In this review, we will continue to look at wireless routers that support the IEEE 802.11ac communication standard. Enough time has passed since its introduction to the masses, during which time the market has become filled with solutions of a new format, which inevitably affected their cost. Of course, the price tags for top models still bite, but the general trend is still encouraging. In this regard, we decided not to limit ourselves only to the mainstream market segment, but also to turn our attention to more productive solutions. These, for example, include a router corresponding to the AC1900 class.

Specification:

Number of ports
Fixed IP
Dynamic IP
PPPoE/Russia PPPoE
Possibility to set MAC manually
Ability to manually set MTU size
		Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000 Mbps)
Number of ports
Manual blocking of interfaces
Quantity
Antenna replacement possible
Forced setting of the working antenna number
Manually blocking the wireless interface
WPS technology support
Operating frequency
Supported standards and speeds
		up to 54 Mbit/s
		up to 11 Mbit/s
		up to 54 Mbit/s
	standard mode	up to 450 Mbit/s
	using TurboQAM technology	up to 600 Mbit/s
		up to 1300 Mbit/s
Region/Number of channels 2.4 GHz
Region/Number of channels 5 GHz
Possibility of manual speed setting
Maximum output power
Working with another AP
WDS support (bridge)
AP support
WDS+AP support
Ability to work in client mode
Wireless repeater
Safety
Blocking Broadcast SSID
Binding to MAC addresses
		yes, up to 128 bit
802.1x (via Radius)
Firmware capabilities
Administration
Setting a password for the admin user
Ability to change/add Login
WEB interface
WEB interface via SSL
Own utility
Ability to save and load configurations
Built-in DHCP server
Static DHCP over MAC
UPnP support
Protocols supported by WAN
Traffic shaping (traffic limitation)
one-to-many NAT (standard)
Ability to disable NAT (work in router mode)
Possibility of working in bridge mode
NAT pass through		IPSec, PPTP, PPPoE, L2TP, RTSP, H.323, SIP
Built-in DNS server (dns-relay)
Dynamic DNS support
Watch
Clock synchronization
Setting the time manually
Utilities
Logging
Logging the execution of firewall rules
Logging Wireless
Logging DHCP Leases
Logging Port Forwarding
System Logging
Storage inside the device
Storage on an external Syslog server
Sending by email
Routing
Static (setting records manually)
Availability and capabilities of built-in filters and firewall
PossibilitiesSPI (Stateful Packet Inspection)
SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) support
Ability to use SPI in rules
Availability of filters/firewall
on the LAN-WAN segment, restricting Internet access
on the WLAN-WAN segment, restricting Internet access
on the LAN-WLAN segment
Supported filter types
Including SPI
By MAC address
By source IP address
By destination IP address
According to the protocol
By source port
By destination port
Time reference
By application
By domain
Working with URL blocking list services
Types of actions
Virtual servers
Possibility of creating
Setting different public/private ports for a virtual server
Ability to set DMZ
Ability to set DMZ traffic at the port level
Nutrition
		external, Input AC: 100 − 240 V, 1 A, 50-60 Hz; Output DC: 19 V, 1.75 A
802.1af (PoE) support
Additional Information
Availability of USB ports		1 x USB 3.0 1 x USB 2.0
Connecting an external USB HDD, Flash (Samba (Storage) / FTP server / media server)
Connecting a WEB camera (video surveillance)
Connecting 3G/4G modems
Connecting a USB printer
Firmware version		3.0.0.4.376_3626
		220 x 83 x 160 mm
Products webpage
Product page

Packaging and delivery

The ASUS RT-AC68U router comes in a cardboard box decorated in the traditional ASUS style. In addition to high-quality printing, the packaging is well-informative: on its front side the main features of the device are indicated, and on the back there is a description of the technologies used in it. We also suggest you briefly familiarize yourself with them:

• 5 G WiFi− support for the modern wireless communication standard IEEE 802.11ac;
• 1300 + 600 MbpsConcurrent 2.4 & 5GHz− the estimated total data transfer rate on both channels can reach 1900 Mbit/s (1300 Mbit/s for the 5 GHz range and 600 Mbit/s for the 2.4 GHz range);
• USB 3.0x1USB 2.0x1File/Printer/3G/4GSharing− availability of USB connectors standard 3.0 and 2.0 for connecting external drives, network printers and 3G/4G modems;
• ASUSAiRadar− support for proprietary technology to increase Wi-Fi coverage;
• ASUS AiCloud− the ability to organize your own cloud storage;
• TurboQAM− support for TurboQAM technology, which increases the speed of data exchange in the 2.4 GHz segment.

In addition to the router itself, the following components were also found in the box, which the user may need when connecting the ASUS RT-AC68U and its further operation:

• power adapter (Input AC: 100 - 240 V, 1 A, 50 - 60 Hz; Output DC: 19 V, 1.75 A);
• three antennas;
• network cable;
• CD with documentation and software.

Appearance

The case of the tested solution is designed in the easily recognizable Black Diamond style. Sharp edges, black color with glossy elements, decorative front panel - all this makes ASUS RT-AC68U stand out from standard boxes from other manufacturers. There is no shame in placing such a router in a visible place, since it certainly will not spoil the interior of a room or office.

The new product has a vertical body layout. The device cannot be positioned horizontally or placed on the wall. It is unlikely that with such a spectacular appearance this can be considered a drawback. In addition, the use of a vertical layout allows for better cooling, which, by the way, is an important factor for productivity solutions like the ASUS RT-AC68U.

As can be seen from the photographs, the manufacturer paid quite a lot of attention to the problem of rapid heat removal outside the body. Ventilation holes can be found on all panels except the front panel. ASUS RT-AC68U has good stability due to the placement of interfaces at the bottom. Even with the antennas raised, it is not prone to tipping over.

The set of available connectors and controls is as follows:

• the “DCIN” input is intended for connecting a power supply;
• “Power” button, with which you can turn the router on or off;
• “Reset” button, used to reset settings;
• one USB 2.0 port;
• one USB 3.0 port;
• gigabit WAN port;
• four gigabit LAN connectors.

