Hello, friends

In this review, I will share my impressions of my new ASUS RT - AC66U B1 home router.

Introduction

I had the idea to change the router for quite a long time, but with the beginning of my epic with the introduction of a smart home, it became more acute than ever. A few years ago I changed my old D-link dir-600 to TP-LINK TL-WR1043 - which suited me quite well until recently.

But the “trick” of TP-LINK, which allows you to allocate no more than 8 IP addresses with MAC binding in the DHCP settings (you can bind more, but only the first 8 will work) - I was categorically not satisfied and I started searching.

My initial requirements are as follows:

1. Dual-band (change so change, especially since the 2.4 GHz band in a multi-storey building is fairly clogged with neighboring networks)

2. Necessarily gigabit ports, at least four (the reason why I did not move out to Xiaomi MiWiFi as soon as they appeared)

3. Since a smart home is a VPN server, preferably OpenVPN

I almost decided on LINKSYS WRT1200AC - but then changed my mind and decided to stop at the hero of the ASUS RT review - AC66U B1.

Specifications

Transfer rate:
802.11a: 6,9,12,18,24,36,48,54Mbps
802.11b: 1, 2, 5.5, 11 Mbps
802.11g: 6,9,12,18,24,36,48,54 Mbps
802.11n: up to 450 Mbps
802.11ac: up to 1300 Mbps
Antenna - External antenna x 3
Receive/transmit - MIMO technology, 2.4 GHz 3 x 3, 5 GHz 3 x 3
Operating frequency - 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz

Firewall / Access Control - Firewall：SPI intrusion detection,DoS protection
Access control：Parental control, Network service filter, URL filter, Port filter
Management: UPnP, IGMP v1/v2/v3, DHCP, NTP Client, DDNS, Port Trigger, Port Forwarding, DMZ, Universal Repeater, System Event Log
Interfaces: RJ45 for 10/100/1000 BaseT for WAN x 1, RJ45 for 10/100/1000 BaseT for LAN x 4, USB 2.0 x 1, USB 3.0 x 1

Guest networks: 2.4 GHz x 3, 5 GHz x 3
VPN server: IPSec Pass-Through, PPTP Pass-Through, L2TP Pass-Through, PPTP Server, OpenVPN Server
VPN client: PPTP client, L2TP client, OpenVPN client

Initial inspection

The router comes in a box, clearly intended for the Chinese market, judging by the abundance of hieroglyphs. Although accustomed to Xiaomi smart home gadgets - I'm already used to them

There are no complaints about the packaging - nothing hangs around the box, everything arrived safe and sound.

In the kit - the router itself, the power supply, the booklet and the disk (which I never looked into, the instructions are not sports :))

The power supply is 19 V, the declared current is 1.75 A, I will not check, we will take our word for it. In this configuration - the plug is flat, the adapter is included, but I stopped using them a long time ago - universal sockets and extension cords from Xiaomi - definitely rule.

The router is made of black plastic, sometimes glossy, sometimes matte. Most of the surface has the original texture

On the top there are LED indicators (blue) for LAN port activity, Internet connection, 5 and 2.4 GHz network activity and power.

On the front end there is a USB 3.0 connector, which, together with a more powerful dual-core processor, is the difference between revision B1 and B0.

Behind the device are - power connector, power button, second USB connector - this time 2.0, WAN and 4 LAN ports - all gigabit and a WPS button - for connecting devices.

Antennas - it seems like I read that they should be removable, but in fact, they don’t unscrew, but it doesn’t hurt that it’s necessary.

The bottom side of the router - contains some technical information - the default MAC, PIN code, serial number, default network name. There are no wall mounts.

On this I propose to stop the review part and proceed to the setting. I don’t see much point in disassembling it - I don’t consider myself smarter than the Asus engineers who designed this gadget.

Web interface

You can work with the router both through the "web face" and through the application for Android / IOS. There will be no difficulties for those who have smartphones / tablets but do not have a desktop computer (and there are many such people).

The interface is made in dark colors, by default in Chinese, but in the upper right corner there is a language selector, of which there are quite a lot in the system, there are both Russian and Ukrainian, and whoever likes it - Romanian.

Wireless networks

Settings for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks - here we set the name of each of the networks, password, mode, width and channel number, etc.

we can, if necessary, hide the broadcast of its name (SSID), there are also tabs for configuring WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) - semi-automatic connection of devices to the network, WDS (Wireless Distribution System) - for expanding the wireless network zone by combining several routers, filter by MAC addresses, setting up the Radius server.

