Asus RT-AX88U Review | Watch This Before You Buy 

Thanks Jim! I appreciate the comment and the sub!

That's awesome! Great to hear. Thanks for the comment

Hey mate I’m going to buy this. Are you able to get 900mbps via wifi through a few walls etc? I also have a m1 MBA and AX iPhone. Been struggling to find a router that can do more than 400+ mbps via wifi only

I haven't tried merlin. I should try it.

Thanks, I appreciate the comment! We shall see how wifi 6e comes to the market next year. Getting excited but don't want to be let down lol

Yeah that's awesome! Hopefully it comes through and there are not issues.

yeah man I subbed too. Nice review.

@@NikosRentas I forgot about this. It came through (only took a week to arrive too) and has been working perfectly. Savage deal.

That's awesome to hear. Happy to hear it worked out!

Use asus merlin firmware 100x better than stock. Its asus firmware but fixed and bugs worked out latest version 386.5

Its till the best. There are some other options, but this hits all the marks - size, speed, and capabilities.

Deal! Thanks for the vote of confidence. lol

@@NikosRentas Haha, wish you luck

Thanks for the comment and it's based on your needs with WIFI 6. If you have devices that will utilize it then its worth it. However, if you don't then I would wait. On the other side you will get some extra distance with these however, depending on your house you can't be sure unless you test it out. WIFI6e is coming out as well and it might be a better thought to wait if you aren't in any rush.

What modem do you have? How do you replace your old modem for the new one?

Michael, what did you end up going with? J.C. I have both the ax86u and the ax88u. You would just need to attach the router to your ISP modem and then bridge the ISP to just be a modem and not a router. Lots of reviews on this and also the ISP company should have information on the router/modem to bridge it. If it doesn't then google the model and you will find instructions.

@@NikosRentas I ended up going with the 88u but didn't notice an increase in wifi coverage or speed compared to my old Asus AC-3100. So I returned it and am still using my old router.

@@michaelduvernay3111 that's interesting. Did you see test it with all networks?

I tested the netgear and its good but didn't sustain speeds with data transfer as good as the Asus. NAS box needs to connect with LAN1 and LAN2 Gigabit speed to realize fast enough speeds.

I use failsafe backup. It switches over with a minor delay but no real issues.

This handles the heavy streaming no problem as you will typically use standard 2.4 wifi for most older gadgets like tv's, or newer low end gadgets like chrome books. Most people will use it as the signal strength as you move to different rooms is stronger anyways. My LG tv streams 4k tv and movies along with 2 people on their phones or laptops no problem while I'm downloading full speed on a my computer. Some people like the mesh whole home systems to cover the whole house. If its a big house like 2 floors up I would mesh two of these asus ax routers instead but that is my personal opinion. I made videos on the other two routers AX86U and ax82U. I would go for one of these two newer ones and if the ax86u is on sale or same price nab that one.

That wouldn't be an upgrade per say. You would be getting same value for most things. The ax88u has a faster CPU and RAM. I would be looking at newer models for an upgrade.

Bro, I don't get it either. I had updates to both the Synology and routers. My speed seems to have gone down a tad overall. When I bond them they have even more issues and I don't get the speed as I do separate. Unbonded they are flying. I pointed it out in a video somewhere but I will test further with the bonding and make a video for it to explain what I discover. That being said support was useless and everything I am trying to find online goes into a rabbit hole.

Between the ax86u and the ax88u you are basically getting the same router minus the obvious connections. I would watch all the videos I made and then head over to dongknows to check out any other routers and his reviews. I have about 20 or devices that are connected to either the 2.4G or 5G. Anything smart is pretty much connected to the 2.4G. I don't have any issues and am limited by my ISP. So the internal network is great. Regarding the footage of your home it might that you need to buy two and mesh them or look at a mesh system. If you want top speed remember that wifi6 is only as good as it gets within 10-12 feet. From there you see a slow down from the top speed. Again, it's based on your house build. I would buy the ax86u to test it out from somewhere you can return. See if it meets your needs and then go from there.

Quick Tip: rename your new router the same as your old and all of your devices will automatically connect to them when you swap out. Thank me later.

The ax56u is a wifi6 router. The Ac88u isn't unless you meant the ax88u. The ax88u is a faster router than the ax56u except it is newer. At 100/30 I am not sure if there is a need for anything with wifi6 even if you have a device that is wifi6 capable as your download speed won't be fast enough to utilize it. If you were using for internal network then it would be worth it. The other question would be if you were ever to go to higher bit rate like 500 or a 1gb speed then you would need to buy a new one to utilize wifi 6. Again, it is specifics of need. Last thing, the ax88u and I believe ac88u would be better for many devices. But again subjective based on what you have connected.

