Ultra-fast 802.11ac dual-band WLAN router with a speed of 3167 Mbit/s for low latency in online gaming, smooth playback of 4K/UHD videos, and extremely fast file sharing. 4x4 antenna design with AiRadar Universal Beamforming for unmatched WLAN range. With the intuitive ASUS Router App, the network can be managed from anywhere without the need for a PC. The router features the exclusive WTFast In-Game Accelerator, which ensures a smooth gaming experience in supported online multiplayer games. AiProtection with Trend Micro provides triple, powerful security for the network, ensuring high privacy protection and efficient parental controls. 8 Gigabit LAN ports for versatile connectivity options. Link Aggregation for a wired network speed of 2 Gbit/s and faster access for all devices. The revolutionary MU-MIMO technology can connect multiple MU-MIMO compatible devices simultaneously at their maximum speed. AiMesh support – Combine compatible ASUS routers to create a powerful WLAN system that covers the entire living area.
Ultra-fast 802.11ac dual-band WLAN router with a speed of 3167 Mbit/s for low latency in online gaming, smooth playback of 4K/UHD videos, and extremely fast file sharing. 4x4 antenna design with AiRadar Universal Beamforming for unmatched WLAN range. With the intuitive ASUS Router App, the network can be managed from anywhere without the need for a PC. The router features the exclusive WTFast In-Game Accelerator, which ensures a smooth gaming experience in supported online multiplayer games. AiProtection with Trend Micro provides triple, powerful security for the network, ensuring high privacy protection and efficient parental controls. 8 Gigabit LAN ports for versatile connectivity options. Link Aggregation for a wired network speed of 2 Gbit/s and faster access for all devices. The revolutionary MU-MIMO technology can connect multiple MU-MIMO compatible devices simultaneously at their maximum speed. AiMesh support – Combine compatible ASUS routers to create a powerful WLAN system that covers the entire living area.
Ultra-fast 802.11ac dual-band WLAN router with a speed of 3167 Mbit/s for low latency in online gaming, smooth playback of 4K/UHD videos, and extremely fast file sharing. 4x4 antenna design with AiRadar Universal Beamforming for unmatched WLAN range. With the intuitive ASUS Router App, the network can be managed from anywhere without the need for a PC. The router features the exclusive WTFast In-Game Accelerator, which ensures a smooth gaming experience in supported online multiplayer games. AiProtection with Trend Micro provides triple, powerful security for the network, ensuring high privacy protection and efficient parental controls. 8 Gigabit LAN ports for versatile connectivity options. Link Aggregation for a wired network speed of 2 Gbit/s and faster access for all devices. The revolutionary MU-MIMO technology can connect multiple MU-MIMO compatible devices simultaneously at their maximum speed. AiMesh support – Combine compatible ASUS routers to create a powerful WLAN system that covers the entire living area.
Ultra-fast 802.11ac dual-band WLAN router with a speed of 3167 Mbit/s for low latency in online gaming, smooth playback of 4K/UHD videos, and extremely fast file sharing. 4x4 antenna design with AiRadar Universal Beamforming for unmatched WLAN range. With the intuitive ASUS Router App, the network can be managed from anywhere without the need for a PC. The router features the exclusive WTFast In-Game Accelerator, which ensures a smooth gaming experience in supported online multiplayer games. AiProtection with Trend Micro provides triple, powerful security for the network, ensuring high privacy protection and efficient parental controls. 8 Gigabit LAN ports for versatile connectivity options. Link Aggregation for a wired network speed of 2 Gbit/s and faster access for all devices. The revolutionary MU-MIMO technology can connect multiple MU-MIMO compatible devices simultaneously at their maximum speed. AiMesh support – Combine compatible ASUS routers to create a powerful WLAN system that covers the entire living area.
