TP-Link WiFi 6 router advice

[jontalk]

I've recently been searching for a mid-price WiFi 6 router as an upgrade from my Asus RT-AC68P which is solid but lacks the range and future proofing. Asus AX routers look good but they're on the pricey side and the AX55, 58, etc haven't received great reviews though I'm well aware of the $300 AX86 series but its overkill for what I need.

I have a 300 mbps Internet connection and live in a 1000 sq ft condo where there is lots of congestion. Having optimized settings on my Asus 68P, WiFi analyzer shows its weak where it counts in the living room. I need a moderately priced device that delivers speed and range along with basic features (QoS, etc). From what I've read, TP-Link received rave reviews for the AC1750 but not great for AX1800 and above.

Any advice is welcome.

Thanks

 

[L&LD]

Give the RT-AX68U a try. You may be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Tech9]

Any advice is welcome.

Try the newer model Archer AX21. Good feedback, currently on sale and Amazon - you can return it, if you don't like it.

This is Amazon USA price, available to ship. Read the reviews and decide. I've played with AX20 and it was a decent router.

 

[jontalk]

Try the newer model Archer AX21. Good feedback, currently on sale and Amazon - you can return it, if you don't like it.

View attachment 45835

This is Amazon USA price, available to ship. Read the reviews and decide. I've played with AX20 and it was a decent router.

Much appreciated..I've been hunting for its big brother, AX5400 too since it has separate antenna for both bands and has received good reviews

 

[jontalk]

Give the RT-AX68U a try. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Thanks..I've seen a few posts here about complaints with the hardware. And since the AC86U has problems, I'll hunt for an AX82 as well

 

[L&LD]

If you search enough, every piece of hardware will net you a few bad posts. I haven't seen any of the issues in those threads that firmware didn't fix.

See the latest link below, for example.

Release - ASUS RT-AX68U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.388.21732 (2022/11/28) | SmallNetBuilder Forums (snbforums.com)

 

[jontalk]

If you search enough, every piece of hardware will net you a few bad posts. I haven't seen any of the issues in those threads that firmware didn't fix.

See the latest link below, for example.

Release - ASUS RT-AX68U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.388.21732 (2022/11/28) | SmallNetBuilder Forums (snbforums.com)

Thanks..would you say the AX68 will have better range than my AC68P? I'd previously hunted for the AC86U but its obviously problematic and EOL too.

 

[L&LD]

The RT-AC68U was superceded in performance by the RT-AC86U. And then that model was then superceded by the RT-AX68U in every situation I've installed it in.

With almost double the throughput of the older AC class king, all in saying if that it is worth testing in your environment too.

 

[Tech9]

would you say the AX68 will have better range than my AC68P?

Don't buy AX68U. It's also obviously problematic and perhaps will be discontinued soon. The only Asus experiment with BCM6710 used for both bands. It has history of connectivity issues, delayed firmware releases, it's not a popular model and just disappeared here in Canada. Quite ugly design too. One single person on SNB Forums advertises this model with no success. Just look how many people reply to new firmware release threads.

 

[L&LD]

No advertising is done here. A few bad posts don't make it a poor choice for all.

But your constant love for the hardware inferior RT-AX86s is suspect. Particularly when a better buy is cheaper (RT-AX68U) or a slightly more expensive, but much better (RT-AX86U) is an option for most.

Meanwhile, you're the only one who has ongoing issues with models you don't even use yourself.

Every model I suggest is worth testing in people's specific environments.

Your comments are great too if we only use the router occasionally (to test the new firmware on). And then we unplug them and put them on a shelf.

 

[jsz]

I hate to be that person, but you should buy multiple routers in your price range...then return the ones that don't work as well. WIFI is too subjective for any one person to recommend you the absolute best solution for your home.

Assuming you're in the US.. Test channel 36 (unii-1) and then 161 (unii-3) separately on all of them during peak hours to avoid interference RNG. I recommend 20-30FT, granted the lower the connection speed, the less this matters.

These are both the main 80mhz 5G blocks that most AX/AC clients accept. 160mhz support/testing is fairly pointless as it relies on DFS and not all clients support DFS channels. (IE: Roku as an example).. Granted DFS MAY Work out well for you in a congested condo complex lol.

This will give you the best idea as auto channel selection on some routers will give you some weird results when comparing directly. You need apples to apples results with similar settings.

If you want the quick and dirty, higher MIMO configs within FCC power limits (1W) usually results in better wall penetration, though this can vary based on home layout and objects blocking signal..

With that said, price is relevant.. AX68U goes for around $140 USD right now. I don't think you want to down grade into 2x2 hardware space when your last router was 3x3 MIMO. (More relevant for legacy AC clients over 2x2 AX stuff that benefits from AX>AX SNR advantages)

Good luck.


Edit: AX86S is fine if you can get it for the same or slightly more expensive price range as AX68U. It's literally the same router HW design with a better 4x4 5G radio and identical performance to AX86U assuming you don't enable features (QoS, VPN, AI protection etc) that leverage main CPU/RAM.. AX68U doesn't have an advantage here.

