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The Asus Lyra Trio is not your usual run-of-the-mill purpose-built mesh. It's the first (and so far still the only) 3x3 Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) Wi-Fi system on the market. And with the support for Asus's AiMeshโavailable with the latest firmware --, it's, among other things, the most versatile mesh system yet.
If you want to quickly have an extensive, secure, and fast Wi-Fi network without potentially compromising your privacy or sacrificing networking features and settings, at the current cost of less than $250 for a set of three units, this is an excellent buy.
Dong's note: This review was first published on April 25, 2018, and was updated on December 6, 2018, after AiMesh support became available.
Asus Lyra Trio: A new mesh with a familiar concept
Out of the box, the Lyra Trio resembles many existing Wi-Fi systems. It includes three identical hardware units, called hubs. Each hub has two Gigabit network ports. One is a LAN/WAN port, and the other is a LAN port.
The way a Wi-Fi system works, you pick one of the hubsโany of them in the Lyra Trio's caseโto work as the primary router. This unit needs to connect to an Internet source, such as a cable modem, using its LAN/WAN port. After that, the other two hubs will automatically extend the Wi-Fi network. In other words, you have one router plus two satellites working together to form a mesh.
The LAN/WAN port only matters in the router unit. On the other two, these ports are always LAN ports. You can use these ports to connect wired devices (like printers or game consoles) to the network.
You also can (and should, when possible) use these ports to daisy-chain the Lyra Trio hubs together using network cables to get the best possible performance. Otherwise, to reduce signal loss, place the satellites so that each of them has a direct wireless connection to the main router.
Asus Lyra Trio: Hardware specifications
| Model name | Asus Lyra Trio (MAP-AC1750) |
| Hardware | Three identical units |
| Chipset | Qualcomm 9563 (2.4Ghz Wi-Fi and CPU), Qualcomm 9880 (5GHz Wi-Fi) |
| Network standards | IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac, IPv4, IPv6 |
| Wi-Fi specs | 3x3 Wi-Fi 5 5GHz: Up to 1299Mbps 3x3 Wi-Fi 5 2.4GHz: Up to 450Mbps. |
| System memory | 128MB of RAM and 32MB of flash memory |
| Antenna | 3x Internal |
| Ports | 1x LAN, 1 WAN/LAN (each unit) |
| MSRP | $279.99 |
| Warranty | 2 years |
The first full 3x3 Wi-Fi system
The Lyra Trio is the first dual-band Wi-Fi system I've seen that fully uses the three-stream (3x3) Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) standard. The only other system that also uses top-tier Wi-Fi is the original Netgear Orbi. But the Orbi's 4x4 Wi-Fi is just for its third back-haul band that links its hardware unit together and only serves clients with 2x2 Wi-Fi.
In Lyra Trio's case, each hub is a dual-band 3x3 router. In a wireless setup, not all clients will enjoy the 3x3 speed due to signal lossโthe Lyra Trio doesn't have a dedicated backhaul band.
However, if you use a network cable to link the hubs together, it's the fastest system on the market, with a top ceiling speed of up to 1300Mbps.
Unique and effective antenna design
Lyra Trio hubs shape like a hollow triangle pyramid, with each pyramid leg being an antenna. As a result, when you place a unit on a surface, its antennas stay at an optimal angle for the best Wi-Fi coverage. At least that's what Asus told me.
In testing, though, the range was indeed impressive. The router unit by itself, when placed in the middle, could deliver Wi-Fi to every corner of a 1,800ftยฒ (โ 165mยฒ) home.
Not every corner got the full-bar signal, but the connection was consistently fast enough to deliver a 150Mbps broadband connection in full throughout. While I've seen many standalone routers being able to offer this kind of coverage, the Asus Lyra Trio unit is quite small, just a third the size of most standard routers.
That said, in a wireless setup with all three units, the Lyra Trio could indeed easily cover some 5500ftยฒ (โ 500mยฒ) of space. If you use a cable to connect the hardware units, you can significantly increase the coverage with even faster Wi-Fi speeds.
