Asus RT-AX86U router review
Our Verdict
Equal parts high-performance router and gamer's helper, the Asus RT-AX86U starts with excellent performance and adds configuration customization options, port assemblage and merely superlative-shelf security against hackers. It'south a bargain for gamers and could be their all-time friend online.
For
- Excellent throughput
- Security software with lifetime updates
- Multi-Gig input and port aggregation
- Customization options
- ii-year warranty
Against
- Lacks gamers tools like geofencing and ping rut map
Tom'due south Guide Verdict
Equal parts high-operation router and gamer's helper, the Asus RT-AX86U starts with splendid functioning and adds configuration customization options, port assemblage and but top-shelf security against hackers. It's a bargain for gamers and could be their all-time friend online.
Pros
- +
Fantabulous throughput
- +
Security software with lifetime updates
- +
Multi-Gig input and port aggregation
- +
Customization options
- +
ii-year warranty
Cons
- -
Lacks gamers tools like geofencing and ping heat map
Asus RT-AX86U router: Specs
Wi-Fi Spec: AX5700
Number of Antennas/Removable: iv/Yes
Ports: ane WAN/1 Multi-Gig WAN/ 4 LAN gigabit per second, 2 USB 3
Processor/Retentivity/Storage: quad-core 1.8GHz/1GB/256MB
Wi-Fi bit: Broadcom BCM4908/BCM43684
Peak 802.11AX performance: 929.7Mbps (at xv feet)
Range: 95-feet
Size: 9.0 x 6.7 ten three.one inches
Estimated Annual Electricity Cost: $xi.60
The Asus RT-AX86U can aid kill off invading aliens or chop-chop download the latest updates by combining good throughput, gaming tools and port aggregation.
Ane of the most customizable routers on the market, the RT-AX86U is just every bit skillful every bit one of the best Wi-Fi routers as information technology is i of the best gaming routers to help gamers dominate the globe or universe.
While it has a generous ii-twelvemonth warranty, the RT-AX86U lacks some gaming tools, similar a ping heat map and geo-fencing, that the competition has. It's one of the best Wi-Fi 6 routers nosotros've seen and information technology fifty-fifty gets a nod as the runner up for all-time Wi-Fi router in the 2021 Tom'due south Guide Awards. It's too one of the least expensive ways to upwards your game, with performance that tin be the departure between winning and losing in your next online battle.
Asus RT-AX86U: Design
The Asus RT-AX86U is the follow-on design to the popular Asus RT-AC86U gaming router, bringing it into the high-performance Wi-Fi half dozen earth. While it retains its predecessor's athwart folded origami design – it's a far cry from the more conventional Linksys Max-Stream MR8300 – equally well as the black and cherry-red color palette, the AX version lacks the AC model's pair of vertical racing stripes.
Information technology measures 9.0 x half-dozen.7 x three.1 inches, although afterwards screwing in its 3 antennas, the height rises by vi-inches. Information technology lacks recessed inserts for wall mounting just looks good on a bookshelf or desk-bound. Meant to stand vertically, the RT-AX86U has cooling vents in forepart and along the top, and kept its absurd, fifty-fifty with data flying dorsum and forth. It had a meridian temperature of 105-degrees Fahrenheit.
Its utilize of three external antennas is augmented by an internal patch antenna. Information technology'due south a refreshing alter from routers that sport anywhere from four to eight antennas – and take chances looking like lid racks – like the Netgear Nighthawk XR1000 and the TP-Link Archer AX6000. The RT-AX86U'southward antennas can be aimed and rotated to grab the strongest bespeak.
Inside, the RT-AX86U uses Broadcom's BCM4908 and BCM43684 chipsets along with 1GB of RAM and 256MB of flash storage to hold its firmware and settings. The router is powered by a 1.8GHz quad-core processor. Its 802.11AX dual-band pattern can create ii.4- and 5GHz networks that can take advantage of ultra-wide 160MHz data channels, MU-MIMO and beamforming to clasp as much data onto its transmissions equally possible. Overall, the RT-AX86U can move upwards to 861Mbps over its 2.4GHz band and 4.8Gbps on its 5GHz ring for an AX5700 rating.
