Upgrading from AC66U to AX56U or AX58U

[bbunge]

You could try an AX58U from Amazon Refurbished. Usually less than $100.00 and there is a generous return window if it does not work out. It is chancy that you will get a V1 but the Asus firmware is much better these days that I do not need Merlin.

 

[ika]

By the way, what would be a low number of clients? Is 6-7 too much?

Unless you have 6-7 heavy bandwidth "abuser" devices (like a wireless VR headset streaming while other devices torrenting and/or streaming 4K videos simultaneously, etc.), you will be fine. Both versions of the ax58u are 2x2 on both the 2.4GHz and on the 5GHz radios, so wireless bandwidth will be the main limiting factor probably, but many devices need very little (like a phone idling on the desk won't ask for much most of the times).

No best buy here in europe. Cheapest one is on amazon.es with prime.



The cables come from above. The router in inside a place similar to a pantry. It needs to be flush to the wall so i can reach other stuff. There is a chance i might change to fiber later this year so my current DOCSIS MTA would be gone and the fiber one would have to be installed in another place, giving me space in the shelf above but i don't think it has enough height. The antennas would hit the ceiling. Even my current asus router wouldn't fit in an upright position. Lowering the shelf is not an option.

View attachment 52860

I see a lot of free spaces up there. Perhaps not enough to have it standing, but why would it need to be standing? As long as the back gets some fresh air, the device can be any orientation (the antennas are omnidirectional anyways, assuming you disable beamforming, which leads to better results most of the times in my experience)
It also looks like you could have wires going under at the wall (you already have some), so if you insist there is no way you can put it on shelf, then I would definitely put it to the under side - upside down with double sided tape sticking to the bottom of the ax68u, hanging the whole thing.

 

[nikkoaki]

You could try an AX58U from Amazon Refurbished. Usually less than $100.00 and there is a generous return window if it does not work out. It is chancy that you will get a V1 but the Asus firmware is much better these days that I do not need Merlin.

We don't have amazon here in portugal, we use the spanish one which is made to sell to both spanish and portuguese people. However, returning items is different from the .com . The spanish company tasked with returns has a 1 star rating on trust pilot. Most reviews are from packages that "disappeared" and never reached amazon. It's something i only have to use if i really need.
Also, the TOS state that returning items just because we don't like them is possible but they need to be unused and unopened. Returning a faulty item will make them repair it (depending on when i send it back) or them sending a new one. Don't know if they enforce these rules though.

I see a lot of free spaces up there. Perhaps not enough to have it standing, but why would it need to be standing? As long as the back gets some fresh air, the device can be any orientation (the antennas are omnidirectional anyways, assuming you disable beamforming, which leads to better results most of the times in my experience)

It looks like it but there isn't. Even taking away the white MTA there wouldn't be enough space for it laying down.

It also looks like you could have wires going under at the wall (you already have some), so if you insist there is no way you can put it on shelf, then I would definitely put it to the under side - upside down with double sided tape sticking to the bottom of the ax68u, hanging the whole thing.

Can't either. I would hit my head on it entering the space. It's a long but narrow space.
It either has to be on top of the shelf or flush to the wall like the one i have now.

 

[ika]

It looks like it but there isn't. Even taking away the white MTA there wouldn't be enough space for it laying down.


Can't either. I would hit my head on it entering the space. It's a long but narrow space.
It either has to be on top of the shelf or flush to the wall like the one i have now.

Ah, I see.

We don't have amazon here in portugal, we use the spanish one which is made to sell to both spanish and portuguese people. However, returning items is different from the .com . The spanish company tasked with returns has a 1 star rating on trust pilot. Most reviews are from packages that "disappeared" and never reached amazon. It's something i only have to use if i really need.
Also, the TOS state that returning items just because we don't like them is possible but they need to be unused and unopened. Returning a faulty item will make them repair it (depending on when i send it back) or them sending a new one. Don't know if they enforce these rules though.

That is highly illegal in the EU. If you order something online, then you should be able to send it back, no question asked even if you damaged the boxing when opening the product. That is a law. That being said, also check amazon.de, amazon.nl, amazon.it, amazon.fr, etc; maybe they deliver to your location. Worth the check, sometimes one has a deal the other does not and I used them several times (your login will work, but they all separate sites, so your account history will be different).

Good luck.

 

[nikkoaki]

That is highly illegal in the EU. If you order something online, then you should be able to send it back, no question asked even if you damaged the boxing when opening the product. That is a law.

That's not really true. Some companies will let you do that the same way some companies will also give you the opportunity to return the item if you bought it in person and not online, but there is no law for that.
The law says that the the consumer may me held liable if the handling of the products results in its diminished value (Art 14 (2) of the Consumer Rights Regulations). Unsealing or damaging a box can fit in that category as the seller can claim it can no longer sell the item for the same price. However, he has to state that in his TOS, which amazon does.. but like i said, that doesn't mean they always enforce it, they are just covering their grounds.
The 14 cooling off period law was made so that costumers could inspect the item in the same way they could inspect it in a store. Lots of stores let you return it no matter what you do, that created a myth that people think it's part of some law.

