[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Want to replace Asus with Ubiquiti

So I have a dual Asus Rt-ax92u setup now in a 3 floor house. It's not very big, just around 40sqm pr floor. I have a wired backhaul with one router in the basement and one in the first floor. I want to keep using this setup as it works ok.

I've recently though about upgrading the ax92u's because they are a bit buggy and throws out some errors from time to time. First I was thinking about a new Asus setup with be86u/88u but I've read alot of good things about Ubiquiti.

So my question is, will the Ubiquiti UDR7 together with a wifi node be recommended for changing out the Asus? Will the UDR7 placed in the basement with a wifi node in the first floor be sufficient and work better than the ax92u's?

[Assistant]
If you know/find out the construction details of your place, use the Ubiquiti wifi planner for APs. @Tech9 has good experience.

That size, with all wood construction floor/walls should be ok with two APs and a router/gateway. 3 at lower power may be ideal. Wifi6 is plenty and usually cheaper. Use an OC200 controller. Many times, SMB equipment is designed for lower Tx power and more APs rather than consumer "blast out the world" single device.

degrub said:
If you know/find out the construction details of your place, use the Ubiquiti wifi planner for APs. @Tech9 has good experience.

That size, with all wood construction floor/walls should be ok with two APs and a router/gateway. 3 at lower power may be ideal. Wifi6 is plenty and usually cheaper. Use an OC200 controller. Many times, SMB equipment is designed for lower Tx power and more APs rather than consumer "blast out the world" single device.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the good feedback! I will try the planner, the only problem is that I can't really ceiling mount my APs. The esthetics are important for me and the way the cat6 cables are run inside the walls only give the option of wall mount/put on floor under a sofa.. so I think fewer APs and high tx power is my only hope. House is built only with wood (apart from fundament/basement) so not much trouble with concrete walls etc.

Or stick with AX-2.4: I'm looking increasingly seriously at mikrotik's offerings - hEX refresh as router and hAP ax lite as APs.
Why?
Wifi 6 @ 2.4 tops out at ~ 5x my line speed from the ISP, and the hEX and 3APs (for my multilevel home - it's probably overkill for my use case, but...) would replace my AX88pro for about what I can sell it for on the secondhand market, 2 of the APs would replace existing switches but add wireless, RouterOS has all the features as asus-merlin including Cake SQM, vLAN and ad-blocking...and they fit aesthetically better than the dead spider atop a cabinet.
I don't have buyer's remorse over my ax88; I just wish I had had the time to research and choose my direction when my AC86 ceased to function.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Solved Bought ASUS RT-AX52 but drops wifi all the time, need advice on new router!

Hello!

I bought 2x ASUS RT-AX52 but sadly the wifi connection drops all the time. Seem to be a well known issue. Will send them back.

What other routers do you guys recommend?

Requirments:
-3 lan ports
-Stable and fastest 802.11ax on 2.4 Ghz speed. + 5 Ghz.
-Dont need to have so long coverage, will be used in small apartments.
-Will be used behind OpenWRT router with port vlan.
-Budget is 50 EURO. Will be bought in Europe (Sweden).

This is my research as of today:
. Asus RT-AX53U - 880 mhz 256MB
. TP-Link AC1200 A6 - 880 mhz 128MB
. TP-Link Archer C88 - 1.2 Ghz RAM? no 802.11ax
. TP-Link AC1900 C80 - 1.2 Ghz 64MB
. TP-Link AX1500 AX10 - 1.5 GHz Triple-Core CPU - ram? (802.11n/b/g 2.4 GHz) Link
. TP-Link AX1500 AX12 - no info? (802.11n/b/g 2.4 GHz)
. TP-Link AX1500 AX18 - no info? (802.11n/b/g 2.4 GHz)

. TP-Link AX1800 AX20 - quad-core 1.5GHz Broadcom BCM6755 256MB Samsung K4B2G1646F-BYMA (802.11ax 2.4 GHz) Link1 Link2 Link2
. TP-Link AX1800 AX21 - quad-core 1.5GHz Broadcom BCM6755KFEBG (802.11ax 2.4 GHz) 256MB ESMT M15T2G16128A Link

. TP-Link AX1800 AX23 - Dual-Core CPU (802.11ax 2.4 GHz) Link
. ASUS RT-AX52 - 1.3 GHz, 2 cores 256MB (802.11ax 2.4 GHz)- drops wifi-connection all the time.

Thank you.

EDIT: It was my macbook that did disconnect, not the ASUS. Sorry Asus!

[Assistant]
alphaswe said:
Budget is 50 EURO

The budget is quite low. Your choices are limited to entry-level hardware.

Everything AC on your list obviously doesn't have AX support, the rest are all variations of entry-level MediaTek MT7621 and Broadcom BCM6750 devices with integrated 2-stream 2.4/5GHz radios. You have to test your luck and to find what works for your purposes. None have VLAN support, you have to isolate them upstream for everything LAN/WLAN connected.

Tech9 said:
The budget is quite low. Your choices are limited to entry-level hardware.

Everything AC on your list obviously doesn't have AX support, the rest are all variations of entry-level MediaTek MT7621 and Broadcom BCM6750 devices with integrated 2-stream 2.4/5GHz radios. You have to test your luck and to find what works for your purposes. None have VLAN support, you have to isolate them upstream for everything LAN/WLAN connected.
Click to expand...
Dont need to have VLAN support, my OpenWRT has some type of port vlan so it will work anyways. I am not the admin that setup the device btw lol ;D

And this one has AX support. TP-Link AX1800 AX23

Still searching, maybe could go to 70 euro/pcs.
To be continue.

alphaswe said:
my OpenWRT has some type of port vlan

It does, but you can't have VLANs on the routers above. Everything connected to them will be on the same VLAN isolated or not from other parts of the network from the OpenWrt router upstream. It's like all or nothing deal. If this works for you perhaps you can find some cheap AIO routers for AP use. If you need access to different parts of the network, guest networks, etc. - wrong hardware.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: 4G USB Dongle for RT-AC86U

Hello everyone.

I've already posted this thread in Wireless General forum, but i think this is better place for it.

I would want to know if any of you have a USB 4g Dongle on router Asus RT-AC86U.

I have a house in my town with no fiber connection and I am connecting the router to the Internet via Android tethering, but I want to be free to take my phone when I left the house without having to reconnect when I come back.

I have read some posts in this forum and it seems that Asus' list of compatible devices is not up-to-date. For this reason, I would know if any of you have had luck connecting a specific USB 4G dongle to the router. If so, I would go directly to buy it.

I have read also some post that pointed me in the direction of Huawei E3276. Any of you have tried this dongle with the RT-AC86U?

Thanks in advance.

Edit: I'am using firmware Asuswrt Merlin release 386.7 in the router.

[Assistant]
I recently moved from an RT-AC86U to an RT-AX86U both running Merlin 386.7_2.
I had a ZTE MF833U1, CAT4/4G USB with a Three Mobile Data SIM (24GB usable over 2 years) (I am in UK) which I use as a backup connection in case my main internet connection goes down.
Worked fine on both routers inc. automatic failover and failback.
The USB device is totally plug and play and recognised by both routers without configuration.

metahome said:
I recently moved from an RT-AC86U to an RT-AX86U both running Merlin 386.7_2.
I had a ZTE MF833U1, CAT4/4G USB with a Three Mobile Data SIM (24GB usable over 2 years) (I am in UK) which I use as a backup connection in case my main internet connection goes down.
Worked fine on both routers inc. automatic failover and failback.
The USB device is totally plug and play and recognised by both routers without configuration.
Click to expand...
Many thanks! It just what I needed!

I was fighting for 2years with USB LTE dongles for AsusWRT/RMerlin and Tomato/Fresh Tomato and to be honest if it even will be recognized sometimes depend of ISP and even if you connected to different BTS (different city etc) same pages will not load correctly like for example google maps etc - it is not always the same page it is not consistent, sometimes it is even number of web pages you are opening in the same time up to 5-10 is OK above not. I lost a lot time with it as my family needed and be honest would not do it one more time.

Huawei E3276 if it will be recognized by RMerlin - last time I tested it in 2015 will work very good
Huawei E3372 will not work with AsusWRT/RMerlin - all demand how model will be recognized as RAS or NDIS. E3372 as non hi-link version working very good with FT but your router is not supported. I have one at family location for 7years now no issues at all.

here is official Asus support list https://www.asus.com/event/networks_3G4G_support/ and it is depend of country and ISP.

but much better and reliable solution is to have separately 4g or better modem and set it as bridge - this one I have tested for long time no issue HUAWEI B535-232.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Network upgrade to the new wifi 7 and VLAN

Hi there,
I plan to upgrade to WIFI 7 and use the VLAN too. I am not an advanced user and need recommendations.
I have to mention from the start, that I'm not expressly interested in wireless speed as much as wired fluidity matters.

In the attached sketch you can see the existing topology:

Devices in Main router + 10 GB Switch: Ubuntu server with LAMP and more (this is most important device of network and req. max priority for low latency), Win11 Media server, 2 PC, Node 2i, 8 wireless devices.

Devices in Node2. A lot of IoT devices on wired ports: 3 TVs with Netflix, 3 IP cam, 2 PC's. Looks like I need a switch here.
Wireless there are 8 phones, laptops etc.

I have some questions:

1. Are the ports in the ROG-GT-BE98 or RT-BE-88U base router Layer 3? If so, what type? CPU based or Hardware acceleration? Apropos, which is more suitable for wired connections ROG-GT-BE98 or RT-BE-88U ?

2. Do AIMESH NODES necessarily need to be made up of routers that have the VLAN feature? e.g. RT-BE86U, RT-BE96U ? This is very important because I don't know if the MAIN Router is using resources from the VLAN function of the NODE(S) Router. If the VLAN feature of the NODE are not used by the MAIN Router I am thinking to buy a RT-BE92U - better wireless, no VLAN feature available and it's cheaper.

