What Asus router should I buy

[TrimDr]

I currently have an AC3100 that covers about 85% of my house. There are 2 home offices w/ multiple VoIP lines. I have Spectrum highspeed and get 300mbps wired and mid 150's wireless in most areas. However, wireless gets really sketchy in a few areas and only works "sometimes."

Most of the TV media runs fine . I think I just need to expand the footprint.

I've been wanting to try the AIMesh for a year now.

I would like to keep the investment under $350.

Options:
Do I just keep the 3100 as is, and buy an 86u and add that as a node? Or use the 86u as the main router and turn the 3100 into the node?

Do I buy (2) 86u's w/ the Microcenter deal? If I do this, is the 3100 still worth having on the network?

I can also buy (1) AX88u?

Since I can write this off, I could even swing the 5300.

Is there something completely different I should look at?

Thanks for the input.

 

[L&LD]

In my experience with the RT-AC3100 and the RT-AC86U, the latter is the better router overall, particularly with 1Gbps up/down ISP speeds.

However, the 4 external antennae on the 'AC3100 is still superior in some situations (even though the 'AC86U has a forth 5GHz antennae internally).

If you can wire an additional router in AP mode (yes, forget AiMesh for now is my recommendation) then the RT-AC86U would be the one I would buy today. The 'AX' routers are draft hardware today, with the software side not that much better too, over a good AC class router.

https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wir...-first-wifi6-peek-asus-rt-ax88u-netgear-rax80

https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-reviews/33208-asus-aimesh-reviewed


With everything working as you need right now with the current router, and your ISP speeds far below the limits of the RT-AC3100, I would just add the RT-AC86U as an AP as outlined above.

The RT-AC5300 is much older tech and would not be worth considering today, for your environment.

 

[OzarkEdge]

I currently have an AC3100 that covers about 85% of my house. There are 2 home offices w/ multiple VoIP lines. I have Spectrum highspeed and get 300mbps wired and mid 150's wireless in most areas. However, wireless gets really sketchy in a few areas and only works "sometimes."

Most of the TV media runs fine . I think I just need to expand the footprint.

I've been wanting to try the AIMesh for a year now.

I would like to keep the investment under $350.

Options:
Do I just keep the 3100 as is, and buy an 86u and add that as a node? Or use the 86u as the main router and turn the 3100 into the node?

Do I buy (2) 86u's w/ the Microcenter deal? If I do this, is the 3100 still worth having on the network?

I can also buy (1) AX88u?

Since I can write this off, I could even swing the 5300.

Is there something completely different I should look at?

Thanks for the input.

I had a 68U. I bought another to try AiMesh. Then I replaced the two 68Us with two 86Us... for better hardware and WiFi range and Smart Connect node band steering support (same SSID).

If money is tight, just add a node. Otherwise, I'd go for the 86U bundle... a full upgrade.

OE

 

[RMerlin]

The RT-AC86U would be a better primary router, as it has a better CPU, and a more up-to-date software stack. Turn the AC3100 into either an AiMesh node or an Access Point.

You won't gain much just by replacing the primary router. These high-end routers are already pretty close to the limit of what can be achieved in terms of coverage. Positioning can yield more improvement than a new router, so the only way to make any significant coverage gain is by adding a second router.

 

[WayneM]

Do not buy an RT-AC86U. They appear to be defective in general.

The wifi on mine started dropping clients after two weeks. The only way to get them back was to reset/pwr-cycle the router.

I received a warranty replacement that worked great for five months until last week when Gig port 1 died.

When it works it's a nice router and I really like it, but they seem to be junk from my personal experience and what I've read elsewhere.

 

[L&LD]

Do not buy an RT-AC86U. They appear to be defective in general.

The wifi on mine started dropping clients after two weeks. The only way to get them back was to reset/pwr-cycle the router.

I received a warranty replacement that worked great for five months until last week when Gig port 1 died.

When it works it's a nice router and I really like it, but they seem to be junk from my personal experience and what I've read elsewhere.

Hardly junk, by any estimation.

 

[coxhaus]

I had a large house also and using 1 wireless router left me with a lot of dead air space in my house. I finally figured out I could go to a wired router with separate wireless APs to cover my whole house.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Do not buy an RT-AC86U. They appear to be defective in general.

The wifi on mine started dropping clients after two weeks. The only way to get them back was to reset/pwr-cycle the router.

I received a warranty replacement that worked great for five months until last week when Gig port 1 died.

When it works it's a nice router and I really like it, but they seem to be junk from my personal experience and what I've read elsewhere.

So, you joined this forum today to tell people not to buy a router? Why?

OE

 

[maxbraketorque]

The RT-AC86U would be a better primary router, as it has a better CPU, and a more up-to-date software stack. Turn the AC3100 into either an AiMesh node or an Access Point.

You won't gain much just by replacing the primary router. These high-end routers are already pretty close to the limit of what can be achieved in terms of coverage. Positioning can yield more improvement than a new router, so the only way to make any significant coverage gain is by adding a second router.

I agree with this. In my estimation, its the most popular ASUS router to purchase because of its excellent performance at a very reasonable price.

And the AC86U is not defective in general.