What's new

ASUS Announces RT-AX86U and RT-AX82U

  • SNBForums Code of Conduct

    SNBForums is a community for everyone, no matter what their level of experience.

    Please be tolerant and patient of others, especially newcomers. We are all here to share and learn!

    The rules are simple: Be patient, be nice, be helpful or be gone!

AX86U antennas are detachable. But AX82U ones are not.
I found it interesting ASUS didn't mentioned on AX86U page
2020-08-15_LI.jpg
 
Hope So! There was a firmware update today that isn't showing on the actual asus website but is coming through the router? I upgraded but there was no notes. Version 3.0.0.4.384_9283-g5afb40c ??
That's on the website. 31/07

ASUS RT-AX86U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.384.9283
- Fixed UI bugs that happen only in IE11.
- Fixed QIS auto-detection issue.
- Improved UI compatibility issues on different resolutions.
 
That's on the website. 31/07

ASUS RT-AX86U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.384.9283
- Fixed UI bugs that happen only in IE11.
- Fixed QIS auto-detection issue.
- Improved UI compatibility issues on different resolutions.
The weird thing was tho i was already on the latest version? Im not sure whats going on
 
...
But yes, 82u is 4x4:4. The rest are 2x4:4 according to thiggins.

Regardless. $250~ is a little too much. Rather spend a little more on the 86U (assuming $300 now) at that point for actual hardware upgrades (much better cpu/ram) unless ASUS prices it very close to the AX88U which would be very weird for the sake of an upgraded 2.5g port (with less switch capacity). also downgraded 3x3 2.4g.. yeah idk..

I bought a "Asus PCE-AC88 Wireless 5GHz PCI-E AC3100" adapter that has a 4x4 antenna design and I'm wondering if I should go with 82u (because it's 4x4:4) or can I go with 86U (that has 3 external antenas, and 1 internal), it will make any difference at all?
 
@vessosa, I would not buy the inferior RT-AX82U with its weaker SoC (3x 1.5GHz CPU cores). The RT-AX86U has 4x 1.8GHz CPU cores, 1GB RAM, and that RJ45 for 2.5G BaseT connection too. In addition to the AES-NI hardware accelerator for VPN connections that will make it up to five times faster than the 'AX82U with the right ISP(s).
 
@vessosa, I would not buy the inferior RT-AX82U with its weaker SoC (3x 1.5GHz CPU cores). The RT-AX86U has 4x 1.8GHz CPU cores, 1GB RAM, and that RJ45 for 2.5G BaseT connection too. In addition to the AES-NI hardware accelerator for VPN connections that will make it up to five times faster than the 'AX82U with the right ISP(s).

Alright, thank you, but then, should I go with RT-AX86U (1 internal + 3 external) or RT-AX88U (4 external antenas)?:)
 
Without RMerlin support currently on the RT-AX86U, I would suggest the RT-AX88U instead.

But you may be all right with a brand-new model that hasn't been proven yet.

The only benefit right now is that single RJ45 for 2.5G BaseT port. Not enough for me to take a chance on this exciting, but unknown, quantity called the RT-AX86U. :)

The internal antennae on the 'AC/AX '86U line up have been properly dealt with in the RF design. No issues there with any '86U that I have worked on. I wouldn't worry about that aspect at all.

Having said that though, 4x external adjustable antennae may be useful in specific situations where the '86U design may falter. Many times, setting up a new WiFi router isn't a matter of locating/positioning it within a few feet, but rather, of mere inches and orientation (including orientation of the antennae too). :)
 
@vessosa, I would not buy the inferior RT-AX82U with its weaker SoC (3x 1.5GHz CPU cores). The RT-AX86U has 4x 1.8GHz CPU cores, 1GB RAM, and that RJ45 for 2.5G BaseT connection too. In addition to the AES-NI hardware accelerator for VPN connections that will make it up to five times faster than the 'AX82U with the right ISP(s).
Interesting comment, but could you explain to a noob to VPN's what you mean about the "AES-NI hardware accelerator for VPN connections"? I have just started using an RT-AX86U and with a little help from my son, managed to not only set up a VPN to my router but also reconfigure network shares mapping on my NAS so they work whether accessed via the internal network or externally via the VPN. The part that had got me foxed was that I needed to specify the fixed IP address of the Synology Diskstation in the mapping of the network shares and any associated shortcuts, rather then using the description "Diskstation".
 
@TheLyppardMan, an AES-NI hardware chip is an additional hardware that offloads from the main CPU's what OpenVPN or other VPN connection require to keep things encrypted within the VPN tunnel.

The benefits are when your ISP up/download speeds are both above about 50Mbps and can reach up to about 250Mbps between the right servers and ISP connections (remember, the 'up' speed of your remote connection is the maximum 'down' speed you can ever expect from the VPN and the same goes for the connection from the other side too, your 'up' speed is the maximum the remote connection can ever achieve for 'down' from their end).

Compare that to the up to 50-60Mbps (and usually, in the 25 to 45Mbps range depending on what else is running on the router) and you can see this is a huge increase and for VPN users, a clear benefit.
 
@TheLyppardMan, an AES-NI hardware chip is an additional hardware that offloads from the main CPU's what OpenVPN or other VPN connection require to keep things encrypted within the VPN tunnel.

You are mixing up the hardware crypto engine with AES acceleration.

AES acceleration is done by the CPU itself. It's a new instruction that is specialized toward AES calculations. When the CPU supports it, the compiler will make use of that instruction while compiling code. That's why it's transaprently used, there is nothing to enable or disable.

The hardware crypto engine is an actually separate co-processor (built in the same SoC). It requires a special driver to access, and software need to use that driver's API to benefit from it. At this time, only IPSEC can take advantage of that engine under Asuswrt.
 
@RMerlin, thank you for the correction. So AES-NI is just 'new instructions'. Noted. :)
 
Is the AX86U supposed to be better than the AX88U? This is confusing to me I thought higher number means better?
 
Is the AX86U supposed to be better than the AX88U? This is confusing to me I thought higher number means better?
Numbers don't mean much. Better to focus on router/AP placement and clients...
I just got the AX86U and never really considered the AX88U. When the AX88U came out AX was way new and now 2 years later with the new AX86U it seemed better timing.
I honestly would say other that than the 2.5G WAN port (that nobody needs) they are very similar. The AX86U was less money so I got that one....
 

Sign Up For SNBForums Daily Digest

Get an update of what's new every day delivered to your mailbox. Sign up here!
Top