Along the back are a one gigabit per second (Gbps) and a ii.5Gbps Multi-Gig WAN input port for working with the latest broadband modems. To that information technology adds four dedicated gigabit per 2nd downstream Ethernet ports along with an actress LAN port if the Multi-Gig connection if it's not being used. That'south potentially a total of five downstream ports, one more than than most provide, merely iii less than TP-Link's Archer AX6000's eight LAN ports. For speedsters, two of the network ports tin exist aggregated for top-speed output.
In that location's also a pair of USB three ports for adding up to two external difficult drives to the network. The RT-AX86U has switches for turning the router on or off besides as ane on the side is for using the Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) protocol to speedily add a device to the network. The router has a recessed reset button.
Upward front, the RT-AX86U has 10 white LEDs that show it's turned on, continued to the Net and is transmitting on the 2.four- and 5GHz bands. There are action indicators for each of the Ethernet ports and whether its WPS system has been engaged. It can exist quite a lite evidence at night, but the router has a button for turning off the lights.
It's a secure router with built-in code from Trend Micro that not just can stop intrusions just block malware from attacking your network. Chosen AIProtection Pro, there'due south nothing to load onto your devices, considering the software works in the router, behind the scenes. The best part is that it includes lifetime updates to counter new threats. Past contrast, the Bitdefender software that Netgear includes in its Armor security offering costs $70 a year for security updates.
Asus RT-AX86U: Performance
Based on a calendar week of testing using Ixia'south ixChariot's network simulation benchmark in my 100-twelvemonth onetime 3,500-square-foot domicile, the Asus RT-AX86U was equal parts reliable router and gaming companion. At fifteen-anxiety, information technology had a pinnacle throughput of 929.7Mbps. That can't compare to the Netgear Nighthawk RAX80's one.39Gbps maximum output, simply it's iv percent ahead of the TP-Link AX6000 (888.2Mbps), seven per centum alee of the Netgear Nighthawk XR1000 (859.1Mbps) and 12 percent faster than Linksys MR9600 (822.0Mbps).
That said, the bandwidth available at 50-anxiety dropped to 285.3Mbps, which was just a hair alee of the Netgear RAX80'southward 271.3Mbps. It was behind the TP-Link AX6000's 396.7Mbps and the Linksys MR9600's 363.3Mbps.
At 75-feet, the RT-AX86U regained its strength, pushing out 250.1Mbps, compared to the 280.1Mbps that the XR1000 accomplished. At this distance, the TP-Link AX6000 and Netgear Nighthawk RAX80 were well behind with throughputs of 125.4 and 142.1Mbps, respectively.
At our last distance of xc-anxiety, the RT-AX86U was near its limit, with an average of only 7.4Mbps, barely enough for watching an Hd stream. That said, the TP-Link AX6000 couldn't even maintain a connexion at that altitude, while the Netgear RAX80 moved 20.8Mbps and the Netgear XR1000 led the way with 75.0Mbps of bandwidth available. The RT-AX86U had a range of 95-anxiety, 10-feet brusk of the XR1000.
The RT-AX86U did well at punching a strong Wi-Fi signal through walls and ceilings, with scores of 698.5Mbps bachelor through a wall 25-feet from the router and 615.7Mbps to a flooring in a higher place. This tin can't compare to the Netgear RAX80'southward 1.07Gbps and the TP-Link AX6000'due south 744.7Mbps for the wall penetration test but roughly matches the Netgear XR1000's 614.8Mbps.
Over my calendar week of using the RT-AX86U every day for everything from electronic mail and manual downloads to video viewing and gaming, it was reliable and passed the saturation examination. Equally I watched videos on an HP EliteBook Dragonfly and listened to an Net radio station on a Samsung Milky way Tab S7+, my iPad Pro was showing a baseball game and my Dell XPS 15 was moving data onto and off a file server. In that location were no video glitches or sound errors.
When the router was moving data back and forth, it used ten.3-watts of power, virtually 50-per centum more than than the Nighthawk XR1000. All told, it should cost roughly $eleven.sixty a twelvemonth to operate if you pay the national boilerplate of thirteen cents per kilowatt hour of electricity. That's a fleck more than than the XR1000'southward $vii a year but shut to the Archer AX6000'south $11.30 per year.
Asus RT-AX86U: Setup
When installing the RT-AX86U router, yous have the option of using Asus's Web browser interface or its Asus Router phone and tablet apps. There's software for iPhones and iPads as well equally Android tablets and phones.
