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In many ways, the ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro is the upgrade to Asus's GT-AX11000 that came out more than three years ago.
If the latter is Asus's first step into Wi-Fi 6, the new router is its final hardware in this Wi-Fi standard. It seems that way, anyway.
And to add another angle to the "final" notion, the GT-AX11000 Pro supports the last portion of the 5GHz spectrum, the UNII-4 section.
However, it's still very much the previous version at heart, albeit with some significant changes. This brief review will highlight those differences between the two -- in a way, it's a GT-AX11000 vs GT-AX11000 matchup.
Here's the bottom line: The new GT-AX11000 Pro has everything to earn its "Pro" badge, worth its current street price of $450. In fact, it even has enough for you to pick it as the GT-AX11000's immediate replacement.
But considering Wi-Fi 6E is ubiquitous, Wi-Fi 7 is around the corner, and 5.9GHz-enabled clients are nonexistent, I'm not sure if it makes the best sense to do this router today.
Dong's note: I first published this post on January 4, 2022, as a new piece and updated it on December 17 to an in-depth review after hands-on testing. In case you're wondering about the large time gap, the router didn't become available for purchase in the US until late 2022.
Asus GT-AX11000 Pro: Everything you’d want in a Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 router
The Asus GT-AX11000 Pro is a Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 router -- as opposed to a Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E, which is quite different. As such, it has everything you'd look for in one. Well, almost.
But one thing is clear, it's much better than the non-Pro older cousin. Let's take a closer look.
Asus GT-AX11000 Pro vs GT-AX11000: The UNII-4 support
In terms of Wi-Fi, the GT-AX11000 Pro joins a short list of Wi-Fi 6 routers that have access to the 5.9GHz UNII-4 portion or the 5GHz frequency band.
Consequently, it will have three 160MHz channels (instead of two), with the last being DFS-free. In other words, it can use this third 160MHz channel without dealing with RADAR signals.
Without this 5.9GHz portion, existing 160MHz channels on the 5GHz frequency band need to include at least one of the DFS sub-channels.
DFS shares airspace with radar signals, which have priority. Using DFS for Wi-Fi, therefore, can cause intermittent disconnections.
And that means the GT-AX11000 Pro's 5GHz band can deliver the same speed (4.8Gbps) and reliability as the 6GHz band of a Wi-Fi 6E router, but likely at a better range.
But, on the flip side, that doesn't mean much since this portion of the band is not currently supported by any client.
Until such clients are available -- and they might never be -- the UNII-4 portion is only useful when you use the GT-AX11000 Pro in a fully wireless AiMesh configuration via multiple units or a mix of supported broadcasters.
And on this front, Asus currently has the most UNII-4-ready hardware combos, as shown in the list below.
The list: Current Wi-Fi 6 solutions that support UNII-4
- Asus ROG Rapture GT6 (Tri-band)
- Asus GT-AX11000 Pro (Tri-band)
- Asus ZenWiFi Pro XT12 (Tri-band)
- Asus ZenWifi XT9 (Tri-band)
- Asus ZenWiFi XT8 (Tri-band)
- Synology RT6600ax (Tri-band)
- Synology WRX560 (Dual-band)
You can use a mix of any of them to form an AiMesh system. Generally, if you pick the GT-AX11000 Pro, use it as the primary router of your mesh.
Considering using wired backhauling is generally the best if you want a true Gigabit or a faster (Multi-Gig) network, the use of UNII-4 is not significant or even necessary in a wired home. But the support for this portion never hurts.
Extra: Fronthauling vs backhauling
When you use multiple Wi-Fi broadcasters -- in a mesh network or a combo of a router and an extender -- there are two types of connections: fronthaul and backhaul.
Fronthaul is the Wi-Fi signals broadcast outward for clients or the network ports for wired devices. It's what we generally expect from a Wi-Fi broadcaster.
Backhaul (a.k.a backbone,) on the other hand, is the link between one satellite Wi-Fi broadcaster and another, which can be the network's primary router, a switch, or another satellite unit.
This link works behind the scenes to keep the hardware units together as a system. It also determines the ceiling bandwidth (and speed) of all devices connected to the particular broadcaster.
The connection type, a Wi-Fi band or a network port, used for the backhaul is often called the uplink. A Wi-Fi broadcaster might use one of its bands (2.4GHz, 5GHz, or 6GHz) or a network port for the uplink.
When a Wi-Fi band handles backhaul and fronthaul simultaneously, only half its bandwidth is available to either end. From the perspective of a connected client, that phenomenon is called signal loss.
A Wi-Fi connection between two direct parties occurs in a single band, using one fixed channel, at any given time. This principle applies to all existing Wi-Fi standards, up to Wi-Fi 6E.
