buying advice

[yelo3]

Hello,
hope asking this question is fine.

I'd like to buy a new Asus router to replace my Fritzbox 4040 that I bought after an AC56U, but I wasn't fully satisfied with Fritbox, so I'm back to Asus.

Description of my current home network:
- home size is 100 mq, and I can position the router in the middle
- WAN - 1Gbit/200Mbit connection (which could be upgradable to 2.5 Gbit, but I didn't do it as I have never saturated the band)
- working from home using an ethernet connection
- 2 phones with wifi6E capability
- 1 laptop with wifi5 capability
- video streaming with chromecast and projector (both wifi5 capable)
- around 30 smarthome devices with wifi4
- 1 security camera with wifi4
- 1 rapsberry with home assistant OS
- NO gaming featurs needed
- NO mesh needed, eventually if I will need it in the future for some reasons, I have 3 ethernet cables running along the home which I will use as backhauling

Do you have any buying advice? This is the list of routers that have in mind:
- RT-AX92U - 200€
- RT-AX86S - 200€
- RT-AX82U - 200€
- RT-AX58U (not sure if V1 or V2) - 200€
- TUF Gaming AX5400 - 140€ (currently with discount)
- TUF Gaming AX3000 V2 - 140€
- RT-AX56U - 120€

I'm really unsure if I should spend 200€ to buy one of these higher models (not sure why they are all priced the same), or if it's OK to go with the TUF Gaming AX5400 (though I see it has only unofficial merlin) or even the lowest RT-AX56U, or maybe even go with an AC router.

Thank you very much for your advice

 

[Spartan]

I'd get the RT-AX86U if I were you or RT-AX86S

 

[OzarkEdge]

Hello,
hope asking this question is fine.

I'd like to buy a new Asus router to replace my Fritzbox 4040 that I bought after an AC56U, but I wasn't fully satisfied with Fritbox, so I'm back to Asus.

Description of my current home network:
- WAN - 1Gbit/200Mbit connection (which could be upgradable to 2.5 Gbit, but I didn't do it as I have never saturated the band)
- working from home using an ethernet connection
- 2 phones with wifi6E capability
- 1 laptop with wifi5 capability
- video streaming with chromecast and projector (both wifi5 capable)
- around 30 smarthome devices with wifi4
- 1 security camera with wifi4
- 1 rapsberry with home assistant OS
- NO gaming featurs needed
- NO mesh needed, eventually if I will need it in the future for some reasons, I have 3 ethernet cables running along the home which I will use as backhauling

Do you have any buying advice? This is the list of routers that have in mind:
- RT-AX92U - 200€
- RT-AX86S - 200€
- RT-AX82U - 200€
- RT-AX58U (not sure if V1 or V2) - 200€
- TUF Gaming AX5400 - 140€ (currently with discount)
- TUF Gaming AX3000 V2 - 140€
- RT-AX56U - 120€

I'm really unsure if I should spend 200€ to buy one of these higher models (not sure why they are all priced the same), or if it's OK to go with the TUF Gaming AX5400 (though I see it has only unofficial merlin) or even the lowest RT-AX56U, or maybe even go with an AC router.

Thank you very much for your advice

What would an AX86U cost you?

OE

 

[Tech Junky]

If the objective is better WIFI then look at an AP instead of dumping money into a router.

 

[yelo3]

Hey guys, thanks for your interest! Here's my answers

I was also looking into this RT-AX86U, but it is priced at more than 300€, definitely not my ideal buy

What I need is actually a router as my ISP current router does not satisfy my needs and does not integrate into my smarthome system, like an Asus router would!

 

[L&LD]

The RT-AX68U is what I would be looking to test in your home next. None of those other routers on your list would be on my shortlist. If you were previously happy with the RT-AX56U, the RT-AX68U may be exactly what you need.

Be sure to wait for a sale before buying one, the savings may be considerable.

With ISP speeds of 1Gbps/200Mbps down/up, the RT-AX68U is right on the edge of what may work (depending on how big your home is, and what your expectations are).

If you really want the lowest latency and highest WiFi speeds possible with your current and future ISP connections (symmetrical 1Gbps or higher), the RT-AX86U or the better GT-AX6000 are the better long-term choices today.

But don't get caught up in what the theoretical 'best' may be. Just test the RT-AX68U in your home environment and you will very quickly know if that is the solution for 'now', or not.

 

[yelo3]

Hey! Thanks for your suggestions, just to clarify, I didn't have RT-AX56U but RT-AC56U, and currently I have Fritzbox 4040, so my expectations are far lower
Also I have never spent more than 100€ on a router, so jumping directly to 300€ is not probably what I can currently afford.
I will monitor the price of this RT-AX68U and see...

What about RT-AX68S? The specs seem lower, quite similar to the TUF-AX5400. But as I have understood you don't suggest any of those 2. Correct?

 

[L&LD]

Correct, I don't. I also don't believe there is an RT-AX68S. There is only an RT-AX86S, afaik.

