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ASUS RT-AX3000 Dual Band Wi-Fi 6 Router $359 ($329 with Code) (Was $429) + Delivery ($0 with Kogan First) @ Kogan

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ASUS RT-AX3000 Dual Band Wi-Fi 6 Router $359 ($329 with Code) (Was $429) + Delivery ($0 with Kogan First) @ Kogan
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PLeslieT on 21/05/2020 - 21:27 kogan.com (1943 clicks)
Last edited 22/05/2020 - 08:35 by 2 other users
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Second time posting, please be gentle. Was looking a for a new router for my new Aussie Broadband FTTP connection and stumble upon the ASUS RT-AX3000 router (also known as RT-AX58U), seems like pretty decent price for a mid-range WIFI 6 modem (the next tier up is the AX88 which will cost around the $400-$500 mark), and knowing is an ASUS you can use this router with your existing Ai-Mesh compatible router to form a Mesh network. Support MU-MIMO and OFDMA.

If you want a detailed comparison on router in this tier range see this link: https://dongknows.com/asus-rt-ax3000-rt-ax58u-review/

Check every other retailer and most sell it around the $370 to $420 mark

Key features
* The Next Gen WiFi Standard - Future proof your home network with the next-gen WiFi 6 technology, providing up to 2.7x faster speed than the previous WiFi generation featuring OFDMA and MU-MIMO technology.
* Ultra-Fast Wi-Fi - RT-AX3000 supports 160MHz bandwidth and 1024-QAM, boasting a total network speed of 3000 Mbps - 575Mbps on the 2.4GHz band, and 2402Mbps on the 5GHz band.
* The Most Powerful Mesh System - AiMesh technology allows you to establish an even stronger mesh WiFi system with other ASUS AiMesh compatible routers, ensuring stable and seamless whole home coverage.
* Commercial-grade network security for family - AiProtection Pro protects all the connected devices on your home network and advanced parental controls allow you to manage the family's internet usage.
* Mobile App Support - Control and customize every feature at your fingertips using the ASUS Router App for both iOS and Android devices.

ASUS RT-AX3000 Dual Band Wireless-AX3000 Gigabit Router BONUS $50 Steam Card!

Visit https://www.asus.com/au/events/infoM/1992/ for more details and instructions to claim your bonus.

Valid for purchases made between 9th April and 31st May 2020

This promotion is provided by the vendor. Mwave is not directly associated with this promotion. Please find the Terms & Conditions on their site by clicking through the following link: https://www.asus.com//events/eventES/upload/files/HomeGaming…

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closed Comments

  • BadBreath on 21/05/2020 - 21:38
    -2

    Yay my home is now "future proof"
    I will never Die.
    Unless I go outside of course.

    • chu-oh on 22/05/2020 - 08:40

      Please tell me more.

  • Godric on 21/05/2020 - 21:44
    +1

    Certainly looks pretty cool at least for a router

  • j0hnny on 21/05/2020 - 21:45
    +4

    How do you delete comments

    • hashtagbargain on 21/05/2020 - 22:00
      +4

      You will need to report your own comment.

    • mrau on 21/05/2020 - 23:32
      +1

      I think you can edit your own comment, and that could be an acceptable solution.

    • Agret on 22/05/2020 - 01:10
      +6

      Edit your comment and delete all the writing and just write 'delete' and it will popup a prompt to delete your own comment.

  • gstfree on 21/05/2020 - 21:50

    Looking for good Ruckus AP deals.

  • drogba on 21/05/2020 - 22:24
    +11

    When did routers start becoming close to the $400 mark :(

    • Dubsys on 22/05/2020 - 01:36
      +6

      since always, routers with huge amounts of features have always been expensive, you can still get a $40 router that "does the job" but it won't stop your housemates from destroying your connection quality because they're constantly seeding torrents at line speed.

      • Oofy Doofy on 22/05/2020 - 11:22
        +1

        That's why you configure QoS.

    • 1st-Amendment on 22/05/2020 - 10:13

      The routers I normally buy are $20k. This is cheap for the technology you are getting.

    • CJ31 on 22/05/2020 - 10:25
      +1

      A fair while, around the time that the high end AC routers started coming out. Lots of antennas, tricks and features, higher powered chips to handle it all.

