The RT1900ac is a Wi-Fi router that thinks it's a network-attached storage server. The fact that it's the first router from Synology -- a company that's known for making NAS devices -- probably has something to do with it.

When hosting an external hard drive connected to its USB 3.0 port, the RT1900ac is indeed a formidable storage server. And in testing, as either a Wi-Fi router or a NAS server, the device was excellent, for the most part edging out more expensive competitors, such as the Asus RT-AC68U or the Netgear R7000. It's not perfect, however, with a relatively short range on the 5GHz band and only average network storage data rates. But at the current cost of just $150 (converted, that's about £105 or AU$200), it's the least expensive AC1900 router.

That said, if you want a router that delivers excellent Wi-Fi performance and can also work as a host for Time Machine backup, file sharing, media streaming and pretty much anything else you can do with a typical NAS drive, the RT1900AC is an excellent buy.

For more excellent home network router options, check out CNET's list of best 802.11AC routers.

Josh Miller/CNET

Hardware

As the name suggests, the RT1900AC is an AC1900 router. (Read more about Wi-Fi standards here.) It has a top on-paper speed of 1,300Mbps on the 5GHz band and up to 600Mbps on the 2.4GHz band. On the inside, it's powered by a dual-core 1GHz processor and 256MB of DDR3 memory. The router has more powerful specs than the Asus RT-AC68U (which runs a dual-core 800MHz predecessor) but weaker than the Linksys WRT1900ACs (dual-core 1.3GHz.)

The router has one USB 3.0 port and one SD card slot on its left side. You can use these ports to host an external hard drive and an SD card to take advantage of the router's storage features. Using a storage device allows you to add even more features to the router. (More on this below.) And though it's designed to lie flat, the router can also be mounted on a wall.

Josh Miller/CNET

Software

What makes the RT1900ac stand out from other AC1900 routers is its Linux-based operating system (also known as the firmware) called Synology Router Manager (SRM). This firmware is a variation of the DiskStation Manger (DSM) operating system used for all of Synology's NAS servers. If you've used a Synology NAS server before, you'll find the interface of the RT1900ac extremely familiar.

And even if you've never used a Synology product, the SRM is easy to figure out. The router's interface, accessible via a browser, is very similar to that of a traditional desktop operating system, like Windows or Mac OS. In fact it's the most comprehensive interface for a router I've seen, with items tied together and organized in an intuitive way.

Screenshot by Dong Ngo/CNET

The best thing about SRM is Package Center, which is basically an app store. Using Package Center and an external hard drive or SD card, you can add applications to the router, increasing the its functionality and features. Out of the box, the router comes with a few applications, such as Download Station, Media Server and VPN Server, but it's likely Synology will release more in the future.