And yes, for the main router and its cost/price, I do not recommend it over the superior RT-AX86U.

 

[Tech9]

I will monitor the price of this RT-AX68U and see...

Skip this one. Not popular model with issues reported everywhere. The reason it comes often cheap on sale. Ugly toaster too.

What about RT-AX68S?

RT-AX86S perhaps? This is the best router from your list. €200 is expensive though. I've seen it for CAD180 here in Canada, ~USD140.

 

[Tech9]

quite similar to the TUF-AX5400

AX58U, AX3000, AX5400, AX82U - all the same hardware routers with different marketing and some features locked/unlocked in software.

AX92U - old "tri-band" model with single AX radio, perhaps will be discontinued soon, no firmware update since Jan 2022, firmware issues.

 

[yelo3]

Oh sorry I swapped the numbers

 

[Tech9]

I know. One person only actively advertises AX68U on this forum and throws links around. Don't waste your time with this model.

ASUS AX68U 5GHz Band Dropping / Disappearing

Hi, I purchased a ASUS AX68U last week and am having a problem with the 5GHz band disappearing and all connections dropping. Initially set it up with separate 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands with some devices connected to each band. All of a sudden the 5 GHz disappears and no devices can connect to it...

www.snbforums.com

If you are not in a hurry, wait for better price on RT-AX86S. At least it's tested reliable model. The same firmware and Wi-Fi as RT-AX86U.

 

[elorimer]

If you are not in a hurry, wait for better price on RT-AX86S. At least it's tested reliable model. The same firmware and Wi-Fi as RT-AX86U.

But dual core instead of quad core if wireguard is in your future.

 

[yelo3]

RT-AX86S perhaps? This is the best router from your list. €200 is expensive though. I've seen it for CAD180 here in Canada, ~USD140.

All right, so this AX86S would be better than the TUF-AX5400 (which was the one I was aiming for, before I opened this discussion) if I understand.

I did a quick comparison - https://www.asus.com/product-compar...5&LevelId=Networking-IoT-Servers-WiFi-Routers
And the most relevant ones seems to be:

	TUF AX5400	AX86S
Transmit/receive	2.4GHz 2x2 5GHz-2 4x4	2.4GHz 3x3 5GHz 4x4
CPU	1.5 GHz tri-core processor	1.8GHz dual- core processor

Plus the multi gig support with WAN aggregation, which needs a special support from the main modem/router (so this is probably not an interesting thing)

I bet having 3 slower cores is better than only 2 faster cores, or is the TUF on an older hardware?
Probably the 3x3 on 2.4 GHz of the AX86S make the bigger reason to go for it...

About FW upgrades, that is probably one of the most important things, are both well supported? Do Asus make any promises for supporting them with upgrades?

If you say: no way, go with the AX86S I will probably wait for some deals as 200€ is still too much

 

[Tech9]

But dual core instead of quad core if wireguard is in your future.

You may have no bright future with WireGuard and NAT acceleration incompatibility. The future is up to 350Mbps on this hardware.

I bet having 3 slower cores is better than only 2 faster cores, or is the TUF on an older hardware?

Don't compare by CPU cores number. AX86S has newer, better and faster ARMv8 + AES CPU. Many applications use single CPU core.

 

[Tech9]

Do Asus make any promises for supporting them with upgrades?

No home router manufacturer makes any support promises. AX86S is currently well supported. The same firmware and update cycle as popular AX86U. I expect at least few more years of active support. This is good enough for a home router. The life expectancy is few years anyway.

If you say: no way, go with the AX86S

I would evaluate the need of Gigabit ISP first. You may be paying more every month for something you don't use or need. Your Gigabit ISP is driving your "need" to upgrade your hardware and match the possible max speed. This strategy is good for better speedtest only, most of the time.

 

[yelo3]

You may have no bright future with WireGuard and NAT acceleration incompatibility. The future is up to 350Mbps on this hardware.

Which HW will have problems? Is it even with AX86S, or were you referring to older HW like the TUF one?

No home router manufacturer makes any support promises.

I wish they were promising at least security updates... Fw upgrades was what made me abandon my old AC56U that was suddenly out of support, while other sibling models had really longer life....
Maybe an S version would have shorter upgrades... Though they are currently the same FW as the U model.

Hard to guess...

 

[Tech9]

Which HW will have problems?

All home routers rely heavily on NAT acceleration techniques. Without it WAN-LAN traffic is limited to 200-400Mbps depending on the CPU type. The hardware is too weak to process faster traffic through the CPU. Home routers are built with more power efficiency in mind, not raw processing power.

Maybe an S version would have shorter upgrades...

Unlikely. AX86S uses the same firmware as AX86U. If Asus drops the support, both models will be dropped at the same time.

 

[yelo3]

Point taken.
AX86S best from my list.

Thanks for your help guys, really appreciate

 

[Tech9]

AX68S best from my list.

RT-AX86S