ASUS RT-AC86U Dual Band AC2900 Wireless Router Reviewed

[MarkyPancake]

Since COVID-19, router prices are either holding at RRP or have gone up when I've looked, even old models like the Netgear R7800, which had a lower price pre-COVID, is now selling for more, both new and pre-owned.

 

[thiggins]

The price in the "Typical price" box shown in reviews is supposed to come from an Amazon database lookup that is done every day. It's possible that the Amazon "ASIN" code used for the lookup is pointing to a listing that is no longer updated by Amazon. Amazon sometimes changes ASIN codes for products and/or has multiple ASIN codes for the same product.

 

[ang_mor]

Bought a used RT-AC86U in March (2020), Loaded latest Merlin at that time.
It has random loss of wireless connectivity from time to time (could have been the automatic 20/40 on 2.4, I just read about that today).
Tried using a scheduled daily reboot to reset. I also just saw today that scheduled reboots can be problematic.
I still get periodic wireless failures (less often), The scheduled reboot does cause soft failures (panel lights still on) or less often hard failures (panel lights all off). Doing a power cycle clears the problem.

Are people still seeing random loss of wireless connectivity and/or reboot issues with the RT-AC86U ?
Thinking of buying a >new< RT-AC86U to see if it is a bad (used) unit that I got in March.

 

[bitsbytes]

Bought a used RT-AC86U in March (2020), Loaded latest Merlin at that time.
It has random loss of wireless connectivity from time to time (could have been the automatic 20/40 on 2.4, I just read about that today).
Tried using a scheduled daily reboot to reset. I also just saw today that scheduled reboots can be problematic.
I still get periodic wireless failures (less often), The scheduled reboot does cause soft failures (panel lights still on) or less often hard failures (panel lights all off). Doing a power cycle clears the problem.

Are people still seeing random loss of wireless connectivity and/or reboot issues with the RT-AC86U ?
Thinking of buying a >new< RT-AC86U to see if it is a bad (used) unit that I got in March.

I've got two on the latest official firmware that have no wireless issues whatsoever. However one of them was a replacement to a used ac86u that had lots of wireless problems before the radios died completely. Is yours a 2018 unit? If it is then there's a high probability that fault hardware is the cause of your problems.

 

[ang_mor]

I've got two on the latest official firmware that have no wireless issues whatsoever. However one of them was a replacement to a used ac86u that had lots of wireless problems before the radios died completely. Is yours a 2018 unit? If it is then there's a high probability that fault hardware is the cause of your problems.

Thanks for the reply.

I won‘t have access to the unit for another week.
On the manufacturer’s plate is there a date included or do you have to decode it from the serial number ?

 

[bitsbytes]

Thanks for the reply.

I won‘t have access to the unit for another week.
On the manufacturer’s plate is there a date included or do you have to decode it from the serial number ?

there's a manufacturing date on the back of the router.

 

[ang_mor]

there's a manufacturing date on the back of the router.

Thanks. I’ll check when I get back.

 

[ang_mor]

there's a manufacturing date on the back of the router.

found production year 2019.
Was there a definitive date when ASUS fixed the hardware production issue(s) ?

 

[bitsbytes]

found production year 2019.
Was there a definitive date when ASUS fixed the hardware production issue(s) ?

I have no idea, the only thing i know is that the majority of bricked ac86u routers here are from the 2018 batch. I haven't noticed many bricked 2019 or 2017 routers here.

 

[MarkyPancake]

found production year 2019.
Was there a definitive date when ASUS fixed the hardware production issue(s) ?

I don't think ASUS ever publicly acknowledged there was a problem in the first place, to then announce it was fixed.