RT-AX88U needs at least one multi-gigabit port

[maxbraketorque]

Just making a thread to say that I wish the RT-AX88U had at least 1 multi-gigabit networking port. I would buy one right now if it had it.

 

[AndreiV]

Hmm, I think I have more chance with my frequent wish that I can be 25 again and win the £50+ million lottery ticket.

Isn't going to happen.

 

[sanke1]

Then how can they sell you a new upgraded model which has one?

 

[AndreiV]

Then how can they sell you a new upgraded model which has one?

Do they? Are they? Have they reconfigured the hardware and firmware to do that?

 

[dosborne]

Do they? Are they? Have they reconfigured the hardware and firmware to do that?

Pretty sure that they meant at some future point there will inevitably be new models with new features. There is pretty much zero chance that any existing model will have a new version with significantly upgraded hardware. It will simply be built and sold as a different (new) model.

 

[maxbraketorque]

Then how can they sell you a new upgraded model which has one?

Seems like overkill to have to purchase a GT-AX11000 or an RT-AX89X to get a 2.5 gbe LAN port. Those models should have their entire set of LAN ports capable of at least 2.5 gbe.

Pretty sure that they meant at some future point there will inevitably be new models with new features. There is pretty much zero chance that any existing model will have a new version with significantly upgraded hardware. It will simply be built and sold as a different (new) model.

I was trying to decide what an updated AX88U would be called. 89U would be good except that might cause confusion with the 89X. But maybe ASUS wouldn't care because they had no problem using the name the AC86U which undoubtedly causes confusion with the AC68U.

 

[meeder]

I use link aggregation between de AX88U and my switch and that works perfectly.

 

[sanke1]

Seems like overkill to have to purchase a GT-AX11000 or an RT-AX89X to get a 2.5 gbe LAN port. Those models should have their entire set of LAN ports capable of at least 2.5 gbe.



I was trying to decide what an updated AX88U would be called. 89U would be good except that might cause confusion with the 89X. But maybe ASUS wouldn't care because they had no problem using the name the AC86U which undoubtedly causes confusion with the AC68U.

They might even call it RT-AX88E for Wifi 6E compatibility. TBH, having just 1 Multi Gig port is useless. You need 1 WAN port which is Multi Gig and 1 LAN port as well.

 

[Grisu]

No, not in the way they might thought it to be used.
Your ISP-WAN usually wont give you more than 1Gb connection.
On 2.5Gb port it is meant to use a NAS or other Aimesh router and fast speed is done from Wifi and other LAN ports to NAS at the same time.
In case of Aimesh node you use it as WAN-port for all clients (wifi and LAN) together twith fast access to the master router.

So it could be used with single multi-GB port as well with better performance.

 

[maxbraketorque]

No, not in the way they might thought it to be used.
Your ISP-WAN usually wont give you more than 1Gb connection.
On 2.5Gb port it is meant to use a NAS or other Aimesh router and fast speed is done from Wifi and other LAN ports to NAS at the same time.
In case of Aimesh node you use it as WAN-port for all clients (wifi and LAN) together twith fast access to the master router.

So it could be used with single multi-GB port as well with better performance.

Correct. I now have a multi-gig switch, and I would like a 2.5+ gbe pipe between the router and the switch for fast network file transfers between wifi-connected devices the high speed hardwired networked devices. Link aggregation should be sufficient, but would be nice if there was a 2.5+ gbe LAN port on an AX88U. I can understand not having a 2.5+ gbe port on an AX88U, but for the AX88U where the AX protocol can easily exceed 1 gbps both in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, the router really should have a 2.5+ gbe port.

 

[whitey019]

I think the rumored RT-AX86U has a multi-gigabit WAN port

 

[maxbraketorque]

I think the rumored RT-AX86U ...

I totally missed this. It does appear to have a multigig port. I would think that ASUS would simultaneously upgrade the AX88U to multigig because the AX86U otherwise would totally eclipse the value of the AX88U.

 

[RMerlin]

The RT-AX86U has a 2.5 Gbps Ethernet interface.

I would think that ASUS would simultaneously upgrade the AX88U to multigig

That would be a major design change, so this won't happen without them releasing a different model. The RT-AX89X would be that model.

 

[maxbraketorque]

The RT-AX86U has a 2.5 Gbps Ethernet interface.

That would be a major design change, so this won't happen without them releasing a different model. The RT-AX89X would be that model.

How can their top-of-the-line dual band (AX88U) not have a multigig LAN while the AX86U, AX89X, and GT-AX11000 all have it?

How about RT-AX88U_b1?

 

[Gouldin]

Similar reason the RT-AC88u was slower than the RT-AC86u. It was released before it.

Also, going from the model numbers, would it not imply that the new AX89x is the new top of the line dual band model?

 

[RMerlin]

How can their top-of-the-line dual band (AX88U) not have a multigig LAN while the AX86U, AX89X, and GT-AX11000 all have it?

How about RT-AX88U_b1?

Because it was released a year earlier. Technology evolves simply...

 

[maxbraketorque]

Because it was released a year earlier. Technology evolves simply...

I agree on that. ASUS seems to like "88" form factor, so it would be odd to retire it by virtue of neglect to keep the HW features updates. That's why it seems reasonable to me there will be an updated model.

 

[meeder]

In reality, how many customers would really need multi-gigabit ethernet on these devices?

 

[maxbraketorque]

In reality, how many customers would really need multi-gigabit ethernet on these devices?

The same could be said for Wifi 6. Probably 95% of the people out there don't have a need for Wifi 6 speeds. But there is always a small percentage of folks who need the speed, and that along with the "new technology" sales pitch offered by faster speeds pushes us to faster and faster speeds. In my case, I actually can make use of 2.5 gbe speeds to help get through large backup operations more quickly.

 

[Gouldin]

Yep, same as I'm using the 2.5gb port on the ax1100 for my nas and ax wifi cards for pumping 4k rips through the house to multiple devices simultaniously quite happily with bandwidth to spare