiest, here's how you install them:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug5MS0gpfMw&t=503s


Here's how you install the unifi controller on your NAS: https://mariushosting.com/how-to-install-unifi-controller-on-your-synology-nas/

An indoor/outdoor access point is about $100 each, keep in mind that you still need to buy a main router with these: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UAP-AC-M-US-Unifi-Access-Point/dp/B01N9FIELY

Keep in mind that with the Ubiquiti equipment, you can't be a computer novice. You have to be willing to dive into the software menu's but it's honestly not that hard. Just alot of things to look at and possibly configure.

You could buy a decent main router like the synology, but then use these wifi access points to serve up the spotty areas and outdoor areas of the house.

 

[sidpost]

No worries on the software stuff. I did SW dev, HW/SW integration, data analysis, and related things for ~30 years for various hard real-time embedded projects.

For my bandwidth (50mbs), I really don't need an uber-expensive uber-capable switch. A good 8-port switch should serve all my near terms needs for printers, hard-line access points, and related things like my NAS. I will probably buy a new switch though to make sure it has the 'guts' to not get bogged down with processing concurrent data streams of varying data densities and frequencies (not just the fiber internet).

I'm debating the possibility of a 16 port switch but, it is probably best to buy current tech when the real need for more than 8-ports (or 7 with a remote piggy-back switch) presents itself.