B more additional settings that may be useful to system administrators

The local network

In the LAN settings - specify the internal address of our router

The range of issuing dynamic IP addresses by the DHCP server

Which can give 64 static addresses by binding to MAC - which is like a balm for my soul after 8 TP-Link addresses

Setting up static routes,

IPTV and Switch Control

WAN port - connection to the provider

The WAN port supports several connection options, depending on what your provider offers, it is possible to copy the desired MAC address - if the provider checks for it - in this case, the equipment on its part will not notice the replacement.

There is an interesting function of a dual WAN port - which will allow you to have a backup channel for accessing the Internet, if the main one fails, for example, via a USB modem. I have already organized backup power for the router, gateways and single-board PCs, I will definitely try to make backup access to the Internet.

There are also options for switching and port forwarding, DMZ - demilitarized zone, network segment containing public services, DDNS - dynamic domain name system, etc.

VPN server

What I was very interested in, the router has the ability to organize two types of VPN servers - PPTP - (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol) - a point-to-point tunneling protocol that allows a computer to establish a secure connection with the server by creating a special tunnel in the standard, unsecured network. With authorization by username and password

and OpenVPN - the principle is similar, but a more secure option, since in addition to the name and password, the router generates a special key file for each connected device.

In the advanced settings, specify the range of IP addresses that will be issued to devices connected via VPN. Great option for remote connection to the home network, I use in conjunction with the Domoticz system management application - ImperiHome

In order not to overload the review with a large number of screenshots, I will stop here, but if you want to learn more about the web interface of the router, you can do this by watching my video review, the link to which will be at the end of the text.

Appendix

For those who do not have the opportunity or desire to fiddle with the web interface, it is possible to configure and manage the router through the Asus Router application from the play store or apple store.

The application works either in the same local network with a router, or through a VPN - there is no cloud interface. In principle, everything that is in the web interface is the same here - both the current state of the traffic and the list of connected devices (33 devices on the home network - I'm shocked myself), and configure the networks themselves, including the guest ones

Examples - what settings and monitoring look like from the Asus Router mobile app

For such convenience - a separate plus in the karma of the manufacturer.

More details on the application - also in the video review

Exploitation

Of course, the operating experience is only a few days, but overall I like it. The process of setting up and changing the old router to a new one took literally 10 minutes. After that, I turned off my TPLink, changed the name of the 2.4 GHz network to Asus - to what I had and put it in its place, connecting all the cables.

All devices (and I have a lot of them) - immediately picked up the network on the new router - there were no problems. All that is possible - I transferred to a 5 GHz network, which works much faster, for example, on a Xiaomi Note 3 smartphone, the connection speed at 2.4 GHz is 72 Mbps, at 5 GHz - 433 Mbps, as an example, a speed test made at the same time in one place on 2.4 and 5 GHz networks - twice the speed increase. It is important that the 5 GHz band is much less loaded with neighboring networks.

The main laptop, the Xiaomi Mijia 1080p cameras, also went there at 5GHz (by the way, the video is loading faster - definitely).

OpenVPN - works great, connects instantly, ImperiHome for domotics - works great.

All the set goals - which I pursued by changing the router - are 100% achieved.

Video review - where everything is a little more detailed:

That's all, thanks for your attention

1-Performance.
Wi-Fi AC with the ASUS USB-AC53 adapter showed a result of 365 megabits / sec, and this was due to the limit of the adapter itself, since it works via USB 2.0. Removal from the router by 50 meters and obstacles 2 walls did not become an obstacle in order to achieve a speed over a local network of 170-200 megabits / sec. As for Wi-fi N On a tablet with support for a frequency of 5 GHz, at the same distance from the router of 50 meters, the speed reached 35-40 megabits / sec. A laptop connected via Wi-Fi N 2.4GHz showed a speed of 10-20 megabits / sec, and the adapter itself in the laptop is not of the best quality. The tablet at the same frequency at equal distance shows a speed of about 30 megabits / sec. Near the router, within a radius of a meter, the speed reaches 125-130 megabits / sec over the local network, the problem is again in the laptop adapter that supports a connection of no more than 150 megabits. The tablet shows a similar result. On a local network via Ethernet, the speed reaches 935-960 megabits / sec.
It can withstand the simultaneous operation of 5-7 devices, when they actively use the Internet connection, download something, Skype calls and transfer data to cloud storage, with an Internet connection speed of 85 megabits / sec.
2-Functionality, it has everything from a to z, there is not enough space to describe here. Distribution of files via FTP and Samba works with a bang. Just like DDNS. Printserver is also a plus. As well as guest networks, speed distribution setting, parental control. Stable work with UPnP.
3-Width of coverage, setting the power of each band.
4-Stable connection, has been working for more than a week in 24/7 mode.
5-Useful stand, which is very handy, installing a router on it heats up less.
6-Excellent appearance.

