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Asus RT-AX1800S (AX1800) Dual Band WiFi 6 Router $109 Shipped (Save 17%) @ Amazon AU

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Asus RT-AX1800S (AX1800) Dual Band WiFi 6 Router $109 Shipped (Save 17%) @ Amazon AUAffiliate
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scrimshaw on 17/02/2024 - 01:28 amazon.com.au (1407 clicks)
Last edited 17/02/2024 - 02:13
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⚡ deal. Not the historical low price, but seeing as some people are still somehow preferring to buy the End Of Life RT-AX56U, decided to post this just so people know there is a cheaper alternative with ongoing firmware updates.

ASUS Router Specification
Processor Dual-core (4 VPE), MediaTek MT7621AT
Memory 128 MB Flash, 256 MB RAM
Operating Frequency 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz
Data Rates 802.11a
Channel Widths Supported 20/40/80 MHz
Ports (4) gigabit Ethernet ports, (1) gigabit WAN port
Encryption Open system, WPA/WPA2-Personal, WPA/WPA2-Enterprise, WPA3-Personal
Wi-Fi Technology OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access); MU-MIMO
Beamforming Standard-based and universal
Dimensions 9.06" x 5.28" x 2.20x" (not counting antennas)

The ASUS RT-AX1800s (2022) is a cost reduced version of the older 2020 RT-AX55 and has a weaker processor. That's right: shrinkflation affects networking hardware too. If you happen to have the RT-AX55, then you should hang onto that, but for anyone else looking for a low-cost router or need to expand their existing AI Mesh network, this is a slightly cheaper & more secure option than the outgoing RT-AX56U which is no longer supported by ASUS. The RT-AX55 is no longer stocked on Amazon and from what I can tell, is only really in stock at a few computer stores

Merlin firmware is not supported because it runs MediaTek processor. Merlin only supports Broadcom.

There's also a ASUS ZenWiFi XD4S AX1800 Mesh 2-Pack on eBay for $178 which appears to be much cheaper than other retailers. e.g $259 from Officeworks

This is an older model (from 2020) and has okay reviews, not sure about how much longer ASUS will support it.
https://dongknows.com/asus-zenwifi-ax-mini-xd4-review/

Price History at C CamelCamelCamel.
Computing ASUS Wireless Router

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closed Comments

  • Shoocat on 17/02/2024 - 08:23
    +3

    Great post, very informative!

  • TaurusHead on 17/02/2024 - 08:25
    +3

    +1 for the description

  • brainactive on 17/02/2024 - 08:36

    Got an old Dlink Archer from around 10 years ago. Is there any benefit to upgrading or is performance similar?

    • PainToad on 17/02/2024 - 10:23

      Is the Archer still receiving security updates? I’d be amazed if it is.

    • stephendt on 17/02/2024 - 11:54

      D-Link? You mean TP-Link? Depending on the model you may notice no difference in performance.

    • Gavman on 17/02/2024 - 14:11

      Tplink do archers dude. And yeah if u live in apartment or around ppl a newer router with better tech will definitely be better and an old C9 / D9. I had my D9 router for over 10 years and it just died. Upgraded to the AX55

      • brainactive on 18/02/2024 - 08:17

        How is it better? More reliable or faster speeds or better range? Or all the above

  • BilboBargains on 17/02/2024 - 08:40
    +3

    I have had two of these fail in under 3 months and both the same problem. Upgrade won't work memory chip is faulty. .. wouldn't recommend

    • pikeplacemkt on 17/02/2024 - 08:44

      warranty doesnt resolve this?

      • Clear on 17/02/2024 - 09:06
        +4

        Warranty can't fix a manufacturing defect. It can get you a new router or refund but the defect remains.

      • shalala on 17/02/2024 - 10:36
        +4

        It's the hassle, downtime and disruption all that matters!

  • pikeplacemkt on 17/02/2024 - 08:48
    +3

    dumb question - so can I just purchase 2 of these to mesh them together to widen the coverage as a cheaper alternative to purchasing an additional 2-pack mesh for $178 (yes granted coverage area will likely be smaller)

    • FujinShu on 17/02/2024 - 14:26
      +1

      If your existing mesh is AiMesh, then yes, you can just expand the mesh since this router is also AiMesh.

