Wireless Type | 802.11ac |
---|---|
Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 2 |
Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 1 |
To see product details, add this item to your cart.
FREE Returns
Return this item for free
Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
Learn more about free returns. How to return the item? - Go to your orders and start the return
- Select the return method
- Ship it!
Ships from: Amazon Sold by: TheTechGroup
To see product details, add this item to your cart.
FREE Returns
Return this item for free
Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
Learn more about free returns. How to return the item? - Go to your orders and start the return
- Select the return method
- Ship it!
Ships from: Amazon Sold by: Amazon Warehouse
- 5 VIDEOS
Image Unavailable
Color:
-
-
-
- To view this video download Flash Player
ASUS AC3100 WiFi Gaming Router (RT-AC88U) - Dual Band Gigabit Wireless Router, WTFast Game Accelerator, Streaming, AiMesh Compatible, Included Lifetime Internet Security, Adaptive QoS, MU-MIMO
Return this item for free
Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
Learn more about free returns.- Go to your orders and start the return
- Select the return method
- Ship it!
Return this item for free
Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
Learn more about free returns.- Go to your orders and start the return
- Select the return method
- Ship it!
Return this item for free
Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
Learn more about free returns.- Go to your orders and start the return
- Select the return method
- Ship it!
Purchase options and add-ons
Brand | ASUS |
Model Name | Ac3100 Dual Band Gigabit Wifi Gaming Router (Rt-Ac88U) |
Special Feature | Wps, Qos, Beamforming, Alexa Compatible, Parental Control, Guest Mode, Led Indicator, Access Point Mode See more |
Frequency Band Class | Dual-Band |
Wireless Communication Standard | 802.11ac |
Compatible Devices | Gaming Console, Personal Computer, Tablet, Smartphone |
Frequency | 5 GHz |
Recommended Uses For Product | Security, Gaming, Home |
Included Components | Power Adapter, 4 External Antennas, Warranty Card, Router, Ethernet Cable, Quick Start Guide |
Connectivity Technology | Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet |
About this item
- 1024 Qam technology 80 percent faster 5 GigaHertz at up to 2100 Mbps, 66 percent faster 2. 4 GigaHertz at up to 1000 Mbps; utilities: firmware restoration
- 33 percent greater 2. 4 GigaHertz coverage with a 4 transmit, 4 receive (4T4R) antenna design, able to reach our widest ever coverage up to 5000 square feet
- Expansive connectivity options: with exclusively has 8 x Gigabit LAN ports for up to eight Ethernet compatible devices to connect simultaneously
- Powerful 1. 4 GigaHertz dual core processor, faster USB data transfers enjoy up to over 100 MB/s Speed and the router download/UPLOAD speed (WAN LAN throughput) up to 1. 8 Gaps
- Smart Connect automatically chooses the best band available for you, Dimensions: 11. 8 x 7. 4 x 3. 3 inch (WDHP).
- ASUS Protection powered by Trend Micro ensures your online experience is safe and secure. By combining automatic vulnerability detection, malicious site blocking and parental controls, Protection keeps everyone safe and sound | VPN client : PPTP client, L2TP client, OpenVPN client
- Connected devices must be 802.11ac-compatible for best results
Buy it with
Similar items that may ship from close to you
- ASUS RT-AX3000 Ultra-Fast Dual Band Gigabit Wireless Router - Next Gen WiFi 6, Adaptive QoS, and AiProtection by Trend Micro | 1x WAN, 4x 1G LAN, 1x USB 3.0 - AiMesh CompatibleFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2
- ASUS RT-AX1800S Dual Band WiFi 6 Extendable Router, Subscription-Free Network Security, Parental Control, Built-in VPN, AiMesh Compatible, Gaming & Streaming, Smart HomeAmazon's Choicein Computer RoutersFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2
- ASUS RT-AX55 AX1800 Dual Band WiFi 6 Gigabit Router, 802.11ax, Lifetime internet security, Parental Control, Mesh WiFi support, MU-MIMO, OFDMA, 4 Gigabit LAN Ports, BeamformingFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2
- TP-Link AXE5400 Tri-Band WiFi 6E Router (Archer AXE75)- Gigabit Wireless Internet Router, ax Router for Gaming, VPN Router, OneMesh, WPA310% offLimited time dealFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2
Important information
Legal Disclaimer
Disclaimer: Actual data throughput and WiFi coverage will vary from network conditions and environmental factors, including the volume of network traffic, building material and construction, and network overhead, result in lower actual data throughput and wireless coverage.
