I recently purchased a great deal on joybuy for the AC86U and picked one up just to see what is going on with the heavily discounted version. Here are my findings.
Router Starts off in Chinese but that can be easily mitigated by using the google live translate app on the phone to see what is going on.
Once set up you can easily change the language and set up the trusty Merlin.
Configuration and setup is a breeze and the router is fast.
VPN Speeds has gone up from 84mbps to 92mbps with my VPN provider
The Range is slightly week when compared to the AC5300 but I also picked up this router for 1/3rd the price of the 5300
When I do a cold reboot for the whole setup, the Router is up faster than the Fiber Box, so I see errors on screen.
When performing speedtest the CPU hits max in one cpu (as expected) to about 54% where as on the AC5300 the CPU hits about 85%. Since I have a 100 mbps connection, either router would suffice in my case.
The UI Is snappier with the 86U.
Final thoughts, If I had to pick one, I would buy the 86u if the household is ok for a normal range. If Range is your priority, then I would go with the 5300.
I am still in the initial test phase and will update this thread after a few weeks of tests.
Some Pictures
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hSdgmYVJ-zidKVYN2syOivM8D7oPYgk5?usp=sharing
Router Starts off in Chinese but that can be easily mitigated by using the google live translate app on the phone to see what is going on.
Once set up you can easily change the language and set up the trusty Merlin.
Configuration and setup is a breeze and the router is fast.
VPN Speeds has gone up from 84mbps to 92mbps with my VPN provider
The Range is slightly week when compared to the AC5300 but I also picked up this router for 1/3rd the price of the 5300
When I do a cold reboot for the whole setup, the Router is up faster than the Fiber Box, so I see errors on screen.
When performing speedtest the CPU hits max in one cpu (as expected) to about 54% where as on the AC5300 the CPU hits about 85%. Since I have a 100 mbps connection, either router would suffice in my case.
The UI Is snappier with the 86U.
Final thoughts, If I had to pick one, I would buy the 86u if the household is ok for a normal range. If Range is your priority, then I would go with the 5300.
I am still in the initial test phase and will update this thread after a few weeks of tests.
Some Pictures
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hSdgmYVJ-zidKVYN2syOivM8D7oPYgk5?usp=sharing
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