Why is the ac86u half the downlink of the netgear r7800?

[comp666]

The asus ac86u comes highly recommended by a lot of members here. However, when I look at the benchmarks, it's only got 164 MBps downlink on 5ghz (what I usually use) vs 295 from the Netgear r7800:

https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wir...900-wireless-router-reviewed?showall=&start=2

Am I missing something here? Isn't this a huge deal given the netgear is $10 cheaper? I know I'm probably interpreting something wrong since the difference can't be that big. Thanks for the help.

 

[psychopomp1]

The asus ac86u comes highly recommended by a lot of members here. However, when I look at the benchmarks, it's only got 164 MBps downlink on 5ghz (what I usually use) vs 295 from the Netgear r7800:

https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wir...900-wireless-router-reviewed?showall=&start=2

Am I missing something here? Isn't this a huge deal given the netgear is $10 cheaper? I know I'm probably interpreting something wrong since the difference can't be that big. Thanks for the help.

Its widely accepted that the R7800 is THE router to get if you want the best wifi coverage/range, so yes, its better than the Asus RT-86U. However one of the reasons why the RT-AC86U is popular on these forums is that its one of fast routers for VPN speeds - AFAIK around 200 Mbps on Openvpn.

 

[drabisan]

Change the channels, use WiFi Analyser to make sure is as clean as possible from interference and it does 80MHz or higher.
With a 2x2 client on a clean spectrum you can get 600mbps from wireless to LAN or internet. My RT-AC68U can do it, my GT-RT5300 can do it easier.
Even your 295mbps is anything but impressive, 165 is simply bad!
Another point, don't judge the speed measured with a phone! Maybe a high end phone can get as high as wireless can do, but rely on a laptop on power not on battery and with at least a 2x2 adapter. Everything that runs on battery will have some flavour or another of power management that will kill the need for speed

 

[umarmung]

Some Netgear hardware tends to be better than the market, but their software and update cycle is almost always inferior, even compared to some non-Asus routers. They also have a nasty habit of marking their products end of support early or just stopping updates. My own tests with some older Netgear products also showed they are not secure by default (they have open ports that cannot be closed) and ultimately vulnerabilities were exposed as a result. Also, Netgear products (not just routers) started to collect customer data by default.

Both routers already exceed most client device capabilities. This is why even 3x3 routers remain very popular, with mainly the CPU, software and hardware reliability being the primary differentiators. Most consumers are looking for a device that "just works" for their minimum required features, not for optimal performance.

On top of superior Asus software feature set, the RT-AC86U has one of the fastest and modern CPUs for a consumer router and has the best VPN performance for any consumer router. It is one of the most reliable and least complained about routers. It can also run Merlin, which makes it a big plus around here since this is where RMerlin hangs out.

Finally, it depends on your use case. If you are looking for the best possible WiFi performance from a single unit without having to resort to enterprise APs, then R7800 should certainly be on your review list. But given that these days you can get not just one but multiple SOHO APs for the price of a 4x4 standalone router, even a cheaper one like the R7800, more people are gradually switching to these AP products or re-using routers as APs as they realize in many situations they can get better average wireless performance from wider coverage than from a single router.

So, using multiple APs or routers as APs, devalues the strength of a single unit, especially if its software is much worse by comparison and does not support managing multiple units.

Still, if Amazon reviews are anything to go by, the Netgear R7800 may be 10x+ more popular than the RT-AC86U anyway, though it is a year and a half older than the RT-AC86U. So, pick your poison depending on how you use your router and what you need, not just on a single number.

 

[bandit8623]

The asus ac86u comes highly recommended by a lot of members here. However, when I look at the benchmarks, it's only got 164 MBps downlink on 5ghz (what I usually use) vs 295 from the Netgear r7800:

https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wir...900-wireless-router-reviewed?showall=&start=2

Am I missing something here? Isn't this a huge deal given the netgear is $10 cheaper? I know I'm probably interpreting something wrong since the difference can't be that big. Thanks for the help.

i dont have the 86u i have the older 68u and i get 400mbps on 5ghz.

 

[umarmung]

i dont have the 86u i have the older 68u and i get 400mbps on 5ghz.

You cannot compare your peak throughput with the average of throughput-attentuation used in the SmallNetBuilder reviews. This is the average throughput from near to furthest edge of range (up to a certain threshold of signal level).

You are also probably not even using a 2x2 client, but a 3x3 or better like a MacBook pro or PC adapter, which will raise your throughput yet again.

 

[bandit8623]

You cannot compare your peak throughput with the average of throughput-attentuation used in the SmallNetBuilder reviews. This is the average throughput from near to furthest edge of range (up to a certain threshold of signal level).

You are also probably not even using a 2x2 client, but a 3x3 or better like a MacBook pro or PC adapter, which will raise your throughput yet again.

ummm.. nooo . i peak at 400 . my average is 350 mbps. i use my hp laptop alot. and yes its 2x2

 

[umarmung]

ummm.. nooo . i peak at 400 . my average is 350 mbps. i use my hp laptop alot. and yes its 2x2

I am not sure what your point is. You are not comparing like for like and this thread is about the Asus RT-AC86U.

The Asus RT-AC86U will always have superior 5 GHz WiFi performance over the Asus RT-AC68U under the same exact context, if for no other reason than the RT-AC86U has a 4x4 radio in this band and the RT-AC68U is 3x3.

 

[bandit8623]

I am not sure what your point is. I'll say it again: you are not comparing like for like.

This thread is about the Asus RT-AC86U. It will always have superior 5 GHz WiFi performance over the Asus RT-AC68U under the same exact context, for no other reason than the RT-AC86U has a 4x4 radio and the RT-AC68U is 3x3.

ya man. i was just saying im getting good speeds on my 68u... proving that his 86 either has issues or a config issue... u replied to my comment saying how i shouldnt be posting peak speeds and such... i just replied to say what they were. maybe address the correct person .

 

[comp666]

i dont have the 86u i have the older 68u and i get 400mbps on 5ghz.

Yeah I realized after I posted that the downlink "profile" is not the same as the downlink "throughput". The downlink throughput of the 86u starts at 500mbps and trails the nighthawk by ~20% across various levels of attenuation. It's not exactly "half" like I originally posted.

My WAN download speed is only 150mbps and my current asus n66u is already good enough to max that out across my apartment. So the real question is: r7800 vs ac86u, which one is more relible? The only reason I'm upgrading my current router is because it keeps rebooting every day even with the latest merlin firmware. I'm probably going with the asus because people seem to love it here based on the polls.

 

[maxbraketorque]

There were reported AC86U stability issues when first released around this time last year, but my AC86U routers have been 100% stable since I purchased my first in January. All the .382 and .384 firmwares have been totally trouble-free. Of course there are some people who have some issues with these routers depending on what they are doing. Its inevitable.