Compare with similar items
This Item ASUS AC3100 WiFi Gaming Router (RT-AC88U) - Dual Band Gigabit Wireless Router, WTFast Game Accelerator, Streaming, AiMesh Compatible, Included Lifetime Internet Security, Adaptive QoS, MU-MIMO | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | dummy | dummy | |
Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | |
Price | -9% $200.00$200.00 List: $219.99 | $116.87$116.87 | -14% $215.04$215.04 List: $249.99 | -20% $239.99$239.99 List: $299.99 | $109.99$109.99 | -10% $179.99$179.99 List: $199.99 |
Delivery | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Apr 3 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2 | — | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2 |
Customer Ratings | ||||||
WiFi signal | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.4 |
Tech Support | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.0 |
User interface | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.1 | — |
Easy to install | — | — | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
Quality of material | 3.6 | 4.4 | — | — | 4.6 | — |
Sold By | TheTechGroup | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | BookNutrition | Amazon.com |
connectivity tech | Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi, Ethernet | Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB | Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB | Wi-Fi | ✅EDITORS‘ CHOICE |
number of ports | 8 | 5 | 6 | 6 | — | 5 |
data transfer rate | 3167 megabits per second | 3000 megabits per second | 5700 megabits per second | 6000 megabits per second | 1800 megabits per second | 5400 megabits per second |
wireless standard | 802 11 AC | 802 11 AX, 802 11 AC, 802 11 G, 802 11 G, 802 11 A | 802 11 AX, 802 11 AC, 802 11 N, 802 11 G, 802 11 A | 802 11 AX, 802 11 AC, 802 11 G, 802 11 G, 802 11 A | 802 11 A, 802 11 AX, 802 11 AC, 802 11 G, 802 11 N | 802 11 AX, 802 11 AC, 802 11 N, 802 11 G, 802 11 B |
frequency band class | dual band | dual band | dual band | dual band | dual band | tri band |
lan port bandwidth | 8 | Gigabit | 2.5 Gigabit | 2.5 Gigabit | — | 10/100/1000 Mbps |
From the manufacturer
NitroQAM Technology - Seamless Experience
Whether you're gaming online in a heated competition or streaming a live event in 4K UHD, lag and buffering are simply not an option. NitroQAM technology delivers a combined 3167 Mbps Wi-Fi speed, ensuring everyone on your network can enjoy smooth streaming and low-latency online gaming.
Revolutionary MU-MIMO Technology
MU-MIMO gives every compatible device its own dedicated full-speed Wi-Fi connection, so that multiple devices can connect at the same time without slowing down the network.
Prioritize Your Game with Adaptive QoS
Boost your gaming bandwidth with Adaptive QoS, which allows you to easily prioritize gaming packets and activities. You can even assign full dedicated bandwidth while gaming under gamer solo mode, making RT-AC88U the perfect ally for low latency gaming anywhere in your home.
Your Digital Home Hub & Network Center
RT-AC88U exclusively has eight Gigabit LAN ports – twice the number most routers provide – for up to eight Ethernet-compatible devices to connect simultaneously. Smart TVs, game consoles, set top boxes, media players, NAS storage devices and more can now have their own dedicated ports.
AiProtection with Parental Control
ASUS AiProtection powered by Trend Micro improves your online safety and security by combining automatic vulnerability detection, malicious site blocking and parental controls. Advanced parental controls help you to prevent users from visiting inappropriate websites.
ASUS Router App & ASUSWRT User Interface
ASUS Router App & ASUSWRT User Interface are built from the ground-up to be both intuitive and robust, allowing you to setup your router, manage network traffic, diagnose connection issues and even update firmware, all without needing to boot up a PC.