The AX88U should do it but again its based on your uses and longevity of current wired machines You could go for a higher end AX11000 but it only has 4 ports and a 2.5Gbit which could be used on one of the machines. This is similar to the AX86U. I personally think the ROG is overkill unless you need the requirements based on what you are doing. I would check the reviews for those. Some people pick up the Rog heavy duty gaming routers and then realize they needed to mesh 2 routers instead do to the distance to the router and the structure of the house/building.

@@NikosRentas thanks a lot for the help. I can get the non WiFi 6 ac88u for quite a bit less, would that be better? Thanks

If you are looking at it in terms of budget then yes. The wifi 6 routers are still priced high for limited functionality when it comes to basic consumer requirements. If say you only have one wifi 6 device and don't plan to upgrade to more than there really isn't a need for it and the previous units still work. That being said they won't have as strong CPU and petentially less amount of memory. I would recommend if you are not sure and are on budget to buy this from a place you can return it. If it meets your needs then you don't need to upgrade to the newer units until you have more wifi 6 devices.

@@NikosRentas thanks so much for the advice. 👍👍👍

No problemo. Let me know how it goes

The question is if you need them not if it is good. If you need that many ports with your setup then go for this. If not going with the ax86u will be a better bet.

Hi, did you upgrade to use the 2.5 gb port? I also have the 82u and 1gig internet but can only achieve speeds of 750 through wifi and ethernet.

That is a good question. I have heard 3-4 max that people connected in a large office space with no issues. I don't think you will be able to it in this way for outdoor use. I would have to research this more but this is where I would start ayrstone.com/www/

@@NikosRentas Thank you very much for the answer. But i would like to game everywhere i want so combining multiple gaming router shoul be better for the i think, but i just guess. I don't know how those router can communicate with each other with at least 4 units, that have 3 channels to broadcast. So i would buy 3-4 ax88u units as in the video. 3-4 ax11000. Would that be possible to link together those 6-8 routers. Thank you in advance, if you can help.

To be honest you only get the full speed within the radius of each router. So if you want full speed you won't get it with that setup for the long distance. The reason why I pointed you in that direction is because those types of routers are meant for external long distance. ie. what about weather conditions? At that if you connect and mesh these routers you will only get the top speed of the master connected to your main line. In theory you will see slow downs as you connect more units. You would need to find someone you can test the max amount and the speed difference. I would definitely call Asus and Netgear and ask them these questions to see what they recommend. I do believe you need a commercial solution for the distance. I would post this question over at Dong Knows though. He knows lol. In this link dongknows.com/asus-aimesh-overview/ in the comments he states he has connected 10 and it can be unlimited nodes in theory. Let me know how you make out with this. I am interested now.

@@NikosRentas Thank you very much for your help, i would definitely post the question, and let you know about the it. COULD you help me about some other thing: What would be the beter solution, i would have 2 ssd-s one for work, one for moovies and pictures. Can i connect them to the routers usb 3.0-3.1 or usb-c port via usb cable, or would be better option to connect via a nash server( do yo know any that have only ssd slots, i would use a samsung 980 pro m.2 ssd in the nash. or if outside is better Samsung Portable SSD X5) and I don't know how it1s possible to don't use data a seperate ssd for automaticated file copying, I heard about something like that from RU-vidrs, but I don't know how does it work. Could you help me about that. AND MAYBE A SEPEARTE SSD FOR GAMES, THAT MY HOME GAMING COMPUTER CAN REACH ANY TIME. And is also axcassable by consoles like xbox nintendo and playstation. AND HOW CAN I solve that in my house a be able to gam xbox playtaion or using my pc any of the 8 tv-s around aor family house. And i would also use inside the house ethernet cable where i can for all the main devices like tv-s computers and consoles for the fastest connection. Thank you for the answer.

