My humble review on Synology RT2600ac

[helloguys]

First of all, there's no such thing that "one router is better than another". Different routers fit in different use cases (scenarios).

I've been using RT-AC86U (with Merlin) for quite a while. With community support, custom scripts, etc., I'm pretty happy with it. The only reason I want to try out the Synology is parental control. With 3 kids learning from home and I work from home most of the time, I need a serious parental control. Here are the features I'm looking for:
1) Reporting. Decision is based on information. Hence I need comprehensive reports such as which websites a device accessed the most. Asus has "web history". But there's no "sorting" function that allows me to see the "top 10" sites for a device.
2) A default profile for access control. Most of the parental control out there (including Asus) allows you to create profiles for kids. Then associate their device to the profile. However, kids are getting smarter and smarter. It didn't take long for them to know how to do MAC spoofing. If a MAC is not in any profile, it does not have any restrictions. Yes, I could use wireless MAC filter. But the kids will figure out a way to get it "wired". So the ultimate solution is to have a "default" profile. Any unknown device will fall into this default profile (where I can restrict Internet access).
3) A stable dual WAN function. Always works, not relying on custom scripts.

Comparing with RT-AC86U, Synology has the above items checked off. Here are the pros and cons of the Synology router:
Pros:
1) Tons of features, such as share files over Internet via generated link instead of the clumsy "FTP", policy routing, LDAP, SMS and push notification, archive reports and logs to external storage, etc.
2) Lots of tweakable parameters in stock firmware (maybe too techy for regular users).
3) Continuous improvement on firmware.

Cons:
1) Synology is not an active player in the router area. There are two or three models available. Missing the "latest" technologies like WiFi6 and 6E.
2) Due to their "unpopularity", the router is a little bit overpriced, even for used ones.
3) Also due to their "unpopularity", there are not many (almost none) 3rd-party add-ons.
4) The mobile app could use some improvements.

Bottom line is - if you're not so crazy about parental control or dual WAN, Asus is a better choice. Otherwise, Synology is worth trying.

 

[hervon]

Unrelated. This Asuswrt-Merlin sub forum.

 

[helloguys]

Somehow related. If Merlin has those features, and/or has stable dual-WAN, I wouldn't have to switch.

By the way, Synology has comprehensive website categories built-in, also leverages Google safe browsing API, which is very impressive.

Unrelated. This Asuswrt-Merlin sub forum.

 

[Mr Tvardovsky]

What works for me is the combination of Merlin routers with NextDNS capabilities. It also checks the boxes listed in the first post and fully satisfies my parental (or rather paternal) instincts.

 

[Tech9]

If Merlin has those features, and/or has stable dual-WAN

AC86U Dual WAN fail over doesn't work in Asuswrt. I think Asus has to fix it first. @RMerlin may eventually share details.

 

[RMerlin]

I don`t pay attention to the Dual WAN features in Asuswrt since it's in large part outside of my control, and I don't have the resources to test/debug that particular feature. All I can say is Asus are dedicated to making it work as well as possible based on emails we've exchanged in the past, so if people are experiencing specific issues with it, they should contact Asus about it.