ASUS Routers
ASUS RT-AC88U | ASUS RT-AC66U B1 | ASUS RT-AC68U | ASUS RT-AC86U | ASUS RT-AC5300 | |
Customer Reviews
|
4.1 out of 5 stars
4,748
|
4.4 out of 5 stars
4,865
|
4.4 out of 5 stars
13,608
|
4.4 out of 5 stars
9,758
|
4.3 out of 5 stars
2,856
|
WiFi Speed
| 3100 Mbps | 1750 Mbps | 1900 Mbps | 2900 Mbps | 5300 Mbps |
WiFi Coverage
| Very large homes | Large homes | Large homes | Very large homes | Very large homes |
Total Gigabit Ethernet ports
| 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
ASUS AiMesh Compatible
| ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Ai Protection
| ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
What's in the box
Videos
Videos for this product
1:46
Click to play video
How to improve WiFi signal
ASUS Computer International Direct
Looking for specific info?
Product information
Technical Details
Brand | ASUS |
---|---|
Series | Ac3100 Dual Band Gigabit Wifi Gaming Router (Rt-Ac88U) |
Item model number | RT-AC88U |
Operating System | Windows 10 Windows 8 Windows 7 Mac OS X 10.6 Mac OS X 10.7 Mac OS X 10.8 |
Item Weight | 2.6 pounds |
Product Dimensions | 30 x 6.5 x 18.8 inches |
Item Dimensions LxWxH | 30 x 6.5 x 18.8 inches |
Color | Black |
Voltage | 19 Volts |
Manufacturer | ASUS Computer International Direct |
ASIN | B016EWKQAQ |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Date First Available | October 30, 2015 |
Additional Information
Customer Reviews |
4.1 out of 5 stars |
---|---|
Best Sellers Rank | #11,456 in Computers & Accessories (See Top 100 in Computers & Accessories) #460 in Computer Routers |
Warranty & Support
Feedback
Product Description
Wireless ac88u Dual Band Gigabit Router with 3100 Mbps throughput for smooth up to 4K/UHD video playback, support MU MIMO, AI protection, link aggregation with teaming ports and Smart Connect. The actual performance may vary as a result of network conditions and environmental factors.
Product Segment-AC3100 ultimate AC performance: 1000+2167 Mbps, Network Standard: IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac, IPv4, IPv6, Wi-Fi Technology-Beamforming: standard-based and universal,1024-QAM high data rate,20/40/80 MHz bandwidth. Ports: RJ45 for Gigabits BaseT for WAN x 1, RJ45 for Gigabits BaseT for LAN x 8,USB 2.0 x 1,USB 3.0 x 1.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the ease of use and speed of the networking router. For example, they mention it's easy to setup and use, with an intuitive interface. Some are happy with signal strength, and features. That said, opinions are mixed on performance, connectivity, quality, and value.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the networking router easy to set up and use. They say the interface GUI is very intuitive and offers many settings and an ease of navigation. Customers also mention that the FTP access is easy to setup and a painless affair. They appreciate the QOS features, which are easy to work with and can be manually configured if desired. The 8 Gigabit ports make it easy to connect a VoIP phone, a NAS, and e powerline adapter. The web interface is similar to the RT-N66W and the web admin is familiar.
"...I feel that the GUI is easier to use and it feels smoother than in previous models (it could just be me)...." Read more
"...Went to Best Buy and bought the same router. Again, initial setup was a breeze- less than 5 minutes to unpack, plug in, and have wifi...." Read more
"...The features it has, along with the incredible range, plus it is REALLY easy to use compared to other routers... makes this router the best I’ve..." Read more
"...For the records, the setup process of this router is dead simple...." Read more
Customers like the speed of the networking router. They say it has good connection speeds, excellent throughput, and constant streams and data transfers are fast. Some mention that the built-in VPN server is a plus.
"...Right now I am happy with the routers overall performance and stability...." Read more
"...dodads, networked either via ethernet or Wi-Fi and rarely have problems with lag." Read more
"...I am impressed by the consistent speed that this has over my previous routers that I have used...." Read more
"...Wifi speed at close range is also very fast, I was getting 300+ mbps from the 5G wifi (before it went out), and about half that on the 2.4G wifi...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the signal strength of the router. They mention that it has a great range for WiFi, and has excellent reception on both 2.4 and 5GHz bands throughout their home. The router has fast WiFi speeds and displays almost the same signal strength everywhere. Overall, customers are happy with the performance and range of this router.