3. For traffic flow is it recommended to connect Node 1 and Node 2 with a wired connection? Of course I will enable Spanning-Tree Protocol - STP. Fortunately there is a CAT5 cable between these two nodes. I mention that in node 1 there is little traffic and I was thinking that maybe load balancing between the nodes and the main router.

4. Can the Main Router create VLANs for IoT devices placed in physical (not wireless) ports in Node2? I mean without direct connection in the main router ports.

Thanks for any hints and help

[Assistant]
Could someone please confirm/deny the questions marked with yellow in points 2. and 4.?
This information is not available anywhere and only an owner or advanced user would know. Thanks guys

Not documented - not guaranteed to work. If you want full VLAN configuration freedom for LAN/WLAN you have to look elsewhere, skip Republic Of Gamers. If you want true 10Gbps processing capabilities gateway you have to look at x86 hardware devices. Nothing on the consumer market can do 10GbE without NAT acceleration hacks. The home routers you are looking at can do Gigabit with true traffic processing. RPi-like hardware inside with aggressive marketing and false advertising involved. Good luck!

thanks for the reply mate. I understand, but it doesn't necessarily have to be true 10Gb, it can be 5Gb.
in my current network I have main router AX88U and the mesh node is a AC68U which is on the limit, so the new models should do the job (probably 2 x BE88U)

But the network set-up makes me nervous as I know nothing about VLAN on asus routers/NODES.

I saw an older discussion on reddit, from a user called TiggerLAS., him answering a question similar to mine:
Your primary router is where you'll need to create your VLANs, gateway IP addresses, DHCP servers, NAT, and firewall rules. This is where your VLANs will start.

Managed switches don't typically source VLANs, they simply distribute the various VLANs across their ports as instructed. No need for ACLs in most cases. Use port-based VLANs.

Not sure why you linked several articles about using non-vlan-aware routers if all of your devices are already flashed with Merlin, which supports VLANs.

Define your VLANs on your primary router, making sure that each one has a gateway IP address, DCHP server, and NAT / Firewall rules as needed.

Assign trunk ports on your primary router, and assign them to the appropriate VLANS.

Configure your other Asus devices as access points, and create VLAN entries on each one, and tie them to your SSIDs as needed.

Plug each one into the trunk ports you defined on your primary router.

If you have switches in between your primary router, and your Asus access points, then you'll have to set up the VLANs on them as well.

Don't over-complicate it.
Click to expand...

He said to "Configure your other Asus devices as access points, and create VLAN entries on each one, and tie them to your SSIDs as needed."
question the AP mode is the same thing with AIMESH node?


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Assistance with Large Wifi Network over multiple Buildings Ubiquiti

Hi All,

I've been away a while but here I am back with the big one Hope you are all doing well out there?

Wondering if some of you clever folk @Tech9 @ColinTaylor @SomeWhereOverTheRainBow @thiggins etc could assist with a project I am involved in. Please note I am a tech hobby guy and not a professional in this field, my trade is logistics, hence why I am asking so many questions.

My place of work is moving to a new site in the next year or so and with that we would like to set up a stable strong Wi-Fi system. We would also like to DIY it to save money, but don't mind spending on decent equipment to do it right and do it once.

We are interested in using Ubiquiti equipment and have come up with two possible plans so far Wi-Fi Plan 0 and Wi-Fi Plan 3 (attached) (no idea why they are 0 and 3 but let's go with it)

We would like the latest generation of Wi-Fi.

Plan 0 has 17 qty https://uk.store.ui.com/uk/en/products/e7-campus e7 Campus access points/repeaters. I believe these access points cover 465 m2 and therefore would cover the green circles on the picture which are the buildings we want to have Wi-Fi.

We were initially thinking about having a "mesh" system, however I have since been reading that 17 points is far to many for a mesh system and this would put a lot of strain on the first points in the loop Can someone confirm this? However I have also learnt that these unifi points can work as both mesh and/or access points. I am told that access points may be better for our purposes? Would this be ok for best coverage ?

The M numbers on the map are "Mesh" or "Access Points" (I think this is a case of configuration as to which is used).
The S number is a Network Switch.
The R is the incoming BT fibre open reach box (router)

Wi-Fi Plan 3 (The second plan) is essentially the same, however on this one we have added 3 x https://ui.com/wifi/bridging/building-bridge (Building Bridges).

These are numbered B1 B2 and B3 (both ends) and this system would have only 14 Access Points (or mesh points (e7 Campus))

Where possible we will use PoE for power, however most of the points will be wired with POE injectors , please could you also advise which ones we should use for this to power the access points?

We have several questions on top of all this !

1) Which system is faster?
2) Which system is more reliable?
3) Will it all work through breeze block / cavity walls
4) Are Ubiquiti Access Points inter switchable to Mesh Points?
5) Have we over estimated the amount of access points, bearing in mind this is a huge site and we have calculated the range based on the advised square metre coverage?
6) Which Network Switches for this system should we be looking at?
7) Would we be able to set a guest network on this system, or would this come from the BT router? (would we indeed need a better router?)
8) Is there a better way of doing this?

For now I will leave it there and let the conversation commence.

Thank you all in advanced for your help, it will be really appreciated.

I look forward to reading up over the next few days.

[Assistant]
Avoid "mesh" if at all possible. It's not great for performance with any gear, but it's particularly not great with UniFi APs, which do not have a dedicated radio for mesh backhaul. While it says on the spec sheet they can do mesh, the right answer is that all your APs should have ethernet connections back to the main router.

If you can't manage an ethernet link between buildings, a dedicated point-to-point wifi link is your second choice for those hops. I wouldn't recommend the UBB though, as it is overpriced for what it is. The going recommendation seems to be to use 60GHz PtP units from Ubiquiti's UISP (not UniFi) "Wave" line.

Assuming you do manage to get wired connections run to all the APs, you should think seriously about dropping a few bucks on PoE-supplying switches instead of using injectors. Nothing wrong with injectors for individual APs, but for a lot of APs they become clutter very very quickly.

Keep in mind that the E7 APs are absolutely brand new and have no field track record. If you won't be buying this stuff till next year, that's probably not such a problem, but I'm not sure I'd drop kilobucks on them today, especially not after watching UI struggle to get the bugs out of their U7 series. If I were buying a lot of UniFi APs today I'd go for gear from the U6 line. (Personally, I've had several U6-Enterprises for about a year, and they are solid kit.)

UniFi APs do guest networks fine, but if you want trustworthy isolation between the guest net and the main LAN then you need VLAN-capable switches and routers. I don't know which "BT router" you have in mind, but there's not much ISP-supplied kit that does VLANs.

I'm not totally sure what "breeze block" is, but UniFi APs have no special pixie dust that lets them work through obstructions that other APs can't penetrate. Rule of thumb is that you don't want more than about one sheetrock wall between client and AP: that comes down to physics and transmit-power regulations, so all makes are going to be about the same.

Lastly: you will get far better-informed opinions about Ubiquiti gear over at https://community.ui.com/ than you will get here.

BreakingDad said:
Is there a better way of doing this?

What you guys are doing is totally wrong planning for a site like this and it won’t even work as Ubiquiti system since you are missing key components. I can give you pointers, but the most important thing is missing too - how many expected clients with what expected traffic?

I know we have time difference, when I get home will give you better planning strategy with explanation why you have to do it in a specific way.

Tech9 said:
how many expected clients with what expected traffic?
Yeah, I was wondering about that too. 17 E7-Campus units, or even 14, is one hell of a lot of wifi. The spec sheet says 1000+ clients; even allowing for marketing inflation, you're talking about a system built for ten thousand or so users. Do you really expect that many?

You're also paying a very pretty penny for outdoor-rated units ... are ALL of these going to be mounted outside? I could see using gear like this in a football stadium, but then you wouldn't be asking about wall penetration.

Lastly, the E7-Campus units are very directional, with essentially no signal out the back or sides per UI's radiation patterns. There are certainly use-cases for that, but they might not fit your plans.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Upgrading EOL RT-AC5300 to BE92U?

Is it a good idea to upgrade the RT-AC5300 to a $230 BE92U as an AiMesh node?
Will i get better 2.4ghz range and wifi speeds?

Or should i spend more for something bigger?

[Assistant]
Rajjco said:
Will i get better 2.4ghz range and wifi speeds?

Unlikely. There is a chance RT-AC5300 4-stream 2.4GHz radio has better range than RT-BE92U 2-stream radio.

In networking bigger doesn't translate to better. Bigger Asus models have 1kg of non-functional gaming plastic...

Actually, you will do better with an AX86U Pro. Costs less, too. Check the specs out.

Wired or wireless AiMesh node and to what main router are also important details…


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Router options

Hi All,

Looking to replace my old AC88U with something more up to date after network crashed and died and I lost my AI Mesh with my AX88U.

Main router sits in the under stairs cupboard as that's where the fibre comes into the house, so I need something sufficiently strong to get to the rest of the house. Plan on moving my existing AX88U to the place of the old one.

I can use a wired backhaul to connect them and will be upgrading to ethernet for some of the rooms soon, although still have a good few wireless devices.

Fairly heavy user of Internet with NAS, plex and docker images etc. Ideally would prefer a router with at least 2.5Gb but some 10Gb would be nice.

I don't have any WiFi 7 devices as of yet, but probably best future proofing as best I can if I'm upgrading now. Also live in the UK and from reading this excludes some models and ideally would like to continue to use the merlin firmware.

Any help with recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

[Assistant]
If you do not need WIFI 7 stick with WIFI 6.
RT-AX88U Pro, RT-AX86U Pro or GT-AX6000 are the most recommended and your best choices today.

I'd just upgrade to an AX88Pro and call it a day: By the time there are enough Wifi7-capable devices in your home to justify a Wifi7 network, you'll be looking at Wifi 8 or 9 being the next new/great thing...
If you're thinking about connecting your fibreoptic cable directly to your main router, you have options beyond Asus to consider right now, Mikrotik being one of them.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Dual WAN worth it?

Hello!

My flat is two flats joined together, and so I have dual fiber lines (100/100) coming in to different parts of the flat.