I used an iPad Pro and the iOS app to get the RT-AX86U configured and running, which took all of eight minutes and 30 seconds. The process started with plugging everything in and connecting my iPad to the router's Wi-Fi network. Then, I chose which type of Asus gear I had and the software took a moment to find the router and notice the Internet connection.
When entering my new network's proper name and password, I could take separated the two.four- and 5GHz LANs. I chose to keep them with a single proper noun and and so created an account with Asus.
Information technology took a minute for the router to install these settings and show me a printable summary page. Finally, the RT-AX86U did a firmware update to the latest software. It connected on the commencement attempt.
Asus RT-AX86U: Configuration
As was the case with the setup, configuring, optimizing and adjusting the RT-AX86U can be accomplished via the Asus Router app or through the browser interface. Of the two, the app is more than visual just the browser approach allows an incredible assortment of choices, including running it as a router, an access point or as part of a mesh network.
Using the browser connection, the RT-AX86U'southward Network Map screen's blueish and gray colour scheme has less visual pizazz compared to the Nighthawk XR1000'south DumaOS Dashboard simply is just equally capable. Information technology shows if you lot're connected to the Internet, the encryption method used, how many clients are online and at any time, yous can rerun the set up up procedure or reboot the router.
Along the left is a long vertical column of Menu options that range from using the router in an AIMesh arrangement with other Asus gear to creating a guest network. At that place are screens for setting up and monitoring the router's AIProtection Pro malware shield that uses Tendency Micro security software to safeguard your network and its computers. In addition to a periodic security assessment and the ability to block dangerous Spider web sites, the parcel includes a thorough intrusion prevention feature every bit well as the ability to block botnets and zombies from attacking your computers. The all-time part is that unlike Netgear's Armor, it includes lifetime updates to defend confronting new dangers.
The Wireless customization is deep and useful for tuning the router. Its options range from irresolute the encryption technique and countersign to enabling 802.11AX mode and 160MHz channel widths. My favorite is the Professional person folio that actually is useful for talented amateurs seeking to optimize the router. It has the ability to adapt esoteric things like the RTS threshold, buoy interval and enabling TX bursting mode.
Its Gaming Page should help intrepid gamers with a Gaming Accelerator that gives your system superlative data priority. Information technology not but has a mobile gaming mode that tin help with phone and tablet apps, only the router tin be set to Open up NAT mode, where the router uses automatic port forwarding to bypass the router's Network Address Translation firewall without endangering the rest of the organisation or network.
The RT-AX86U is an excellent high-performance router that misses a few hits equally a gaming router. That'south because it does without the Nighthawk XR1000's Ping rut map of global server latency or the ability to geo-fence servers that are just besides far abroad for a reasonable response.
The adept news is that the RT-AX86U comes with a two twelvemonth warranty with service and back up included. That's at least ii steps ahead of Netgear's one-year warranty and 90-days of support; it costs $fourscore actress for ii years of support and warranty protection. More to the point, the AIProtection Pro security updates are free and non $70 for a year equally is the case with Netgear'due south products.
Asus provides lots of DIY support with drivers and downloads equally well as an extensive FAQ section. At whatever time, y'all tin chat with a technician about a problem.
Asus RT-AX86U: Verdict
It may not bank check all the boxes for getting the best gaming router but the Asus RT-AX86U is a top performer that gets close to the magical 1Gbps marker. Equal parts gaming router and one for general utilize at domicile, the RT-AX86U non only brings Multi-Gig inputs and port assemblage to the gaming party only it's ability to boost telephone and tablet games is a big plus. While information technology can definitely boot your play up a notch, the Asus RT-AX86U can protect the family unit'south computers and network with innovative built malware and hacker defenses. Unlike competitors, the software includes lifetime updates so you lot're ever a pace ahead of the hackers. That all adds up to the Asus RT-AX86U earning our Editors' Selection for standalone devices, making one of the best Wi-Fi routers overall, and the meridian pick on our listing of the best gaming routers.
That said, the Asus RT-AX86U is a stride behind the Netgear Nighthawk XR1000 in pushing the online gaming envelope. While the RT-AX86U has the advantage on moving raw information around and excels with two years of warranty protection, support and security updates, (something that Netgear charges $150 for), information technology falls brusk past defective geo-fencing and a latency map of gaming servers. Still, the price makes the Asus RT-AX86U is a steal for those who take to pinch pennies while working on the virtual farm or stopping in at a new Pokemon gym.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/asus-rt-ax86u
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