"...The fancy packaging is a waste. The Netgear unit pushes a stronger signal, just as easy to set up, and allows for 90% of the tweaking that the ASUS..." Read more
"...The features it has, along with the incredible range, plus it is REALLY easy to use compared to other routers... makes this router the best I’ve..." Read more
"...More importantly, it displays almost the same signal strength everywhere (+/- 3-5 dBm) on both the 2.4 and 5 Ghz bands which I have not seen in any..." Read more
"Good:- Range is much improved over older routers- Speed is good to excellent (dependent on range)-..." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the features of the networking router. They mention that it has a nice set of capabilities, an impressive feature set, and enables enhanced features while retaining all of the original functionality. Customers also appreciate the Asus UI, which is feature-packed and prefer it over other manufacturers. They say the router is fast, powerful, and full of great utilities. Customers say the current firmware is the most fully featured capable consumer router available.
"...Incredible amount of features and iron clad security. By far, the best router I’ve ever owned or worked with...." Read more
"...I am impressed with the range.The Asus UI is feature-packed and I prefer it over other manufacturers'...." Read more
"...5 stars because with the current firmware this is the most fully featured capable consumer router available...." Read more
"...This router has a ton of other capability, way more than I or most people need...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the performance of the router. Some mention that it performs just great, has fast connection speeds, and is impressive. However, others say that it's not performing the basic tasks that a router should be able to, and there was no performance increase. Some say that the product has few games supported and the project is practically dead.
"...These have worked better than any previous router I've owned and have a lot of flexibility to account for individual needs...." Read more
"...Never got the two to work, mainly because the ASUS kept dropping channels...." Read more
"...to toy with it one last time... and to my surprise.. it’s now working perfectly. It’s been a month and I haven’t had not one issue at all...." Read more
"...’s been only a few days I have got it up and running, the results are really impressive...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the connectivity of the router. Some mention that it has dual networks, and every device that's connected is listed. They also say that it's faster and more reliable than other extenders. However, others say that they can't get a good connection to the 5 GHz band unless they stand right next to the router, and that both the 2.4 and 5 ghz networks will not connect to the internet.
"...The 5g network kept disappearing about every 3-4 days and I would have to either reboot router or toggle the 5g network on/off to have it show..." Read more
"...time, my RAM usage has not exceeded 38% or 39%, there have been no unexpected drops, and throughput from ethernet devices are consistently 960 Mbps..." Read more
"...Tried resetting again, but the thing was bricked- would not reset, no wifi output, no internet, and even the software "reboot" wouldn't work..." Read more
"...great for about 48hrs then, both the 2.4 & 5ghz networks will not connect to the internet...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the quality of the networking router. Some mention that it provides a rock solid, fast connection on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. However, others say that the reliability is pretty awful, the radio is strong, and the router is flaky and has crashed once.
"...Right now I am happy with the routers overall performance and stability...." Read more
"...TL:DR- two ASUS units, both failing to provide reliable wifi. The fancy packaging is a waste...." Read more
"...They seem to be pretty rugged, as I've owned one for probably five years and the other for two. AiMesh works great for my house...." Read more
"...Its basically unusable because it simply wont keep your network stable for more than a few days...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the value of the networking router. Some mention it's easy to setup and use, has many features, and is a very premium router. However, others say that it'd be better off with a different router and less money.
"...I just purchased the new AC86U. I hooked it up today. It is much cheaper, has a faster processor and more memory...." Read more
"...Its just sad, with the very expensive price tag of the RT-AC88U, other cheaper routers are chugging along perfectly in my home, and this is a $250..." Read more
"...be as static and reliable as possible - this dual band beast is worth every penny...." Read more
"...Edit9 months into ownership this terrible, overpriced piece of trash is choking 480+ speeds down to 8-12ish...." Read more
Reviews with images
-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
I was using Merlin's firmware on the ac68u so that was one of the first things I did to update the router to it's most current firmware. I'm am using a fork of Merlin's firmware which gives me a couple of unlocked features including the extra settings for vpn. Once I installed the updated firmware I did a factory reset, followed by a Nvram reset. This helps make sure only default values from current firmware are being used.
I was kind of paranoid of this router based on the reviews on hardware failures and the 5g network not working or disappearing altogether. Once I had roughly the same setting as my ac68u and setup the vpn service I ran test on the network and range. My ISP Spectrum provides 300/20 service, so testing LAN speeds gave me 330/22 which is perfect.
