Synology Mesh Router MR2200ac, MR2200AC

Product Information

With the MR2200ac, Synology updated its router firmware, Synology Router Manager or SRM, to version 1.2. Among other things, the new firmware brings mesh functionality to select Synology routers. First, connecting to my cable modem, is a Netgate SG-3100 (running pfSense). Which I’ve configured to have 3 seperate LAN segments. ALL Synology MR2200ac Mesh Routers will need to be updated individually to SRM 1.3 before attempting to connect with an RT6600ax Router Network The table below shows all currently supported routers and the roles each support which changes depending on the firmware version. And compared with the latest Wi-Fi routers, including Synology's recent Tri-band RT6600ax, the new router is modest as a standalone machine and doesn't make sense as part of the Synology Wi-Fi mesh ecosystem.

When this is done, I expect to have 5-6 MR2200ac or equivalent devices, mostly as a star configuration from the building 2 sources. Whichever interface you choose, there are plenty of options and features to play with. You can set up a secondary guest network with its own schedule and greeting portal, connect to an impressive range of dynamic DNS providers and even enable a built-in VPN server, so you can easily and safely access your home network from anywhere in the world.

Note, if you are connecting the nodes (temporarily for setup or long term) via ethernet, you need to ensure that the MR2200ac or RT2600ac has cable connected to the WAN port and into a LAN port of the RT6600ax. Otherwise, the connection/host-client communication will not function correctly. Again, later on, after the node is set up, you can move these nodes away and the wireless connectivity will also function between the mesh points. For users currently on SRM 1.2.3 8017 Update 3: Due to issues introduced in Update 3, certain scheduled tasks no longer function as expected. If you have set up and used the following features, manual actions will be required to restore functionality.

So, the WRX560 is late to the game. Truth be told, I thought the Ubiquiti Dream Machine would be the last Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router I'd ever review. In all, these Wi-Fi specs resemble those of many mesh systems on the market. And that's likely because Synology has designed the MR2200ac to also work as a satellite mesh point, allowing you to link two or more units into a Wi-Fi system. Indeed, just because a router can work as part of a Synology mesh doesn’t mean you can use it willy-nilly. In particular mesh combinations, specific models can function as the primary router or a satellite.I tested the MR2200ac in a mesh configuration with Smart Connect band steering enabled. The main router's score of 490Mbps on our close-proximity (same-room) test was a bit faster than the D-Link Covr 2202 and the Linksys MR8300, but not quite as fast as the TP-Deco M9 Plus. At a distance of 30 feet, the MR2200ac router was the fastest of the bunch with a score of 257Mbps. Fixed an issue where SRM's current channel might be displayed incorrectly when a DFS channel was selected manually. I’m most interested in Synology due to parental controls, single point of administration, ability to remotely administrate. Fixed the issue where iPhone 11 running iOS 13.2.3 might fail to connect to the WPA3-Enterprise wireless network.