    • krisspy on 22/05/2020 - 13:22

      People use Pfsense to turn full fledge PC's into a router lol

    • whyisave on 22/05/2020 - 23:14

      try the Asus GT-AX11000 at ~AU$ 700+

      …and i got that too :-P

      ( but with coupons, cashbacks, etc… i got the price down to low $400s )

      so, yeah, quality kit nowadays, cost a penny.

  • pull the lever on 21/05/2020 - 22:25
    +14

    Pity my 2020 MacBook Pro doesn't have Wi-Fi 6. Wi, Apple, Wi?!

  • DeToxin on 21/05/2020 - 23:16
    +2

    Not sure if I'm mixing technologies up but doesn't the new standard have terrible performance unless it's got a clear line of sight? Something to do with the frequency it operates on not permeating walls the way the older standard does..?

    • ss3imkta on 21/05/2020 - 23:22

      Should be the opposite.
      Longer frequency (2.4ghz) is harder to go around/bounce walls but can go further unobstructed.
      Higher frequency (5ghz) is more energetic, can bounce around walls, but all that energy has no stamina.

      • bunnybash on 22/05/2020 - 01:08
        +5

        Lyle is correct. 2.4 is better through walls 5 is better for line of sight, both in strength and speed of the signal.

        • tayvid on 22/05/2020 - 01:32
          +1

          Could be referring to 5G.

          • Motoxman1 on 22/05/2020 - 07:13
            +3

            @tayvid: @tayvid: 4g to 5g and 2.4ghz to 5ghz are similar in principal. They are both increasing frequency in how they transmit data. The higher the frequency the higher the data throughput capability. But that comes at the sacrifice of range.
            Lower frequencies penetrate walls and objects better.
            Think of sound, when a car with a loud car stereo is coming you hear the bass(low frequency) well before you can even see the car then you slowly start to hear more of the voices(mid range frequency) then not until they stop and open the door you hear all the sounds as the high frequency noise is blocked by even the doors.

            • LeslieT on 22/05/2020 - 08:33
              +4

              @Motoxman1: Well is pretty confusing for everyone

              2.4 Ghz or 5Ghz (and upcoming possible 6Ghz) are the frequency the band travel at, like @ss3imkta says, 2.4 penetrate better but carry l less speed. while 5Ghz band carry more speed but less penerating power thru object.

              Wifi 6 is the new standard for wifi not to be confused with band frequency, or at least we use to number them as 802.11ax, Wifi 5 being 802.11ac, hence the terminology of naming the router (brand)ACXXXX or (brand) AXXXXX

              So in short, no should be quite the opposite, Wifi 6 should bring better speed (coverage may vary on the modem model as it has nothing to do with the standards) compare to Wifi 5 and also with improvment to mu-mimo and OFDMA it should perform alot better (if you have a Wifi 6 compatible device that is)

              • DeToxin on 22/05/2020 - 21:35

                @LeslieT: I must have been mixing something up. I thought I had read about a new technology that operates on a higher frequency, but a quick search shows that wifi 6 simply utilises both 2.4ghz and 5ghz frequency ranges so no loss in permeability.

  • Slut on 21/05/2020 - 23:22

    I was considering getting a mesh system but wondering if this would be better. My router is in the garage in my single storey house but I can barely get any signal on the other side of the house.

    • mrau on 21/05/2020 - 23:34

      Why not move the router to the middle, or at least get a repeater?

      • scuderiarmani on 21/05/2020 - 23:46
        +1

        Uh no, repeater isn't ideal.

        • mrau on 22/05/2020 - 00:21
          -1

          Is anything ideal? To get any internet service, the traffic goes over many, many devices. One more, the repeater, won't make a difference. You can also use two separate wifi routers, and you can get some basically for free on gumtree. I've surely given away a few.

          • Agret on 22/05/2020 - 01:13
            +8

            @mrau: Two separate wifi access points linked by an ethernet cable is the best way to do it. Repeaters are really bad and not something I would recommend buying, they are the worst way to do it and are unreliable.

            If you can't run ethernet (renting) then I suggest getting the powerline network adapters and then using that to link your two access points.

