time to upgrade my RT-AC68U, whats a good replacement that won't break the bank?

[joebloogs]

Time has come to replace my RT-AC68U...what's a good replacement out there? i was considering a RT-AX68U is this the right choice?
I have kids in the house who do mobile gaming on their devices, so a game friendly model would be preferred.

thank you

 

[Adooni]

time passing is not a reason to replace good AC68U router if you are not using VPN, QoS (for speed up to 300Mbit) router you have is good up 1Gbit


RT-AX68U is very bad idea to upgrade. If you truly needed much better will be AX86S or better.

 

[bennor]

Time has come to replace my RT-AC68U...what's a good replacement out there? i was considering a RT-AX68U is this the right choice?
I have kids in the house who do mobile gaming on their devices, so a game friendly model would be preferred.

thank you

You may want to define what you consider "won't break the bank". In other words your budget. If you haven't done so already, use the site search feature. There are literally dozens of past posts of people asking the same question. For example a few recent discussions:

Replacing AC-68U with something else

I am very happy with my AC-68Us. AiMesh set up. Works like it should. I probably should not be asking this question but can’t stop wondering if anything is out there as stable as AC-68U but has the latest everything like Wi-Fi 6E, etc. My internet speed is 250MB but will consider 1Gig later...

www.snbforums.com

Looking to buy new router

Hi Hope all had a great Holidays and Santa was great to all :>).I apologize if I am posting in the wrong spot/ Forum.I am looking to buy a new Asus router to replace my Gen 1 Rt-Ac68u it has been one of the best router I have ever owned.I still use it as a back haul wired node connected to my...

www.snbforums.com

Need an Asuswrt-Merlin compatible router to replace a dying AC68U....

After years of buying garbage residential routers (all of which died after ~6-9 months), I finally wised up and got a "good" router. At the time I decided on the Asus AC68U. That was five years ago. A couple years in, the 5Ghz antenna died, but I frankly didn't care, because I don't need...

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What is the BEST/FASTEST ASUS Router Available?

I have a AIMESH setup with the AC5300 as my base unit with two AC68U nodes. I have a large house (4000 sqft) and with this setup, I don't have any dead zones. I would like to upgrade to a faster base unit and eventually replace the nodes too so, I was thinking of getting an ASUS AXE16000 to...

www.snbforums.com

I'm new - router recommendations?

The AX88U Pro is currently $350 and the AX6000 $260 USD on Amazon. Looks like they're giving the dead spiders the better discounts. Microcenter as the ax88upro for $299...

www.snbforums.com

Please advise which router?

Dear Colleagues, I have had FTTP internet ( Fiber to the property) installed (in the UK), with a 150Mbps max package. The ISP has provided a separate modem and wireless router Linksys Velop Tri-band AC2200. All of the clients ( including the TV) have the old WPA2 encryption and wireless N...

www.snbforums.com

Don't assume the RT-AX68U is best as a direct replacement for a RT-AC68U because its "68U" router or has "68U" in the name. There are many factors to consider that go into determining what router would "work best" for someone. It would help if you listed more about what you are looking for other than "kids mobile gaming". Basically boils down to what can you afford versus the features you need or want.

 

[wouterv]

If there are no AX client devices in the house, why would you replace the RT-AC68U router which is still supported with firmware updates?
I had a similar thought some months ago and replaced my RT-AC68U by a RT-AX86U Pro while only our iPhones do support AX and our Internet subscription is less than what the RT-AC68U can handle.
The RT-AX86U Pro survived a couple of days and was returned. The issues I found:
-Printer had problems to stay connected to the RT-AX86U Pro.
-5 GHz WiFi coverage to my home office was poor.
With the good old RT-AC68U back in operation the issues are gone again.
When more AX (or maybe BE) clients are introduced in our home I will consider replacement of the RT-AC68U.

 

[L&LD]

@joebloogs, what ISP speeds do you have? What are you expecting to upgrade to during the life of the new router? What LAN requirements do you have? What is the SqFt of your coverage area?

Overall, the RT-AC68U is effectively obsolete. If not today, in the next few months, I'm sure.

That 9, an almost 10-year-old model, has gone above and beyond what might be expected of it. Today's routers, beginning with the excellent RT-AX68U as an entry-level model should give your network a very noticeable boost in performance and lower latency use.