Last updated at 06/08/2026 18:08:45
ASUS DSL-AC88U AC3100 Wi-Fi Gigabit Modem Router, Upto 18x Speed Than VDSL2, USB 3.0 for LTE/3G Connection, Media Server for (BT Infinity, YouView,
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ASUS RT-AC88U Gaming Router
Free delivery
Asus Rt-ac88u Ac3100 Dual Band Wireless Router 8 Lan Ports Aimesh
Free delivery
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Asus RT-AC88U Gigabit 5G Dual band VPN Client 802.11ac 3167Mbps MU-MIMO 2.4 GHz/5 GHz 8x1000Mbps
Delivery $19.26
ASUS RT-AC88U Dual Band AC3100 Gigabit Router
60-day returns
Asus Dual Band AC3100 Gigabit Router (RT-AC88U)
30-day returns
Asus RT-AC88UX2 Dual-Band Wireless AC3100 Router Twin Pack
7-day returns
originally posted on neweggbusiness.com
I think these companies count on people not reporting/reviewing their flawed products and horrible service, but here is a review, better late than never: I purchased an on-sale AC3100 in the summer, but did not get to installing it for 2 months (we had some hurricane issues in Florida that pushed new router setup to the back burner). It sat safely in it's shipping box until I was ready for it. Immediately I noticed firmware design flaws like the inability of the router to see the internet when in AP or Media Bridge mode, so no NTP ability, no ability to check for firmware updates, etc. Customer support confirmed this. I decided to just use it in Router mode for the time being, so it would sync it's date/time (no way to do manually) and update its firmware. The 5G ... MoreI think these companies count on people not reporting/reviewing their flawed products and horrible service, but here is a review, better late than never: I purchased an on-sale AC3100 in the summer, but did not get to installing it for 2 months (we had some hurricane issues in Florida that pushed new router setup to the back burner). It sat safely in it's shipping box until I was ready for it. Immediately I noticed firmware design flaws like the inability of the router to see the internet when in AP or Media Bridge mode, so no NTP ability, no ability to check for firmware updates, etc. Customer support confirmed this. I decided to just use it in Router mode for the time being, so it would sync it's date/time (no way to do manually) and update its firmware. The 5G worked for 2 hours and the 2G for 3 days. A problem many seemed to have had based on all the forum posts I have read (unfortunately after my purchase, not before to warn me away) Customer support could do little more than read from a script, evidenced by techs who could not handle me providing all relevant information up-front in my calls, and instead having to go through a 10 minute question and answer routine. They did not even understand the concept of a "bug report" on the firmware issue, and could only tell me to send it back. When I tried to send it back they told me the warranty had expired and that there was nothing they could do. After a long discussion with multiple people ASUS continued to not stand behind their flawed product. I have since discovered that I can get enterprise quality WiFi products for the same price for comparable functionality. Never again ASUS, never again.
originally posted on neweggbusiness.com
ProTip 4: (Update 8/31): If the router dropped and the antenna's plastic hinge-pins broke out -- yeah, sh-- happens, I see it all the time in the field -- find a friend who's into 3D Printing and ask for a small piece of 1.75mm filament -- black ABS being ideal. The diameter is darn near perfect as a replacement, and the filament will feed all the way through if you set the hinge at 90 degrees so the antenna wire stays out of the way while feeding the hinge pin. You can then lock the repair into place permanently by melting the ends out with a hot blade or knife. These hinge-pins appear to be designed to sacrifice themselves to prevent even worse damage to the antennas (thankfully) so don't just stick a paperclip or other piece of metal as a hinge-pin repair. ProTip ... MoreProTip 4: (Update 8/31): If the router dropped and the antenna's plastic hinge-pins broke out -- yeah, sh-- happens, I see it all the time in the field -- find a friend who's into 3D Printing and ask for a small piece of 1.75mm filament -- black ABS being ideal. The diameter is darn near perfect as a replacement, and the filament will feed all the way through if you set the hinge at 90 degrees so the antenna wire stays out of the way while feeding the hinge pin. You can then lock the repair into place permanently by melting the ends out with a hot blade or knife. These hinge-pins appear to be designed to sacrifice themselves to prevent even worse damage to the antennas (thankfully) so don't just stick a paperclip or other piece of metal as a hinge-pin repair. ProTip 3: (Update 8/30): For anyone experiencing "5G Dropout" issues - Go to your 5G WiFi Settings, and TURN OFF the "auto channel" setting -- it's best to manually set your router's channel. Use "Wifi Analyzer" or similar tool on an Android Phone to visually inspect nearby traffic, and select a channel that's not so saturated. It really is that simple. I've experienced "5G Dropout" on a couple of sites, and found that the default "auto channel" setting just doesn't optimize or change the 5G channel at all. (Probably an ASUS firmware bug, but when on a field-service call, I gotta get in, fix the breakage, and get out quickly -- setting the channel manually is the easiest quick-fix) ProTip 2: (Update 3/27): The unit I received to replace the one I sent back was running BETA firmware from April 2016 -- a version that's known be faulty! Note that the Beta version numbers are higher than the production version numbers, so the router was unable to self-detect any firmware updates once this Beta firmware was installed. Manually downloading the firmware file from ASUS to a PC, and then uploading that to the Router solved the issue with the device, and it's now rock solid as it should be. Very happy with both now. ProTip: If you suspect glitchy hardware (Wifi or WAN won't stay connected), look at the router's General Logs. If you see lots of repeated kernel messages that are nearly identical, chances are you do indeed have hardware problems that are not user-serviceable. You could also try a Factory Default Reset, a 30-30-30 restart, and re-upload the firmware; if the device still doesn't right itself, send it back for a replacement. If device is truly faulty, it should demonstrate that within first day or week of service - it's up to you to test thoroughly -- say, BitTorrent the MAME ROMs from archive.org, or synchronize a large Dropbox folder over WiFi over the course of a weekend?
