Networking

TP-Link is a well-known name in the home network realm, and they have even expanded to offering many IoT devices as well. But keeping within the networking realm, TP-Link has released their latest gaming-focused router, the Archer C5400X. As the name implies, the AC5400X offers tri-band Wi-Fi speeds of up to 5400 Mpbs across both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. In addition to the fast wireless options, there is also an 8-port gigabit Ethernet switch for your wired devices, and multiple USB ports for external device connectivity. Backed up by an easy-to-use interface, the C5400X is pushing hard to replace your existing solution. Will it be enough to dethrone your current gear? Follow along to see how it performs!

Synology, a tried and true provider of NAS, networking, and surveillance products, recently released the DiskStation DS1618+, a NAS aimed at providing both home and small-to-medium sized businesses with a scalable storage solution. Offering room for up to six drives, and the ability to upgrade to a 10Gbps NIC or M.2 SSD caching, the DiskStation DS1618+ looks to be a powerhouse system.

Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices have definitely evolved over the past few years. Yes they are there to give you a reliable data backup for your files, with easy access to these files over the network, or even over the internet. But many consumers are looking for a device to store, and more importantly be able to stream media to all of the different devices in their home. Synology's DiskStation DS418play allows you to not only stream HD video content to these devices, but 4K content as well. It does all of the heavy lifting, transcoding this content so even the smallest, under-powered devices can be streamed to. Being a Synology NAS the DiskStation DS418play is also loaded with Synology's DSM which gives you access to all types of tools for home and small business use. Let's get some drives in the DS418play and see what it can do!

We've seen many whole-home WiFi systems come out over the past year. These systems make sense for many people as they have multiple devices in different rooms of their home and a single router just can't provide enough speed for devices that are far away. TP-Link's entry into whole-home WiFi comes in the form of their Deco M5, which is made up of three separate AC1300 units for up to 4,500 sq. ft. of seamless coverage. On top of that the system has comprehensive security features provided by Trend Micro so all of your devices are automatically protected from online threats. Is this the WiFi system to get for your house or should you stick to a normal router? Read on as we find out!

We know Synology for their NAS devices, which are some of the best out there. About a year ago Synology ventured into the router market with their RT1900ac, which we reviewed. We liked it so much we gave it our Recommended Award. Well Synology is back with the RT2600ac which is a 4x4 MU-MIMO router giving you wireless speeds of up to 800Mbps and 1733Mbps on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz radios respectively. The RT2600ac is powered by Synology's Router Manager (SRM), which works much like their NAS management software. It gives you a very nice interface and one that is most importantly easy to use. Let's jump in and see what Synology has in store for us with the RT1900ac.

TerraMaster is a new company to us here at ThinkComputers. They have been focused on the development of storage technology for 16 years and their main product range includes network attached storage and direct attached storage devices. Today we will be taking a look at the F2-220 2-bay NAS. This network attached storage device features an Intel Celeron 2.41GHz dual core CPU, 2 GB of memory, and two SATA drive bays that support 2.5-inch as well as 3.5-inch hard drives for up to 16TB of total storage space. The F2-220 runs on the Linux-based TerraMaster TOS operation system, which gives you a very user-friendly experience. Let's get some drives in the F2-220 and see what it can do!

Linksys is a brand many of us know. My first wireless router was a Linksys and now that Linksys was switched their router design back to the older style taking a look at this router brings back a little nostalgia. Of course this router is nothing like the first Linksys router I owned, this is the new WRT3200ACM MU-MIMO Wireless Router. This new router in Linksys' WRT family features Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) data streaming and Tri-Stream 160 technology, that doubles the 80MHz channel width on the 5GHz band to achieve faster throughput speeds. This router also gives you four Gigabit Ethernet ports, a USB 3.0 port, and a very interesting combo USB / eSATA port. Can this router prove to be one to get this Holiday season?

The speeds of our wireless devices keep on getting faster and faster. Sadly, the distance our routers can cover is limited, especially if you have a large home or detached garage and you want to still access the internet. For these such cases we have WiFi range extenders. These allows you to easily extend the range of your WiFi network with little hassle. Today we will be taking a look at Amped Wireless' latest WiFi range extenders the REC22P. This range extender is an AC1200 device so you have 300Mbps on 2.4GHz and 867Mbps on 5GHz for super fast transfer speeds. To help cover the 11,000 sq ft Amped Wireless says the REC22P covers you have 8 high power amplifiers and 2 high gain antennas. This range extender also has a pass-thru outlet so you don't lose an outlet when you install it, a rapid USB charging port for your USB devices, and a Gigabit network bridge to connect 1 additional wired device. It seems the REC22P has it all, let's check it out!

Synology is a company we know for great network-attached storage (NAS) devices. They have really made a name for themselves by making setting up and using a NAS very easy. Today we will be taking a look at their DiskStation DS216+ which is part of their Plus Series of devices that are made for workgroup and small / medium business use. Being part of the Plus Series the DS216+ features a Intel Celeron N3050 dual core 1.6 GHz processor, 1GB of DDR3 memory and two hard drive slots for a total storage capacity of us to 16TB. Built into the DS216+ you have the AES-NI hardware encryption engine, support of Windows AD, LDAP, and Domain Trust, and 4K Ultra HD video transcoding, all backed by high-speed data transfer rates. Like all Synology NAS devices the DS216+ is running Synology’s award winning NAS OS, DiskStation Manager. This makes configuring your NAS and getting it setup a breeze. Let’s check out the DS216+ and see what it is all about!

Synology is a company we know for their network-attached storage solutions. Over the years they have really excelled at making setting up and managing your network-attached storage extremely easy. This is why they are the go-to for consumers as well as businesses when it comes to NAS solutions. Synology wanted to bring the ease of use they are known for to another section of the networking space, routers. We all know how annoying setting up and configuring a router can be, well Synology wants to make it simple, not only to set up, but to manage as well. Today we are taking a look at their first router, the RT1900ac. This router features the Broadcom BCM58622 which has a 1.0 GHz processor and 256MB of DDR3 memory. The dual-band router is capable of 600 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 1300 Mbps on the 5.0 GHz band. Besides that you have 4 LAN ports, three omni-directional MIMO antennas, a USB 3.0 port for storage or a printer, SD card support, and Synology’s Router Manager (SRM) operating system, which will make setting the router up and managing it a breeze. Let’s take a look!