I got an ASUS RT-AX86U recently. Little did I realize there are lot of Privacy issues going on with this router and ASUS in general. If you enable any of their AiProtection, Traffic analyzer, Apps analyzer, Adaptive QoS and web history, they are collecting a ton of data. Since their terms are very open, its hard to find what data they are limited to in collecting. If you turn off these features, its not worth the money.Asus should take the privacy more serious and explain what is being collected and not leave it others like Trend Micro to handle the data. Privacy is security in this case. You need the router to be the most reliable equipment at your home.
Shawn G. 说：
I’ve had the RT-AX86U for a month now. It’s a great router when it works.Pros….Excellent wifi signal range, with caveatsGreat throughputDurable constructionCons…Throughput to the WAN drops dailySometimes takes a while to communicate with ISP for DHCPWifi stops communication with WANIn the beginning, this router had everything I was looking for. Excellent wifi range and throughput, bonded LAN ports worked well with my NAS, and my wired connections through my gigabit switch had no issues.I then began to notice some quirks.The most problematic issue was that throughout began to drop significantly on a daily basis. My download speeds would drop from 200+ Mbps to about 5 to 7 Mbps. A reboot of the router would correct the problem.The second minor issue, which was probably a firmware bug, is that when using bonded WAN connections into the router, the status display would report the WAN speed as being 100 Mbps, although the router connection to the WAN, where the IP address is shown, reported a 2Gbps speed. I could not discern any loss of speed there other than the aforementioned speed drop issue.The third issue, after almost a month, is that the wifi appears to have lost its internal connection to the internet. None of my wifi devices could receive data from the internet. My cell phones would connect to the router or report the SSID had an excellent signal, but report no internet or limited access. The router device list did not show any wireless devices.I performed a factory reset. It then took a very long time for the router to obtain an IP address from the ISP.I tried two different DOCSIS 3.0 cable modems, with no improvement noted.I finally removed the RT-AX86U router and reinstalled my old RT-AC68U. All of the issues immediately disappeared.Since it has now been 32 days since I received the router, I don’t think I can return it to Amazon. I suppose I’ll have to work with Asus on these issues, which is disappointing, considering how much the router cost me.
Arct1c0n 说：
Had the special Best Buy version of the AC86U which has the “upgraded” 1.0ghz dual core CPU’s vs 800mhz and it was a great router. Had the upgrade bug last year and got the AX88U which wasn’t much of an upgrade all things considered but it has stability issues and the first A1 hardware version had heating issues which a lot of other people on small net builder forum will also confirm, the A1.1 version from Vietnam fixed that.However, after COVID situation went to Hell in America, I was forced to work at home more and with my very limited desk space, the AX88u simply took up too damn much real estate. On top of that, I still had Skype call issues with my wife in Japan that I could never fix no matter what I tried.Once I saw news about the AX86U and the first ship arrived with them from Vietnam, I jumped on the chance to grab one.Of course, the footprint of the AX86u is MUCh smaller then the AX88U which was a big thing in my book. It however CANNOT BE WALL MOUNTED out of the box, so bear that in mind. My wifi strength in the 5ghz band at 161 channel in my crowded apt wifi saturated area has been just as good as the AX88u. I have not attempted 2.4ghz usage because my apt complex has waaaaaaaay to many 2.4ghz channels all over the place, so I don’t even bother.The unit does get pretty warm but the “verticle” chassis does allow the hot air to rise and be naturally convected outAt this time, RMerlin HAS NO PLANS to support this model with MERLIN firmware. So if you cannot stand Asus stock firmware, look elsewhereAlso, the out of box firmware has no working Traffic monitoring and QoS, so be sure to update from ASUS websitePROS:1. Looks great without being visually annoying unlike some other routers2. Wifi 5ghz coverage is great with good stability from my testing3. Built in hardware VPN support for your paranoid people4. Tried and true old school Asus GUI interface. No changes here if your happy with it5. 2.5gpbs LAN port support is great for future usage for NAS or gigabit plus internet6. Try as I might, I could not get the quad core 1.8ghz CPU to break a sweat, so you can throw A LOT of network traffic on this sucker for years to come6. Aggregate dual LAN’s for future internet support7. Gaming packet priority LAN port, if you care about such thingsCONS:1. No plans for MERLIN firmware support and thats from RMERLIN himself “EDIT: Apparently he is now working on supporting it, but be prepared for A LOT of bugs till a stable version”2. Asus firmware takes several version to work out bugs for new routers, so be prepared to be beta tester if you need stable high end features3. 2.5gbps LAN port support is not gaurenteed and may or may not be fixed with future firmware updates4. ASUS router GUI is getting long in the tooth and really needs an overhaul5. If your a paranoid/conspiracy theory/tin foil kinda person, the built in TrendMicro protection will collect some personal info. But if your on the internet/have smartphone/social security #, they already know all about you anyway
Zatt 说：
Upgraded from a Asus RT-N66U to the AX56U and was very impressed with the performance gain and range improvement (1500sq ft.). However I was rather annoyed that the WiFi seemed to be resetting in less than a 24hr period everyday and had no idea why! There was a Firmware update which I applied but I was still getting the WiFi reset issue. Well, I solved the problem! When you log into the router to change it’s settings go under the LAN settings then into the DHCP server settings and you will see a line item named “Lease Time” which mine was set to some oddball number of seconds that equal 17.4hrs. What this means is that after 17.4hrs the lease expires and the router re-issues all the IP addresses on the entire network over again thus re-setting all the WiFi devices! So first I increased this value to 170000 which is about 48hrs and violas! No resetting until 48hrs so I then set the value to 604800 which is 7days and have my router set to re-start every Saturday at 3am which is every 6days meaning now my router is no longer resetting the WiFi constantly and has now been stable! My previous Asus router did not have a “Lease Time” or was disabled so, I never had this problem before. I have 32 devices max connected to my router and have not run into any IP issues yet but, If you have many devices that connect/disconnect than you may want to stick the lower “Lease Time” of avoid IP address issues. My devices are pretty much always connected so, no issue for me. Anyway, I hope this helps some users and have read other reviews of the frequent WiFi reset issue. For me now without the constant WiFi reset I I’m very happy with this router for the price point! One other note! Under the “wireless settings” the WiFi mode defaults to Auto so I changed that to mixed N,AC, & AX which is exactly what I’m dealing with and that also seems to have improved things as well.
Consoomer_at_Amazon 说：
If you have 1 to 2 GBPs (aka 1000Mbps) this is a phenomenal home mesh network.Unless you are soon to have a 1 gig network, it’s quite expensive.I have an older home with plenty of brick and plaster walls with many wireless neighbors fighting for radio apace, and these things simply destroy all the ones I’ve installed.I build networks, wired and wireless for a living and I can attest to the power of these things and the ease of setup.I actually just put these into a small business and they love it. They can transfer files at 6Gbps internally since we also updated a few of their workstations to 802.11axTwo of these cover a three story home all with every device in the 5ghz range. A total of 52 devices!The app will help you set up your devices.The browser interface will give you much more capability.I had these the day I moved to an additional fiber provider 1gb. For a few days I had two 1gb connections, so of course I aggregated the two connections just to see if and how how it would work.Wow, 1.7 GBPs was quite impressive for a a day ;)Cons:1) they are ugly. (Moped theory though)2) The browser interface is clunky and takes some time to get through.3) for best results I would still use a cabled backhaul. Not necessary, but slightly better.4) it will not play with any other routers currently out on the market. I’m sure this will change in time.5) they are a bit pricey
Brian R. Field 说：
I needed a new wireless router after getting security cams. My old one just didn’t have the bandwidth. It was a TP-Link and had been awesome so I went with the AC3150 from them. It died after 6 months and was so poor a product I didn’t have it repaired. I bought this instead. Initial setup was a little weird. You had to go to an Asus website which redirected you to the router. As someone that works in IT, I just want a default ip I can go to, but no you HAVE to go through this once. After the initial setup you can access it through it’s ip. Other than that, it’s been great. Handles my cams, phones, laptop, wired desktops, streams huge video files to my tv, all without a blip. Glad I bought it. One caveat: to turn on the Trend Micro security functions, you need to agree to give all your browsing data to them. Not a chance Bucko.
Chuck Pappas 说：
I jumped on this and pre purchased the minute I saw it announced at ces earlier this year. Affordable wifi 6 mesh in an easy to use package what could go wrong.Well honestly you get what you pay for here.The Good-Affordable-Main router has decent range and promised speedsThe Bad-Setup is abysmal. It’s slow… Doesn’t always work as well. May have to tell it to setup multiple times before going through.-Router setup options are very very limited. There is not much you can do with the app or on the ip interface through Ethernet.-Mesh Network is slowwwwwwwww and has very limited range! This is the main reason for 1 star and a quick return of the product. The mesh node is simply awful.-No way to get my LED lights to connect as the smart switching network has no way to limit a device to only 2.4ghz network. (Required for my LEDs)I returned this and went with Google’s mesh. Sure no wifi 6 but also it just works. If your looking for the fastest mesh network it was Amazon’s eero pro system but paying a yearly premium for features that should be included in every router puts an awful taste in my mouth. So in Google I currently trust until someone releases a mesh that is better. Also stay far away from TP Link it was faster then this network but if your a gamer it can experience intermittent disconnects that can ruin the online experience.Hope this review helps save you time and fraustration with your mesh network search.
Wizard Island 说：
I bought this to replace a Netgear Orbi system, which works very well in my home with 300/30 internet. It had been virtually bulletproof, but I’d heard so much HYPE about WiFi 6 that I figured it had to be better.Now we’re experiencing constant dropouts trying to stream on one television. Internet speeds around the house are roughly 25% of the speed at the modem.Tomorrow morning the Orbi gets reconnected and this piece of trash goes back to Amazon.Clearly marketed and shipped before it was fully baked. Avoid, avoid, avoid!
PizzaNinja 说：
Your browser does not support HTML5 video. Bought this as I was excited about Wi-Fi 6 with my iPhone 11 Pro. Took really long to set up and just so-so Wi-Fi in the end (30% slower than my earlier mesh system). Chromecasts don’t work properly. Photo and audio streaming is bad and cuts out or stops randomly. Also two of my devices won’t connect (Google speakers).Looks cheap with the glossy black plastic yet the top venting is clever. Still – wouldn’t want these out in the open in my house.Decent set-up instructions in the app but overall it took over 30 minutes to set up. And even after the installation seemed complete, it wasn’t clear why the Wi-Fi was way worse than my earlier mesh system until I noticed the orange light on the satellite. Had to unplug that and re plug it and then a few minutes later I had Wi-Fi in my kitchen again. However can’t connect reliably to my smart speakers to stream audio, they suddenly drop of the connection even works. Can’t connect to Chromecast to share photos (big issue today with a birthday party at home). Wi-Fi speeds are 30% worse than my older system. I suspect this is because I went from a 4×4 mesh to this 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 which promised hyped specs.Oh I also noticed that you only get 90 day free support and warranty. They want you to sign up for $79/year for further support. Contrast this with other top mesh systems that offer a 2 year warranty and unlimited support.