Doesn't matter if you have any AX class client devices today, all client devices will benefit from the upgrade to AX class equipment.

WiFi 6 was not worth it for me ~ Journey of WiFi 6 AiMesh back to WiFi 5 UniFi ~

Who is this for? I've written this to share my personal experience to those who believe WiFi 6 is the best one can get right now. Yet, your experience is not quite as impressive as you expected. Perhaps, debating WiFi 5 vs. WiFi 6 because of different reviews. This is one technophilic person's...

www.snbforums.com

Best router on the market? current using R7800 and AC86U

Hi there, I'm using R7800 and AC86U for around 4 years, and thinking about changing them, the R7800 starts to lost signals. I checked the front-page and found that R7800 still rank the 1st, and forum said it not necessary mean the best on the market. So I'm just wondering that can...

www.snbforums.com

Come back with more details of your current and expected future network and we can talk about some specific options for you.

BTW, forget about 'gaming-friendly models' that are frequently marketed to users' detriment. There is no such thing. Good network hardware is good network hardware, no matter what the use case may be.

 

[Tech9]

i was considering a RT-AX68U is this the right choice?

Cheap for a reason. Avoid this model. Replaced already by the many AX3000/AX5400 models. Not popular and with issues history. Go for RT-AX86S or better depending on your budget. If you have no AX clients (don't count phones/tablets) and RT-AC68U works well for you - save your money.

 

[Marlo]

This is what I did, specifically dsl-ac68u in wan mode replaced by rt-ax86u pro...
Nothing but problem. First unit replaced under warranty, but still some problems. Was experiencing WAN disconnections, reported that, and on the same day ASUS released a FW update supposedly fixing WAN connection issues, 3525 to 4198, and then 4 days later I realized my Solar Inverter was not uploading data, rolled back the FW and away it went, but then later in the day, stopped again, rebooted the router and off it went again, but I am now of the opinion that this ASUS FW or this router is having problems with weak signals that my old AC68U never did yet it is supposed to be so much more powerful...and what's really causing me problems is the VERY POOR ASUS SUPPORT.
Despite the fact I loved my AC68U which performed faultlessly for 7 years and is in the cupboard, I thought I'd upgrade to the AX router because I bought an ASUS Expertbook laptop, well I regret the router upgrade, and I'll never buy another ASUS product because of the VERY POOR ASUS SUPPORT, and I have lost faith in their product quality through the experiences with the RT-AX86U Pro

 

[wouterv]

I had a similar experience: replaced my good old RT-AC68U with a RT-AX86U Pro (with very similar settings as the old router) and the whole home network became a mess, the wireless printer was not able to stay connected and the wireless signal strength was poor to unworkable compared to the old router. I did not find settings that made the AX router work at least as good as the AC router.
The AX router was returned and the AC router back in place which solved all issues.
For now we are fine, when the RT-AC68U breaks down it is time for a replacement.

 

[Tech9]

With exception of Asus ASD and TrendMicro DCD recent issues RT-AC68U is the "golden standard". Asus had 10+ years time to work on the firmware and almost everything works on it on first attempt. For this to happen on a new model like RT-AX86U Pro you guys may have to wait few more years at least. There is a chance the newer router will go EoL before the firmware is fixed to your liking. No more 10+ years of support. RT-AC68U was popular and AiMesh was needed on it to sell more routers to people who have one. A lot of people. This is why it got the record long support.

 

[Marlo]

I had a similar experience: replaced my good old RT-AC68U with a RT-AX86U Pro (with very similar settings as the old router) and the whole home network became a mess, the wireless printer was not able to stay connected and the wireless signal strength was poor to unworkable compared to the old router. I did not find settings that made the AX router work at least as good as the AC router.
The AX router was returned and the AC router back in place which solved all issues.
For now we are fine, when the RT-AC68U breaks down it is time for a replacement.

