Second Best/Fastest ASUS VPN Client Router

[CaptainSTX]

Currently have an ASUS AC86 which works great when it is working but for the last three months it has spent most of its time on a truck being shipped between Florida and California three times in order to be exchanged or repaired. When it works I get full line speed (170/12 Mbps) when connected using the VPN tunnel.

Looking to try another ASUS router model as up to the AC86 router my experience has been all good with ASUS hardware. Currently have an AC1900P filling in with the latest Merlin but the VPN speeds limited (50/11) which is OK but I would like something faster.

Does ASUS have any other router models that are fast on VPN clients? Searched the board but don't find any VPN throughput numbers. I do want to continue to use Merlin's firmware.

Considering the following models:

AC5300
AC3100
AC3200

While the processor is slower on these models than the AC2900 what kind of VPN client throughput can they achieve.

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

 

[royarcher]

I

Currently have an ASUS AC86 which works great when it is working but for the last three months it has spent most of its time on a truck being shipped between Florida and California three times in order to be exchanged or repaired. When it works I get full line speed (170/12 Mbps) when connected using the VPN tunnel.

Looking to try another ASUS router model as up to the AC86 router my experience has been all good with ASUS hardware. Currently have an AC1900P filling in with the latest Merlin but the VPN speeds limited (50/11) which is OK but I would like something faster.

Does ASUS have any other router models that are fast on VPN clients? Searched the board but don't find any VPN throughput numbers. I do want to continue to use Merlin's firmware.

Considering the following models:

AC5300
AC3100
AC3200

While the processor is slower on these models than the AC2900 what kind of VPN client throughput can they achieve.

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

I thought that the rt ax 88 u was / is just as fast as the 86 u but I could be mistaken Ps I hope I am not mistaken because I have the ax 88 u in my sights for the same reason as your needs, faster VPN

 

[CaptainSTX]

I
I thought that the rt ax 88 u was / is just as fast as the 86 u but I could be mistaken Ps I hope I am not mistaken because I have the ax 88 u in my sights for the same reason as your needs, faster VPN

Thanks. I don't need the eight LAN ports and either the AC3100 or AC3200 don't remember which is the same router but with fewer LAN ports. The big issue with the AX series of routers from ASUS is they are not supported by Merlin.

 

[royarcher]

Thanks. I don't need the eight LAN ports and either the AC3100 or AC3200 don't remember which is the same router but with fewer LAN ports. The big issue with the AX series of routers from ASUS is they are not supported by Merlin.

Oh crap I didn't know that I suppose I'll have to change my plans and go for the 86 instead thanks for the heads up

 

[dave14305]

Oh crap I didn't that I suppose I'll have to change my plans and go for the 86 instead thanks for the heads up

The RT-AX88U is certainly supported by Merlin.

 

[royarcher]

The RT-AX88U is certainly supported by Merlin.

I thought I saw ax 88 u on the merlin firmware download page thanks dave

 

[CaptainSTX]

The RT-AX88U is certainly supported by Merlin.

My bad you are correct. Unfortunately Its BCM4709CO processor doesn't support AES-NI. The only ASUS routers that I know of that support AES-NI are the AC86 and the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000.

The reason for my original post was to try and determine what routers without AES-NI can acheive in VPN speeds that might be significantly better that the AC1900P I am using for my fill in router while my AC86 is traveling cross country.

 

[RMerlin]

The RT-AX88U has a BCM4908, and the RT-AC88U has a BCM4709C0. Two completely different models.

 

[CaptainSTX]

The RT-AX88U has a BCM4908, and the RT-AC88U has a BCM4709C0. Two completely different models.

Thank you. I now have the information I need to move ahead. I will go ahead and replace my AC86 with the AX88U and hope to break the chain of dud AC86s.

Happy to know I don't have to sacrifice any performance and I will hopefully end up with a reliable router.

I can do my VPN clients other ways including running a VPN appliance off of a router running Tomato, but I don't have nearly the flexibility and features that you provide on your version.

 

[royarcher]

Thank you. I now have the information I need to move ahead. I will go ahead and replace my AC86 with the AX88U and hope to break the chain of dud AC86s.

Happy to know I don't have to sacrifice any performance and I will hopefully end up with a reliable router.

I can do my VPN clients other ways including running a VPN appliance off of a router running Tomato, but I don't have nearly the flexibility and features that you provide on your version.

I would be very curious about your thoughts on the ax after you have had it for long enough to drive it around the block a few times.Especially the VPN performance

 

[CaptainSTX]

I would be very curious about your thoughts on the ax after you have had it for long enough to drive it around the block a few times.Especially the VPN performance

I will have to see if what ASUS said they were willing to do they will do, which is send me a replacement router of my choice. If they will give me an AX88U as an even exchange for my AC86 I will take the deal. Sounds almost to good to be true as the AX88U retails for $350 and the AC86 for $17o. If I have to lay out cash I would rather buy a pair of new AC86s and hope that one of them is good and return the other.

What I don't want is to have ASUS send me a refurbished AX88U that someone else had problems with because I'm not convinced ASUS really tests units other than seeing if all the LED light up correctly and even if they check the radios since the repaired unit they returned to me had a dead 2.4 Ghz radio on receipt. I'm almost positive ASUS doesn't go further and load the router up with a VPN client and server and with their factory firmware no third party scripts are running. The AX88U doesn't appear to be as problematic as the AC86, based on Amazon reviews it only gets 17% one star reviews vs. 28% for the AC86. On the other hand he AC86 has been out longer so more chances for something to go wrong. Lots of complaints of failures after the one year warranty expires.