Note the presence of two USB connectors, which significantly expand the capabilities of the ASUS RT-AC68U model. Depending on the connected devices, it can act as a network storage, print server, or manager for downloading files from the Internet. In addition, there is support for 3G/4G modems.

Two more buttons are located on one of the ends of the case. The first one, labeled “WPS,” is responsible for automatically connecting to an existing Wi-Fi network. The second (“Wi-Fi on/off”) allows you to manually block the wireless communication mode.

Indication of the router's operating modes and the interfaces used is carried out using blue LEDs located on the front panel. They have moderate brightness, so they do not distract attention when the ASUS RT-AC68U, for example, is located on the desktop.

At the back there is another backlight, this time the ASUS logo. Naturally, it does not have any practical benefit - it simply makes the appearance of the device more original. If necessary, the backlight can be turned off by pressing the “LED on/off” button.

Hardware platform

The ASUS RT-AC68U model is based on a dual-core Broadcom BCM4708 processor, built on the ARM Cortex-A9 microarchitecture and operating at a frequency of 800 MHz. In addition to managing the router, it is also responsible for supporting gigabit wired ports and USB connectors. Two Broadcom BCM4360 chips are used as radio modules (one for each band). The RAM subsystem has a capacity of 256 MB and is based on a DDR3 chip instead of DDR2, as in some competitive solutions.

This should provide the router with maximum performance even when handling demanding tasks such as HD video streaming, online gaming, or large file sharing.

In addition, Broadcom TurboQAM technology, which is implemented at the level of the wireless controller of the same name, is designed to increase the performance of the new product. Its essence lies in the fact that on the 40 MHz channel, QAM-256 signal modulation is used instead of QAM-64. This increases the estimated data rate in the 2.4 GHz band by approximately 33%, from the standard 450 Mbps to 600 Mbps.

Setting up the router

The ASUS RT-AC68U model can be configured in two ways: using the WEB interface and its own utility. Let's consider the first option first, since it is this that provides the maximum possibilities for setting up the network and router.

The WEB interface of the new product will seem familiar to many. Indeed, its variations are used in all modern ASUS network solutions. The only difference is the number of settings and available functionality.

The menu has an intuitive and logical structure, and the parameters themselves are provided with a fairly detailed description, which is translated into several languages, including Russian and Ukrainian. In general, everything is done here in order to simplify the process of configuring the device as much as possible.

For those who rarely deal with setting up network connections, we recommend using the “Quick Internet Setup” tab. In this mode, the system will automatically set all the necessary parameters and test the connection. The user is only required to enter personal data that will be needed to access the network.

Now let's briefly go through the remaining tabs of the WEB interface. A complete list of settings, as always, can be found in the screenshot gallery located at the end of this section.

The Network Map page displays a detailed diagram of your network connection, as well as the configuration and status of all devices connected to it.

The “Guest Network” section allows you to configure a session to connect guest clients to the Internet without access to the internal network. Moreover, this can be done separately for each band (2.4 or 5 GHz).

The Traffic Manager tab provides tools for monitoring incoming and outgoing traffic across all channels. Here you can set priorities for different groups of network tasks (surfing, downloading files, transferring files, etc.). We recommend using this function if several applications require simultaneous Internet access.

In the “Parental Controls” subsection you can limit the time of the Internet session. Moreover, each client has its own separate group of rules.

Information about all additional services available when connecting devices via USB ports is grouped on the “USB Application” tab. Here you can set rules for sharing access to an external drive via the Internet, organize file storage (FTP / SAMBA) or a print server. There is also full support for 3G/4G modems.

The last section “AiCloud” from the “General” tab group is used to organize access to cloud services, and also provides the ability to create your own cloud storage.

Separately, I would like to highlight the fairly functional built-in firewall. It provides the network administrator with a fairly wide range of rules to limit access to individual network services and the time of their use.

The router's WEB interface provides detailed logging of ongoing events. It also provides capabilities for quick diagnostics and collection of network information.

In general, the functionality of the ASUS RT-AC68U model can be called very good. In this regard, it is practically in no way inferior to top solutions that support the IEEE 802.11ac standard. The number of available settings is quite enough to organize and control the network in a home, office, or even a small business.

Software

The included disk contains a number of utilities that can make it easier to configure the router and devices connected to it. In particular, this applies to organizing a network print server based on the ASUS RT-AC68U.

Testing

The main problem of network technologies, and especially wireless lines, is signal transmission interference. It is they who force the limited computing resources of the Wi-Fi client to be spent on decryption and additional verification of each transmitted packet. It is very easy to create radio interference for a wireless channel - almost any electrical appliance or digital device can do it. The most common household appliances can have a particularly strong impact: a microwave oven, a refrigerator motor, or even a fluorescent lamp when it is turned on, etc. Another important, and often the main source of interference can be the high density of Wi-Fi networks surrounding the place where the wireless solution is used. Considering all these factors, we cannot talk about complete repeatability of test results for the wireless network segment.

Therefore, testing of all network solutions that come into our laboratory takes place under “ideal” operating conditions: in one room with direct visibility and at a distance of no more than two meters between points. To conduct the experiments, we used the following additional network equipment: ASUS RT-N66U, ASUS EA-N66 and Gigabit Ethernet Intel 82566MC.

Comparative performance testing in 802.11n mode at 2.4 GHz using WPA2 encryption

Comparative performance testing in 802.11ac mode at 5 GHz using WPA2 encryption

Data flow in both directions

Data flow from client to router

Data flow from router to client

In real-world operating conditions, the average round-trip data transfer rate over a 2.4 GHz wireless connection (IEEE 802.11n) was about 93 Mbps. At the same time, the maximum speed in one direction was 114 Mbit/s. Such results for this mode can be considered quite acceptable.

When using the IEEE 802.11ac standard, where data is broadcast at a frequency of 5 GHz, the average speed has increased fourfold - to 368 Mbit/s. A significant increase in performance can also be observed in individual sections of the connection: “client - router” and “router - client” (maximum 400 Mbit/s in each case).

Comparative testing of packet transmission speed through the LAN interface for another LAN client

Data flow in both directions

Data flow in one direction

The functionality of the node responsible for data exchange via LAN interfaces is also at a fairly high level. The total speed for cross-data transfer was almost 842 Mbit/s, and the maximum reached 800 Mbit/s.