1- The most significant is the strong heating of the router, heat and direct sun, it is contraindicated. It is advisable to install it on a stand or come up with a fan. I have it on system unit, which has a fan blowing it from above, it is not very hot, but when it is turned off and there is no ventilation, the heating is very noticeable.

Before that, he owned an Asus RT-N16 router, which is also excellent, sold it after 2 and a half years of use, in working order, for the entire time of work, there were practically no complaints about it, of course, Asus released a couple of fig firmware, but it doesn’t matter, there is always alternative or just a rollback to the previous one. This one came as a replacement, as it has a wider 5GHz network coverage and a higher speed on this band. In general, there is almost no difference between it and the RT-N66U, the performance on the N band is the same, this router wins on the AC band on which it is able to show excellent speed. In terms of functionality, even with RT-N16, I don’t feel much difference, only a performance increase, and then it is relevant for those who use DLNA and UPnP excessively, VPN tunnels and local network via wifi.
All in all, a great feature-packed router with amazing performance.

37 2

1. Powerful signal catches in the car opposite the house, the old D-Link 615 broadcast much weaker.
2. Fast data transfer over the wire and in both Wi-Fi ranges (and if you set up QoS, then smartly fast)). Computers, tablets, smartphones everyone lives together, no one falls off, the speed does not fail, they are friends with apples, samsungs, asus and other huawei.
3. 2 USB ports can hook up USB modems (not all), HDDs and flash drives (you can set up an ftp server with ddns and cloud sync in a couple of mouse clicks), cameras, printers (with the option of wireless printing directly from gadgets).
4. Cloud service with 5GB as a gift. A trifle, but nice))
5. Very flexible structure configurable option for multiple guest WiFi networks in 2 bands, while the main network quietly lives its own life and also in 2 bands.
6. Extremely simple settings interface. Dream of a blonde However, all the serious options are also available and not so deeply buried.
7. All the necessary network goodies NAT, port forwarding, DDNS, DMZ, AD integration, etc. are present, everything is like everyone else.
8. Alternative firmware has already appeared, you can make candy for your tasks, if you wish.
9. Purchase seriously and for a long time, the power of the device is enough and still remains.

1. It takes a relatively long time to apply the settings, and when some are changed, the Wi-Fi falls off (for the time the settings are applied, of course, then it appears back). At first, it terribly infuriates, but if you set it up once and for all, then it's not scary.
2. Quite a “hot thing” (compared to DIR-615 E4)) Not boiling water, of course, is quite acceptable (~ 45-50C), but sometimes it’s still “underweight”, but xs it will be like summer. He needs a place where nothing interferes with ventilation. It is better to place it vertically (on a stand), and if on a wall, then with a gap at the back (without blocking the ventilation holes).
3. The 802.11ac standard has not yet been fully formed, so there is a risk of missing some later options, but let's hope that this is adjustable at the firmware level.

I bought it because the emergence of new fast Internet tariffs, the growing interference from the informatization of the entrance, the increase in the volume of transmitted content and the slogan "faster, further, stronger" made me think about changing the old man 615, who served me faithfully for 2 years. And a candidate with an eye to the future was found quite quickly) For in this segment, in terms of the number of opportunities per unit of cost, he is still in the lead.

Complain Did the review help? 23 1

Ease of setup, signal strength, stability. The design, but for me it is not important, since the router practically stands on the floor in the depths of the computer desk, illuminating the socks with blue LEDs.

