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Router to replace ancient RT-AC56U (large home)

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Sven Golly

Occasional Visitor
First, we don't have any WIFI 6 devices in our home. Something may use WIFI 6 in the future but everything connected is 802.11ac or lower.

DEVICES:
  • 2 home office computers - ethernet
  • solar array monitor - ethernet
  • Obihai VOIP box - ethernet
  • 3 Wyze IP cameras including front door. Side door cam sometimes loses signal.
  • 2 Amazon Fire Sticks
  • 3 laptops
  • LG WebOS TV
  • two cell phones
  • bHyve irrigation control - furthest away from router. Sometimes loses signal.
  • USB 3.0 Hard Drive (attached to router)
.ENIVIRONMENT:
  • 2800 sq ft house, 2 stories
  • Router has to be located upstairs in master BR closet where cable modem comes in.
  • ISP = Spectrum = 200gb down, 10gb up
OTHER:
  • My RT-56U is running an older version of Merlin firmware but it works fine. I don't dabble much.
  • I do use guest network feature a lot. Merlin technically supports 3 guest networks but it really only works with 2.
  • I could use my 56U as a wireless repeater for the remote stuff.
ROUTERS CONSIDERED:
  • Asus RT-AX86S - $179
  • TP-LINK AX5400 - $139 (on sale)
  • TP-LINK AX6600 (A90) - $200
  • ASUS ROG Rapture WiFi Gaming Router (GT-AC2900) - $89 (on sale) - Do I really need AX?
Hope this is organized enough. My concern about the TP-LINK routers, although their stuff has worked fine for me, is it's not clear which require TP's subscription plan to do guest networking and management.
 
Hard to go wrong with a RT-AC86U/GT-AC2900 for $89! If you don't need AX it's a great choice. However, there is still the updated and improved circuitry of a newer generation unit, like an AX capable model. If the price is right I would lean towards an AX model personally.
 
The AC class WiFi ship has long since sailed.

The price difference you see is the first indication of that.

A quality AX class router (RT-AX68U or better, and I don't consider the 's' model in this league) is more than just updated WiFi radios. It is also more future-proof than AC class routers today (in terms of security alone, let alone performance). It also adheres more closely to the latest standards, including updated SDKs and RF design to ensure that updated performance and security too.

You don't mention what your ISP speeds are. But the RT-AX68U is good for about 600Mbps symmetrical.

The RT-AX86U for around 1Gbps symmetrical.

And the GT-AX6000 is good for anything below 2.5GbE speeds (WAN and LAN).

Everything else, particularly non-Asus models listed above, are more than just a gamble with your hard-earned money. Even for AC client devices only.

Is Wi-Fi 6 Worth It

Wi-Fi 6 Pt 2


While the RT-AC56U router is ancient when used as the main router, it is still an excellent Media Bridge for your wired capable client devices (still using one myself in my RT-AX86U main, and GT-AX6000 AiMesh node, setup).

Media Bridge Mode
 
A quality AX class router (RT-AX68U or better, and I don't consider the 's' model in this league) is more than just updated WiFi radios. It is also more future-proof than AC class routers today (in terms of security alone, let alone performance). It also adheres more closely to the latest standards, including updated SDKs and RF design to ensure that updated performance and security too.
What about the AX86S?
You don't mention what your ISP speeds are. But the RT-AX68U is good for about 600Mbps symmetrical.
I did mention the speed. Spectrum cable - 200mb down / 10mb up. There's not much chance of seeing speeds above that since my neighborhood is not on anyone's plan to hook into the fiber that's already here. It's probably dead anyway since it was put into the street 15 years ago. So I'm basically copper cable via Spectrum.
While the RT-AC56U router is ancient when used as the main router, it is still an excellent Media Bridge for your wired capable client devices (still using one myself in my RT-AX86U main, and GT-AX6000 AiMesh node, setup).
Hadn't thought about that. Would certainly support my LG SmartTV and Onkyo HT receiver via Ethernet.

Speed isn't critical for me but distance reach and solid signal are. Is ASUS really that much better than TP-LINK for this application? The ASUS AX86U is like $240. The AX86S is $179. The TP-LINK is $139. That's a broad range of prices. I've got two TP-LINK travel routers that work well. I was hoping to keep this well under $200. Heck WIFI 7 will come out and make it all obsolete again. Plus I still have to pull new CAT 6 cables to our home offices. Not looking forward to that.
 
Is ASUS really that much better than TP-LINK for this application?

Not better in Wi-Fi coverage. Both brands are limited by local RF regulations. Get one TP-Link Archer AX73 from Amazon and try it out. It has good sensitivity radios and is a popular model. If it doesn't work well for you - send it back. It will be better than your old RT-AC56U for sure.


P.S. Don't buy the tri-band version Archer AX75. They look identical, both AX5400 class, but have different radios.
 
Thanks. Going to try the TP-LINK. If it proves weird I'll step up. You didn't comment on the AX86S? I know you said the AX68S wasn't worth it but wondering if the 86S is OK?
 
You didn't comment on the AX86S?

Not anymore. I have one AX86U and it has firmware issues lately. Not to mention my AX86U has weaker Wi-Fi than the older AC86U. There is a new hardware AX86U Pro coming soon and perhaps current AX86 series will be discontinued. AX68U is perhaps already discontinued and replaced by multiple AX58U V2 hardware variants in both AX3000 and AX5400 class. Not recommended as new purchase as well. I believe AX73 will work well for you.
 





Be careful listening to (just) someone who just doesn't like Asus/RMerlin powered networks. And one who disagrees directly with the developer himself on fine points. Particularly one who doesn't run Asus routers themselves, day to day.