Comparative testing of the speed of packets passing through the router's NAT service

In the ASUS RT-AC68U model, the NAT service is implemented in hardware, resulting in an average switching speed of 858 Mbit/s. For lower-quality gigabit solutions, where the NAT service operates at the software level, this value is usually 3-4 times lower.

Comparative testing of the speed of reading/writing files using a SAMBA client to an external SSD drive connected via a USB 3.0 connector

Reading from a connected SSD drive

Recording to a connected SSD

The speed of reading files through the SAMBA client from an SSD drive connected to the router via a USB 3.0 connector was about 59.3 MB/s, and the writing speed was 44.9 MB/s. Compared to the performance of routers of a lower class (15 MB/s and 5 MB/s, respectively), these results look simply excellent. Thus, based on the ASUS RT-AC68U, it will be possible to easily organize a home file server or network storage within a small company.

conclusions

The router is a device in which the manufacturer tried to simultaneously combine an attractive design, high performance, good functionality and ease of administration. Typically, such an undertaking is rarely crowned with success or is supported by an exorbitant price tag. But this model was an exception to the general rule. Costing about $200, it showed a fairly high data transfer speed in both bands (2.4 and 5 GHz), and also pleased with additional features that significantly expand the scope of its application.

Thus, thanks to the presence of two built-in USB ports, one of which complies with the USB 3.0 standard, based on the ASUS RT-AC68U you can easily organize a print server, file storage, and a client for offline downloading files from the Internet and working with cloud services. The new product uses fairly powerful hardware, so the functionality described above does not in any way affect the performance of the device. In addition, the ASUS RT-AC68U implements many additional technologies that improve its performance on different network segments. For example, turning on the TurboQAM function increases the connection speed at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, and using the ASUS AiRadar option expands the Wi-Fi coverage area.

Let's not forget about such an important factor as the WEB interface. In this model, it is designed at the highest level and provides the ability to fine-tune the router, as well as configure rules for access to different parts of the network.

Advantages:

• IEEE 802.11ac standard support;
• support for simultaneous operation of two wireless Wi-Fi data transmission channels: 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz;
• high data exchange speed in real conditions: on average 93 Mbit/s and 368 Mbit/s in both directions using IEEE 802.11n and IEEE 802.11ac modes, respectively;
• high-performance hardware platform;
• availability of gigabit LAN and WAN ports;
• support for dual WAN technology for organizing two simultaneously functioning Internet connections;
• the presence of USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 connectors, which significantly expands the functionality of the router and provides the user with access to a number of services: print server, media server, FTP storage, client for offline downloading files from the Internet;
• hardware implementation of NAT service;
• high speed of writing and reading files from an external storage device connected to the router;
• presence of a hardware button for the “WPS” mode;
• ease of setup;
• convenient and very functional WEB interface;
• simple organization of access and synchronization with cloud services;
• original design.

Peculiarities:

• The router can only be used in a vertical position.

ASUS for the router provided for testing.

We express our gratitude to the Ukrainian representative office of the companyASUS for the provided auxiliary equipment.

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, I wanted to test the current model available in our retail stores. This is how the ASUS RT-AC53 came to me, and not alone, but in combination with the ASUS RP-AC68U repeater. Today we will get to know them.

External inspection of ASUS RT-AC53

ASUS RT-AC53 arrived in a very ordinary cardboard package. Its sides reflect both the main characteristics of the router and a description of software technologies and features. Inside the box, the router is located in a small tray, which once again enhances the strength of the entire kit.

The delivery package includes the router itself, a power supply, one network cable, a pack of instructions and a warranty card.

device page , we note the main ones:

Network standards: IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac, IPv4, IPv6;

Data transfer rate: 802.11n: up to 300 Mbps; 802.11ac: up to 433 Mbps;

RAM: 8 MB Flash and 64 MB RAM;

Encryption : 64-bit WEP, 128-bit WEP, WPA2-PSK, WPA-PSK, WPA-Enterprise, WPA2-Enterprise, Radius with 802.1x, WPS support;

Connectors : RJ45 for 10/100/1000 BaseT for WAN x 1, RJ45 for 10/100/1000 BaseT for LAN x 2.

Visually, the ASUS RT-AC53 completely fits into the overall design of other ASUS routers that I have previously come across. The body is made of black plastic, the top cover has a textured pattern. In millimeters, the external dimensions are 320 x 190 x 35. Six blue LEDs are responsible for displaying the operating status.

The router has three external, non-removable antennas. They can rotate in two planes, which allows you to install the router in both horizontal and vertical positions.

The case has ventilation perforations on the sides and bottom. The router itself does not have active cooling :).

All connectors are on the reverse end. There is a place for the power socket, power key, reset and WPS activation buttons, one WAN and two gigabit LAN ports are also installed.

At the bottom of the case we find four rubberized feet, with which you can successfully install the RT-AC53 on a horizontal surface. There are also holes for wall mounting. In the central area there is a technical sticker with basic information and a small help to get started.

Disassembling the ASUS RT-AC53 is not particularly difficult, a couple of bolts and you're done. Inside we find one common board, an adequate level of soldering and the absence of radiators on the main chips.

RT-AC53 is a dual-band router that supports dual-channel Wi-Fi 802.11n 2.4 GHz (up to 300 Mbps) and single-channel 802.11ac 5 GHz (up to 433 Mbps). The declared standards are implemented using MediaTek MT7620 (MIPS 24KEc 580 MHz) + MT7610 + Realtek RTL8367RB chips.

External inspection of ASUS RP-AC68U

The second guest of today's review is the ASUS RP-AC68U repeater. This type of device is aimed at increasing the coverage of a Wi-Fi network. The RP-AC68U comes in a square and fairly massive package. The external design, as always, is informative; there is not only a list of characteristics, but also a description of possible operating modes.

The delivery package includes the repeater itself, a network cable and a power supply. It’s interesting, but in this case the cable is black, and the power supply is a compact adapter with minimal dimensions.