Easy setup, useful mobile app, no Asus account needed
Setting up the Lyra Trio is similar to most Wi-Fi systems, using the Asus Lyra mobile app (available for iOS and Android). The app walks you through the process, step by step. The process is self-explanatory, and you won't even need to press any button on the hubs.
You can also use the app to turn on the remote connection, which allows you to manage your network even when you're away from home. Important note: this remote connection is very different from that of other Wi-Fi systems.
With the Google Wifi or the eero, for example, you need to register an account with the vendor and log in before using the app. Your home network also connects to the vendor at all times: You manage your home through the vendor's serverโa potential privacy concern.
The Lyra Trio's remote connection doesn't require you to have an account with Asus at all. Instead, it automatically sets the Lyra Trio system to connect to a Dynamic DNS service that points you directly to your home network. Consequently, Asus, if at all, only knows your WAN IP address and nothing else.
Alternatively, you can also use the web interface to set up and manage the Lyra Trio. In this case, the setup process is similar to setting up any routers with a web interface.
Point a browser from a connected computer to the Lyra Trio's default IP address, 192.168.72.1, and follow the onscreen wizard to finish the initial setup process. After that, you can manage the Lyra Trio the way you do any other Asus standalone router via the web interface.
Asus Lyra Trio’s extra photos
Full feature set
But you will want to use the app once in a while.
The reason is the app is convenient to use. It shows to which hardware unit, the primary router, or a satellite, a client connects. You can also change many settings via a single tap.
I prefer the web interface because it allows much more in-depth access to all the system's settings and features. And like any other Asus router, the Lyra Trio has many useful features, more than most routers on the market.
Apart from all the general settings such as port forwarding, IP reservation, dynamic DNS, etc., the system also has flagship features. These include VPN (it can work both as a VPN server or a VPN client), QoS, AiProtection, and so on. There are also unique tools hardly found on non-Asus routers, such as Ping or Wake-on-LAN.
You'll love AiProtection, by the way. This feature is powered by Trend Micro and protects the entire network against online threats in real-time, at no additional cost. It proved to be quite useful in my experience, both with the Lyra Trio and other Asus routers.
Some shortcomings
I've never worked with any other canned mesh system that even comes close to having the same level of features and settings as Lyra Trio. But compared to other Asus routers, it doesn't have the following:
- Dual-WAN: You can't use the Lyra Trio to host more than one Internet connection at a time.
- Gaming-related features: You can still play online games, it's just that you can't tailor specific network settings specifically for certain games.
- USB-related features: The system doesn't have a USB port.
- In-depth Wi-Fi settings: You can only change the name of the Wi-Fi network and its password and nothing else.
AiMesh support.
Considering the Lyra Trio is a mesh system, I find the lack of support for the AiMesh feature a bit ironic. Asus told me that this would change via a firmware update, however. Hopefully, that will happen soon.
Update: On November 23, 2018, Asus released version 3.0.0.4.384.45122 firmware that added AiMesh support to the Asus Lyra Trio system. The firmware enables each system unit to function as an AiMesh node, not as an AiMesh router.
The Lyra Trio has another shortcoming: Its web filtering feature can't block secure websites (HTTPS). Consequently, you can't make it block sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, or other popular websites. However, all Asus routers share this weakness.
Asus Lyra Trio: Excellent performance
The Lyra Trio is among the fastest routers/Wi-Fi systems on the market. When working as a single router, with a sustained speed of more than 500Mbps, rivaling many high-end routers.
Since there's no dedicated back-haul band, clients connected to a satellite unit will experience a signal loss in a wireless setup, meaning they will have just about half the speed of those directly linked to the main router.
However, thanks to the 3x3 Wi-Fi, even then, the numbers were still impressive. For example, its satellite unit's performance was consistently faster than that of the tri-band Linksys Velop.
When I used network cables to link the hubs together, all clients had similar Wi-Fi speeds, no matter what hubs they connected. By the way, the seamless hand-off worked well, too. I was able to move around between hubs without being disconnected from the Internet.
The Lyra Trio worked well in access point mode. Keep in mind that most of its features in AP mode, including AiProtection, no longer work. If you want to keep your existing router, the Lyra Trioโs AP mode will come in handy.
The Lyra Trio also proved to be reliable. It passed my 3-day stress test with no disconnection at all.