Almost exactly what happened to me with the first one, Brother MFC-L2750DW looked connected nut was unreachable, Google Chromecast Gen 2 the same, and on failure, other connections would likewise fail. Since I got a replacement, still have similar problems, now leave the printer off mostly but if I try to use it before turning it on, connection is then stuffed after turning it on, got rid of the chromecast by buying a smart TV with chromecast built in which is wifi 5 connected, but other IOT such as my Solar Inverter will not communicate despite appearing connected with the firmware update to 300438824198, tried twice and had to rollback each time to get data transfer happening from the solar inverter. Having had a replacement, these issues are obviously in the product design and not an issue with a particular manufacture defect in a specific item.
Going to now see if I can get my money back, not interested in another replacement

 

[Justinh]

This makes me nervous about spending a good bit on a newer model only to be a waste of time. How does ASUS expect to keep customers if their high $ routers are unreliable?

 

[sfx2000]

Time has come to replace my RT-AC68U...what's a good replacement out there? i was considering a RT-AX68U is this the right choice?

Consider this...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZQ5W4G7/?tag=snbforums-20

 

[Marlo]

With exception of Asus ASD and TrendMicro DCD recent issues RT-AC68U is the "golden standard". Asus had 10+ years time to work on the firmware and almost everything works on it on first attempt. For this to happen on a new model like RT-AX86U Pro you guys may have to wait few more years at least. There is a chance the newer router will go EoL before the firmware is fixed to your liking. No more 10+ years of support. RT-AC68U was popular and AiMesh was needed on it to sell more routers to people who have one. A lot of people. This is why it got the record long support.

All very well, but when they release a new FW version, you don't expect it to go backwards in simple fundamental connectivity, the bread and butter of a routers functionality, so maybe with this performance, two steps forward and then one back, it'll take us 20+ years.
Twice I've tried upgrading to latest, and twice I've had to rollback to re-establish 2.4 band connection from my Solar Inverter, and even with that there have been other connection issues, and it's impossible to establish a coherent interaction on the subject with Asus support.
Just shows that Asus have cut their investment in support (because you can't have an intelligent conversation with them) and development as demonstrated by this effect of the latest FW release. Maybe make that 30+ years to get back to the "golden standard" of the AC68U

 

[Tech9]

two steps forward and then one back

It's been like this since I started testing Asuswrt. Even the latest 11/07/2023 firmware for RT-AX86U has functionality bugs. The router was released in 2020. For the updated hardware RT-AX86U Pro on different SDK and with coming 3.0.0.6 Pro firmware you may have to wait few years. This is what you get from a $200-300 AIO router. Unfortunately, folks with $400-600 AIO routers get something similar. My advice - get a wired router, PoE switch and PoE access points from small business series. May come more expensive initially, but at least it's not a disposable hardware. Many threads on SNB Forums with ideas and equipment examples. Not as easy to setup as AIO home routers though and not a good option for everyone.

 

[Marlo]

It's been like this since I started testing Asuswrt. Even the latest 11/07/2023 firmware for RT-AX86U has functionality bugs. The router was released in 2020. For the updated hardware RT-AX86U Pro on different SDK and with coming 3.0.0.6 Pro firmware you may have to wait few years. This is what you get from a $200-300 AIO router. Unfortunately, folks with $400-600 AIO routers get something similar. My advice - get a wired router, PoE switch and PoE access points from small business series. May come more expensive initially, but at least it's not a disposable hardware. Many threads on SNB Forums with ideas and equipment examples. Not as easy to setup as AIO home routers though and not a good option for everyone.

Is it that difficult to develop software for a router (says a business software developer from decades ago when projects were tested properly)? I stuck with Asus because of the precedent experiences with the AC68U, the attraction of iPhone tethering as a secondary WAN, and the as yet to be experienced advantages of VLAN configuration, details on the Beta firmware that allow this as yet after a month+ trying are still unattainable from Asus Support.,

What about Merlin, is that any better? Does it allow configuration of VLANs and iPhone tethering?

Are any manufacturers better than Asus? I was intrigues by https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZQ5W4G7/?tag=snbforums-20 from sfx2000, had never looked at Synology as a router supplier, which has already delivered everything except the iPhone tethering it seems, but I'm not prepared to spend the cost to get one and find it is no more reliable than the ASUS unless I can be convinced their support is able to be engaged with which Asus in not and their firmware updates are more frequent.

My frustration is that there are too many models out there being peddled by B%&&*#*^T reviews from people who have never installed these routers they are promoting in their own networks for an extensive period to actually experience the issues we are discussing. I don't believe in reviews in general but I did believe in consensus till I bought the 'best router' RT-AX86U Pro, and now my problem is what to actually replace it with? (if I can get my money back. How the hell can the market require so many models?