Technical specifications of ASUS RT-AC53 are fully presented atdevice page , we note the main ones:

Network standards: IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac;

Data transfer rate:

• 802.11a: 6,9,12,18,24,36,48,54 Mbps

  802.11b: 1, 2, 5.5, 11 Mbps

  802.11g: 6,9,12,18,24,36,48,54 Mbps

  802.11n: up to 600 Mbps

  802.11ac: up to 1300 Mbps

Encryption : WPA2-PSK, WPA-PSK, WPA-Enterprise, WPA2-Enterprise, WPS support;

Connectors : RJ45 for Gigabit BaseT for LAN x 5.

The external design of the ASUS RT-AC53 is completely non-standard; not only does it not indicate the purpose of the device, but it is also completely disorienting in the space of possible options. In short, we see a tower with dimensions of 178 x 106 x 106 millimeters, while its weight is 870 grams. Each edge has a small recess with a red insert; the upper part has an interesting ROG pattern. In general, Bruce Willis approves.

On the reverse side there are five gigabit LAN connectors, one USB 3.0, a power connector for the power key and WPS activation, as well as two indicators of the basic Wi-Fi network signal level - one indicator for each frequency range.

When turned on, all the red recesses begin to glow with a red backlight - it looks just great. But if desired, the touch key installed in the company logo quickly turns off this beauty, everything is correct, otherwise suddenly the Zorgs will see this repeater.

It is quite possible to disassemble the ASUS RT-AC53, but I only had to dismantle the side panels and the tray. Next comes a completely monolithic design with latches, interestingly inserted antennas, I decided to test it and not break it :). Inside we can find a base of Realtek RTL8198C processor and Realtek RTL8194AR, Realtek RTL8814AR controllers.

In general, the router and repeater are configured in the ASUSWRT shell. It contains an excellent set of available settings for experienced networkers, and most importantly, there is a minimum set for a beginner to quickly start. If the router requires you to set passwords and the name of your Wi-Fi network, then the repeater will need to specify data for the network that needs to be broadcast further.

Further at the interface level you can find all the main settings: Network Map, Traffic Monitor, SmartQoS, Guest Network, Parental Controls, Filtering by MAC addresses, keywords and URLs, VPN Server and Client, friendly approach to firmware updates. We note the presence of good Russification and links to help and search sections.

If more fine-tuning is necessary, both the router and the repeater provide the user with this opportunity.

If we talk about ASUS RT-AC53, between various devices (a group of laptops and a couple of desktop stands), the data exchange rate in the 5 GHz frequency range was at the level of 210 Mbit/s. For the more familiar 2.4 GHz range, speeds of 90-110 Mbit/s were observed. The range of the router is quite familiar: a reliable signal in two rooms, but three monolithic walls are already an obstacle.

When using ASUS RP-AC68U in a network loop, you can add data transfer rates to140.9 Mbit/s and 441.6 Mbit/s for2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands respectively. The results are excellent, especially for the 5 GHz band. As for increasing the range of the signal: if one ASUS RT-AC53, being on the tenth floor, begins to lose connection on the 9th, then when the ASUS RP-AC68U appears, you can safely go down to the 8-7th floor and continue downloading data from the network.

Summary of experience

At the time of publication of the material, in the capital’s retail stores, on average, the following amounts were asked for the heroes of today’s review:

ASUS RT-AC53 about 3000 rubles;

ASUS RP-AC68U about 9500 rubles.

Based on the results of the review, ASUS RT-AC53 can be recommended as a basic router for transferring your home network to the 5 GHz frequency range. Using this model, you can get a good signal level within an apartment or house, adequate firmware with a good description and no need for various kinds of shamanism. Separately, we note the presence of two Gigabit network ports, which, on the one hand, can limit the user with a lot of devices connected via wire, on the other hand, they provide excellent speed for the same TV and the main desktop.

But the repeater ASUS RP-AC68U is already a very interesting and multifaceted device. Of course, it is also suitable for starting to use a 5 GHz connection, and at very good speeds, while it expands the number of LAN ports to five and adds one USB port. However, ASUS RP-AC68U will require a router. In my opinion, the RP-AC68U can be recommended for use in multi-story private buildings that require multiple Wi-Fi signal output points. This way you can organize a drain signal on one, guest floor, and with the help of ASUS RP-AC68U cover the area of ​​​​the main concentration of devices.

Based on the results of all of the above,

ASUS RT-AC53 and RP-AC68U receive award website

Before we start setting up the router, let's check the local network connection settings. For this:

Windows 7

1. Click on " Start", "Control Panel".

2. Click on " View network status and tasks".

3. Click on " Change adapter settings".

4. LAN connectionProperty".

5. From the list select " Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" and press " Property".

6. " and "", then press the " button Ok".

Windows 10

1. Click on " Start", "Options".

2. Click on " Network and Internet".

3. Select " Ethernet" and click on " Configuring adapter settings".

4. In the window that opens we see " Ethernet". Right-click on it and select " Property".

5. From the list select " IP version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" and press " Property".

6. In the window that opens, you need to check the box " Obtain an IP address automatically" And " Obtain DNS server address automatically", then press the button " Ok".

Connecting the ASUS RT-AC1200 router to a computer

The next step is to connect the router ASUS RT-AC1200 to your Laptop or Personal Computer (PC). To do this, you need to connect the cable that your provider provided to you to the WAN port of the router (that is, this is the cable that goes to your apartment, house, office, etc. from outside), and the cable that came with router, connect one end to one of the four LAN ports, and connect the other end to your laptop or PC. And yes, don't forget to connect the power cable.

Authorization of ASUS RT-AC1200 router

So, we have connected the router, now you need to access its web interface through any browser (be it Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc.). To do this, open the browser and enter the router address in the address bar: router.asus.com or 192.168.1.1 and press the button " Enter" on your keyboard.