It’s the same ISP but two separate customer profiles. Currently there are two modem/router combos from the isp, one for each line.

I want to use my own router and put the ISP gear in bridge mode.

Any sage advice on how I best can use the two lines? I could just put each on a different WiFi, creating two networks for different parts of the flat. I could also just leave one line unused and set up a mesh network from one of the lines (to get a single network covering the flat).

Is there any real benefit for normal ”household needs” of trying to put both lines into one router with dual wan and from there set up mesh APs?

Is it at all possible to have a dual wan mesh where the WAN connections are to different units? (Would save me having to drill/reroute the cabling).

I don’t really have any advanced needs, just want a snappy connection and would prefer a single network.

[Assistant]
Not with ASUS gear. Seriously, residential use would easily fit in 100 Mbit/s ISP service. ii used to have 38 Mbit/s ADSL service for 5 people - 2 corporate work at home, 3 kids including 1 gamer. Occasionally noticed slowdown if downloading large files. Since it is same ISP, same fiber branches from their network, and same power sources, lots of common mode failure points. So keeping one as backup to the other is not likely to work except for a local fiber cut or ONT/modem failure not caused by power. Save your money and just keep the one service.

And joining the two services together are not likely to improve "snappiness". You still have 2 individual 100 Mbit/s links running with light bandwidth loads. BTW, many internet facing servers limit individual session bandwidth to around 100 Mbit/s or so, anyway. All you would be doing is making the ISP happy. Invest in your local LAN infrastructure so you have good wifi coverage, hardwired LAN devices, and locally "snappy" link rates.

Bobbish said:
It’s the same ISP but two separate customer profiles

Cancel one of the ISP lines and save money. Use the saved money towards single ISP line with higher bandwidth, if needed. In your current situation when the ISP is down both accounts will be out. Main purpose of multiple WAN connections is redundancy.

Thanks! Appreciate it

Unfortunately I cannot cancel one to save money, both are included in my building fee (I’m in Sweden and its how things work here).

I will create a mesh from one of them and think about how I use the other. Maybe have one dedicated to one wired connection to my gaming pc


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: High reliability and large range under 350?

High reliability and large range under $350?

[Assistant]
I'm assuming you are looking for a new All-In-One wireless router and your location is USA.

Get one GT-AX6000 from Amazon, currently on sale for $220. It's pretty reliable, popular around and with good range.

The RT-AX86U Pro or RT-AX88U Pro are also recommended.

ReliabilityandRange said:
High reliability and large range under $350?

Define what is "large range"


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: I'm looking for a Wi-Fi 6E router for my MacBook M4 Pro

Hey, I'm new here. I'm looking for a Wi-Fi 6E router for my MacBook M4 Pro to get the most out of my 2 Gbps internet connection. Currently, I have the RT-AX68U, but I have gypsum walls, and it doesn't perform well with them. I was wondering if the 6 GHz band would solve this issue.

Thanks in advance

[Assistant]
Macintosh said:
I was wondering if the 6 GHz band would solve this issue.

Most likely not. It has even worse wall penetration.

Tech9 said:
Most likely not. It has even worse wall penetration.
Ah, damn, I see. So for 2.4 GHz, most routers have pretty much the same speeds, right? Looks like I’ll need to relocate my router. In that case, 6E would be way faster. Any suggestions for upgrading my old RT-AX68U to something more powerful?

For speed you need 5/6GHz bands, 2.4GHz band is for range and compatibility. Mostly used for IoT devices these days. For one single client I wouldn't bother upgrading the router. Make sure you know what are you doing because this perhaps cheap ISP plan upgrade to 2Gbps may cost you a lot of money with very little user experience improvements. Chasing ISP speed is mostly investing in speed test numbers. Your RT-AX68U router may not be the best out there, but not a throw away device either. Keep using it.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: asus GT-BE98 or BT-BE96u

I’m in the market for a new router as a replacement of my Asus AX86u. (I need VLAN and this option is not supported)

Beside this AX86u as a router, I have two (AI-mesh) Asus Zenwifi XT12 nodes that are connected as a wired backhaul to my router.

Because I’m already in the Asus ecosystem, I tend to stay with Asus for my new router.

The two options I’m considering are:

GT-BE98 (non-pro), which has 2,4 Ghz, 5Ghz-1, 5Ghz-2 and 6Ghz
BT-BE96u which has 2,4 Ghz, 5 Ghz and 6 Ghz
The BE98 uses band-splitting in the 5 Ghz band, the BE96u not.

I tend to be consistent with my 2 Asus XT12 nodes, which also have bandsplitting in the 5 Ghz band. (not sure about this logic, but I expect a better compatibility because of the same bandsplitting functionality)

But on the other hand, the BE-96u without bandsplitting would be better energy-efficient.

In fact, my real question is: When one combines a router (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz - no bandsplitting) in a wired mesh setup with another router as a node (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz-1, and 5 GHz-2 - bandsplitting), are all the bands of the node effectively (and efficiently) used?
Or is it better that all equipment (router + nodes) in the network have the same structure (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz-1, and 5 GHz-2)?

Anyone has an idea?

[Assistant] I had an AXE16000 and 3 zenwifi ET12's and I was unable to get the 5ghz-1 and 5ghz-2 to work on my aiMesh with the ET12's. I was on older versions of the 3.0.04 software though. It may have been fixed in software since my testing about a year ago. IMO I would stay with like devices. Meaning, matching tri band with tri band nodes, or matching quad with quad. YMMV though.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Best PCIe Wifi 7 Adapter?

What would be the very best adapter I can get if cost is no issue and the only restriction being that it can't be using the intel be200 chipset given than my motherboard is AMD? I'm especially concerned with quality and stability. I don't want to deal with any kind of heating issues, disconnects, client drops or driver instability etc.

As far as I know the only other options are based on either the Qualcomm FastConnect 7800 such as the Gigabyte GC-WIFI7 v1.0
or mediatek's MT7927 (MT7925 would be the inferior chip and therefore not considerable) such as TP-Link TBE550E

The main concerns I have are that mediatek has always been the least reliable of the 3 providers with frequent drops that require restarts and such. At least in my experience my mediatek clients have always been a major pain. I'm not sure how much the latest iteration has improved in terms of that chip's quality and maybe even more importantly the quality of the drivers.

That said, when looking at the actual consumer options for these clients, the specs on the mediatek offerings have seemingly higher specs? I'm actually not sure how it's possible because for example the TP-Link TBE550E is marketed as a 9.3Gbps client, but mediatek themselves market the MT7927 as being a 6.5Gbps client which is in line with the comparable offering from Qualcomm which is also 6.5Gbps. So how is this possible?

[Assistant]
I got this one and it's working great: MSI HERALD-BE WIFI 7 MAX (Qualcomm NCM865)

I removed the card from the adapter and installed it in my laptop

@hadesflames: +1 for the Herald BE, the gigabyte has 3x hardware versions with different M.2 cards used, so guaranteeing QCNCM is harder.
TBE550E is adding all 3 bands for the 9300, but it’s only DBDC. It does support 320mhz channels on 6Ghz, which it looks like the Qualcomm doesn’t, but that wouldn’t make a difference in my decision.
Edit: Just be careful on Open Box herald BE’s. Some unscrupulous people order it, swap the M.2 and return, I’ve seen some AC MT cards in a few Herald BE eBay listings…

kjoshj said:
@hadesflames: +1 for the Herald BE, the gigabyte has 3x hardware versions with different M.2 cards used, so guaranteeing QCNCM is harder.
TBE550E is adding all 3 bands for the 9300, but it’s only DBDC. It does support 320mhz channels on 6Ghz, which it looks like the Qualcomm doesn’t, but that wouldn’t make a difference in my decision.
Edit: Just be careful on Open Box herald BE’s. Some unscrupulous people order it, swap the M.2 and return, I’ve seen some AC MT cards in a few Herald BE eBay listings…
Click to expand...
I have a v1.0 GC-Wifi7 card already so the qualcomm variant is guaranteed. What I'm considering is whether this is currently the best possible card I can have, or whether I could find a better one for my main PC and donate the one I already have to my mom's PC.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Asus RT-BE92U or RT-AX86U PRO

My AX-86S(dated 2021) has started to randomly reboot every 3-4 days, which is the main router in the house. I also have an RT-AC86U(2018) which is used as an AP, and it is still working fine.

Don't see much hope to figure out whats going on AX-86S, its been rebooting on the last two releases of Merlin, and figure it just age etc.

The RT-AX86U Pro is in short supply here in Canada, but some stores still have the odd stock for $210.
The RT-BE92U is readily available for $320.

I do have 3 Gbps up/dn service, but if it was 1/1 Gbps or even 150/150 Mbps it would make no difference, as the VPN connections to work are throttled.

Is the AX86U Pro still considered the better, more seasoned router?

$ wise, these two units work out the same to me, as the closest AX86U Pro to me is an hour away in next town.

Only two of us in the house, heaviest useage is when downloading linux ISO releases, which is 10GB every couple of weeks.
Like to have a device that we last as long as the AC86U has!

[Assistant]
IMHO stay away from the RT-BE92U. Amongst other things it has a weak 2x2:2 5Ghz band - okay if you have only one 2x2 device, but add others and it will struggle.
Only buy a wifi 7 router if you have, or will soon have, devices that can take advantage of it. Asus' Pro range are popular, but in my opinion (based on specs, uptake and price) the best of the bunch is the RT-AX86U Pro.
* Other brands are available

geralds34 said:
My AX-86S(dated 2021) has started to randomly reboot every 3-4 days, which is the main router in the house. I also have an RT-AC86U(2018) which is used as an AP, and it is still working fine.

Don't see much hope to figure out whats going on AX-86S, its been rebooting on the last two releases of Merlin, and figure it just age etc.

The RT-AX86U Pro is in short supply here in Canada, but some stores still have the odd stock for $210.
The RT-BE92U is readily available for $320.

I do have 3 Gbps up/dn service, but if it was 1/1 Gbps or even 150/150 Mbps it would make no difference, as the VPN connections to work are throttled.