In operation for about 6 months around the clock! There has never been a break in communication due to his fault, so that he had to turn it off and on to restore Internet access (both Kinetic Light and Kinetic and the DIR 620 converted to Kinetic sinned with this). With the installation of this device, the problem of connecting laptops, iPhones, iPads, a TV and a media player to Wi-Fi disappeared (subsequently, the media player and TV were connected via a 1 gigabit cable anyway, the speed is higher than via Wi-Fi) All neighboring Wi-Fi networks simply scored! The signal is stable. Through 3 concrete walls (router in the hall) on the balcony, iPhone 5 and Galaxy Note 2 show 3 sticks each. Previously, iPhone 5 on the balcony did not catch Wi-Fi at all. We live on the 7th floor. On the street in front of the entrance, 2 signal divisions are shown on the galaxy note2 and on the iPhone 4 and 4s. Haven't tested on iPhone 5. To the garage from the entrance of 50-70 meters. Wi-Fi and there clings. And this is all at 2.4 GHz. Benchmarks for Internet connection speed on smartphones or laptops (via Wi-Fi) show the declared speed by the provider. Media player connection 130 megabits (no longer allows media player hardware). A 300 megabit Zuksel whistle plugged into a stationary computer in the monitoring program shows a connection at a speed of 300 megabits. Since I don’t have adapters for a 5 GHz network, I can’t say anything about the connection speed at this frequency.
In general, the main goal was to get a stable Wi-Fi connection throughout the numerous home mobile peripherals. This goal was achieved despite the wagon and several carts of neighboring networks. Until I figured out how to allocate a channel width limit for each device, so that when uploading something from the Internet to a network drive, the channel to my wife’s laptop, for example, still remains untouched. But I haven't really figured out how to do it yet.

Actually AiCloud consists of several parts. Firstly, this is the Smart Sync function, which allows you to synchronize selected folders on an external drive connected to the router with folders in the ASUS WebStorage cloud storage. The latter has ready-made clients for all popular mobile and desktop operating systems, but the prices for using this service are not yet very humane. For a complete mobile access To access all ASUS AiCloud functions, you will need to install a separate application for iOS or Android, or use a separate web interface.

Smart Access and Cloud Disk essentially provide remote access to drives. Only in the first case, this concerns the shared network resources of the PC on the local network, and in the second case, the USB drive of the router. Smart Access remembers the once entered authorization parameters for accessing network resources and allows you to turn on the PC using Wake-On-LAN. AT mobile application can be viewed deleted files and folders, play photos/music/video from them (the router sends an http(s) stream), download files, select folders for synchronization via Smart Sync with the cloud and simply add them to your favorites.

Another interesting feature allows you to select files and give them a public download link that is active for 24 hours. There is also a simple management of lists of PCs and routers. So far, the Android application is not very stable and does not always work correctly. The web version is a modest parody of the Metro-style interface. It allows you to do with files everything that is available in mobile version, but you can also create folders and upload files.

Both versions have their own photo viewer and music player, and the video is either streamed to a third-party app or processed by the appropriate browser plugin. For normal operation of AiCloud, you must have an external IP address, a connected DDNS service (Asuscomm) and / or open ports 8082/443. However, you can also connect to AiCloud from the local network. At the moment, AiCloud services are available for RT-AC66U, RT-N66U and RT-N16U routers.

In general, AiCloud is not yet perfect - for example, not all machines were found on the local network, and where WOL starts there is not very clear at all. To enter the system, the administrator's login and password are used, but there is no system for distributing rights. Well, at least there is a simple protection against trying to pick up a password by brute force and viewing detailed work logs. In any case, such a set of services is definitely useful, and at the first stages you can put up with some software flaws.

⇡ Specifications

The biggest changes compared to the previous model are hidden from the user's eyes. The hardware platform of the device remains the same - a Broadcom BCM4706 / BCM5300 series processor with a frequency of 600 MHz, USB 2.0 support and a gigabit network controller, a BCM53125 gigabit switch, an Alcor AU6259 USB hub and an 802.11n BCM4331 radio unit. And this is where the differences begin. The second radio block was the BCM4360, which supports 802.11ac. All this goodness hangs on PCI-E bus, and the radio modules are connected to three external detachable antennas (3x3:3). The micro-SD slot was removed, but the amount of internal memory was increased from 32 MB to 128 MB. The amount of RAM remained the same, but still solid - 256 MB. In short, a beast-machine! The retribution for this is obvious - the router is hot not only in soul, but in body.

⇡ Testing

Since 802.11ac adapters are still tight, to test this standard, however, as well as for 802.11n, a pair of ASUS RT-AC66U routers was used. One as a regular router and the other as a wireless bridge. In the second case, you will have to manually specify the range, SSID and access password of the parent point. The second radio module at this time is used to create a "repeater" in the adjacent range. In bridge mode, most of the settings are not available, but USB ports can be used to connect a printer or storage device, as well as to install a download manager. Naturally, all this will be visible in the "common" local network.

Used as test benches ASUS laptop K42JC (Intel Pentium 6100, 2 GB RAM, Gigabit Ethernet JMicron JMC250) and desktop machine (AMD Athlon64 X2 4800+, 4 GB RAM, Gigabit Ethernet Realtek RTL8168B) running 32-bit Windows 7 SP1. Testing was carried out using the Ixia IxChariot 6.7 program with the High Performance Throughput profile (see table below) and the iperf 1.7.0 utility. For Wi-Fi, WPA2-AES encryption was enabled, automatic channel selection was specified, and the channel width was manually set to 40/80 MHz. HW NAT and Jumbo frames are out of work. All other settings are left by default. The routers were within line of sight at a distance of about 5 meters.