• Username - admin
• Password - admin

So, enter the data and press " Sing in"

Setting up the ASUS RT-AC1200 router

And finally we got to the router’s Web interface. Now you need to configure the equipment. First of all, let's secure the wireless network by setting a password for wi-fi. Then you will need to find out what type of connection is used to access the Internet, is it PPTP, L2TP or PPPOE. You can find out by calling your provider (this is the organization with which you entered into an agreement to provide Internet services). So, let's start setting up the router. First, let's change the language of the Web interface to Russian. To do this, go to the upper right corner of the interface and click on " English"and choose" Russian"

Setting up a Wi-Fi password on the ASUS RT-AC1200 router

The ASUS RT-AC1200 router is dual-band, which means that the router supports 2 operating frequencies for wireless connections, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. 5 GHz allows for higher throughput, but has a shorter range than 2.4 GHz; 2.4 GHz is more susceptible to interference. 5 GHz is not supported by all devices. Therefore, which frequency to choose is up to you. You can select both, and depending on the circumstances, change the wireless connection on your devices.
I bring to your attention Video instructions for setting a password for wi-fi on a router ASUS RT-AC1200

Let's also take a written and illustrative look at setting up a Wi-Fi password on a router ASUS RT-AC1200 in two frequencies.
1. On the Web interface, go to the menu in the "tab" Wireless network".
2. Go to the column " frequency range"choose" 2.4GHz".
3. In the column " SSID“come up with and indicate the name of your wireless network; this name will be displayed in the future when you connect to the network. I advise you to indicate the frequency used in the name of the network, for example: “imya seti 2.4”.
4. "Channel width" - 20 MHz.
5. Authentication method" - WPA2-Personal".
6. In field " WPA Preshared KeyApply".

7. Go to the column " frequency range"choose" 5GHz".
8. In the column " SSID“come up with and indicate the name of your wireless network; this name will be displayed in the future when you connect to the network. I advise you to indicate the frequency used in the name of the network, for example: “imya seti 5”.
9. "Channel width" - 20/40/80 MHz.
10. Now you need to set a password for the wireless network. To do this, select " Authentication method" - WPA2-Personal".
11. In field " WPA Preshared Key"we come up with and enter a password. Then click " Apply".

Setting up PPTP on the ASUS RT-AC1200 router

PPTP on the router ASUS RT-AC1200 using the ASUS RT-N56U router as an example.

Let's also write and illustrate PPTP on the router ASUS RT-AC1200.
1. Internet".
2. IN " WAN connection type"choose" PPTP".
3. "" and "" select " Yes".
4. Username"), password (in line " PasswordVPN server
5. "Hostname
6. Apply".

Setting up PPTP with a static IP address on the ASUS RT-AC1200 router

Let's look at the connection setup PPTP with static IP address on the router ASUS RT-AC1200.
1. Go to the menu in the tab " Internet".
2. IN " WAN connection type"choose" PPTP".
3. No" against " Obtain WAN IP address automatically" And " Connect to DNS server automatically".
4. IP address"), subnet mask (in line " Subnet mask"), default gateway (in line " Main gate") and DNS (in the line " DNS server 1" And " DNS server 2").
All this data is usually specified in the contract with the provider. If for some reason you could not find them, you need to call your provider's hotline and find out how you can get them.
5. Below you are asked to indicate your user name (in the line " Username"), password (in line " Password"). You will also need to specify the server IP address (in the line " VPN server"). All of the above data is provided to you by the provider (the organization that provided you with the Internet).
6. "Hostname" - any word in Latin, for example "Host".
7. After you have entered all the necessary data, press the button " Apply".

Setting up L2TP on the ASUS RT-AC1200 router

Let's look at the connection setup L2TP on the router ASUS RT-AC1200.
1. Go to the menu in the tab " Internet".
2. IN " WAN connection type"choose" L2TP".
3. "Obtain WAN IP address automatically" And " Connect to DNS server automatically"choose" Yes".
4. Below you are asked to indicate your user name (in the line " Username"), password (in line " Password"). You will also need to specify the server IP address (in the line " VPN server"). All of the above data is provided to you by the provider (the organization that provided you with the Internet).
All this data is usually specified in the contract with the provider. If for some reason you could not find them, you need to call your provider's hotline and find out how you can get them.
5. "Hostname" - any word in Latin, for example "Host".
6. After you have entered all the necessary data, press the button " Apply".

Setting up L2TP with a static IP address on the ASUS RT-AC1200 router

Let's look at the connection setup L2TP with static IP address on the router ASUS RT-AC1200.
Typically, a static IP address is provided to legal entities, or as an additional service to the basic tariff to individuals.
1. Go to the menu in the tab " Internet".
2. IN " WAN connection type"choose" L2TP".
3. Since the connection uses a static IP address, set " No" against " Obtain WAN IP address automatically" And " Connect to DNS server automatically".
4. Specify the server IP address (in the line " IP address"), subnet mask (in line " Subnet mask"), default gateway (in line " Main gate") and DNS (in the line " DNS server 1" And " DNS server 2").
All of the above data is provided to you by the provider (the organization that provided you with the Internet).
All this data is usually specified in the contract with the provider. If for some reason you could not find them, you need to call your provider's hotline and find out how you can get them.
5. Below you are asked to indicate your user name (in the line " Username"), password (in line " Password"). You will also need to specify the server IP address (in the line " VPN server"). All of the above data is provided to you by the provider (the organization that provided you with the Internet).
All this data is also specified in the contract with the provider.
6. "Hostname" - any word in Latin, for example "Host".
7. After you have entered all the necessary data, press the button " Apply".

Setting up PPPOE on the ASUS RT-AC1200 router

I bring to your attention Video instructions for setting up the connection type PPPOE on the router ASUS RT-AC1200 using the ASUS RT-N56U router as an example.

PPPOE on the router ASUS RT-AC1200.
1. Go to the menu in the tab " Internet".
2. IN " WAN connection type"choose" PPPOE".
3. "Obtain WAN IP address automatically" And " Connect to DNS server automatically"choose" Yes".
4. Below you are asked to indicate your user name (in the line " Username"), password (in line " Password"All of the above data is provided to you by the provider (the organization that provided you with the Internet).
All this data is usually specified in the contract with the provider. If for some reason you could not find them, you need to call your provider's hotline and find out how you can get them.
5. After you have entered all the necessary data, press the button " Apply".

