Wireless router with good coverage for a large home ?

[bcm00re]

I don't need the 2.5Gbps port -- you can see more details about my setup and wants here: https://www.snbforums.com/threads/opinions-to-expand-my-coverage.81621/. I do see the AX86U has been on sale for $200 in the past -- so I'd be will to step up to it if I can find it that cheap.

 

[Farley]

Would the GT-AX6000 have significantly better 5Ghz WiFi range than the RT-AX86U? I am looking to upgrade my RT-AC86U and there is a good sale price on the GT-AX6000 in Australia at the moment (about the same price as the RT-AX86U at a couple of shops). I don't love the look of the GT-AX6000, but if it's substantially better I'd consider it.

Any other pros and cons between the two?

 

[jsz]

Would the GT-AX6000 have significantly better 5Ghz WiFi range than the RT-AX86U? I am looking to upgrade my RT-AC86U and there is a good sale price on the GT-AX6000 in Australia at the moment (about the same price as the RT-AX86U at a couple of shops). I don't love the look of the GT-AX6000, but if it's substantially better I'd consider it.

Any other pros and cons between the two?

For me, subjectively no.

Walls destroy max possible PHY rates. it's lower than my GT-AC2900 (AC86U Rebrand), but throughput is better.. Real world performance was only 50mbps higher on average @ 25-30 FT with same AX210 client.

In terms of line of sight, it's certainly better than most routers. CPU is also fairly snappy for GUI relative to the older 4908/4906 based routers.

YMMV.

I don't need the 2.5Gbps port -- you can see more details about my setup and wants here: https://www.snbforums.com/threads/opinions-to-expand-my-coverage.81621/. I do see the AX86U has been on sale for $200 in the past -- so I'd be will to step up to it if I can find it that cheap.

If theres not much price difference, then yeah makes sense.

 

[Farley]

Would the GT-AX6000 have significantly better 5Ghz WiFi range than the RT-AX86U? I am looking to upgrade my RT-AC86U and there is a good sale price on the GT-AX6000 in Australia at the moment (about the same price as the RT-AX86U at a couple of shops). I don't love the look of the GT-AX6000, but if it's substantially better I'd consider it.

Any other pros and cons between the two?

FWIW, I was encouraged by the data in Dong Ngo's review at https://dongknows.com/asus-rog-rapture-gt-ax6000-gaming-router-review/, and decided to pull the trigger on the GT-AX6000 in case the sale price ends!

 

[L&LD]

While I would recommend the GT-AX6000 from my own (and customers') experience, I wouldn't base anything on that website you link to.

 

[Farley]

While I would recommend the GT-AX6000 from my own (and customers') experience, I wouldn't base anything on that website you link to.

Now that you mention it, I can't think of a single negative review he's given for an Asus router. I did also read a few other reviews, and didn't find too many naysayers.

Thanks for the replies. I realise that I didn't provide any information about my setup or what I was hoping to improve relative to the RT-AC86U.

Even the look of it has grown on me after a few hours of looking at photos on the screen... I'm looking forward to getting it later today.

 

[jsz]

Now that you mention it, I can't think of a single negative review he's given for an Asus router. I did also read a few other reviews, and didn't find too many naysayers.

Thanks for the replies. I realise that I didn't provide any information about my setup or what I was hoping to improve relative to the RT-AC86U.

Even the look of it has grown on me after a few hours of looking at photos on the screen... I'm looking forward to getting it later today.

It's more or less the fact that he doesn't test real world situations. A lot of the 2x2 routers he reviewed won't push the performance numbers he shows.


Most of his data is line of sight.....Not that it matters since WIFI is heavily subjective to personal environment and or channels used by router.


The ID/build quality is better than most routers at this price point. Very solid, though "Gamer" look.


I went the same route (GT-AC2900) and ended up returning my GT-AX6000 because it wasn't really an upgrade in my environment, at least not the upgrade I was expecting. Same AX210 client/iphone/macbook on both.

 

[Tech9]

I was hoping to improve relative to the RT-AC86U

If you have mostly AC clients, the new router may be a bit disappointing for you. AC86U is an excellent long range performer, when it works. Compare the two and share your experience. My AC86U beats AX86U in lower channels range. I mean - a room further coverage through 3 walls.

 

[bcm00re]

If you have mostly AC clients, the new router may be a bit disappointing for you. AC86U is an excellent long range performer, when it works. Compare the two and share your experience. My AC86U beats AX86U in lower channels range. I mean - a room further coverage through 3 walls.