The results do not seem to be worth commenting on. And so it is clear that the speed indicators are simply magnificent. In real life, 802.11n connections are likely to be worse, especially in the 2.4 GHz band, which is rapidly clogging up. Comparing the results in 802.11ac with those of the NETGEAR R6300 is probably not very correct due to the difference in testing conditions. The speed of working with an external drive, and in this case it was Apacer Share Steno AC202 formatted in NTFS, turned out to be not very low, but not very high either. Reading via SMB and FTP was carried out at speeds around 10 MB / s, and writing - 15 and 6 MB / s, respectively. Moreover, reading from FTP sagged at times to some near-zero values.

And here are the WAN connection speeds<->LAN was unpleasantly surprised. Max 350 Mbps with direct connection, about 100 Mbps with PPPoE, around 70 Mbps for PPTP (without MPPE) and about 60 Mbps for L2TP. The results are strange but acceptable. Otherwise, no problems were noticed, with the exception of the already familiar feature of this series in the form of noticeable heating during operation.

⇡ Conclusion

Again, almost everything that was said last time about the ASUS RT-N66U can also be said about the ASUS RT-AC66U. Excellent design, high performance, stability, rich functionality, a couple of USB ports, the ASUSWRT initiative - all this goes into the treasury of pluses. Alas, some of the shortcomings remained uncorrected - not the most successful power supply, not a very fast file server, flaws in software and localization. It was also not possible to cope with high heating during operation. Nevertheless, it is still one of the fastest and most productive SOHO routers with 802.11ac support. In practice, not everyone needs support for the new standard. Moreover, suitable adapters are almost impossible to find now. Therefore, when choosing a router, we would recommend not to focus on 802.11ac support, which, do not forget, is still in draft status. At the time of this writing, the ASUS RT-AC66U cost about 7,300 rubles, which, in our opinion, is quite an adequate price.

Router ASUS RT-AC66U- Definitely in the top 10 best models, but thanks to the support of the latest 802.11ac standard, its performance can even be comparable to a gigabit wired network. Of course, a mobile device often does not need such high capabilities, since user data is usually stored either in cloud services or in network storages, and streaming video requires no more than 802.11n, but on the other hand, the standard has been developed, which means now, and in the foreseeable future, the need for these opportunities will definitely take place. As they say, forewarned is forearmed. So, the ASUS RT-AC66U router, by and large, does not have many differences from the equipment of the previous version: instead of one of the radio units, another was installed with support for 802.11ac, the amount of flash memory was increased.

Contents of delivery

The packaging of the router is similar to those used in previous versions: description, technical capabilities, color photographs. But the packaging has become more compact - approximately 30 × 23.5 × 8.5 centimeters. For greater attractiveness, the box was decorated with elements of glossy and matte lamination.

The router comes with three external antennas, power supply 19 V 1.58 A, optical disc, tower stand, gigabit network cable, multi-language manual and of course a two-year warranty. Localization touched the device interface, electronic documents and utilities.

The CD that comes with the package is not of particular value, because due to the novelty and some dampness, updates will follow without fail, so it is easier to download the necessary additions and improvements directly from the company's website, where you can easily find everything you need: initial setup utilities , connecting a printer, restoring the firmware, and searching for a device on the network.

Appearance

The design of the RT-AC66U is almost 100% similar to its predecessor, the design is similar except for the gold logo that replaced the silver version and a new inscription on the front panel.

The router is quite stylish, the combination of matte black plastic and volumetric interesting texture pleases the eye. The equipment can be placed both vertically and horizontally, it is possible to mount it on the wall. Good sensitivity and excellent signal strength are provided by large external antennas.

The ASUS RT-AC66U router, like its predecessor, has a solid weight. This is due to the fact that high-performance stuffing needs good cooling, and a fairly large radiator is used for this purpose. To create an optimal temperature balance, it is better to place the router vertically, since the passive ventilation holes go along the contour and bottom of the device. You can, of course, place the router in a standard way, especially since the tests did not show any significant effect on the results of the temperature regime.

The light indication of the device is still nine blue LEDs of medium brightness, which signal the status, respectively, LAN1, LAN2, LAN3, LAN4, Internet, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, 5 GHz Wi-Fi and USB. As usual, the activity of interfaces and ports is accompanied by a blinking LED.

