Replacing AC68U

[beisat]

Since the RT-AC68U is now EOL, it is finally becoming time to upgrade my router, but could use some input:

I originally picked the RT-AC68U like 8-9 years ago as it was fast enough to support 1gbps Fiber from the WAN. I have been using it with a media converter I bought at the same time. My ISP has actually grandfathered the 1gbps connection, as I could / should now have 10gbps at no extra costs, but I never had them upgrade as I was afraid this wouldn't work with my media converter.

As you can see, I usually like to use my stuff for a good amount of time between upgrades. This is why I was originally hoping to jump directly to WiFi 7 and 10Gbps when the RT-AC68U reached it's EOL. I already have a WiFi 7 phone (ok, that's irrelevant...), but I will also be getting a new tablet and laptop with WiFi 7 soonish.

I have been happy with the RT-AC68U, so I was originally going to get another Asus. But it seems I am blocked. Media converters for 10gbps are not really a thing as far as I can tell (plus I would prefere without one). None of the Asus Wifi7 routers except the newly announced RT-BE88U support SFP+ (and this one doesn't have 6Ghz...). Even on the WiFi 6 side, the only one I see RT-AX89X which is quite old now already.

I see following options:
- Get a TP-Link Archer BE800: It has Wifi7 & SFP+ / 10Base-T and basically fullfils all my requirements. I believe I can use it with a local admin account (no cloud login), but it's a bit neboulus. But I am unsure if TP-Link is good with FW-Updates / LTS as well.
- Try to continue using my media converter for 1gbps WAN and get a RT-AX86u Pro / RT-AX88u Pro: Not super hyped to still be getting a WiFi 6 device now . I could also go Asus WiFi 7, but I dislike the ugly spider routers with ROG branding and it's a waste of money if I cannot get the 10gbps WAN to work because they only have 10Base-T.
- Get some cheap interim router like the RT-AX58U v2 and hope for a decent Asus WiFi 7 router with SFP+ in the future (RT-BE88U Pro perhaps?).

Anyone have and thoughts on this?

 

[Tech9]

Anyone have and thoughts on this?

Where is the 10GbE WAN going after the router? You can get about Gigabit on Wi-Fi now, perhaps 2Gbps with Wi-Fi 7, some of your wired devices may have 2.5GbE ports... and what about the rest? It's like upgrading your family SUV to a 54-seat coach bus because it comes cheap. What you are going to do with it?

I could / should now have 10gbps at no extra costs

All new equipment comes at no extra cost? You are going to spend thousands chasing the ISP speed with little to no improvement to Internet experience. You are basically investing in occasional fast file transfers and speed tests. No new router will be supported for >4 years. What you had with RT-AC68U was an exception.

 

[beisat]

Where is the 10GbE WAN going after the router? You can get about Gigabit on Wi-Fi now, perhaps 2Gbps with Wi-Fi 7, some of your wired devices may have 2.5GbE ports... and what about the rest? It's like upgrading your family SUV to a 54-seat coach bus because it comes cheap. What you are going to do with it?



All new equipment comes at no extra cost? You are going to spend thousands chasing the ISP speed with little to no improvement to Internet experience. You are basically investing in occasional fast file transfers and speed tests. No new router will be supported for >4 years. What you had with RT-AC68U was an exception.

Thanks Tech9, I got some of the router suggestions from your posts in other threads actually!

I agree that 10gbps WAN is not really necessary currently, which is why I have deferred the ISP upgrade for multiple years now. It would be going to my gaming PC (currently 2.5GbE) and my future 10GbE NAS. I'm not really chasing 10Gbps WAN, I am aware I hardly can use it. It's more that this is what my ISP would provide via fiber. I don't believe I can easily convert the 10Gpbs signal to a 1Gbps router 1000BASE-T, that's why I wanted SFP+. I figured if I get a new router, it may as well support it. It's not like SFP+ is uncommon, e.g. the TP-Link all seem to have it. And even if I (can) stay with 1GbE WAN, it would be nice to have basic SFP port and not need a (aging and hot) media converter.

What I am more worried about though is your mention of >4 years being an exception. Why would you say is that? Generally I feel routers have gotten more expensive, as they need more hardware I believe (6ghz etc.). I wouldn't want to have to buy one every 3 years just to receive FW updates:/ This is exactly why I would buy a (good, not cheapest) Asus, e.g. a AX88u Pro.

So did you have any further thoughts on the mentioned routers or my situation? I do feel that (unlike perhaps 9 month ago) WiFi 7 is sort of ready now, would you agree?