Is the AX86U Pro still considered the better, more seasoned router?

$ wise, these two units work out the same to me, as the closest AX86U Pro to me is an hour away in next town.

Only two of us in the house, heaviest useage is when downloading linux ISO releases, which is 10GB every couple of weeks.
Like to have a device that we last as long as the AC86U has!
Click to expand...
My previous setup was the RT-AX86U Pro as the main router and GT-AX6000 as the node.

I wanted to try WiFi 7 and did a lot of research, the BE88U and BE86U didn't make sense to me as they lack the 6GHz band so I wouldn't be getting the most out of the WiFi 7. Then there is the GT-BE98 which is triple the price of the BE92U.

I was scared though as I saw many reviews stating that it overheats but since I was out of choices, I figured I'd give it a shot and return it if I have any issues.

To my surprise, it has been perfect, I bought two BE92U routers and connected them in a wired backhaul AiMesh and haven't had one disconnection since day one. I enabled MLO and now my devices switch between the 2.4, 5GHz and 6GHz band seamlessly and I'm getting insane speeds on wireless.

what really boggles my mind is how the cheaper BE92U has the 6GHz band yet the BE88U and BE86U which are double the price don't.

Ripshod said:
IMHO stay away from the RT-BE92U. Amongst other things it has a weak 2x2:2 5Ghz band - okay if you have only one 2x2 device, but add others and it will struggle.
Only buy a wifi 7 router if you have, or will soon have, devices that can take advantage of it. Asus' Pro range are popular, but in my opinion (based on specs, uptake and price) the best of the bunch is the RT-AX86U Pro.
* Other brands are available
Click to expand...
Suggestions, in the sub $250 CDN range? As I have fibre now, I fiddle less with my netowrk gear now, would like to set it and forget it, just patch when new patch is released.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Netgear to Asux AX + merlin, please suggest model

Hi,

Can you please help to onboard me into the Asuswrt-Merlin ecosystem. I am preparing to switch from Netgear + DDWRT to Asus + Merlin.

QUESTIONS:
Q1. Which Asus RT-AX models which are likely have a long term support by Merlin? From this page https://www.asuswrt-merlin.net/about, my short list would likely be RT-AX86U, RT-AX88U and their Pro versions. I tried to lookup the specs of Asus routers since the last few days. Got a bit confused by model names. Sometimes designed by speed AXnnnnn, sometimes by a model number RT-AX??U. GT models not considered b/c I am not gamer and I don't use any high bandwidth streaming service. My honest need is the lowest specs. But the highest priority is the longest support by Asuswrt-Merlin
Q2. Is it OK I use a low-end model like RT-AX55 (not supported by Merlin) as an AIMesh node?
Q3. Does Merlin firmware allow the creation of VLAN to create a Guest network isolated from the home network subnet?
CONTEXT
Cable modem 100 Mbps. Would switch to Fiber 1Gbs soon as optic network is now available in my area
Main router: Netgear R7000 + DDWRT, used as simple gateway, WiFi disabled. It is placed in a corner of a basement. Its WiFi signals are too weak to reach the bedrooms 2 floors above.
A Netgear R8000 + DDWRT, placed in the middle of the main floor, is configured as WiFi Access Point with 2 VLANs, one for 2.4GHz one for 5GHz, 2 separate SSID, but same password.
The reason for change is b/c the Netgear R8000 is not well supported by DDWRT. Currently it is still working OK. But I because of the long regression testing each time I update DDWRT. I just stop updating the firmware since 2 years. As I am going to switch to Fiber internet 1Gbps, it is time to switch to WiFi6 + WPA3. And as of April 2025, DDWRT doesn't yet widely support WiFi6 routers.

BTW, off-topic question. https://github.com/RMerl/asuswrt-merlin.ng is open-source. And yet it is able to use all the advanced functionalities of Asus routers WiFi6 and even some WiFi7 models. How come DDWRT, which is also open-source, could not do the same?

[Assistant]
RT-AX86U Pro and RT-AX88U Pro are popular around models. Skip non-Pro versions, older hardware on different base firmware.

Don't plan a node before you need one. Single router with enough coverage works better. User selectable VLANs are available in upcoming Asuswrt-Merlin 3006 base firmware (currently in beta) including Guest Networks. Smart Connect (single SSID) is also available.

Beta - Asuswrt-Merlin 3006.102.4 Beta is now available
Asuswrt-Merlin 3006.102.4 Beta is now available. There are a number of significant things to note with this release: 1) BCM4912 models are now migrated to this 3006 code base. This includes the following device list: GT-AX6000 zenWifi Pro XT12 GT-AX11000 Pro GT-AXE16000 RT-AX86U Pro RT-AX88U...
www.snbforums.com

Another popular around model is GT-AX6000, very similar "gaming version" hardware to RT-AX88U Pro. Sometimes comes cheaper.

RT-AX86U Pro has single 2.5GbE port, RT-AX88U Pro and GT-AX6000 have dual 2.5GbE ports and better 4-stream 2.4GHz radio.

Asuswrt-Merlin firmware is partially open source, it contains closed source components provided exclusively for this project by Asus.

ibex said:
BTW, off-topic question. https://github.com/RMerl/asuswrt-merlin.ng is open-source. And yet it is able to use all the advanced functionalities of Asus routers WiFi6 and even some WiFi7 models. How come DDWRT, which is also open-source, could not do the same?
Asus provides model-specific GPL drops that include precompiled object files for the proprietary components of the firmware. These only work with Asuswrt itself (and its direct derivatives like Asuswrt-Merlin).

Tech9 said:
RT-AX86U Pro and RT-AX88U Pro are popular around models. Skip non-Pro versions, older hardware on different base firmware.
Bought RT-AX86U Pro in clearance sale $210 CAD including taxes. The sticker says HW Ver: 1.0. I hope it is OK and compatible with Asuswrt-Merlin.

I have also purchased a "Tech care replace" 3Y warranty for $35 CAD. The store said they will replace the router in case of troubles, I don't need to deal with the manufacturer. Is it worth it? Because I see on the box a sticker "Premium quality, 3 Years Warranty". I guess the real benefit of the additional warranty is is to save the shipping fees in case of troubles. Otherwise the quick replacement is not really important to me b/c I have backup routers.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Is SmallNetBuilder website up to date? (Looking for product recommendations)

Hi,
I haven't been in need of a new router since buying Asus RT-AX86U (2) and Asus RT-AX300 (2) for myself, friends, and family based mostly on Netbuilder.com information.
I'm in need of upgrading, but it seems Netbuilder has changed and I see no dates on articles or rankings. I'm also not seeing any newer routers reviewed or ranked.
Is Netbuilder mostly abandoned? Would someone point me in the direction of good, valid information comparing routers (wifi 6 mostly?)
Thanks

[Assistant]
Do you mean smallnetbuilder.com ? Yes, that website has been sold and is no longer being updated.

ColinTaylor said:
Do you mean smallnetbuilder.com ? Yes, that website has been sold and is no longer being updated.
Thank you. I was confused because it still links to this forum and the forum seems very active.

I'm in need of upgrading

Recommend you take a look at

Dong Knows Tech
That is if you check out the website to see what tech it is and how Dong really knows it. Otherwise, well, it's only good for somebody else!
dongknows.com

Reviews | Dong Knows Tech
Impartial. No-nonsense. Real stuff. All reviews and overviews on this website are based on thorough hands-on testing and real-world first-hand experience. Note: Our previews and first takes may include only initial impressions or preliminary assessments.
dongknows.com

I think fair, impartial, reproducible reviews. Not as techno as SNB reviews were in their prime, but still good and accessible.

Also: give a price range and your needs (how fast is your ISP? How many wired and wireless devices? What kind of home, made of brick/drywall/concrete/steel, etc.)

I do personally recommend a Merlin compatible router.

Home | Asuswrt-Merlin
www.asuswrt-merlin.net

But, I think you're familiar.

Wirecutter has a router review page, but, there is some concern that their results are influenced by advertising dollars. Also, TP link usually scores highly there.

The Best Wi-Fi Routers
We’ve tested the latest Wi-Fi routers and found the best options—from budget models to top-of-the-line—to make your wireless network faster and more responsive.
www.nytimes.com

Lots of (well informed) opinions here as well. Anecdotal but the Asus GT-AX6000 has been great for me, rock solid reliable and great coverage. Down to about $200 if you look around on line. Yes it looks like a head crab, but it works great. (Function before form?)

But: give your budget and needs and should be able to narrow list down pretty well. (Wifi 6E? Wifi 7?)


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: What's a good NON-Asus router to replace a GT-AX6000?

My Asus GT-AX6000 will have to go back. Even Asus UK advise this.

What's a good NON-ASUS replacement ?

[Not for discussion in this topic, but reasons for return= Unreliable 2.4 GHz connections.
(i) I have the problem and have seen enough other threads discussing the issue here on various Asus AX routers
(ii) I've tried every suggested setting from various threads
(iii) Asus UK advised me to return it. IMHO, this either means the guy doesn't care, or they know they don't have a countermeasure. Probably the latter.]

[Assistant]
Depends on several things :
Was the previous wireless router adequate ? What was the brand/model ?

Does a single , blast it out, consumer wireless router give adequate coverage on 5Ghz ?

How much effort/time are you able and willing to put into learning networking configration (TP-Link Omada vs ASUS for example) ?

Do you have any infrastructure available in wall or easily installed (RG6 coax or CAT5e/6 twisted pair) ?

Whilst my Vodafone ISP router works, I can't stand the user interface and it gives slower 5 GHz WiFi connections than the Asus. However, the Vodafone 2.4 GHz is far more reliable.
My earlier "owned" router is an Asus AC66U. Getting old now.
I have plenty of CAT5e/6 cable installed.

The choices are staying with the Vodafone router, or getting something similar to the Asus, but from another brand. So suggested alternatives to the Asus are welcome.

Some of the "Pro" versions of recent ASUS routers seem to be popular. Search the threads. Might want one with a different brand of radios/chipset than the one you are returning. Others in the single unit consumer region might be Netgear.

