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This is the lowest price I have seen this router.
AU stock.
ASUS RT-AX86U AX5700 Dual Band Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Router $359 (RRP $499) Delivered @ Amazon AU
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xioxxio on 18/04/2023 - 12:41 amazon.com.au (2230 clicks)
Last edited 18/04/2023 - 12:53 by 3 other users
Last edited 18/04/2023 - 12:53 by 3 other users
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Just go wired! You won't regret it.
yup, my thoughts exactly.
just plug it in, guys! $499 RRP for a product defeated by $6 cable
so ethernet your phone devices too? lol
for the phone any old $50 router will do! and your LTE is probably faster than your broadband, too
these "gaming" routers are a marketing joke
I have a $100 AX1800 mesh in my house, works fantastic for a family of 4. gaming PC is wired through powerline, and that's the way I will keep it lol
@Skullytor: it's faster than my broadband, as there's no difference between plugging in directly into the modem vs via powerline.
@Skullytor: When I did an internet Speedtest, it maxed in low 20mbps on a 50 connection. Soon as I setup wifi aimesh, it's goes at full speed (when available). I haven't tested LAN speed as it's not relevant in our situation.
My EoP are old, but should still be 100 speed
To be pedantic, yes, the ping improvements when you tether an ethernet dongle to your phone is shockingly high in mobile gaming.
Genuinly does give you an edge in shooters.
@rumblytangara: I actually don't know of any FPS on phones now you mention it… (I'm sure they exist though!)
Most are 3rd person, and coloquially referred to as 'second person'.
It's TECHNICALLY 3rd person, but you're still locked TIGHTLY into their 'behind the head' or 'over the shoulder' viewpoint.Not my cuppa tea, but some games like PUBG Mobile and Fortnite are EXTREMELY popular these days.
@MasterScythe: I was thinking more along the lines that if someone is going to be fairly serious about playing shooters, they'd be using mouse and keyboard or at least a console controller, rather than a phone screen.
(I've watched my kid try to play even Minecraft on a tablet, and he thinks the interface sucks)
Agreed on wifi vs ethernet latency though- wifi latency totally all over the place with occasional dropouts. Very annoying even for WFH.
🤣 defeated
No one really mentioning the costs of wiring your whole house…..
Plus the Legal installation labour
- a cable to your smart TV
- cables to each of the kids' bedrooms
- cabling to a home office
- an electrician to wire it all up and put RJ45 outlets in each space
It's a nice idea in theory, not always viable in practice tho
@nezumi: It's good when you're building a house, too expensive aftermarket.
Asus RT-AC68U with RP-AC1900 via aimesh works beautifully in my place
Actually faster than EoP, but it may be the wiring or the older model devices I have
@nezumi: True, but it's much cheaper and easier than people think, especially if it means you won't need a premium modem like this.
Facts are facts: if you're buying this "gaming router" for better speed/ping/reliability in console/PC games, it will be much cheaper and much better to simply run a proper in-wall rated CAT6 cable through your walls/roof with a couple of ethernet ports at each end.
About $300 cheaper if you watch a couple of YouTube videos and DIY, about $50 cheaper if you pay a licensed cabler.
@nezumi: The mistake people make in the modern world is the 'all or nothing' approach.
You don't need a sparky to do ALL the work.If you're the type to be 110% 'by the books' for that sort of thing, you can STILL run your own cable, you just need a sparky to terminate the connections. You'll pay AT MOST 1 hour of labour to crimp some terminals.
Everything else like faceplates, running disconnected cable and such is all legal DIY.For those that are in brick houses, or renting or such; Powerline EoP has come unbelievable leaps and bounds since most people tried it last.
Yep, It's still a bold faced lie what they say on the box, but your '1.3Gb!' and '2Gb!' devices will still reach Gigabit in nearly every scenario I've installed them in (and thats quite a lot).
Because everyone in Australia owns their own house?
And what if you are renting?
And what about all the laptops,tablets and phones? I think this is slightly better than any old $50 router.And very few people have 100 GB per month LTE plan.
Just go wired!*
*If you can.
there's powerline. works wonders!
@shabaka: Absolutely.
