Poll: Which Asus router is the new community darling?

[torstein]

I don't think we have an official vote for a router that is considered the community darling, but from reading this forum for the last three years, it seems like the AC86U came pretty close. Which is it now though? Is it still AC86U or is it a newer one? (There's plenty more models, but the poll wouldnt let me add all)

 

[MDM]

GT-AX6000..?

If you search for new, take out all the AC.

 

[torstein]

GT-AX6000..?

If you search for new, take out all the AC.

Good point! But I feel like I still see a lot of AC88u and ac86u posts, and I know a lot of people lvoed 68U, so I'm keeping those at least. Added your ROG

 

[MDM]

You can also take out beta (alpha in fact! ) stuff as any WiFi 7...?
Almost no one here is that crazy, unless willingfully knowing what they are doing/playing with.
But to be a darling candidate - no way!

 

[Deleted member 84281]

Good point! But I feel like I still see a lot of AC88u and ac86u posts, and I know a lot of people lvoed 68U, so I'm keeping those at least. Added your ROG

The AC88U, AC3100 and the AX92U are EOL and no longer supported by Asus.

 

[bbunge]

What about the AX86U Pro?
Flawed pole...

 

[L&LD]

The RT-AX86U 'pro' is flawed too (with the crippled hardware offered in 2023). A few years ago, asymmetrical WAN/LAN was justifiable with the RT-AX86U because 1Gbps speeds were the most common available.

Today, greater than 1Gbps speeds are available for roughly the same cost, and not being able to give that to wired clients is a crime against performance. Not to mention being illogical to buy such a gimped hardware model when the balanced, proven, and performant GT-AX6000 is available, and usually for lower cost.

 

[drinkingbird]

Zen Tuf Gaming ROG GT-BE10000000000000000000 Pro

 

[octopus]

GT-AX6000 none ROG, its awful.
RT-AX86U pro

 

[bennor]

Its easy to get hung up on which is the "darling" router model used or recommended by users here. One should consider the fact that what may be popular here in these subforums may not be as popular with the masses who don't visit this site, don't use Asus-Merlin, and are not power users or tinkerers who want or need the latest and greatest bleeding edge super fast router (or have the fastest broadband). Some just want an affordable router that suits their needs at that time. Some don't have the latest hardware so 2.5Gb or 10Gb LAN/WAN or the fastest WiFi features on certain routers end up being an added expense that goes unutilized and unused.

For many years the RT-AC68U (and the derivative TM-AC1900) seemed to be extremely popular here, and still are to some extend based on the posts by people still seeking help with them. It had a good mix of features and affordability for a good number of years. Right now there seems to be a mix of "popular" models out there that people are using. From the RT-AC86U to the RT-AX86U/S to the AX88U to the AX series Pro variants to the GT-AX6000 and others.

Simply put for people who are reading this thread wondering what Asus router to buy. Look at your needs and wants and possible future expansion and what you can afford then match those with the many Asus router offerings. If you want or need to use Asus-Merlin then consult the supported routers (see this link). The latest and greatest, or the often recommended Asus router model by certain people here, may not be what you can afford, or be best for your use needs.

 

[bbunge]

Its easy to get hung up on which is the "darling" router model used or recommended by users here. One should consider the fact that what may be popular here in these subforums may not be as popular with the masses who don't visit this site, don't use Asus-Merlin, and are not power users or tinkerers who want or need the latest and greatest bleeding edge super fast router (or have the fastest broadband). Some just want an affordable router that suits their needs at that time. Some don't have the latest hardware so 2.5Gb or 10Gb LAN/WAN or the fastest WiFi features on certain routers end up being an added expense that goes unutilized and unused.

For many years the RT-AC68U (and the derivative TM-AC1900) seemed to be extremely popular here, and still are to some extend based on the posts by people still seeking help with them. It had a good mix of features and affordability for a good number of years. Right now there seems to be a mix of "popular" models out there that people are using. From the RT-AC86U to the RT-AX86U/S to the AX88U to the AX series Pro variants to the GT-AX6000 and others.

Simply put for people who are reading this thread wondering what Asus router to buy. Look at your needs and wants and possible future expansion and what you can afford then match those with the many Asus router offerings. If you want or need to use Asus-Merlin then consult the supported routers (see this link). The latest and greatest, or the often recommended Asus router model by certain people here, may not be what you can afford, or be best for your use needs.

Well stated.

 

[MDM]

Also you can get a pretty good idea of RMerlin supported devices popularity just by looking at the number of downloads of FW per model

 

[torstein]

You are right. Looking at the downloads from merlin was smart. By "community darling" I meant this here community - SNBforums. I take it sometimes for granted that SNBforums is not just about merlin-firmware, even though it probably is a very popular subforum.

Anyways, judging from the list of downloads, it seems like AX86U, AX88U and AC68U are the most popular ones, and AX86U can thus perhaps be crowned the new community darling?

 

[MDM]

Not enough to judge by it only, but a good indicatif.
Because newer models have obviously less downloads and might be infact more Currently popular (on the rise).