RT-AC86U -> RT-AX86U Pro Review

[maxbraketorque]

Some details -
I decided to upgrade my vacation home wifi from an RT-AC86U main/AP combo to an RT-AX86U Pro main/AP combo. My AC86U main/AP combo have worked flawlessly for 3 years (with the exception of the ubiquitously inaccurate client list), but the EOL announcement of the AC86U along with finding two used AX86U Pros on sale at Amazon for a really good price gave me an excuse to pull the trigger. "Used" routers on Amazon are a bit of a roll of the dice, but I did the same for my GT-AX6000 purchases, and those have been working great, so I did it for the AX86U Pros. One AX86U Pro had obviously been set up and then sent back without the original packaging, but the other looked to be unused with the antennas still in the original bags and original box. I verified that both are US country code routers.

I went with the upright form factor again because the installation locations have no room for anything else. However, the AX86U Pro, AX88U Pro, and GT-AX6000 have nearly the same hardware, and tests posted on the internet show all three models to have very similar wifi performance which is my primary need at this location.

Setup was straightforward but tedious; flash to Merlin 388, reset to factory default, and manually-duplicate router settings from the AC86U main/AP combo. Then export OVPN server config, disable Lets Encrypt, and deregister DDNS on the AC86U and set these up on the AX86U Pro. A few concerning messages showed up in the router logs as I got everything configured. A tainted process on CPU #3 showed up several times on the main router, and the AP router temporarily had an issue where a mdio phy message began showing up in the log non-stop. But after completing the configuration and installing the routers, I've not seen anything concerning in the log outputs. One thing I noticed during the setup is that the radios in the AX86U Pro take much longer to come back online than the AC86U radios when the radios are restarted or the router is restarted.

Wifi is configured to allow AX, and I manually select the channels. The 2.4 GHz band is set to 20 MHz bandwidth. The 5 GHz band is set to 80 MHz bandwidth, and the manually selected channels are not in the DFS range. This is the same config that I used for my AC86Us with the obvious exception of no AX capability, and I ran the 2.4 GHz band on my AC86Us in N-only mode. 2.4 GHz AX wifi performance is no better than my AC86U combo in 2.4 GHz N-only mode, at least at range for my Galaxy S22 Ultra. The phone loses reception at about the same range as my AC86U setup, and speeds just inside the reception limit are no better than my AC86U. Interestingly, if I set the 2.4 GHz band on the AX86U Pros to N-only, the long range performance suffers compared to AX. 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz wireless performance in the house and just outside the house are not obviously better than my AC86U main/AP combo either.

Bottom Line -
An RT-AX86U Pro main/AP combo offers no obvious performance benefits over an RT-AC86U main/AP combo for a typical internet household that gets all their data from the internet. But the RT-AC86U is EOL, so feature and security updates will cease by the end of the year. I transitioned to a Pro model to get the next gen firmware features and hopefully a long support life. If you have an AC86U that's still working, and you don't care about feature and security updates, stick with it. Its a great router.

 

[Tech9]

If you have an AC86U that's still working, and you don't care about feature and security updates, stick with it. Its a great router.

Indeed, excellent range router when it works properly. I've got similar results when testing 2x RT-AC86U vs RT-AX86U + RT-AX86S. The range and performance to my test N/AC clients was about the same on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. To AX clients the performance was better only closer to the routers, after 1-2 walls at lower signal levels - about the same as to AC clients. The explanation can be found in how Wi-Fi works - higher modulation schemes require stronger signal with lower SNR.

 

[bennor]

Bottom Line -
An RT-AX86U Pro main/AP combo offers no obvious performance benefits over an RT-AC86U main/AP combo for a typical internet household that gets all their data from the internet.

What do you consider a; "typical internet household"? Do you consider your setup to be typical?

 

[maxbraketorque]

What do you consider a; "typical internet household"? Do you consider your setup to be typical?

Maybe I didn't describe it well enough in my original post - households that interact primarily with the internet and don't have a need for >1 gbps data speeds on their LAN (if they even have a LAN).

 

[Justinh]

And don't forget that the AX86U Pro is

Oddly, the AX88U Pro product page doesn't have this image

 

[Rossmon]

So I will be upgrading my ISP to Full 10gb Fibre with Sonic here in the SF NorthBay. I’ve been surfing along at home with an
RT-AC5300 for some years now every since a client gave me a broken one under warranty that ASUS nicely replaced for me!
I’m retired now and been getting amped up about buying a wifi 6 with 2.5 port to enjoy all the extra performance in my large home. Our 2 iPhones and 2 Macs are wifi 6 capable.
Are you folks saying save my money?

Thanks,

R

 

[Tech9]

Are you folks saying save my money?

Your phones don't need anything over 100Mbps and your computers perhaps can't get anything over Gigabit. You'll be paying for a plan you can't really use.

 

[Rossmon]

Thanks for the response!
I see what you are saying but more importantly, I’m saving a lot of money and support annoyance's by switching from xfinity to Sonic. Xfinity charges $93/month for their fastest 1.2 service and another $31.50 for our VoiceIP land line. Sonic charges $60/month for their 10gb plus ip phone! That’s a lot of banana’s!
R

 

[Tech9]

If they have something like Gigabit fiber for less - this is more than you need. They also know you can't use 10Gbps. You can't eat so many bananas.