Anyone who says it doesn't only tried it in its infancy, when it was HORRID, and never went back.Reliable as anything now, just don't expect the FULL speed shown on the box. I typically install 1.3GbE devices, if the client wants 1GbE.
@MasterScythe: exactly! it used to be a joke years ago.
the future is now!
probably the chip inside those adaptors these days would put Pentium 4 to shame
no one here is saying wire your whole house! I am contesting the use of word "gaming" here. wire your gaming PC! through powerline for example, zero wiring required.
for the rest of wireless devices, use any AX router that is not "gaming", will save you $$$. I got my AX1800 2-device mesh for around $100 a year ago, no wifi issues throughout the house. why would someone shell out this much for a single router is beyond me. gaming yeah right
Uninformed advice that just doesn't work for every scenario. Glad to hear your setup works for you but you aren't everyone.
Powerline can cause many issues all dependent on the internal electric cable quality, length, crossing circuits, sources of interference etc. I ran one of the highest reviewed EoP kit (TP-Link AV2000) rated for a gigabit connection but it killed the 1000Mbit/s down to about 150Mbit/s despite having quality internal power cabling and a short distance between rooms. $200 is cheaper than internally wiring Cat6 but you still need a router anyway!
On the flip side my older AC86U using wireless to the same PC over the same distance, got about 850Mbit/s. Gaming latency and stability was just as good, download speeds way better, and didn't have ugly wall warts and extra cabling.
And nah, don't just get any old AX router. There is a massive difference in signal coverage and bandwidth when comparing cheaper routers to this one. Research on websites like Small Net Builder will explain, where funnily enough this AX86U ranks highly. Depending on the size of your house, number of devices, number of users, internet speed and overall expectations you really might want to spend more coin.
Additionally, even when wired it may not do well with multiple devices and a gigabit WAN connection due to poor internal chipset and switch quality. I tried some cheapo AX1800 router very recently, was bad. Over both wireless and Cat 6A wired from router to PC, nothing but packet loss and jitter when online gaming. Removed that and threw the AC86U back in, no issues.
I'm sure the AX1800 router was fine for people browsing the web or streaming video, but not great for any gaming in my experience. If you have gigabit internet you should absolutely spend a couple hundred more to ensure your router can handle the bandwidth both wired and wireless.@Zenskas: yes indeed AX1800 isn't good for gaming, and I am not claiming it is. my gaming rig is wired. via powerline lol
for everything else, quality of life is perfectly fine, so sorry if I live in a perfect house apparently? and a few more houses I lived at probably were perfect, too.
@shabaka: I'm saying AX1800 routers aren't always great even wired to your PC. You still need a router to get a wired connection, your internet still needs to be routed and firewalled from WAN to LAN so just buying any cheap AX router to save money isn't always the best advice.
The hilarious part about powerline is that it has more in common with wireless technologies than proper ethernet wired communication.
What it basically does is turn your unshielded electrical cables into a massive antenna, broadcasting a high frequency signal throughout the wiring. It can't "direct" signals through only the cabling connected on either end of your powerline adaptors…so each powerline device is a transmitter and a receiver, sharing a signal that is then encrypted so as to not let bad actors into your network.
With this caveat you have to rely on many other technologies and standards for error correction, encryption, frequency modulation and even acronyms usually reserved for wireless such as MIMO!
No need to apologize for having perfect houses. I'm sure we all wish we had the same. Unfortunately not everyone does, and powerline has an abundance of potential issues so isn't a catch all solution - especially if you want to max out a gigabit connection where wireless may even beat powerline (and we can agree CAT6 obviously does best, if you can run it).
@Zenskas: powerline is plugged directly into modem, no access points are involved in between
ax1800 is just for wireless clients.
yep, powerline works best when there are 2 adaptors plugged in, not more, and that's how I use it. yes, it is very close in its implementation to wireless signal, just different medium as opposed to electromagnetic waves
Several years ago, I got the best EoP units on the market. They topped out at 10MBps, about 1/4 the speed of the WiFi I had, and frequently dropped out.
