Before wifi 6 came to the market, the Asus RT-AC86U clobbered fancier, more costly competitors in the gaming router category. Speed was faster and more stable, the lagging problem was getting better and low, the features were sharp, and the price was not too high. I liked it so much that it did not just find a spot at the top of our list of the most profitable gaming routers: It made the competition at the top of our list of the finest routers, period. Asus came after that one up with a new model, the Asus RT-AX86U, open now for $250. Because the addition of an “X” in model no. may suggest it supports 802.11ax, better known as wifi 6. It means, in addition to the existing, game-centric characteristic like device prioritization and open NAT port forwarding, it gives support to the latest wifi 6 characteristic like 1024-QAM and OFDMA that make our home network faster than usual and more efficient. In total, this router takes care of all of the boxes. It is fast, well settled, super easy to use, and even without wifi 6E, it does feel sufficiently future proved with a WAN port which supports incoming speeds as high as 2.5 Gbps. Gamer or not, this director’s Choice-winning router belongs right at the top of your wireless network in your wish list.
ASUS RT AX86u review :
The Asus RT-AX86U can help in destroying in large numbers or totally invading strangers, or quickly downloading recent updates by amalgamating throughput. One of the most amalgamate routers on the market, the RT-AX86U is just as good as one of the best wifi routers, it is one of the best gaming routers to help gamers dominate the world.
While it has a generous two-year warranty, the RT-AX86U lacks some gaming tools, like a ping heat map and geo-fencing, that the competition has. It’s one of the best wifi 6 routers we’ve seen, and it even gets a nod as the runner-up for best wifi router in the 2021 Tom’s Guide Awards. It’s also one of the least expensive ways to up your game, with performance that can be different between winning and losing in your next online battle.
The Best wifi 6 Routers for 2023 :
With home offices are becoming much more important for most of the office workers, it is well worth the effort to scrutinize at the heart of our home network, namely our router. What also makes this an especially nice time to go router hunting is wifi 6 standard, which finally has appropriate routers showing up in original numbers. If our current router is three years older and you’re looking for a speed and security boost over what you have got running today, the wifi 6 standard has you covered. If you are wondering which router you’ve got now, it is probably compatible with the still-viable wifi 5 standard. Wifi 5 (802.11ac) has been the leading wireless networking standard since it was first seen on the scene in 2013. Its ability to deliver multi-band connection with theoretical throughput speeds of up to 5.4 gb per second (Gbps), which have kept it dominant for more than half a decade. Wifi 6 (802.11ax) users are in a new era of wireless networks, boasting theoretical speeds of up to 9.6 Gbps. However, there’s a lot more to wifi-6 speedy throughput. More client capability, increased battery life for client devices, security, and enhanced efficiency are also one of the benefits in the list, and these routers are available in a variety of configurations with prices beginning as low as $70 for budget router models, though to climb past $600 for the top of the line devices. That’s a larger swing price-wise, so before choosing a wifi 6 router try not to think about it is cost as the primary differentiator instead of thinking about why wifi 6 is wanted. (Our handy guide can help.) Once you get to know your right move, start to calculate the size of the coverage area and the number of users that will connect to the network. Additionally, PCs, tablets, and phones, such as cameras, doorbells, locks, and smart televisions, to name a few. As you would expect, robust management tools, blazing throughput potential tend to be the most costly ones. But once you have figured out who and what you will be connecting to your network, you’ll know if you really need one of these high-priced devices or if a less-expensive model will do. In this guide, we first offer up our latest top picks for wifi 6 routers and then tell you what you need to know to make an informed decision when buying a new wifi 6 router.
(AX1500): Best low-cost wifi 6 router :
The TP-Link AX1500 does not have more to brag about. It is an entry-level device that is designed for highly modest needs. However, considering the price, it’s a safe buy for anyone wanting a genuine wifi 6 experience.
Best for sub-Gigabit broadband :
Ubiquiti’s UniFi Dream Router is probably one of the most exciting home router because it is an advanced enterprise grade PoE ready controller in a home friendly design that can handle multiple hardware segments, with wifi and networking being one. Unfortunately, it has no Multi Gig, its four network ports are all Gigabit. It is only applicable to homes with sub Gigabit sustained speeds.
Best for Gigabit to Gig+ broadband :
The RT6600ax is the first router from Sinology in years and the very first that features the 5.9GHz portion of the 5GHz spectrum.
Running Sinology Router Manager operating system, this new router is one of the most comprehensive and it can also work as an excellent mini NAS server. Unfortunately, it has only one 2.5Gbps port, meaning it won’t be able to deliver connection speed faster than Gig+. But if you are happy with that, it is easily one of the best Asus wifi 6 routers to get.
Best for Gigabit to 2.5Gbps broadband :
The GT-AX1000 Pro replaces the GT-AX6000 at this spot. It is a much more potent variant of the GT-AX1000 and one of a few that sports two 2.5Gbps Multi-Gig ports.
In Home speed test :
At a home, a smallish, shotgun style house, I have an AT&T internet connection which is 300 Mbps, the Asus ax86u gaming router was able to hit maximum speeds at close range on the 5GHz band, which is not surprising at all. What is surprising as I ran speed test after speed test was that the router was able on occasion, to hit download speeds above 400 Mbps (megabits per second). Those were isolated spikes, mind you the ISP limit always pulls that average back down to what you are paying for, and in this case, the final close range average rang in at 339 Mbps. Still, I don’t think I have seen any other router notch a result above 400 Mbps in the test before. If your router is a bunch of balloons, and your ISP speed is a kid holding the string that keeps them from flying away, then the Asus ax86u gaming router was strong enough to lift the kid off the ground an inch or two.
Conclusion :
The Asus ax86u gaming router is a highly capable router that takes good advantage of wifi 6, it offers lots of extra appeal for gamers. You’ll enjoy a better range of coverage with a mesh router, and it is suffering from inconsistent band steering, but thankfully, you can turn off that feature and just stick to the isolate 5GHz band, which offers top speeds and enough range to bring adequate coverage to be small to medium-sized homes. I think the price is right. At $250, the RT-AX86U is a little more expensive than an entry-level wifi 6 router like the TP-Link Archer AX10 or the Linksys MR7350. Still, it is justifying that the cost with better performance, features, and reliable network, and it can even compete with fancier looking gaming routers that cost more. It is an excellent pick, and it is a clear Editors’ choice winner not only just among gaming routers but also among all routers.