SimpsonsTX 说：
I’ve been using the AX1800 (the cheapest in the family) for about a week now. I’m not a gamer, but we do stream a lot of TV/Movies and it’s held up really well. Wifi6 works with the iphone 11 although I don’t have any other devices. i have Dual WAN setup with an old android phone there in case Spectrum goes out and so far everything seems pretty good.Setup was easy, plug in the cables where they go and look for the asus ssid on your computer (or plug your computer into it with an ethernet cable) and then it’ll step you through getting it up and running. The basics are really done for you. The tip though, with many cable providers its best to unplug/turn off your cable modem for 10 mins or so before plugging it into the new router so it forgets the mac address of the old one. Could just be a spectrum thing, but it was perfect and started working immediately.The bad, I’ve got a hard drive plugged into the other (USB3) port and have it setup for time capsule, but it’s unusably slow. Plugged in with ethernet (gigabit) it took 14 hours for the initial 150GB backup and then a day later let me know it was corrupt, repeating caused the same issue. No biggie, I’ll plug that into my raspbery pi, but would have been nice to have it off the router.That’s about it. Everything works well and seems to cover our 3000sq ft brick house pretty well, and in the future I can always add another asus router and use AiMesh.
David G. 说：
Pros:- Speed, speed, speed. Best WiFi speeds I’ve ever experienced, I routinely hit peaks at 800MBps+ (see pic) => +5 starsCons:- Web interface is excruciatingly slow, counter-intuitive and cumbersome. The previous Orbi generation web interface was already pretty bad, but this is worse, the new Orbi supposedly comes with a much snappier CPU and should run the webserver a lot faster, but it doesn’t. To add insult to injury, Netgear removed a ton of options readily available in the Orbi first generation => -1 star- Security is not implemented well, the thing leaks like a sieve (see picture, you absolutely don’t want the blue squares). I would caution against connecting the router directly to your provider’s WAN, you might want to leave a gateway or a cheap yet capable router in the way. That’s using the latest firmware available (V3.2.9.2_1.2.4), and with the firewall settings on (“Disable Port Scan and DoS Protection” is off, it makes no difference on or off anyway, I tried both) => -2 starsI own the previous generation of Orbi router/satellites, they are far from perfect, but they are rock solid and reliable when it comes to security. This new product was obviously rushed to market, and consumers are essentially being used as beta testers. Given the amount of similar reviews all over the interwebs, I’m surprised Netgear is not stepping up, the firmware in its current state is either going to lead to extremely negative headlines when someone manages to exploit the security holes on the WAN side, or to a class action lawsuit for selling an unfinished product and not implementing what their website says they did. Netgear keeps saying here in the comments they provide high security and point to their website security “good practices”, but they haven’t even implemented the first “security measure” listed on their site.I’ll come back and update my review as they make progress, in the meantime, I’m putting my RBR850 behind an el-cheapo router with a standard firewall stack (it doesn’t take much effort to implement, but I guess it’s too much to ask from Netgear for now). This is disappointing to say the least, especially when you have to drop a grand to get a router and 2 satellites.*** 2/24/2020 update ***I did submit a case on the Netgear support website (per their request in the comments), and also pointed out the security issues on their forum. No peep from Netgear, so that’s another star that’s gone. Some forum users acknowledged they saw similar issues with the built-in firewall, but Netgear reps never took the time to look/respond at the forum either. I gave up and bought an Edgerouter 4 from Ubiquiti and switched the Orbi to AP mode (access point only). The Edgerouter proved to be rock solid and secure, though if you plan to make a similar move, make sure to triple-check your firewall rules on he router before you make the switch. It’s unfortunate I had to spend another $200 to get basic security that was available in the previous Orbi generation. One positive note: the guest network in AP mode still works, it has its own subnet and dhcp, I was actually surprised moving to AP mode didn’t screw that up (one can argue since guest devices are on a different subnet with its own dhcp, they’re effectively being route, so it’s not true AP mode for them, but that’s the way it should be designed to keep the guest network isolated).*** 3/1/2020 update ***I keep finding new bugs on a regular basis. Latest one: if you plan to use the router in AP mode and plan to use a fixed IP address for the router instead of DHCP, the router will not connect to NTP servers to get the correct time, even if you try to use a third party server and not Netgear’s. Why does it matter? Many devices will not properly connect to WiFi guest due to the fact that the guest network has its own DHCP server (it’s on its own VLAN), I suspect the leases are out of whack due to the time discrepancy between the router and the devices.*** 3/18/2020 update ***Netgear pushed a broken firmware last week and essentially bricked many Orbi’s in the process. See Netgear forums, lots of unhappy users over there. We’re well into negative stars territory at this point.*** 4/1/2020 update ***Well, I really gave it the old college try, but I eventually gave up and put the thing for sale on fleabay. The hardware is great, but the software is simply not mature enough, and I have better things to do than debug the damn thing on behalf of Netgear. I switched to the Amplifi Alien and things have been rock solid since then. YMMV.
Justin 说：
Update: After returning this I bought the Ubiquiti Amplifi Alien wifi 6 mesh router and an extra to create a mesh. The Ubiquiti product is superior in every way, and gives the user the experience of using a product that it seems like someone actually tested before unleashing it on customers. The hardware is better designed (solid feel, integrated power supply instead of wall wart, matte rubbery texture surface). Wifi 6 network performance is superior, especially as distance from a single router increases. The user interface is vastly superior… it is fast, responsive, and does what it says it is going to do. Adding a mesh point is trivial and thanks to the display on the front you won’t be marveling in confusion at a blinking colored light that does not match what Netgear says it should. The Ubiquiti immediately and correctly sets up a second unit as a mesh point, and you can switch it to ethernet backhaul with a single tap. Updating is easier and you can actually tell what it is doing in the process. Literally everything about it is superior to the Orbi. Spend the extra money for the Ubiquiti Amplifi Alien.The Wifi 6 Orbi mesh system has decent performance when it works, but the management interface is very slow, badly implemented, and the behavior of the devices is very buggy. It is clear from using it that the firmware is intentionally crippled for features relative to the business version of the AC Orbi. I dropped this in to replace an existing AC mesh setup, no static devices moved and the Orbi access points were installed in the same locations. I have the previous generation “business” Orbi AC setup at another location and it works fine, so this review is specific to the new Wifi 6 model. A few examples:1. The broadcast name for the network might not change even though it shows the change in the user interface.2. Status lights (especially on the satellite) may not actually change to the correct color or status which can be confusing.3. No HTTPS option for reaching the management interface.4. Devices randomly get dropped from the wireless network at times.5. Devices will randomly be unable to authenticate to the network for a while… and then they will be allowed to authenticate despite no changes to the Orbi setup or the SSID/password.6. Ethernet backhaul does not behave correctly in router or AP modes.7. Cannot use the 2.5 gigabit interface in AP mode.
Nsane1 说：
First off I’ve been doing networking for 30 years. I have 7 routers deployed in my home, so I know a bit about this topic. I moved from a 5300 which was performing fine (in a large mesh setup), but since I have over 100 clients connecting to the main router, as well as wifi 6 devices, I thought I would trade the 5300 for the AX11000, mistake.I have been experiencing random reboots, and dropped wireless clients (ALL wireless clients) on the AX11000. I have tons of IoT clients, so I can’t just upgrade them, but even more “normal” clients like phones, laptops, etc. get dropped.So working with tech support, they tell me its a hardware problem (it’s not). So I force them to escalate to engineering. Then, I get this crazy instruction sheet on how to back level my router and basically turn OFF all my new functionality (this instruction sheet is based on the 5300, so it basically doesn’t help and shows they don’t know how to actually fix the problem, since it doesn’t apply to this actual router).They tell me to turn off AC and AX, they tell me to turn off MIMO. Ridiculous, I would have been better off with a working 5300, and saved $450, along with about 12 hours of trouble-shooting.My advice is to wait for a firmware upgrade (the only firmware availble is the original code from Nov). Also, check snb forums, this is a common issue with this router. Asus released this product too soon.Update. I have backlevled the device as recommened by support, as I had to make a choice between feeding my animals and having wifi6 connections. So with wifi6, mu-mimo, and beamforming disabled, I can connect things reliably. Of course, this has now turned into a 5 year old router that is worth about $100 instead of a new router that cost me $450, but at least it works about half as well as the router it placed (I just don’t want to spend hours undoing what I have done).Update 4/1/19 – Asus released a firmware update for this router. I can now get Wifi6 connections, and at the same time, it allows for legacy suport. This required a full factory reset of all nodes. Unfortunately, however, I am still experiencing random connectivty resets. Now, instead of just wireless, it is dropping even wired connections. This is on all nodes. So, this router is still not ready for prime-time, rating unchanged.Update 4/30- Stability has increased. It still has some hiccups, the transition from a 6 to 5 connection is not great, but overall it is usable. Updating my review from 1 to 4 at this time. I’m hopeful we get back up to 5 soon.
AnAmazonKing 说：
Don’t waste your time getting the new AX (wifi 6) tech since its not readily available in devices they said. Don’t spend the money cause its gonna be like a normal router for a couple of years until more are released.Let me tell you – ignore that. This is a BEAST. I spent 3+ weeks trying out different solutions on wifi. I tried Orbi mesh. While that is a good product, I am not really in need of a mesh. Speeds averaged 460-525 Mbps. (I tested at different times of day but same time frames with other products).I tried the XR500 Nighthawk that is one of the highest rated devices with DumaOS. So many issues that I was losing my mind. I tried several fixes. Separate the bands, channels, etc. My security cams were going offline every 30 mins or so for at least 15. I was so fed up with trying to trouble shoot the device. My speeds were 580 – 670 Mbps with it which I did enjoy. But speed is only useful if its actually CONNECTED to the devices.Last ditch effort I tried this router. The RAX80 and holy moly. Plugged in, used the mobile app and was up within 5 mins. Every device attached with no issues. No disconnects after multiple days use. Speed improvement on every item. I have 38 devices accessing my wifi as part of the smart home. This monster just cranks it out. No problems at all. My speed on several tests as compared to the same day/ time as the ones above – 830-960 Mbps I am not sure why its such a huge improvement but it is. I cannot say enough good things about this router. Not only is is a monster with handling speeds and multiple devices – just look at it. It is not one you want to hide. You want to show this baby off. Several people have asked me what the space ship is. This thing went from being in an Amazon box to installed and cranking out wifi / lan within 10 minutes and NOT a single drop of signal. I am future proof as well. So I say if you can afford it, do not hesitate. You will really like it.EDIT:After 2 months this router is still the best one I’ve ever seen. Still getting top level speeds right at a gig. I’ve got 42 devices attached to it (smart home) and it doesn’t even cough. I rarely am this surprised. This router is still #1 in everything I tried!