House is only about 30 years old.@O15: I have been dismissing EoP technology for years on account of its perceived uselessness.
however this new place I got is way too long to get WiFi signal all the way to the master bedroom. daisy chaining 3 device mesh sounded retarded, and worked even worse
so I decided to give EoP a go, getting a fresh D-Link AX1800 2-device set at opposite ends of the place, backhauled via a $100 1000mbps EoP from Officeworks. that was 12 months ago. a world of difference! like I mentioned above, there's no difference in internet speed plugged directly into modem vs via EoP.
house is 20 years old.
why would someone shell out this much for a single router is beyond me. gaming yeah right
Hi. Householder with both powerline and this router. I'd love to have hardwired ethernet, but that's a multi thousand dollar run in our place (difficult roof and some very long runs).
Powerline is great when it works. Which is most of the time. When it doesn't, it's right pain in the backside to debug (much worse than wifi). Most of the time, it's RF interference. But sometimes the units just decide to stop talking to one another for a while for reasons. Reasons they are not sharing with you. If you fix the RF issues, they mostly just work. Until you decide to add a new unit that ignores the powerline spec and drops back to <10Mbs if you have more than 2 units in the loop (Hi Netgear - have fixed your crappy firmware for the PLP2000 yet?).
I've been using powerline for a long time now (15-20 years), and I'm pretty happy with it (Netgear aside). But it is not a tech I recommend routinely, because it's fiddly to get reliable.
OTOH, this router is stable, reliable, fire and forget and gets excellent coverage throughout our house. The same cannot be said for the last two middle of the road routers that we used previously.
So there's use cases for both techs (and hardwiring if the cost is acceptable. But if anyone with a non-tech background asks, wifi is the way to go!
@EthicsGradient: weird. not sure what's different in my case, I have a single set of Netgear PL1000, one end plugged into the broadband modem, the other end into a switch that feeds into gaming pc and AX1800 access point. haven't been restarted since installed about 12 months ago, haven't missed a beat.
I often have issues with wi-fi in my laptops when the card isn't Intel (lousy mediatek or whatever cards), so I replace them with AX200/210 and problems go away forever. but PoE never gave me trouble, I am actually surprised.
@shabaka: I think you have been lucky (which is good!).
Like I say, I've been using powerline through multiple generations and I'm happy with it. But to get there, I've gone through several very flaky pieces of kit (NetGear has not been good at all for me - especially the PLP2000 which broke the powerline standard if there were more than two units from any manufacturer plugged in) and I've had to get good at eliminating all sorts of interference.
Right now, I'm using three TP-Link AV2000 units. They have been streets ahead better than anything else I've used - need a reboot once every three months or so.
OTOH, I put in the RT-AX86U about 9 months ago, and it has been so robust that I had to think about the password when I needed to login a week ago.
Wiring whole house is $$$$$
Depends on who you get, labour costs are the biggest factor - don’t go with the cheapest quote from a sparkie - find someone who does data cabling. See if you can factor in CAT6 certification as well, too many electricians get away with using cheap crud on the sockets and connectors.
I struggle to convince people building a new house to run CAT6 through nearly every room in the house - before the plaster goes up is the easiest.
All my HT gear has Ethernet and I only use WiFi for mobile devices. Not that expensive, definitely more stable than WiFi and split the job, if you only need one area first do that, and then do bedrooms later.
Decent Mesh gear, not cheap Mesh gear that has backhaul Ethernet works well. Remember if you also need a decent switch and if you do it properly pay for a patch bay as well. You can get small wall mounted 19” racks.
If you eventually get FTTP, it will add value for the right buyer but if a job price seems too good to be true watch out - electricians who have a cabling license aren’t always the best way to go. But you will never regret the money spent running Ethernet through a house, even it’s just a few ports. Don’t skimp on the switch and terminate to patch panel and see if you can certification. All of this adds $$$ but worth it in the long run.
No one really mentioning the costs of wiring your whole house…
As someone who has done it, a few 5 minute YouTube videos is enough for most people to DIY.
Then the costs are about $10 per wall port, and less than $5 per metre for cable.
So even several long runs across a massive home will still cost less than this router.
For just a run or two in a normal home (which is enough for most people), you could even pay a cabler to do it and still come out ahead.
You might think wired doesn't solve phone/tablet wifi coverage/speed issues, but actually a pure wifi mesh set up is never close to being as good as an ethernet cable connecting multiple wireless access points.
And of course wired is much better for PCs/consoles than any wireless equivalent (at any price).