I don't expect I will receive a replacement of any type until around August 21st. When I get whatever I get and I will set it up in my bench setup and see what happens for a week then I will let you know.

 

[royarcher]

I will have to see if what ASUS said they were willing to do they will do, which is send me a replacement router of my choice. If they will give me an AX88U as an even exchange for my AC86 I will take the deal. Sounds almost to good to be true as the AX88U retails for $350 and the AC86 for $17o. If I have to lay out cash I would rather buy a pair of new AC86s and hope that one of them is good and return the other.

What I don't want is to have ASUS send me a refurbished AX88U that someone else had problems with because I'm not convinced ASUS really tests units other than seeing if all the LED light up correctly and even if they check the radios since the repaired unit they returned to me had a dead 2.4 Ghz radio on receipt. I'm almost positive ASUS doesn't go further and load the router up with a VPN client and server and with their factory firmware no third party scripts are running. The AX88U doesn't appear to be as problematic as the AC86, based on Amazon reviews it only gets 17% one star reviews vs. 28% for the AC86. On the other hand he AC86 has been out longer so more chances for something to go wrong. Lots of complaints of failures after the one year warranty expires.

I don't expect I will receive a replacement of any type until around August 21st. When I get whatever I get and I will set it up in my bench setup and see what happens for a week then I will let you know.

That would be good good luck I hope this router ( whichever one they send you) works out well for you

 

[CaptainSTX]

That would be good good luck I hope this router ( whichever one they send you) works out well for you

ASUS never contacted me other than the router had arrived in California. The next message was that an AC86 with a different serial number was on a FedEx truck heading east on I-10. Someone else's problem child is getting a trip to Florida.

Hopefully I will get lucky as they always say try try again or four times is the charm.

Would have liked to try an AX88 but since I had to purchase an AC1900P to fill in for the dud AC86s, couldn't really afford the price.

 

[royarcher]

ASUS never contacted me other than the router had arrived in California. The next message was that an AC86 with a different serial number was on a FedEx truck heading east on I-10. Someone else's problem child is getting a trip to Florida.

Hopefully I will get lucky as they always say try try again or four times is the charm.

Would have liked to try an AX88 but since I had to purchase an AC1900P to fill in for the dud AC86s, couldn't really afford the price.

I feel you there brother, I'm waiting for a year or so until the ax price becomes a bit more affordable

 

[CaptainSTX]

That would be good good luck I hope this router ( whichever one they send you) works out well for you

The fourth AC86 they sent me last month wasn't any better than the previous three. 5Ghz radio would go off line requiring a full factory reset. Power cycling would knock the VPN Clients and VPN server off line. IMHO there is a memory issue with this router that corrupts certain settings when you click apply. The router I have now totally scrambled the IP and MAC address information entered when I set up the 25 static IPs I use. Another time when I tried to restore my saved settings the same fields were blank. (For all the doubters I have done the "Nuclear Reset" three times and entered all settings manually.)

Again ASUS said they would send me another router model but when I requested an AX88 they said no. I am in the process of initiating a fifth RMA but unless ASUS sends me a router from a different production run other than J or K, I will probably just get another returned unit with someone else's problems. I am stubborn and have the time and as long as ASUS is willing to pay for return shipping I will keep shipping bad AC86s back and run my network on my AC1900P.

 

[royarcher]

The fourth AC86 they sent me last month wasn't any better than the previous three. 5Ghz radio would go off line requiring a full factory reset. Power cycling would knock the VPN Clients and VPN server off line. IMHO there is a memory issue with this router that corrupts certain settings when you click apply. The router I have now totally scrambled the IP and MAC address information entered when I set up the 25 static IPs I use. Another time when I tried to restore my saved settings the same fields were blank. (For all the doubters I have done the "Nuclear Reset" three times and entered all settings manually.)

Again ASUS said they would send me another router model but when I requested an AX88 they said no. I am in the process of initiating a fifth RMA but unless ASUS sends me a router from a different production run other than J or K, I will probably just get another returned unit with someone else's problems. I am stubborn and have the time and as long as ASUS is willing to pay for return shipping I will keep shipping bad AC86s back and run my network on my AC1900P.

Have you tried offering to pay the difference between the two routers Amazon being profit motivated they may say yes ?

 

[CaptainSTX]

Have you tried offering to pay the difference between the two routers Amazon being profit motivated they may say yes ?

I haven't offered to pay the difference. This router has already cost me more than that. I have paid for shipping the router on the RMA three times and had to purchase an AC1900P to use since the AC86 has been mostly out of action since June.

I am however tempted to buy a NEW AC86 from Amazon and test it for 30 days and if the new one is problematic return it to AMAZON for a cash refund.

 

[royarcher]

I haven't offered to pay the difference. This router has already cost me more than that. I have paid for shipping the router on the RMA three times and had to purchase an AC1900P to use since the AC86 has been mostly out of action since June.

I am however tempted to buy a NEW AC86 from Amazon and test it for 30 days and if the new one is problematic return it to AMAZON for a cash refund.

Sounds like a plan

 

[Val D.]

had to purchase an AC1900P to use since the AC86 has been mostly out of action since June.

Is there a huge difference in WiFi performance between the two?
My RT-AC86U boot looped last week with no reason, so I'm also looking for some options.
I don't run VPN on the router anymore, so good reliable WiFi only should be good enough.

 

[Natey2]

Currently have an ASUS AC86 which works great when it is working but for the last three months it has spent most of its time on a truck being shipped between Florida and California three times in order to be exchanged or repaired.

After reading some positive things about the AC86 here, I headed over to Amazon to get one. But user reviews on Amazon indicate a higher than expected failure rate on the AC86 too. [emoji50]
Maybe I'll wait for the AX88.

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