Update: I started with the Lyra Trio back in March 2018, before the launch date. Now, after some nine months of continuous usage, the system proved to be reliable. There were no unexpected disconnections during this period. I also tested out the newly added AiMesh function, and that also worked as expected.
Keep in mind that, to use the system with AiMesh, you first need to update its firmware to the latest, then reset it to the default setting and add each of the units, as a node, to an AiMesh system one by one.
Asus Lyra Trio's Rating
Pros
Fast, reliable performance, excellent Wi-Fi range
Generous feature set and robust web interface
Easy setup, helpful mobile app
Built-in security, no privacy risks
Ability to work as an extension of an existing network via the access point mode, or as part of an AiMesh system
Wall-mountable
Cons
Setup, firmware updates, and configurations can be a pain
Minimal Wi-Fi settings
Not able to block secure (HTTPS) websites
Conclusion
The Asus Lyra Trio is an excellent Wi-Fi solution with the right balance of features, performance, and cost. If you have run network cables in your home, this is the fastest Wi-Fi system on the market.
Those using it in a wireless setup will have to deal with the signal loss, which happens with all systems without a dedicated backhaul band. But even then, thanks to the 3x3 Wi-Fi setup, the Lyra Trio is still faster than many others, including those that cost more.
That said, this system is a safe purchase for anyone looking to expand their Wi-Fi network quickly. You can also get a high-end AiMesh router and a set of Lyra Trio. After that, link them together using network cables to get the best possible Wi-Fi system to date.
Hi Dong,
Love your posts!
Can you please tell me if the lyra trio ac1750 would work with either a Zen XD6 or AX86U?
Also which would you pick as a mesh set up:
– Zen XD6 with AC68U and 2x Lyra trio ac1750 or
– AX86U with AC68U and 2x Lyra trio ac1750
Most of them are Wi-Fi 5 hardware, Alistair, and I have stopped testing devices of that standard for a while. So the answer is I don’t know. But generally, it’s NOT a good idea to mix Wi-Fi standards in this case. More here — also check the related posts for even more.
Hi Dong,
Thanks for the very thorough review.
I currently have a AC66U B1 router and I am thinking of getting a set of Lyra Trio to connect as AiMesh nodes to the AC66U via wired backhaul. The AC66U can have different SSIDs and passwords for the 2.4 GHz and 5GHz bands whereas I read somewhere that the Lyra cannot have separate SSIDs for the 2.4GHz and 5GHz band. How would that work? Does that mean in connecting the Lyra as node to ethe AC66U, I will lose one of the bands? Thank you for any information.
I haven’t tried that combo, Goh. But generally, in an AiMesh setup, the router dictates the Wi-Fi settings. It’s likely going to work fine considering you have the wired backhaul. Make sure you upgrade the Trio to the latest firmware, which will take quite a bit of time if yours comes with the original version.
Actually I’ve gone in a slightly different direction and purchased a Firewalla (Blue) to do the internet security and monitoring. Just plugged it in this morning and so far so good. In spite of my concern, it is able to see ALL the devices accessing the internet – including those on the guest network. Over time, all manufacturers lose interest in supporting their legacy hardware but I’m hopeful I’ll get better support for a longer period of time with a dedicated security device.
Good to know, Paul. This setup will last you for years no problem.
Hi Dong Ngo, request your professional advcie. I am new to the ASUS Lyra trio. I need to setup the Lyra trio of 2 boxes with total of 6 units.
I am using a switch located at the main office with each Lyra unit connected with individual lan wire to the switch. Reason for this type of connection is that the location of the lyra unit is far away & cannot connect wirelessly to the other units. Each room has a lan port connection from the switch. The lan port will be connected to one lyra unit each. In this setup, what type of Internet connection setup should I select in the router setup app, as there are four types to select. Appreciate your advice, pls. Thanks.
One more thing is that the nodes donโt broadcast the guest network yet. I too uses the guest network for all my iot devices.
Just got a Lyra Trio and am generally pleased. Price is right and the performance is VERY good. I have a large house and am getting full coverage with only two units. I was tempted by the newer WiFi 6 units, but now it seems wiser to get a WiFi 5 setup and wait to go to 6E in a few years – which will be a true leap forward.
