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Today, we have an abundance of choice when it comes to all things technology. From the computers, we use to the routers and modems that go with them and even the ISP providers that connect us to the World Wide Web.
Today, we will take a close look at ASUS routers: why you should consider getting yourself one, how the brand came to be, and everything else you need to know to make the right choice as far as ASUS routers are concerned.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Best Asus Routers
- OUR TOP PICK: ASUS AC1900 RT-AC68U
- RUNNER-UP: ASUS AC2900 RT-AC86U
- BEST BUDGET OPTION: ASUS RT-AX88U AX6000
Comparison of the Best ASUS Routers
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Who is ASUS?
ASUS came into existence in 1989. It's a Taiwanese company specializing in manufacturing reliable computers and other smart products for a global market. Yes, routers aren't their primary business, but the company brings its high manufacturing standards to the industry and ensures that every router they build is just as reliable and as well put together as their computers have been for decades.
Recognized by Fortune Magazine in 2015 and 2016 as the World's Most Admired Company, ASUS has ventured beyond desktop and laptop computers by introducing new innovative technologies such as their smart home robot names Zenbo, their smartphones - the ZenFone™ series as well as other virtual and augmented reality products for their ever-expanding customer base. It was only natural that they would produce routers to help seamlessly connect these devices to the internet.
What Makes ASUS Products Stand Out From the Competition?
As an industry leader, ASUS makes products that are powerful and quite intuitive, and very easy to use. The routers are designed to be dual-band gigabit routers that offer exceptional speeds, reliable connectivity, and enough power to run multiple devices simultaneously.
The brand uses their proprietary AiMesh mesh Wi-Fi system to help deliver tremendous speeds that support heavy-duty streaming, online gaming, and other demanding online tasks that would cause most other routers to drop connections frequently or slow down the entire network.
Plus, they are a brand that has been excelling in this field for over three decades. You can count on the fact that they do a lot of things right.
Review of the Best ASUS Routers
Here is a quick review of some of the best ASUS routers in the market today:
Best Overall:
ASUS AC1900 RT-AC68U
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
This is the kind of gigabit router that is easy to set up and offers fast internet speeds. Equipped with the latest 802; 11 AC 3x3 dual-band technology, this router gives you combined speeds of up to 1900Mbps.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This is a dual-core gigabit router that allows for smart multitasking for people who need both fast wired connections and Wi-Fi. Like most ASUS products, setting it up is pretty much a walk in the park as long as you have the ASUS Router App.
With that, you can both monitor and manage your connection very easily. Furthermore, the router has excellent security. It's protected by Trend Micro, which gives you multi-stage protection from any kind of vulnerability.
Bottom Line
It has a nice, slim build that doesn't take up too much space. It's affordable. It's fast and easy to set up.
Runner-up:
ASUS AC2900 RT-AC86U
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Designed to perform well and deliver excellent speeds, this is a powerful router that will serve both heavy-duty internet users and online gamers alike. The biggest issue with this router is that it isn't designed to fit into small spaces.
It has a unique design with the antennas sticking out in a cumbersome way, but once you find the right spot for it, you will enjoy the speeds and reliability it offers.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This is an impressive machine by any standard. To begin with, like most ASUS routers, it runs on a 1. 8GHz 32bit dual-core processor, which offers you optimum power and excellent connectivity.
It also has amazing speeds of 2900Mbps on a dual-band. Furthermore, it features MU-MIMO technology and Beamforming, which means that you will get reliable connectivity at all times to all connected devices and an impressive range.
The router was specifically designed for online gamers and heavy-duty users which means you get a lag-free connection with 4K video streaming, adaptive QoS, and WTFast game Accelerator.
Bottom Line
Apart from the speeds, you get excellent 24/7 protection through Trend Micro. If you are in the market for a good gaming router with excellent speeds, looks good, and has all the necessary features that guarantee a future-proof network, this is the one you want.