Then the costs are about $10 per wall port, and less than $5 per metre for cable.
So even several long runs across a massive home will still cost less than this router.
I have a minimum run of 25 m to two locations. Plus wall sockets. So $280 at least. Plus several very painful hours in my roofspace. And unfortunately, as far as I know, it is still illegal for uncertified people to install wall sockets of any type (I know it's doable and safe, but it voids insurance, so I won't touch it).
Even if I ran the cable myself, it's at least another $250 to have a certified cable installer come in and finalise the work.
Your numbers might work work a single run with a cabler, but I think you are underestimating the costs of labour and callout.
Believe me - I've looked at it for our place (including a rough cost from a sparky) - the router came out at less than half this cost.
I wonder if I can get a $10 credit from Amazon
Lately they’ve been PIA.
You may get a good agent, give it a go.
I got a good agent :)
I'm waiting for closer to $250. Yes I know that wont happen for a long long time, but the 5ghz RT-AC68U still works a treat
Where's ebay deal?
I got this for $356 nov 2020.
You got the AX86U or the AC86U for $356 in nov 2020?
Ax86u. From Sydney tec ebay deal.
Good deal!
If only it was AXE
I have the Asus RT-AC86U. Any thoughts if this is a significant upgrade? I have the ASUS RT-AX56U which I am using in a mesh network.
Depends on what you are using the router for. e.g. have you installed Merlin on it?
Generally speaking, you won't notice any improvement between the AX86U vs your AC86U+AX56U combo.
Mainly streaming and work (work 100% from home with lots of RDP sessions). Some light gaming. But I do have lots of devices connected thanks to all the Ozb Deals. Jokes aside, quite a few devices mainly home automation, smart devices and the normal phones, tablets, computers and NAS.
Have not ventured into the world of Merlin but is on the todo list.
If not much of an improvement, I might sit out till Wifi-6E comes more streamline?
Definitely wait for Wifi-6E. Your existing set-up accommodates a surprising number of devices.
If wifi signal strength is an issue, consider adding a RP-AC1900. Changer my wifi signal from zero to hero. I got it off eBay from an Aussie seller who must be importing them, as they don't sell in AU retail - from what I can tell. It's aimesh compatible.
There are three walls and a TV between the router and repeater and the signal is 'great'.
PS, I got the same router as you
As for Merlin - Do it! It's easy and (confirm this to be sure) it doesn't loose you current config when you install the new firmware. And you can easily revert back to asus firmware.
This is why I love OzB. Forget the pennies saved but the copious info from the comments. Had never heard of Merlin until yesterday. Set it up and a mountain of tweaks to now be had. Cheers.
Thing is, once you've installed Merlin, you'll get the urge to upgrade to the AX86U. The AX86U has a faster CPU and more RAM.
good deal, great router
I have a noob/newbie question: I am using Telstra Plan 50mps-100mps, should i get this router or Google Nest Wifi Home Mesh 2 pack?
My house is a small one, 3 bedrooms, single storey.
I can wire the house as my CFO/Boss doesnt want it looks messy with cable.
Really appreciate any advices.
This would be plenty for a single story, 3 bedrooms. I have the cheaper version ax1800 and the range goes to the backyard.
I run a router in my study at one end of the house, and a cable to living room at other end. I have a cheap switch in the living room which provides multiple wired connections to tv, foxtel box etc. And I have a cheap access point connected to the switch in the living room as well. This gives me heaps of coverage at either end.
Asus routers have good wireless and very good software for end users. I personally run asus merlin firmware.
Wifi should be transparent, i.e. once the router is et up it should just work. Not sure how good the google software on their Nest is.
ASUS are also running a $50 cashback promo offer if you already own a prequalifying unit
Thanks heaps for sharing!
managable or home user crap?
Quite good. Google Merlin Firewall Asus
Does this one support VPN configuration ie: PureVPN
I flashed Merlin on mine and run Wireguard via NordVPN. OpenVPN also supported.
Wow thanks for this, just went down a rabbit hole on Merlin, looks very interesting!
RT-AX86U has these VPN settings.