I have a few issues that people should be aware of. First, the guest network is still limited to 2.4Ghz and from the main unit only. This has not been a problem for me as all my IoT units on the guest network have been able to connect, even from a fair distance away.
The other issue is the Trend Micro AiProtection is “Classic”, which lacks any parental controls and monitoring other than an ability to limit access times. It also lacks an Intrusion Protection System. The Lyra Trio is the only Asus router so hobbled.
In spite of those shortcomings, I’m fairly pleased. Network issues/glitches that I was dealing with before have gone away and the performance has been rock solid. Looks good too!
Thanks for the input, Paul. You’re spot on! The Lyra Trio is great if you have wired backhaul and use a newer router (with a better set of features) as the main in an AiMesh setup.
If you can get wired backhaul, would the Lyra Trio be ok using one of the nodes as the router? Also , my house is vertical (3 floors) with lots of walls. Any suggestions for how to get around the interference – currently have separate wifi on each floor as none extend well. Lastly, with wired backhaul, how does the system know cable is for LAN and which is for backhaul?
Ian,
1. Yes, you can pick any of the units as the main router. Read the review again.
2. I have no idea what to say about your house, I’ve never been there. But you can start with this post and also the related ones (linked).
3. The system will know which is which in backhaul vs. regular port. They are auto-sensing. So you can use a switch or daisy-chain the hardware units.
Hi Dong,
Three years later and my Asus Lyra is still going strong. It’s reached “End of Life” at Asus, so no more support but with no moving parts I don’t anticipate any problems. I’m using a Firewalla Gold as my router with the Lyra as an AP, so the lack of software support doesn’t bother me.
I looked at moving to a new router, but see limited advantages to moving to 6 or 6E with 7 on the horizon. My devices with heavy bandwidth demand (video) are all connected to ethernet, so the Lyra does just fine for IoT devices, phones and tablets.
In spite of all that…I still like to read your reviews. Looking forward to WiFi 7 going mainstream (late 24?), then I’ll take the plunge.
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Hi, am currently using RT-AC66U B1 router, and thinking to expand the wifi signal by adding lyra trio nodes. I’ve read the
AI mesh setup from asus offical website as follows: https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1038071/ and get an impression that the first Lyra Trio needs wired-connection to RT-AC66U B1.. so the wireless nodes are actually only 2 (instead of 3). What a waste isn’t it? thinking that I already have sufficient router.
Questions:
1. is there any how I could setup all 3 lyra trio nodes wirelessly connected to RT-AC66U B1?
2. which one is better? adding lyra trio nodes? or RT-AC66U B1 as nodes? since the current price of these two items are quite similar
1. Yes, you can set them up normally. You need to update all of the routers involved to the last firmware first, though. More here.
2. Either way is fine. However, it’s better to use cables to link them together, else the performance won’t be good.
I bought one Blue Cave and 2 units of this Lyra Trio to be setup as AiMesh. However I cant get the Cave to be stable as it keeps dropping my 2.4Ghz band. I tried setting them us as an AiMesh system – Cave as main router and Trio as Nodes. The speed dropped. Running the Cave alone was better. Alas the constant rebooting needed of the Cave, I had to give up. I then set up the Trio as a 2 units Mesh system. I wasnt impressed as I didnt like my devices connecting to the 2.4 band instead of the 5Ghz as I couldnt choose. Finally I set the 2 Trio units in an AiMesh system. Yes it can be done, I set one as router and the other one as node. I get top speed around 500Mbps near the main Trio but at the node, it was half of that speed. I think I will have to return the Cave and keep the 2 Trio units. The AiMesh setup, I can at least separately set the 2 bands apart and 1 guest network (only 2.4GHz guest network available, no 5GHz). I put about 26 IoT devices in the 2.4 guest network. The extra node didnt really help to increase speed in spot that were further away from the main router but at least everything is working so far…..I need some sleep now. I wonder if I can add the Cave as a node? I will try that tomorrow. Both AiMesh and especially Mesh doesnt seems to be what it is cut out to be (for me at least)
Hey there! I’ve been following your site for a long time now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and
give you a shout out from Porter Texas! Just wanted to mention keep up the good work!