Now the WiFi is where I had to put in the most work in figuring out what was going wrong. First my 2.4 network would only max out at around 50-60/20 Mbps on my iPhone while being associated at a 144mbps. My ac68u was getting close to 80/20 Mbps on its 2.4 network. Testing the 5g network gave me roughly the same results as on the LAN 320/22 Mbps. I was disappointed at the 2.4 network speed results but decided to do some more research as to try to improve overall throughput on the 2.4 network. Their are many options to take into consideration like channel and the widths but for me channel 1 and on 20mhz gave the best results. Now their are other options to change which are located in the professional tab. Eventually after toggling on and off different settings based on opinions/facts on forums I got to an improvement in speed and range. Now on my 2.4 network I was maxing out at over 100 Mbps on my iPhone 6s Plus. I have pictured both the 2.4g and 5g network Speed test results.
After having everything setup to my liking and not needing to reboot router, is when the 5g network started doing it's disappearing act. Shrugged it off the first time but was thinking already i was having those 5g network problem I was reading in most of the reviews. It happen a second time and now I was getting worried i would have to return router. The 5g network kept disappearing about every 3-4 days and I would have to either reboot router or toggle the 5g network on/off to have it show up.
I noticed on the wireless log page that the 5g network had a higher noise interference than normal. I did research to find out more information on what was causing this and what to do. Eventually I came to a page that explains the 5g network and it's available channels that don't overlap each other. But I also found out that certain channels mainly the higher channels are shared by certain radars and emergency services. There are 3 bands, the first one being domestic (home routers), bands 2-3 are for certain radars and emergency services. It's said that if a router on a channel from band 2-3 would have to switch its channel to prevent interference with the radar or emergency services.The channel I was currently using fell into the 3rd band of channels, Once I switched to a channel in the first band I saw the difference. First their was less noice in the 5g network and connections were stronger. And as of right now I have 9 days up and running without the 5g network disappearing.
So overall it was a lot of work but with new technology their comes a learning curve to figure out how everything works while maximizing performance . Right now I am happy with the routers overall performance and stability. I've included my professional tabs pages for both network to see my optimal settings. Gaming is great on two XBOX ones at the same time. Don't use the WTFast feature. Streaming to multiple devices , phones, fire TV, smart TV , laptop with no problems.
One thing is that this router does run a little hot. My ac68u was the same and I was using a fan to keep it cool. I had to buy another 120mm fan and used the two fans under the the ac88u to help with air circulation. It dropped the CPU temp by almost 20 degrees Celsius, and the WiFi CPU's by about 10 degrees Celsius. Hopefully this will prolong the life of the router and give me at least 3 years + of performance.
I will update if there are any changes or failures, but for know I'm willing to round up to 5 stars.
Update October 13, 2017
I found more info about 5g network disappearing on a forum. Thanks to ScottW, his suggestion of having the 5g network broadcast on 40mhz bandwidth. This has helped him keep his network up for weeks. Hope this help anyone having their 5g network disappear.
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2017
I was using Merlin's firmware on the ac68u so that was one of the first things I did to update the router to it's most current firmware. I'm am using a fork of Merlin's firmware which gives me a couple of unlocked features including the extra settings for vpn. Once I installed the updated firmware I did a factory reset, followed by a Nvram reset. This helps make sure only default values from current firmware are being used.
I was kind of paranoid of this router based on the reviews on hardware failures and the 5g network not working or disappearing altogether. Once I had roughly the same setting as my ac68u and setup the vpn service I ran test on the network and range. My ISP Spectrum provides 300/20 service, so testing LAN speeds gave me 330/22 which is perfect.
Now the WiFi is where I had to put in the most work in figuring out what was going wrong. First my 2.4 network would only max out at around 50-60/20 Mbps on my iPhone while being associated at a 144mbps. My ac68u was getting close to 80/20 Mbps on its 2.4 network. Testing the 5g network gave me roughly the same results as on the LAN 320/22 Mbps. I was disappointed at the 2.4 network speed results but decided to do some more research as to try to improve overall throughput on the 2.4 network. Their are many options to take into consideration like channel and the widths but for me channel 1 and on 20mhz gave the best results. Now their are other options to change which are located in the professional tab. Eventually after toggling on and off different settings based on opinions/facts on forums I got to an improvement in speed and range. Now on my 2.4 network I was maxing out at over 100 Mbps on my iPhone 6s Plus. I have pictured both the 2.4g and 5g network Speed test results.