    • Junglegreen on 17/02/2024 - 14:26
      +1

      Yes, exactly what i did.

      Didnt even use asus app. Just plug both in, setup mesh. Done. Wild how effective it is.

      • pikeplacemkt on 17/02/2024 - 15:38

        appreciate your reply. are both your routers this exact same model? if so, how long have you been using them and any issues experienced so far (esp on the purported ram/memory chip issues)? cheers mate

  • demod on 17/02/2024 - 09:09
    +1

    I bought one of these around black Friday for $89. Only using to extend my aimesh to the back of the house. Working great for that task!

    • bio on 17/02/2024 - 10:40

      This router supports AI-Mesh, so yes.

  • kungfuman on 17/02/2024 - 09:13

    pretty sure these were 89 bucks at jb hifi during christmas.

  • Fanzao on 17/02/2024 - 10:00

    my current one used for NBN is TP-LINK Archer VR1600v from tpg. which one is better?

    • stephendt on 17/02/2024 - 11:55
      +2

      That depends on what you plan to use it for. On paper this Asus would be better but if you need VDSL + VoIP, or all your devices us 3x3 AC WiFi, then that should be a different story.

      • Fanzao on 17/02/2024 - 12:02

        many thanks
        my nbn is Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC)

        • stephendt on 17/02/2024 - 16:51
          +1

          You could use this with HFC if you want. It won't be a huge upgrade though.

      • kabab on 18/02/2024 - 00:10

        This. Apparently wifi 6 doesn't mean automatically 4x4 mu-mimo. Although devices actually making use of mu-mimo is another story.

  • skinny on 17/02/2024 - 10:08

    can also price match at Bunnings..with extra 5% off

  • shaybisc on 17/02/2024 - 10:19

    When it reaches end-of-life like the other Asus router posted do you still get Trend Micro security?

  • Anotherozbargainer on 17/02/2024 - 10:21

    Does this work as a mesh system with RT-AX86U?

    • netsurfer on 17/02/2024 - 12:42

      You can use this as an AiMesh node. However, some people get AX86U and run Merlin firmware. I do find setting up AiMesh harder with Merlin firmware (I had to use wired connection to get the main router running Merlin firmware to correctly setup the new node, then change the setup to use wireless).

  • kungfuman on 17/02/2024 - 10:41

    jb hifi will match this price btw guys if you wanted to pick it up today and not having to wait.

    • garage sale on 17/02/2024 - 11:11

      thks, might grab one and play around with meshing on the ax58u i have … i’m getting better coverage on my asus router than tp-link but mesh might just get better netflix.

    • hollykryten on 17/02/2024 - 11:52

      JB Hi-Fi does not sell the RT-AX1800S model. But only have the RT-AX54HP which is technically a different model so unfortunately they will get out of price matching. They can only price match identical model.

  • skittlebrau on 17/02/2024 - 11:15

    Might be a good option since you can install OpenWRT on this, or if you want a secondary Asus router for Ai Mesh.

  • Namidairo on 17/02/2024 - 11:37
    +1

    Dual-core (4 VPE), MediaTek MT7621AT

    This thing is ancient and I chuckle whenever I see it paired with 11ax radios.

    I think it might actually be the same price to grab 2 generic routers with MT7981's and AX3000 rated radios. At least the SoC would be from this decade. (MT7621 released in 2013 I believe)

  • hollykryten on 17/02/2024 - 11:48
    +1

    Extra $60 for $169 gets you the RT-AX3000P model and it has better specs. Quad core CPU and AX3000. Perhaps a way better buy.

    https://www.amazon.com.au/ASUS-RT-AX3000P-supporting-technol…

    • netsurfer on 17/02/2024 - 12:53
      -1

      It depends on whether you have devices that support 160Hz on 5Ghz Wifi band. iPhones, for example, only support 160Hz on 6Ghz band (and you need iPhone 15 Pro). However, if you do have PCs/Laptops with AX200 or better (i.e. AX210, BE200 etc…), then you could take advantage of AX3000P (though still not completely, since you are still limited to 2x2).

