ASUS RT-AC86U Dual Band AC2900 Wireless Router Reviewed

[ApexRon]

no need to test any cable if you got full speed on devices connected via LAN to router!

Based on issue at hand, the troubleshooting technique to be used which will either eliminate or isolate the cause is “minimize and eliminate.” Minimize what is attached to router, eliminate cable as cause by using new, and add one LAN device back (with new cable). If issue does not occur, return device to previous location and cable, making sure issue doesn’t return.

 

[CriticJay]

I have an AppleTV connected via Ethernet. Powered up it connects and runs at 1Gbps. However, when you put it to sleep the RT-AC86U drops the connection to 100Mbps but every so many seconds/minutes it marks it as 1Gbps and seconds later drops to 100Mbps. All of this was entered in system log. I discovered a way to force the port to 1Gbps and no more flipping back and forth.

I think I may have that same issue, although my functionality does not appear to be affected. Can you please advise how you dealt with it?

 

[ApexRon]

I think I may have that same issue, although my functionality does not appear to be affected. Can you please advise how you dealt with it?

This issue, I believe, is an interoperability issue between Apple and Asus. Is Apple doing the right thing when the AppleTV is put to sleep? Is the ASUS reacting the correct way when the AppleTV is put to sleep? Who knows, not me for sure. Anyway what worked for me was "ethctl eth4 media-type 1000FD" entered from a telnet session with the ASUS.

 

[CriticJay]

This issue, I believe, is an interoperability issue between Apple and Asus. Is Apple doing the right thing when the AppleTV is put to sleep? Is the ASUS reacting the correct way when the AppleTV is put to sleep? Who knows, not me for sure. Anyway what worked for me was "ethctl eth4 media-type 1000FD" entered from a telnet session with the ASUS.

That's interesting! However, for me, I have my Apple TV plugged into a Trendnet (?) switch [ 10/100/1000 full duplex I believe ] and then that Trendnet switch is plugged into the 86U. Possibly due to this, I do not get the same error messages on the 86U which you do (I reviewed your thread)

The fact that I get this behaviour when connected to a Trendnet switch, suggests that it's not an Asus problem...

 

[ApexRon]

That's interesting! However, for me, I have my Apple TV plugged into a Trendnet (?) switch [ 10/100/1000 full duplex I believe ] and then that Trendnet switch is plugged into the 86U. Possibly due to this, I do not get the same error messages on the 86U which you do (I reviewed your thread)

The fact that I get this behaviour when connected to a Trendnet switch, suggests that it's not an Asus problem...

Not really. Your switch is presenting a completely different Ethernet electrical interface to ASUS, even if the AppleTV is the only device on the switch.

 

[CriticJay]

Not really. Your switch is presenting a completely different Ethernet electrical interface to ASUS, even if the AppleTV is the only device on the switch.

I don't follow. Do you think that both mine and yours Apple TVs are suffering from the same issues, even though yours is plugged in direct to the 86U, whereas mine is plugged into a Switch?

 

[ApexRon]

I don't follow. Do you think that both mine and yours Apple TVs are suffering from the same issues, even though yours is plugged in direct to the 86U, whereas mine is plugged into a Switch?

Didn't say that. I believe that the AppleTV in standby mode is doing something to its Ethernet interface that the ASUS doesn't like or understand. Placing a switch between the two merely masks the issue. Is Apple adhering to Ethernet standards? Is ASUS not accounting for Ethernet standards completely?

 

[heidarren]

Read the review, bought AC86U and R7800, I found that AC86U is actually run best in higher channel in 5GHz, my comparison between high and low channel it was like 10+dBm different, and this review was set to channel 40, this is a big mistake I must say, since R7800 run best in lower channel due to it runs both higher and lower channel with the same power (29dBm) but AC86U has much lower power in lower channel.

My personal experience is both routers run neck to neck in short/mid distance and AC86U wins in long distance

 

[ApexRon]

Read the review, bought AC86U and R7800, I found that AC86U is actually run best in higher channel in 5GHz, my comparison between high and low channel it was like 10+dBm different, and this review was set to channel 40, this is a big mistake I must say, since R7800 run best in lower channel due to it runs both higher and lower channel with the same power (29dBm) but AC86U has much lower power in lower channel.