On the back of the case are connectors for antennas, wired ports, a switch, two USB port 2.0, power supply connector and reset button. The reset button is quite small - on the one hand, this is good - it will not be accidentally pressed, but if necessary, when the cable is inserted into the LAN4 connector, it becomes difficult to access.

Hardware configuration

According to the internal stuffing, the ASUS RT-AC66U router has a number of differences from its predecessor RT-N66U, although basically they are, of course, identical. Processor everywhere BCM4706/BCM53003, 600 MHz. RAM is the same 256 MB, but flash memory has become 128 MB instead of 32 MB in its predecessor. A 2 MB chip is built in, which is used by some service partitions. The BCM4331 radio block is required for the device to operate at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, the new BCM4360 chip is responsible for the operation of all versions at a frequency of 5 GHz, including, of course, 802.11ac. These two chips are physically connected to the main processor by the PCIe bus. The router supports modes up to 1300 Mbps using 802.11ac, and up to 450 Mbps using 802.11n (3T3R). The USB controller is located directly in the processor, and an additional hub (IC AU6259) is connected to it from the outside. The gigabit switch has not changed, the same BCM53125 remains. The printed circuit board is provided with a JTAG pad and a console connector. There is no slot for using microSD memory cards, unlike its predecessor. Device under test version A1.

The router "knows how" to search for available firmware versions and offers them to the user "for judgment". If the user confirms the need for firmware, the device will install this firmware itself. However, in reality, the problem with the ASUS router is such that even after the appearance of its first samples, there is by and large no normal and stable working version of the firmware in the free market. In my case, the router loaded firmware version 3.0.0.4.140.

Features and customization

The new version of the router has the same capabilities as the previous device, slightly redesigned and improved. It makes no sense to stop completely and consider all the functions in detail, it would be better to dwell on the main ones.

So, the configuration Web interface has not changed. It is still dark, has a built-in assistant, the interface is translated into Russian, a graphical network diagram ... An improvement can be considered the addition of HTTPS to the existing HTTP, used to change the port number. There are links to instructions and user manuals, FAQ and necessary utilities. It is worth noting that not all of these documents have been localized, although in the previous model the same was also implemented when updating the firmware.

There is a configuration using the WAN. Greater device extensibility features support for using telnet client to access the console. The "Network Map" network diagram has become more informative, information about the Internet connection (host name and address) has been added to it.

Everyone can access the Internet possible ways: IPoE, L2TP, PPPoE, PPTP and 802.1x. There is the ability to disable NAT and change the MAC address. You can switch and translate ports, NAT, UPnP, Passthrough and DMZ for part of the protocols, as well as a DDNS client that allows you to use ASUS own service and popular services TZO, DynDNS and NO-IP. By the way, your own service has the simplest setting - you just need to come up with a third-level domain name and that's it, complicated registrations are not needed. The manufacturer added the ability to select a port number to add a set-top box connection for IPTV users, a built-in UDP Proxy server and enable multicast. It is possible to both receive a list of routes from the provider, and program them manually. There are also two useful options: enabling Jumbo Frames, which works only in the LAN segment, and disabling the hardware accelerator.

For local connection everything is standard: there is a choice of an IP address, the inclusion of a DHCP server for automatic configuration of clients. For port forwarding remote access, it is very useful that the server allows fixed MAC-IP pairs to be specified. Implemented support for IPv6 using manual and automatic assignment of tunnels and addresses.

The settings of the wireless interfaces have not changed. All options are duplicated due to the presence of autonomous independent radio units. In each range, as always, the name of the network is indicated, there is an option to hide, there is an option to select operating modes “only n” or “all standards”, the channel number, channel width, access control mode (WPA2-PSK, open network or corporate versions) and a password. It is possible to use WPS to quickly connect clients. The MAC address filter serves as an additional security barrier. Installing specialized options, allowing multicast broadcasting and programming the operating mode wireless models configured on the "Professional" page.

The ASUS RT-AC66U router allows you to create three guest networks for each range, and each of them can be assigned a degree of protection, set a shutdown timer, or allow connection to the main network.

The Firewall tab is required to create a filtering list for keywords and URL links, as well as MAC addresses and services. This tab specifies the following standard parameters: destination and source addresses, protocols, port ranges, and filter operation time.

The Administration tab is a standard set of functions: changing the administrator password, updating the firmware, setting the clock, managing the configuration, and enabling the telnet server. In this tab, you can set device operation modes: bridge (client), wireless router or access point.