Setting up PPPOE with a static IP address on the ASUS RT-AC1200 router

Let's look at the connection setup PPPOE with static IP address on the router ASUS RT-AC1200.
Typically, a static IP address is provided to legal entities, or as an additional service to the basic tariff to individuals.
1. Go to the menu in the tab " Internet".
2. IN " WAN connection type"choose" PPPOE".
3. Since the connection uses a static IP address, set " No" against " Obtain WAN IP address automatically" And " Connect to DNS server automatically".
4. Specify the server IP address (in the line " IP address"), subnet mask (in line " Subnet mask"), default gateway (in line " Main gate") and DNS (in the line " DNS server 1" And " DNS server 2").
All of the above data is provided to you by the provider (the organization that provided you with the Internet).
All this data is usually specified in the contract with the provider. If for some reason you could not find them, you need to call your provider's hotline and find out how you can get them.
5. Below you are asked to indicate your user name (in the line " Username"), password (in line " Password"). All of the above data is provided to you by the provider (the organization that provided you with the Internet).
All this data is also specified in the contract with the provider.
6. After you have entered all the necessary data, press the button " Apply".

Connecting a computer to wi-fi

After connecting and setting up the router, you need to connect the computer to a wireless network (wi-fi), let's consider connecting to wi-fi in two operating systems, these are Windows 7 and Windows 10:

Windows 7

Video instruction

1.

2. Sultan

3. Check the box next to " Connect automatically" and press
"Connection".

4. Specify " Security keyOK".

5.

Windows 10

Video instruction

1. In the lower right corner of the desktop, find the wireless network (wi-fi) icon and click on it with the left mouse button.

2. A window pops up with a list of available wireless networks. Select a wireless network, in my case it is the network " Sultanova"(You select the network whose name was given at ).

3. Check the box next to " Connect automatically" and press
"Connect".

4. Specify " Security key"This is the wireless network password that you specified when . After you have specified the key, click " Further".

5. We wait perhaps a couple of seconds and you are connected to your wireless network.

After the first boom of 802.11ac wireless products, many router companies decided to come up with something unusual for their new models. For example, add a third radio chip and call the device “tri-band”, install a network switch with eight ports, expand the software capabilities. At the same time, we observed the development of the 802.11ac standard itself - the emergence of chips that support four antennas and attempts to implement MU-MIMO. At the same time, for the majority of users who are interested in high speed wireless connections for their mobile devices and already use 802.11ac, the new models usually did not offer anything really useful for this scenario. Not to mention the fact that high-end solutions are traditionally of interest mainly only to enthusiasts or those who have increased requirements for performance or hardware capabilities and have a budget to match.

Asus is one of the most prolific players in the home wireless equipment segment. Currently, in the corresponding section of the site, it offers two dozen routers, of which only one has a single-band access point and only three do not support the 802.11ac protocol.

In this article, we'll take a look at the Asus RT-AC86U, an AC2900-class wireless router with gigabit network ports, USB 3.0, a dual-core processor, and a wide range of advanced firmware features.

Contents of delivery

The router comes in a relatively small cardboard box with a dust jacket. To decorate the latter, predominantly dark colors are used. Matte varnish combines well with glossy varnish in photographs and some other elements.

On one end there is a diagram of the ports on the rear panel of the device, and on the opposite there is a list of technical characteristics. Everything here is quite standard and familiar. Additionally, a potential buyer can find out that the device has high performance, a special antenna design to increase wireless network coverage, is equipped with Trend Micro technologies to improve security, and can also be controlled from a smartphone through a special application. In Russian there are only a couple of lines of general description, but this is not a big problem.

The router is supplied with a power supply, three removable antennas, a network patch cord, a printed quick start guide in several languages, including Russian, as well as several leaflets (warranty card, VIP registration, description of the WTFast function). The power supply is small, made in a “socket” format and has parameters of 19 V 1.75 A. The cable from the power supply has Velcro, which is convenient.

The manufacturer's website has a support section with electronic documentation, firmware updates and FAQ. The warranty period for this model is three years.

Appearance

The design of the model continues the line of “vertical” models of the 66 and 68 series. The case is made of dark matte plastic. Overall dimensions excluding antennas and wire connections are about 22x9x16 cm. The case can only be installed on a horizontal surface, which is worth taking into account.

At the same time, the design of the front panel has changed: instead of the familiar “diamond” mesh, a matte surface with several ribs and a pair of red “metal-like” inserts is used here. An additional decoration is the mirrored manufacturer's logo.

At the bottom of the panel we see eight rectangular indicators. Most use a calm white color, but some can also light up red in case of problems (for example, when there is no Internet connection). The indicators for the WAN, LAN and Wi-Fi interfaces flash when there is active data exchange.

On the right side of the case there are slightly recessed buttons for connecting clients using WPS technology and quickly disabling the router’s wireless modules. There is nothing on the left side.

The body rests on a wide stand with rubber inserts. So there will be no comments on stability even when all cables are connected.

At the top there are three connectors for Wi-Fi antennas, between which ventilation grilles are visible. They continue on the back panel.

All connections and other controls are located at the rear. Here we see: a hidden reset button, a power supply input with a switch, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports, a WAN port and four LAN ports (all without indicators - they are on the front panel, but you can’t tell the client’s connection speed from them). In addition, there is a button to turn off all LEDs. Note the presence of a transparent insert with the company logo, which was illuminated in some previous models. The new product does not have such a function.

There are no significant comments on the design of the device. The abandonment of the already slightly boring mesh on the front panel and the use of red inserts clearly benefited the appearance. The antennas have also become a little more interesting. It’s a pity that they didn’t implement convenient latches on the connectors, like the BRT-AC828 model. Well, it’s worth reminding once again that this device is designed only for installation on a table or shelf. There is no standard way to hang it on the wall.

Hardware configuration

The router runs on a Broadcom BCM4906 processor. This chip has two cores with ARM v8 Cortex-A53 architecture and a frequency of 1.8 GHz. This is a fairly modern chip that supports the PCIe bus, is equipped with USB 2.0/USB 3.0 controllers, a five-port gigabit network switch and various “accelerators” (there is also SATA, but it is not used in this model). The router's flash memory capacity is 256 MB, and its RAM capacity is 512 MB. This SoC is not found in other Asus devices.