Since you have plenty of twisted pair presumably to each room, a TP-Link Omada ER605, OC200 controller for the APs and ER, and a 2-3 APs (ceiling or wall) can do a decent job of coverage and have higher "set and forget" reliability as they are designed for SMB applications (multiple lower power APs, handle more clients, provide coverage and good roaming). You can also look at Cisco WAP 150 series AC APs with whatever router. If you want VLANs, then pick a router that supports (ER605 should work, i have not tried). The WAPs have a built in controller in each AP and work as a group with single click replication and management. i have been using the WAP371s for a decade now with a RV325 router without a htich.

TP-Link is more affordable if you plan to use AX based wireless from what i can see.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Recommendations and question on the states of current mesh systems

I've been having a hell of a time getting stable wifi and am looking for some advice on systems. I'll try to summarize this as short as I can but with details.

ISP Plan; 2gbps coming in house through coaxial into Xfinity xb8 modem bridged

Asus rt-be96u as single unit for old house; worked decent, couldn't reach 1.5 stories above very well understandably, occasionally went down entirely and I had to instruct family to reboot as I work industrial construction on the road.

New house I would reach max 30mbps over wifi 7 w/ all bands same ssid when in master bedroom, could barely stream my jellyfin in that room (I run a home server with adguard DNS + home assistant server w/backup adguard DNS synched)

Here's what I tried
1) Zenwifi BT8 in that room, updated firmware, cat 5e backhaul to one of the 10g ports (had to knock server down to 1g port). Constant disconnects from WiFi network and reconnects lasting 30s

2) Returned BT8 for rt-be92u, update firmware, same setup, same issue. Tried it wirelessly for maybe ten minutes before bed and seemed stable @ 700mbps but not enough time to test. Woke up, went to bedroom bathroom, 30mbps, didn't notice disconnects, assumed my cat 5e was shot since it seemed to work wiressly, decided if going wireless backhaul I should exchange for the BT8, they only had a 2 pack left, I grabbed it, needed to leave for work the next day no time to waste. Hooked one up to that cat 5e and wirelessly on other side of house up a half story, seem to have no disconnects convince to myself it was the cat cable from node to wall since I used provided cable, got brave, updated firmware, constant drops, even directly above the main router (so likely not the cat 5e because I was far enough from that room id either be on primary router or the wireless node that was just above the router)

Very frustrated I put the Zenwifi back in the box and ask the wife to return it while I'm at work, I'll just stick with the be96u and poor signal in the master room while I research better options and hopefully come home on my day off to implement it. Three hours on road the whole router goes down. Instructed wife to power cycle everything in the morning.

Sorry that there is so much info given there but I want to be thorough.

Now obviously, I've come to the conclusion that Asus mesh is half baked. I also called my ISP on a hunch and my modem had poor signal from coax due to grounding issue, they've fixed that but I feel like a burp in signal wouldn't kick my devices entirely off WiFi and then back on working in 15-30s, I'd think I'd stay on a no wan connected wifi?

The point of this post is essentially to see if anyone has answers to

1) Is there a consensus that Asus is dookie mesh or did I get unlucky?I still have the Zenwifi 2pack not returned yet and the be96u, but with return and selling the router I can get back about $1300 cad and use a different system

2) Enter Eero 7 Max, ordered 2 pack on sale $1200 cad, almost bought one before and settled on Asus because of Dongs horrible review. Start reading more and see alot of praise of Max 7, I avoid Dongs review this time because he strikes me potentially as a shill with a hate on for Eero. So I order it, keep researching because I'm obsessive, start seeing reports of poor 5ghz range, then I remember I think that's what dong was bitching about. Has this reported lack of 5ghz performance been patched? I am willing to also get a third node later to run wirelessly on floor 2.5 or maybe terminate the cat cable up there and wired (it's a rental house). This can be returned if need be

3) I could potentially swing for Deco, but I hear alot of reports of disconnects there too?

Basically I need/want
Multi-Gig WAN Port
At least three Multi-Gig LAN
Need to be able to reserve LAN addresses on devices
Need to be able to change DNS
No wifi drops and no whole system crashes
Not unifi
WiFi 7

So it looks like Eero is the only solution for reliability, but is there still 5ghz issues and should I avoid Deco?

[Assistant]
We know nothing of the design of the home interior and layout, available/potential lan cabling (CAT or RG coax), WIFI environment e.g. neighbors, etc. Hard to give solid advice.

You may have had better luck with AX class routers. Some here consider WIFI 7 as still in beta.

And, do you really need all that bandwidth?

It's a bit of a mixed bag for me, where wifi 6e is likely adequate, we already have 3 devices in the house using WiFi 7 and I am always upgrading. I like the idea of MLO for wireless backhaul for when and if It need wireless backhaul.

The entire house is wired with cat 5e, all of the cables in the basement are terminated, but the only one that terminated into a room is in the master bedroom. I am able to terminate the one in kids room #2 for a second wired backhaul if needed (the garage is underneath there and people hang out there alot)

This picture took entirely too long to make in hotel on a S25 Ultra with no pen but maybe it can help since I already wrote out the excessively long original post

The black X is where cat 5e terminates in master room. The purple Y is where there's an unterminated Cat 5E in the wall. The yellow X is where coax comes in basement, note that I realize now right above it is the pantry closet so my main router was below the pantry closet though I also got some cable extenders on the way that will put it essentially underneath the door to the pantry so above it won't be a sealed room. Garage below both kids room and extending out, I didn't draw it. If you're wondering why the basement doesn't take up the whole house, there's an attached suite.

So for right now I have 2 Eero 7 Max waiting at home I plan to wall mount one in basement below pantry door but high on the wall, then a cat 5e will run to the main bedroom where another 7 max will be. I can get a third one if needed and run it wireless backhaul in Kids Room 1 or I can try my hand at terminating that cat 5e and having wired.

The last setup I had that did not work well with lots of disconnects was rt-be96u on wall below pantry (by the yellow X), wired backhaul to master room to Zenwifi BT8, and a wireless backhaul BT8 in the small hallway outside the kids room. I was disconnecting in the living room from on my S25 Ultra, Apple TV 4k, Denon receiver, and disconnecting in the master bedroom so I took out the Zenwifis and there seems to be no wifi disconnects, but the range isn't enough and the rt-be96u has gone down and needed manual intervention once so far at this house in the week we've been there.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Mesh Asus vs Unifi in 2025

Hi there, as we will move, and cant have cables in the new apartment I am forced to use mesh. Wondering whats the stastus of Mesh in 2025 for Asus also compared to Ubiquiti APs. These are slow as hell, but with mesh relaibility becomes more important and thats from what I remember not the strong suit of Asus.

Thanks in advance happy sunday.

[Assistant]
There is a recent thread with information providing answers your questions:

UniFi Dream Router 7 vs Asus RT-BE88U
I am looking for replacement for RT-AX86U for 2Gbit/600Mbps (8/1 in future when I need it) fiber connection. I am running 2.5Gbe connection to my macbook and NAS. I have 3 unmanaged switches (two gigabit and one 2.5Gbe + 2x SFP+) Newly released Dream Router seems to be good competition at...
www.snbforums.com

Not sure what is slow as hell, but both Asus and Ubiquiti equipment when used for the right purpose can be equally fast. Errors implementing either or unrealistic expectations can produce equally dissatisfying results. With Ubiquiti it will hurt more due to higher equipment cost. Do your homework and select the right equipment matching your budget, needs and knowledge/comfort level.

Lets put the perfomance aspect aside for a moment. I did check the other thread prior to writing, what I found was the following: You @Tech9 stated that Unifi runs more stable at the downsid eof inconvinience for missing comfort features for home users like no WPS. I saw that OzarkEdge added that the wirelss uplink would be missed by some. From what I read, its possible under Unifi (I know only one hop) and that Asus mesh is just junk.

Thats my main question, how reliable are the meshes. According to OzarkEdge it would be Unifi I guess, if Asus still does not provide proper mesh - would take you commnet not to consider AC68U a smesh node, as it is indeed outdated. I would be looking at BT8...

Many thanks in advance

I have 2x wirelessly uplinked devices on my UniFi network and they never lost the link since installed months ago. I would say reliability is excellent, but this may depend on environment factors. Everything wireless is in theory less reliable than wired.

If you need somewhat high performing UniFi system in wireless mesh configuration your minimum start equipment is UCG-Max (gateway, controller, switch) and 2x U7-Pro-Max (access points). This setup can do up to 4.8Gbps wireless uplink between the APs on 5GHz band. It will cost you around $800 as per Ubiquiti Store US pricing (including 2x PoE+ adapters). It can do well with 2.5GbE WAN/LAN (real ~2.3Gbps) and serve all G/N/AC/AX/BE class clients on 3x bands with potential for ~2Gbps to BE clients. You'll also have full VLAN control on all LAN/WLAN interfaces. Apartment Wi-Fi environment may be challenging and real life performance may vary*.

* - valid for any wireless uplink/backhaul system


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Which Wi-Fi 7 router to replace my RT-AX86U Pro?

My current setup is an RT-AX86U PRO connected to the main ISP router and an AX-6000 in AiMesh mode (Wired backhaul).

I want to upgrade the RT-AX86U Pro with a WiFi 7 router, must be ASUS.

I have these 3 options, the first is cheap but I'm wondering if it would do the job as the other two are twice the price

ASUS RT-BE92U = 244 USD
ASUS RT-BE88U = 516 USD
ASUS RT-BE86U = 481 USD

[Assistant]
Do you see how the different specifications may or may not work for you? Usually the higher the number the higher the WiFi specs. I'd advise the RT-BE92U...

Save your money and keep the AX86U Pro. Unless most of your clients support WIFI 7 you will not gain anything.

So after doing more research, I found that the ASUS RT-BE92U has overheating issues and the ASUS RT-BE86U and ASUS RT-BE88U don't have a 6GHz band making them an "incomplete WiFi 7 router"

I see the RT-BE96U is the better option now and the GT-BE98 is way too expensive.