Best for the Money:
ASUS RT-AX88U AX6000
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
There is no doubt about it, this router will set you back a pretty penny, but it's worth every dollar. Designed to support 802.11Ax Wi-Fi standard (Next Generation Wi-Fi standards), the router offers you better efficiency and unbelievable throughput. It's exactly what you want if you are a heavy-duty online gamer and surfer.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The speeds on this thing are insane. Designed to give you ultra-fast speeds of 6000Mbps on Wi-Fi, this router is what you need if you have a very busy network with lots of gadgets streaming 4K videos, sending and receiving files as well as online gaming.
It has four antennas, which work well to provide you with excellent coverage. It also has 8 LAN ports, which allow you to have multiple wired connections for faster and even more reliable speeds.
The security on it is also quite impressive. It uses commercial-grade AiProtection, which is powered by Trend Micro. This ensures that your network is always safe from malicious attacks.
Bottom Line
It's compatible with ASUS' Aimesh system, which improves its coverage, it has a nice design, and it's powerful enough to support heavy-duty online gaming. This is by far one of the best ASUS routers in the market today.
Best ASUS Gaming Router:
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
The first thing that we will mention is that this is too much of a router for people who consider themselves average internet users. If all you want is to send emails, watch movies, and a little light browsing, then the processing power and speeds that this router brings will be wasted on you.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The reasons why this may be too much router are the very same reasons why it stands out to us. If you are a gamer and a heavy-duty user, you will love this router's performance. Equipped with a 1.8 GigaHertz Quad-Core CPU and a 2.5 G gaming port, you not only get ultra-fast speeds but also excellent reliability.
It has 1GB RAM, which makes it faster than most computers, and not only is it compatible with Next Generation Wi-Fi, but it's also backward compatible with other Wi-Fi devices that you might have on your network.
Bottom Line
For the price, you get the quality, speed, and protection. This is the ultimate gaming router for heavy-duty users. It will also prove to be the best choice if you are looking for something that can perform highly and keep up with you.
Best ASUS Tri-Band Router:
ASUS GT-AC5300
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
While ASUS typically makes dual-band routers, this Tri-Band option is very welcome to the market. It's an extremely powerful router running on a 1.8GHz 64bit Quad-Core processor, which guarantees fast processing of information.
Why it Stands Out to Us
As a Tri-Band router, it offers you a total of 5334Mbps paired with the latest 802.11ac 4x4 MU-MIMO technology, which ensures excellent throughput and coverage. Designed specifically for gaming, it features game IPS security powered by Trend Micro, VPN Fusion technology, which allows you to simultaneously run your ordinary internet connection and a VPN.
Furthermore, it features a ROG Game Dashboard, which gives you access to excellent features such as Game IPS, Game Boost, and VPN Fusion, among many others.
Bottom Line
This is a highly powerful and fast router designed for gamers who want reliable and fast connectivity.
Types of ASUS Routers
As you would expect, a company as big as ASUS with an equally humongous reputation will produce a wide range of routers to suit their ever-growing clientele base.
However, if you are new to this world, you will have a bit of an issue understanding the difference between all these types of routers. Here is a small overview of what you might expect from ASUS:
The "R" and "U" Versions
These routers have very subtle differences and, in most cases, can pretty much do the same thing. However, the biggest difference is that the "R" versions tend to offer you broader network standards, which means that highly specific and heavy-duty users would prefer the "R" versions. Normal users can do with either one but are advised to choose the "U" versions, which are cheaper.
The "AC" Tier of Routers
The biggest difference within this tier of routers is the type of technology used within the individual routers themselves. For example, the RT-AC66U can run 3x3 MIMO while the RT-AC56U only runs 2x2 MIMO, which makes the former capable of achieving much faster speeds.
Dual-Band and Airmesh Technology
It should be stated right off the bat that ASUS specializes in dual-band routers for faster connectivity. Some of them also feature their Airmesh technology, which increases the speeds and coverage.
ASUS generally has very good routers. The trick is finding the one that has the kind of specifications you need for your online usage and price point.
How Do ASUS Routers Compare?