            • rookie317 on 22/05/2020 - 01:20
              +2

              @Agret: I agree, it goes something like cable > mesh > powerline > repeater

        • krisspy on 22/05/2020 - 13:24
          -1

          Isn't mesh just a glorified repeater lol

    • scuderiarmani on 21/05/2020 - 23:47
      +1

      If you want coverage mesh should be your first second and third choice.

      Single routers won't help much.

    • stewy on 22/05/2020 - 00:25
      +1

      Assuming you have FTTH, get an ethernet cable installed from the garage to a more central spot in your home. Then you can relocate your router and/or even consider using something like a single UniFi UAP-AC-LR if you still need better WiFi range.

    • Twix on 22/05/2020 - 12:02

      ASUS routers can be setup to create a mesh network.

  • Hans678 on 21/05/2020 - 23:26
    +2

    Nice router, but I reckon it’s not worth it unless you are hardware fan.

    Any AC router (< $100) will do decent job until NBN catches up in the next decade.

    • Letrico on 21/05/2020 - 23:28
      +6

      Its not really about the internet speed but the bandwidth for networks. Although it will be great for both but eh NBN will never catch up for the next century

      • Agret on 22/05/2020 - 01:33
        +3

        I wonder how long before they start ripping up all the FTTN NBN and replacing it with FTTC so we can actually get real world speeds

        • DeToxin on 22/05/2020 - 21:40
          +2

          That won't happen while the LNP are in. They were the ones who trashed the original plan for the NBN (FTTP) and a back flip like that would look stupid.

    • scuderiarmani on 21/05/2020 - 23:48
      +2

      Internal speed is pretty important too…

      • [Deactivated] on 22/05/2020 - 02:03

        Better latency too right?

        ax Wifi would probably have made Steamlink viable if Valve hadn't killed it.

        • Hans678 on 22/05/2020 - 10:08

          Any quality router will do the same job. Usually Wifi lags around 8ms, with a quality router, this number will be 0.1-2ms

        • Agret on 23/05/2020 - 10:54

          Steam link has an Ethernet port and works quite well across my house using that.

    • stewy on 22/05/2020 - 00:28
      +2

      If you need fast and reliable internal network speeds, then hardwired cabling trumps that any day of the week. I'd suspect majority of the time it's going to be a NAS/file server and a desktop people want fast transfer between too, so hard wiring is a no brainer.

      • DeToxin on 22/05/2020 - 21:41

        This is always the best option, but if you are renting, negotiating that with the landlord can be painful. I'm trying to talk my landlord into splitting the cost of having some cabling installed from the termination point to a few spots throughout the house. fingers crossed…

        • Twix on 23/05/2020 - 13:56

          If the landlord doesn't want to pay for ethernet cabling the next best option is a mesh system.

  • dfg555 on 21/05/2020 - 23:27
    +8

    I prefer gaming routers because of the ridiculous marketing they have. These ones are just boring.

  • vash12 on 21/05/2020 - 23:34

    How does this compare to UDM or pfsense firewall?

    • bjdchwr on 22/05/2020 - 00:05

      I still love my Untangle firewall running on my vSphere.
      I am using Time Capsule but I will find a pathway to upgrade to an AX AP in the near future.

    • [Deactivated] on 22/05/2020 - 00:57
      +2

      Consumer OS vs ~commercial grade OS.

    • TheKLocker on 22/05/2020 - 16:21

      UDM runs Unifi which will have far more networking options than the Asus, too many to mention, however it's overkill for most people's homes. I'm guessing PfSense will be the same but I haven't used it.

  • congo on 21/05/2020 - 23:36

    does it support voip?

    • LeslieT on 22/05/2020 - 08:55
      +1

      No i believe it doesnt, I will recheck the spec sheet on asus website, you might need to get a VOIP box

  • John Kimble on 21/05/2020 - 23:43

    I won't be gentle.

  • Seven8Nine on 21/05/2020 - 23:45
    +9

    ASUS RT-AX3000 Dual Band Wireless-AX3000 Gigabit Router BONUS $50 Steam Card!

    Visit https://www.asus.com/au/events/infoM/1992/ for more details and instructions to claim your bonus.

