ASUS RT-AC1900P Dual-band Wireless-AC1900 Gigabit Router Reviewed

[Bill B.]

This router is currently on sale at BestBuy for $155. I recommend buying in-store to ensure you get a V3 hardware version. In my store (Alpharetta, GA), they had some older hardware version (B1) units mixed in.

 

[SoCalReviews]

SoCalReviews,

Thx for your perspective. I tried the Linksys but ended up returning it...interface not as good and appeared less flexible. I also didn't like the concept of using an app to manage parental controls and other aspects of the router. I exchanged the first 1900P for a new one. The new one has worked flawlessly and is not buggy with the View List.

I have noticed, however, that our MacBook Pros "hesitate" when trying to connect to the wifi network after waking up from sleep. Annoying to lose connection to the NAS drives but can live with it. Do you think using the conservative wireless settings you described would help? Prior to the 1900P, I have been using a couple of Time Capsules in bridge mode (same SSID and passwords) to create a wireless network around our house. I now have the 1900P plus a Netgear wifi extender (ethernet cable to LAN switch) creating a wifi network.

It's good to know your new 1900P view list is working for you. It could be that it came with a more recent version of firmware.

In your Macbook Pro's wireless settings there is a list of SSIDs that you have connected to. Move or drag and drop your most used SSIDs to the top of that list and the least used at the bottom. This might help speed up your connection times a bit.

 

[JKNY66]

I just purchased this router yesterday based on what I thought I could do in the parental controls section. I am frustrated and disappointed. The Asus product helpline was useless.

All I want to be able to do is turn off my son's access to the router (from his phone) at specific times on certain days of the week. For example, 11:30pm Sun-Thur and 1am on Fri-Sat.

Help!!!

 

[pege63]

If you have a modem/gateway to the router, this setting can be done in the modem perhaps.

 

[sfx2000]

All I want to be able to do is turn off my son's access to the router (from his phone) at specific times on certain days of the week. For example, 11:30pm Sun-Thur and 1am on Fri-Sat.

So his phone then flips over to 3G/4G, and access still continues...

 

[JKNY66]

So his phone then flips over to 3G/4G, and access still continues...

His phone data is already blocked at the times I need through Verizon .

 

[sfx2000]

His phone data is already blocked at the times I need through Verizon .

Only reason why I made the comment above - many parents forget about this one...

I'm normally not on the side of technology constraints (kids usually figure this out), but there are times where additional effort is needed (belt and suspenders)... I have a close friend whose son has Aspergers - and the little guy is pretty obsessed, and really smart... so I get it - even having the "box" on top of the fridge (out of reach) doesn't stop him...

Not sure how else to help here - my kids were pretty good, but I can understand challenges for many parents.

(some of those challenges are not that much different that the internet of un-safe Things that many have brought into the household)

 

[pacoinconn]

I just purchased this router yesterday based on what I thought I could do in the parental controls section. I am frustrated and disappointed. The Asus product helpline was useless.

All I want to be able to do is turn off my son's access to the router (from his phone) at specific times on certain days of the week. For example, 11:30pm Sun-Thur and 1am on Fri-Sat.

Help!!!

The Asus router can do this if memory servers me. I looked searched the Asus forums a while back ago to run a test.

First, don't use the Parent Controls...turn them off. (Not sure why but that's what the posts on the Asus forums indicated.)
Second, go the Firewall tab and then the Networks Services Filter.
Third, select "Black List" and days/times to kill access. Believe its in 24 hour format.
Fourth, add the "source IP', in other words the ip address for your son's iphone and then enter in the times. Leave the port range and destination IP, port range blank. I think I left the service as TCP but you can experiment.

I tried the above on one of my own devices and it worked...leaving other devices to access the Internet. You should probably assign a static IP to your son's phone.

I tested it but didn't have to use it b/c a brief conversation with our child resulted in an "all gadgets stay downstairs and not in the bedroom" rule! Good luck.

 

[Keenan]

Apologies for resurrecting this thread but my RT-N66 has seen better days(power switch broken for years/time for a new router anyway) and I've seen the favorable comments about the AC1900P.

While I do want good WiFi performance my main concern is wired routing performance. So my question is, is there any reason to get the Best Buy "P" model versus the mass market AC1900(RT-AC68U I think that's the model number)? I see that the P model has a faster CPU but I'm unclear if that will equate into faster/stable/better wired performance. The addition of the USB shielding is also nice, but other than possibly hooking a network printer to the router the ability to add a USB 3.0 HDD(while nice) is not very high on my list of needs/wants.

I ask as the current price difference seems to be around $40, which is not a lot but with an item that costs $180 it's a substantial saving. On the other hand, I have no problem at all spending the extra $40 even if it's for features I may not even use as long as the overall performance of the P is better than the less expensive model.