Similarly to other models, a work log is also presented. It contains information about the status of wireless controllers, translation and routing, DHCP server tables. With remote control, there is only sending messages through the syslog server, unfortunately, Email not involved.

"Parental control" makes it possible to configure the mode of allowed access to the global Internet for selected clients.

PPTP remote access server that supports MPEE-40/128c and MSCHAP v1/v2 is a utility that allows you to securely access your local home network. It is possible to program a maximum of 10 accounts, a maximum of 10 connections can also connect at the same time.

Let's not miss the QoS traffic control function. Its practical value is not very high, but, nevertheless, this interface, which controls traffic consumption, can also be useful.

Working with USB devices

To connect various cellular modems, printers, external drives and multifunctional devices, the RT-AC66U router has two USB 2.0 ports. 100% MFP support is only for Windows with proprietary software. For others operating systems you can use the LPR protocol.

The situation with 3G/4G support is improving. There is some inconvenience associated with the fact that the manufacturer of the router has sufficiently removed the compatibility list, due to which the selection of the model has become a little difficult. Although the models that are not on this list also sometimes work quite normally. You just need to select an operator from the drop-down list. disappearance cable connection immediately switches the router to cellular network, reverse connection to the cable is not performed automatically.

In the router, the possibilities for drives are sufficiently increased. You can connect devices that use file systems EXT2, EXT3, FAT32 and NTFS, which is provided by using the FTP and SMB protocols. In the first case, you can set the required encoding, and for the second - select the name working group and network name. It is possible to program several accounts in the router, with the issuance of rights to folders in sections and other shared resources.

If there are not enough ports, it is possible to use a USB hub, for which you need to select the desired button in the header of the Web interface.

An interesting detail, like its predecessor, the ASUS RT-AC66U router does not adequately respond to the launch of Jumbo Frames. This translates into a decrease in reading speed up to 50 percent.

In general, the performance of the router is within the expected limits for the platform used. It should be borne in mind that the simultaneous use wireless networks and Internet access seriously reduces the performance of the router, so using the router as a network drive is not very advisable.

To broadcast media files located on external drives, the miniDLNA module serves. Popular formats supported are jpeg, aac, wma, mp3, m4a, wmv, mpeg, avi, mp4 and mkv. Indexing is carried out simultaneously for all devices. For audio recordings, it's best to use tags, while videos and photos are best sorted into folders. It is possible to connect and iTunes network library.

For a fairly productive router processor, it is possible to download files offline via HTTP, FTP, ed2k and Magnet, as well as using the NZB and BitTorrent protocols. "Download Master" weighs about 50 MB and can be installed directly from the router's web interface. You can also download a proprietary utility for a computer, which makes it possible to send files automatically for download from browsers and explorer, call a password-protected Web interface to monitor the settings. You can set a schedule for storing received files, change port numbers in the management interface, and also allow WAN access. Applied utilities: amule, transmission, nbzget and snarf. For example, the transmission utility has the ability to change the port number, enable encryption, limit the number of peers and speed, as well as DHT and PEX.

So that you can correctly understand and evaluate the loads, let's give an example: we tried to download big file, the download speed was 2-3 MB/s, the number of peers was 20-30. Approximately 90% of the processor time was used for this (the recording was made to the ext3 partition). During downloading, the speed of access to the partition decreases sharply (up to 10 times), which indicates that the operation of the router as a standalone server is possible only in the absence of other tasks. And the router cannot be compared with the performance of NAS and PC.

AiCloud is absolutely new feature, consisting of Cloud Disk, Smart Sync and Smart Access. For the average user, it will be very difficult to understand the description for them. The AiCloud service mainly serves to provide access to all systems and drives in the local network. So to say "Network Neighborhood". When using the AiCloud function, our router turns into a Master Browser, stores records of all local devices. Even if the computer is turned off, it remains on the list and still has the ability to power on remotely over the network (WOL).

Users have the ability to access data in several ways. For example, Cloud Disk allows you to access data through a Web-based file manager, and Smart Access is used in conjunction with AiCloud for mobile devices on Android based and iOS. Support is provided through port 8082 over HTTP and over port 443 over HTTPS. To receive data, you need configured DDNS on the router, as well as external IP address. It can be assumed that future versions of AiCloud will lose this limitation. The service can only be accessed by an administrator. On-premise systems provide the ability to self-fill usernames and passwords. For a quick download directly from the browser or just to view the data, it is possible to provide temporary links to necessary files, however, documents are read-only. It is possible to view files using the built-in players. FROM Google Docs can be read and edited in office formats, but it is worth remembering that you cannot write the modified file back. Smart Sync is able to synchronize selected MySyncFolders on the USB storage device with the ASUS WebStorage directory on the cloud storage.