originally posted on overclockers.co.uk
Bought this as a replacement for a DSL-AC68U and in terms of WiFi range and performance it's a significant step up.However once in use, it's clear that the AsusWRT build for this router is years behind other Asus routers, no AiMesh, no adaptive QOS (it has QOS but much more basic than current builds), updating dynamic dns via dnsomatic doesn't work (did on the DSL-AC68U), I could go on.The final straw was that we lost our DSL line for a couple of days and I expected to be able to tether an Android phone to it as backup (this is listed as supported on Asus' UK website), the phone was recognised but the option to pick it as a WAN device for tethering was missing in the GUI. Only after raising the issue with Asus they've replied it's not supported.If you're ... MoreBought this as a replacement for a DSL-AC68U and in terms of WiFi range and performance it's a significant step up.However once in use, it's clear that the AsusWRT build for this router is years behind other Asus routers, no AiMesh, no adaptive QOS (it has QOS but much more basic than current builds), updating dynamic dns via dnsomatic doesn't work (did on the DSL-AC68U), I could go on.The final straw was that we lost our DSL line for a couple of days and I expected to be able to tether an Android phone to it as backup (this is listed as supported on Asus' UK website), the phone was recognised but the option to pick it as a WAN device for tethering was missing in the GUI. Only after raising the issue with Asus they've replied it's not supported.If you're looking for a high-performance DSL router the DSL-AC88U certainly beats any freebie ISP router for performance, range and features but compared to current routers, even other Asus routers, the DSL-AC88U is years behind, steer clear.
| WAN connection | |
| Ethernet WAN | Y |
| Wireless LAN features | |
| Modulation | 1024-QAM |
| Wi-Fi standards | 802.11a,Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac),802.11g,Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) |
ASUS DSL-AC88U AC3100 Wi-Fi Gigabit Modem Router, Upto 18x Speed Than VDSL2, USB 3.0 for LTE/3G Connection, Media Server for (BT Infinity, YouView,
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
ASUS RT-AC88U Gaming Router
Free delivery
Asus Rt-ac88u Ac3100 Dual Band Wireless Router 8 Lan Ports Aimesh
Free delivery
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Asus RT-AC88U Gigabit 5G Dual band VPN Client 802.11ac 3167Mbps MU-MIMO 2.4 GHz/5 GHz 8x1000Mbps
Delivery $19.26
ASUS RT-AC88U Dual Band AC3100 Gigabit Router
60-day returns
I think these companies count on people not reporting/reviewing their flawed products and horrible service, but here is a review, better late than never: I purchased an on-sale AC3100 in the summer, but did not get to installing it for 2 months (we had some hurricane issues in Florida that pushed new router setup to the back burner). It sat safely in it's shipping box until I was ready for it. Immediately I noticed firmware design flaws like the inability of the router to see the internet when in AP or Media Bridge mode, so no NTP ability, no ability to check for firmware updates, etc. Customer support confirmed this. I decided to just use it in Router mode for the time being, so it would sync it's date/time (no way to do manually) and update its firmware. The 5G ... MoreI think these companies count on people not reporting/reviewing their flawed products and horrible service, but here is a review, better late than never: I purchased an on-sale AC3100 in the summer, but did not get to installing it for 2 months (we had some hurricane issues in Florida that pushed new router setup to the back burner). It sat safely in it's shipping box until I was ready for it. Immediately I noticed firmware design flaws like the inability of the router to see the internet when in AP or Media Bridge mode, so no NTP ability, no ability to check for firmware updates, etc. Customer support confirmed this. I decided to just use it in Router mode for the time being, so it would sync it's date/time (no way to do manually) and update its firmware. The 5G worked for 2 hours and the 2G for 3 days. A problem many seemed to have had based on all the forum posts I have read (unfortunately after my purchase, not before to warn me away) Customer support could do little more than read from a script, evidenced by techs who could not handle me providing all relevant information up-front in my calls, and instead having to go through a 10 minute question and answer routine. They did not even understand the concept of a "bug report" on the firmware issue, and could only tell me to send it back. When I tried to send it back they told me the warranty had expired and that there was nothing they could do. After a long discussion with multiple people ASUS continued to not stand behind their flawed product. I have since discovered that I can get enterprise quality WiFi products for the same price for comparable functionality. Never again ASUS, never again.
