ASUS RT-AC5300

[thiggins]

I would definitely steer clear of any AC3200/AC2400 class routers at this point - AC1900 is still probably the best Price/Performance bet...

*AC5300/AC2600 is basically the same thing from a client perspective, just add one more 5GHz radio and associated $$$

I would break this down further.

AC2350/AC2400: First generation 4x4 Quantenna based "MU-MIMO Ready" routers. Replaced by 4x4 QCA-based AC2600 class with working MU-MIMO. I would not buy.

AC2600: Second generation 4x4 QCA-based with working MU-MIMO. Unlikely to significantly improve performance over AC1900 class. Buy only if you have MU-MIMO devices now or in the near future.

AC3100: Broadcom-based 4x4 router. Higher number comes from 1024-QAM support, which will only be useful with another AC3100 router in bridge mode. Supposed to support MU-MIMO when it appears. Products announced, but not shipping yet. I would not buy now even if they were because no MU-MIMO devices and too early on the learning curve for a brand-new chipset.

AC3200: Broadcom-based 3x3 "Tri-band" router with two 5 GHz radios and "Smart Connect". Smart Connect automatic band steering generally causes more problems than it solves in most implementations. Can be useful if you have a lot of dual-band capable devices and are willing to manually assign them to radios. Better to buy a second router, convert it to an AP and get improved coverage and total throughput utilization. If you really must two 5 GHz radios in one box, go ahead and buy.

AC5300: Broadcom-based 4x4 version of AC3200 architecture. Has all the negatives of AC3100 and AC3200. I would not buy.

 

[Puppa]

If I was to guess, it'd be within the next couple of weeks. That both Newegg and Amazon have pages up is a good sign. Previously, ASUS said 4Q2015, but that could mean December. You'd think ASUS would want it to be available before Black Friday in the U.S.

 

[Embattle]

Well afaik Black Friday is about great deals, even if they had it ready it is unlikely to be cheap or be a item that is going to be purchased at any sort of large volume.

 

[Puppa]

Well afaik Black Friday is about great deals, even if they had it ready it is unlikely to be cheap or be a item that is going to be purchased at any sort of large volume.

Black Friday does have a lot of deals, but there is usually a bettter stock of electronics just because the stores expect more traffic. I've seen Best Buy get products in prior to wide availability in October-November time frame because of this.

 

[RMerlin]

You'd think ASUS would want it to be available before Black Friday in the U.S.

It will depend on the R&D teams there. On many occasions, Asus has taken longer than expected to start distributing a new product. See the RT-N66U or RT-AC3200 for two examples that came out a few months later than initially expected.

 

[sfx2000]

AC2600: Second generation 4x4 QCA-based with working MU-MIMO. Unlikely to significantly improve performance over AC1900 class. Buy only if you have MU-MIMO devices now or in the near future.

MU-MIMO is going to take a while - Google and Apple, along with Samsung - all have released their latest high-end phones (Nexus 6P/5X, iPhone 6s, and Galaxy S6/S6edge) and while they support MIMO, looks like they are not MU capable.

 

[DaveMishSr]

Elucidate on what?
I continue to recommend AC1900 routers as the best bang for the buck. If you have a large area to cover or a lot of 5 GHz devices, add APs.

ONE BIG HONKIN' ROUTER DOESN'T CUT IT ANYMORE. Stop drinking the Wi-Fi marketing Kool-Aid.

I am actually quite happy with the ac87x platform. It hasn't been an easy journey but it has been very stable for me since I hit upon my current configuration. I only "need" one router, just like to have a spare is all.

 

[Puppa]

Elucidate on what?
I continue to recommend AC1900 routers as the best bang for the buck. If you have a large area to cover or a lot of 5 GHz devices, add APs.

ONE BIG HONKIN' ROUTER DOESN'T CUT IT ANYMORE. Stop drinking the Wi-Fi marketing Kool-Aid.

Your post made a light bulb go off. Tell me if my "marketing math" is wrong.
I know the latest gimmick is to plop a number on these things like "AC5300" implying that it has the throughput of 5300Mbps based on the sum of all the highest possible bandwidth connections to each of the radios in the device. Using this "marketing math," if I own two AC3200 devices, one as the main router and the other as an access point, I have the equivalent of an "AC6400" (LOL). Plus, I have better wireless coverage, assuming the two aren't stacked one atop the other, as well as additional CPUs to share the workload. Obviously, this math is whack, but it's consistent with the marketing approach.

To maximize my cost vs. throughput, I can pick an attractive price point, such as a low-cost AC1900 solution and put 2 of them in. The result would be an "AC3800" market-speak equivalent, plus I get two wifi stations with far better 5GHz coverage than I'd get with just one AC3200. Plus I have 4 radios instead of just 3.

All of this, of course, relies on the assumption that the router workload portion can be handled by one of the AC1900 devices, but typically turning off the 2.4GHz connection on the main router should free up additional CPU time. (But that would lower my fake AC class number a little bit).

 

[thiggins]

@Puppa. WiFi class terminology applies to single devices only.

 

[TheRealMaxey]

I would break this down further.

AC2350/AC2400: First generation 4x4 Quantenna based "MU-MIMO Ready" routers. Replaced by 4x4 QCA-based AC2600 class with working MU-MIMO. I would not buy.

