To fully evaluate the MR2200ac, I asked Synology to also send me their RT2600ac router because the RT1900ac I already had in my possession isn't compatible with meshing since it uses a Broadcom chip instead of a Qualcomm one like the other two. Initially, I had some trouble configuring them, mainly because both products didn't want to forget the settings I had used before I connected them to my network. Despite resetting them multiple times, the old settings kept coming back, which looked really weird. However, once I got over this problem and configured the RT2600ac—you have to start with this one first if you have both the RT2600ac and MR2200ac since the RT2600ac can only be used as a main router and not a mesh point—I proceeded with the MR2200ac, and the mesh network was up and running in a matter of minutes. A word of advice: make sure to update both routers with the latest available firmware in order to avoid any problems.

The mesh network has been running without any problems for more than a month in my home now, and I have a steady wireless signal with every smart device, even in remote areas, which wasn't the case with the previous mesh network that was created with a couple of ASUS routers (DSL-AC68U and RT-AC1900). The ASUS devices offered a stronger 5 GHz signal, but it was not as steady, so there were lots of communication problems in my home's remote areas. Since I had selected a common SSID for both the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz band in these ASUS routers, I couldn't use the lower frequency band, and I didn't want to have two different SSIDs to do so. While the Synology solution might not offer 5 GHz coverage in the same remote areas as ASUS's products did, connectivity in the 2.4 GHz band is reliable, so I don't have any problems surfing the net wirelessly in those areas.

If you are thinking about getting the MR2200ac as a standalone router, my advice would be to reconsider. The weak CPU and low RAM total won't be enough to cope with tough situations, and SRM isn't all that snappy with the MR2200ac when compared to the notably stronger RT2600ac. Moreover, the single LAN port is a problem, and although five and eight-port Gigabit switches are dirt cheap, this still means that you will have to deal with one more device and its power adapter. My suggestion is to get the RT2600ac to then connect one or more MR2200ac devices to the RT2600ac for full coverage of the area in question. This combination has served me very well so far, and I had lots of problems with my previous configuration. Besides the reliable operation, which is the most important facet for just about any user, the SRM operating system is just awesome. It is the best router OS I have used thus far and easily blows away competing offerings, which also look outdated.

The only downside is the rather high price of the MR2200ac given its hardware isn't high-end, and the single LAN port. Since the RT2600ac goes for $200, $140 is way too much for the MR2200ac. A price of around 100 bucks would be ideal, and it would definitely boost this product's sales. It would also be a good idea to offer this product in multi-pack bundles since many users will probably want to get more than one. Another disturbing fact is that you don't have any access at all to the satellite mesh unit's SRM OS, and you can't utilize its USB port (attach a storage device and use it as attached storage). Moreover, I don't know if the main router updates the firmware of the mesh clients as well. Although most users wouldn't connect to the client router's OS, I would want to have total control over my units.