Synology recently released the WRX560, a versatile Wi-Fi 6 router well suited for New Zealand conditions.
The WRX560 is a nice addition to the company’s networking products. Its functionality is the same as the Synology RT6600, including support for VLAN tagging, which is important for use with some of our local fibre ISPs.
Running the RSM operating system, the WRX560 is intuitive and easy to use, completely web-based, with a beautifully designed graphical user interface that allows you to have multiple windows open on a desktop inside your browser. It’s very similar to the DSM operating system used by Synology on their network-attached storage (NAS) devices.
But because it’s easy to use it doesn’t mean it is less powerful. I particularly like the ability to create multiple local networks and different wireless SSID that those can use. You can also configure individual ports to be associated with different networks. You can also set each individual network to use a single SSID with Smart Connect meaning both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz use the same name and password, or you can individually select different names for each band for each network. You can also turn IPv6 on or off for each network and use different DNS addresses.
This allows you to create a complex but easy-to-manage set of networks to adapt to your conditions. In my case, I have created a network using 2.4 GHz only for IoT and a DNS that blocks known malware sites while having a different network using 5 GHz for streaming only, using a different DNS.
The WRX560 has a Safe Access application that gives you parental control and security out-of-the-box. Safe Access allows you to assign security policies to networks or individuals, including time limits, web filtering and more. If this is not enough, you can install a separate package called Threat Prevention, which requires an external USB-storage device but will give you much more control at the individual packets level.
Another security feature is the Synology VPN package, which lets you create a virtual private network, giving you access to your network from outside. I prefer running a software-only VPN like Tailscale because no port forwarding is needed, but I tried the Synology VPN with the Threat Prevention package simultaneously for peace of mind, and it works well.
Other features are worth mentioning: a built-in NTP server that devices in your network can use for time synchronisation, an SSH service you can use, and network tools such as ping and traceroute built into the router. There’s also a DNS package you can use if you want to manage name resolution inside your network.
You can connect the WRX560 to an existing router, creating a mesh network that will extend coverage for your home network. You can use either Ethernet or Wi-Fi or a combination of both to connect the router and access point. If you set the connection to automatic it will manage itself and use whichever link is available when it comes online. For those who don’t have a structured cable solution at home, the wireless link is ideal, although its throughput will depend on location. If you place the WRX560 too far from the main router, it might connect using the slower 2.4 GHz due to the smaller original 5 GHz coverage. To ensure consistent speeds, make sure to use Ethernet for this connection.
The mesh network functionality is particularly well done and suited for larger homes. You can easily add a WRX560 as an access point to your existing network based on another WRX560 or RT6600. All management is made from the main router, and settings are propagated automatically.
Like other operations, connecting the devices in a mesh network is simple. Power the WRX560 and wait for its LEDs to start blinking. Then from the main router, add Wi-Fi Points. It will automatically detect the new WRX560; if you select it, all configurations will be synchronised in a few minutes. It could not be simpler.
The Synology WRX560 is different from the Synology RT6600 in three aspects: a 1.4 GHz quad-core processor (1.8 GHz on RT6600), 512 MB DDR4 RAM (1024 MB on RT6600) and internal antennas (external omnidirectional high-gain dipole on the RT6600). In terms of performance, both routers are similar. Still, the lower specs on the WRX560 means its limits for some features are a bit lower than the more powerful RT6600 model, for example, ten SSID (15 SSID on RT6600), 150 maximum concurrent connected devices (200 devices on RT6600), 64 maximum port forward ports (96 port forwards on RT6600).
In real-life usage, these differences can be ignored as I think hitting these limits are edge cases – and if you think you would be impacted then you should be looking at the RT6600 as the router for you.
The WRX560 is a powerful but compact router with many features that will satisfy most users and work well with our ISPs.