So I made a video on my work flow process and using a NAS ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6QUNgJrkAMg.html. This might be a better solution. I looked at some others and it didn't seem to meet my needs. You need however, something to connect the drives to that would connect to the routers with a LAN line as there is an issue with the connection of the USB on these routers. I am not sure about Netgear but this issue exists on the Asus. I made the video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vePw4-fJ8QE.html where you will the issue of the slow speeds with the USB. If you get a NAS system you can actually connect it to the router and then access it from different devices. So store all your videos etc to access from any tv and crate a sync for back up. Regarding the gaming systems you would have to check before purchasing on what is capable to connect. To make a duplicate copy automatically, every external drive you buy should have a backup software where you can have it clone anything being saved in a specific folder. So you would then just save everything to that folder. If you use a NAS you would use a sync method. As you will see in the videos above I clone everything to google drive and then it is cloned to the NAS system. Just a workflow that fully protects me and allows me to give access to people working on projects and clients. I would sit down and map out all workflows you have so you can figure out which process and tools you need Last thing, these NAS systems can be made into a server so there is that option. I think you customizable solution you need requires lots of research and to check off all the points before you invest any money. Keep me posted as you work on figuring out your solution.

Based on your needs but you can't lose with the ax88u or ax86u. If you don't need as many ports the ax86u should be the go to. However, there are more coming out with the wifi6 e so maybe waiting would be a good idea if that is something you need

@@NikosRentas appreciate ur reply bro. TBH I prefer the erhernet(cable) connection when it comes to gaming using my xbox. So in this case which router brand I better go for.. asus or netgear or some other ?

@@uaenrg it comes down to those two brands. I went with Asus because I found it to be more sustained speeds with wifi6. I use wifi6 and it gets me speeds of 2.4 Gbits/s when you are within 10 feet. I have the ax88u hooked up at the house and the ax86u at the studio. I need more lined connections for some older tech at the house so it is useful. The ax86u did have more sustained speed but it is really negligible .

the ax88u has more lan connections where the ax86u has a 2.5 Gbit connection with only 4 lines.

@@NikosRentas so to cut it short bro. Shall I proceed with the asus rt-ax88u as currently Im having the isp provided d-link dir-853 ? Do you think it will make a difference ?

That's not a fun place to be. I always suggest to everyone to have a power backup. Cyber power has been the brand I have been going for last several years. Regarding the modem, you don't need another one. Your provider gives you a modem that hooks up to the cable coming in to the house. That is what you would have connected your RTAC68U to and any router you are now going to connect would be the same setup as before. The AC68u is the previous version to the AX58U. The newer version is more powerful than the previous version so if you were happy with what you had this will do the trick. If you want to be on the safe side I would go with the AX82U, AX86U and AX88U. I would suggest the AX86U from the the lot but at the end of the day its based on your budget. Since you can't wait for stock or sales, I would go with what is available. Last point, I would probably buy somewhere from where you can return the item. Test it out and see if it works to fit your needs.

Here is the list of all the routers by the way: www.asus.com/Networking-IoT-Servers/WiFi-6/All-series/filter?Category=WiFi-Routers

@@NikosRentas The shop that offers the best returns has this on special RT-AX92U Tri-band WiFi 6 Gaming Router (there are 2 in a pack for the special) for really a good price compared to the one RT-AX88U. I forgot to mention..my router is located in the corner of the house (Its a huge mission to try and relocate it to the centre of the house) where it appears my walls are lined with Kryptonite or lead lol..so I use a old Asus extender RP-AC52 which does the job (sort of okay) in getting the signal to the rest of the property. I was thinking of using the 2 AX92U in a mesh system will do the job nicely. I just wanted to say a big thanks for your responses. Most tech guys never get back to the comments section ...so its really appreciated. I will await your response before going ahead with any purchase. Just for interest sake ...in my location (not USA)...the equivalent in currency to $..one AX88U would cost about $580 and the special for 2 x AX92U would cost $624 ..so the 2 pack AX92U is an excellent deal. Just wanted to add...my provider doesn't offer the AX86U over here or they don't have it in stock. Update: mmmm ok..after some research it appears the AX92U are used as a mesh add on to your existing network. If that's the case then the AX88U is probably the better option.

@@Deckard717 the mesh setup would be a good thing for your issue with the walls. However, you have to be careful with mesh units. Some are better than others. These ones came out in 2019 and are not as powerful as the newer ones. Here is a review of those from dong knows. He stated it only goes up to 867Mbps when meshed. If you connect two of the other routers in mesh you get better bang for your buck. However, if that speed is enough (which is for a lot of people) and they are on sale then why not try them. Something to think about either way.

