Asus RT-AC5300 Wireless AC5300 Tri-Band Gigabit Router Review
Designed for large homes that require maximum bandwidth for online gaming and 4K video streaming, the Asus RT-AC5300 Wireless AC5300 Tri-Band Gigabit Router ($399.99) uses the latest 802.11ac technology and three individual radio bands to deliver game-worthy throughput to multiple clients. This oversized router is packed with features, including game-enhancement options, Multi-User Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) data streaming, 4X4 data transmissions, and a wealth of management settings. It turned in very respectable scores in our throughput tests, but couldn’t quite match the overall performance of our top pick for high-end routers, the D-Link AC5300 Ultra Wi-Fi Router (DIR-895L/R)($399.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window).
Design and Features
Measuring 2.6 by 9.6 by 9.6 inches (HWD), the RT-AC5300 ($299.99 at Newegg)(Opens in a new window) requires a good deal of desktop space, but not as much as the D-Link DIR-895L/R, which measures 5.8 by 16.4 by 10.3 inches. The router uses a matte-black enclosure with red trim and beveled edges, and has eight removable and adjustable antennas. The front edge contains small LED indicators for Power, 2.4GHz and 5GHz band connectivity, WAN and Internet activity, and WPS activity. On the left side is a USB 2.0 port, as well as buttons for enabling and disabling the LEDs and the Wi-Fi bands and for initializing the WPS security feature. Around back are four Gigabit LAN ports, a WAN port, a USB 3.0 port, and a Power button.
A 1.4GHz dual-core processor powers the RT-AC5300, and the router uses 802.11ac circuitry with three individual radio bands (one 2.4GHz band and two 5GHz bands). It’s an AC5300 device that delivers theoretical throughput speeds of up to 1,000Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 2,167Mbps on each of the 5GHz bands. As with the D-Link DIR-895L/R, the RT-AC5300 is a 4X4 router, which means it uses four individual streams to deliver and receive data. It also supports beamforming, sending signals directly to clients, Smart Connect, which automatically chooses the best band for optimal throughput, and MU-MIMO technology for simultaneous rather than sequential streaming.
The router is loaded with basic and advanced management settings. The Web-based ASUSWRT management console opens to a home page that displays a list of settings on the left, a network map in the middle, and a system-status synopsis on the right. General settings include Guest Network, AiProtection (which includes Trend Micro malware protection and a full set of Parental Controls), Adaptive QoS (which features a bandwidth monitor, Quality of Service prioritization, and a history of Web-surfing activity), a Traffic Analyzer that displays daily and current network-traffic statistics, USB-peripheral management, and AiCloud 2.0, which allows you to access your USB-attached storage devices from anywhere via the Internet. If you’re a gamer, you’ll appreciate the Game Boost feature, which offers one-click QoS settings that give gaming applications traffic-network priority, and provides you with a free subscription to WTFast, an online game-acceleration service that automatically routes game data to achieve optimal bandwidth.
In the Advanced Settings menu, you can configure Wireless MAC Filter and Radius Server settings, and use the Professional settings to enable MU-MIMO, beamforming, Smart Connect, and wireless scheduling. Here, you can also change channel settings, hide the SSID, and choose an authentication (security) method, such as WPA2 Personal and Auto-Personal or WPA2 Enterprise and Auto-Enterprise. Other Advanced settings include LAN routing, WAN configuration, Port Forwarding and Port Triggering, URL and Keyword Filtering, and VPN Server and Client settings. The Administrative menu has settings that configure the RT-AC5300 as a router, a bridge, or an access point, as well as system settings (name, password, and time zone) and a firmware upgrade option.
Installation and Performance
The Setup Wizard makes it easy to set up the router for first-time use. After connecting the router to my PC, I opened a browser, entered http://router.asus.com in the address bar, and followed the on-screen instructions to configure basic Internet DHCP and wireless security settings.