    Valid for purchases made between 9th April and 31st May 2020

    This promotion is provided by the vendor. Mwave is not directly associated with this promotion. Please find the Terms & Conditions on their site by clicking through the following link: https://www.asus.com//events/eventES/upload/files/HomeGaming…

  • jezza p on 22/05/2020 - 00:10

    Thanks OP. Just in time. My Google Nest Wifi just died after being in service for 1 month…went from ASUS RT-AC86U to that was absolutely painful, so luckily it was a dud and I got to return it. I loved my old ASUS but it died after 2 years and got a refund for it. It was running pretty hot (sitting at 70 ish constantly). Hopefully this one would be better.

    • LeslieT on 22/05/2020 - 08:57
      +1

      Glad to help, but geez sound like you have many device connect to it to heat it up that much, or maybe the internal cooling component just wasnt manufacure correctly, but glad you got your money back.

      • jezza p on 22/05/2020 - 09:12
        +1

        It was pretty good. Basically free router for 2 years. That's the way I look at it. haha

  • Ahyao17 on 22/05/2020 - 00:52
    +2

    Bought the Ax-56u in Taiwan for equivalent of under Aus$200 in January (when exchange rate was still over 22). This was selling for around AUS$250 (NT$4999 with exchange rate around 1:19) since then and still do on some websites.

    It is interesting because most Asus stuff is cheaper in Taiwan, but not by this kind of %. Usually works out similar or a bit cheaper to Aus price + shipping for most things. (Asus is Taiwanese owned).

    The feel from the forums in Taiwan is that this is a decent router, does not run as hot as the TP-link equivalent one (Ax-50 I think it is called). The TP-Link one is a little cheaper there however. My Ax-56u does not run as hot as my old TP-link (W160N or something like that, still on the N).

      • Ahyao17 on 22/05/2020 - 01:09
        +4

        Can we not bring politics into this forum please?

      • Thaos on 22/05/2020 - 01:10
        +2

        The bait is real.

    • LeslieT on 22/05/2020 - 09:15

      I believe ASUS is a taiwanese brand and manufacture there, so I think it would be cheaper there.

  • Ttpaa on 22/05/2020 - 01:10

    Is this overkill. Sick of my vodafone wifi hub the WiFi signal and interface suck

    • Yorkshire-Man on 22/05/2020 - 06:09
      +2

      No, a great router is a great investment

    • whyisave on 22/05/2020 - 23:17

      when quality kit works well, you don't remember the price.

  • chocolatte on 22/05/2020 - 01:47

    Cheers for this. My Archer D7 has been playing up a bit lately and can't handle Quest streaming, so the discount combined with the Steam Wallet code is quite the deal.

  • Bob81 on 22/05/2020 - 02:14
    +1

    For this sorta money buy something with way more features like a Mikrotik RB4011 and never look back.

    https://shop.duxtel.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=555

    Also cheaper from eBay if you can wait: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/MikroTik-RB4011iGS-5HacQ2HnD-IN-…

  • Wayne7497 on 22/05/2020 - 02:44
    +1

    I prefer for the $$ my Asus, bought mine from newegg when they had stock.

    https://www.asus.com/Networking/RT-AX89X/

  • choister on 22/05/2020 - 04:22
    +4

    How does this model compare to the rt-ac86u?

    • LeslieT on 22/05/2020 - 09:18
      +1

      The RT-ac86u is a great router no doubt, there is no direct comparison yet, apart from this having the new Wifi 6 802.11ax standard in it, the rest pretty much the same,. If you dont need wifi 6, i stick with the rt-ac86u

      • jezza p on 22/05/2020 - 13:13

        I looked at the specs. According to one of those reviews, AX3000 has got an old 32bit dual-core A7 CPU plus another CPU dedicated for Wifi and they call that "tri-core" while the AC86U has got a 64bit A8 CPU. Also AC86U has got a 4x4 antenna, AX3000 is only 2x2…Not too sure about how it performs in real life especially if you don't have a device with wifi 6.

        I ordered the AX3000 last night and ended up canceling the order this morning after looking at the specs. I'm very keen to find out the answer to this question as well. Not sure what I'm gonna buy now. Sigh…still on my good old tg789 from myrepublic after my AC86U died.

