I know there are options out there but the entire point of my post was not to compare Asus to other vendors but rather state that Asus is doing itself a disservice by leaving one of their higher-end models in the dust.Go to post #13.
I've used Ruckus and other enterprise grade systems on the business side. With Ruckus (and others) you normally see vendors releasing hardware firmware on a longer cycle to address specific reliability and performance aspects while the management interfaces usually get separate updates (quicker or slower) to address feature enhancement and security vulnerabilities.I don't use Asus routers anymore, but a small complaint I didn't mention about asuswrt was that they released firmware too often and each model had different release numbers.
Now I use a Ruckus AP, but it also seems to have a fairly frequent update cycle. 4-5 times a year.
Personally, I don't think frequent updates of network equipment is a good thing, as firmware updates can break down complex networks that are already configured.
Asuswrt has already reached a state full of various features compared to other companies.
Leave the initially configured network alone for a few years unless significant vulnerabilities are discovered.
I think it's a good network.
I'm sorry to say the approach of 'set it and forget it' is no longer a luxury we can afford in today's landscape. Take a look at Asus' own changelog and see how many security vulnerabilities have been patched in the last 18 months alone..
I noticed there's somewhat of an Asus fan club here that keeps praising Asus for half-baked features some of which are not really even a part of the core functionality of a gateway device. I bet they would not be so enchanted if they actually owned an RT-AX89x and used it.
For example, AiProtection is a joke. It's not a replacement for a proper deep inspection firewall and IPS, doesn't do SSL/TLS inspection, super easy to evade it proteciont (Google HTTP evasion), and generally no better than using reputation-based security-minded DNS service like quad9.
QoS capabilities are also quite basic (and have other usability challenges, especially on faster circuits).
At least on the RT-AX89X, most configuration changes cause the router to reboot. Kinda reminds me of how much I hated dlink for doing that.
Not to mention the "AiCloud" features which are so 20th century. With real cloud-based services (Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Google) offering superior performance, availability, and integration there's no real need for these.
Finally, features such as WPS, local SAMBA/Media server, UPNP, SIP ALG are all enabled out of the box reducing security and taking up resources.
I think the OP missed the point of why to buy a router.
On phones we use the OS every day, so there should be frequent updates there.
But on the router we use the network, so there's no reason to go after bloated new features when everything is working fine.
Of course you have the right to express your needs, but if you want to get frequent feature updates, maybe you should consider buying RT-AX86U. and the RT-AX89X just lets it do what it's supposed to do, providing powerful wifi and 10 Gbps ethernet.
I haven't missed the point. Asus is essentially forcing me to choose between hardware specs and updates that improve cybersecurity and solve useability issues. Personally, I could do without 80% of the bloatware Asus tacks on (part of it I already commented on).
As for the update speed, your router is the gateway to the internet, as such, it actually needs to be on the quickest update cycle to protect your network against an ever-changing cybersecurity landscape.
It's not that I don't appreciate of what Asus did with AsusWRT or the fact they have some of the best home-grade solutions. I am just voicing my frustration of Asus' blatant de-prioritization of the models I happen to own.
In any case, unless someone from Asus cares to explain why the RT-AX89x doesn't deserve the same level of service as other models I'm really not interested in hearing fan-boy excuses and some other ill-mannered arrogant remarks.