Ifo stability for a new router WRT RT-AC68U or RT-AC87U with Merlin

[nostradamus78ts]

Hi, i must buy this week a new asus router (now i have only a RT-AC66U). For me is important the stability of the wifi and the distance of the signal trough very thick walls. My RT-AC66U work well.
I do not know if to buy, the old RT-AC68U or the RT-AC87U. Which would you recommend me? I prefer the RT-AC87U but with Merlin is stable an work fine?
Thanks a lot in advance!

 

[Pierino]

The rt-ac68u.

 

[Striker317]

Hi, i must buy this week a new asus router (now i have only a RT-AC66U). For me is important the stability of the wifi and the distance of the signal trough very thick walls. My RT-AC66U work well.
I do not know if to buy, the old RT-AC68U or the RT-AC87U. Which would you recommend me? I prefer the RT-AC87U but with Merlin is stable an work fine?
Thanks a lot in advance!

Avoid the rt-ac87u.

Choose the rt-ac86u or rt-ac68u

 

[MarkyPancake]

I would get the AC86U now, as it's a more recent piece of hardware.

I've just moved over to the 86U after years of using my trusty AC68U, but the 68U is old hardware now.

 

[Mutzli]

As others said, get the AC86-U. The other two are older now and the AC87U is not included in the latest Merlin updated firmware 384.6.

 

[Nosha]

As far as I know AC87U has hardware limitations (read an article somewhere). I have recently moved to AC86U and I can tell you that it is one gem of a router. Elegant in style and solid in performance. My primary purpose was to run it as a dedicated VPN router and in my tests it works as good as (if not better than) the lot more expensive GT-5300

 

[best.binoculars]

I would get the AC86U now, as it's a more recent piece of hardware.

I've just moved over to the 86U after years of using my trusty AC68U, but the 68U is old hardware now.

How is your experience using it? Is it as stable as 68U?
I remember in RMerlin development update thread, he mentioned that 86U still had issues. But that was months ago. Has Asus sorted this out?

This year also saw the addition of a new platform to Asuswrt-Merlin (Broadcom HND), with one new model being supported (the RT-AC86U). Great hardware at a very reasonable price. The software had some growing pains (this is a whole new platform from Broadcom, with a lot of low-level changes), but it's gradually getting there. If Asus/Broadcom can take care of the remaining issues, I personally believe this might be Asus's best model since the RT-AC68U.

 

[MarkyPancake]

How is your experience using it? Is it as stable as 68U?
I remember in RMerlin development update thread, he mentioned that 86U still had issues. But that was months ago. Has Asus sorted this out?

I only set it up last night, so it's not had the amount of use the 68U had to truly compare, but in the short time so far, everything has been solid and stable.

My 68U was the 800 MHz version, so the 86U is already more capable in spec terms.