My personal experience is both routers run neck to neck in short/mid distance and AC86U wins in long distance

Interesting. Right now my RT-AC86U is running at -29 on channel 2 for 2.4 and -35 on channel 149 for 5 at a short distance.

 

[heidarren]

Interesting. Right now my RT-AC86U is running at -29 on channel 2 for 2.4 and -35 on channel 149 for 5 at a short distance.

I found best with channel 5 for 2.4GHz and 157 for 5GHz

 

[ApexRon]

I found best with channel 5 for 2.4GHz and 157 for 5GHz

I let my ASUS RT-AC86U choose. Mine are the higher amplitudes.

 

[dlandiss]

Interesting. Right now my RT-AC86U is running at -29 on channel 2 for 2.4 and -35 on channel 149 for 5 at a short distance.

I don't trust the RSSI when making coverage decisions. My USEFUL coverage is better measured by throughput at the client site. My AC68 router + AC68 access point consistently provide better bandwidth at moderate distances on the 2-digit 5GHz channels than on the 3-digit channels.

 

[heidarren]

I measured it by using PC(PCI-E SSD & gigabit LAN) to transfer file to my iPad Pro, higher channel always run about 10MB/s more than lower channel in my room.

R7800 channel 44 and AC86U channel 157 results are identical, which is about 70MB/s, while AC86U with channel 44 will only get me about sub 60MB/s

 

[maxbraketorque]

I found best with channel 5 for 2.4GHz and 157 for 5GHz

I haven't bothered to investigate 2.4 GHz, but for 5 GHz, channel 157 is a little better for my on my AC86U, and overall, the 5 GHz upper channel range is better than the 5 GHz lower channel range (assuming no band competition).

 

[maxbraketorque]

Read the review, bought AC86U and R7800, I found that AC86U is actually run best in higher channel in 5GHz, my comparison between high and low channel it was like 10+dBm different, and this review was set to channel 40, this is a big mistake I must say, since R7800 run best in lower channel due to it runs both higher and lower channel with the same power (29dBm) but AC86U has much lower power in lower channel.

My personal experience is both routers run neck to neck in short/mid distance and AC86U wins in long distance

What review?

 

[heidarren]

What review?

This thread is about the AC86U review done by smallnetbuilder

 

[OzarkEdge]

Read the review, bought AC86U and R7800, I found that AC86U is actually run best in higher channel in 5GHz, my comparison between high and low channel it was like 10+dBm different, and this review was set to channel 40, this is a big mistake I must say, since R7800 run best in lower channel due to it runs both higher and lower channel with the same power (29dBm) but AC86U has much lower power in lower channel.

My personal experience is both routers run neck to neck in short/mid distance and AC86U wins in long distance

Interesting... my 2x86U AiMesh outdistances my previous 2x68U AiMesh. And Smart Connect's forced 'auto' always seems to setup 5.0 GHz on a high channel.

OE

 

[sfx2000]

I let my ASUS RT-AC86U choose. Mine are the higher amplitudes.

Cool - someone else is using the very excellent WiFi Explorer - it's a great tool...

For those who are looking at channels in 2.4GHz other than the traditional 1/6/11 - keep in mind that it does interfere with adjacent networks, and ACI is a much bigger problem than co-channel interference...

Channel 8 below - yep, that's an Orbi Mesh, and he's wrecking the folks over on 6 and 11...

 

[bidi]

Read the review, bought AC86U and R7800, I found that AC86U is actually run best in higher channel in 5GHz, my comparison between high and low channel it was like 10+dBm different, and this review was set to channel 40, this is a big mistake I must say, since R7800 run best in lower channel due to it runs both higher and lower channel with the same power (29dBm) but AC86U has much lower power in lower channel.

confirmed. my 86U goes only as far as 112 on 5.2GHz, but i get better SNR (measured with WiFi Analyzer on Android) than on 36. i did not test the 87U on this band, but I think the signal was better on 36 for that model in the same environment before i moved it (it also works better on channel 13 on the 2.4 GHz band, despite neighboring networks). it could be the antenna design, since it looks a bit counter-intuitive for higher frequencies to attenuate less than lower frequencies (not that there's a large difference).

 

[heidarren]

Found this FCC report, showed AC86U has actually much more power in high channel