ProTip 4: (Update 8/31): If the router dropped and the antenna's plastic hinge-pins broke out -- yeah, sh-- happens, I see it all the time in the field -- find a friend who's into 3D Printing and ask for a small piece of 1.75mm filament -- black ABS being ideal. The diameter is darn near perfect as a replacement, and the filament will feed all the way through if you set the hinge at 90 degrees so the antenna wire stays out of the way while feeding the hinge pin. You can then lock the repair into place permanently by melting the ends out with a hot blade or knife. These hinge-pins appear to be designed to sacrifice themselves to prevent even worse damage to the antennas (thankfully) so don't just stick a paperclip or other piece of metal as a hinge-pin repair. ProTip ... MoreProTip 4: (Update 8/31): If the router dropped and the antenna's plastic hinge-pins broke out -- yeah, sh-- happens, I see it all the time in the field -- find a friend who's into 3D Printing and ask for a small piece of 1.75mm filament -- black ABS being ideal. The diameter is darn near perfect as a replacement, and the filament will feed all the way through if you set the hinge at 90 degrees so the antenna wire stays out of the way while feeding the hinge pin. You can then lock the repair into place permanently by melting the ends out with a hot blade or knife. These hinge-pins appear to be designed to sacrifice themselves to prevent even worse damage to the antennas (thankfully) so don't just stick a paperclip or other piece of metal as a hinge-pin repair. ProTip 3: (Update 8/30): For anyone experiencing "5G Dropout" issues - Go to your 5G WiFi Settings, and TURN OFF the "auto channel" setting -- it's best to manually set your router's channel. Use "Wifi Analyzer" or similar tool on an Android Phone to visually inspect nearby traffic, and select a channel that's not so saturated. It really is that simple. I've experienced "5G Dropout" on a couple of sites, and found that the default "auto channel" setting just doesn't optimize or change the 5G channel at all. (Probably an ASUS firmware bug, but when on a field-service call, I gotta get in, fix the breakage, and get out quickly -- setting the channel manually is the easiest quick-fix) ProTip 2: (Update 3/27): The unit I received to replace the one I sent back was running BETA firmware from April 2016 -- a version that's known be faulty! Note that the Beta version numbers are higher than the production version numbers, so the router was unable to self-detect any firmware updates once this Beta firmware was installed. Manually downloading the firmware file from ASUS to a PC, and then uploading that to the Router solved the issue with the device, and it's now rock solid as it should be. Very happy with both now. ProTip: If you suspect glitchy hardware (Wifi or WAN won't stay connected), look at the router's General Logs. If you see lots of repeated kernel messages that are nearly identical, chances are you do indeed have hardware problems that are not user-serviceable. You could also try a Factory Default Reset, a 30-30-30 restart, and re-upload the firmware; if the device still doesn't right itself, send it back for a replacement. If device is truly faulty, it should demonstrate that within first day or week of service - it's up to you to test thoroughly -- say, BitTorrent the MAME ROMs from archive.org, or synchronize a large Dropbox folder over WiFi over the course of a weekend?