Granted, many other awesome brands make outstanding routers in the market today. Some of those include Netgear, TP-Link, and Linksys. Let's take a quick look at how ASUS routers compare to these market leaders:
Netgear vs ASUS Router
Netgear and ASUS are both outstanding brands that make wonderful routers. However, there are some similarities and differences that send some customers one way or the other.
Similarities
- Both support 802.11ax, which means Wi-Fi 6 isn't a problem
- Both produce dual-band and above
- Both use the same Broadcom 64-bit Quad-Core CPU processor (1.8 GHz speed)
- Both support older Wi-Fi standards
- Both work with Alexa
- Both have excellent security but don't support WPA3
ASUS AC1900 RT-AC68U
Differences
- ASUS has a total of 8 gigabit LAN ports as opposed to only 5 by Netgear
- ASUS routers have dedicated mechanisms that support online gaming better
TP-Link vs ASUS Router
TP-Link is another wonderful brand that has won several awards for "Highest Customer Satisfaction" in the wireless router category. Let's see how it compares to ASUS as a brand:
Similarities
- Extremely high-speed routers
- Both companies build routers that offer port filtering
- Both have both external and internal antennas
- Both offer excellent controls and security
ASUS AC2900 RT-AC86U
Differences
- TP-Link offer considerably cheaper options
- ASUS has removable antennas while TP-Link routers don't
Linksys vs ASUS Router
Linksys is another excellent brand with wonderful products. Here are how their routers generally compare to ASUS routers.
Similarities
- Both offer reliable security
- Both work with dual-band routers
- Excellent range and speeds
Differences
- ASUS routers tend to have a much slicker and more aesthetically pleasing appearance
- ASUS routers tend to have a total of 8 gigabit LAN ports, while Linksys often offer just 4
As you can see, the leading brands produce almost similar products as far as wireless routers are concerned. The main differences are often subtle and resonate with personal preferences.
For example, the fact that ASUS routers offer 8 gigabit LAN ports might sound like a bit of an overkill because most people won't ever use all of them. However, heavy-duty, hardcore users, and online gamers will appreciate that fact.
How to Setup ASUS Router
Like most routers and modem manufacturers, ASUS has gone to great lengths to make setting up and using their products quite easy. Thanks to the "ASUS Router App," you can now simply follow the prompts on your screen to fully set up your new router and modem combo from ASUS. That being said, here are some steps you can follow to set up your router:
- Make sure that your modem power cable is unplugged.
- Take the Ethernet network cable provided by your ISP and connect it to any of the many LAN ports at the back of your device.
- Plugin the power cable to your modem and turn the device back on.
- Now go to the router. Make sure it's turned off. Take the Ethernet cable from your modem and connect the other end to one of the LAN ports at the back of your router.
- Turn on your router.
- Check to see that the three LED lights (power, Wi-Fi, and internet) are all on.
- Once you have done that, turn to your phone and the ASUS Router App to complete the installation process.
- Your device will ask you to enable Wi-Fi; do that by tapping on the notification.
- You will see a connection named "ASUS," tap on it.
- It will prompt you to start the setup process by creating a network name and a password as well as an Administrator password.
- Once you have created these passwords, that's it. Your new router should be connected.
Be sure to refer to the video below for a full overview of what was just described:
ASUS Router Troubleshooting
No matter how good the piece of equipment you have, machines tend to break down from time to time. Thankfully, ASUS has a robust customer service and tech support team that is always ready to help you out with any issues that you might experience.
However, some common problems are easily fixable without calling tech support. You need to know what to do. Here are some of the most common issues and how you can easily resolve them on your own.