An excellent performer in our tests, the router’s score of 101Mbps in our 2.4GHz close-proximity (same-room) throughput test was second only to the Netgear Nighthawk X4S Smart Wi-Fi Router (R7800)($269.95 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) (105Mbps), and a bit faster than the Linksys EA9500 Max-Stream AC5400 MU-MIMO Gigabit Router ($475.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) (98.9Mbps), the TP-Link Talon AD7200 Multi-Band Wi-Fi Router ($299.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) (98.4Mbps), and the D-Link DIR-895L/R (98.4Mbps). At a distance of 30 feet, the RT-AC5300 scored 80Mbps, just beating the Linksys EA9500 (79.1Mbps), the TP-Link Talon (79.8Mbps), and the D-Link DIR-895L/R (71Mbps). The Netgear R7800 trailed with a score of 52.3Mbps.
5GHz performance was also solid. Its score of 515Mbps in the close-proximity (same-room) test was identical to the D-Link DIR-895L/R and faster than the Linksys EA9500 (450Mbps), the Netgear R7800 (491Mbps), and the TP-Link Talon (440Mbps). In the 5GHz 30-foot test, its throughput of 320Mbps was a close second to the D-Link DIR-895L/R (324Mbps) and a good deal faster than the TP-Link Talon (237Mbps), the Netgear R7800 (247Mbps), and the Linksys EA9500 (258Mbps).
We tested MU-MIMO throughput using three identical Acer Aspire R13 laptops equipped with Qualcomm’s QCA61x4A MU-MIMO circuitry. In our close-proximity (same-room) test, the RT-AC5300 averaged a total throughput speed of 188Mbps across the three clients. That beat the Zyxel AC2200 MU-MIMO Dual-Band Wireless Gigabit Router (NBG6815) ($138.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) (148Mbps), but trailed the D-Link DIR-895L/R (264.6Mbps), the TP-Link Talon (226Mbps), and the Linksys EA9500 (210.3Mbps). The RT-AC5300’s score of 141Mbps in the 30-foot MU-MIMO test bested the D-Link DIR-895L/R (134.5Mbps), the TP-Link Talon (113Mbps), and the ZyXel NBG6815 (87.3Mbps), but not the Linksys EA9500 (162.3Mbps).
To test file-transfer speeds, we use a 1.5GB folder containing a mix of photo, music, video, and document files and a USB drive. The RT-AC5300 measured a speed of 26.2MBps in the write test and 33.3MBps in the read test. The D-Link DIR-895L/R was much faster, with a write speed of 39.5MBps and a read speed of 78.3MBps. The Linksys EA9500 delivered scores of 35.3MBps (write) and 38.5MBps (read).
Conclusion
The Asus RT-AC5300 Wireless AC5300 Tri-Band Gigabit Router is a smart choice if you require the throughput needed for online gaming and high-resolution video streaming. It’s physically large and carries a hefty price tag, but it delivered very fast 2.4GHz and 5GHz throughput scores in our tests, and turned in respectable MU-MIMO throughput scores as well. It offers a generous array of management settings, including Game Boost, which lets you prioritize network traffic for optimal gaming performance, and it’s packed with the latest 802.11ac features, including beamforming and Smart Connect. However, its file-transfer speeds are mediocre. The RT-AC5300 is fast, but the similarly configured D-Link AC5300 Ultra Wi-Fi Router (DIR-895L/R), which is $20 less expensive, delivered slightly faster overall performance in our tests and remains our Editors’ Choice for high-end routers.
Asus RT-AC5300 Wireless AC5300 Tri-Band Gigabit Router
4.0
(Opens in a new window)
See It
$299.99
at Newegg
(Opens in a new window)
MSRP $399.99
Pros
Cons
The Bottom Line
If you frequently game online or stream 4K video, the Asus RT-AC5300 is a tri-band router that delivers speedy 2.4GHz and 5GHz throughput and offers an abundance of management settings, as well as Multi-User Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) data streaming.
Like What You’re Reading?
Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!
Sign up for other newsletters