Again.. Better 4x4 5G radio, Same BCM 4906 main CPU, Same 512MB ram, Same BCM6710 2.4G Radio, Same ports. Just not worth MSRP.. No ASUS router is.. IMO.

 

[Smokey613]

Amazon currently has the RT-AX86S on sale for $179.99

 

[TexasFlood]

Don't buy AX68U. It's also obviously problematic and perhaps will be discontinued soon. The only Asus experiment with BCM6710 used for both bands. It has history of connectivity issues, delayed firmware releases, it's not a popular model and just disappeared here in Canada. Quite ugly design too. One single person on SNB Forums advertises this model with no success. Just look how many people reply to new firmware release threads.

I noticed that microcenter no longer seems to stick the

Don't buy AX68U. It's also obviously problematic and perhaps will be discontinued soon. The only Asus experiment with BCM6710 used for both bands. It has history of connectivity issues, delayed firmware releases, it's not a popular model and just disappeared here in Canada. Quite ugly design too. One single person on SNB Forums advertises this model with no success. Just look how many people reply to new firmware release threads.

Microcenter no longer seems to stock the RT-AX68U. They did just a few months ago. Still have the really cheap RT-AC66U B1, at least for now.

 

[jontalk]

Meanwhile my primary question was about TP-Link AX routers

 

[L&LD]

Reviving RT-AC66U

Are you using OpenVPN as a server or services like NordVPN? What is your ISP's upload speed? A cheap solution (about $100) is: RT-AX56 v.1 or RT-AX58U v.1/RT-AX3000 v.1) - VPN to ~100 Mbps. Better but more expensive is RT-AX86S or possibly RT-AX68U - VPN to ~250 Mbps.

www.snbforums.com

 

[jsz]

Meanwhile my primary question was about TP-Link AX routers

Regardless of the brand, you should really just splurge for a 3x3 or better 4x4 5G design so you're not "downgrading".

 

[TexasFlood]

Meanwhile my primary question was about TP-Link AX routers

I've had good luck with Asus routers although they do generally cost a bit more. TP-Link routers reportedly provide a lot of bang for the buck. But I've read that they don't update firmware as frequently as Asus and security updates seem pretty important these days.

I've recently been searching for a mid-price WiFi 6 router as an upgrade from my Asus RT-AC68P which is solid but lacks the range and future proofing. Asus AX routers look good but they're on the pricey side and the AX55, 58, etc haven't received great reviews though I'm well aware of the $300 AX86 series but its overkill for what I need.

I have a 300 mbps Internet connection and live in a 1000 sq ft condo where there is lots of congestion. Having optimized settings on my Asus 68P, WiFi analyzer shows its weak where it counts in the living room. I need a moderately priced device that delivers speed and range along with basic features (QoS, etc). From what I've read, TP-Link received rave reviews for the AC1750 but not great for AX1800 and above.

Any advice is welcome.

Thanks

Wirecutter has a history of recommending TP-Link routers. They currently recommend the TP-Link Archer AX50 and TP-Link Archer AX55.

The Best Wi-Fi Routers

We’ve tested the latest Wi-Fi routers and found the best options—from budget models to top-of-the-line—to make your wireless network faster and more responsive.

www.nytimes.com

 

[jsz]

I've had good luck with Asus routers although they do generally cost a bit more. TP-Link routers reportedly provide a lot of bang for the buck. But I've read that they don't update firmware as frequently as Asus and security updates seem pretty important these days.

Wirecutter has a history of recommending TP-Link routers. They currently recommend the TP-Link Archer AX50 and TP-Link Archer AX55.

The Best Wi-Fi Routers

We’ve tested the latest Wi-Fi routers and found the best options—from budget models to top-of-the-line—to make your wireless network faster and more responsive.

www.nytimes.com

No offense, but Wirecutter is just picking routers at random and promoting them. The stuff they recommend makes no sense, especially for Nov 2022. lol

 

[TexasFlood]

No offense, but Wirecutter is just picking routers at random and promoting them. The stuff they recommend makes no sense, especially for Nov 2022. lol

They claim to test routers with a documented methodology/criteria. I don't use them as my primary source but wouldn't call it random. I recalled that they like TP-Link so thought I'd post it.

The Best Wi-Fi Routers

We’ve tested the latest Wi-Fi routers and found the best options—from budget models to top-of-the-line—to make your wireless network faster and more responsive.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Tech9]

Microcenter no longer seems to stock the RT-AX68U.

Nowhere to be found in Canada as well. I expect this model to be discontinued, if not already.

Meanwhile my primary question was about TP-Link AX routers

TP-Link Archer AX21 Review: CNET's Pick for the Best Wi-Fi Router

This hassle-free router will upgrade your home network to Wi-Fi 6 -- and it's faster than the competition, too.

www.cnet.com