Bought this as a replacement for a DSL-AC68U and in terms of WiFi range and performance it's a significant step up.However once in use, it's clear that the AsusWRT build for this router is years behind other Asus routers, no AiMesh, no adaptive QOS (it has QOS but much more basic than current builds), updating dynamic dns via dnsomatic doesn't work (did on the DSL-AC68U), I could go on.The final straw was that we lost our DSL line for a couple of days and I expected to be able to tether an Android phone to it as backup (this is listed as supported on Asus' UK website), the phone was recognised but the option to pick it as a WAN device for tethering was missing in the GUI. Only after raising the issue with Asus they've replied it's not supported.If you're ... MoreBought this as a replacement for a DSL-AC68U and in terms of WiFi range and performance it's a significant step up.However once in use, it's clear that the AsusWRT build for this router is years behind other Asus routers, no AiMesh, no adaptive QOS (it has QOS but much more basic than current builds), updating dynamic dns via dnsomatic doesn't work (did on the DSL-AC68U), I could go on.The final straw was that we lost our DSL line for a couple of days and I expected to be able to tether an Android phone to it as backup (this is listed as supported on Asus' UK website), the phone was recognised but the option to pick it as a WAN device for tethering was missing in the GUI. Only after raising the issue with Asus they've replied it's not supported.If you're looking for a high-performance DSL router the DSL-AC88U certainly beats any freebie ISP router for performance, range and features but compared to current routers, even other Asus routers, the DSL-AC88U is years behind, steer clear.
I highly recommend this, with some reservations. As others have pointed out, the setup was frustrating as it would not take the default admin password to enter setup as the system had someone else's configuration in the unit. I was able to eventually get the unit completely reset, however, and that did the trick. I do IT setups for the offices that I supervise, so I have some intermediate knowledge of how to troubleshoot this and get it done. Beginners will be frustrated as the Asus website basically directs one to reset the modem using the Admin password, which obviously has been changed and is inaccessible. Once I was able to do that, the setup was easy-peasy, with the unit going out and updating it's firmware to the latest version. Every device in my home ... MoreI highly recommend this, with some reservations. As others have pointed out, the setup was frustrating as it would not take the default admin password to enter setup as the system had someone else's configuration in the unit. I was able to eventually get the unit completely reset, however, and that did the trick. I do IT setups for the offices that I supervise, so I have some intermediate knowledge of how to troubleshoot this and get it done. Beginners will be frustrated as the Asus website basically directs one to reset the modem using the Admin password, which obviously has been changed and is inaccessible. Once I was able to do that, the setup was easy-peasy, with the unit going out and updating it's firmware to the latest version. Every device in my home connected easily (and my Bose wireless system had always had issues before, requiring numerous attempts, which were not required here on any of the units) and all had strong, stable signals, including my garage door sensor (the farthest from the center of the house as you can get while still inside), which had always been an issue with previous wireless routers. I waited for a few weeks to write this review to see if it would lose wifi signal or have issues, as other reviewers have noted. No issues at all, which might be attributable to the new firmware, which appears to be regularly updated (latest was released 9/19/18!). Again, very pleased, especially for the price (got it on such a great one day sale that the $12 I spent for the added 1 year warranty through Square Trade was a no-brainer!); however, I repeat my points: Have at least an intermediate knowledge of router setup in case you need to troubleshoot and get the Square Trade warranty if you are concerned about some of the reviews where people had issues.... That being said, I've got strong, stable, fast coverage throughout my property now and couldn't be happier with that result!
I purchased this router to upgrade the standard BT router.I read reviews of a few different routers, and with the price reduction, this seemed like the one to go for.I paid for the specified delivery and received it at a convenient time on that day.The initial assembly was very straightforward, and the router looked the part.This is where it all went downhill.The initial setup was a nightmare, i had to get someone i know who does networking professionally. And even he had difficulties setting it up.It was a really difficult and convoluted setup, with only his professional knowledge able to get us through some of the steps.If i did not have his backup, i would of really struggled.Then once setup the router was actually slower and the signal worse than the ... MoreI purchased this router to upgrade the standard BT router.I read reviews of a few different routers, and with the price reduction, this seemed like the one to go for.I paid for the specified delivery and received it at a convenient time on that day.The initial assembly was very straightforward, and the router looked the part.This is where it all went downhill.The initial setup was a nightmare, i had to get someone i know who does networking professionally. And even he had difficulties setting it up.It was a really difficult and convoluted setup, with only his professional knowledge able to get us through some of the steps.If i did not have his backup, i would of really struggled.Then once setup the router was actually slower and the signal worse than the standard BT router.Add to this a very loud click every 60seconds, showed me that this was not the router for me.So it was returned for a refund, minus what i had paid for delivery sadly.