AnAmazonKing 说：
Don’t waste your time getting the new AX (wifi 6) tech since its not readily available in devices they said. Don’t spend the money cause its gonna be like a normal router for a couple of years until more are released.Let me tell you – ignore that. This is a BEAST. I spent 3+ weeks trying out different solutions on wifi. I tried Orbi mesh. While that is a good product, I am not really in need of a mesh. Speeds averaged 460-525 Mbps. (I tested at different times of day but same time frames with other products).I tried the XR500 Nighthawk that is one of the highest rated devices with DumaOS. So many issues that I was losing my mind. I tried several fixes. Separate the bands, channels, etc. My security cams were going offline every 30 mins or so for at least 15. I was so fed up with trying to trouble shoot the device. My speeds were 580 – 670 Mbps with it which I did enjoy. But speed is only useful if its actually CONNECTED to the devices.Last ditch effort I tried this router. The RAX80 and holy moly. Plugged in, used the mobile app and was up within 5 mins. Every device attached with no issues. No disconnects after multiple days use. Speed improvement on every item. I have 38 devices accessing my wifi as part of the smart home. This monster just cranks it out. No problems at all. My speed on several tests as compared to the same day/ time as the ones above – 830-960 Mbps I am not sure why its such a huge improvement but it is. I cannot say enough good things about this router. Not only is is a monster with handling speeds and multiple devices – just look at it. It is not one you want to hide. You want to show this baby off. Several people have asked me what the space ship is. This thing went from being in an Amazon box to installed and cranking out wifi / lan within 10 minutes and NOT a single drop of signal. I am future proof as well. So I say if you can afford it, do not hesitate. You will really like it.EDIT:After 2 months this router is still the best one I’ve ever seen. Still getting top level speeds right at a gig. I’ve got 42 devices attached to it (smart home) and it doesn’t even cough. I rarely am this surprised. This router is still #1 in everything I tried!
Wizard 说：
3/28/19Asus “Customer Loyalty” Dept reached out to me and this is what I experienced::1) I was informed the Asus REP who told me that they were aware of the 2.4G Failures was now “MISINFORMATION”…. If indeed this was “Misinformation”, then why are there SO MANY Reviews from frustrated customers who have documented this EXACT problem without a resolution? And remember, there are likely MANY MORE who returned these units without writing any reviews.2) If there are NO issues with these routers, then why after reporting first the failures of the RT-AC86U (I bought and returned two in two weeks) , It was suggested I upgrade to a RT-AC88U….. which I did and it failed after two weeks! The customer loyalty dept then suggested I then upgrade to the RT-AX88U which would have been an additional $120+…….. I suggested that for all the wasted time I spent on the phone and hours going through failed suggestions on how to correct the problems plus 3 trips in Returns to UPS that Asus pay the difference if they think this was the only way to supply me with a reliable, working Router.In my case, the Asus “Customer Loyalty” Department does not have the authority to make it right by paying the difference for a product they suggested would leave this customer satisfied. It appears there ability to actually solve issues does not include acknowledging their are ongoing problems with there products, nor knowing they are losing a loyal customer……So before you purchase any ASUS Router, READ ALL the Reviews as they are from actual customers who experienced what I did. Disappointing does not describe how they have left this for me and evidently countless others !So Abigail (from Asus), you can still make this right by contacting me if you truly wish to fulfill the purpose of your “Customer Loyalty Department”….**********************************************************************************************************************************I needed a MESH for my home, and I already have a RT-AC68U that has continued to perform. I purchased a RT-AC86U as the Master AI Mesh…. 7 Hours of Re-Booting & Calls to Asus finally confirmed it had Hardware Issues that could not be resolved, as it just would not AIMesh with the 68U. I had the replacement 86U in a matter of days and I then found the on board Switches for the Wi-Fi and LED’s would not work. It was returned too, but instead I thought a better model would resolve all. I ordered the RT-AC88U instead and for the first 2 weeks, it was great,and I loved the 8 onboard Ethernet Ports. Then one morning we found none of our Smart Home Alexa Devices would respond. Initially thinking Amazon’s Server was down, and I started checking and actually found the 2.4G radio in the 88U was not transmitting! Called Asus and they had me Re-Boot and insure I had the latest Firmware (I did) and it started working. Hung up the phone and thanked the CSR. Just a Hiccup? No! Within 5 Minutes the 2.4G was again Dead. Called Asus back and after numerous other repair attempts the CSR I spoke with actually said ” Yes… We are aware of the 2.4G Radio issues. You will need to return it to the Factory for Warranty Repair”….. Thanks, No…. I returned it to Amazon and I am still in need of a replacement Router. I did see other reviews going back 2 years with the same issue, but I dismissed them as one-offs., customer error issues. I was wrong. Evidently Asus is well aware of this, yet they are still sending out these without correcting the problems. Is every one defective? Not apparently so, but enough are that I am adding my disappointment in Asus to the list of poor reviews. And my e-mail to the Executive Offices (ACI-CEO_Feedback@asus.com) asking when they will resolve the problem have gone unanswered. The only bright spot in all these returns was that Amazon could not have been more supportive and bent over backwards to try to help resolve these issues for me.
Tech Focus 说：
********* Updates *********3/31/2019- New firmware 3.0.0.4.384_5977. Haven’t had chance to use for too long yet but issue with device list has been fixed, and it seems now I can just restart Node without restarting router then node in the specific order. Still no second 5GHz band usable to Smart Connect.- Added Advanced feature section as I got to use some of those features.3/13/2019- Update second 5G band direct connection section (only connects to router but not node).- Update Setup section, as for me reboot router and node order makes difference.- Added Router/Node switch Section2/26/2019- After 3 weeks of experience,o Update AiMesh and stability sections, now up from 3 stars to 4 stars features. See detail in corresponding sections.o Discovered that second 5GHz band can be used as separate SSID in AiMesh mode. (forced dual band section)o ASUS support very disappointing.o Simplified conclusion********* ********* *********Outside of the price, the specs on this router is currently unbeatable. Just to list a few amazing features that this router offers:1. Wifi 6 support2. AiMesh feature3. VPN Fusion feature4. Extensive customization options5. Gamer’s optimization (I cannot comment on this feature as I do not use this feature).********* ★★★★★ Features *********+++++ Speed +++++The router performance is great. In proximity to the router, I can get 500-600 Mbps Wifi internet download speed with 2016 Macbook Pro as well as Ipad Mini 4 on my 1Gbps service. Even at distance when connected to 5GHz band, I can get upper 300’s Mbps download at least 30 ft away from the router.+++++ Range +++++Our 3800 sqft two story house needed 3 Orbi Mesh system or 3 Eero Pro system to cover end to end with adequate speed. A single GT-AX11000 covers most of our home except one end of the basement, likely due to concrete wall.To put into the objective number, Orbi was fast and I could get 200+ Mbps Wifi download speed throughout my home, but very unstable. So I moved onto Eero. Eero got very stable system without a hiccup, running for months, but there were areas where my speed went down to 80’s or even lower Mbps for download. A single GT-AX11000 can get me 200+ Mbps throughout the house where the signal is reachable as long as connected to 5GHz band.With AiMesh, most part of house I get 300+ Mbps and the worst area where I have no AiMesh Node, I still get 200+ Mbps. Though AiMesh to other Mesh network system I had are not directly compared here because I only got 1Gbps service recently and previously had only 400 Mbps service and also I did not have Ethernet back-haul option before. Nonetheless, I’m happy with coverage.+++++ Advanced Features +++++Although there are many features that I do not use or don’t know how to use, lately as I set up more smart home device/home automation system, I’ve been impressed by what this router offers as otherwise, it could have got a bit more work.1) Static IP: Ax11000 allows single toggle button to each of its connected devices to get Static IP, which is based on MAC address of the device and handled by router side, so even after reboot of the router, this feature remains. If needed, even laptop/tablet can use this so going out of network and back is hand-free.2) VPN Server: Fairly readily set up to remotely log into home network.3) Free DDNS: This is run by ASUS and let you point to your home network router by NAME.asuscomm.com. This allows remote accessing of home devices easy as we do not have to worry about ISP changing your IP address and reconfigure VPN access etc.********* ★★★★☆ Features *********+++++ WIFI 6 support +++++This is certainly one of the main reasons to choose this router. The potential gain of WIFI 6 (802.11ax) standard is huge including speed boost, battery saving, and more simultaneous device connection. However, in order to see these benefits, supporting client device is needed. Recently, Samsung announced their latest phones to feature these, but I currently don’t own any client device. Also, Ax standard is still a draft version, so final version may have additional features that this router may not support (who knows). Basically, this is the future proof but not yet testable at the time.+++++ Setup +++++As a standalone router, set up was easy. As an AiMesh system, the initial set up was also easy enough. However, once I change some parameters, the router goes offline and I must reboot the router and node manually. These should be automatic. Also, in my case default setting of AiMesh did not work so well.[3/13/2019] As part of other home network change/upgrade, I occasionally need to turn of Mesh Node. But when I do so, in order to get solid network back, I have to restart router first and wait until it is fully up, then turn Mesh Node on. Otherwise, system acts up.+++++ AiMesh +++++This is another major reason why I chose this router. AiMesh feature allows ASUS routers to act as true Mesh system. Advanced users can potentially implement Mesh like system using Access Point and/or Repeater mode of routers, but this requires lots of tuning like selecting proper Channel to avoid conflict, selection of Roaming parameters etc. Dedicated mesh system is simple but lacks customization option. AiMesh allows us to buy new and the latest, feature rich router and turn that into new router then use older routers to be satellite node to cover better range of house. This is a brilliant concept. For this reason, I have purchased two ROG GT-AX11000 routers.Initially by default setting, I had constant drop out of AiMesh node (satellite). This was fixed by making node into Ethernet mode where default setting was AUTO mode. The latter mode supposed to automatically choose the best connection either Wireless or Ethernet backhaul. In my case, I found out it tried to switch to Wireless but signal was too weak (as I intentionally placed in the area with weak signal), and then disconnects and instead of reconnecting to Ethernet, node went offline. Ever since the change, not a single event of node drop.+-+-+- Stability +-+-+-I have HEOS speaker network system. Originally when I got HEOS speakers, I thought it was the HEOS that was faulty system as some speakers kept disappearing from the App device list. But later I found out, it was the Orbi mesh network issue. This is because after switching to Eero mesh network, I had never had this issue once again.After fixing AiMesh node into Ethernet backhaul mode, this got better; however, I still experienced occasional sudden, device not connected to internet. After doing online research, I eventually changed setting to disable MU-MIMO, universal beamforming and airtime fairness options on both 5GHz and 2.4 GHz bands, and also enabled quality of service in media/internet surf mode. Ever since these changes, the Wifi went rock solid without any drop out. I had 7 solid days without a single reboot. As I do other home network upgrading, I have to turn them off every once and awhile. So mid-term stability is rock solid with appropriate setting, but figuring these on my own were not easy, and I don’t expect everyone get as lucky.********* ★★★☆☆ Features *********+-+-+- Many customization options +-+-+-Stand-alone router system has advantage over Mesh system for more sophisticated customization options to the advanced users. AX11000 has nothing short in terms of these options. This is great for advanced users, but for trouble shooting, too many options make impossible to figure out exactly what’s causing the problem. I think ASUS should make default setup so network stability is the highest priority then let user play around to get more optimized, faster speed.