What do you mean by "when it works"? I bought a AX86S today for $180 (but don't plan to open it until after BF sales) but now you got me back to thinking I should get a GT-AC2900 for $120 instead since it should have better range. Not sure I have any ax clients yet.

 

[Tech9]

What do you mean by "when it works"?

This:

Want to add new RT-AC86U to existing network as AIMesh node

I have a working RT-AC86U router and want to add a NIB 86U as an AIMesh node, but am a bit confused as to how to start, since I know the first thing I need to do is to get the new router firmware to update. Do I have to disconnect my Primary router and plug the new one's WAN port to my ISP...

www.snbforums.com

I should get a GT-AC2900 for $120 instead

No, keep AX86S.

 

[bcm00re]

Oh, I see what you are saying now -- thanks for pointing me to all that info! That said, do we really know the innards of the AX86S aren't pretty similar to the AC86U (because they share the same processor and memory I believe)?

 

[L&LD]

No, they don't share the same processor and memory, nor ports, nor... The price difference to the RT-AX86U is rarely justified (when both are compared to their sale prices).

 

[bcm00re]

No, they don't share the same processor and memory, nor ports, nor... The price difference to the RT-AX86U is rarely justified (when both are compared to their sale prices).

I was talking about the AX86S and AC86U (with the latter being the same as a GT-AC2900).

 

[jsz]

I was talking about the AX86S and AC86U (with the latter being the same as a GT-AC2900).

They're Identical design aside from radios.

GT-AC2900 has AX86 antenna ID (likely doesn't matter) + supports 160mhz is 80+80 mode (This mode doesn't work well for 80mhz limited clients. IE: they will grab signal like a 2x2 router.) I would keep the default 20/40/80mhz limit for 4x4 broadcasting to all clients for obvious reasons.

AX86S supports full 4x4 160mhz broadcasting and has innate SNR benefits which may or may not benefit you depending on walls/local environment.


Edit: 2x AC86U based units will out perform one single modern 4x4 AX BCM router (even flagship stuff) if using a wired backhaul. I can recommend the GT-AC2900 if you plan on using 2x routers and can get it for $100-110 on sale during "black Friday".

Maybe buy both on sale and return the worse option? No one will be able to give you a definitive answer outside of hardware superiority. WIFI devices are far from static, but there is generalization.

GT-AC2900 should drop in price to low $100's again fairly soon. AC/AX client doesn't really matter IMO.

GT-AC2900/AC86U is still solid, but may not be updated as frequently as it was.

 

[Tech9]

They're Identical design aside from radios.

No, they are not. AX86 series are completely redesigned routers running on different SDK firmware.

 

[bcm00re]

@Tech9
But does that prove the hardware setup (beyond the radios) is different between the AX86S and the GT-AC2900? I ask because they seem to share all the same hardware except for the radios.

 

[bcm00re]

@jsz
You can see more about what I am trying to attain in this thread: https://www.snbforums.com/threads/opinions-to-expand-my-coverage.81621/

 

[Tech9]

I ask because they seem to share all the same hardware except for the radios.

They share the same components, but have different design PCB and heat management solutions.

 

[Farley]

If you have mostly AC clients, the new router may be a bit disappointing for you. AC86U is an excellent long range performer, when it works. Compare the two and share your experience. My AC86U beats AX86U in lower channels range. I mean - a room further coverage through 3 walls.

You're right!

Biggest stress test for me was getting the 5GHz signal to a room that is upstairs and towards the front of the house. (It just happens to be my study.) Internal and external walls are brick and the upper floor is concrete; thanks to some interesting wiggles in the shape of the external wall, the signal has to punch through at least four brick walls and a concrete floor to reach my study. The AC86U is actually a bit better at it if I tilt one of the antennas to encourage the signal to go that way. The antennas on the AX6000 are harder to tilt, and I haven't achieved much by moving them much away from vertical so far.

Oh well... I have been trawling these threads and reading about the problems of the AC86U, trying to rationalise the upgrade now. Surely it is due to fail any day now!

Either way, I also have an RT-AX58U that I've been using as an access point or Aimesh node upstairs. It's currently running off a pair of PoE adapters, and I was vaguely hoping to avoid the cost of getting better cabling done, but that now seems unrealistic.

 

[Tech9]

the signal has to punch through at least four brick walls and a concrete floor to reach my study.

The signal from a router (up to 1W) may reach your client somehow, but how is your client (under 50mW) is going to reply back to the router? You have to use more APs. There is no other way to get better Wi-Fi through brick walls and concrete floors.