Asus AiMesh Router w/ AES support?

[dougruns]

I'm looking to add an Asus AiMesh router for my multi-story house. We use the network for remote work w/ conferencing and streaming, but no gaming. We have a 400 Mbps service. I have my ONT in the basement w/ routing and basement wifi running on RT-N66U then a RT-AC1900P on my main floor with a wired backhaul. I'd like to upgrade the basement router and wifi to one that offers AES support so I can run a VPN client there.

I asked about this previously and the suggestion was for an RT-AX86U. I think that meets my needs for today, but if I'm investing, I was hoping to find one with AES support AND wifi 6 for some degree of future proofing. Asus doesn't seem to publish much on the chipsets and Broadcom doesn't make it easy to find which ones have AES support, but it looks like this community has the knowledge.

Any info on whether this is or will be available soon? I've also seen some suggestions that wifi 6 would only be useful if I needed the third band for wireless backhaul (which I don't). If that is the case, I think I could just do the AX86U, right?

 

[bbunge]

AES is a WIFI Encryption. The AX86U as well as all other current Asus routers, and your AC1900P has it. The N66U should have it, too.

 

[L&LD]

Yes, AES is Wi-Fi (WPA) Encryption.

I think @dougruns is asking about AES-NI encryption instead.

The current routers that offer it (and are suggested 'buys', depending on the price/availability) are the RT-AC86U, RT-AX68U, RT-AX88U, RT-AX86U. In order of 'good' to 'best', overall.

 

[Tech9]

AES is a WIFI Encryption.

What is AES-128-GCM? @dougruns is obviously asking for VPN encryption accelerated CPU's:

AES support so I can run a VPN client there.

Five models to choose from, AX and with Asuswrt-Merlin support - AX68U, AX86S*, AX86U, AX88U, AX11000.

* - will be supported with next Asuswrt-Merlin firmware.

 

[dougruns]

Yes, I meant AES-NI to support a VPN, but my understanding was that AES-NI was specific to Intel chips and Asus uses Broadcom and I couldn't find a name for the equivalent special processing unit on Broadcom. I can see how that may have been confusing.

I'm thinking I will get the AX86U when it is back in stock. That gives me two AiMesh devices on my main floors. If I wanted to add a cheap AiMesh supporting AP in my attic (two floors away from my AC1900P), what would you recommend with WiFi 6 and AiMesh support, but no real processor demand (I also have wired backhaul up there).

 

[Tech9]

but my understanding was that AES-NI was specific to Intel chips

This is correct. No AES-NI in ARMv8 CPU's. They have AES instructions.