        • netsurfer on 22/05/2020 - 15:15
          +1

          Um, AC86U has BCM4906 dual core ARM v8 Cortex A53 @ 1.8 GHz. That's A53, not A8. Also, the so called 4x4 you were quoting is from BCM4365E, a separate WiFi chip.
          A53 is better in general, but then we have dual core (with higher clock speed) vs tri core older gen ARM. A bit surprised with A7 tri cores. Cost saving single SOC solution perhaps?

          Merlin currently informs AX3000 users to use AX58U firmware so based on that, it is a class below AC86U.

    • congo on 22/05/2020 - 09:29

      Looking to start an AiMesh with existing RT-AC68U.
      How does this compare to RT-AC86U and RT-AC88U?
      Or should I get another RT-AC68U?

      • 1st-Amendment on 22/05/2020 - 10:19

        Same here. I have an RT-AC68U and was looking to add another to get access downstairs (currently running a cable out the windows and then back in a downstairs window lol). Need to get through two layers of hardwood floors, insulation and plaster so want the highest strength mesh. Was tossing up between the RT-AC68U and RT-AC86U, but now it looks like the RT-AX is a third choice. Anyone have comparison of the new range to the old ones?

        • congo on 22/05/2020 - 12:14

          From my readings (limited) I think the order from best to worse is:
          RT-AX3000 > RT-AC86U > RT-AC68U

          Not sure how easy it would be to setup RT-AX3000 to play nicely with the older RT-AC68U?

          Both RT-AC88U & RT-AC86U are more expensive than this RT-AX3000 deal (especially with the Steam $50 gift card).
          This becomes $280 which is a great price (if the Steam gc gets delivered).

          So if you have the $$$, get two RT-AX3000?

          Also from my reading, the AiMesh is better than the Google Mesh and Deco M5 Mesh?

          • 1st-Amendment on 22/05/2020 - 13:50

            @congo: From what I can gather Asus does consistently well in reviews for home wifi including mesh, so I'm happy to stick with them.
            The key feature I'm after is strength, and ASUS gives a rating of "large home" for the AX3000/AX58 and a rating of "very large home" for the AC86, so inclined to go with that for the greater coverage.

            • 1st-Amendment on 22/05/2020 - 14:00

              @1st-Amendment: Although having said that, it seems that no-one has the AC86 in stock atm…

              • congo on 22/05/2020 - 14:08
                -1

                @1st-Amendment: Price wise, AX3000 is better value and more future proof.
                I would think that the signal strength from AX3000 would be better than AC86, since it is a newer product and the feature set looks the same?

                If you want to be sure, the RT-AX88U would be the best, but almost double the price of this.

          • netsurfer on 22/05/2020 - 15:22
            +1

            @congo: For CPU:

            RT-AC86U > RT-AX3000 > RT-AC68U

            For WiFi:

            RT-AX3000 > RT-AC86U > RT-AC68U

            Yes, RT-AX88U is the most powerful one.

            • congo on 22/05/2020 - 15:25

              @netsurfer: If you are comparing wifi n,ac (not ax) then I think RT-AC86U > RT-AX3000 ?

              • netsurfer on 22/05/2020 - 15:32

                @congo: Um, I am going to disagree on that one. Thing is, Intel did release Wifi AC chipset with 160MHz support. Intel official RRP: $9-$15 USD.

                https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/99445/i…

                That chipset is last gen. Also, intel did make the CNVio version 9560 dirt cheap. I recalled getting a 9560 for $19. For $19, it was a no brainer (obviously, you need an Intel CPU and supported M/B to use CNVio). Intel now replaced them with Wireless AX (AX200, AX201).

                Intel 9560 from CPL is still $19 (no stock though and this is last gen so I don't know whether CPL can get more stock). I don't recommend this because now Wireless AX is out. If you don't have an intel 8th gen or better CPU with a board that has CNVio, DO NOT get it.
                https://cplonline.com.au/intel-9560-ngwg-nv-wireless-ac-9560…

                So, wireless AC does and can get close to wireless AX (if your client adapter/chipset is new enough with 160Mhz support). Obviously, wireless AX is one notch higher at least + it has a whole bunch of new features. Don't get fixated with 2x2 / 3x3 / 4x4.

                For WiFi:

                RT-AX3000 > RT-AC86U > RT-AC68U

                • congo on 22/05/2020 - 16:09

                  @netsurfer: Hi netsurfer, thanks for answering the questions.

