Synology Mesh Router MR2200ac

amazon Synology Mesh Router MR2200ac reviews

The Synology MR2200ac ($139.99) is an AC2200 Wi-Fi Router that can be used as a single device or converted into a mesh network when paired with one or more additional MR2200ac nodes. While not as pretty as other systems, the MR2200ac is loaded with user-friendly management features, including parental controls, Safe Access, Synology’s malware protection, repair assistance dedicated wireless, and a wide range of basic and advanced settings. While it delivers relatively fast transfer speeds, it’s not as fast as the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus, our top choice for a whole-house Wi-Fi system.

Feature pack

The MR2200ac doesn’t offer a sleek, low-key aesthetic like the Asus Lyra, Eero, and TP-Link Deco M9 Plus mesh router. The matte black enclosure stands upright and is 6.4 inches tall, 7.8 inches wide, and 2.5 inches deep.

LED indicators on the front panel show system status and Wi-Fi signal strength, and around the back are the WAN port, one gigabit LAN port, one USB 3.0 port, the power and reset buttons, the Wi-Fi and WPS buttons, and power jack.

As an AC2200 tri-band router, the MR2200ac can achieve maximum data rates of up to 400Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 867Mbps on the two 5GHz bands, one of which is used to repair. Each node provides up to 2,000 square feet of coverage, matching the Deco M9 Plus. Under the hood are a quad-core CPU, 256MB of DDR3 RAM, and Wave 2 802.11ac circuitry with support for MU-MIMO data transfer, beamforming (direct-to-client signal transmission), and Smart Connect (automatic band control). However, you can separate the bands if you choose to do so. The MR2200ac also uses mesh technology that allows you to create a seamless Wi-Fi system using additional MR2200ac Routers as nodes.

You can access many of the Router’s settings using the Synology DS Router mobile app for iOS and Android devices. Still, you’ll get more management options if you use the web, including advanced settings for things such as IPv6, Static Routing, DHCP Reservations, and IPTV and VoIP Settings. The console uses Synology SRM (Synology Router Manager), a Windows-like desktop operating system similar to the DSM (DiskStation Manager) operating system used to manage Synology NAS devices such as the DS119j and DS1517+.

The Control Panel opens to a desktop screen with tiles for Network Center, Wi-Fi Connections, Control Panel, Package Center, Secure Access, and SRM Help. In the Network Center, you can view upload and download statistics, view device lists, monitor CPU and memory usage, configure Internet, Port forwarding, and Local area settings, and monitor real-time network traffic statistics for each connected client. Here you can also configure Firewall and DoS (Denial of Service) settings and enable FTP, WebDAV, Mac File Services, and Windows File Services.

The Wi-Fi Connect menu allows you to check wireless health and connection, select Wi-Fi channels, enable/disable Smart Connect, configure guest networks, add new nodes, restart Routers and nodes. Use the Control Panel to add users, change passwords, manage file services and USB storage shares, and configure email, push, and SMS notifications for errors. Here you can also update the firmware and backup Router settings. The Package Center is where you download plug-in apps like Cloud Station, Radius Server, and Media Server.

Synology’s secure Access provides parental controls and strong malware protection. With it, you can create user profiles and assign devices to each user. From there, you can specify custom web filters or age-appropriate presets, set time quotas and access schedules, and set limits for things like YouTube, Bing, and searches Google. You can also track personal surfing triggers, inappropriate and dangerous attempts to access restricted sites, and time spent online. Safe Access also uses Google’s Safe Browsing and threat intelligence databases to protect your network from intrusions, malware, phishing sites, and unwanted apps.

Check mesh configuration.

You can install the MR2200ac using the mobile app or web console; either is quick and easy. I started by connecting the Router to my modem and desktop and then powered it on. I typed http://router.synology.com in my browser address bar to launch the web console, hit Start, created an admin name and password. Then I create the network name and password, choose the IP automatically, and wait about 30 seconds for the Router to connect to the internet.

Then I was prompted to Start Manage or Add Wi-Fi Points. I chose the latter and followed the on-screen instructions to place the button in the proper location (no more than two rooms from the Router). I powered up the button, waited for about 90 seconds for the LED to start flashing blue, hit Ready Wi-Fi Point, and added the button to the system within seconds. I clicked Next and waited over a minute for the software to apply my new settings, at which point the setup was complete.

How we test the wireless Router

I tested the MR2200ac in a grid configuration with Smart Connect band driving enabled. The main Router’s score of 490Mbps in our proximity test (in the same room) is slightly faster than the D-Link Covr 2202 and Linksys MR8300, but not as fast as the TP-Deco M9 Plus. At 30 feet away, the MR2200ac Router is the fastest in its class, with speeds of 257Mbps.

The MR2200ac satellite node’s score of 380Mbps in the proximity test is the same as the Linksys MR8300 node’s score and only slightly slower than the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus and D-Link Covr 2202 node. At 30 feet, the MR2200ac node reaches 280Mbps, outperforming Linksys MR8300, but only 17Mbps behind TP-Link Deco M9 Plus. D-Link Covr 2202 leads the way with a score of 340Mbps.

A solid set of features and performance

The Synology MR2200ac is a great choice for users who want the simplicity of a whole-home Wi-Fi system without sacrificing the advanced management settings you get with a traditional router. Its dedicated 5GHz support band means more bandwidth for clients on the other two, and Synology’s Secure Access protects against unwanted intrusions, phishing, and other malware. It also offers powerful parental controls with customizable website filters, online time quotas, and individual customer activity tracking and is very easy to set up. You only get one LAN port, but that’s not unusual for Wi-Fi system routers. Transfer-rate performance is solid, but the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus is still one of the best performing Wi-Fi systems we’ve seen, and it doubles as a home automation hub.

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