There are two radio units on the printed circuit board - BCM4365E for the 2.4 GHz band and BCM4366E for the 5 GHz band. The first supports 802.11b/g/n standards with a maximum connection speed of up to 750 Mbit/s, which is ensured by working with three antennas and new modulation modes and requires their support on the client side. It’s probably not worth talking about the widespread use of such adapters, so with most 802.11n devices you can only get 150 Mbit/s per antenna. However, this feature may still be useful for some users. The second chip supports 802.11a/n/ac and a 4x4:4 scheme. To implement this, there is a fourth antenna for the 5 GHz band inside the router case. The BCM4366E supports a maximum connection speed of 2167 Mbps for 1024QAM modulation, without it you can expect 433 Mbps per antenna. So in total the router received the AC2900 class. It’s interesting that formally both BCM4365E and BCM4366E support both bands, but for unification it was probably easier to install similar chips. Note that the Wave2 generation and support for MU-MIMO, Beamforming and other technologies are also announced for them.

All key chips, except for flash, are located on one side of the printed circuit board and are covered with screens, on top of which a relatively small radiator is mounted. On the reverse side of the board there is also a plate to improve thermal conditions, installed through special gaskets. There were no comments regarding the temperature during testing.

An additional shield is used for USB 3.0 port lines. There is a console port on the printed circuit board (remember that the firmware provides access via Telnet and SSH).

The router was tested with firmware version 3.0.0.4.382.18219.

Settings and features

The factory configuration of the router requires changing the administrator password, setting up the Internet connection and wireless network settings. These operations can be performed through the setup wizard when you first log into the device through a browser or using a mobile application. In the future, the router is configured through the familiar web interface. The design is no different from the previously reviewed models. According to the list of features, the device is close to the top solutions of this manufacturer. In particular, there are such additional functions as AiProtect, traffic analysis and control, Game Boost, AiCloud, VPN server, guest wireless networks and much more.

Considering that we have already described both the capabilities and web interface of Asus firmware many times, for a change in this article we will try the program for a smartphone.

So, we have a router out of the box and a smartphone with the Asus Router program installed, available for Android and iOS. By the way, there are a couple of other programs in stores that may be useful to users of this device. After starting the program, select “I want to set up a new router.” If you have the appropriate permissions, the utility itself finds the wireless networks of the new router and offers to connect to them.

Next, you have the opportunity to configure Internet connection settings if what the router found on its own does not suit you. You can also change the names and passwords of wireless networks and the administrator name/password in the wizard. This assistant repeats the option from the web interface.

The main screen of the program displays the model and name of the router, as well as the current load on the Internet channel and several menu icons. If you touch the first item, information on the model, firmware, operating mode, addresses and other data about the router will be displayed on the screen. After touching the graph, you will be able to view more detailed information on traffic by interface - Internet, wired network, access points.

In addition, you can scroll through the central area to view additional data: the number of clients, names of wireless networks, processor load and RAM.

The "Devices" menu item will show you the current list of clients with connection type and IP addresses. From there you can go to the settings settings of each device, where you can view exactly its traffic, block access to the Internet, limit reception and transmission speeds, and also rename the client. Note that all operations are carried out “on the fly” without rebooting the router.

The section with the untranslated name “Insight” is a built-in help system for setting up your home network in the most secure operating mode. In particular, it contains tips and tricks, as well as links to relevant functions.

The next interesting item is “Family”. Considering the number of gadgets, the ability to group them by user with setting a single policy for Internet access and content filtering looks useful, especially for parents.

Here you can create a network user account and include several devices in it, regardless of their type of connection to the network (via Wi-Fi or cable). As a result, you will be able to configure the allowed Internet access time, content filtering options, and also view unified statistics on network usage.

All other settings of the mobile utility are collected behind the “More” button. Here you can find access icons for 16 additional functions, links to other proprietary programs from Asus and third-party companies for working with the router. Some of the items duplicate access to the same settings that we talked about above. For example, this applies to “Speed ​​Limiter”, “Traffic Statistics”, “Parental Controls” and others.

Among the useful parameters, there are detailed settings for wireless networks, including managing guest networks and black access lists.

From the mobile application you can enable access to files via FTP or Samba, as well as enable Game Boost mode, but there are no such detailed settings as in the web interface. In addition, the program provides access to the security scanner service built into the firmware to monitor the router settings.

System functions include diagnosing the network connection, monitoring the load on the processor and RAM, updating the router firmware, saving and restoring settings.

Given the growing number of wireless mobile devices, such a program may be useful for many users. It's convenient that you don't need to turn on your computer to manage wireless networks or clients. Moreover, the program fully works not only from the home network, but also via the Internet, even if the router has a gray address.

Testing

Considering the powerful hardware platform, we did not expect any problems in the main traffic routing scenario. Tests have confirmed that the router is capable of providing almost gigabit speeds in all connection modes.

In fairness, it is worth noting that PPTP and L2TP traffic is processed at the software level, and during tests in these modes, one of the processor cores is fully loaded. While IPoE and PPPoE work with a hardware accelerator and practically do not load the processor. Note that the tests are carried out with factory settings, and some of the additional functions provided in the firmware are not compatible with the hardware accelerator and disable it. But in any case, this model is one of the fastest today.

Processor resources will also be in demand when implementing a remote connection to a home or office network using VPN technology. The router has built-in PPTP and OpenVPN servers. The following graph shows the results of testing a remote client scenario with eight threads (four for transmission and four for reception). The router was connected to the emulated Internet network in IPoE mode.

As we can see, if you do not use encryption, you can get very high speeds. But even with encryption, the results are very impressive - about 200 Mbit/s for both PPTP with MPPE128 and OpenVPN. Unfortunately, it was not possible to check the speed of the PPTP server under other Internet connection modes, but OpenVPN had no problems. At the same time, its performance even increased - up to 230 Mbit/s in PPTP and L2TP. Probably, disabling hardware NAT in these modes played a role here. On the other hand, why else use such a powerful processor?

The router has two radio units that provide connection at speeds of up to 750 and 2167 Mbit/s in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, respectively. However, you need to understand that these figures are mainly of a marketing nature - finding clients who are able to work with these speeds is very difficult (except for the option of a second same router in client mode). So our testing, which used Asus PCE-AC68 adapters with three antennas and a maximum connection speed of “only” 1300 Mbit/s, can still be considered indicative. In this test, the distance between the router and the client was about four meters in line of sight.