This guy explains it in a good way:

 

[ika]

That's not really true. Some companies will let you do that the same way some companies will also give you the opportunity to return the item if you bought it in person and not online, but there is no law for that.
The law says that the the consumer may me held liable if the handling of the products results in its diminished value (Art 14 (2) of the Consumer Rights Regulations). Unsealing or damaging a box can fit in that category as the seller can claim it can no longer sell the item for the same price. However, he has to state that in his TOS, which amazon does.. but like i said, that doesn't mean they always enforce it, they are just covering their grounds.
The 14 cooling off period law was made so that costumers could inspect the item in the same way they could inspect it in a store. Lots of stores let you return it no matter what you do, that created a myth that people think it's part of some law.

This is highly off topic, so I apologize from the moderators, but to be clear, you are talking about a different thing.

When it comes to laws and their interpretation, the intent what matters. You buy things so you can use them for two weeks and then you want to return? That's just wrong, you do not even need a degree in law to understand that. What the guy on Linkedin is talking about is not why the EU made its consumer protection laws.

I worked for the ECC net HQ, (albeit not as a legal expert but as a system engineer) and this subject came up a lot of times with the colleges there.

You can go into a computer store for several days repeatedly and type on a specific test keyboard for many hours thinking about if you should buy it or not, before you actually go in one day and buy it. And even if you buy it in the store, many sellers will still allow you to bring the goods back, because maybe it turns out that it is too loud in a quiet situation, or just doesn't work well with your computer, or your wife does not like it, etc. This is what the two weeks cooldown period tries to simulate, and it is indeed your right, and you do not even need to provide justification for your decision.

And yes, you need to keep the condition new. The law defines that the consumer is liable for any diminished value of the purchased goods, but even if that happens, it still can't lead to the deprival of his right of withdrawal.

And no, a TOS cannot overwrite a law, but indeed they try it many times.

 

[nikkoaki]

You're right this is off topic so this is going to be my last post about it.

Like i said, there are specific cases where an open product can't be sold again because the outside package is damaged or a seal was broken. An example are those plastic packages that need to be cut open with scissors or phones like the iphone that have a seal in the box that has to be cut open. Would you accept an iphone whose seal was broken? Then why must the store if they can't sell it anymore as new? If you went to court with them, do you think they couldn't easily make the case that the iphone no longer has the same value and therefore it fits the Article 14 (2) and their TOS?
The guy on linkedin said it right, like you.. the laws weren't made so people keep trying things out and return them. Do you think a big company like amazon would put something on their TOS that would go against the laws? They would be eaten alive.
The law is clear and they have to cover their bases, even though they most likely will accept almost everything you send back, they still have to put that warning on the TOS.
There are some items that will charge you a "restocking fee" when you return them, in case they need a new box, etc, but not all brands are willing to provide amazon with new boxes for them to restock the items.

And yes, you need to keep the condition new. The law defines that the consumer is liable for any diminished value of the purchased goods, but even if that happens, it still can't lead to the deprival of his right of withdrawal.

You're wrong, you have the wright of withdrawal with a few exceptions and that one of them.

Obligations of the consumer in the event of withdrawal


2. The consumer shall only be liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling of the goods other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods. The consumer shall in any event not be liable for diminished value of the goods where the trader has failed to provide notice of the right of withdrawal in accordance with point (h) of Article 6(1).

Article 6

Information requirements for distance and off-premises contracts

1. Before the consumer is bound by a distance or off-premises contract, or any corresponding offer, the trader shall provide the consumer with the following information in a clear and comprehensible manner:

(a)
the main characteristics of the goods or services, to the extent appropriate to the medium and to the goods or services;

You are probably going to say that you need to open the box to see if it's functioning correctly. Well if it's not, that's what warranties are for. It's a different reason from "not liking how the product works".

 

[jontalk]

I love my AC66U, it's rock solid in terms of stability and compatibility.
Unfortunately it's slow in terms of cpu power (10Mb/s openvpn max and 120Mb/s wan speed with CTF disabled). Although those are not hard reasons for me to need to switch, it would be nice to have something faster and with more recent software.
I was looking at the AX56U and AX58U and they both seem great for what i need (they need to be mounted on a wall so some asus models are a no go). The problem is, there are loads of threads and people complaining about instability and low speeds. Forcing them to reboot the router often.
Is this still a thing? Any owner out there who would be willing to give their recent experience with these models?

FYI, on the Asus United States page it shows the RT-AX68U for $109.99 which is a spanking deal: https://tinyurl.com/2a8ukyg5

 

[Tech9]

FYI, on the Asus United States

FYI

We don't have amazon here in Portugal

Purchasing a router from different region is not recommended.