Upgrading from a 4 year old 68u that has begun failing, wanted a unit with link aggregation. The unit I received is hardware version 6. Be advised the unit is rather large. I have a small complaint that isn't exactly a "con", What the Fast (haha had to spell it out because newegg deemed it an unsuitable term). It is a subscription based hop optimizer that only works with one device/account/game at a time, and the list of supported games is small. There exists better systems for this task out there (cost free, multiple systems simultaneously, manually controlled, low to no restrictions on games supported). Seems primarily useful for solitary console gamers, because they don't have the freedom to choose who they do or don't connect to (no server browsers, can't ... MoreUpgrading from a 4 year old 68u that has begun failing, wanted a unit with link aggregation. The unit I received is hardware version 6. Be advised the unit is rather large. I have a small complaint that isn't exactly a "con", What the Fast (haha had to spell it out because newegg deemed it an unsuitable term). It is a subscription based hop optimizer that only works with one device/account/game at a time, and the list of supported games is small. There exists better systems for this task out there (cost free, multiple systems simultaneously, manually controlled, low to no restrictions on games supported). Seems primarily useful for solitary console gamers, because they don't have the freedom to choose who they do or don't connect to (no server browsers, can't manually choose best pings). Personally I'd rather have the ability to uninstall it from the router, freeing up storage and gui space. I'm knocking 1 egg off for this (what feels like to me) limited, restrictive, pay to play, "bloatware" I don't need or want and will never use. Edit 1-20-21: 5ghz radio died a couple months ago. I suspect it was heat related. Radio's were near 60c, and cpu is pegged at 92c. It was a strong performer until it failed. Sure wish I could find a router that lasts.
Successful Twice 06/03/2017 I'll reconfigure one RT AC3100 for a repeater, keeping the other as a media bridge, and add a RT AC5300 if the neighbors start drowning my home network again. The added beauty of having two RT AC3100 routers is they will work perfectly with the RT AC5300, and each will output a rate almost as well as a single RT AC3100 does alone when used in conjunction with the RT AC5300 - since the RT AC5300 has a much higher output rate with its three bands. UPDATE 7/26/2017: I purchased a refurbished open box RT AC5300 to go along with my two refurbished RT AC3100s. The refurbished AC5300 arrived with a non-working 2.4 GHz radio. But, it did allow me to see how well its two 5 GHz radios worked with my AC3100s. I returned the refurbished AC5300 and ... MoreSuccessful Twice 06/03/2017 I'll reconfigure one RT AC3100 for a repeater, keeping the other as a media bridge, and add a RT AC5300 if the neighbors start drowning my home network again. The added beauty of having two RT AC3100 routers is they will work perfectly with the RT AC5300, and each will output a rate almost as well as a single RT AC3100 does alone when used in conjunction with the RT AC5300 - since the RT AC5300 has a much higher output rate with its three bands. UPDATE 7/26/2017: I purchased a refurbished open box RT AC5300 to go along with my two refurbished RT AC3100s. The refurbished AC5300 arrived with a non-working 2.4 GHz radio. But, it did allow me to see how well its two 5 GHz radios worked with my AC3100s. I returned the refurbished AC5300 and purchased a brand new AC5300. The factory fresh RT AC5300 works perfectly - supplying strong signals to each of my AC3100s (configured as media bridge/wireless repeaters). Reported signal rates stay at 1950 mbps. on each AC3100 media bridge - using a separate 5 GHz band to each AC3100. The 2.4 GHz band on this RT AC5300 also works perfectly. I couldn't be more pleased - with all three units working seamlessly together. I now have blanket wireless coverage in my home that is no longer affected by the numerous over-boosted wireless router signals being broadcast in my neighborhood - two of the over boosted signals were coming from 1/8 mile away, with none of the others within 400 feet of my house. Problem solved once and for all. UPDATE 8/4/2020: Both of my ASUS RT AC3100 routers are still configured to wireless media bridge and are still working perfectly with my ASUS RT AC5300. I have multiple smart TVs now that wirelessly connect to both RT AC3100 "media bridges". Viewing Internet TV on my 4K Samsung smart TVs is never a problem until my cable company is working on a problem at their end. I have never had to reboot or so much as make a single settings change to either RT AC3100 or the RT AC5300 they connect to. It just doesn't get any better than this.
