Asus RT-AC86U AC2900 Router Review
Whether you’re into online gaming, 4K video streaming, or just want a powerful MU-MIMO-enabled router that will keep your network and clients safe, the Asus RT-AC86U ($199.99) will fit the bill. This AC2900 dual band router delivered solid throughput in our performance tests and offers embedded network protection against malware and questionable content. It also gives you multiple ways to ensure that your online games get the network priority needed for a smooth gaming experience, and it provides robust parental controls in a user-friendly management console. It’s our new Editors’ Choice for midrange routers.
Mục Lục
Refreshing Design
While not quite as flashy as the pyramid-shaped D-Link AC3150 Ultra Wi-Fi Router DIR-885L/R ($148.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) , the RT-AC86U’s ($147.74 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) black and red color scheme and angular design offer a refreshing change from the typical uninspired black box design that you get with most routers. My only gripe with this design has to do with physical placement: The router is permanently attached to a wedge-shaped stand that requires that the router stand up vertically, which means it cannot be wall mounted or placed in a rack configuration. Three removable adjustable antennas protrude from the top of the device and there are eight LED indicators on the front for power, WPS, Wi-Fi (both bands), LAN (four ports), and WAN activity. Around back are four gigabit LAN ports, a WAN port, a USB 2 port, a USB 3.1 port, and power, LED On/Off, and Reset buttons. On the right side of the router you’ll find a WPS button and a Wi-Fi On/Off button.
The RT-AC86U is a 4×4 AC2900 router powered by a 1.8GHz dual-core CPU and 512MB of RAM. It uses NitroQAM (1024-QAM) modulation technology to deliver potential throughput speeds of up to 750Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 2167Mbps on the 5GHz band and supports Multi User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) data streaming, which delivers data to compatible clients simultaneously rather than sequentially, and beamforming, which sends data directly to clients rather than over a broad spectrum.
The RT-AC86U uses the same web-based management console and mobile app used to control the RT-AC88U that we reviewed a while back. The web console opens to a network map that shows all connected clients, your internet and security status, and Wi-Fi information for each band.
On the left is a menu containing General and Advanced settings. General settings include Guest networking, a Traffic Analyzer, USB storage settings, AiCloud settings that let you set up your own cloud server, Adaptive QoS with manual and automatic bandwidth limiting and application-specific prioritization, and Game Boost, which gives you access to WTFast routing technology and the Gamers Private Network to provide optimal bandwidth for WTFast-enabled games. The RT-AC86U uses Trend Micro’s AiProtection software to block access to malicious sites, detect viruses, and apply Parental Controls such as blocking adult-oriented sites, restricting access to social media sites, and blocking streaming media and entertainment content.
In the Advanced settings menu you can adjust wireless security, channel width, and SSID settings as well as professional settings such as Beacon Intervals, RTS Thresholds, Airtime Fairness, and Multicast rates. Here you can also enable or disable MU-MIMO and beamforming. Other Advanced settings include LAN, WAN, and Firewall controls as well as VPN Server and VPN Client settings. In the Administration controls menu you can configure the RT-AC86U to act as a router, a media bridge, an access point, or a repeater, and update the firmware.
Easy Installation, Solid Performance
Installing the RT-AC86U is quick and easy. I connected the router to my cable modem and to my desktop PC, opened a browser, and typed http://router.asus.com(Opens in a new window) in the address bar. This launched the Setup wizard, which walked me through the internet and wireless process. You can also skip the wizard and configure these settings manually if you prefer. I then waited a few minutes while the router updated its firmware.
See How We Test Wireless Routers
The RT-AC86U turned in impressive scores on our throughput performance tests. Its score of 104Mbps on the 2.4GHz close-proximity (same room) test was slightly faster than the D-Link DIR-885L/R and the Synology RT2600ac ($149.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) , but not quite as fast as the Linksys WRT32X. At 30 feet, the RT-AC86U managed 86Mbps, tying the Linksys WRT32X and beating the D-Link DIR-885L/R and Synology RT2600ac, if only by a hair.
The RT-AC86U’s 5GHz performance was also solid. Its score of 550Mbps on the close-proximity test beat the Linkys WRT32X ($299.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) and the Synology RT2600ac, but came up a bit short against the D-Link DIR-885L/R. Results were similar on the 30-foot test: Its score of 300Mbps beat the Linksys WRT32X and the Synology RT2600ac, but not the D-Link DIR-885L/R.
To test MU-MIMO throughput performance, we use three identical Acer Aspire R13 laptops equipped with Qualcomm’s QCA61x4A MU-MIMO circuitry. The Asus RT-AC86U delivered 178Mbps on the close-proximity test, edging past the Linksys WRT32X and the Synology RT2600ac, but not the D-Link DIR-885L/R. At 30 feet, the RT-AC86U garnered 150Mbps, once again besting the Linksys WRT32X and the Synology RT2600ac, but trailing the D-Link DIR-885L/R.
File-transfer performance, in which we move a 1.5GB folder containing a mix of music, video, photo, and document files, was middling. The RT-AC86U’s read speed of 38.4MBps trailed the Linksys WRT32X (48MBps) and the D-Link Dir-885L/R (44.1MBps), but was a bit faster than the Synology RT2600ac (34.2MBps). The RT-AC86U’s write speed of 30.7MBps trailed the D-Link DIR-885L/R (33.2MBps) and the Synology RT2600ac (32.6MBps) by a small margin and was significantly slower than the Linksys WRT32X (76.8MBps).
Feature-Packed and High-Performing
There’s a lot to like about the Asus RT-AC86U. In addition to being easy to install and configure, it delivered good all-around throughput performance in our tests and comes bundled with a handful of useful tools for optimal performance, including embedded support for WTFast game acceleration and Adaptive QoS bandwidth prioritization. Built-in Trend Micro protection against malicious intrusions, viruses, and infected clients will keep your network in top working order, and robust parental controls will prevent family and guests from accessing undesirable sites and content. The router’s vertical mounting stand limits where you can locate it, and its file transfer speeds were merely average, but neither gripe prevents the RT-AC86U from garnering our Editors’ Choice for midrange routers.
If you do a lot of online gaming with a Killer Network-enabled gaming rig, the Linksys WRT32X is also a good choice, as it offers automatic prioritization for Killer Network systems, but it will cost you about $100 more and lacks the built-in Trend Micro network protection that you get with the RT-AC86U. The D-Link AC3150 Ultra Wi-Fi Router DIR-885L/R (also an Editors’ Choice winner) offers class-leading 5GHz and MU-MIMO performance as well as drag-and-drop QoS settings, but it too lacks the RT-AC86U’s built-in network protection and costs about $80 more.
Asus RT-AC86U AC2900 Router
4.0
Editors’ Choice
(Opens in a new window)
See It
$147.74
at Amazon
(Opens in a new window)
MSRP $199.99
Pros
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Cons
The Bottom Line
The Asus RT-AC86U is a fast AC2900 dual band router that’s equipped with the latest networking technology and is loaded with gamer optimization and network protection features.
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