+-+-+- AiMesh Forced Dual Band +-+-+-In tri-band systems, AiMesh uses second 5GHz band for dedicated Wireless back-haul. This makes sense as keeping solid connection between the router and node is crucial in mesh network system, and Mesh system like Orbi uses this technology as well. However, what does not make sense is when I have the connection set to Ethernet mode (not AUTO), I see no reason to keep blocking the band. Basically, the router and node are now appears as dual-band system, which we can buy for cheaper price. There is a rumor on Internet forum, this may be reverted in future firmware update.[3/13/2019] It turned out the second 5GHz band is usable by disabling hidden SSID option. If you try to change the name to match Smart Connect SSID, you get an error though. Also, this band is only accessible on main router and not on Mesh Node.+-+-+- Router/Node switch +-+-+-In an ideal world, transition from router to node connection should be smooth and user shouldn’t even notice when the switch happened. In my case, this is a mixed experience. Sometimes device sticks to the original router or node despite the other is closer and even experienced a complete device disconnect when transition is happening. This sensitivity; however, is configurable by user in AiMesh. One need to change RSSI setting. I changed mine and it seemed to work better. However, I wish ASUS implement something so that RSSI value is automatically adjusted based on day to day statistics or at least suggest user to change RSSI values. This is probably one of the most important parameter to adjust to get optimal Mesh experience.********* ★★☆☆☆ Features *********—– VPN Fusion —–Another great feature on paper by ASUS. This feature allows individual device to go through specific VPN service using a single router/network. Previously, I had my old router set up to connect to VPN and devices that I want to connect to the VPN had to switch to the router.This feature can be a 3 stars because I was able to get this working with some VPN service such as Express VPN, but not others. However, those that do not work on this router works on ASUS Merlin firmware installed another router, so I believe it is not VPN server side issue. Basically, I see VPN connected on both server side and router menu; however, internet becomes inaccessible. To make it even worse, it affects entire network rather than just the device I associate with the VPN. Since this is one of the feature ASUS advertise, and I see as relatively unique to only some of ASUS routers, I hope to see this fixed.—– Devices disappearing from Network List —–[Update 3/31/2019] Firmware 3.0.0.4.384_5977 has resolved this issue.—– AiMesh Node not configurable —–It makes sense for some features to be non-selectable/configurable on AiMesh node as the purpose of mesh system is to make one change and reflect to all as a whole system. However, some feature like “light” on node should be individually configurable.—– Aesthetics —–It looks like a giant spider.********* ★☆☆☆☆ Features *********—– ASUS Customer Service —–I have submitted my issues on the Ax11000 soon after I received the first router. ASUS occasionally sent me email saying they are still working on then referring to special tech, which sounded a good customer care. However, they were all templated e-mails and most likely just to buy a time. After 3 weeks of wait, the response was very disappointing without any content that’s useful.********* ALTERNATIVE CONSIDERATIONS *********The main reason to choose this router is its WIFI 6 support. Currently, there are relatively limited options for WIFI 6 compatible routers, but many more are on its way. So why did I choose this over the other options? Noteworthy alternatives are ASUS AX88U, Netgear RAX120 and TP Link Archer AX11000.Vs. ASUS Ax88UAx88U is cheaper and also supports AiMesh. But it’s a dual band, lacks VPN fusion feature and theoretical speed rating is 6000. So technically, ROG Ax11000 is better in all the specs. However, when used in AiMesh with Ethernet back-haul, I am losing a band anyways with current firmware, so Ax88U is likely to give the same performance with cheaper price.Vs. TP Link Archer AX11000This router also has 11000 speed rating. Furthermore, TP Link announced AiMesh equivalent OneMesh feature. Up on reviewing online, I just saw ASUS router gets higher rating in general and longer support from the company. But prior to current purchase, I’ve never had ASUS or TP Link router, so I just went with what I read. Also another feature I wanted was VPN Fusion but TP Link had no mention about this type of technology.Vs. Netgear RAX120Out of all system, I think this was the biggest alternative option for me. RAX120 has multigig LAN ports up to 5Gbps whereas, ROG GT-Ax11000 only has one 2.5 Gbps LAN port. However, RAX120 is 6000 speed rated with dual band. Netgear does not have direct competitor technology of AiMesh but has Orbi like Extenders with Ethernet back-haul option, but I felt conceptually AiMesh sounded better with more flexibility. For instance, if times comes and I really need 5Gbps or even 10Gbps LAN port, I can purchase next generation ASUS router with such feature and use both AX11000 as AiMesh node.Vs. Other AX Mesh systemsOrbi, TP Link, and Arris will have Wifi 6 Mesh systems this year. I like and need Mesh system at home, but if we can get the Mesh functionality with more option/flexibility why would I choose more restrictive system? (Other than simplicity).********* Conclusion *********On paper, ROG Ax11000 is undoubtedly the best router on the market including what’s coming in near future. As a single router, this deserved 5 stars for sure.In AiMesh mode, I had originally struggled due to network stability issue. I was lucky enough to solve this on my own with internet search; however, ASUS tech support was no help. I would have returned the devices if I couldn’t have solved the issue. Since default setting did not work smoothly, I expect there will be others having the same or some different issues, and may consider this device may be unusable in AiMesh mode. So I’d give 4 stars for AiMesh setting because set up can be very tricky but once one figures out, it works better than other Mesh system I owned in the past.In the future, I hope VPN Fusion feature to be fully functional, third band to be optionally opens up in AiMesh mode and node to be configurable at least to some extent.
hgpilot - MM 说：
Replaced my Netgear Nighthawk X10 / 7200 with this. I have a full gig coming into my house and with the old Netgear could get almost 925MB up and down from a wired desktop. With this new one – identically configured – I’m only getting 425MB. Wireless 2.4 and 5 are much slower as well – I’m going to keep looking at these settings but unless I can figure out what’s going on, I’m going to return this and go back to my X10.Also – I can’t notice any stronger penetration / signal strength with this AX8 than from my X10 – I still need 2 extenders to reach my entire house.
hgpilot - MM 说：
Replaced my Netgear Nighthawk X10 / 7200 with this. I have a full gig coming into my house and with the old Netgear could get almost 925MB up and down from a wired desktop. With this new one – identically configured – I’m only getting 425MB. Wireless 2.4 and 5 are much slower as well – I’m going to keep looking at these settings but unless I can figure out what’s going on, I’m going to return this and go back to my X10.Also – I can’t notice any stronger penetration / signal strength with this AX8 than from my X10 – I still need 2 extenders to reach my entire house.
jlf 说：
This thing is a monster. I am not new to this sort of stuff. I have been at it for 20 years but I have never heard of stuff required to set this thing up. I don’t even know where to go to ask stupid questions! One thing for certain; It is nowhere near close to “plug and play” as my Apple Airport Extreme. I suppose that sometime in the future I will finally get this $500 monster setup but it won’t be soon. Unless you are a networking guru of some sort, look elsewhere.
AM ZN 说：
Disclaimer: Netgear has not paid me to write this review or asked me to endorse this product (AX 8). I was fortunate enough to be selected in beta testing of this router. I am providing feedback based on 2++ months real world use of this product.Pros:1) Awesome design2) New Netgear GUI for setup and configuration – very easy to use and fast. I had the router setup in < 5 mins3) Performance is decent out of the box – I expect with future firmware updates, this performance will improve more. Also performance will be better once you have matching AX clients connecting to the router4) No wi-fi drops5) Can handle 20 streaming clients without any issues7) No buffering or stuttering when streaming wireless or wired8) No dead spots in a 3500 sq feet home and coverage (3 bars) 30ft outside of house9) Can create a single SSID which can handle both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz clients seamlessly10) No issues connecting legacy AC wireless devices (Android and iOS)11) No issue with VPN12) Gigabit fiber speed test is 940mb/s up and down with a 2ms ping to testing serverCons:1) Price2) You will need AX clients to really take advantage of this product. AX should be taking off in 2019+3) You will hear the fan when you first power up the router. Also make sure you upgrade to .36 of the firmware after you setup the router to make sure fan does not stay running under normal use4) Would have liked to see 8 gigabit ports for this price point5) Would like to see parental controls, anti-virus add-ons in the futureOverall, I am very happy with the performance of this router (even on the first beta firmware). If you have a router that is more than 4 yrs old or have a household with lots of wireless devices, this router is a good choice.The price is a bit expensive, but the router is well built. I expect performance to get better as firmware starts to mature. I have used the router every day for 2 months and it has worked flawlessly. Have not found any wi-fi dead spots in the house. Video streaming, web surfing, gaming all work without any issues.
AM ZN 说：
Disclaimer: Netgear has not paid me to write this review or asked me to endorse this product (AX 8). I was fortunate enough to be selected in beta testing of this router. I am providing feedback based on 2++ months real world use of this product.Pros:1) Awesome design2) New Netgear GUI for setup and configuration – very easy to use and fast. I had the router setup in < 5 mins3) Performance is decent out of the box – I expect with future firmware updates, this performance will improve more. Also performance will be better once you have matching AX clients connecting to the router4) No wi-fi drops5) Can handle 20 streaming clients without any issues7) No buffering or stuttering when streaming wireless or wired8) No dead spots in a 3500 sq feet home and coverage (3 bars) 30ft outside of house9) Can create a single SSID which can handle both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz clients seamlessly10) No issues connecting legacy AC wireless devices (Android and iOS)11) No issue with VPN12) Gigabit fiber speed test is 940mb/s up and down with a 2ms ping to testing serverCons:1) Price2) You will need AX clients to really take advantage of this product. AX should be taking off in 2019+3) You will hear the fan when you first power up the router. Also make sure you upgrade to .36 of the firmware after you setup the router to make sure fan does not stay running under normal use4) Would have liked to see 8 gigabit ports for this price point5) Would like to see parental controls, anti-virus add-ons in the futureOverall, I am very happy with the performance of this router (even on the first beta firmware). If you have a router that is more than 4 yrs old or have a household with lots of wireless devices, this router is a good choice.The price is a bit expensive, but the router is well built. I expect performance to get better as firmware starts to mature. I have used the router every day for 2 months and it has worked flawlessly. Have not found any wi-fi dead spots in the house. Video streaming, web surfing, gaming all work without any issues.
A. Suarez 说：
After owning for a few months I cannot recommend this router.Notice that 2.4ghz clients would have frequent internet drop-outs.5Ghz working perfectly.I always update to latest firmware and still 2.4ghz drops.I reboot router in the morning, when I come home from work, 2.4ghz dead… but 5ghz fine.Do a google search and find many with similar issues.Very dissapointed,,, expensive router… will try to get replacement/refund.
Rich 说：
Initial capability was extremely impressive. It is well powered and allowed the wireless signal to reach much farther than my old router. It has worked flawlessly from when it arrived until about 3 weeks ago. The 2.4 GHz seemed to stop working for a couple of hours. My computers use the 5.0 GHz network and my kids iPads use the 2.4 GHz, so I did not notice it until they complained. The 2.4 GHz has now completely died and I am working with their technical support via email. The good news is I can switch most of the devices over to the 5.0 GHz until we get it fixed. I will post an update after I get it fixed.Update 5-31-2017:Prior to sending it back for the 2.4 GHz issue, the 5.0 GHz started having the same issue where it will completely go away for up to 10 minutes. ASUS provided an RMA, to fix both the 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz issues. The receipt provided by ASUS shows that they fixed the 2.4 GHz and mentioned nothing about the 5.0 GHz issue. Now that it is returned, the 5.0 GHz has stopped working. That was a waste of time! I am on the phone with them right now for another RMA. The last RMA took 3 weeks to get my router back because their shipping method was the cheapest one available to them. It took over a week just to get it there! I took the brand name of ASUS as a good quality router to replace my current router, but I believe I made a mistake. If you are researching for a new router, please consider this review and make sure you have a backup router for when this happens.