TIPS from the field. Be prepared to re-attach every device on your network. **Backup your smart home device settings and routines BEFORE taking your old router offline. This includes Alexa devices and plugs, bulbs, etc.** If you are not willing to do this then DO NOT REPLACE YOUR ROUTER. I've had a rock solid network using RT-AC68W for the last 4 years or so. Then my shiny object syndrome kicked in and went looking for a new router. bigger, better, faster, blah, blah blah. I jumped on a deal for the 88u and had a bad experience like others have posted. After scouring the webs for possible fixes, (none worked, btw) I fired up the old 68w and compared every setting. How I got 2.4 to work. RT-AC88U on FW 3.0.0.4.385_20631 Settings. -Advanced Settings > Wireless > ... MoreTIPS from the field. Be prepared to re-attach every device on your network. **Backup your smart home device settings and routines BEFORE taking your old router offline. This includes Alexa devices and plugs, bulbs, etc.** If you are not willing to do this then DO NOT REPLACE YOUR ROUTER. I've had a rock solid network using RT-AC68W for the last 4 years or so. Then my shiny object syndrome kicked in and went looking for a new router. bigger, better, faster, blah, blah blah. I jumped on a deal for the 88u and had a bad experience like others have posted. After scouring the webs for possible fixes, (none worked, btw) I fired up the old 68w and compared every setting. How I got 2.4 to work. RT-AC88U on FW 3.0.0.4.385_20631 Settings. -Advanced Settings > Wireless > General > Channel bandwidth = 20 MHz (try 20/40 first and if the 2.4 clients don't connect go 20 MHz) -Advanced Settings > Wireless > Professional > Modulation Scheme > Up to MCS 9 (TurboQAM/256-QAM) ** on (2.4 Band only) This was the only difference between the 68w and 88u. All of my 2.4 devices connected afterwards. Also, if you are re-using the same Network Name (SSID), you should completely forget the previous network connection for that SSID and reconnect. I know it sucks (I have 60+ devices) however some things like iphones and windows 10 don't always play nice when the MAC address changes. Update 02/06/2021 Gig speed solution. I just got gigabit speed for internet and my router was stuck between 150-300 Mbps up and down. SUX0R If this happens to you, turn off QoS and be sure to reboot your router again. Just pressing 'Apply' is not enough for the setting to take effect. My speed now averages 840-940 Mbps with just that one change.
The short version: The main reason for this purchase was to get longer wireless range. It did extend the range, but not really enough to be sufficient for my needs/intentions. There are cheaper and more effective solutions to weak 5GHz WiFi range than just buying a "long-range" router. The long version: For years, I've been relying on the built-in WiFi 2.4/5GHz wireless solution that's built into my cable modem. It worked for many years for emails, browsing websites, and streaming Netflix. However as I added more and more wireless devices (smart thermostat, Ring/security cameras, streaming boxes like Apple TV, etc), it seems to have gotten overwhelmed. Many of the IoT devices intermittently couldn't connect and the PCs weren't able to utilize all the Internet ... MoreThe short version: The main reason for this purchase was to get longer wireless range. It did extend the range, but not really enough to be sufficient for my needs/intentions. There are cheaper and more effective solutions to weak 5GHz WiFi range than just buying a "long-range" router. The long version: For years, I've been relying on the built-in WiFi 2.4/5GHz wireless solution that's built into my cable modem. It worked for many years for emails, browsing websites, and streaming Netflix. However as I added more and more wireless devices (smart thermostat, Ring/security cameras, streaming boxes like Apple TV, etc), it seems to have gotten overwhelmed. Many of the IoT devices intermittently couldn't connect and the PCs weren't able to utilize all the Internet bandwidth that was available. Speed tests showed 100+MB/sec throughput, and doing things like downloading large files or watching movies that could be buffered worked fine. But communications that required real-time low-latency communications was inconsistent. In March 2019 when my wife and I both started working from home, this solution proved incapable of the demands. Internet audio (Teams & Zoom) was completely unusable for either of us. VPN connections frequently dropped and had to reconnect. And when I relocatedmy make-shift kitchen-table office to my basement, I couldn't get a 5GHz WiFi connection. 