For smartphone owners, the utility of the same name performs the same functions as a browser, and links to documents can be easily sent, for example, by SMS or mail.

Naturally, all this can be implemented by a VPN server, but it should be borne in mind that, first of all, the AiCloud utility was created to help unprepared users and has a simple interface. One of the disadvantages of AiCloud can only be called the inability to use multiple accounts at the same time, which would make it possible to more accurately regulate access to documents. We add that when you try to guess a password, a built-in lock will work, which can only be removed from the web interface of the router.

AiCloud will be useful for "forgetful" users, as it allows, for example, to download the necessary document or the necessary presentation directly from their tablet or phone.

Performance

If we compare the test results of the ASUS RT-AC66U router with its predecessor, then the latter option is much more productive, although this should be the default. So, a direct connection is more than 850 Mbps, when using the PPPoE protocol - up to 200 Mbps, PPTP and L2TP - at least 100 Mbps of the channel. The data shown is very good and guarantees excellent performance in the chosen way.

Clients with VPN connections will appreciate the support for access to the ISP's local network. There are absolutely no comments or complaints about the router for working in this mode.

As a rule, if the adapter and router operate at a frequency of 5 GHz, then this band is used, but for testing, we decided to additionally check the 802.11n adapter in the 2.4 GHz band. In the 5 GHz band, the router was configured in the WPA2-PSK AES mode, but in order to show good results on the 2.4 GHz band, in addition to the WPA2-PSK AES mode, we added a wide channel mode and chose the most free channels. In the 5 GHz band, no neighboring networks were detected, but in the 2.4 GHz band it was very tightly packed, with an average distance of five meters between devices.

Evaluating the results, we can conclude that today's high-performance wireless devices can operate twice as fast as their predecessors. Perhaps there is a difference from the conditions of the ether, but it should not be very significant. In the 5 GHz band, the result will be slightly better, but in the 2.4 GHz band, the results are also very good and worthy.

802.11n is showing performance gains, but the latest standard is showing even better growth. In tests, its speed increased by 3 times, the performance was 200-300 Mbps, and became 500-600 Mbps. By the way, according to the results of our tests, the technical speed indicated in the characteristics is twice as high on average as the real speed.

Although the new wireless standard does not reach "gigabit speeds", its performance is very different for the better from the previous version, especially considering its dampness.

In conclusion, we tested the “new iPad”. Tests showed results of about 40 Mbps, implemented by the controller built into the tablet. This speed is more than enough for watching videos on the Internet, but for Reserve copy and syncing that is clearly not enough, as a 32 GB transfer at 40 Mbps would take almost two hours.

Modern devices claim large numbers, based on the results of technical characteristics, but it should be borne in mind that the actual speed of the controllers used in such devices must still be verified in practice.

One last thing, with the current firmware, the RT-AC66U can only support four channels in the 5GHz band, which means only one configuration for 802.11ac. The prospects for the simultaneous operation of two access points on the same air are still a big question, although this restriction In the next firmware it may well be removed.

findings

After analyzing all the features of the new ASUS RT-AC66U router, we can say that it differs from the RT-N66U only in support of the latest 802.11ac wireless standard. The router features a high-tech performance platform, has Beautiful design and good design. Regardless of the type of device connection to the Internet, ASUS RT-AC66U will not look like a weak link. Its application will allow users to get the highest possible access speed.

In the latest router model, ASUS not only implemented the functions standard for devices of this class, but also greatly expanded their number. For example, a router "can" support wireless guest networks, restrict access to the Internet according to a schedule, monitor traffic, and has VPN server. However the largest number features have USB ports, which can be easily used to provide, for example, a multifunction device in general access, for reservation via cellular modems channel, as well as, for example, as a network drive that provides access via DLNA, SMB and FTP protocols to files.

The AiCloud service is one of the useful innovations that allows you to work remotely through mobile devices or a browser with files located not only on USB drives, but even on other computers on the network. AiCloud supports synchronization with ASUS WebStorage.

The use of the 802.11ac protocol showed excellent results in tests performed in the laboratory, however, it is worth noting that due to the insufficient distribution of equipment supporting this standard at the moment, its use may be noticeably limited. Therefore, choosing a router model with ac takes place only when high speed is needed, and cable laying cannot be done, as well as in the case of future work. Some users will like the increased flash memory in the new ASUS router model.

As a result of testing, ASUS RT-AC66U router receives an award "Editor's Choice" from new.site