I got an ASUS RT-AX86U recently. Little did I realize there are lot of Privacy issues going on with this router and ASUS in general. If you enable any of their AiProtection, Traffic analyzer, Apps analyzer, Adaptive QoS and web history, they are collecting a ton of data. Since their terms are very open, its hard to find what data they are limited to in collecting. If you turn off these features, its not worth the money.Asus should take the privacy more serious and explain what is being collected and not leave it others like Trend Micro to handle the data. Privacy is security in this case. You need the router to be the most reliable equipment at your home.
I’ve had the RT-AX86U for a month now. It’s a great router when it works.Pros….Excellent wifi signal range, with caveatsGreat throughputDurable constructionCons…Throughput to the WAN drops dailySometimes takes a while to communicate with ISP for DHCPWifi stops communication with WANIn the beginning, this router had everything I was looking for. Excellent wifi range and throughput, bonded LAN ports worked well with my NAS, and my wired connections through my gigabit switch had no issues.I then began to notice some quirks.The most problematic issue was that throughout began to drop significantly on a daily basis. My download speeds would drop from 200+ Mbps to about 5 to 7 Mbps. A reboot of the router would correct the problem.The second minor issue, which was probably a firmware bug, is that when using bonded WAN connections into the router, the status display would report the WAN speed as being 100 Mbps, although the router connection to the WAN, where the IP address is shown, reported a 2Gbps speed. I could not discern any loss of speed there other than the aforementioned speed drop issue.The third issue, after almost a month, is that the wifi appears to have lost its internal connection to the internet. None of my wifi devices could receive data from the internet. My cell phones would connect to the router or report the SSID had an excellent signal, but report no internet or limited access. The router device list did not show any wireless devices.I performed a factory reset. It then took a very long time for the router to obtain an IP address from the ISP.I tried two different DOCSIS 3.0 cable modems, with no improvement noted.I finally removed the RT-AX86U router and reinstalled my old RT-AC68U. All of the issues immediately disappeared.Since it has now been 32 days since I received the router, I don’t think I can return it to Amazon. I suppose I’ll have to work with Asus on these issues, which is disappointing, considering how much the router cost me.
Had the special Best Buy version of the AC86U which has the “upgraded” 1.0ghz dual core CPU’s vs 800mhz and it was a great router. Had the upgrade bug last year and got the AX88U which wasn’t much of an upgrade all things considered but it has stability issues and the first A1 hardware version had heating issues which a lot of other people on small net builder forum will also confirm, the A1.1 version from Vietnam fixed that.However, after COVID situation went to Hell in America, I was forced to work at home more and with my very limited desk space, the AX88u simply took up too damn much real estate. On top of that, I still had Skype call issues with my wife in Japan that I could never fix no matter what I tried.Once I saw news about the AX86U and the first ship arrived with them from Vietnam, I jumped on the chance to grab one.Of course, the footprint of the AX86u is MUCh smaller then the AX88U which was a big thing in my book. It however CANNOT BE WALL MOUNTED out of the box, so bear that in mind. My wifi strength in the 5ghz band at 161 channel in my crowded apt wifi saturated area has been just as good as the AX88u. I have not attempted 2.4ghz usage because my apt complex has waaaaaaaay to many 2.4ghz channels all over the place, so I don’t even bother.The unit does get pretty warm but the “verticle” chassis does allow the hot air to rise and be naturally convected outAt this time, RMerlin HAS NO PLANS to support this model with MERLIN firmware. So if you cannot stand Asus stock firmware, look elsewhereAlso, the out of box firmware has no working Traffic monitoring and QoS, so be sure to update from ASUS websitePROS:1. Looks great without being visually annoying unlike some other routers2. Wifi 5ghz coverage is great with good stability from my testing3. Built in hardware VPN support for your paranoid people4. Tried and true old school Asus GUI interface. No changes here if your happy with it5. 2.5gpbs LAN port support is great for future usage for NAS or gigabit plus internet6. Try as I might, I could not get the quad core 1.8ghz CPU to break a sweat, so you can throw A LOT of network traffic on this sucker for years to come6. Aggregate dual LAN’s for future internet support7. Gaming packet priority LAN port, if you care about such thingsCONS:1. No plans for MERLIN firmware support and thats from RMERLIN himself “EDIT: Apparently he is now working on supporting it, but be prepared for A LOT of bugs till a stable version”2. Asus firmware takes several version to work out bugs for new routers, so be prepared to be beta tester if you need stable high end features3. 2.5gbps LAN port support is not gaurenteed and may or may not be fixed with future firmware updates4. ASUS router GUI is getting long in the tooth and really needs an overhaul5. If your a paranoid/conspiracy theory/tin foil kinda person, the built in TrendMicro protection will collect some personal info. But if your on the internet/have smartphone/social security #, they already know all about you anyway
Upgraded from a Asus RT-N66U to the AX56U and was very impressed with the performance gain and range improvement (1500sq ft.). However I was rather annoyed that the WiFi seemed to be resetting in less than a 24hr period everyday and had no idea why! There was a Firmware update which I applied but I was still getting the WiFi reset issue. Well, I solved the problem! When you log into the router to change it’s settings go under the LAN settings then into the DHCP server settings and you will see a line item named “Lease Time” which mine was set to some oddball number of seconds that equal 17.4hrs. What this means is that after 17.4hrs the lease expires and the router re-issues all the IP addresses on the entire network over again thus re-setting all the WiFi devices! So first I increased this value to 170000 which is about 48hrs and violas! No resetting until 48hrs so I then set the value to 604800 which is 7days and have my router set to re-start every Saturday at 3am which is every 6days meaning now my router is no longer resetting the WiFi constantly and has now been stable! My previous Asus router did not have a “Lease Time” or was disabled so, I never had this problem before. I have 32 devices max connected to my router and have not run into any IP issues yet but, If you have many devices that connect/disconnect than you may want to stick the lower “Lease Time” of avoid IP address issues. My devices are pretty much always connected so, no issue for me. Anyway, I hope this helps some users and have read other reviews of the frequent WiFi reset issue. For me now without the constant WiFi reset I I’m very happy with this router for the price point! One other note! Under the “wireless settings” the WiFi mode defaults to Auto so I changed that to mixed N,AC, & AX which is exactly what I’m dealing with and that also seems to have improved things as well.
If you have 1 to 2 GBPs (aka 1000Mbps) this is a phenomenal home mesh network.Unless you are soon to have a 1 gig network, it’s quite expensive.I have an older home with plenty of brick and plaster walls with many wireless neighbors fighting for radio apace, and these things simply destroy all the ones I’ve installed.I build networks, wired and wireless for a living and I can attest to the power of these things and the ease of setup.I actually just put these into a small business and they love it. They can transfer files at 6Gbps internally since we also updated a few of their workstations to 802.11axTwo of these cover a three story home all with every device in the 5ghz range. A total of 52 devices!The app will help you set up your devices.The browser interface will give you much more capability.I had these the day I moved to an additional fiber provider 1gb. For a few days I had two 1gb connections, so of course I aggregated the two connections just to see if and how how it would work.Wow, 1.7 GBPs was quite impressive for a a day ;)Cons:1) they are ugly. (Moped theory though)2) The browser interface is clunky and takes some time to get through.3) for best results I would still use a cabled backhaul. Not necessary, but slightly better.4) it will not play with any other routers currently out on the market. I’m sure this will change in time.5) they are a bit pricey
I needed a new wireless router after getting security cams. My old one just didn’t have the bandwidth. It was a TP-Link and had been awesome so I went with the AC3150 from them. It died after 6 months and was so poor a product I didn’t have it repaired. I bought this instead. Initial setup was a little weird. You had to go to an Asus website which redirected you to the router. As someone that works in IT, I just want a default ip I can go to, but no you HAVE to go through this once. After the initial setup you can access it through it’s ip. Other than that, it’s been great. Handles my cams, phones, laptop, wired desktops, streams huge video files to my tv, all without a blip. Glad I bought it. One caveat: to turn on the Trend Micro security functions, you need to agree to give all your browsing data to them. Not a chance Bucko.
I jumped on this and pre purchased the minute I saw it announced at ces earlier this year. Affordable wifi 6 mesh in an easy to use package what could go wrong.Well honestly you get what you pay for here.The Good-Affordable-Main router has decent range and promised speedsThe Bad-Setup is abysmal. It’s slow… Doesn’t always work as well. May have to tell it to setup multiple times before going through.-Router setup options are very very limited. There is not much you can do with the app or on the ip interface through Ethernet.-Mesh Network is slowwwwwwwww and has very limited range! This is the main reason for 1 star and a quick return of the product. The mesh node is simply awful.-No way to get my LED lights to connect as the smart switching network has no way to limit a device to only 2.4ghz network. (Required for my LEDs)I returned this and went with Google’s mesh. Sure no wifi 6 but also it just works. If your looking for the fastest mesh network it was Amazon’s eero pro system but paying a yearly premium for features that should be included in every router puts an awful taste in my mouth. So in Google I currently trust until someone releases a mesh that is better. Also stay far away from TP Link it was faster then this network but if your a gamer it can experience intermittent disconnects that can ruin the online experience.Hope this review helps save you time and fraustration with your mesh network search.
I bought this to replace a Netgear Orbi system, which works very well in my home with 300/30 internet. It had been virtually bulletproof, but I’d heard so much HYPE about WiFi 6 that I figured it had to be better.Now we’re experiencing constant dropouts trying to stream on one television. Internet speeds around the house are roughly 25% of the speed at the modem.Tomorrow morning the Orbi gets reconnected and this piece of trash goes back to Amazon.Clearly marketed and shipped before it was fully baked. Avoid, avoid, avoid!
Your browser does not support HTML5 video. Bought this as I was excited about Wi-Fi 6 with my iPhone 11 Pro. Took really long to set up and just so-so Wi-Fi in the end (30% slower than my earlier mesh system). Chromecasts don’t work properly. Photo and audio streaming is bad and cuts out or stops randomly. Also two of my devices won’t connect (Google speakers).Looks cheap with the glossy black plastic yet the top venting is clever. Still – wouldn’t want these out in the open in my house.Decent set-up instructions in the app but overall it took over 30 minutes to set up. And even after the installation seemed complete, it wasn’t clear why the Wi-Fi was way worse than my earlier mesh system until I noticed the orange light on the satellite. Had to unplug that and re plug it and then a few minutes later I had Wi-Fi in my kitchen again. However can’t connect reliably to my smart speakers to stream audio, they suddenly drop of the connection even works. Can’t connect to Chromecast to share photos (big issue today with a birthday party at home). Wi-Fi speeds are 30% worse than my older system. I suspect this is because I went from a 4×4 mesh to this 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 which promised hyped specs.Oh I also noticed that you only get 90 day free support and warranty. They want you to sign up for $79/year for further support. Contrast this with other top mesh systems that offer a 2 year warranty and unlimited support.