After having everything setup to my liking and not needing to reboot router, is when the 5g network started doing it's disappearing act. Shrugged it off the first time but was thinking already i was having those 5g network problem I was reading in most of the reviews. It happen a second time and now I was getting worried i would have to return router. The 5g network kept disappearing about every 3-4 days and I would have to either reboot router or toggle the 5g network on/off to have it show up.
I noticed on the wireless log page that the 5g network had a higher noise interference than normal. I did research to find out more information on what was causing this and what to do. Eventually I came to a page that explains the 5g network and it's available channels that don't overlap each other. But I also found out that certain channels mainly the higher channels are shared by certain radars and emergency services. There are 3 bands, the first one being domestic (home routers), bands 2-3 are for certain radars and emergency services. It's said that if a router on a channel from band 2-3 would have to switch its channel to prevent interference with the radar or emergency services.The channel I was currently using fell into the 3rd band of channels, Once I switched to a channel in the first band I saw the difference. First their was less noice in the 5g network and connections were stronger. And as of right now I have 9 days up and running without the 5g network disappearing.
So overall it was a lot of work but with new technology their comes a learning curve to figure out how everything works while maximizing performance . Right now I am happy with the routers overall performance and stability. I've included my professional tabs pages for both network to see my optimal settings. Gaming is great on two XBOX ones at the same time. Don't use the WTFast feature. Streaming to multiple devices , phones, fire TV, smart TV , laptop with no problems.
One thing is that this router does run a little hot. My ac68u was the same and I was using a fan to keep it cool. I had to buy another 120mm fan and used the two fans under the the ac88u to help with air circulation. It dropped the CPU temp by almost 20 degrees Celsius, and the WiFi CPU's by about 10 degrees Celsius. Hopefully this will prolong the life of the router and give me at least 3 years + of performance.
I will update if there are any changes or failures, but for know I'm willing to round up to 5 stars.
Update October 13, 2017
I found more info about 5g network disappearing on a forum. Thanks to ScottW, his suggestion of having the 5g network broadcast on 40mhz bandwidth. This has helped him keep his network up for weeks. Hope this help anyone having their 5g network disappear.
For starters, this router has excellent range. We have about a 2,500 sq.ft. house with a normal sized front and back yard. After initially setting the router up, I decided to go to every room of the house as well around the outside with my phone and see when the bars started to drop off. I can stand on every inch of my property including the basement and have just about a full signal strength with this router. I can still receive signal at my neighbors house (typical suburbia style houses). I was able to download music off of my hard drives on to my phones from the street out front of the house. I am impressed with the signal strength and the constancy that this thing has.
File transfer speeds and connection speeds are no longer a problem now that I have this router. I have not experienced a slow day or any inconsistent connectivity speeds. We stream music, movies, TV shows, play games online, download music and movies, and use a VPN to work from home. There are 2 people in our house that both use the internet constantly and this router does not flinch. I no longer have to worry about slowing down the network when downloading things or streaming the game while someone is working from home. I am impressed by the consistent speed that this has over my previous routers that I have used.
We have a 300Mbps download speed with a 20Mbps upload speed and we constantly get those speeds even during what would be considered peak usage hours in our area. We also had to update our modem as well but that is not a part of this review.
The features on this router are similar to the features of the RT-N56U when logging into it. I feel that the GUI is easier to use and it feels smoother than in previous models (it could just be me). I am using a different DNS than what my ISP provides and limit my network to only use a certain IP range within a subnet and this router allows you to do that easily. I have not gone through every little thing on the router because it has been working so well but I do plan on going through and trying different options out in the coming months and plan on updating later on.
The router does run a little warm to the touch but it is understandable with how powerful this thing is. In total, we have 3 smart TVs, 4 laptops, 3 cell phones. 2 desktops, 3 game consoles, 2 Amazon Echos, 1 Nest thermostat, 1 Roku, and 1 NAS all connected to this one router either wirelessly or wired (through an unmanaged switch on some) and this has outperformed any load that is put on it so far. This may be a bit overkill for some homes but is easily one of the best routers around if there are multiple people in the household that utilize a lot of bandwidth during a time when many people are trying to use the network. I certainly hope this router lasts quite a few years as I am totally happy with it and would recommend it if you are interested in tinkering with your network and/or have a normally heavy use on your network. So far, this is an excellent router and I hope to have an updated review a few months from now after more use and stress has been put on it.