AC2600: Second generation 4x4 QCA-based with working MU-MIMO. Unlikely to significantly improve performance over AC1900 class. Buy only if you have MU-MIMO devices now or in the near future.

AC3100: Broadcom-based 4x4 router. Higher number comes from 1024-QAM support, which will only be useful with another AC3100 router in bridge mode. Supposed to support MU-MIMO when it appears. Products announced, but not shipping yet. I would not buy now even if they were because no MU-MIMO devices and too early on the learning curve for a brand-new chipset.

AC3200: Broadcom-based 3x3 "Tri-band" router with two 5 GHz radios and "Smart Connect". Smart Connect automatic band steering generally causes more problems than it solves in most implementations. Can be useful if you have a lot of dual-band capable devices and are willing to manually assign them to radios. Better to buy a second router, convert it to an AP and get improved coverage and total throughput utilization. If you really must two 5 GHz radios in one box, go ahead and buy.

AC5300: Broadcom-based 4x4 version of AC3200 architecture. Has all the negatives of AC3100 and AC3200. I would not buy.

So, would I be better off getting 2x RT-AC68 routers than the 5300? If I go this route, how do I link them for as seamless and low-maintenance client experience as possible? Do I need to run a Cat5/6 from one to the other? Furthermore, do I then have to manage things like QoS separately, etc? The only reason I was thinking of dropping the $400 for the 5300 was that it is the most monolithic and powerful device I can find. I have a 3600+ sq ft RANCH floorplan with at least 20-30+ wireless devices (laptops/tablets/smart devices/etc).

 

[thiggins]

So, would I be better off getting 2x RT-AC68 routers than the 5300?

If all your 5 GHz clients are in range of your current router, then maybe an AC3200 class router will work. But if you are trying to improve 5 GHz coverage, AC3200 won't help.

You can use any other router converted to an AP. Connect it via Ethernet to the main router. The main router will handle QoS, since all internet traffic passes through it.

 

[netmik3]

Lmao intel has yet to release 3x3 ac for my laptop, I'm still on 3x3 n. I can barely push my ac3200. My phone has 2x2 ac and that's overkill. 4x4 is useless marketing crap. For desktops installing Ethernet is cheaper any day.

 

[pege63]

Witch Intel has AC 3x3 for laptop?
Righ now i have Intel 7260 its a AC2x2.

 

[netmik3]

Witch Intel has AC 3x3 for laptop?
Righ now i have Intel 7260 its a AC2x2.

Exactly

 

[Trentors]

Lmao intel has yet to release 3x3 ac for my laptop, I'm still on 3x3 n. I can barely push my ac3200. My phone has 2x2 ac and that's overkill. 4x4 is useless marketing crap. For desktops installing Ethernet is cheaper any day.

You have been able to buy 3x3 ac laptops since 2013. They are simply Broadcom based instead of Intel. Which also makes sense since this is one of Broadcom's key areas. So for many users 3x3 ac makes sense.

My phone also has 2x2 ac and no way it is overkill. If you sync big video files (especially 4K recordings), download game updates or even map updates it makes perfect sense. If guess you must have a slow internet connection since you do not think of this as an advantage? And 4x4ac is also useful if you need to connect two locations wireless (like when using two AC87U's etc.) and ethernet is not an option.

Ethernet is only an alternative if everything is in the same room. Where I live it would be MUCH more expensive to install ethernet everywhere unless you could do it properly yourself (no visible cables etc.).

 

[pege63]

My other laptop is one of that who should have that AC BUT when i opend my laptop its NOT a AC att all and my speed is 72.2 in N just N 2.4GHz and NOT even 5GHz

 

[sfx2000]

My other laptop is one of that who should have that AC BUT when i opend my laptop its NOT a AC att all and my speed is 72.2 in N just N 2.4GHz and NOT even 5GHz

That's the other half of the problem - too many low/mid-range laptops come with single band 11n cards that might only do N72 at 2.4Ghz as a default selection... even newer ones with 11ac support might be a single stream 11ac card (I recently picked up a dell with one of the Intel 3160 single stream/dual band cards).

2*2:2 in a SmartPhone - WIN! - I have a iPhone 6s, and 2-stream 11ac on that device is very good - and needed with 4K video support, much faster than trying to pull it over USB2 (lightning connector is USB2, not USB3)...

 

[sfx2000]

So, would I be better off getting 2x RT-AC68 routers than the 5300? If I go this route, how do I link them for as seamless and low-maintenance client experience as possible? Do I need to run a Cat5/6 from one to the other? Furthermore, do I then have to manage things like QoS separately, etc? The only reason I was thinking of dropping the $400 for the 5300 was that it is the most monolithic and powerful device I can find. I have a 3600+ sq ft RANCH floorplan with at least 20-30+ wireless devices (laptops/tablets/smart devices/etc).

With the area covered and the number of clients, you're better off with two AC1900 class routers, one configured as an AP, and using ethernet between them...

 

[willyburz]

I have the AC3200, LOVE it. Smar connect is off, and it rocks speed, and distance...I also split my demand loads between the to 5ghz bands.

 

[chrismccoy]

ac5300 looks insane, im guessing a 400+ price point

im still on the RT-AC66U been wanting to upgrade for a while, the range is horrible, we have a 6000 sq foot house, so im looking at either the 3100 or 3200