Router options

[Kamoenix]

Hi All,

Looking to replace my old AC88U with something more up to date after network crashed and died and I lost my AI Mesh with my AX88U.

Main router sits in the under stairs cupboard as that's where the fibre comes into the house, so I need something sufficiently strong to get to the rest of the house. Plan on moving my existing AX88U to the place of the old one.

I can use a wired backhaul to connect them and will be upgrading to ethernet for some of the rooms soon, although still have a good few wireless devices.

Fairly heavy user of Internet with NAS, plex and docker images etc. Ideally would prefer a router with at least 2.5Gb but some 10Gb would be nice.

I don't have any WiFi 7 devices as of yet, but probably best future proofing as best I can if I'm upgrading now. Also live in the UK and from reading this excludes some models and ideally would like to continue to use the merlin firmware.

Any help with recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

 

[bbunge]

If you do not need WIFI 7 stick with WIFI 6.
RT-AX88U Pro, RT-AX86U Pro or GT-AX6000 are the most recommended and your best choices today.

 

[heysoundude]

I'd just upgrade to an AX88Pro and call it a day: By the time there are enough Wifi7-capable devices in your home to justify a Wifi7 network, you'll be looking at Wifi 8 or 9 being the next new/great thing...
If you're thinking about connecting your fibreoptic cable directly to your main router, you have options beyond Asus to consider right now, Mikrotik being one of them.