When a Wi-Fi band functions solely for backhauling, it's called the dedicated backhaul.
In a mesh system, only traditional Tri-band hardware -- those with an additional 5GHz band -- can have a dedicated backhaul band without ostracizing clients of the same band.
Generally, it's best to use network cables for backhauling -- wired backhauling. And that's an advantage of mesh hardware with network ports. In this case, a satellite broadcaster can use its entire Wi-Fi bandwidth for front-hauling.
In networking, network cables are always much better than wireless in speed and reliability.
Asus GT-AX11000 Pro vs GT-AX11000: A more powerful router with multiple Multi-Gig ports
Other than the support for the 5.9GHz band, the GT-AX11000 Pro is also an all-around more powerful router. Compared to the original GT-AX11000, it has a better 2.0GHz quad-core CPU.
The GT-AX11000 Pro also gets Asus's new RangeBoost Plus technology, as in the case of the GT-AXE16000. In reality, though, this is mostly marketing hype. With the new firmware, all Asus routers get better efficiency, and the original GT-AX11000 will get this "RangeBoost Plus" when you put the latest firmware on it.
But there's one thing you can't add to the old router: The new GT-AX11000 Pro now has an additional 10Gbps LAN port. And that makes a huge difference for those wanting to go full Multi-Gig. (It would be much better, though, if it has two 10GbE ports, like the case of the GT-AXE16000.)
The hardware specification table below will show more of the similarity and differences between the new router and its older cousin. For comparison, I also put the GT-AXE11000 in the mix.
Asus GT-AX11000 Pro vs GT-AX11000 vs GT-AXE11000: Hadware speciciations
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| Full Name | Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E Gaming Router | Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Router | Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Router |
| Wi-Fi Bandwidth | Tri-band AXE11000 | Tri-band AX11000 | Tri-band AX11000 |
| 1st Band (channel width) | 4x4 2.4GHz AX: Up to 1148 Mbps (20/40MHz) | 4x4 2.4GHz AX: Up to 1148 Mbps (20/40MHz) | 4x4 2.4GHz AX: Up to 1148 Mbps (20/40MHz) |
| 2nd Band (channel width) | 4x4 5GHz AX: Up to 4804 Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz) | 4x4 5GHz-1 AX: Up to 4804 Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz) | 4x4 5GHz-1 AX: Up to 4804 Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz) |
| 3rd Band (channel width) | 4x4 6GHz AXE: Up to 4804 Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz) | x4 5GHz-2 AX: Up to 4804 Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz) | x4 5GHz-2 AX: Up to 4804 Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz) |
| UNII-4 Support | No | Yes | No |
| ASUS RangeBoost Plus | Yes | Yes | No (at launch) |
| Gaming Features | All except for gaming VPN | All with Outfox | All with WTFast |
| VLAN | No | Yes | No |
| Backward Compatibility | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
| Gigabit Port | 4x LAN, 1x WAN/LAN | 4 x LAN | 4x LAN, 1x WAN/LAN |
| Link Aggregation | Yes (LAN and WAN) | Yes (LAN and WAN) | Yes (LAN and WAN) |
| Multi-Gig Port | 1x 2.5Gbps LAN/WAN | 1 x 2.5 Gbps WAN 1x 10Gbps LAN/WAN | 1x 2.5Gbps LAN/WAN |
| Dual-WAN | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| USB | 2x USB 3.0 | 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0 | 2x USB 3.0 |
| Processing Power | 1.8 GHz quad-core CPU, 256MB Flash, 1GB RAM | 2.0 GHz quad-core CPU, 256 MB Flash, 1 GB RAM | 1.8 GHz quad-core CPU, 256 MB Flash, 1 GB RAM |
| Power Adapter | 100-240V | 100-240V | 100-240V |
| Power Consumption (per 24 hours) | ≈ 310 Wh | ≈ 370 Wh | not measured |
| Dimensions | 10.4 x 10.4 x 2.9 in (26.4 x 26.4x 7.4 cm) | 10.4 x 10.4 x 2.9 in (26.4 x 26.4x 7.4 cm) | 9.5 x 9.5 x 2.4 in (241 x 241 x61 mm) |
| Weight | 3.94 lbs (1.79 kg) | 3.94 lbs (1.79 kg) | 3.8 lbs (1.73 kg) |
| Release Date | April 2021 | December 2022 | June 2019 |
| Firmware (at review) | 3.0.0.4.386_42026 | 3.0.0.4.388_21224 | 3.0.0.4.384_9165 |
| US Price (at launch -- follow the link for the latest) | $550 | $450 | $450 |
Asus GT-AX11000 Pro vs GT-AX11000 vs GT-AXE11000: A more sensible design
The new GT-AXE11000 Pro shares the same square design as the GT-AX11000 and GT-AXE11000 and improves over the two.
