Asus fanboy: need upgrade

[sativa]

Hi,

I currently have an AX88U as the main router in the centre of our house, together with 2 wired nodes, which are AX56U. A total of 3 routers.

I am looking to extend into our garden and the AX56U (nearest to the rear of the house/garden) connects wirelessly to a cheap wireless adaptor in a garden shed, which spreads a good signal, only occasionally.

I am wondering if I should either replace the wireless adaptor with a 4th router, or perhaps, buy a top gun router as the main router and place the AX88U in the rear to power the garden? Any views

 

[RMerlin]

Before spending too much on a new high end router, do a quick test: place the RT-AX88U near the location that deserves the garden, and see what signal strength you are getting in your shed. That will tell you if replacing the RT-AX56U with the RT-AX88U will help in any way or not.

If the RT-AX88U is having trouble covering the shed, then replacing that RT-AX56U isn't going to help you. Using a 4th router or a basic wireless repeater might help however, as the router's radios outputs at a much higher power level than an adapter does.

 

[sativa]

Thank you for taking the time to respond Merlin.

I meant to say the "cheap wireless adapter" is an old repeater, Asus RP-AC52. It has served me well but it is tired.

What do you think of the new Asus RP-AX56 repeater? Is this inferior to hooking up another router e.g. RT-AX56U.

Many thanks

 

[BreakingDad]

Asus RP-AX56

Interested in this to. I hope @thiggins reviews

 

[RMerlin]

What do you think of the new Asus RP-AX56 repeater? Is this inferior to hooking up another router e.g. RT-AX56U.

I don't have any particular opinion about it, I've never looked at it, sorry. But the fact that it's a repeater (like the current one) means you are probably pretty close to the max range that can be reached there, as it will have the same output power as a regular router.

The next step would be to test with the RT-AX88U sitting at the location of the RT-AX56U to see how it works out. If it works better, then you could consider rotating the routers: new primary router, use the RT-AX88U at the RT-AX56U location, and reuse the RT-AX56U instead of the repeater. Lots of device shuffling, but you will only need to buy one new router.

 

[BreakingDad]

I believe the RP-AX56 has the ability to be part of the AIMesh , rather than just a standard repeater (which it can be used as as well). Afaik the RP-AC52 your old one is just a repeater.

It's the mesh side of things personally (sorry for jumping the thread) I am interested in, what I am wondering is, would the RP-AX56U work just as well as a second router as part of a mesh system. I am hoping the answer is yes as it is a cheaper alternative, and I can't see the point in having two routers if you can use this new device from asus.

 

[sativa]

I would also love to know and I noted the mesh functionality too: it is a great 'hack' if you don't need ethernet connectivity

 

[Tech Junky]

Why not use APs instead of routers? Better distance with stronger radios and it doesn't cost as much in some cases. I know everyone around here loves Asus for simplicity but your wasting time and money on how that isn't even being used for it's intended purposes.

 

[BreakingDad]

Why not use APs instead of routers? Better distance with stronger radios and it doesn't cost as much in some cases. I know everyone around here loves Asus for simplicity but your wasting time and money on how that isn't even being used for it's intended purposes.

Assume AP's require an ethernet input, something I can't run here.

 

[Tech Junky]

Most should have a repeater mode while mine in particular allows for either 2.4 or 5ghz repeater and then full AP mode on the other it may differ with different vendors / models. Obviously if you want speed you pick the repeater on 5ghz if distance permits btu, then your AP mode side is restricted to ~300mbps on an AX setup using the 2.4ghz for clients. If you need distance then you reverse them. Since I only have a single AP I can't really do a proof of concept to demonstrate this but, the radios should perform better than a "router" converted to an AP / aiMESH.

Generally an AP will have more resources as well permitting better stability and performance when it comes to the connection as well. My uptime usually hits 90 days before a new FW release comes out which requires a reboot. When I avoided them though IIRC the uptime would hit 6 months before I would initiate a reboot or upgrade.

https://helpcenter.engeniustech.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005862868-Wireless-Backhaul-Network-Deployment-Best-Practices

Mesh Wi-Fi Systems 101: The Best Tips | Dong Knows Tech

It's time to make your Wi-Fi better! Learn all about mesh Wi-Fi systems and find out how to best set up one for your home.

dongknows.com

Zyxel NWA210AX WiFi 6 Access Point Review – Is it better than the Ubiquiti Unifi 6 LR?

