So, I've scoured the reviews here for quite some time and last year I upgraded from a AC68u to a AC86U, hoping that the improved hardware would more then make up for the fact that you can't install third party firmware on it besides Merlin. Losing DDWRT is kinda a big deal. After installing it, I noticed almost no improvement in either latency or bandwidth, which is to be about expected.
Fast forward to this year, I have a lot of computers on my network and have noticed when they're using it (regardless of hitting no where close to bandwidth cap or anywhere near it 460/22 package) I get large amounts of latency spikes. I'm definitely familiar with QoS, but in this case it has nothing to do with bandwidth and has everything to do with what packets get to leave first and take priority with being routed. The CPU shows almost no load and turning on the Asus packet prioritization seems to do absolutely nothing. Since I no longer have DDWRT that restricts the level of QoS I can enforce as far as port prioritization. Asus firmware seems to be based entirely around bandwidth management and not packet priority.
While you'd think a 86u would be enough, apparently it isn't. I looked over all the benchmarks here before ordering the 86u and attempting to make an informed decision, but sadly almost all the tests here are focused around wireless and very few actually tackle a multi-device workload, especially when juggling high priority traffic. Something that really matters, how well a router... routes.
I was hoping CES this year would present a better option and when I purchased the 86u I was pretty much willing to pay up to $400, but it doesn't seem as though this is something where the more money you throw at it, the more likely you will be to cure your problem. I thought the 86u was the best SOHO solution I could get for this and I guess I was wrong.
So that being said, does anyone have a suggestion for a router with powerful and recent hardware that is great for QoS, specifically packet prioritization? Also being able to install DDWRT would be an great addition. Word of mouth doesn't cut it nor reading the marketing material/box. There aren't many, if any places that benchmark routers outside of a simple bandwidth test besides SNB. Really wish there were more objective home networking review websites.
Fast forward to this year, I have a lot of computers on my network and have noticed when they're using it (regardless of hitting no where close to bandwidth cap or anywhere near it 460/22 package) I get large amounts of latency spikes. I'm definitely familiar with QoS, but in this case it has nothing to do with bandwidth and has everything to do with what packets get to leave first and take priority with being routed. The CPU shows almost no load and turning on the Asus packet prioritization seems to do absolutely nothing. Since I no longer have DDWRT that restricts the level of QoS I can enforce as far as port prioritization. Asus firmware seems to be based entirely around bandwidth management and not packet priority.
While you'd think a 86u would be enough, apparently it isn't. I looked over all the benchmarks here before ordering the 86u and attempting to make an informed decision, but sadly almost all the tests here are focused around wireless and very few actually tackle a multi-device workload, especially when juggling high priority traffic. Something that really matters, how well a router... routes.
I was hoping CES this year would present a better option and when I purchased the 86u I was pretty much willing to pay up to $400, but it doesn't seem as though this is something where the more money you throw at it, the more likely you will be to cure your problem. I thought the 86u was the best SOHO solution I could get for this and I guess I was wrong.
So that being said, does anyone have a suggestion for a router with powerful and recent hardware that is great for QoS, specifically packet prioritization? Also being able to install DDWRT would be an great addition. Word of mouth doesn't cut it nor reading the marketing material/box. There aren't many, if any places that benchmark routers outside of a simple bandwidth test besides SNB. Really wish there were more objective home networking review websites.
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