I've already stated the 's' model isn't worth considering (see all the links and posts above).

Crystal ball interpretations of Asus' future direction of 'discontinued' routers should also be taken with a large amount of salt.
 
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Well I went ahead and bought TP-LINK AX5400 (Archer AX73). (I had already ordered it before L&LD had posted their last reply. So far, I've been underwhelmed. My IOT things (Wyze cams, B-Hyve irrigation controller and Amazon thermostats all on 2.4ghz b/g/n) have generally lost their internet connections overnight even though they still appear in the active client list on the router. In contacting TP-LINK tech support, they had me change the 2.4 channel manually to 6 and fix the bandwidth at 40. Before, both were set to auto. However, I wouldn't really call ANY of the 2.4 channels "congested" since none have more than say 6 devices on them.

FROM TP-LINK: Sometimes, if the router is set to auto it fails to detect the non-congested channel, so we highliy recommend to choose the channel manually.

I never had to do this on my old ASUS RT however, the irrigation controller which is located in the garage about 60' from the router would lose signal now & then. I had a TP-LINK N300 wifi extender to help it out and that seemed to work OK.
Be careful listening to (just) someone who just doesn't like Asus/RMerlin powered networks.
I'll read through those links. Thanks. I'm probably going to want a hybrid with a regular router combined with a mesh access point. However, the Wyze cams cannot connect to a "smart" network (like TP-LINKs method of combining the 2.4 & 5 ghz bands into single SSID). The Wyze cams, while they can see 5 ghz, only OPERATE on 2.4 ghz. Seems like a stupid design.

And another observance. I had hoped that just changing the SSID and password to match my old ASUS router would let all those goodies reconnect automagically. Nope. Had to actually reset each device and select the new TP-LINK network (even with same SSID, password and authentication method). That seemed weird to me.
 
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Well I went ahead and bought TP-LINK AX5400 (Archer AX73). (I had already ordered it before L&LD had posted their last reply. So far, I've been underwhelmed. My IOT things (Wyze cams, B-Hyve irrigation controller and Amazon thermostats all on 2.4ghz b/g/n) have generally lost their internet connections overnight even though they still appear in the active client list on the router. In contacting TP-LINK tech support, they had me change the 2.4 channel manually to 6 and fix the bandwidth at 40. Before, both were set to auto. However, I wouldn't really call ANY of the 2.4 channels "congested" since none have more than say 6 devices on them.

FROM TP-LINK: Sometimes, if the router is set to auto it fails to detect the non-congested channel, so we highliy recommend to choose the channel manually.
And now I see from other posts that channel width fixing may not be a good idea. I only have two close neighbors (houses on either side). One is running a google mesh, the other just a straight wifi router setup.
 
And now I see from other posts that channel width fixing may not be a good idea. I only have two close neighbors (houses on either side). One is running a google mesh, the other just a straight wifi router setup.
If this reply doesn't make sense it's because my longer, more complete post is held up in the moderator queue. No idea why. Probably some sort of keyword trigger. :p
 
Using manual Control Channels is always my go to method to solve WiFi issues.
 
This is a new router with new AX capable radios and you have to find the best settings for it. They will be different from your old router's settings. For maximum compatibility with IoT devices I would disable AX on 2.4GHz band, use 20MHz wide fixed channel, WPA2-Personal only and disabled Target Wake Time and Airtime Fairness. Two separate SSIDs for 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, no Smart Connect.

Asus has similar recommendations for their AX-class routers:

Most IoT devices are few generations behind and don't understand well what the new AX capable routers are saying. :)
 
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I already did what you suggested except TP-LINK said use 40mhz wide fixed channel. Wake time, fairness disabled. Separate SSIDs after I figured out that the IOT things (except the Amazon thermostats) couldn't figure out how to connect.
 
So far, it's working. Cut the channel to 20. I'll see what happens overnight. That's when the IOT things have lost internet but still showed in client list of router. So I had no idea why they showed offline.
 
I've had an AX73 for about a year now, but as a 5GHZ AP only. Great router, never needs attention and surprisingly TPLINK is more actively keeping the firmware updates coming.

Like others have said, it's just a matter of tweaking the settings for those 2.4 IOT devices, especially turning off that single SSID smart connect stuff.
 
This is a very standard hardware BCM6750 CPU with built-in 2.4GHz radio + separate BCM43684 5GHz radio. It's used widely in many router models. They all run with whatever Broadcom provided for drivers. This client list is perhaps reading something from the SoC and is often inaccurate. Don't pay too much attention to it. Monitor if the devices work properly. Unfortunately, in some cases depending on what IoTs you have the solution is a separate AP dedicated to IoTs. We have a forum member here who give up on AX class routers for IoT. You basically have to dumb down the router to match the IoT tech.
 
Does it work now? 20MHz wide channel has better range.
All the 2.4 band devices went offline overnight. I checked first thing in the morning. The router was still connected to the internet just fine (via ethernet) but all the devices were offline including my cell phone. Contacted TP-LINK again and they said do a manual firmware update since the automatic update didn't push the latest firmware out (even though the router says up to date). So I'm going to try that but I'm suspecting something is wonky in hardware. I also noted that I have a V1 of the router and there are actually V1.6 and V2 versions. The V2 has an updated chip in it according to one tech site (via FCC filing review). Uggh. I hate stuff that doesn't work.

EDIT: None of the issues "fixed" in the firmware updates seemed like it had anything to do with my issue. But might be covered by misc fixes.
 

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