HELP with second ASUS router

[RMerlin]

So does it means if I purchase a RT AC68U on Amazon.com, ill get the 1Ghz edition, right?

There's no guarantee, it depends on what their own suppliers have in stock. My own suppliers still have a mixture of 800 MHz and 1 GHz revisions in stock.

 

[mabhz]

RT-AC68P was a special SKU for Best Buy, which had a 1 GHz CPU

RMERLIN, I found a "P" version for sale, brand new. Does this Best Buy special edition comes with the "fix" for the USB3.0 problem as well, or only the R and newer U have that revision on the board USB connection?

 

[RMerlin]

RMERLIN, I found a "P" version for sale, brand new. Does this Best Buy special edition comes with the "fix" for the USB3.0 problem as well, or only the R and newer U have that revision on the board USB connection?

No idea. Personally, I've never had any problem with my early RT-AC68U revision and a USB 3.0 disk - just need to make sure the disk and its cable are properly shielded.

 

[mabhz]

No idea. Personally, I've never had any problem with my early RT-AC68U revision and a USB 3.0 disk - just need to make sure the disk and its cable are properly shielded.

Thank you!

As i mentioned, I found a "P", but it's $35 more expensive.

The 1GHZ CPU is worth the extra cost?

 

[L&LD]

Thank you!

As i mentioned, I found a "P", but it's $35 more expensive.

The 1GHZ CPU is worth the extra cost?

Depending on the options and features you enable on the router you get, that $35 will give you a 20% more powerful router.

If you do not use any features or options where a faster processor will help, it will have been a waste of $35 to you (but maybe useful to someone you sell the router to in the future).

My advice? I would not buy a BestBuy product even with superficially better specs.

 

[mabhz]

My advice? I would not buy a BestBuy product even with superficially better specs.

Oh my God!!! Why is that!!!???

I was finally deciding on my purchase!! Laughs

Merlin, Pete, would you please care to share some comments? The Best Buy "P" version is a model to avoid???

 

[L&LD]

Retail specific products like the 'P' model isn't there for the consumers benefit; it is there for BB to make even more money on. I don't know what short cuts they have taken to give us a better processor for a mere $35 more, but I can bet they've more than made up on it in other ways that I don't want to learn firsthand.

 

[mabhz]

Retail specific products like the 'P' model isn't there for the consumers benefit; it is there for BB to make even more money on. I don't know what short cuts they have taken to give us a better processor for a mere $35 more, but I can bet they've more than made up on it in other ways that I don't want to learn firsthand.

I think it was Merlin who mentioned that all new AC68 models are with 1Ghz CPU, so it's not just a BB product, but the main product baseline now.

I believe that makes it "safe" to purchase.

 

[RMerlin]

Retail specific products like the 'P' model isn't there for the consumers benefit; it is there for BB to make even more money on. I don't know what short cuts they have taken to give us a better processor for a mere $35 more

There's nothing wrong with that specific model. Broadcom probably sells the 1 GHz CPU only for a few dollars more than the 800 MHz version, so there's still a pretty decent profit margin left.

 

[L&LD]

I think it was Merlin who mentioned that all new AC68 models are with 1Ghz CPU, so it's not just a BB product, but the main product baseline now.

I believe that makes it "safe" to purchase.

No, you think that if A=B and B=C then A=C. That is not correct in this case.

Not all models will have the 1GHz processor (some may have the 1.4GHz version). The processors are not the same between the 800MHz and 1GHz models.

More importantly? Even if the processors are identical, that doesn't mean other components are too.

 

[mabhz]

Folks, thannks again for ALL the extremelly valuable answers and information.


I might have the LAST question: what about the DSL AC68U?


Since yesterday, i definitely need to purchase a VDSL modem as well.

Looks like the DSL AC68U is one of the best ASUS modems, and it has my favorite router built in.

I found one review mentioning that the performance of the DSL AC68U is NOT the same as the RT AC68U: here

Should I take this as a veredict voiding my purchase?

What do you folks have any negative comments concerning this choice of product?


May I encounter any “problems” related to having a ADSL/VDSL modem built in into the 68U or can I expect a similar performance to the RT AC68U?

If no one presentes any drawbacks or comments against this model, it might finally be the object of my purchase!

