Best Asus router 2021: the top Asus routers for any budget

Date:
Wed, 23 Jun 2021 15:23:26 +0000

Description:
Weve chosen our favorite Asus routers, from the best gaming router to the model with the strongest Wi-Fi coverage.

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Consider the best Asus routers if youre looking for an ideal network solution for your connectivity needs. The company has made some of the best routers
and boasts a quality range that are among the most affordable out there.

Beyond their appealing prices, the best Asus routers also deliver excellent performance and blazing-fast speeds for online gaming. It also doesnt matter what your network needs are. Because Asus has such a wide selection to choose from, youll find something that will fit the bill whether you need one for work, for gaming, or for the whole family

Read on for our collection of the best Asus routers, which includes some of the best gaming routers . Youll find an ideal router on this list for you, regardless of your needs. Considering all brands? These are the best wireless routers Network issues? These best Wi-Fi extenders might help Image credit: Asus 1. Asus RT-AC86U

Best Asus router overall Speed: 802.11ac 5GHz: 2,167 Mbps, 2.4GHz: 750 Mbps | Connectivity: 4 x Gigabit LAN, 1 x WAN, 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0 | Features: MU-MIMO, Traffic Analyzer, Adaptive QoS, WTFast Gamers Private Network Impressive speeds and range Superb value Appearance may put some folks off

Okay, so our top overall pick for an Asus router might look like the head of
a decapitated robot with dark red eyes and an untidy antenna hairdo but its performance, not appearance, were interested in here.

The Asus RT-AC86U gives you AC2900 wireless speeds, range boosting for better Wi-Fi coverage around your home, and even gaming acceleration technology. In actual fact, the RT-AC86U is positioned as a gaming router which explains
the aesthetics but dont let that put you off. Its very easy to set up and a fantastic all-rounder.

The icing on the cake is that this Asus router, being one of last years models, can now be had (at the time of writing) for around a whopping 40%
less than its launch price. Its simply an incredible bargain in terms of price/performance ratio.

Read the full review: Asus RT-AC86U Image credit: Asus 2. Asus RT-AC66U

Best Asus router thats affordable Speed: 802.11ac 5GHz: 1,300 Mbps, 2.4GHz: 450 Mbps | Connectivity: 4 x LAN, 1 x WAN, 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0 | Features: MU-MIMO, Traffic Analyzer, Adaptive QoS Impressive performer Easy
to set up and use Getting a bit long in the tooth

For those whose budget cant stretch to our overall champ above, the Asus RT-AC66U is a sterling more affordable option which still offers great performance levels for the asking price.

Its easy to get going with the RT-AC66U, and speeds remain impressive for
what is by now quite an old router (the reason why the asking price has been cut in half compared to the original RRP). You also get a good range of features including Adaptive QoS to prioritize your internet traffic.

Think of this as a workhorse Asus router which is still fully capable of getting the job done without breaking a sweat, and can be had without any danger of breaking the bank, too. Image credit: Asus 3. Asus RT-AC51U

Best Asus router on a strict budget Speed: 802.11ac 5GHz: 433 Mbps, 2.4GHz: 300 Mbps | Connectivity: 4 x LAN, 1 x WAN, 1 x USB 2.0 | Features: Smart QoS Very cheap and cheerful Solid enough performance Very much a no-frills option

If you want the cheapest possible Asus router out there, without having to resort to buying some ancient or indeed possibly dust-caked, second-hand hunk of plastic which will likely only give you heartache in the long run, this is the model to go for.

In fact, wed argue the RT-AC51U is pretty much as cheap as you can go while still getting a useful router. And its a reasonable enough model, offering 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi at solid enough speeds with a single USB (2.0) port for hooking up your printer or external storage. Its a completely no-frills router, for sure, but the best Asus option at the true bargain-basement end
of the market. Image credit: Asus 4. Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300

Best Asus router for gaming Speed: 802.11ac: 2,167 Mbps, 802.11n: 600 Mbps | Connectivity: 8 x Gigabit LAN, 1 x WAN, 2 x USB 3.0 | Features: MU-MIMO, Link Aggregation, Traffic Analyzer, Adaptive QoS, 1GB RAM, 8 x External Antennas Very speedy indeed Game acceleration features Strong Wi-Fi coverage, too Not particularly cheap

Now, this is a slight curveball in that gamers will be well-served by our
best overall router above, the Asus RT-AC86U, and its fantastic value proposition. But if you want to spend more for the absolute best router for gaming, then you need the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300.

This is a juiced-up-for-gamers version of the already excellent RT-AC5300 , and like that model, it boasts strong tri-band Wi-Fi coverage thanks to eight antennas. While gamers of course swear by wired connections, wireless is
still important for general usage (and gaming on mobile devices).

Speaking of wired, the GT-AC5300 has no less than eight LAN ports, twice the amount of the RT-AC5300, plus it has a slightly higher spec elsewhere (like double the memory). Moreover, it bristles with advanced features, including gamer-specific adaptive QoS and acceleration to optimize your connection.