I wish there was an option around the price of 500 USD that supports 6GHz

The RT-BE96U looks like a good option but the one from Amazon.ae that I see is being imported from the US, meaning it would come with a US power cord and I live in Dubai (we use a UK plug) and it wouldn't have warranty here in Dubai so the only choice is for me to wait until it's available locally unless there is another model that I missed

@Tech9 @L&LD


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Reliable Wifi 7 Mesh Advice

Hi, I'm looking for advice on setting up a reliable WiFi mesh system. The space is around 200 sqm, split across two floors connected by a staircase. Unfortunately, wired backhaul isn't an option, so the connection needs to be stable over WiFi.

I was looking at WiFi 7, thinking that is something I would like to last for long, and considering these options:
ASUS ZenWiFi BQ16 (two units)
UniFi Express 7 combined with U7 Pro XGS
(open to suggestions)
However, I've noticed mixed reviews about the ASUS BQ16, while the UniFi Express 7 doesn't use MLO for the WiFi backhaul.

Important details:
Internet speed: 1 Gbit.
No NAS usage.
Previously used Deco PX50 with powerline backhaul.
Stability is my main concern.
Expected devices ~20.
Any additional options, recommendations and experiences regardless of cost would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

[Assistant]
UX7 and U7-Pro-XGS are just released products. No one can have much experience with either.

I have 2x UX units with wireless uplink, both stay connected since installed. Reliability - excellent. Performance if used in mesh configuration as APs - acceptable, no dedicated uplink radio, about 400Mbps to UX connected clients when 80MHz wide non-DFS channel is used. With 160MHz wide channel performance is as expected better, but reliability (DFS) is decreased.

UX7 can use 5GHz radio for uplink, ideal conditions ~850Mbps throughput with 80MHz wide channel non-DFS. This is what Wi-Fi 7 radio connected clients can eventually get. Not great and kind of eliminates Wi-Fi 7 advantages. UniFi with no Ethernet works and may be very stable, but don't expect stellar performance. In UniFi ecosystem wireless uplink APs are Plan B.

In general very reliable, high performance and wireless - environment dependent gambling game.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Advice on router

Hi all,

I purchased the ASUS RT-BE58U recently and I am not sure that was the smartest move. I have about 10 days left to return it if I want.

What I didn’t like about it is the range. Compared to my 10 year old router, this gets worse range (positioned exactly on the same spot. Also tried the same channels and so on, no difference). Occasionally the signal drops as well as the speed. This is only on the wireless devices.

What I liked about it is the ASUS interface and the VPN fusion (easy to put in my NordVPN token and choose devices that will connect to the VPN).

I live on a two story house and have,

Wired devices:
2x PCs
1x STB

Wireless devices:
1x laptop
1x tablet
3x TVs
4 phones
1x PC

I would like a router with better coverage and the ability to use VPN fusion (or similar). Preferably fairly new and will receive updates also.

Any advice?

Thanks.

[Assistant]
bbunge said:
You might try an RT-AX86U Pro or an RT-AX88U Pro.
I have checked those out and they both have great reviews. Also I looked at the RT-BE86U. What do you think about that one?

For your use case and ISP up to Gigabit - RT-AX86U Pro.

Tech9 said:
For your use case and ISP up to Gigabit - RT-AX86U Pro.
I have read that the RT-AX86U Pro is more mature and stable too - so makes sense. But if I want to future proof a bit (mostly in terms of firmware/security updates), you think the RT-BE86U a good choice?


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Flint 2 (GL-MT6000) vs ASUS RT-AX88U PRO AX6000

Hello,

I was looking to understand what do you all this think of the below is a better option for the next 5 years. I live in an apartment, have a NAS and do not plan on creating a mesh network anytime soon.

I have narrowed myself down to ASUS RT-AX88U PRO AX6000 or Gl.iNet Flint 2 (GL-MT6000). Looking at the specs:

RT-AX88U PRO vs GL-MT6000
CPU: 2.0 GHz quad-core (which?) vs MediaTek Quad-core, @2.0GHz
Memory: 1 GB RAM vs DDR4 1GB
Antennas: 2.4GHz 4x4, 5GHz 4x4 vs 4 x 2.4GHz + 5GHz two-in-one (? umm what does this mean) Wi-Fi Antennas
Ethernet Ports: 1 x WAN (2.5G), 1 x LAN (2.5G), 4 x LAN vs 1 x WAN (2.5G), 1 x WAN/LAN (2.5G), 4 x LAN

Please let me know your thoughts on this. I could not find the make of the CPU on Asus router and I didnt understand what 5GHz 2 in 1 antenna mean for GL-MT6000.

If you have some other router recommendation, I am all ears. I am looking for < $250, the best in the current market with 2.5G Ethernet ports and hopefully Wifi 6 or 6E support. Avoiding TP Link because I do not like the idea of subscription and recent privacy issues.

Thanks for any response or for your thoughts!

[Assistant]
I own both, and I would recommend the Flint 2 for the price/performance. The Asus is a large beast. The Flint 2 can use stock firmware (based on OpenWrt) or use regular OpenWrt.

As stupid as it sounds, the only reason I’m still using the Asus is because the power cord for the Flint 2 is a couple inches too short to reach my designated power strip and still sit in my preferred “router location”.

The Asus is a solid router, but probably not worth the price difference. I’m no hardware guy, so there may be more scientific responses coming.

dave14305 said:
the only reason I’m still using the Asus is because the power cord for the Flint 2 is just short enough

Flint 2 + power extension cord then!

Seriously, for an apartment you'll be perhaps more than happy with any of the two. Flint 2 is cheaper and smaller size.

I have one Brume 2 device, it runs on similar OpenWrt as Flint 2, stock firmware skin is nice and with plenty of features including AdGuard Home DNS-blocker for ads/malware/etc. whatever you decide to filter on your network, VPN options with selective routing, DoT, DoH, etc. Not bad for the price.

Tech details found online about GL-MT6000 Flint 2:

CPU Filogic 830 (MediaTek MT7986AV), 4-core ARMv8 2.0GHz
RAM 1GB DDR4 Nanya
Flash 8GB eMMC Samsung
2.4GHz radio - MediaTek MT7976GN 4x4:4
5GHz radio - MediaTek MT7976AN 4x4:4
2.5GbE ports - Realtek RTL8221B
Gigabit ports - MediaTek MT7531AE
USB 3.0 port
Dimensions - 233 x 137 x 53 mm


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Best Mesh System (WiFi 6, 6E, 7) for End of 2024?

I tell yuh, nothing has been more stressful lately than trying to pick a reliable mesh system to replace my 2nd Generation Eeros.

I have a large, multi-level home. Let's say just under 3,000 square feet but not sure of that number.

I have, for years, had a 2nd generation Eero mesh unit. 5 units total strewn across my home.

2 of the 5 units are connected by ethernet, at opposite ends of the home, from the same router. I am guessing that is what is called ethernet backhaul.

With all those Eeros across my home, with a 1GB Incoming connection, I get 400mbps wireless download close to the wired Eero and 190mbps download close to the unwired Eeros.

Those are not great speeds

So, I want to upgrade to get better wireless speed results on my iPhone (WiFi 7) and Macbooks (Wifi 6)

I was going to go with the TP-LINK BE95 of BE85 (WiFi 7) 3-pack. However, having 5 Eero units scattered across my house, I don't know how well just 3, supposedly more powerful, TP-LINK units are going to boost my speed.

Then I thought since they are on sale and very cheap right now, I could buy 2x3packs of Eero 6E pro and scatter those across my home, 6 nodes total, closer together, and hope for improved speeds.

Any suggestions?

Can I get at least 600mbps+ wireless speeds anywhere in my home merely moving up from a 2nd generation Eero mesh (5Ghz) to a more modern 6E or 7 mesh?

Can 3 of the Eeero 6E or 3 of the TP-LINK units (with Ethernet backhaul) do the job of the 5 I currently have?

Finally? Which mesh unit? The professionals love ASUS. However, read reviews and so many people have problems with installation or dropouts. The YouTubers love TP-LINK DECO but most professionals refer to them as crap routers.

[Assistant]
NJRonbo1 said:
The professionals love ASUS

No. Asus doesn’t have any professional gear. They just started marketing the new ExpertWiFi as such, in reality the same hardware as consumer gear they already have running similar Asuswrt firmware.

Just replace your Eeros with Eero 6

Amazon.com

.

If your goal is 1Gbps throughput, you're probably not going to be happy with any mesh (that is, wireless backhaul) setup. You can get to 1G real throughput from client to AP if you are using a 160MHz channel, which is mostly unworkable in the 5GHz band but is available in 6GHz (either WiFi 6E or 7 standards -- experts note I'm assuming a 2x2 client). The trouble is that you also need a separate backhaul channel to carry the data from AP to base router. Okay, those TP-LINK units are ready for that, they've got two 6GHz radios. But that means they are relying on 6GHz for backhaul, and 6GHz does not go through walls very well at all. If you've been needing 5 APs to cover your space up to now, I'm betting you've got lots of interior walls? It's likely that a 6GHz backhaul channel will not be able to reach its nominal performance through a wall.

It's really impossible to say how many APs you need with no data about the shape of the space or the interior walls. But however many it is, you'd be way better off performance-wise if you can run wired backhaul to all of them, or at least all the ones you demand top-shelf performance with.

Having said all that, if you abandon the idea that you must have 1Gbps performance everywhere, you'll probably be perfectly happy with newer eeros. You can spend a lot of money and effort chasing that number, only to find that it doesn't make any noticeable difference in real life. How many websites (speedtests don't count) do you use that can saturate even a 200Mbps link?


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Linksys Atlas Max 6E vs TP Link xe75 6E Mesh

My brother-in-law has decided to go with a mesh setup in his house and will run ethernet for wired backhaul. He has been bargain shopping for a 6E mesh system and has narrowed it down between the Linksys Atlas Max 6E or the TP Link XE75. Both options would be the 3 unit system. Not sure how he got down to those two, but thats where we are... He has a stand-alone router so these will be used in AP mode. Either one is probably more than he needs, but I don't want any unneeded ownership of his network so I am not going to be offering any alternatives. Been there, done that. What I am willing to do is ask the community which would be preferred between these two systems.