I’ve been using the AX1800 (the cheapest in the family) for about a week now. I’m not a gamer, but we do stream a lot of TV/Movies and it’s held up really well. Wifi6 works with the iphone 11 although I don’t have any other devices. i have Dual WAN setup with an old android phone there in case Spectrum goes out and so far everything seems pretty good.Setup was easy, plug in the cables where they go and look for the asus ssid on your computer (or plug your computer into it with an ethernet cable) and then it’ll step you through getting it up and running. The basics are really done for you. The tip though, with many cable providers its best to unplug/turn off your cable modem for 10 mins or so before plugging it into the new router so it forgets the mac address of the old one. Could just be a spectrum thing, but it was perfect and started working immediately.The bad, I’ve got a hard drive plugged into the other (USB3) port and have it setup for time capsule, but it’s unusably slow. Plugged in with ethernet (gigabit) it took 14 hours for the initial 150GB backup and then a day later let me know it was corrupt, repeating caused the same issue. No biggie, I’ll plug that into my raspbery pi, but would have been nice to have it off the router.That’s about it. Everything works well and seems to cover our 3000sq ft brick house pretty well, and in the future I can always add another asus router and use AiMesh.
Pros:- Speed, speed, speed. Best WiFi speeds I’ve ever experienced, I routinely hit peaks at 800MBps+ (see pic) => +5 starsCons:- Web interface is excruciatingly slow, counter-intuitive and cumbersome. The previous Orbi generation web interface was already pretty bad, but this is worse, the new Orbi supposedly comes with a much snappier CPU and should run the webserver a lot faster, but it doesn’t. To add insult to injury, Netgear removed a ton of options readily available in the Orbi first generation => -1 star- Security is not implemented well, the thing leaks like a sieve (see picture, you absolutely don’t want the blue squares). I would caution against connecting the router directly to your provider’s WAN, you might want to leave a gateway or a cheap yet capable router in the way. That’s using the latest firmware available (V3.2.9.2_1.2.4), and with the firewall settings on (“Disable Port Scan and DoS Protection” is off, it makes no difference on or off anyway, I tried both) => -2 starsI own the previous generation of Orbi router/satellites, they are far from perfect, but they are rock solid and reliable when it comes to security. This new product was obviously rushed to market, and consumers are essentially being used as beta testers. Given the amount of similar reviews all over the interwebs, I’m surprised Netgear is not stepping up, the firmware in its current state is either going to lead to extremely negative headlines when someone manages to exploit the security holes on the WAN side, or to a class action lawsuit for selling an unfinished product and not implementing what their website says they did. Netgear keeps saying here in the comments they provide high security and point to their website security “good practices”, but they haven’t even implemented the first “security measure” listed on their site.I’ll come back and update my review as they make progress, in the meantime, I’m putting my RBR850 behind an el-cheapo router with a standard firewall stack (it doesn’t take much effort to implement, but I guess it’s too much to ask from Netgear for now). This is disappointing to say the least, especially when you have to drop a grand to get a router and 2 satellites.*** 2/24/2020 update ***I did submit a case on the Netgear support website (per their request in the comments), and also pointed out the security issues on their forum. No peep from Netgear, so that’s another star that’s gone. Some forum users acknowledged they saw similar issues with the built-in firewall, but Netgear reps never took the time to look/respond at the forum either. I gave up and bought an Edgerouter 4 from Ubiquiti and switched the Orbi to AP mode (access point only). The Edgerouter proved to be rock solid and secure, though if you plan to make a similar move, make sure to triple-check your firewall rules on he router before you make the switch. It’s unfortunate I had to spend another $200 to get basic security that was available in the previous Orbi generation. One positive note: the guest network in AP mode still works, it has its own subnet and dhcp, I was actually surprised moving to AP mode didn’t screw that up (one can argue since guest devices are on a different subnet with its own dhcp, they’re effectively being route, so it’s not true AP mode for them, but that’s the way it should be designed to keep the guest network isolated).*** 3/1/2020 update ***I keep finding new bugs on a regular basis. Latest one: if you plan to use the router in AP mode and plan to use a fixed IP address for the router instead of DHCP, the router will not connect to NTP servers to get the correct time, even if you try to use a third party server and not Netgear’s. Why does it matter? Many devices will not properly connect to WiFi guest due to the fact that the guest network has its own DHCP server (it’s on its own VLAN), I suspect the leases are out of whack due to the time discrepancy between the router and the devices.*** 3/18/2020 update ***Netgear pushed a broken firmware last week and essentially bricked many Orbi’s in the process. See Netgear forums, lots of unhappy users over there. We’re well into negative stars territory at this point.*** 4/1/2020 update ***Well, I really gave it the old college try, but I eventually gave up and put the thing for sale on fleabay. The hardware is great, but the software is simply not mature enough, and I have better things to do than debug the damn thing on behalf of Netgear. I switched to the Amplifi Alien and things have been rock solid since then. YMMV.
Update: After returning this I bought the Ubiquiti Amplifi Alien wifi 6 mesh router and an extra to create a mesh. The Ubiquiti product is superior in every way, and gives the user the experience of using a product that it seems like someone actually tested before unleashing it on customers. The hardware is better designed (solid feel, integrated power supply instead of wall wart, matte rubbery texture surface). Wifi 6 network performance is superior, especially as distance from a single router increases. The user interface is vastly superior… it is fast, responsive, and does what it says it is going to do. Adding a mesh point is trivial and thanks to the display on the front you won’t be marveling in confusion at a blinking colored light that does not match what Netgear says it should. The Ubiquiti immediately and correctly sets up a second unit as a mesh point, and you can switch it to ethernet backhaul with a single tap. Updating is easier and you can actually tell what it is doing in the process. Literally everything about it is superior to the Orbi. Spend the extra money for the Ubiquiti Amplifi Alien.The Wifi 6 Orbi mesh system has decent performance when it works, but the management interface is very slow, badly implemented, and the behavior of the devices is very buggy. It is clear from using it that the firmware is intentionally crippled for features relative to the business version of the AC Orbi. I dropped this in to replace an existing AC mesh setup, no static devices moved and the Orbi access points were installed in the same locations. I have the previous generation “business” Orbi AC setup at another location and it works fine, so this review is specific to the new Wifi 6 model. A few examples:1. The broadcast name for the network might not change even though it shows the change in the user interface.2. Status lights (especially on the satellite) may not actually change to the correct color or status which can be confusing.3. No HTTPS option for reaching the management interface.4. Devices randomly get dropped from the wireless network at times.5. Devices will randomly be unable to authenticate to the network for a while… and then they will be allowed to authenticate despite no changes to the Orbi setup or the SSID/password.6. Ethernet backhaul does not behave correctly in router or AP modes.7. Cannot use the 2.5 gigabit interface in AP mode.
First off I’ve been doing networking for 30 years. I have 7 routers deployed in my home, so I know a bit about this topic. I moved from a 5300 which was performing fine (in a large mesh setup), but since I have over 100 clients connecting to the main router, as well as wifi 6 devices, I thought I would trade the 5300 for the AX11000, mistake.I have been experiencing random reboots, and dropped wireless clients (ALL wireless clients) on the AX11000. I have tons of IoT clients, so I can’t just upgrade them, but even more “normal” clients like phones, laptops, etc. get dropped.So working with tech support, they tell me its a hardware problem (it’s not). So I force them to escalate to engineering. Then, I get this crazy instruction sheet on how to back level my router and basically turn OFF all my new functionality (this instruction sheet is based on the 5300, so it basically doesn’t help and shows they don’t know how to actually fix the problem, since it doesn’t apply to this actual router).They tell me to turn off AC and AX, they tell me to turn off MIMO. Ridiculous, I would have been better off with a working 5300, and saved $450, along with about 12 hours of trouble-shooting.My advice is to wait for a firmware upgrade (the only firmware availble is the original code from Nov). Also, check snb forums, this is a common issue with this router. Asus released this product too soon.Update. I have backlevled the device as recommened by support, as I had to make a choice between feeding my animals and having wifi6 connections. So with wifi6, mu-mimo, and beamforming disabled, I can connect things reliably. Of course, this has now turned into a 5 year old router that is worth about $100 instead of a new router that cost me $450, but at least it works about half as well as the router it placed (I just don’t want to spend hours undoing what I have done).Update 4/1/19 – Asus released a firmware update for this router. I can now get Wifi6 connections, and at the same time, it allows for legacy suport. This required a full factory reset of all nodes. Unfortunately, however, I am still experiencing random connectivty resets. Now, instead of just wireless, it is dropping even wired connections. This is on all nodes. So, this router is still not ready for prime-time, rating unchanged.Update 4/30- Stability has increased. It still has some hiccups, the transition from a 6 to 5 connection is not great, but overall it is usable. Updating my review from 1 to 4 at this time. I’m hopeful we get back up to 5 soon.
Don’t waste your time getting the new AX (wifi 6) tech since its not readily available in devices they said. Don’t spend the money cause its gonna be like a normal router for a couple of years until more are released.Let me tell you – ignore that. This is a BEAST. I spent 3+ weeks trying out different solutions on wifi. I tried Orbi mesh. While that is a good product, I am not really in need of a mesh. Speeds averaged 460-525 Mbps. (I tested at different times of day but same time frames with other products).I tried the XR500 Nighthawk that is one of the highest rated devices with DumaOS. So many issues that I was losing my mind. I tried several fixes. Separate the bands, channels, etc. My security cams were going offline every 30 mins or so for at least 15. I was so fed up with trying to trouble shoot the device. My speeds were 580 – 670 Mbps with it which I did enjoy. But speed is only useful if its actually CONNECTED to the devices.Last ditch effort I tried this router. The RAX80 and holy moly. Plugged in, used the mobile app and was up within 5 mins. Every device attached with no issues. No disconnects after multiple days use. Speed improvement on every item. I have 38 devices accessing my wifi as part of the smart home. This monster just cranks it out. No problems at all. My speed on several tests as compared to the same day/ time as the ones above – 830-960 Mbps I am not sure why its such a huge improvement but it is. I cannot say enough good things about this router. Not only is is a monster with handling speeds and multiple devices – just look at it. It is not one you want to hide. You want to show this baby off. Several people have asked me what the space ship is. This thing went from being in an Amazon box to installed and cranking out wifi / lan within 10 minutes and NOT a single drop of signal. I am future proof as well. So I say if you can afford it, do not hesitate. You will really like it.EDIT:After 2 months this router is still the best one I’ve ever seen. Still getting top level speeds right at a gig. I’ve got 42 devices attached to it (smart home) and it doesn’t even cough. I rarely am this surprised. This router is still #1 in everything I tried!