      AX3000P, like all routers supporting 4x4 in 5GHz, do require devices that support 4x4 to actually reach that quoted double the speed. Problem is, 4x4 Wifi cards are quite expensive and uncommon (common Intel wifi cards are 2x2 only). It does have a better CPU than this router and with 4 antennas, it might have a better coverage.

    • hollykryten on 19/02/2024 - 11:22

      Never mind, it's gone up to $228. Deal is over.

  • AussieMark on 17/02/2024 - 12:36

    Anyone know if I can put a sim card in this like Telstra or Optus etc

    • netsurfer on 17/02/2024 - 12:43

      No, this router doesn't have an USB port nor a SIM card slot.

      • AussieMark on 17/02/2024 - 14:27

        Thank you friend

      • pikeplacemkt on 17/02/2024 - 16:10

        always wondered if there were any way to connect/bridge wirelessly these home routers to one of those cheap portable 4g routers in event of nbn outages…never figured out a way…

        • netsurfer on 17/02/2024 - 16:41
          +1

          I had a quick look at my Asus router with USB ports, it looks like it is a bit easier nowadays. Once enabled, you have a choice of Auto vs Manual mode. It now even supports android phone USB tethering.

          With a compatible USB modem, it might be best to still use manual mode. For Australia, it has presets for Telstra, Optus, Voda, 3, TPG, Exetel etc…, but if the mobile provider is not in listed, you need to know the APN and the dial number. It's probably only useful for customers where their NBN providers offer 4G fallback, otherwise you need to purchase a SIM plan just for NBN outages. You need a compatible router or Android phone (if you use Android phone, it needs to be connected to a power source all the time (not good for battery life)).

          • pikeplacemkt on 17/02/2024 - 17:34

            @netsurfer: yup. think established branded routers with usb ports would have such option. as a contingency/redundancy requirement for wfh, it would be assuring to know you can use your phone 4g to continue on your time critical work etc if there was an nbn outage.

            home routers are transmitters, so unlikely able to receive wireless at the same time an alternate internet source (e.g. portable 4g wifi modem) to power your home network - was what i was told earlier as well. so thats that.

    • adrdidi on 17/02/2024 - 23:03

      You can get the RT-AX53U that has the same specs but only 3 lan ports instead and has 1 USB port. That usb port can be used to connect your phone in hotspot mode (USB Tethering).

  • neonlight on 17/02/2024 - 13:58

    Can you get this to expand AiMesh with Rt-86u?

    • scrimshaw on 17/02/2024 - 14:06

      Yes. Your RT-86U is an Wifi-5 router from 2017 though, so be aware your current router will bottleneck the speeds somewhat

      • neonlight on 17/02/2024 - 14:17

        I see so the main router needs to be Wifi 6 obviously and the Ai mesh nodes can be Wifi 5

        Also works the other way around but the speed will be reduce back to Wifi 5. It will always be the lowest denominator

        What is good replacement for RT-86U at this point?

        • netsurfer on 17/02/2024 - 14:43

          First of all, I assume you have RT-AC86U because you didn't list the model number properly. If so, RT-AX86U is the direct replacement of RT-AC86U.

          Wifi 6 is not required to run AiMesh. Mixing Wifi6 with Wifi5 on AiMesh is possible, but the internal traffic between the Wifi6 router and the Wifi5 router will be limited to Wifi5. RT-AX1800S lacks 160Hz support so it is more of an early gen Wifi6 router. If you do have client devices that supports 160Hz, then AX1800S isn't ideal anyway. Only the latest flagship phones supports 160Hz and most of them on 6Ghz (so that means Wifi 6E capable router is needed). PCs, due to dirt cheap Intel AX200/AX210, 160Hz support is more common.