                  RT-AX3000 specs: 802.11ac : up to 867 Mbps
                  RT-AC86U specs: 802.11ac : up to 1734 Mbps

                  So isn't the AC86U faster?

                  • netsurfer on 22/05/2020 - 16:40
                    +3

                    @congo: Problem is RT-AC86U needs to run in 4x4 MU-MIMO to achieve 1734 Mbps. That is unrealistic for most clients. How many mobile phones support 4x4 MU-MIMO? My guess would be 0. Even the Intel WiFi chips I mentioned are only 2x2. Sure, if you have 4x4 MU-MIMO network cards, you could achieve that. One of those is in the $150 mark.

                    4x4 MU-MIMO is unrealistic for laptops, mobile phones, and most desktops. You also need at least 2.5 Gbps LAN setup for that to even make some sense. I am not sure how Asus does Ai-Mesh, as far as I know, AC86U is still dual band. It would have been quite interesting if Asus split the 4x4 into 2 of 2x2 in AiMesh and make one set the backbone band. However, I guess Asus prefer to sell you their tri-band routers for that feature.

                    That's why WiFi 6 is the next step. Going down 4x4, 6x6 or 8x8 isn't the right way. Consumer devices won't put in that many antennas. My phones, laptops and desktop PCs are all 2x2.

                    So, if you do have 4x4 Wireless AC clients and you don't have Wireless AX, then sure AC86U is faster. In 2x2, assuming RT-AX3000's 160Mhz implementation is proper, it has a better chance to perform better in Wireless AC 2x2 setup.

                    • congo on 22/05/2020 - 16:57

                      @netsurfer: Thanks netsurfer for the explanation.

                      Do you think RT-AX88U is worth the extra $200 for a NBN 100/40 FTTC plan?

                      Thank you very much.

                      • netsurfer on 22/05/2020 - 18:11
                        +1

                        @congo: It depends. Our residential NBN is a big joke so NBN really isn't a factor here - which is really unfortunate. If gigabit NBN becomes available, then wireless AX could becomes attractive.

                        Honestly, if you are really after proper WiFi 6, then I would wait. Here are the reasons why:

                        • We are still on first gen of WiFi 6 routers. A lot of them are more like WiFi 6 draft. OFDMA in AX-88U is still not fully done. Unclear about TWT.
                        • Compatibility is still an issue. The WiFi 6 / 5Ghz speed test I've seen so far is inconsistent for a lot of routers, including AX-88U.
                        • On the laptop / desktop side, Intel AX200 / AX201 is decent and has implemented 160Mhz.
                        • On the mobile side, unfortunately, the WiFi 6 for Galaxy S10, S20 and iPhone 11 / SE 2020 all use BCM4375 based solution, which only supports 80Mhz channels.
                        • Basically, without 160Mhz support, the WiFi 6 devices do not offer speed advantage over Wireless AC.
                        • BCM4389 has been announced and it is WiFi 6E. Do you wait 1 year for WiFi 6E (we need more client chip support, including from Intel (ETA:2021)).
                        • Is Gigabit ethernet really enough to pair with WiFi 6?

                        If you must get a router now and you want one which supports Merlin custom firmware, 8 ports gigabits ethernet and has WiFi 6 (even if some features are still being worked on), then AX-88U is worth considering. Or, you are really geeky and run optware on your Asus router and that CPU now is attractive (though honestly, with Raspberry Pi 4 now has 4GB RAM and USB 3 support, is optware really that useful now).

                        Basically, if you have AX200 / AX201 or even AC9260 / 9560 then WiFi 6 router is tempting right now. If your WiFi 6 devices are basically iPhone 11, Samsung S10/S20, LG V50/V60, 2019/2020 OnePlus etc…, you won't really benefit from WiFi 6. iPhone 12 is a question mark, will it have the new WiFi 6E chip from Broadcom or the design is already fully taped out and we will need to wait for the 2021 model.

                        • congo on 22/05/2020 - 18:16

                          @netsurfer: Thank you very much!
                          Have a great weekend :-)

                        • jezza p on 22/05/2020 - 19:57

                          @netsurfer: Hi Netsurfer, is there a way to make Raspberry Pi into a proper wireless access point that can perform well (or anyone sells those)? I know how to turn it into a wifi access point with the in-built wifi chip…but the performance obviously isn't as good as those brand name ones with proper antennas.