Don’t waste your time getting the new AX (wifi 6) tech since its not readily available in devices they said. Don’t spend the money cause its gonna be like a normal router for a couple of years until more are released.Let me tell you – ignore that. This is a BEAST. I spent 3+ weeks trying out different solutions on wifi. I tried Orbi mesh. While that is a good product, I am not really in need of a mesh. Speeds averaged 460-525 Mbps. (I tested at different times of day but same time frames with other products).I tried the XR500 Nighthawk that is one of the highest rated devices with DumaOS. So many issues that I was losing my mind. I tried several fixes. Separate the bands, channels, etc. My security cams were going offline every 30 mins or so for at least 15. I was so fed up with trying to trouble shoot the device. My speeds were 580 – 670 Mbps with it which I did enjoy. But speed is only useful if its actually CONNECTED to the devices.Last ditch effort I tried this router. The RAX80 and holy moly. Plugged in, used the mobile app and was up within 5 mins. Every device attached with no issues. No disconnects after multiple days use. Speed improvement on every item. I have 38 devices accessing my wifi as part of the smart home. This monster just cranks it out. No problems at all. My speed on several tests as compared to the same day/ time as the ones above – 830-960 Mbps I am not sure why its such a huge improvement but it is. I cannot say enough good things about this router. Not only is is a monster with handling speeds and multiple devices – just look at it. It is not one you want to hide. You want to show this baby off. Several people have asked me what the space ship is. This thing went from being in an Amazon box to installed and cranking out wifi / lan within 10 minutes and NOT a single drop of signal. I am future proof as well. So I say if you can afford it, do not hesitate. You will really like it.EDIT:After 2 months this router is still the best one I’ve ever seen. Still getting top level speeds right at a gig. I’ve got 42 devices attached to it (smart home) and it doesn’t even cough. I rarely am this surprised. This router is still #1 in everything I tried!
3/28/19Asus “Customer Loyalty” Dept reached out to me and this is what I experienced::1) I was informed the Asus REP who told me that they were aware of the 2.4G Failures was now “MISINFORMATION”…. If indeed this was “Misinformation”, then why are there SO MANY Reviews from frustrated customers who have documented this EXACT problem without a resolution? And remember, there are likely MANY MORE who returned these units without writing any reviews.2) If there are NO issues with these routers, then why after reporting first the failures of the RT-AC86U (I bought and returned two in two weeks) , It was suggested I upgrade to a RT-AC88U….. which I did and it failed after two weeks! The customer loyalty dept then suggested I then upgrade to the RT-AX88U which would have been an additional $120+…….. I suggested that for all the wasted time I spent on the phone and hours going through failed suggestions on how to correct the problems plus 3 trips in Returns to UPS that Asus pay the difference if they think this was the only way to supply me with a reliable, working Router.In my case, the Asus “Customer Loyalty” Department does not have the authority to make it right by paying the difference for a product they suggested would leave this customer satisfied. It appears there ability to actually solve issues does not include acknowledging their are ongoing problems with there products, nor knowing they are losing a loyal customer……So before you purchase any ASUS Router, READ ALL the Reviews as they are from actual customers who experienced what I did. Disappointing does not describe how they have left this for me and evidently countless others !So Abigail (from Asus), you can still make this right by contacting me if you truly wish to fulfill the purpose of your “Customer Loyalty Department”….**********************************************************************************************************************************I needed a MESH for my home, and I already have a RT-AC68U that has continued to perform. I purchased a RT-AC86U as the Master AI Mesh…. 7 Hours of Re-Booting & Calls to Asus finally confirmed it had Hardware Issues that could not be resolved, as it just would not AIMesh with the 68U. I had the replacement 86U in a matter of days and I then found the on board Switches for the Wi-Fi and LED’s would not work. It was returned too, but instead I thought a better model would resolve all. I ordered the RT-AC88U instead and for the first 2 weeks, it was great,and I loved the 8 onboard Ethernet Ports. Then one morning we found none of our Smart Home Alexa Devices would respond. Initially thinking Amazon’s Server was down, and I started checking and actually found the 2.4G radio in the 88U was not transmitting! Called Asus and they had me Re-Boot and insure I had the latest Firmware (I did) and it started working. Hung up the phone and thanked the CSR. Just a Hiccup? No! Within 5 Minutes the 2.4G was again Dead. Called Asus back and after numerous other repair attempts the CSR I spoke with actually said ” Yes… We are aware of the 2.4G Radio issues. You will need to return it to the Factory for Warranty Repair”….. Thanks, No…. I returned it to Amazon and I am still in need of a replacement Router. I did see other reviews going back 2 years with the same issue, but I dismissed them as one-offs., customer error issues. I was wrong. Evidently Asus is well aware of this, yet they are still sending out these without correcting the problems. Is every one defective? Not apparently so, but enough are that I am adding my disappointment in Asus to the list of poor reviews. And my e-mail to the Executive Offices (ACI-CEO_Feedback@asus.com) asking when they will resolve the problem have gone unanswered. The only bright spot in all these returns was that Amazon could not have been more supportive and bent over backwards to try to help resolve these issues for me.
********* Updates *********3/31/2019- New firmware 3.0.0.4.384_5977. Haven’t had chance to use for too long yet but issue with device list has been fixed, and it seems now I can just restart Node without restarting router then node in the specific order. Still no second 5GHz band usable to Smart Connect.- Added Advanced feature section as I got to use some of those features.3/13/2019- Update second 5G band direct connection section (only connects to router but not node).- Update Setup section, as for me reboot router and node order makes difference.- Added Router/Node switch Section2/26/2019- After 3 weeks of experience,o Update AiMesh and stability sections, now up from 3 stars to 4 stars features. See detail in corresponding sections.o Discovered that second 5GHz band can be used as separate SSID in AiMesh mode. (forced dual band section)o ASUS support very disappointing.o Simplified conclusion********* ********* *********Outside of the price, the specs on this router is currently unbeatable. Just to list a few amazing features that this router offers:1. Wifi 6 support2. AiMesh feature3. VPN Fusion feature4. Extensive customization options5. Gamer’s optimization (I cannot comment on this feature as I do not use this feature).********* ★★★★★ Features *********+++++ Speed +++++The router performance is great. In proximity to the router, I can get 500-600 Mbps Wifi internet download speed with 2016 Macbook Pro as well as Ipad Mini 4 on my 1Gbps service. Even at distance when connected to 5GHz band, I can get upper 300’s Mbps download at least 30 ft away from the router.+++++ Range +++++Our 3800 sqft two story house needed 3 Orbi Mesh system or 3 Eero Pro system to cover end to end with adequate speed. A single GT-AX11000 covers most of our home except one end of the basement, likely due to concrete wall.To put into the objective number, Orbi was fast and I could get 200+ Mbps Wifi download speed throughout my home, but very unstable. So I moved onto Eero. Eero got very stable system without a hiccup, running for months, but there were areas where my speed went down to 80’s or even lower Mbps for download. A single GT-AX11000 can get me 200+ Mbps throughout the house where the signal is reachable as long as connected to 5GHz band.With AiMesh, most part of house I get 300+ Mbps and the worst area where I have no AiMesh Node, I still get 200+ Mbps. Though AiMesh to other Mesh network system I had are not directly compared here because I only got 1Gbps service recently and previously had only 400 Mbps service and also I did not have Ethernet back-haul option before. Nonetheless, I’m happy with coverage.+++++ Advanced Features +++++Although there are many features that I do not use or don’t know how to use, lately as I set up more smart home device/home automation system, I’ve been impressed by what this router offers as otherwise, it could have got a bit more work.1) Static IP: Ax11000 allows single toggle button to each of its connected devices to get Static IP, which is based on MAC address of the device and handled by router side, so even after reboot of the router, this feature remains. If needed, even laptop/tablet can use this so going out of network and back is hand-free.2) VPN Server: Fairly readily set up to remotely log into home network.3) Free DDNS: This is run by ASUS and let you point to your home network router by NAME.asuscomm.com. This allows remote accessing of home devices easy as we do not have to worry about ISP changing your IP address and reconfigure VPN access etc.********* ★★★★☆ Features *********+++++ WIFI 6 support +++++This is certainly one of the main reasons to choose this router. The potential gain of WIFI 6 (802.11ax) standard is huge including speed boost, battery saving, and more simultaneous device connection. However, in order to see these benefits, supporting client device is needed. Recently, Samsung announced their latest phones to feature these, but I currently don’t own any client device. Also, Ax standard is still a draft version, so final version may have additional features that this router may not support (who knows). Basically, this is the future proof but not yet testable at the time.+++++ Setup +++++As a standalone router, set up was easy. As an AiMesh system, the initial set up was also easy enough. However, once I change some parameters, the router goes offline and I must reboot the router and node manually. These should be automatic. Also, in my case default setting of AiMesh did not work so well.[3/13/2019] As part of other home network change/upgrade, I occasionally need to turn of Mesh Node. But when I do so, in order to get solid network back, I have to restart router first and wait until it is fully up, then turn Mesh Node on. Otherwise, system acts up.+++++ AiMesh +++++This is another major reason why I chose this router. AiMesh feature allows ASUS routers to act as true Mesh system. Advanced users can potentially implement Mesh like system using Access Point and/or Repeater mode of routers, but this requires lots of tuning like selecting proper Channel to avoid conflict, selection of Roaming parameters etc. Dedicated mesh system is simple but lacks customization option. AiMesh allows us to buy new and the latest, feature rich router and turn that into new router then use older routers to be satellite node to cover better range of house. This is a brilliant concept. For this reason, I have purchased two ROG GT-AX11000 routers.Initially by default setting, I had constant drop out of AiMesh node (satellite). This was fixed by making node into Ethernet mode where default setting was AUTO mode. The latter mode supposed to automatically choose the best connection either Wireless or Ethernet backhaul. In my case, I found out it tried to switch to Wireless but signal was too weak (as I intentionally placed in the area with weak signal), and then disconnects and instead of reconnecting to Ethernet, node went offline. Ever since the change, not a single event of node drop.+-+-+- Stability +-+-+-I have HEOS speaker network system. Originally when I got HEOS speakers, I thought it was the HEOS that was faulty system as some speakers kept disappearing from the App device list. But later I found out, it was the Orbi mesh network issue. This is because after switching to Eero mesh network, I had never had this issue once again.After fixing AiMesh node into Ethernet backhaul mode, this got better; however, I still experienced occasional sudden, device not connected to internet. After doing online research, I eventually changed setting to disable MU-MIMO, universal beamforming and airtime fairness options on both 5GHz and 2.4 GHz bands, and also enabled quality of service in media/internet surf mode. Ever since these changes, the Wifi went rock solid without any drop out. I had 7 solid days without a single reboot. As I do other home network upgrading, I have to turn them off every once and awhile. So mid-term stability is rock solid with appropriate setting, but figuring these on my own were not easy, and I don’t expect everyone get as lucky.********* ★★★☆☆ Features *********+-+-+- Many customization options +-+-+-Stand-alone router system has advantage over Mesh system for more sophisticated customization options to the advanced users. AX11000 has nothing short in terms of these options. This is great for advanced users, but for trouble shooting, too many options make impossible to figure out exactly what’s causing the problem. I think ASUS should make default setup so network stability is the highest priority then let user play around to get more optimized, faster speed.