EoL RT-AC86U replacement

[PcGuy]

I was looking at a replacement for RT-AC86U. Originally the router was used in a house but now it is a small apartment. I initially was thinking of the RT-AX86U Pro but wondering if that router will be EoL next. Noticed there was also the ASUS AX3000 WiFi 6 Router (RT-AX57). I am not using many wireless devices maybe 20 as most items are hardwired. Both of these will as far as I can tell take Merlin.

 

[Tech9]

There is no Asuswrt-Merlin for RT-AX57. Get the RT-AX86U Pro, it's Asuswrt 5.0 compatible, much better hardware, popular. Won't be EoL soon.

 

[jzchen]

I convinced a friend of mine to split the cost of a 2-pack RT-AX5400 purchased at a (not so) local Micro Center. Happy with how it performs for the price. (Oops, replaced the RT-AC68U, not RT-AC86U).

 

[Tech9]

RT-AX5400 also doesn't have Asuswrt-Merlin support.

 

[jomcty]

I was looking at a replacement for RT-AC86U. Originally the router was used in a house but now it is a small apartment. I initially was thinking of the RT-AX86U Pro but wondering if that router will be EoL next. Noticed there was also the ASUS AX3000 WiFi 6 Router (RT-AX57). I am not using many wireless devices maybe 20 as most items are hardwired. Both of these will as far as I can tell take Merlin.

I replaced my old RT-AC86U I handed down to my daughter with a RT-AX86U Pro. Should be supported for quite some time into the future.

 

[KineticSloth]

There is no Asuswrt-Merlin for RT-AX57. Get the RT-AX86U Pro, it's Asuswrt 5.0 compatible, much better hardware, popular. Won't be EoL soon.

So I'm shopping for a replacement router, and I see the AX57 also called the AX-3000, which *does* show as a supported device.
I see alot of the Asus routers branded marketed that way. Sooo difficult to tell *exactly* which are/are not Merlin-supported

 

[Tech9]

AX57 also called the AX-3000

No. RT-AX57 is AX3000 class device like many other similar products. This is not the product model number and this specific AX3000 class device doesn't have Asuswrt-Merlin support. A list of Asuswrt-Merlin supported devices is available here:

About | Asuswrt-Merlin

www.asuswrt-merlin.net

 

[KineticSloth]

No. RT-AX57 is AX3000 class device like many other similar products. This is not the product model number and this specific AX3000 class device doesn't have Asuswrt-Merlin support. A list of Asuswrt-Merlin supported devices is available here:

About | Asuswrt-Merlin

www.asuswrt-merlin.net

Thank for the reply. Yeahhhh... Its obviously marketing shenannigans. Right from the Asus Store, to listings on Amazon, NewEgg, BestBuy, etc,
I hate that it just makes it all that more confusing.