                          • netsurfer on 22/05/2020 - 21:32
                            +1

                            @jezza p: Not really. RPi 4's embedded WiFi just isn't good. Its 5GHz band 114 Mbps typical peak performance simply isn't suitable for a proper wireless access point. Compared to iPhone 8's typical peak WiFi performance of ~350Mbps, there is already a big gap. If you have Intel AC9260 or AX200, the top speed is much higher. Unless you really want to get 2 top notch USB Wireless AC (or 1 if you can connect the RPi to a LAN port on your main router) adapter(s) for the RPi.

                            Best to go for a WiFi Mesh solution (preferably tri-band) if you have a WiFi range issue. Mesh is a cleaner solution. I was told the current gen WiFi extenders are pretty decent (if you are on a tight budget).

                            • jezza p on 22/05/2020 - 22:30

                              @netsurfer: Thanks Netsufer. Nay I don’t have a range issue. I’m mostly on the hunt for a new router because myrepublic hasn’t updated the router (tg789 v2) they gave me since 2016…not being an IT/CS professional, my knowledge in networking is very limited but in general I just like keeping my software up to date. I don’t know if the same degree of security risk exists for router firmware when it doesn’t get regular updates…so I just have been worried that there might be some sorta security holes that aren’t patched, although someone mentioned somewhere that because I’m hiding behind a GCNAT, I shouldn’t really worry about attacks…which I’m not sure if it’s true? Would like to hear your insight about that.

                              Performance wise it’s doing its job, although I can’t say my download speed has been great in comparison to my old ac86u that died or the nest wifi I had briefly as the download speed varies greatly on 5ghz (it would go to 4mb/s for a little bit and then drop down to 200kb/s when I was downloading Ubuntu iso yesterday…it just goes up and down the whole time)…I suspected interference but I tried a several channels and all pretty much the same…I guess I can put up with it for a while to wait for the proper wifi 6 routers to come out if there’s no security concern for me to worry about. Otherwise is there any particular model you would recommend? I have 19 devices mostly smart lights and controls on 2.4ghz N. 3 of them are computers including a raspberry pi on an eth cable that I use as a machine to download stuff, host the samba for my 2 hard drives and pi hole. 2 phones. None of the above has got wifi 6 capability except iPhone 11 Pro I think…but potentially can upgrade the pce wifi card in my PC…

            • 1st-Amendment on 23/05/2020 - 12:02

              @netsurfer: The wifi features may be better but my main requirement is radio strength (for wall/floor penetration/reflection). Asus don't appear to give the specs for this, but do imply it with their 'small house/large house' rating system that the AC86 is stronger.
              Do you know if they published the actual metrics for these somewhere?

  • Chowz on 22/05/2020 - 06:56
    +2

    Check out the Good Guys Commercial.

    $246 and hopefully the gift card will be allowed still.

    For those playing along, the D-LINK AC2600 Viper Wireless ADSL2 Modem Router is $219.

    I was going to post after I found out what happened with the gift card, but OP you should add it as an option.

    • dmaca667 on 22/05/2020 - 08:09
      +2

      Not seeing it listed in the Good Guys Commerical.

    • jezza p on 22/05/2020 - 08:14
      +1

      I think you are looking at the Netgear one? ASUS is not sold by the Good Guys. Although…I discovered that Netgear AX8, which on paper is a better router for just a bit more than this ($372). Could someone please provide some advice? Thanks :)

      P.S pretty sure gift card not allowed on TGG commercial, but I could be wrong.

      • LeslieT on 22/05/2020 - 09:22

        the review i posted actually compared to the netgear equivalent, scroll down to about the middle part

        https://dongknows.com/asus-rt-ax3000-rt-ax58u-review/

        I was also thinking about the netgear one, but after a couple of research and review, it seems like its got a drop out issue randomly.

        • Yorkshire-Man on 22/05/2020 - 11:20
          +2

          Actually it's comparing the lower model. I've just pulled the plug on that Netgear on the GG Commercial, $372 is a cracking price for a router that's a clear category up from this one. Good find !

  • JPerez on 22/05/2020 - 09:30

    These are grey imports yes?

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