 

[Tech9]

Why would you say is that?

RT-AC68U was a special case used for promoting AiMesh. It was popular, many people had one, it had to be compatible and supported for marketing reasons. The new models life cycle will be much shorter again for marketing reasons. We already see early AX models on EoL list. You need something compatible with upcoming 3.0.0.6 firmware for a longer support chance. The cheapest model is RT-AX86U Pro. It's popular around along with the newer RT-AX88U Pro.

I don't believe I can easily convert the 10Gpbs signal to a 1Gbps router 1000BASE-T, that's why I wanted SFP+.

You don't need to do that. Your ISP will provide ONT with Ethernet port. Your gaming PC needs low latency, not high bandwidth. You'll be downloading games faster on >Gigabit ISP, but your gaming experience will be exactly the same. If you survived for so long with 10+ years old hardware RT-AC68U - you don't need anything faster than Gigabit ISP and perhaps nothing better than RT-AX86/88U Pro. You can run faster LAN if you want to. To do that you need a switch, not a router.

WiFi 7 is sort of ready now, would you agree?

Still accepting volunteer beta testers. Are you ready?

 

[beisat]

RT-AC68U was a special case used for promoting AiMesh. It was popular, many people had one, it had to be compatible and supported for marketing reasons. The new models life cycle will be much shorter again for marketing reasons. We already see early AX models on EoL list. You need something compatible with upcoming 3.0.0.6 firmware for a longer support chance. The cheapest model is RT-AX86U Pro. It's popular around along with the newer RT-AX88U Pro.

Yes this is the reason I would consider these two models, also based on your other posts.

You don't need to do that. Your ISP will provide ONT with Ethernet port. Your gaming PC needs low latency, not high bandwidth. You'll be downloading games faster on >Gigabit ISP, but your gaming experience will be exactly the same. If you survived for so long with 10+ years old hardware RT-AC68U - you don't need anything faster than Gigabit ISP and perhaps nothing better than RT-AX86/88U Pro. You can run faster LAN if you want to. To do that you need a switch, not a router.

ISP doesn't provide an ONT, they just suggests getting a router with the required transceiver.

Still accepting volunteer beta testers. Are you ready?

I think I actually would be for WiFi 7, I feel the worst is behind us

 

[Tech9]

SP doesn't provide an ONT, they just suggests getting a router with the required transceiver.

I don't know what ISP is this. You may have to continue using what you are already using for Gigabit.

I think I actually would be for WiFi 7

You'll be ready when you have wireless devices with >Gigabit bandwidth needs. This automatically excludes all phones and tablets. Otherwise your new router will proudly display Wi-Fi 7 in WebUI, but you won't be able to tell the difference between Wi-Fi 4/5/6/7 connectivity on your client devices. For web browsing everything >50Mbps feels about the same, for streaming UHD compressed bitrate is under 30Mbps, audio/video conference calls don't exceed 10Mbps, etc. Your eventual benefits and only with compatible devices - faster LAN to NAS, file transfer between PCs, etc. Current AX-class routers can do about 800Mbps on 80MHz wide channel. Not enough?

 

[glens]

Your gaming PC needs low latency, not high bandwidth. You'll be downloading games faster on >Gigabit ISP, but your gaming experience will be exactly the same.

I know what you're saying, but latency is inherently somewhat inversely proportional to bandwidth, no?

Media converters for 10gbps are not really a thing as far as I can tell (plus I would prefere without one).

I can see the valid preference, but duckduckgo returns a lot of info when searching for "sfp+ 10Gb", including one from amazon for $40. Whether that'll work with a 2.5Gb port, for example, or /requires/ a 10Gb endpoint is uninvestigated by me. But they certainly seem to be "a thing."

Also, I'm a proponent of great (W)LAN performance regardless the speed of the Internet feed itself.

A kick-butt WiFi6 setup can be assembled for little-enough $ NOW. When WiFi7 matures in a year or two, then a re-evaluation can be undertaken.

Or you can stay with what you have for a while yet...

 

[Tech9]

I know what you're saying, but latency is inherently somewhat inversely proportional to bandwidth, no?

Not in this case. Gaming doesn't require Gigabit. 100/100 fiber will work better than sometimes up to 400/100 on 5G network, for example.

 

[glens]

Right, but apples to apples, 100/100 fiber would typically have more latency than 1000/1000 fiber, at least to the point the traffic goes out-of-network (hits the Internet). Granted, the bulk of the hops while gaming must certainly be "out there" anyway, but latencies are additive. And, naturally, I'm speaking theoretically anyway.