Top reviews from other countries
Su software para administración es muy completo, filtros de red, de usuarios, contraseñas, prioridades de ancho de banda... Yo lo compré porque juego en pc, y le da más ancho de banda a mis juegos que a descargas y demás. Mejora mucho la latencia de conexión y la respuesta, aunque es preferible tener una conexión a más de 30mbps.
Se calienta mucho en época de calor y como me preocupa que siga funcionando, a veces le conecto un disipador por usb (base enfriadora para laptop) y logra bajar la temperatura.
Puedes conectar en ése mismo usb un disco duro y si tienes muchos equipos en la red, compartir archivos entre ellos o almacenarlos en dicho disco.
En general excelente producto, volvería a comprar otro router asus si lo necesitara.
Incluye la utilidad "download master" con la que puedes conectar un disco duro o una memoria usb a alguno de los puertos, y en las opciones del router agregas el torrent o la descarga que quieres realizar, y el router solito se encargará de bajarlo a tu memoria, sin necesidad de tener prendido tu equipo PC o Mac.
También te incluye un modo de realce de juego con el que supuestamente tendrás mejor desempeño en los videojuegos, al realizar tareas el router que mejorarán las conexiones del juego para evitar el tan sonado lag o alentamiento. En mi experiencia en este modo he tenido resultados mixtos pues con algunos juegos si se siente diferencia de velocidad, en otros no tanto. Puedes incluso no utilizarlo y no hará mucha diferencia, pero vamos, es mejor tener la opción ahí.
Por último y no menos importante, la configuración no es nada del otro mundo, así que les comparto mi experiencia al conectar este equipo a la red de fibra optica de Axtel. Primero tendrán que tener el modem de la compañía configurado en modo "capa 2" luego en las opciones del router actual tendrán que hacer un clonado de MAC, es decir copiar la dirección mac del router actual.
Con todo esto listo, apaguen el modem por 30 segundos, conectenlo de nuevo, enseguida conecten el router ASUS con su cable al equipo principal PC o Mac, y tardará un poquito en encender la primera vez, luego ya que están todos los focos del router encendidos, entrar a la pagina router asus com y en conección WAN pegar la dirección MAC del router anterior y listo eso es todo!!!
Incluso existe la aplicación para android y iOS para monitorear la red del router y hacer cambios, este router es una CHULADA!!
Reviewed in Mexico on September 15, 2018
Incluye la utilidad "download master" con la que puedes conectar un disco duro o una memoria usb a alguno de los puertos, y en las opciones del router agregas el torrent o la descarga que quieres realizar, y el router solito se encargará de bajarlo a tu memoria, sin necesidad de tener prendido tu equipo PC o Mac.
También te incluye un modo de realce de juego con el que supuestamente tendrás mejor desempeño en los videojuegos, al realizar tareas el router que mejorarán las conexiones del juego para evitar el tan sonado lag o alentamiento. En mi experiencia en este modo he tenido resultados mixtos pues con algunos juegos si se siente diferencia de velocidad, en otros no tanto. Puedes incluso no utilizarlo y no hará mucha diferencia, pero vamos, es mejor tener la opción ahí.
Por último y no menos importante, la configuración no es nada del otro mundo, así que les comparto mi experiencia al conectar este equipo a la red de fibra optica de Axtel. Primero tendrán que tener el modem de la compañía configurado en modo "capa 2" luego en las opciones del router actual tendrán que hacer un clonado de MAC, es decir copiar la dirección mac del router actual.
Con todo esto listo, apaguen el modem por 30 segundos, conectenlo de nuevo, enseguida conecten el router ASUS con su cable al equipo principal PC o Mac, y tardará un poquito en encender la primera vez, luego ya que están todos los focos del router encendidos, entrar a la pagina router asus com y en conección WAN pegar la dirección MAC del router anterior y listo eso es todo!!!
Incluso existe la aplicación para android y iOS para monitorear la red del router y hacer cambios, este router es una CHULADA!!
My wifi signal have about x2 to x4 strength.