2.4GHz was possible, but throughput wasn't nearly good enough for my needs. So I installed a 5GHz WiFi repeater. For those not familiar, a WiFi repeater is just a poor-man's mesh network extension that bridges the communications between my existing SSID and a new one that the repeater hosts. That got me 5GHz connection to my office and was OK for general Internet access, but only made the existing latency issues worse. As an experiment, I disabled the built-in WiFi in my cable modem and added a cheap Asus router (AC1300 RT-ARCH13) setup as an access point. This improved my wireless performance DRAMATICALLY! It sped up my top speed to the Internet to ~230MB/sec as well as got rid of the latency issues making internet audio possible and VPN connections perfectly stable. However the router couldn't extend the signal all the way to my office. The repeater's lag still made Internet audio not reliable enough to rely on, but it was at least possible and intermittently usable. That's where I got the idea to try a long-range router like the RT-AC88U. Since I was already familiar with Asus' user interface from using the cheap router I already had, I decided to stay with Asus. So I bought one (used).And as expected, it was a drop-in replacement for the cheap router (after being configured exactly like the cheap router). It was able to get its 5GHz signal to my office, but the signal was so weak that going through the repeater still gave me better throughput and performance. So the experiment was a fail. The real answer for my dilemma is to relocate my WiFi router (acting as an access point) to a more-central location in my house. If I did that, I'm absolutely confident the cheap little Asus router would work just fine AND would let me get rid of the repeater. The only thing holding me back from this is getting an Ethernet cable run between the Cable Modem and where I'd locate the WiFi router. At some point, I will do that. And since I have it, I'll keep the RT-AC88U, but it is WAY overkill for my intentions. If I were going to host a gaming server where each device on the network would benefit from high-speed ultra-low latency access to each other, this router would make a lot more sense over a cheaper one. Low-latency (LAN-party) gaming really is the intention of this tier of router. But I cannot recommend this router over cheaper alternatives for it's 5GHz range-improvement alone. Spend the extra money relocating the router OR on a true mesh-network architecture.
I got about 2 months of use with my first router. I then noticed that nothing would connect wirelessly to it. Checked the router, and the UI was extremely slow. A reboot would cure both issues. I got a RMA, after rebooting it 3 times in two days. If this would have happened in another 30 days, I would have be the proud owner of a paperweight. Fortunately for me I was still under warranty, and Asus made amends, with a new router. As indicated in my prior review (which I could not modify, and I had to delete to post this one). I'm not sure what is going on here, as I have bought Asus refurbished routers before, and they are all still going strong. Anyway, I got my replacement router, no fuss, no muss. During this install, unlike the first time, which went smoothly, I ... MoreI got about 2 months of use with my first router. I then noticed that nothing would connect wirelessly to it. Checked the router, and the UI was extremely slow. A reboot would cure both issues. I got a RMA, after rebooting it 3 times in two days. If this would have happened in another 30 days, I would have be the proud owner of a paperweight. Fortunately for me I was still under warranty, and Asus made amends, with a new router. As indicated in my prior review (which I could not modify, and I had to delete to post this one). I'm not sure what is going on here, as I have bought Asus refurbished routers before, and they are all still going strong. Anyway, I got my replacement router, no fuss, no muss. During this install, unlike the first time, which went smoothly, I could not get AiMesh to connect with the nodes, until I downgraded the firmware two versions back. I then upgraded the router, to the current version of the firmware without issue. Besides that (which indicates they are rushing out fixes\patches without properly testing them) everything seems to be working great again. I upgraded my review to 4 stars, as I really hope that this is it
| WAN connection | |
| Ethernet WAN | Y |
| Wireless LAN features | |
| Modulation | 1024-QAM |
| Wi-Fi standards | 802.11a,Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac),802.11g,Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) |