 

[RMerlin]

I never recommend combos that have modem + router. If you were to change ISP, for instance moving to a cable provider, it would force you to scrap a perfectly working 200$+ device.

 

[mabhz]

I never recommend combos that have modem + router. If you were to change ISP, for instance moving to a cable provider, it would force you to scrap a perfectly working 200$+ device.

Well, i understand your point but that doesnt apply very well to the ISP situation in my country. ALL of them provide their users with combo modem+router solutions. And in my case, particularly, changing to a cable provider is extremelly unlikely (only one, and its bad!). More likely to change to any of the other ADSL/VDSL providers. And even if I move to a cable provider, I would still have an excelent AC68U working, with a disabled DSL funcionality!

So, can i understand that your only NEGATIVE comment about my option for the DSL AC68U would be having the combo useless if I move to a cable provider? No technical issue?

Please, this is my last purchase option, so I need to be sure about this. The DSL AC68U is as expensive as the RT3100.

 

[RMerlin]

So, can i understand that your only NEGATIVE comment about my option for the DSL AC68U would be having the combo useless if I move to a cable provider? No technical issue?

No third party firmware support either, only Asus's original firmware.

I have no idea how well their DSL support works.

 

[pete y testing]

so you bridge the modem provided and connect any wireless router to it

the asus dsl-ac68u has a mediatek chipset for its modem and doesnt do well on long lines over 2.5km

the netgear d7000 however is a broadcom based chipset and works well on most adsl lines

 

[mabhz]

so you bridge the modem provided and connect any wireless router to it

the asus dsl-ac68u has a mediatek chipset for its modem and doesnt do well on long lines over 2.5km

the netgear d7000 however is a broadcom based chipset and works well on most adsl lines

Thanks Pete!

Well, I know it sounds stupid, but ALL ISPs here in Brasil provide devices that have customized firmware: all features are disabled and you can't even chance the ip range, turn on bridge mode or configure DMZ. To be able to access those features, you need to pay a special service that provides fixed IP and costs about 6x the usual end user/SOHO price.

Does the D7000 supports VDSL? Has an affordable price? I'll have to purchase a RT AC68U/P/R along with the modem.

Merlin, I'll never instal a custom firmware on it because I never do on any device.

My main concern is if its a good product technically speaking: the modem part AND the router one, if it works as good as a regular AC68U.

 

[pete y testing]

D7000 supports VDSL

certainly does

but if your after a cheap vdsl modem perhaps look at the linksys x6200 if available to you and bridge it the put an asus behind it

we are just getting fttn here in australia and lots of the isp do indeed limit what you can do to their provided modems but the issue here is fttn on some isp also uses voip for home phone services so unless you can hack the voip details out of the modem your stuck using the supplied device if you need home phone services as the old copper pstn system is disabled once you churn to fttp

 

[mabhz]

certainly does

but if your after a cheap vdsl modem perhaps look at the linksys x6200 if available to you and bridge it the put an asus behind it

Hey there, Pete!

Thanks for the recommendations!!!

But the D7000 costs over U$230 and the X6200 over U$280, which is WAAAAY more than i could afford, specially because the AC 68U I want to get is cheaper!!

What I really want is a good modem that is ONLY a modem, and inexpensive one, without any fancy wifi router and 1900000 bandwidth and watch.

Any suggestions?

I was dead right on the DSL 68U, but since you told me it has a bad chipset and worse performance, I need a really inexpensive modem to purchase along with the RT AC 68U.

 

[pete y testing]

well as i stated at least here the linksys x6200 is the cheapest vdsl modem going around esp if you just want to bridge it , its almost impossible to get a pure vdsl modem

 

[mabhz]

well as i stated at least here the linksys x6200 is the cheapest vdsl modem going around esp if you just want to bridge it , its almost impossible to get a pure vdsl modem

Thanks for the quick reply, Pete!

But the X6200 is almost 60$ more expensive than the Netgear D7000, which seemed to me like a DSL AC68U!!!

There's no single modem-only device that handle VSDL?? The ISP's here give you a VERY CRAPPY CHEAP modem/router, so I figured I could find a cheaper MODEN only device.

The DSL AC68U is really a bad choice? With it I would get my second RT AC68U + the VDSL modem I need.