Is it possible to upgrade from the RT-AX86U?

[soulsteelgray]

I replaced my aging Netgear R7000 with the ASUS RT-AX86U several months ago and have not regretted it one bit. It is a fantastic device and worth the hype.

We have a property out in the woods that will be getting gigabit fiber within the next month or three. We rent it out on Airbnb and do a fairly brisk business, in addition to visiting on the weekends when it is not rented out.

Once the gigabit fiber is out there, we are also thinking that we will stay longer during some weeks and continue to work remotely as we are doing at our primary residence now.

With the AX86U setting such a high bar for performance, I’m reluctant to buy a “step down” device for the Airbnb property. As I see it now, I can either buy another AX86U, or buy a “step up” router for the primary home and move the AX86U to the Airbnb.

I have my eye on the AX89X for the primary home but the price jump is quite large, and I’m not sure if it is worth the price.

Any insight would be appreciated, just want to hear some opinions. Thank you!

 

[Tech9]

I have my eye on the AX89X

Don't look at this one. Qualcomm device with reported firmware issues.

 

[SoCalReviews]

A step up? Possibly the GT-AX6000 gaming router but it's so new there aren't many reviews on it and it's a GT router so no Merlin support. It is currently available at NewEgg but be cautious of their return policies.

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 Wireless Router - Newegg.com

Buy ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 Dual-Band WiFi 6 (802.11ax) Gaming Router, Dual 2.5G ports, enhanced hardware, WAN aggregation, VPN Fusion, Triple-Level Game Acceleration, free network security and AiMesh support with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.com

 

[Tech9]

In theory GT-AX11000 is a higher class router with higher Wi-Fi throughput when 2x 5GHz radios are used simultaneously. It can serve more active Wi-Fi clients. The CPU/RAM and available ports are the same, it has 4x4 2.4GHz radio, plus Asuswrt-Merlin support. There is GT-AXE11000 model with Wi-Fi 6E support, but I wouldn't recommend purchasing this one now.