@@NikosRentas Thank you Nikos. I appreciate the advice 👍

I prefer the AX86U. That being said, you won't see significant difference between the two. The features are better on the ax86u. I have made videos on all of them and a comparison. Should you upgrade to WIFI 6 Routers?: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8wLTpE32q3E.html Check out the ASUS RT-AX86U Review: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-w5Pn4JaKtsg.html Check out the ASUS RT-AX82U Review: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mP8u7SglWUw.html

Several factors can hinder your success to reach higher speeds. My NAS has server level spinners, supports link aggregation, and if you transfer through WIFI 6 you can achieve close to that 2 Gbit speed. So you would want to review your server configuration and see where the bottleneck is. If you are using your 3.0 ext drives connected directly to this router you won't get that speed period. I can't figure out why I get such slow speeds with the usb devices and there are no solutions for it that have worked for me

Yeah those are great deals. I haven't heard many people have issues. So hopefully all is well long term!

had the tp link highest model they had at the time constantly was dropping internet it was garbage. no issues with my asus.

No it doesn't. I think there are after market products if you did want to but I wouldn't recommend it. Maybe one of those floating shelves.

Ha! Negative reviews everywhere. I always say, buy from somewhere you can return and test everything before you keep. Asus and Netgear are my top two for best results but TP-Link has started to do better so it maybe my future go to first for testing when I am ready to upgrade.

That's weird that it does that. I haven't heard people with many issues. Unless you need the ports I would be looking at the AX86U or ax82U. If you are looking at a different brand, I had tested the RAX equivalents from netgear and they did great as well but the Asus had more value and more sustain transfer speeds (negligible for regulars users should be noted).

Switch to asus merlin firmware latest version 386.5. 100x better than stock. Its still stock look but better under the hood

Most users stay on the ISP provided modems....rightly or wrongly. If these things were more affordable, they would sell far more but they are better than stock but not much better.

Its based on need. Correct in saying most people stay on ISP provided router/modems. Until you need more than there is no point. Some providers are moving to the puck mesh solution but if you need the increase capabilities you jump to these. Being that tech is changing so much people are upgrading their routers every few years.

Which cameras do you have? What's the process to connect them?

@@NikosRentas I only use Floureon and Ctronics camera's. I am waiting for assistance from them to help me. So i will come back here if i get no luck. Thank you for your quick response. You're a credit to You Tubes tutorial/review video's 😃

Thanks for comment and yes, let me know if you get it going.

ax86u or ax88u is the way to go. I made another video on the difference. I would buy the ax88u if I needed more ports.

@@NikosRentas got an AX86U on order. Guy in shop said it's a serious router lol. Probs more than I need but love Asus interface and it's just a brand I trust though I'm sure others are good too.

Agreed and yes, it is a serious router lol. My transfer speeds have been maintained as explained in my videos. I think the other video shows them more in-depth but being able to transfer such big data over wifi is still insane for me to think it is possible.

Nice! It doesn't look nice lol

@@NikosRentas Haha you're right. Not nice but nicer

lol 100%

Did you do all the updates? Did you try turning off all the features with QoS and then did you review your settings for both the router and computer?

This is my setup: ibb.co/tJD68Bq ibb.co/tJD68Bq ibb.co/xFmXP9H ibb.co/gzLDbYP ibb.co/4pRctv0

@@NikosRentas yes, I got it under control thanks

@@awille13 Awesome!

@@awille13 what was the problem? Firmware update?

Yeah, I have had that experience with them. Rare but happens. I have stuck with Asus cause the problems have been significantly less.

You will get more range with the newer devices but depending on your building material, devices, etc it could be significant or not. Usually with range I recommend people buy one from somewhere you can return it to test and see if it is significant and worth the $$.

lol

Agreed! Thanks for the comment

I don't really play games so I asked a few people that bought one and they were impressed with it overall when you tweak the settings.

lol yeah, its funny when people notice.

Thanks for your input. I will make sure to add time stamps of where comparisons are made with the testing I was interested in. Also, the following are the other videos on the comparisons I did. Should you upgrade to WIFI 6 Routers?: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8wLTpE32q3E.html Check out the ASUS RT-AX86U Review: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-w5Pn4JaKtsg.html Check out the ASUS RT-AX82U Review: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mP8u7SglWUw.html

Net cut

LOL only took 4 months or so for people to say something. I was testing a new monitor so I used my picture and was going to reshoot but nah lol. On another note, wouldn't be selfish. More like narcissistic, self absorbed, self centered would be the words to use. Hope you enjoyed the video!

Nikos Rentas Yes, it was useful, thx. Regarding wording you’re right, that was not the correct one, but frankly, the first thing I have noticed was those two monitors I was about to stop the video. I just cannot stand people stare on their own. Please don’t do that:-)

lol I understand!

Haven't seen this too often but there have been some people who told me they had issues.

@@NikosRentas They have a huge heat sinking problem.

I haven't heard of this. I will research it.