RT-AX88U or AX11000 , newbie needs advice

[Antcontreras]

Hi all, I’m new here and new to the router world. So please take it easy on me and hopefully if you can give me advice , hopefully it’s in newbie format / terms lol.

Anyhow , I recently had the option of getting a Netgear Nighthawk X10 or XR700 for really cheap but got steered in another direction towards AX routers. Which now brings me here after researching them. I came across the RT-AX88U and the AX11000 and am not sure which way to go.

My 1 story house is about 1200 sq ft. And I currently use my ISPs (xfinity from comcast) router/modem combo. The plan gives me up too 400 Mbps download and idk about upload.

We game a lot in our house and play lots of call of duty and other FPS games but our internet has been really lacking so we need a big upgrade in equipment.

I also have 3 Nest WiFi cams hooked up that could use way better WiFi.

1 of the Xbox’s I plan on being wired.

I honestly don’t know anything about this kind of stuff and barely understand the terms but I just want some of the best internet I can get lol.

Are any of those AX routers I mentioned worth getting or should I go a different route? If they do suit me what is the best or most ideal setup (for a rook like myself).

Thanks in advance.

 

[sanke1]

To be frank, Asus firmware for both the AX routers you have mentioned is in shambles. WAN disconnectivity to Wifi clients dropping off randomly on 5 Ghz network, these are the most common complaints on most recent OFDMA firmware released by Asus. Firmware will definitely improve in future but it's hard to pinpoint when. Wifi6E is upcoming standard which will be perfected Wifi6. If you can wait for 2 years, it would be better to get RT-AC86U for the time being because that one is quite fast SOC wise and I found the range to be same as the RT-AX88U and GT-Ax11000. But make sure you purchase it from amazon itself and not any third party reseller for best warranty and returns facility if need arises.

Another option would be to buy RT-AX88U and manually install 3 months old firmware version ending 6436. You won't get OFDMA and WPA3 in it but is damn stable while you wait for newer fixed firmware.

 

[jc_hwz]

I agree with you, I used ax88u for three weeks and I finally decided to return it since so many issues. I got the open box gt 5300 from amazon, and running very stable.

 

[JohnB_123]

Bought 2 RT-AX88U routers and three RT-AC86U routers over the past 6 months and installed in several locations.

There’s honestly ZERO difference in performance - and we had to disable the AX band anyhow on both routers since it was unstable with AX clients.

Just get the RT-AC86U. It’s an outstanding router, especially for the price. You can also get them used from Amazon (make sure it’s sold by “Amazon Warehouse”) for an extremely good price (usually around $130-140 these days) with full warranty and return rights. The three we bought were done this way and they all arrived in what appeared to be brand new condition.

Good luck.

 

[L&LD]

No, not zero difference.

RT-AX88U Upgrade https://www.snbforums.com/threads/b...ta-is-now-available.60037/page-31#post-531024

Of course, if you disable AX, what's the point?

Having used the RT-AX88U for a few months now, it is stable, fast and reliable. The extra RAM and two extra cores go a long way towards giving the router a fighting chance with the latest firmware (384.15 Beta 1) and available scripts. Which together, make for a formidable tool to handle today's network loads and expectations.

RT-AC86U is an excellent router. But it is no RT-AX88U when both are properly configured with all the options now available.

 

[JohnB_123]

No, not zero difference.

RT-AX88U Upgrade https://www.snbforums.com/threads/b...ta-is-now-available.60037/page-31#post-531024

Of course, if you disable AX, what's the point?

Having used the RT-AX88U for a few months now, it is stable, fast and reliable. The extra RAM and two extra cores go a long way towards giving the router a fighting chance with the latest firmware (384.15 Beta 1) and available scripts. Which together, make for a formidable tool to handle today's network loads and expectations.

RT-AC86U is an excellent router. But it is no RT-AX88U when both are properly configured with all the options now available.

yes, exactly - what is the point of the AX router if the AX band becomes unusable?

There are a significant number of individuals that have issues with this router. It specifically has difficulty with a AX clients, also with WAN disconnects. It is quite possible that those of us that are having issues have some specific need, circumstance or configuration option enabled which is likely completely unrelated to the issues. But the truth is undeniable: this router, and specifically the latest couple of firmware releases, has stability issues.