VPN Client L2TP
VPN Client OVPN
VPN Client PPTP
VPN Client WireGuard
VPN Server IPSec
VPN Server OVPN
VPN Server PPTP
VPN Server WireGuard
VPN Fusion
I found the feedback below:
For no good reason, I bought a couple RT-AX86U to replace a couple of RT-AC68U for my two storey house and I cannot say I notice any difference. Sure they are higher spec but as an Australian user (with internet speeds of 100 Mbps) I cannot notice any improvements. I still have the odd drop out with CCTV and video streaming - was hoping that was a wi-fi problem but no. Did some wi-fi signal tests (upstairs and downstairs) and almost the same when comparing AX86U and AC68U . I saw a review on YouTube and the guy said he used one AX86U to replace two AC68U and that is definitely not the case with me - I still need two routers (with meshing) - one upstairs and another downstairs. If I knew what I did today I wouldn't have bothered spending $900 on these new routers - the AC68U works just as well for me. But if you need a new router I would recommend buying an Asus router - easy to use and the wi-fi meshing is a great feature. If you have a RT-AC68U that is working then keep it - still a great router.
Does anyone have the same experience?
Well it is an improvement but nothing earth shattering in my case.
I had an 8 year old Netgear R7000 and upgraded to RT-AX86U
Mind if I ask what improvements you did actually notice? I'm in the exact same (R7000) boat and very close to pulling the trigger
It’s a massive improvement from an r7000, I used to have one.
Speed isn’t everything, the traffic management and latency improvements are great. I run Merlin on mine with cake QOS and it’s amazing.
Well greater range and I guess better speeds on my newer devices like the S23 Ultra.
But to be honest,not that much of a difference in everyday usage.
I've posted this on previous deals. You will find other experiences posted in them.
I went from a dual TM-AC1900(AC86U) to an AX6000 + AX86S (more to connect wired devices). I've seen benefits for VR, improved range and improved speed from my NAS.
In my opinion, whether it's worth upgrading or not, depends on what you are doing internally. In many cases, it would be best to stick with what you have.
I had an AC68U replaced with AX86S (yes S, not U). In general the AX86S is more stable, mostly because it can handle more devices, but not much difference in terms of speed. Range is slightly better so in my bedroom I get the full 4 wifi bars instead of just 2 or 3 with AC68U, but again not much difference with our 100 Mbps internet because with 2 bars I still got >100 Mbps wireless speed.
There is an improvement when transferring files from/to NAS wirelessly. And also…seeing the Wifi 6 logo on my phone lol.
I have a similar experience with the ASUS RT-AC86Us
Got 2 for the AC86U to build a mesh, but from time to time the WAN connection will just randomly drop out, the log shows it was related to the WAN address renewal failure (DHCP?). But for 2 years I've tried Merlin, switched ISPs, and deal with all those NBN tech guys, but we couldn't figure out what caused it, so the only conclusion is the AC86Us are faulty. Then I bought another AX3000 as the main router, it was better but still had the same strange random dropout problem.It may be just an individual case, but I think ASUS is having some issues coping with the NBN? I have tried my friend's NBN router from the TPG, and it had never dropped out once a week, so I am petty certain it was either the ASUS router problem or the NBN side error.
I think I will just switch to another brand and try for the next upgrade.
Probably overkill for most people….
I almost got killed for saying that above. man, didn't know we were so attached to "gaming" routers lol
If anyone is willing to share their code to redeem from Asus. I would happily accept :)
OOS?
Yep, sold out like hot-cakes
OOF* :(
This router, your RBG setup and gaming chair will make you a 10.0 KD player.
Get the RT-AX89X with 8 LAN ports.
These days, even 8 LAN ports isnt enough. Yes, you can daisy chain switches but some devices like the XBox doesnt like the multiple IP addresses.
Yes, you can daisy chain switches but some devices like the XBox doesnt like the multiple IP addresses.
Confused pikachu face
Yes, you can daisy chain switches but some devices like the XBox doesnt like the multiple IP addresses.
Wot
My Xbox didnt connect to some servers when I daisy chained it to a switch.
It needed to be directly connected to the main router.
I'm not sure why?
Makes no sense from a networking perspective, unless there's some really bad multiple daisy chaining going on (i.e. switched connected to each other in a loop).
This is all level 2 network connections, the Xbox and end services are totally oblivious to what they are physically connected to
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Thanks!