I have reviewed quite a bit of the Zyxel Nebula ecosystem now, including some of the older WiFI 5 access points and the flagship Zyxel WAX650S WiFi 6 access

mightygadget.co.uk

 

[BreakingDad]

Found this

Asus RP-AX56 Review: A Solid AiMesh Plug | Dong Knows Tech

The Asus RP-AX56 AX1800 Dual-Band Repeater is an excellent add-on Wi-Fi 6 for the budget-minded, especially those with an existing AiMesh router. Get one today!

dongknows.com

Bit more info on the new device.

 

[Tech Junky]

@BreakingDad

Ok, I'm trying to figure out why...

As far as I can see form the speed graph it's another mediocre POS for $100.

You can do it right or do it cheap... you can't typically do both.

 

[Tech9]

what I am wondering is, would the RP-AX56U work just as well as a second router as part of a mesh system

It will work as 2x2 radio router, similar to RT-AX56U. In wireless repeater/AiMesh setup connected to it clients will get up to around 300Mbps. If the price is comparable to RT-AX56U, I would get the router. RP-AX56 design limits the possible application locations - it has to be a power outlet, low to the floor usually. The router can be positioned better - high on the wall, for example. It can also be re-used as a router or wireless bridge later on.

 

[sativa]

Very helpful feedback guys, thank you.

In the UK, the RP is retailing around £90, versus the RT for around £130-£140. So, Asus have priced it annoyingly!

 

[L&LD]

I would not ever recommend buying a repeater vs a router, even for use as a repeater. Waste of money for a very limited (niche) product that belongs in 1999, not 2022.

 

[RMerlin]

I would not ever recommend buying a repeater vs a router, even for use as a repeater. Waste of money for a very limited (niche) product that belongs in 1999, not 2022.

Repeaters do serve a need. They are often designed to be more easily installed at random locations, with many models being directly on the power outlet, not requiring you to have a table to install them.

In larger deployments, lots of AP/repeaters are also designed to be easily mounted to either the wall or the ceiling. Would you honestly want to hang a GT-AXE16000 to your ceiling?

 

[L&LD]

@RMerlin, those points are valid, but not usually what a homeowner usually faces. A second router is much more usable in the future (including using it in Media Bridge mode) than any repeater ever will be in the long term. Particularly when the prices are as close as indicated a few posts above.

 

[RMerlin]

@RMerlin, those points are valid, but not usually what a homeowner usually faces. A second router is much more usable in the future (including using it in Media Bridge mode) than any repeater ever will be in the long term. Particularly when the prices are as close as indicated a few posts above.

I disagree. I've had home owners and rental tenants who needed to install a repeater in a hallway, and there was no way they would put a table next to the power outlet, or start drilling holes in their wall. Using a plug-in TP-Link repeater took no space at all, and was preferable to them.

 

[sativa]

Great thread guys: I have to say, from personal experience, Repeaters do indeed serve a purpose: mainly convenience. If you can't be bothered with setting up a router and identifying the best location, moving the device in different spots and placing at optimal level, which is all a bind. For the consumer, a repeater is "plug and play" and the simplicity is also 'nice' and appealing. I think the longevity or alternate use arguments are flawed: most people want a quick fix and will revisit their network issues in years to come (by which time the relevant RP or RT purchases are outdated).

All good fun!

 

[wrink]

I have been using the RP-AX56 as a AIMesh node with a AX-58u (w/ merlin) as the main router. Throughput at 300 Mbps or so is fine with me, as that is what my WAN bandwidth is and that is more than sufficient. My main concern was whether the latency would be much affected when connected through the AX56 - and I have not been disappointed.

I was wondering whether RMerlin will release his fw for the RP-AX56, in case it optimizes that further ?