Can't Connect to ASUS Router
- Connect your router to your laptop or computer using an Ethernet cable
- On your PC, search and select "Control Panel"
- Within the "Control Panel" window, find "Network and Internet" and then select "Network and Sharing Center"
- To the left of the "Network and Sharing Center," select the "Change Adapter Settings" option
- Find the adapter that is connected to your PC through the Ethernet cable and right-click on it. You will see "Properties"
- Within the "Properties" window, choose the "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)"
- You will see the option "Receive an IP address automatically." Press OK
- Open your web browser and go to the "Tools Menu." Within that menu, choose "Internet Options"
- Once on the "Internet Options" window, choose "Connections" and then "Local Area Network" (LAN) settings
- Within "LAN settings," untick the option that says "Use a proxy server for your LAN" and press OK
- Go back to your computer's search box and search for "Windows Firewall"
- Choose the "Windows Defender Firewall." On the left, go to "Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off"
You will then see a section labeled "Private network settings" and "Public network settings." Choose "Turn off Windows Defender Firewall" and press OK.
ASUS Router Slow Wired Connection
If your ASUS is outputting slow speeds on a wired connection, there are four things that you can do to troubleshoot it:
- Ensure that the Ethernet cable is properly connected and not damaged
- Do a hard reset (switch it on and off from the wall)
- Check to see if it's running the latest version of its OS or if it has any viruses/malware
- ASUS Router Won't Connect to Internet
- Start by checking that the Ethernet cables are connected to the router and modem correctly
- Restart the router and check if LED lights are on
- If all is well so far, connect your router to your computer directly using an RJ45 Ethernet cable to see if it connects to the internet that way
- If it doesn't have internet even when wired, try this (on the router's settings page, go to - WEB GUI > WAN > Internet Connection > Special Requirement from ISP) this is to check if the information of ISP is all correct. If it isn't, then correct it. If it is, then (connect the router directly to the ISP cable and reset it to the default settings). After that, set it up all over again. If still no internet, call tech support
- If, however, the device gets internet when wired but not through Wi-Fi, then (Change wireless name and password to see if it gets internet that way; check to see if there are any viruses or if you are running the latest version of the OS). If all that fails, call tech support.
ASUS Router Dropping Connection
If your router often drops the connection, here are some troubleshooting steps you can try:
- Check to see it doesn't have any viruses or malware and is running the latest version of the OS
- Choose a bandwidth channel and set it as default
- Switch to a channel that has less interference
- Adjust the placement and location of your router as well as the direction of your router antennas
- Restore it to default settings and then set it up again
- If still dropping connections, call tech support
Conclusion
ASUS makes some of the most reliable dual-band wireless routers. Each of the routers on this list can qualify as the best ASUS router, depending on what you need it to do. All you have to do now is choose one that aligns with your specific needs, buy it and enjoy it.
People Also Ask
Here are some of the most common questions that people often ask when dealing with the best ASUS routers.
What Kind of Warranty Does ASUS Offer?
Depending on the model, the company offers warranties anywhere from 12 to 36 months of materials and workmanship.
Is ASUS a Good Router?
Yes. ASUS routers are excellent and in keeping with the brand's tradition.
ASUS AC1900 RT-AC68U
How Do I Find My ASUS Router Username and Password?
Find your router's default IP address, which will often be "192.168. 1.1" or "192.168. 0.1". Then click on the "show password" button.
How Long Do ASUS Routers Last?
It's good practice to replace your router every 4 to 5 years.
How to Change ASUS Router Password
- Log in to the app and simply click "change password." If you don't have the app (connect the router to your computer with an Ethernet cable; open a web browser; to IP "192.168. 1.1" or "192.168. 0.1"; go to wireless > general > change your Wi-Fi Password in 'WPA Pre-Shared'
- Save settings
How to Port Forward ASUS Router
- Login to your router
- Under "Advanced Settings," click on "WAN"
- Click "Virtual Server/Port Forwarding"
- Click "Yes" to "Enable Port Forwarding"
How to Update Firmware on ASUS Router
Here is a video giving you a quick walkthrough on how to both live update and update your firmware manually:
How to Open Ports on ASUS Router
This process is quite similar to "Port Forwarding," as illustrated above. Here is a comprehensive guide by ASUS on how to safely open ports on any of their routers.
ASUS Router Configuration
Setting up your ASUS router is fairly simple. All you have to do is:
- Connect the router to an Ethernet cable
- Open the ASUS Router app on your phone
- Tap on the "Setup" option