In the 2.4 GHz band, the devices operated with a 20 MHz channel, which is more common in urban environments. In this case, the actual maximum data exchange speed was up to 150 Mbit/s, which can be considered a good result. Note that there were a couple of dozen neighboring networks in this range on air during the tests.

However, buying a router of this level without the goal of working with 802.11ac in the 5 GHz band is at least strange. Testing even with our “not maximum” adapter showed that in single-threaded mode you can get more than 400 Mbit/s of real speed, and when working in several threads, performance exceeds 800 Mbit/s.

In the next test, we used two clients with these adapters simultaneously. The first two scenarios were the simultaneous operation of two clients when connected in the 2.4+5 and 5+5 bands; in the third, two clients in the 5 GHz band exchanged data with each other.

In the first scenario, we can say that the radio units in the router do not interfere with each other’s work, and the processor performance is sufficient to service them at high speed. The second scenario shows that the router is capable of efficiently serving several clients at the same time. Well, the third, quite expectedly, demonstrates that wireless communication operates in a common environment shared by all devices, so that between clients the speed is approximately two times lower than when working with a router.

The following test was carried out with the Zopo ZP920+ smartphone, equipped with a dual-band wireless module with one antenna and support for the 802.11ac protocol. At the same time, we installed the smartphone at three points in the apartment at different distances from the router through one and two non-permanent walls. The 2.4 GHz results are just for comparison, for the former only, as opposed to the 5 GHz connection which would clearly be preferable in this case.

The results show strong performance at speeds of around 200 Mbps in the 5 GHz band at all locations tested. So we can say that the router in question really provides good coverage and even such relatively weak clients as smartphones will feel comfortable with it not only if they are in close proximity.

The next group of tests was carried out to evaluate the speed capabilities of the router for the network storage scenario. For this we used an SSD with a USB 3.0 adapter. Note that to fully work with this version of the bus, you need to change one of the options in the settings of the wireless access point to 2.4 GHz. The speed was assessed on tasks of reading and writing one large file using the SMB and FTP protocols using file systems supported by the router.

The maximum values ​​are reached for read operations and correspond to the capabilities of a gigabit network and are about 110 MB/s. Note that although recording is slower, in general the values ​​for a router are very good - for the most common NTFS at home, you can count on more than 90 MB/s.

Unfortunately, the current version of the router software does not allow you to evaluate the temperature conditions of the radio units, so the following graph shows only the values ​​for the temperature sensor of the main processor. A total of three scenarios were tested: idle, routing with L2TP, and simultaneous broadcast to two wireless clients in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands.

In the first two scenarios, the heating level does not cause concern. But the third demonstrates more than 90 degrees. However, this value was achieved after half an hour of operation with maximum load on the radio units, which is rarely encountered in practice.

In similar modes, we also assessed the level of power consumption of the router “out of the socket”.

Power consumption in these modes does not exceed 20 W. As we can see, the power supply parameters were chosen with a significant margin, even if we use a USB 3.0 drive connection.

Conclusion

The Asus RT-AC86U router is an interesting continuation of the “not overly expensive” line of devices from this manufacturer. The router case boasts an updated design, but there is no possibility of wall mounting. All ports are located on the back, and on the side there are a couple of convenient buttons for quick Wi-Fi control. The indicators on the front panel are not distractingly bright and can be turned off.

The model is based on a fast platform with a dual-core processor and large amounts of RAM. In routing tasks, this device showed speeds at the level of its gigabit ports, despite the fact that some scenarios were processed in software. I was also very impressed with the performance of the VPN server. The presence of a USB 3.0 port in this model no longer looks like an excess: the speed of data access is practically no different from mid-level network drives. A modern radio unit provides high speed and good wireless network coverage in the 5 GHz band. As for operation in 2.4 GHz, much will depend on the parameters of the clients and the state of the airwaves.

The firmware differs little from other top-tier models from this manufacturer. It has a full set of the most popular functions and services in this segment, as well as several additional modules. In particular, we note the security functions based on Trend Micro technologies and services for access control and customer traffic control. Acquaintance with the proprietary mobile utility can be considered quite successful. Of course, in terms of the range of available settings, it is inferior to the web interface, but for operational control and management it is noticeably more convenient.

At the time of writing this article, the device had not yet been presented on the local market, so it is not possible to correctly assess its attractiveness in terms of cost. In foreign online stores, the Asus RT-AC86U costs about $200, and for the same amount you can buy Asus devices of a formally higher level in terms of wireless connections. According to the manufacturer, the model should have become available on the local market from December this year at a recommended cost of 11 thousand rubles. In this case, you need to look at the actual requirements: are three bands important to you or a processor with a good power reserve? Or maybe it’s worth spending half as much and buying something simpler, like the RT-AC66U? In any case, Asus RT-AC86U must find its buyer.

To measure the radio channel throughput, we used two wireless adapters. The first is a fairly simple ASUS USB-AC53 with a USB 2.0 interface. The second adapter, ASUS PCE-AC68, is more sophisticated: it is equipped with a PCI Express interface, three external antennas and supports TurboQAM technology, thanks to which the router we are considering is considered the fastest on the market.

To measure throughput, we used three computers running IxChariot. Measurement scenario - High Throughput. During the test, data was transmitted simultaneously in both directions (from the adapter to the router and back). We conducted tests with each adapter in both ranges at different channel widths. In the latest test, the USB-AC53 was connected to the router in the 2.4 GHz band, and the PCE-AC68 was connected to the 5 GHz band. Data exchange was carried out between wireless clients and a third computer, which was connected to the LAN port.

Unfortunately, we couldn't find a way to visually check whether TurboQAM technology was used in our tests. Of course, the throughput indicators we obtained are far from the passport values. However, you can compare the results obtained using an adapter with TurboQAM support and without it. The result of 243 Mbps at 2.4 GHz is good, this is noticeably higher than that of other top routers that were in our test laboratory. The maximum throughput (obtained when using two adapters in different bands) is 368 Mbit/s. This is far not only from the 1900 Mbit/s declared by the manufacturer, but also from the performance of competitors. For example, a router