This weekend, I looked at replacing my current Linksys router with a newer 6e Mesh MR7500 router. I’ve been disappointed with Linksys not providing support for routers that are only a few years old but decided to continue with them as I’m familiar with how to configure them.
I found that the configuration of the MR7500 was straightforward. I was able to configure it as needed for my network. I was not impressed with the range as my older router has no problem connecting throughout the house but the newer MR7500 dropped off very quickly and was unusable through much of the house. I returned the MR7500 due to the poor performance of the Wi-Fi network.
I’m currently looking into the Synology routers as they look like they may provide some additional benefits that the Linksys routers cannot provide. I would like to look into using VLANs to separate network traffic to prevent network broadcast storms and provide some isolation for my IP Phones and Cameras as well as other IoT devices. I also like the support that Synology provides. I’ve been using Synology NAS devices for many years and even my older NAS gets regular updates. In addition, their customer support is very good. One time there was an issue with an update and the configuration of my NAS. I needed to reach out to customer support and after going back and forth a bit, they were able to determine the cause of the issue and helped me resolve it. Typically I get frustrated with customer support as they are following a script and it takes a long time to get to someone who can help me with my issue. The initial contact was somewhat similar but it did not take long to have my issue escalated to someone who could help me resolve the issue. Even though I mentioned some back and forth with tech support, it was just for the gathering of information.
The Synology routers are nearly double the price of the Linksys routers but I’m confident that Synology routers will continue to receive security updates for many years, which will make them worth the price. I do hope that they come out with a cheaper solution to extend the mesh network as I would like to have that option. I am concerned that the Synology router may not have any more range than the Linksys MR7500 had as they may be using the same radio or it may be the design of the radios supporting so many different bands. Even if this is the case, the ability to make use of VLANs to separate network traffic may make it worthwhile.
Ubiquiti routers and equipment are another option but the price point may be higher than Synology. The advantage of Ubiquiti is the management software allows for easy configuration of the entire network.
I would like to hear from you if you have experience with your home network using Synology or Ubiquiti routers and networking equipment. Please comment below.
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