I hope that makes sense and I guess I sort of answered my own question, and I'm leaning toward the P anyway, but I was looking for a "push" in one direction or the other from folks who are much more knowledgeable in this subject. Also, I don't want to minimize the WiFi performance as I do want that to perform well, but it is the wired performance that I'm really focused on.

Or maybe even a different model altogether. Additional factor, I'm looking for a model that will continue to get custom firmware(Merlin,etc) support for the near future

Thanks!

 

[Makaveli]

my 2cents

The only difference between them is clock speed.

The AC68U has versions that come at 800 or 1000 mhz.

The AC68P comes at 1.4Ghz stock.

You can save yourself the extra money and overclock the former version or spend the money and get the guaranteed clocks. I don't think there are any other difference so that is what the decision will come down to. Is the extra clock speed worth $40 to you?

 

[Keenan]

my 2cents

The only difference between them is clock speed.

The AC68U has versions that come at 800 or 1000 mhz.

The AC68P comes at 1.4Ghz stock.

You can save yourself the extra money and overclock the former version or spend the money and get the guaranteed clocks. I don't think there are any other difference so that is what the decision will come down to. Is the extra clock speed worth $40 to you?

And the AC68P is the model that's the subject of this thread? The Best Buy exclusive?

Also, most of the time I come across a Best Buy exclusive at their store I tend to shy away from it because they usually have some features missing that are in the mass market version, and they are usually less expensive than the mass market version(getting around the unilateral pricing thing). Can I assume that both of these concerns don't apply to this particular device?

Thanks

 

[Makaveli]

And the AC68P is the model that's the subject of this thread? The Best Buy exclusive?

Also, most of the time I come across a Best Buy exclusive at their store I tend to shy away from it because they usually have some features missing that are in the mass market version, and they are usually less expensive than the mass market version(getting around the unilateral pricing thing). Can I assume that both of these concerns don't apply to this particular device?

Thanks

Yes I'm pretty sure its been confirmed that its identical hardware. You will be running Merlin firmware on it so you will have access to all the features available. Even if you kept asus stock all features will be available. This isn't a stripped down AC68U its a higher clocked model.

 

[Keenan]

Yes I'm pretty sure its been confirmed that its identical hardware. And he will be running Merlin firmware on it so he will have all the features available. Even if he kept asus stock all features will be available. This isn't a stripped down AC68U its a higher clocked model.

Thanks for your help, I probably will be picking it up as it does seem like a very good performer.

 

[pege63]

There is also the RT-AC66U B1 model its the same HW as in RT-AC68U

 

[Keenan]

Went to Best Buy to check on the HW version number and noticed it's on sale for $159.99 in case anyone is interested.

Concerning the hardware version, does anyone know what the most recent iteration of this model is? The local store has the below,

1900P
H/W Ver.: B2
F/W Ver.: 3.0.0.4.380_3512

And while I'm asking, is the below the most current for the RT-AC3100?

AC3100
H/W Ver.:A5
F/W Ver.: 3.0.0.4.380_3341


Thanks!

 

[corky]

RE: NAS speeds shown in the article. I just bought this largely for those speeds but I can only get about 20 - 30 MBs, not the 60+ they were getting. I see from the system status that it's cpu limiting. I turned off everything that might suck cpu - when the media server is on it's MUCH worse. Anyone know how to achieve those 60+ MBs speeds? That's the main interest I have in this router.

An interesting thing... When the transfer starts, very briefly the xfer speeds are often around 55MB/s, but immediately decline. I'm testing with various large files, typically mp4 files that are half gig or so.

 

[thiggins]

Anyone know how to achieve those 60+ MBs speeds? That's the main interest I have in this router.

https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/lanwan/lanwan-howto/32612-how-we-test-router-storage-performance

 

[corky]

This router is currently on sale at BestBuy for $155. I recommend buying in-store to ensure you get a V3 hardware version. In my store (Alpharetta, GA), they had some older hardware version (B1) units mixed in.

Hmmm, the one they sold me says: H/W Ver: B2

Not V3. Is that the problem?

 

[Keenan]

B2 is what is at my local Best Buy as well. Santa Rosa, CA(SF Bay Area).

 

[corky]

https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/lanwan/lanwan-howto/32612-how-we-test-router-storage-performance

Thanks Tim. I think my setup is about the same. I have an insignia enclosure that converts the sata to usb3. When I test that drive direct to usb3 on the computer it runs at 60MB/s very solid. When I connect that same drive to the router it is 29MB/s from NAS to computer and about 22MB/s from computer to NAS. Watching the CPU graph on the router shows that it's CPU limiting. That's the best I can achieve. Turning on media sharing makes it much worse.

I'm wondering if there are multiple versions even of the 1900P ?! Attached is an image of my label. I did let the router upgrade it's firmware to ASUS's latest.