+-+-+- AiMesh Forced Dual Band +-+-+-In tri-band systems, AiMesh uses second 5GHz band for dedicated Wireless back-haul. This makes sense as keeping solid connection between the router and node is crucial in mesh network system, and Mesh system like Orbi uses this technology as well. However, what does not make sense is when I have the connection set to Ethernet mode (not AUTO), I see no reason to keep blocking the band. Basically, the router and node are now appears as dual-band system, which we can buy for cheaper price. There is a rumor on Internet forum, this may be reverted in future firmware update.[3/13/2019] It turned out the second 5GHz band is usable by disabling hidden SSID option. If you try to change the name to match Smart Connect SSID, you get an error though. Also, this band is only accessible on main router and not on Mesh Node.+-+-+- Router/Node switch +-+-+-In an ideal world, transition from router to node connection should be smooth and user shouldn’t even notice when the switch happened. In my case, this is a mixed experience. Sometimes device sticks to the original router or node despite the other is closer and even experienced a complete device disconnect when transition is happening. This sensitivity; however, is configurable by user in AiMesh. One need to change RSSI setting. I changed mine and it seemed to work better. However, I wish ASUS implement something so that RSSI value is automatically adjusted based on day to day statistics or at least suggest user to change RSSI values. This is probably one of the most important parameter to adjust to get optimal Mesh experience.********* ★★☆☆☆ Features *********—– VPN Fusion —–Another great feature on paper by ASUS. This feature allows individual device to go through specific VPN service using a single router/network. Previously, I had my old router set up to connect to VPN and devices that I want to connect to the VPN had to switch to the router.This feature can be a 3 stars because I was able to get this working with some VPN service such as Express VPN, but not others. However, those that do not work on this router works on ASUS Merlin firmware installed another router, so I believe it is not VPN server side issue. Basically, I see VPN connected on both server side and router menu; however, internet becomes inaccessible. To make it even worse, it affects entire network rather than just the device I associate with the VPN. Since this is one of the feature ASUS advertise, and I see as relatively unique to only some of ASUS routers, I hope to see this fixed.—– Devices disappearing from Network List —–[Update 3/31/2019] Firmware 3.0.0.4.384_5977 has resolved this issue.—– AiMesh Node not configurable —–It makes sense for some features to be non-selectable/configurable on AiMesh node as the purpose of mesh system is to make one change and reflect to all as a whole system. However, some feature like “light” on node should be individually configurable.—– Aesthetics —–It looks like a giant spider.********* ★☆☆☆☆ Features *********—– ASUS Customer Service —–I have submitted my issues on the Ax11000 soon after I received the first router. ASUS occasionally sent me email saying they are still working on then referring to special tech, which sounded a good customer care. However, they were all templated e-mails and most likely just to buy a time. After 3 weeks of wait, the response was very disappointing without any content that’s useful.********* ALTERNATIVE CONSIDERATIONS *********The main reason to choose this router is its WIFI 6 support. Currently, there are relatively limited options for WIFI 6 compatible routers, but many more are on its way. So why did I choose this over the other options? Noteworthy alternatives are ASUS AX88U, Netgear RAX120 and TP Link Archer AX11000.Vs. ASUS Ax88UAx88U is cheaper and also supports AiMesh. But it’s a dual band, lacks VPN fusion feature and theoretical speed rating is 6000. So technically, ROG Ax11000 is better in all the specs. However, when used in AiMesh with Ethernet back-haul, I am losing a band anyways with current firmware, so Ax88U is likely to give the same performance with cheaper price.Vs. TP Link Archer AX11000This router also has 11000 speed rating. Furthermore, TP Link announced AiMesh equivalent OneMesh feature. Up on reviewing online, I just saw ASUS router gets higher rating in general and longer support from the company. But prior to current purchase, I’ve never had ASUS or TP Link router, so I just went with what I read. Also another feature I wanted was VPN Fusion but TP Link had no mention about this type of technology.Vs. Netgear RAX120Out of all system, I think this was the biggest alternative option for me. RAX120 has multigig LAN ports up to 5Gbps whereas, ROG GT-Ax11000 only has one 2.5 Gbps LAN port. However, RAX120 is 6000 speed rated with dual band. Netgear does not have direct competitor technology of AiMesh but has Orbi like Extenders with Ethernet back-haul option, but I felt conceptually AiMesh sounded better with more flexibility. For instance, if times comes and I really need 5Gbps or even 10Gbps LAN port, I can purchase next generation ASUS router with such feature and use both AX11000 as AiMesh node.Vs. Other AX Mesh systemsOrbi, TP Link, and Arris will have Wifi 6 Mesh systems this year. I like and need Mesh system at home, but if we can get the Mesh functionality with more option/flexibility why would I choose more restrictive system? (Other than simplicity).********* Conclusion *********On paper, ROG Ax11000 is undoubtedly the best router on the market including what’s coming in near future. As a single router, this deserved 5 stars for sure.In AiMesh mode, I had originally struggled due to network stability issue. I was lucky enough to solve this on my own with internet search; however, ASUS tech support was no help. I would have returned the devices if I couldn’t have solved the issue. Since default setting did not work smoothly, I expect there will be others having the same or some different issues, and may consider this device may be unusable in AiMesh mode. So I’d give 4 stars for AiMesh setting because set up can be very tricky but once one figures out, it works better than other Mesh system I owned in the past.In the future, I hope VPN Fusion feature to be fully functional, third band to be optionally opens up in AiMesh mode and node to be configurable at least to some extent.
Replaced my Netgear Nighthawk X10 / 7200 with this. I have a full gig coming into my house and with the old Netgear could get almost 925MB up and down from a wired desktop. With this new one – identically configured – I’m only getting 425MB. Wireless 2.4 and 5 are much slower as well – I’m going to keep looking at these settings but unless I can figure out what’s going on, I’m going to return this and go back to my X10.Also – I can’t notice any stronger penetration / signal strength with this AX8 than from my X10 – I still need 2 extenders to reach my entire house.
Replaced my Netgear Nighthawk X10 / 7200 with this. I have a full gig coming into my house and with the old Netgear could get almost 925MB up and down from a wired desktop. With this new one – identically configured – I’m only getting 425MB. Wireless 2.4 and 5 are much slower as well – I’m going to keep looking at these settings but unless I can figure out what’s going on, I’m going to return this and go back to my X10.Also – I can’t notice any stronger penetration / signal strength with this AX8 than from my X10 – I still need 2 extenders to reach my entire house.
This thing is a monster. I am not new to this sort of stuff. I have been at it for 20 years but I have never heard of stuff required to set this thing up. I don’t even know where to go to ask stupid questions! One thing for certain; It is nowhere near close to “plug and play” as my Apple Airport Extreme. I suppose that sometime in the future I will finally get this $500 monster setup but it won’t be soon. Unless you are a networking guru of some sort, look elsewhere.
Disclaimer: Netgear has not paid me to write this review or asked me to endorse this product (AX 8). I was fortunate enough to be selected in beta testing of this router. I am providing feedback based on 2++ months real world use of this product.Pros:1) Awesome design2) New Netgear GUI for setup and configuration – very easy to use and fast. I had the router setup in < 5 mins3) Performance is decent out of the box – I expect with future firmware updates, this performance will improve more. Also performance will be better once you have matching AX clients connecting to the router4) No wi-fi drops5) Can handle 20 streaming clients without any issues7) No buffering or stuttering when streaming wireless or wired8) No dead spots in a 3500 sq feet home and coverage (3 bars) 30ft outside of house9) Can create a single SSID which can handle both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz clients seamlessly10) No issues connecting legacy AC wireless devices (Android and iOS)11) No issue with VPN12) Gigabit fiber speed test is 940mb/s up and down with a 2ms ping to testing serverCons:1) Price2) You will need AX clients to really take advantage of this product. AX should be taking off in 2019+3) You will hear the fan when you first power up the router. Also make sure you upgrade to .36 of the firmware after you setup the router to make sure fan does not stay running under normal use4) Would have liked to see 8 gigabit ports for this price point5) Would like to see parental controls, anti-virus add-ons in the futureOverall, I am very happy with the performance of this router (even on the first beta firmware). If you have a router that is more than 4 yrs old or have a household with lots of wireless devices, this router is a good choice.The price is a bit expensive, but the router is well built. I expect performance to get better as firmware starts to mature. I have used the router every day for 2 months and it has worked flawlessly. Have not found any wi-fi dead spots in the house. Video streaming, web surfing, gaming all work without any issues.
Disclaimer: Netgear has not paid me to write this review or asked me to endorse this product (AX 8). I was fortunate enough to be selected in beta testing of this router. I am providing feedback based on 2++ months real world use of this product.Pros:1) Awesome design2) New Netgear GUI for setup and configuration – very easy to use and fast. I had the router setup in < 5 mins3) Performance is decent out of the box – I expect with future firmware updates, this performance will improve more. Also performance will be better once you have matching AX clients connecting to the router4) No wi-fi drops5) Can handle 20 streaming clients without any issues7) No buffering or stuttering when streaming wireless or wired8) No dead spots in a 3500 sq feet home and coverage (3 bars) 30ft outside of house9) Can create a single SSID which can handle both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz clients seamlessly10) No issues connecting legacy AC wireless devices (Android and iOS)11) No issue with VPN12) Gigabit fiber speed test is 940mb/s up and down with a 2ms ping to testing serverCons:1) Price2) You will need AX clients to really take advantage of this product. AX should be taking off in 2019+3) You will hear the fan when you first power up the router. Also make sure you upgrade to .36 of the firmware after you setup the router to make sure fan does not stay running under normal use4) Would have liked to see 8 gigabit ports for this price point5) Would like to see parental controls, anti-virus add-ons in the futureOverall, I am very happy with the performance of this router (even on the first beta firmware). If you have a router that is more than 4 yrs old or have a household with lots of wireless devices, this router is a good choice.The price is a bit expensive, but the router is well built. I expect performance to get better as firmware starts to mature. I have used the router every day for 2 months and it has worked flawlessly. Have not found any wi-fi dead spots in the house. Video streaming, web surfing, gaming all work without any issues.
After owning for a few months I cannot recommend this router.Notice that 2.4ghz clients would have frequent internet drop-outs.5Ghz working perfectly.I always update to latest firmware and still 2.4ghz drops.I reboot router in the morning, when I come home from work, 2.4ghz dead… but 5ghz fine.Do a google search and find many with similar issues.Very dissapointed,,, expensive router… will try to get replacement/refund.
Initial capability was extremely impressive. It is well powered and allowed the wireless signal to reach much farther than my old router. It has worked flawlessly from when it arrived until about 3 weeks ago. The 2.4 GHz seemed to stop working for a couple of hours. My computers use the 5.0 GHz network and my kids iPads use the 2.4 GHz, so I did not notice it until they complained. The 2.4 GHz has now completely died and I am working with their technical support via email. The good news is I can switch most of the devices over to the 5.0 GHz until we get it fixed. I will post an update after I get it fixed.Update 5-31-2017:Prior to sending it back for the 2.4 GHz issue, the 5.0 GHz started having the same issue where it will completely go away for up to 10 minutes. ASUS provided an RMA, to fix both the 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz issues. The receipt provided by ASUS shows that they fixed the 2.4 GHz and mentioned nothing about the 5.0 GHz issue. Now that it is returned, the 5.0 GHz has stopped working. That was a waste of time! I am on the phone with them right now for another RMA. The last RMA took 3 weeks to get my router back because their shipping method was the cheapest one available to them. It took over a week just to get it there! I took the brand name of ASUS as a good quality router to replace my current router, but I believe I made a mistake. If you are researching for a new router, please consider this review and make sure you have a backup router for when this happens.