Best known for slick-looking gaming laptops, Razer has released its first Wi-Fi router and, not surprisingly, it's designed for gaming.
The Razer Sila ($249.99) is an AC3000 tri-band router that uses advanced device prioritization, congestion-free Wi-Fi channels, and dynamic load balancing to provide a lag-free gaming experience.
It can also be pressed into service as a mesh system for up to 9,000 square feet of coverage, but you'll need deep pockets for that as it requires buying three routers.
The Sila turned in respectable scores on our throughput and file-transfer performance tests, but the Editors' Choice Asus RT-AC86U still gives you the best bang for your buck.
Razer Style
In keeping with Razer's penchant for sleek aesthetics, the Sila uses a low-profile matte black enclosure that measures 1.6 by 8.5 by 6.8 inches (HWD).
There aren't any traditional status LEDs along the edge, but there is a backlit Razer logo on the top of the enclosure that glows solid red when the router is trying to connect to the internet and solid blue when it's searching for firmware updates.
The logo blinks blue when a firmware update is in progress, turns solid green when the router is connected and everything is working correctly, and glows bright green when everything is working and QoS is enabled.
Whereas most routers offer four gigabit LAN ports, the Sila only has three.
It also sports a WAN port, a USB 2.0 port, and a USB 3.0 port, all of which are on the rear panel.
They are joined by a power jack, a Reset button, and a Sync button that is used for pairing with another Sila router for use as a mesh network.
Each router covers 3,000 square feet and you can have up to three configured as a mesh system that covers 9,000 square feet.
Under the hood are a quad-core 717GHz CPU, 4GB of flash memory, 512MB of RAM, and nine internal antennas.
The Sila is a tri-band AC3000 router that can reach speeds of up to 400Mbps on the 2.4GHz band, 1734Mbps on one of the 5GHz bands, and 866Mbps on the second 5GHz band.
When used in a mesh configuration, one of the 5GHz bands is dedicated to backhaul.
The router supports all of the latest 802.11ac technologies including MU-MIMO (simultaneous) data streaming, direct-to-client signal beamforming, and automatic band steering, although you can opt to split the bands and create separate 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.
The Sila uses special algorithms that give it access to a protected range of 5GHz Wi-Fi channels which are relatively uncrowded compared with the usual channels.
Dubbed FastLanes, this is the same technology, developed by Ignition Design Labs, used in the Portal Smart Gigabit Wi-Fi Router that we reviewed last year.
The Sila also uses SmartLanes load-balancing technology to avoid network congestion and FasTrack QoS technology, which lets you assign network priority based on application, application type, device, and device type.
A thoughtfully designed Android or iOS mobile app, or a desktop web app, can be used to install and manage the Sila.
When you fire up the app, you see a Home screen with a network map showing the router's connection to the internet, connected devices, and guest networks.
Tap the Internet icon to view your WAN IP address and tap the router icon to access basic and advanced router settings.
Here you can enable wireless security and beamforming, view which Wi-Fi channels are being used, separate the radio bands, and configure MAC filtering settings.
Parental Controls are limited: You can control when certain devices can access the internet, but you don't get the age-appropriate presets that you get with the TP-Link Archer C5400X or the granular content-filtering options that you get with the Asus RT-AC86U ($169.99 at Amazon) .
Moreover, the Sila lacks the built-in malware protection that comes with the above-mentioned routers.
There is an Internet Speed Test feature that gives you your upload and download speeds, and an option to use the router as a bridge.
Back at the Home screen, tap the Guest Network icon to create a network with limited access to your main network, and tap the Devices icon to see what clients are connected, along with their system information, including name, machine type, OS, and IP address.
Here you can assign a network priority setting (Very High, High, Medium, Low) for each client and view real-time network traffic usage for each one.
At the bottom of the Home screen is a Traffic Management button that takes you to a screen where you can enable the FasTrack feature and enable Game Mode, which puts aside a percentage of bandwidth just for gaming apps and gaming devices.
Easy Installation
To install the Sila router, I downloaded the mobile app and created an account.
I tapped Set Up and followed the on-screen instructions to unplug my modem, then connect the Sila to it using the included LAN cable, and finally power up both the modem and the Sila router.
I confirmed that the LED indicator was solid green and waited a few seconds for the app to identify the router.
I tapped Pair and within 10 seconds the router was paired and online.
I tapped the Customize button to name my network and create a password and the installation was complete.
The Sila performed well on our throughput speed tests.
Its score of 102Mbps on the 2.4GHz close-proximity SU-MIMO test was right in line with the Netgear XR500 and the Asus RT-AC86U scores (both scored 104Mbps), but not as fast as the Linksys WRT32X (148Mbps).
Its score of 64Mbps on the 30-foot test beat the XR500 by 22Mbps, but was 22Mbps slower than the RT-AC86U and the WRT32X routers.
On the 5GHz close-proximity test, the Sila managed 475Mbps, beating the WRT32X, but not the XR500 and the RT-AC86U.
Its score of 286Mbps on the 30-foot test was faster than both the WRT32X and the XR500.
The RT-AC86U took top honors with a score of 300Mbps.
On our MU-MIMO performance tests, which we measure using three identical Acer Aspire R laptops equipped with Qualcomm's QCA61x4A MU-MIMO circuitry, the Sila's score of 140Mbps was more than 30Mbps slower than the WRT32X and the XR500.
The RT-AC86U led with a score of 178Mbps.
The Sila's score of 125Mbps at a distance of 30 feet was faster than the XR500 and the WRT32X, but the RT-AC86U's score of 150Mbps led the pack.
The Sila turned in quality scores on our file-transfer tests, in which we measure read and write speeds using a 1.5GB folder containing a mix of video, audio, photo, and office document files.
Its score of 80MBps on the read test was twice as fast as the XR500 and beat the RT-AC86U and the WRT32X by a healthy margin.
It's score of 64MBps on the write test was also impressive: It topped the XR500 and the RT-AC86U, but couldn't catch the WRT32X's score of 76MBps.
Gamer-Friendly Wireless
With the Razer Sila router, you won't have to worry about having enough bandwidth for your online gaming adventures.
In addition to three radio bands, it uses special 5GHz DFS channels to alleviate network congestion, and it offers QoS settings for device- and application-based bandwidth prioritization.
The Sila also has a gaming mode that makes sure you get all the bandwidth you need for playing or streaming without depriving other connected devices.
You can pair up to three Sila routers to create a mesh network in larger homes, but at $250 a pop, that's an expensive proposition.
Performance-wise, the Sila delivers respectable throughput and file-transfer scores, and it's a breeze to install and manage using a slick mobile app.
However, it doesn't offer the robust parental controls, built-in malware protection, lower price, and overall performance of the Editors' Choice Asus RT-AC86U.
The Bottom Line
The Razer Sila is a sleek-looking, solid-performing tri-band router designed for gamers.