 

[Rossmon]

Sonic offers only 1 service and thats the 10gb! They offer it without the voice ip for $50. For me thats a savings of $64.50. Costco is selling bunches of banana’s for $2.49 now! About 6 or so per bunch. So doing the math, that's 155 more banana’s every month irregardless of benefiting from all the bw!

 

[maxbraketorque]

So I will be upgrading my ISP to Full 10gb Fibre with Sonic here in the SF NorthBay. I’ve been surfing along at home with an
RT-AC5300 for some years now every since a client gave me a broken one under warranty that ASUS nicely replaced for me!
I’m retired now and been getting amped up about buying a wifi 6 with 2.5 port to enjoy all the extra performance in my large home. Our 2 iPhones and 2 Macs are wifi 6 capable.
Are you folks saying save my money?

Thanks,

R

The AX86U Pro may provide faster or more snappy internet simply because it has a much faster processor. The 2.5 gbps connection to the 10 gbps internet may not provide any obvious benefit.

 

[Tech9]

For me thats a savings of $64.50

Go for it then. Your RT-AC5300 router is End-of-Life model - you can treat yourself with a new router as well. Whatever makes you happy.

 

[Rossmon]

The AX86U Pro may provide faster or more snappy internet simply because it has a much faster processor. The 2.5 gbps connection to the 10 gbps internet may not provide any obvious benefit.

Thats was my question and thanks for the answer, it corresponds with what I was thinking after reading the above posts.
I may still pickup one in order to extend access out in my garage. Amazon is selling that router in open box for $153. Then it will become the router and the 5300 will become an ethernet connected AP.
We recently cut the cable, switched to all streaming, so learning real world results live! So far, very good performance via wifi to my 77” LG OLED C3 which unfortunately does not have wifi 6.

 

[Tech9]

which unfortunately does not have wifi 6.

It doesn't really need it. Compressed UHD video is about 30-40Mbps. Wi-Fi 5 can do >200Mbps to 1-stream client.

 

[Rossmon]

It doesn't really need it. Compressed UHD video is about 30-40Mbps. Wi-Fi 5 can do >200Mbps to 1-stream client.

Yeah, I know but I got the tv just before last xmas and it will have to last awhile! Who knows when that extra oomph might come in handy!
OTOH, I got $1,000 for my 3yo 65” LG OLED and only paid another $1000 for last years LG OLED and finally the step up to 77”.
So, with all the world’s and our countries current problems, can’t be complaining!!!
Even worked a deal where the buyer of my old tv helped me pick it up from a store nearby, take the old one off the wall and hang the new screen! Of course, I took $50 off the price and helped load my old one into his truck!

 

[Jbennett360]

The AX86U Pro may provide faster or more snappy internet simply because it has a much faster processor. The 2.5 gbps connection to the 10 gbps internet may not provide any obvious benefit.

I really can't see that being true?

 

[maxbraketorque]

I really can't see that being true?

Of course it depends on the previous router and number of active clients.

 

[Rossmon]

We are talking 7 active clients tops if the printer, both tv’s, 2 iPhones and 2 Macs are all on! Generally, more like 2-4 clients!
I have 3-4 old Apple routers in addition to my ASSU rt5300. Sounds like I should fire a couple up via ethernet to the ASUS, if I want better wifi coverage and finally run ethernet to my main TV and call it a day!
I’m moving to fibre to mainly get the hell away from xfinity and their totally suck support plus totally expensive pricing.
We have been paying them almost $300/month for years. We have a rental unit so at least a lot of that money could be expensed. Since cutting the cable we are down to $150 /month and after Sonic service starts in May it will become $60 a month. That’s saving $260 a month, an incredible amount of banana’s!
Just the savings of not having to deal with Xfinity is worth another $200 of my time every month!
I don’t have the energy to write again describing the many horror stories I personally experienced in the last 3 years with their mobile, internet, email, home security service's and their billing department.
They keep reminding me that I'm their top tier diamond level xfinity customer every time I call or chat over a new issue and have been with them since 1988/89!

Always had enough bandwidth so why spend money on a new router other than our RT5300 is end of life. $153 right now for an open box AX86U Pro seems pretty reasonable.
If I get extra performance, I’ll let you know sometime in May after the 10gb fibre is installed!
BTW. here I am back in 1989 working for 3Com and myself in those days! I’m the fellow on the right! Been retired for over 10 years except for a few old clients providing pocket money!

Ross
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[Allan Marcus]

$153 right now for an open box AX86U Pro seems pretty reasonable.

BTW. here I am back in 1989 working for 3Com and myself in those days! I’m the fellow on the right! Been retired for over 10 years except for a few old clients providing pocket money!

Ross
View attachment 57766

$153 for an open box is a great deal. If you are getting it from amazon used, it's not "open box", it's used. You will not get an ASUS warranty for used.

I just looked up Sonic; what an amazing deal!

 

[Rossmon]

Unfortunately sonic was delayed and now waiting until July to go live. So have not bought anything yet! I think each amazon deal is unique. I’ve bought many open box items there that were like new and warranty was good. Usually depends if buyer registered it and many don’t. Anyway if asus tells me warranty is off, Amazon will instantly take it back!