For example, some individuals have reported that LetsEncrypt certs need to be recreated post-firmware upgrade. Others have postulated that the issues are related to the mix of routers in an AIMesh configuration. Hell it could be VPN or IPv6 or something else seemingly unrelated.

whatever it is, I’m not paid to make this device work. And the reality is in instrumented tests here and elsewhere, AC is faster on the 86u and AX isn’t really ready for prime time just yet.

 

[L&LD]

@JohnB_123 I'm sure there are a significantly greater number of individuals without issues that just don't post on forums either.

Stating that in your case the RT-AX88U is problematic is acceptable 'reporting'. Stating that those issues are pervasive for all is simply not true.

 

[JohnB_123]

@JohnB_123 I'm sure there are a significantly greater number of individuals without issues that just don't post on forums either.

Stating that in your case the RT-AX88U is problematic is acceptable 'reporting'. Stating that those issues are pervasive for all is simply not true.

Compare the stability issues reported with the 86u and 88u - it’s night and day. The 88u is not a big seller and its time in market is much shorter, yet the theme is the same for the outsized number of folks reporting concerns: release 6436 is the last stable firmware build.

 

[L&LD]

Only for you.

 

[JohnB_123]

Only for you.

Well, me and at least 5 "friends":
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/rt-ac86u-or-rt-ax88u-if-buying-now.56937/page-3#post-543705']
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/ax88u-latest-firmware-issue.61138/
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/a...rmware-update-breaks-skype-connections.61097/
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/rt-ax88u-hardware-revision-a1-vs-a1-1.60974/#post-538206
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/rt-ax88u-wi-fi-issues.60514/#post-531184

Strangely, we all have the same issue -- the router is stable on 6436 or a beta merlin release. What are the chances?

 

[L&LD]

And the rest of the RT-AX88U owners from the rest of the world asked me to inform everyone here that they are not having any such issues.

 

[DarnellG]

I've been running the AX88U since Jan5th 2020. If you discount the issues I had with an unrelated wifi interference (I found the culprit, astro A50 wireless headset), its been rock solid. The firmware does have bugs because I was getting 5Ghz client disconnects too, but since I put unique SSIDs for the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz and disabled smart connect its been solid. I game COD a lot too so I enjoy the lower latency too. I would recommend getting the AX88U. I got mine at bestbuy and paid an extra $50 for the geek warranty. I can return the router for whatever reason or for no reason for up to 3 years and get a gift card for the full value of the purchase price so if wifi6e standard comes out I can swap this router out.

 

[JohnB_123]

And the rest of the RT-AX88U owners from the rest of the world asked me to inform everyone here that they are not having any such issues.

As I said, there is likely some seemingly unrelated circumstance a material number of us have that causes this issue.

Perhaps if you had it you wouldn't be so smug.

 

[L&LD]

Sorry, not being smug. I just accept that all options are not available for everyone all the time.

It doesn't mean we need to warn others pre-emptively about an issue that may or may not exist for them.

Everything we do has some risk. Testing out a product like a router for ourselves and then needing to get something else that works better for us isn't that life-shaking.

The RT-AC86U has others here saying the same about it as you are saying about the RT-AX88U. Yet, I and many others have no issues with either.

 

[Antcontreras]

Honestly thanks so much everyone for all your input. I really appreciate it. I think I’m gonna go with the AC since it seems like it for sure works great (which is what I need) and all the kinks are pretty much worked out. I think I’ll eventually upgrade to AX in future though.

What modems are you guys running with the AC. I have Xfinity from Comcast.

Also what’s the ideal setup, just as it comes or should I do some type of updating? Sorry like I said I’m not really familiar with any of this so thanks for your patience and time / info.

 

[DarnellG]

Honestly thanks so much everyone for all your input. I really appreciate it. I think I’m gonna go with the AC since it seems like it for sure works great (which is what I need) and all the kinks are pretty much worked out. I think I’ll eventually upgrade to AX in future though.

What modems are you guys running with the AC. I have Xfinity from Comcast.

Also what’s the ideal setup, just as it comes or should I do some type of updating? Sorry like I said I’m not really familiar with any of this so thanks for your patience and time / info.

Im also running a RT-AC5300 in a mesh configuration (wired backhaul) with the AX88U. Its a great modem too, the only downside is its hard to hide with such a large footprint. I ran the AC5300 for a couple years alone with no problems up until a few months ago when I thought one of the 5Ghz bands started having issues but in the end it was interference from my wireless headset. Still works perfect