          With dual band routers, when AiMesh is used, if the backbone is Wifi, that wifi band will have bandwidth reduced (to allow traffic / communication between the routers), so you are looking at reduced bandwidth anyway. Therefore, Wifi6 is kind of tempting. However, there is another twist, this router is 2x2, but RT-AC86U is 4x4 so in a mesh setup, the traffic between the two will operate on 2x2. Majority of our client devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops) only have 2x2 Wifi card / chipset, but for a mesh setup, 4x4 between the routers could be useful.

          In short, if you want a cheap way to expand or add AiMesh to RT-AC86U, then you could still consider this router. The two routers cripple each other in different ways so it is more for cost saving and expand your wifi coverage (top speed is not important - i.e. you only have 50-100Mbits NBN and you don't have a NAS or heavy NAS usage).

          • neonlight on 17/02/2024 - 16:47

            @netsurfer: Yes I have RT-AC86U. And also got a RT-AC86U as AiMesh node but that router is on its way out. It's wireless signal has dropped a lot recently with its 5Ghz. So I thought of replacing it or adding another node. So I thought maybe I can use this one. But then still not sure if I should upgrade my RT-AC86U and use that AiMesh master unit rather. It will cost 3x as much as this deal

            I only run 100Mbps LAN due to limitations on EOP and NBN only runs 100/20

            Good info you got there. I appreciate it

            • netsurfer on 17/02/2024 - 18:51

              @neonlight: If your AiMesh currently runs on 5Ghz for backbone, then it might be best to stick to routers which are 4x4. However, if most family members connect to the main router, and the AiMesh node is only used by 1 person most of the time, then you could consider a cost effective 2x2 as the node.

              I am not a fan of an Asus router without USB ports (and prefer one that supports Merlin firmware) so I am not a fan of RT-AX3000P, but if you want to keep the cost down, RT-AX3000P might be an option. I don't own one so I don't know how good RT-AX3000P is though.

              Wifi 6 is a bit messy at the moment. I don't know about you, but I have Wifi 6 clients which only support 80Hz, some that support 160Hz (but only on 5Ghz), Wifi 6E capable and I even have a PC that has a Wifi 7 client card. However, I don't have even have a Wifi 6E router.

        • hollykryten on 17/02/2024 - 18:00

          I think this router as an imesh node will fall back to WiFi AC to match your current router. There won't be any problems if your ok with WiFi AC. But it will be limited to AC 867Mbps as this is all that this router can do. It will cripple your WiFi AC performance. Ideally you need a matching Rt-86u as an imesh node.

  • Gavman on 17/02/2024 - 14:08

    I settled on Tplink AX55 for $149. But this is a good entry router.

  • vikaskamboj on 17/02/2024 - 22:44

    This or Xiaomi ax3000t for $50 from AliExpress?

    • repeat on 18/02/2024 - 10:41

      Just wondering if you found one that sell with AU power supply?

  • bigpp on 17/02/2024 - 22:47

    How does this compare to the Netgear RAX10?

  • Andy5t on 18/02/2024 - 08:48

    Should I get this as an AI mesh node to extend wifi coverage within my home or are there better options out there? I'm using a DSL-AX82U as my main router. Internet is NBN 250/25 and have a couple of no wifi zones within the home which I'm hoping this would solve.

    • scrimshaw on 18/02/2024 - 10:47
      +1

      Ideally you would also get another asus router that can match the speed of your current one, but if speed isn't an issue but your budget is, this router is fine as a budget mesh node but understand that the link between the 2 routers will be whatever the maximum the slower router supports.

      For example, I have an ASUS AX-88U (AX6000) and a RT-AX55 (AX1800). In AI Mesh user interface it reports the PHY rate as Transmit Rate (864.7Mbps) and Receive Rate (648.5Mbps)

      https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/10382/110593/uplink5gh…

      864 Mbps is still pretty fast however and I only encounter the bottleneck when I'm streaming video games to my Meta Quest 2 headset.

  • Lentils on 18/02/2024 - 12:50

    For $40 more would you consider: https://www.amazon.com.au/ASUS-RT-AX57-1024-QAM-AiProtection… ?
    The latter seems to only have 3 month warranty?

    • hollykryten on 19/02/2024 - 11:21

      You do know that is shipped from Germany?. It possibly might not even have an AU power adapter.

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