How do you tell whether the other two hubs are linked to the main hub? Does it display on the network map when you are tuning the Asus Lyra Trio app? Mine shows two yellow links on one of the secondary hubs connected to the main hub.
I haven’t looked into this, Andrew. However if you place the hubs around the main router’s, which you should do, then they will for sure link directly to the main hub.
I had a bad experience with latest firmware 3.0.0.4.384.45122 which is AiMesh supported.
As I have small apartment, in my network configuration, I have only 2x Lyra Trio. 1st Asus Lyra Trio (operating as Main Router, connect directly to ONT) and 2nd Asus Lyra Trio (operating as Mesh node, connect wirelessly to 1st Lyra Trio).
In this configuration, this work for a while, but frequently the devices that connected to 2nd Lyra Trio loss internet connection. Wifi between devices to 2nd Lyra Trio and also Wifi between 2nd Lyra Trio to 1st Lyra Trio are good.
This problem was not happened in previous firmware 3.0.0.4.382.20332.
Iโve feedback this to Asus support email, but we have couples of emails back and forth for last 2 weeks and doesnโt really help.
Asus Support line just insisted that my configuration is wrong, and Lyra does not support as main router. But I have shown them this configuration was working all the time, until previous firmware before upgrade to AiMesh supported firmware.
Now, Iโm restore back to previous firmware version 3.0.0.4.382.20332 (w/o AiMesh support) and my network is back to work again.
Iโm still awating for Asus, whether they can find any solution with new firmware, or they found any bugs there.
Sorry to hear that happened, Alex. Stay with the current firmware and wait till the next one to upgrade. I didn’t have the same XP as you did but generally, it takes Asus two or three rounds of firmware update for a new feature to work well. Also, the current firmware is mostly for those wanting to use the Lyra Trio units as nodes with another router being the main.
Dear Dong,
Am interested in having a whole house openvpn client. What are your thoughts on this? Did you do any client with the router acting as a vpnclient? Thank you so much.
Yes I have done that though not on the Trio. However I believe that’s possible with this system. You just need to set that up on the router unit.
Amazing! And thanks so much for the speedy reply. Have followed your advice for years now. Been struggling with an oddly unstable Google WiFi mesh. Will give this a shot and see if things change. Thanks again!!
Will this system work with a service provided router/modem that has a MOCA enabled second unit on another floor with one Lyra connected hardwired to the second (MOCA) unit and one Lyra to the main router/modem?
Yes, MOCA, as well as Powerline, works just like a generic wired network connection. Make sure you set it up via Wi-Fi first.
Can you link all three together with an ethernet cable with one acting as the main router to make a super wifi connection for the house? I’m having a lot of trouble with them staying connected to each other and was wondering if this would be a better solution.
Yes, that’s the best. But you need at least two cables. As for the issue you’re having, try updating the firmware and not placing them too far from one another.
awesome thank you for such a quick reply!
Can I wire 2 out of the three, with the third as Wifi only? Or must it be all wired/all wifi?
You can mix wifi and wired connections, Andrew.
Thanks for the review Dong! You mention that the first unit must operate as a router. Can you run this mesh system in an Access Point only mode? Because of my Internet connection, I have to use my ISPโs router and would prefer to not do dual NAT. I really only need mesh access point capabilities.
Yes you can. But first you need to setup them with one being the router. Once that’s done. Long into the router’s interface and change it into AP mode.
Awesome! Thanks for the prompt reply!
Is this better than the Amplifi hd, Velop or Eero??
It cheaper but is it as good or better?
It’s much better in terms of performance, security, privacy and features. It’s not as easy to set up as those you mentioned.
Hi Dong,
Thanks for the great write up. A question…. if I want to hardwire the backhaul will an unmanaged switch between units cause problems? IE Router Unit>Switch>>2nd and 3rd units. Thanks
That will work fine, Peter. I actually do the same thing at home :). Note that you can’t use network cables for the setup process, so set them up using Wi-Fi first.
Million thanks Dong! Been searching for a straight answer for a while!
Hey, thanks for the post. Really thank you! Really Cool.