ASUS RT-AC68P

[HiDEF]

Hi--New to the forums so I apologize beforehand if I sound like a noob.

After a few quick searches and reading some feedback (good and bad), I'm kinda worried I made a mistake in purchasing the ASUS RT-AC68P. I still have it sealed so it shouldn't be a problem to return/exchange.

Did I make a mistake in purchasing the ASUS RT-AC68P? I believe it was Tim (among others) who hinted at staying away from any Best Buy retail routers; which I belive ASUS RT-AC68P is.

FYI, The routers I was considering before deciding on the 68P were: R7000 and the Linksys AC1900.

Any feedback would be appreciated. Thank you.

Mods: Being new to the forums and not knowing my way around, I apologize if I posted this in the wrong section.

 

[tim]

The ASUS RT-AC68P is one of the best AC1900 class routers (IMO). It has the same hardware as the Netgear R7000.
Make sure you update to the latest firmware and do an NVRAM reset before you apply your settings.

 

[HiDEF]

I'd figure it would be a good router but again, after some reading, I was starting to doubt myself. I do plan flashing Merlin if I decide to stick with it.

Again, if anyone has advice, I'd like to hear it

 

[Trip]

Like anything else, it all depends on the use case. I'd presume a SOHO setup of typical square footage and basic topology? Most likely will do you just fine. But yes, if you stay with OEM firmware, definitely "fix" with latest version of Merlin.

 

[HiDEF]

Like anything else, it all depends on the use case. I'd presume a SOHO setup of typical square footage and basic topology? Most likely will do you just fine. But yes, if you stay with OEM firmware, definitely "fix" with latest version of Merlin.

Thanks!

Yeah, I it's a SOHO and I live in a small apt for now but I bought this with the intent to future proof my setup.

So, I guess it's okay to stick with the 68P or is Netgear or Linksys simply better (or other manufacturer perhaps)? Again, I want to be confident in my investment and that it will last me for a while.

 

[ViPaDawG]

I just upgraded to the AC68P from an AC66U (normally wouldn't upgrade between single generations, but ended up giving my 66U to my Sister for her apartment and upgraded to the 68U).

Initially I was more concerned about some of the performance gaps between the 68P and 68U, but I went ahead and stuck with the 68P. So far it's been working great. Haven't noticed any worse performance compared to my 66U, but also haven't seen any "better" performance, other than just some slightly lower ping times, and better throughput on my PS4's network test.

I did purchase a $10 USB Fan, which I have running to the back of the unit to keep the temps lower (CPU: 59C, 2.4,5G Radios are in the low 40s).

Seems to be working awesome. I'd been using Merlin's FW on my 66, and I'm using John's FW on my 68, and haven't had trouble with either. My 68P has been up for 16 days now with no issues (installed it 16 days ago).

 

[HiDEF]

I just upgraded to the AC68P from an AC66U (normally wouldn't upgrade between single generations, but ended up giving my 66U to my Sister for her apartment and upgraded to the 68U).

Initially I was more concerned about some of the performance gaps between the 68P and 68U, but I went ahead and stuck with the 68P. So far it's been working great. Haven't noticed any worse performance compared to my 66U, but also haven't seen any "better" performance, other than just some slightly lower ping times, and better throughput on my PS4's network test.

I did purchase a $10 USB Fan, which I have running to the back of the unit to keep the temps lower (CPU: 59C, 2.4,5G Radios are in the low 40s).

Seems to be working awesome. I'd been using Merlin's FW on my 66, and I'm using John's FW on my 68, and haven't had trouble with either. My 68P has been up for 16 days now with no issues (installed it 16 days ago).

Can you please share the link to John's FW in case I keep it. I believe I'm going to stick with Merlin but I'd like to have options.

Still don't know if I made the right choice, though. I had a coworker recommend the R7000 but a few sites were down on it.

I know I'm new around here but I trust you guys have more knowledge than I do; again, thanks for the feedback and feel free to keep it coming.

 

[Deleted member 22229]

Can you please share the link to John's FW in case I keep it.

http://www.snbforums.com/threads/fork-update-for-374-43-available-v13e1.18914/

 

[Trip]

[...] I bought this with the intent to future proof my setup.

We can only "future proof" our depreciating commodity items so much as we can reasonably predict their relevance in X amount of time... In less confusing language: don't overthink it; just purchase on what your needs are for the time being. You can generally bet it will last you at least a year, hardware-wise, and anything longer than that, you're more likely to re-purpose it than for it to fail. No worries.

 

[LoneWolf]

nitially I was more concerned about some of the performance gaps between the 68P and 68U, but I went ahead and stuck with the 68P. So far it's been working great. Haven't noticed any worse performance compared to my 66U, but also haven't seen any "better" performance, other than just some slightly lower ping times, and better throughput on my PS4's network test.

Whether you see better performance really depends on what you are using on the router. If you use OpenVPN for example, you'll find a world of difference due to the 68's dual-core ARM processor. The AC66U's slower MIPS single-core CPU isn't up to the task and network bandwidth drops. The 68's AiProtection (basically a poor-man's gateway antivirus) and some of the other additional features it supports also aren't available on the AC66U for reasons of horsepower and processor architecture changes as well.

If you use the AC66U for basic routing and wireless, and that's it --you may not see a ton of difference unless you have a really high-speed connection to your ISP, fast enough that the 68's better throughput comes into play. For most people, that's unlikely. You will find software support will be longer-lived with the 68; the MIPS platform is all but gone for ASUS.

 

[ViPaDawG]

Whether you see better performance really depends on what you are using on the router. If you use OpenVPN for example, you'll find a world of difference due to the 68's dual-core ARM processor. The AC66U's slower MIPS single-core CPU isn't up to the task and network bandwidth drops. The 68's AiProtection (basically a poor-man's gateway antivirus) and some of the other additional features it supports also aren't available on the AC66U for reasons of horsepower and processor architecture changes as well.

If you use the AC66U for basic routing and wireless, and that's it --you may not see a ton of difference unless you have a really high-speed connection to your ISP, fast enough that the 68's better throughput comes into play. For most people, that's unlikely. You will find software support will be longer-lived with the 68; the MIPS platform is all but gone for ASUS.

Thanks for the insight!

As of right now, I haven't tapped into the features for the 68 (AiProtection). Due to my work, I am on the road for over half the week, and rarely at home for more then 2-3 days, but my family is pretty dependent on having internet, so I like the peace of mind that came with both the 66 and now the 68. This is mostly why I hesitated and ultimately did not pick up the 87. If I find myself home more often, I'll look into the AiProtection feature though I don't believe it's available on John's Fork. As for VPN, well, I am not using it, so can't comment there.

With that said, the 66 was doing great for me, but since my sister needed a new router, I used that as an excuse to upgrade.