Switching from RT-AC5300 to RT-AC86U

[develox]

Hi,

I'm currently running an RT-AC5300 since a couple of years with absolute no problems, and I can now get an almost-new RT-AC86U with a very good deal.
To start with: I only occasionally use wifi in the room (uninhabited basement) where the router is located and have no special speed requirements from the wifi network. The whole house is cabled with CAT6 and I heavily use that rather than wireless.
I use the device only for its routing and security functions: it's in the networking rack where it then spread its services to the house. In our living room (3 floors above) I have a ZyXEL business access point.

The router runs TrendMicro AiProtection, Skynet, Diversion, Suricata, ...
So why switching ? The RT-AC5300 is some generation old now while the RT-AC86U is 1-2 generations newer so my bet is that I would be settled for a longer time before support is dismissed for the AC86U (in the meanwhile, I might move to AX the same way) and as I said, I have no need for any better performance of the RT-AC5300 vs the RT-AC86U (if any).

But I have 3 questions about the switch:

1. On paper, as a computational platform the RT-AC5300 and RT-AC86u look equipped the same way. Indeed, it looks I would gain a 1.8GHz 2-core CPU (vs 1.4GHz 2-core) and 256MB flash (vs 128MB). Am I wrong ? Or am I loosing any performance in the switch ?
2. Will the RT-AC86U be as stable as the RT-AC5300 ? This latter, e.g., runs at a steady temperature of about 60 Celsius degree partly thanks to its top ventilating mesh. Should there be any worries about the RT-AC86U ?
3. Is there any easy way to move my (not-so-basic) configuration from the RT-AC5300 to the RT-AC86U ? As a starter, I have a very long list of DHCP reservations (any device we own and gets connected).

Thanks in advance

 

[bbunge]

You will get many recommendations but in the end it is your choice.
My advice is to move from the WIFI5 to a WIFI6 router. Even though you say you do not use the WIFI the improvement in the hardware may be worth the investment.
I am very pleased with my AX86U even though I have but two WIFI6 laptops and 100/100 fiber. I replaced the AC86U just because I could and had the few extra bucks. There was nothing wrong with the AC86U that I had for one year. It will be donated to a not for profit small office this week.

 

[develox]

You will get many recommendations but in the end it is your choice.
My advice is to move from the WIFI5 to a WIFI6 router. Even though you say you do not use the WIFI the improvement in the hardware may be worth the investment.
I am very pleased with my AX86U even though I have but two WIFI6 laptops and 100/100 fiber. I replaced the AC86U just because I could and had the few extra bucks. There was nothing wrong with the AC86U that I had for one year. It will be donated to a not for profit small office this week.

Thanks @bbunge for your opinion. Indeed, if I'm faced with a good deal for an AX device that has no less RAM than 512MB and no less computation power than the above devices (and is as stable and reliable as those), I will most probably jump once more.

 

[heysoundude]

By jumping to an AX router, and adding a 2.5G switch, you'll be better able to take advantage of the Cat6 wiring, especially if you have a 1Gbps connection.
That said, Wifi6e is still to be released, and I'm beginning to suspect all of the ethernet ports on one of those (undoubtedly) upcoming models will be 2.5G, so you (probably) won't need the external switch if you wait.
for now, an ac86 should be a nice upgrade. when you upgrade again further into the future, wifi6e and 2.5G ethernet will be much more prevalent and affordable.

 

[develox]

Thanks @heysoundude, I concur with you for the interesting upgrade on the 2.5G once it'll be widespread (on devices as well) and affordable. For the moment, I'd be fine to understand I'm going to improve from the computational platform point of view since it's quite exploited at the moment.-