So, does anyone have any reliable experience with the Synology RT6600AX, and any reasons to persist with the Asus RT-AX86U Pro?

 

[Tech9]

Asus RT-AX86U Pro and better models on the same hardware base work well for most people. This is what folks around say. The firmware is not perfect, but most people won't even notice the firmware bugs. I personally have one only AIO home router in use and it's the previous Synology model RT2600ac. I don't know what issues you have with your solar inverter and what AIO router works well with it, sorry.

 

[Marlo]

Asus RT-AX86U Pro and better models on the same hardware base work well for most people. This is what folks around say. The firmware is not perfect, but most people won't even notice the firmware bugs. I personally have one only AIO home router in use and it's the previous Synology model RT2600ac. I don't know what issues you have with your solar inverter and what AIO router works well with it, sorry.

The solar inverter is an AAB Inverter, AAB now owned by FIRMER, which accesses the internet through my Guest account to upload generation data every 15 minutes to the companies cloud application known as Aurora Vision®. To complete the picture with unrelated info if anyone is really interested, the inverter model is an AAB UNO-DM-1.2/2.0/3.0 TL-PLUS which has as it wifi spec IEEE 802.11 b/g/n standard

This has always worked well and was working through the AX86U Pro with Firmware Version:3.0.0.4.388_23565, then I upgraded when released on 8-Nov-2023 to Firmware Version:3.0.0.4.388_24198, and transmission of the data ceased completely. I rolled the firmware back and transmission continued immediately.

I repeated this upgrade and rollback a second time with the exact same outcome, so I currently cannot upgrade the routers firmware to the latest, and so far over the last week, have NOT HAD A RESPONSE FROM ASUS SUPPORT.

Interestingly, whether this double upgrade/rollback has had any other effect, I have currently had the wireless printer on for 18 hours, tried all sorts of uses, and so far during this period with the 23565 FW version, have NOT had any further connection issues which was the initial problem since the initial purchase, and had happened at least once since the replacement under warranty, but the blocking of the solar inverter data upload by the later firmware is not acceptable.

 

[Marlo]

The solar inverter is an AAB Inverter, AAB now owned by FIRMER, which accesses the internet through my Guest account to upload generation data every 15 minutes to the companies cloud application known as Aurora Vision®. To complete the picture with unrelated info if anyone is really interested, the inverter model is an AAB UNO-DM-1.2/2.0/3.0 TL-PLUS which has as it wifi spec IEEE 802.11 b/g/n standard

This has always worked well and was working through the AX86U Pro with Firmware Version:3.0.0.4.388_23565, then I upgraded when released on 8-Nov-2023 to Firmware Version:3.0.0.4.388_24198, and transmission of the data ceased completely. I rolled the firmware back and transmission continued immediately.

I repeated this upgrade and rollback a second time with the exact same outcome, so I currently cannot upgrade the routers firmware to the latest, and so far over the last week, have NOT HAD A RESPONSE FROM ASUS SUPPORT.

Interestingly, whether this double upgrade/rollback has had any other effect, I have currently had the wireless printer on for 18 hours, tried all sorts of uses, and so far during this period with the 23565 FW version, have NOT had any further connection issues which was the initial problem since the initial purchase, and had happened at least once since the replacement under warranty, but the blocking of the solar inverter data upload by the later firmware is not acceptable.

PS...I add that when data transmission ceased under the newer FW, the router still showed the inverter as connected on the guest account

 

[Tech9]

In this case keep the router on the firmware that works well for you and wait for further firmware updates. Nothing else you can do. This is what folks around are doing. Some say specific firmware versions don't work well with 160MHz wide channels, there were firewall settings bug few times, some firmware versions don't work well in AiMesh, etc. If you move to another consumer market vendor perhaps the situation will be very similar.

 

[OzarkEdge]

PS...I add that when data transmission ceased under the newer FW, the router still showed the inverter as connected on the guest account

Guest account? If you mean Guest Network1 WiFi, then try using Guest Network2 2.4/5.0 WiFi instead... it should still have Internet access.

If you have any more issues, start your own thread.

OE