As a gaming router, it really flies, but it isnt cheap although now this router has been around for a couple of years, its considerably more
affordable than when first launched. The aforementioned RT-AC5300 is a good slightly cheaper alternative, but the price difference is so little at the time of writing, the clear choice for us is the ROG. Image credit: Asus 5. Asus RT-AX88U

Best Asus router for fast Wi-Fi speeds Speed: 802.11ax 5GHz: 4,804 Mbps, 2.4GHz: 1,148 Mbps, 802.11ac 5GHz: 4,333 Mbps | Connectivity: 8 x Gigabit
LAN, 1 x WAN, 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 | Features: MU-MIMO, Link Aggregation,
Traffic Analyzer, Adaptive QoS, 1GB RAM Really fast Wi-Fi speeds with the latest tech 8 LAN ports for great wired connectivity Pretty pricey

The RT-AX88U is built around the latest 802.11ax wireless standard ( newly renamed Wi-Fi 6 , but manufacturers are still using the ax label) for the fastest Wi-Fi speeds, while remaining a relatively affordable model its far, far from cheap, but youll always pay through the nose for the very latest tech.

This Asus router boasts superfast 5GHz speeds, and the 802.11ax tech also helps for better performance in congested wireless environments (where a lot of devices are being used over Wi-Fi).

Remember, though, that youll need client devices which also support 802.11ax to get the full benefit of the routers ax speeds, and there arent many around right now (Samsungs Galaxy S10 smartphone is one). The good news, however, is that Wi-Fi performance is still blazingly quick even with 802.11ac devices. Image credit: Asus 6. Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000

Best Asus router for high-end users Speed: 802.11ax 5GHz: 4,804 Mbps, 2.4GHz: 1,148 Mbps | Connectivity: 4 x Gigabit LAN (1 x 2.5G), 1 x WAN, 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 | Features: MU-MIMO, Link Aggregation, Traffic Analyzer, Adaptive QoS, 1GB RAM, 8 x External Antennas Extremely quick performance Loaded with features Expensive

If money is no object, and you want the absolute highest-end Asus router bristling with all the very latest whistles and bells, then here it is. The ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 is a gaming model, as the ROG brand denotes, and the device has game boosting features but its good for everything you might want to throw at it, not just online games.

Like the above AX88U it sports 802.11ax, the very latest wireless standard (Wi-Fi 6) for extremely fast speeds even throughout a large house (there are eight antennas to help with Wi-Fi coverage). It also has a 2.5Gbit gaming Ethernet port, another nifty innovation.

You get a very reliable router that copes well with potential network congestion (thanks to 802.11ax), with plentiful features including Adaptive QoS for prioritizing traffic and parental controls. That said, you do pay for all this. Image credit: TechRadar 7. Asus Lyra Trio (AC1750)

Best Asus router for Wi-Fi coverage Speed: 802.11ac 5GHz: 1,300 Mbps, 2.4GHz: 450 Mbps | Connectivity: 1 x LAN, 1 x WAN (per unit) | Features: Mesh Networking, Lyra App A breeze to set up and configure Competitively priced
for a mesh network solution Concerns over inconsistent performance

While weve pointed out some Asus routers with strong Wi-Fi coverage already, if you have a really big house, or other Wi-Fi dead-spot issues perhaps caused by thick walls for example then a mesh networking solution could be the way to go for the best wireless coverage.

In this case, Asus offers up the Lyra Trio, a three-pack of dual-band mesh Wi-Fi devices. The idea here is that one device acts as a router unit, and
the other two are satellites placed throughout the home, grabbing the signal from the router unit and extending the Wi-Fi coverage. The Lyra Trio should cover a two or three story home of up to 375 square meters, according to
Asus.

The main caveat here is that while we found overall performance solid enough in our review, the Lyra Trio was a tad inconsistent in terms of dropped connections, although potentially, firmware updates since then may
(hopefully) have helped remedy this. Otherwise, Lyra is easy to install and configure, and competitively priced compared to rival mesh router products.

As an extra bonus, you can also do your ironing with the Lyra Trio (okay, so you cant but youd be fully forgiven for thinking otherwise, looking at the devices).

Read the full review: Asus Lyra Trio (AC1750) Image credit: Asus 8. Asus
Lyra Voice

Best Asus router for the smart home Speed: 802.11ac: 400 + 867 + 867 Mbps | Connectivity: 1 x Gigabit LAN, 1 x WAN | Features: MU-MIMO, Traffic Analyzer, Smart QoS; Smart speaker: DTS Virtual Surround, Bluetooth, Alexa Novel space-saving 2-in-1 device Alexa on-board Very limited wired connectivity

For those after something a little different with a router and a device to fit well into any burgeoning smart home consider the Lyra Voice. This is actually an AC2200 router crossed with an Alexa smart speaker, so one of the immediate benefits is that youre combining two devices into one. And youre getting a neat-looking router that will blend in nicely in any living room
(or wherever you place it).

This tri-band routers Wi-Fi performance is fairly impressive, and as a speaker, it actually sounds pretty good considering its relatively compact nature. The Lyra Voice is also a doddle to set up (via an app).

Downsides are that you only get one Gigabit LAN port (and a WAN port), and furthermore on the wired connectivity front, you dont get any USB ports to hook up other devices to your network. Still, this remains a novel all-in-one solution which definitely has its appeal. Weve also picked out the best Wi-Fi extenders



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