[Assistant]
NW Cherokee said:
My brother-in-law has decided to go with a mesh setup in his house and will run ethernet for wired backhaul. He has been bargain shopping for a 6E mesh system and has narrowed it down between the Linksys Atlas Max 6E or the TP Link XE75. Both options would be the 3 unit system. Not sure how he got down to those two, but thats where we are... He has a stand-alone router so these will be used in AP mode. Either one is probably more than he needs, but I don't want any unneeded ownership of his network so I am not going to be offering any alternatives. Been there, done that. What I am willing to do is ask the community which would be preferred between these two systems.
Click to expand...

Too funny... you learned your lesson but you want this community to repeat your mistake (we've all made 'em!).

I would remember your lesson learned and let him finish his own homework.

OE

OzarkEdge said:
Too funny... you learned your lesson but you want this community to repeat your mistake (we've all made 'em!).

I would remember your lesson learned and let him finish his own homework.

OE
Click to expand...

Yes, your advice is not going overlooked.... I might not even report anything back unless something comes to light that would be a huge red flag or green flag for one of the systems. I've read a few reviews for each but they are just more of the 'this is great, or this is fine... please use my affiliate link' along with the usual negative experience testimonials.

NW Cherokee said:
Not sure how he got down to those two, but thats where we are...

Tell him to flip a coin.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Which of these AX ASUS routers should I get to replace my current ISP router?

Hello,

I am looking at replacing my UK Plusnet Hub2 router with ideally an ASUS router as these from what I've researched have the biggest feature set without having to pay for any additional subscriptions for using some of these features.

I have narrowed my list down to the following:
ASUS RT-AX58U V2 / RT-AX3000 (AX58U V1)
ASUS TUF-AX3000 V2
ASUS RT-AX82U AX5400
RT-AX5400
My current setup includes an FTTP 500 line directly into my home which terminates at my ONT.
I am running a small 8 port gigabit switch off the back of my router as well as running a Cat7 cable up to my home office breaking out into another small switch which serves a Mac mini, MacBook Air and work laptop whilst docked.
I also run a QNAP NAS off of the first switch.

With these being the main hard-wired devices in my setup, I also have a plethora of smart home devices connected - probably about 20 in total.

I can run the AX58U V1 using Merlin official F/W and the V2 using the gnuton Merlin F/W.
The other three I can also use with gnuton Merlin F/W.

Any other suggestions welcome!

I am trying to keep my budget below £100 / $130 - whilst this may not feasible new, I can certainly buy these used or refurbished on eBay.

Thanks!

[Assistant]
RT-AX86U Pro. Spend a few extra bucks or Pounds and be happy. The price has come down and a refurbished unit may be available.

bbunge said:
RT-AX86U Pro. Spend a few extra bucks or Pounds and be happy. The price has come down and a refurbished unit may be available.
Can that one be wall mounted?

sudosaurus said:
Can that one be wall mounted?
Sure. Just put it on a shelf on the wall.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Buying an AP such as TP-Link EAP610 to connect to RC-68U Coverted TMO Device

I have a TM-AC1900 router that has been converted to a ASUS RT-AC68U. The wifi sucks so I am in the market for a new router.

I live in a 2 BR Apt . No gaming. Currently have 300 Mbps internet

I wanted to replace the router but I don't want to spend $200 for something better than what I have. Ive been reading reviews on recommendations and people recommend getting an AP such as this device or a Ubiquity however the Ubiquity Lite is hard to find for a decent price. The TP-Link is $80-$90.

I would not mount this to a ceiling I would be keeping it on a desk.

Am I better off just buying an inexpensive router or doing the RT-AC68U - EAP610 link? Also do have some concern about governement investigating TP-Link in the past few years for potential malware.

[Assistant]
How crowded is the wifi with your neighbors ? Is everyone blasting out everyone else ? That is usually a big part of the bandwidth issue around apartments. Adding more wifi via an AP is going to make things worse in an apartment. You are better running an ethernet cable from the ISP router direct to your PC if you want to maximize your bandwidth. Flat ethernet cables (CAT6) are available if appearance is an issue. Just don't fold/crease the flat cable.

With 300 Mbit/s ISP service, you are not going to see any improvement in bandwidth by replacing your router on the wifi side. Maybe some latency issues or possibly CPU that affect effective bandwidth if gaming. Are you a gamer ? Have you checked what the CPU utilization is in the router ?

degrub said:
How crowded is the wifi with your neighbors ? Is everyone blasting out everyone else ? That is usually a big part of the bandwidth issue around apartments. Adding more wifi via an AP is going to make things worse in an apartment. You are better running an ethernet cable from the ISP router direct to your PC if you want to maximize your bandwidth. Flat ethernet cables (CAT6) are available if appearance is an issue. Just don't fold/crease the flat cable.

With 300 Mbit/s ISP service, you are not going to see any improvement in bandwidth by replacing your router on the wifi side. Maybe some latency issues or possibly CPU that affect effective bandwidth if gaming. Are you a gamer ? Have you checked what the CPU utilization is in the router ?
Click to expand...
Running ethernet is not an option. My modem and router are near my PC on one room, on the opposite side of my apartment I use streaming devices. As I mentioned, I'm not a gamer

Check the wifi environment with something like Airport utility (IOS) or equivalent to see what the interference looks like near the streaming users. Find a channel with least interference and try that. Set the channel width to 20/40 on the 2.4 GHz band and 80/40 or 40 on the 5 GHz band. Unless there are concrete/block interior walls, an AC wireless should penetrate easily enough with plenty of bandwidth for streaming.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Upgrading router for a rural multi-building wifi/wired network

Hi everyone. We're at our wit's end trying to figure this out, so hopefully y'all can provide some suggestions to get us on the right track.

We live in a pretty rural area and get LoS internet from our ISP (stable at ~25 Mbps). This passes from the ISP's box into a central router (currently an old D-Link Dir655) that services 4 hardwired cable runs connected to Unifi outdoor wireless access points and other hardwired devices in multiple buildings in a small compound. Please see the attached image for our current network setup. We've been running this for 10 years with relatively few problems. However, the ISP recently commented that our router is super old and probably should be replaced. We have maybe 10 total devices maximum connected at any given time (wired and wifi). Our usage is mostly general internet browsing, email, wifi calling, and occasional video streaming.

We first tried replacing the existing D-Link with a TP-Link AC1900 ArcherA8. This worked for some of the network, but appeared to be unable to transmit a sufficiently robust signal along our longest cable run (~400 feet). I was also never successfully able to login to the router interface via a wired connection.

Thinking the issue might be with the Unifi WAPs, we then tried replacing the D-Link with an Amplifi HD router (also from Ubiquiti). While this did work for all of the wired connections in the network, none of the WAPs worked with this router (Ubiquiti says that our Unifi outdoor WAPs are "legacy" products and may not work with newer stuff, which makes sense).

So now we're back to square one. We'd like to get a new router that will work with our existing WAPs, if at all possible. Our budget is under $300. All our switches are TP-Link TL-SG105 units and we're not running any vLANs. We don't care too much about the wifi range of the router (it covers the road between 2 of the buildings, but is not a primary wifi access point). Our main need is a router that will work with our existing Unifi WAPs.

Any suggestions or comments on our existing setup would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Assistant]
What about UCG-Ultra? It's $129.

Cloud Gateway Ultra - Ubiquiti Store
Compact Cloud Gateway with 30+ UniFi device / 300+ client support, 1 Gbps IPS routing, and multi-WAN load balancing.
store.ui.com

Don't know what model your Ubiquiti APs are, may be adoptable in UniFi Network.

Tech9 said:
What about UCG-Ultra? It's $129.

Cloud Gateway Ultra - Ubiquiti Store
Compact Cloud Gateway with 30+ UniFi device / 300+ client support, 1 Gbps IPS routing, and multi-WAN load balancing.
store.ui.com

Don't know what model your Ubiquiti APs are, may be adoptable in UniFi Network.
Click to expand...
We chatted with Ubiquiti and they said our WAPs (they're Unifi AP outdoor 5Ghz units from 2013 or so) "may not work" with the cloud gateway. We'd rather not try something that we've already been told might not work. Thanks though!

vinylgrrl said:
"may not work" with the cloud gateway

Take the answer as "may not be adoptable". They will continue working the same way as stand alone APs, if not adoptable. They definitely "don't work" with D-Link or TP-Link router as per Ubiquiti understanding of "work".

vinylgrrl said:
our longest cable run (~400 feet)

Max 328ft or about 100m. You need booster for more. Exceeding specs limits - not guaranteed.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Need Router Info for home getting 2Gbs fiber

Hello,

I am looking for a Router that can handle at least 2gbps and wont break my bank.
I have been looking but so many have so many bad reviews I worry.
I have to keep my ISP Router but they said I can put it in Bridge Mode so any router I buy will work the way I need.

Would prefer to stay with well known Brands TP-Link, Dlink, ASUS, Ubiq ect.
I can spend a max of about $250.00 cad for router.

Thanks
Van

[Assistant]
Nothing from Ubiquiti fits the budget. The new UDR7 All-In-One device is CAD395. You missed recent Asus RT-AX88U Pro for CAD230 on sale. In theory still going, but all units at Canada Computers, Staples, BestBuy... sold out. D-Link - I would skip this brand. TP-Link - all models with at least 2x 2.5GbE ports are BE-class and start above your budget at CAD300 on sale (Archer BE550).

Tech9 said:
Nothing from Ubiquiti fits the budget. The new UDR7 All-In-One device is CAD395. You missed recent Asus RT-AX88U Pro for CAD230 on sale. In theory still going, but all units at Canada Computers, Staples, BestBuy... sold out. D-Link - I would skip this brand. TP-Link - all models with at least 2x 2.5GbE ports are BE-class and start above your budget at CAD300 on sale (Archer BE550).
Hello,

Thanks for fast reply to my questions.

Would this one be good
TP-Link AX7800 Tri-Band WiFi 6 Router (Archer AX95) - 8-Stream 2.5G Multi-Gigabit Router, Dual WAN Ports (2.5G+1G), 1.7GHz Quad-Core CPU, Smart VPN Router

I see it is on sale in several stores..

Thanks
Van

This router has single 2.5GbE WAN port. With AX-class router you are not getting 2Gbps to any wireless client, but you can get 2Gbps to wired clients. For this to happen you need a router with at least 2x 2.5GbE ports. You also need client(s) with 2.5GbE network interfaces and if more than one - additional 2.5GbE switch. Chasing the speed on this perhaps cheap ISP upgrade will cost you money and the user experience won't increase much. Make sure you know what are you doing.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Upgrading from 2006 Cisco Router

My Cisco Linksys router is second hand and still works reasonably well with a one year old Dell 3910 mini tower and a 3 year old rented modem from Spectrum. The Ookla speedtest shows 496.93 Mbps download and 406.26 Mbsp upload.
Aside from the occasional local power outage, it hasn't failed.

I'm new to and nervous about routers, but have managed to reset my password from the default Admin to a strong password on both my 5G and 2.4G networks. I'm able to poke around to confirm no one besides me is using it. I live in public housing with a couple hundred other people, and the actual closet which contains the hardware looks like a thick nest of thin vipers.

With 535 square feet, two rooms and one interior wall, the TP-Link I'm using for an equally old computer running Windows 7 is adequate. I'm buying a new Samsung Galaxy S24 soon. I'm not a gamer, use sound infrequently (deaf with implant) stick with Firefox, DDG or Chrome. I've developed preferences, like anyone, and am not a fan of AI. I make do with what little I have and plan on further belt tightening.

I've squeaked by through a combination of an incessant search for knowledge, but most recently from generous individuals that have connected remotely with me on forums.

[Assistant]
Do you have a more specific question ?

We will need model numbers on your network equipment, also.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Edit: Router is model EA 6500 Cisco Linksys class B 5139-8224 serial number and Mac address if you need it
Modem is Spectrum E31U2V1 H/W version 2.72.3

Thank you.

What's the budget? Any home router will do what you need starting from TP-Link Archer C80 for around $50 new. If you have a Gateway from your ISP (or modem/router) - you don't need anything, just enable gateway mode and Wi-Fi on it.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Replace RT-AC56U

So I got an old RT-AC56U (running Merlin) and is looking to replace it.
I am not that into the router market so unsure what to look for to be honest, but I want something similar.

As long as it has basic Wifi and 4 gbit ports that's good enough I believe.
For VPN Wireguard would be nice to have as an option.

I should be able to handle 1gbit fiber (I got 500mbit atm), RT-AC56U can handle it with "NAT Acceleration" enabled.
I don't care much for QoS as I never use it.

And future proof in the sense of it being supported and also supports stuff like WPA3,
Wifi6 should be quite future proof as it's quite new and a big jump (in release date) from Wi-Fi 5 (2013->2021).

Prefer if it supports custom firmwares, like MerlinWrt, OpenWrt etc (with good support, read that sometimes they can be buggy with some hardware).

Might be missing something but I think that's it.

When trying to find something myself I ended with:

Asus RT-AX5400
and
Asus TUF Gaming AX3000 V2

Not sure if they are overkill or not though.

Sorry for the vague requirements.

Thanks!

[Assistant]
The RT-AX5400 would be the direct successor to the RT-AC56U, if you want to remain within the same price range. If you want to get a bit more, the RT-AX86U (non-Pro) model should be affordable as it's frequently discounted, and much cheaper than the RT-AX86U_PRO.

Since your needs are fairly basic, it will amount to what budget you have allocated for it.

Appreciate this thread since I am in a similar boat. I have a RT-AC56U (running Merlin) currently serving as a WiFi access point in my living room, with a Verizon G1100 serving as the main router in the utility closet on a different floor (its WiFi radios have been turned off). Currently have 300 Megabit service with Verizon FiOS, and don't plan on upgrading any time soon since it meets our needs.

As we've upgraded phones and other mobile devices over the past several years, I was thinking that it might be worth it to upgrade to take advantage of faster WiFi speeds and potentially WiFi 6/6E. However, we aren't experiencing any issues, so I am not in a rush.

The RT-AC56U used to serve as the router as well in it's current location, but since I wanted to take advantage of the Ethernet ports wired to different floors of my home, I had to put a router in the utility closet where all of the cables meet.

I was also thinking about setting up Diversion on a new router, in which case I would have to replace the G1100 as well.

Jawadali said:
I wanted to take advantage of the Ethernet ports wired to different floors of my home

If you have good budget for network upgrade you may want to explore SMB options like lower cost UniFi or Omada with wired Router only and PoE powered Access Points where needed. It will give you better reliability, network control and future expandability. The routing and switching devices will be smaller (to fit better in your closet) and the access points may have better appearance if not completely hidden. Wall plate style access points are available with extra LAN ports for local wired devices. Clean invisible setup with no sticking out antennas and hanging off walls power adapters has very high Wife Acceptance Factor as well.


[System] You are a professional Wi-Fi router support assistant; I will provide forum posts as background material, and you should learn from them while remaining aware that forum content may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect — when uncertain, explicitly note that you are uncertain and refer the user to official documentation or other authoritative sources for verification.

[User]
Title: Trying to determine which networking components to purchase for my uses

I'm currently using a Hitron CODA56 modem with 1000/100 internet and an ASUS RT-AX58U. I'm told by my ISP in the next 5-7 years they plan to have everyone over on Fiber.

I have a TERRAMASTER F4-424 PRO, which has 2x 2.5G ethernet ports. My motherboard is an ASRock X570 Taichi with a 1G ethernet port.

I would like to take advantage of the NAS's connectivity to the fullest extent (in terms of transferring files from my hard drive in my PC to the NAS array). The drives I'm using are two HGST HC320 8 TB in TRAID, with plans to add more in the future. I may switch to RAID10 and UNRAID or TRUENAS if needed, later on. I believe these drives in TRAID or RAID1 can already achieve 280 MB/s transfer but I'm currently limited to about 115 MB/s with my 1G internet connectivity from my computer.

I'm interested in switching to WiFi 6E and want a PCI NIC and a router or router and switch combination (less parts/expenses the better, unless there's a good reason to have more) that allows me to take advantage of the NAS's connectivity. I believe I can't aggregate those NAS ports, and have read that LAG can be disappointing and complex anyway.. but if possible I would of course be interested in running 5 Gbps to and from the NAS.

So I'm looking around at options and I'm not 100% sure about which router to buy and if I can get away with 1 2.5 Gbps port on the router and no switch or if I should buy a switch.. or just get a router with 2 2.5 Gbps ports (like the 88U Pro). I also am unsure on which network card to get. I care about reliability and latency. I don't want a buggy network card, and with my experience with servers it seems like intel NICs are usually preferable. I've had issues with Marvell SATA controllers at home before, too.

Overall I've been looking into the ASUS RT-AX88U PRO and ASUS RT-AXE7800. I would prefer 6E and the former doesn't provide that. I don't really want to buy one of those $500 routers, either. I'm having a difficult time finding a good option for a NIC but the TP-Link TX201 seems to be the best option I can find that seems well-received in various places online. It's only 2.5G but it would get me what I want out of the NAS (assuming I can't get 5G from this NAS).

So are there any suggestions on a NIC and router (and possibly a switch, if this is useful under the circumstances of the recommendations)?

[Assistant]
I would avoid Asus AXE models. RT-AXE7800 is mid-range hardware similar to RT-AX58U with one extra radio. GT-AXE11000 is an old model router 2 hardware generations behind. GT-AXE16000 and ZenWiFi ET12 obviously have firmware issues upstream and stuck on 3004 firmware base. If you need guaranteed Asuswrt-Merlin support firmware going forward - you have to pick BE-class model. If stock Asuswrt is good enough - RT-AX88U Pro runs on stock 3006 firmware, has 2x 2.5GbE ports and on reasonable price.

Tech9 said:
I would avoid Asus AXE models. RT-AXE7800 is mid-range hardware similar to RT-AX58U with one extra radio. GT-AXE11000 is an old model router 2 hardware generations behind. GT-AXE16000 and ZenWiFi ET12 obviously have firmware issues upstream and stuck on 3004 firmware base. If you need guaranteed Asuswrt-Merlin support firmware going forward - you have to pick BE-class model. If stock Asuswrt is good enough - RT-AX88U Pro runs on stock 3006 firmware, has 2x 2.5GbE ports and on reasonable price.
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Thanks. One reason I specifically bought my current modem was merlin support, but I've never even put it on there. I had just moved and was overwhelmed and then never decided like it felt necessary. I do like having the option vs not having it, though.

I was looking into the ASUS RT-BE92U prior to finding the AXE7800, actually. I forgot why I switched off of it, but I know one thing is that I don't have anything that supports WiFi 7 or MLO.

I looked at it again, and it has 4x 2.5G ports and a 10G WAN. Very nice. As long as that 10G steps down to 1G of my modem I can save those 4 other ports and, unless I'm missing something, I could just use that router and a 2.5G NIC to get at least 2.5G to and from the NAS. I also like that you can use the USB port on the router for tethering, because I would assume that it's as simple as the device having tethering turned on and a connection to the router to restore internet. For the rare times my internet goes out I'd rather it be this simple and quick instead of dealing with the poor Windows 10 UI re-design and networking configuration hassles to get back online.

Do you have suggestions for a NIC?

I would look at RT-BE88U or RT-BE86U for more 2.5GbE ports. They both have Asuswrt-Merlin support on 3006 base as well. About 2.5GbE NIC for your PC - whatever is available at reasonable price. They all work with Windows one way or another. About Dual WAN service backup with Asus router - you may be disappointed. It's unreliable and YMMV situation.