Specifically, it uses non-removable antennas that can rotate around but can only open about 300 outward. Its Aura RGB light on top now has more exciting and eye-catching patterns.
And finally, it has its ports and button moved around a bit to be more practical.
Overall, I like the GT-AX1100 Pro's design much better than the GT-AX11000. The antennas alone are enough to make things easier to deal with. (It was a pain to keep the little poles of the previous model stay in their place.)
Asus GT-AX11000 Pro: Detail photos
A familiar Asus experience
The GT-AX11000 Pro shares the same firmware and, therefore, the feature set as the rest of the Asus routers.
I detailed all of these features in the primer post on Asus routers. But overall, if you have an Asus router before, you'll find yourself right at home with this one.
As for a gaming router, it supports every feature collectively available in the Asus router, as you'll note in the table below.
| US MSRP | Multi-Gig Port | Standard Gaming Features(*) | Gaming Private Network | ROG First, Game Radar | Gaming Port | GeForce Now | Aura Lights | |
| RT-AX88U Pro | $350 | 2x2.5GbE | Yes | WTFast | No | No | No | No |
| GT6 | $600 (2-pack) | 1x2.5GbE | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| GT-AXE16000 | $700 | 1x2.5GbE 2x10GbE | Yes | WTFast | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| GT-AX11000 Pro | $450 | 1x2.5GbE 1x10GbE | Yes | WTFast | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GT-AXE11000 | $550 | 1x2.5GbE | Yes | Outfox | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| GT-AX11000 | $450 | 1x2.5GbE | Yes | WTFast | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| GT-AX6000 | $400 | 2x2.5GbE | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| GS-AX5400 | $250 | None | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| GS-AX3000 | $180 | None | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| RT-AX88U | $350 | None | Yes | WTFast | No | No | No | No |
| RT-AX89X | $450 | 1x10GbE 1xSFP+ | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| RT-AX86U | $250 | 1x2.5GbE | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| RT-AX86S | $250 | None | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| RT-AX82U | $230 | None | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| RT-AX92U | $400 (2-pack) | None | Yes | WTFast | No | No | No | No |
| TUF-AX5400 | $200 | None | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Follow the link of each model name for more -- street prices are subject to change.
(*) Standard gaming features include Mobile Game Mode, Open NAT, Gear Accelerator, and VPN Fusion
In other words, the GT-AX11000 Pro is essentially the GT-AXE11000 plus a 10Gbps LAN port and the support for the 5.9GHz portion of the 5GHz spectrum. The new router reuses the design of the GT-AXE11000 with minor esthetical improvements.
On top of that, like other Asus "Pro" router, the GT-AX11000 Pro support VLAN for its network port, making it suitable for a business network with certain advanced requirements.
Asus and VLAN
VLAN, short for virtual local area network, is a business feature that allows users to create a logical network on an existing physical network. It's similar to building a mini mother-in-law guest house within your property.
All Asus routers have Guest Wi-Fi networks, a form of VLAN, or SDN (software-defined network).
The company's select models -- including RT-AX86U Pro, RT-AX88U Pro, GT-AX11000 Pro, GT-AXE16000, GT-AX6000, ZenWiFi Pro ET12/XT12, and ExpertWiFi Series -- also support a more advanced VLAN feature allowing users to customize their network ports accordingly. Additionally, these models generally share the same Pro-only features on top of the standard set available in all Asus routers.
Finally, for advanced users and geeks, the GT-AX11000 Pro also has the Merlin firmware treatment.
Speaking of firmware, my reviewed unit came with Asus stock version 386 but can be upgraded to the latest 388 firmware release. I tested it mostly with the latter but also tried it out with the previous 386 version.
A note on Asus firmware
Asus regularly releases firmware updates, a Linux-based operating system called Asuswrt, for its routers. Many of these updates add new features to the hardware -- they do more than patch security vulnerabilities.
Some updates may inadvertently cause a particular model to go haywire, likely because the company tries to do so much with its routers.
As a result, firmware is a tricky thing with Asus. When it comes to updating -- especially in an AiMesh setup of mixed hardware units using wireless backhauling -- keep the following three items in mind:
- Avoid the initial major release(*): This is the first firmware version of a model where the 3xx number changes, such as from 384 to 386 or from 386 to 388. Generally, the latest minor update of the previous major firmware release is always the most stable.
- Avoid using Auto-Update for firmware: You should update the firmware when you see fit instead of letting the hardware update itself.
- Version consistency (in a mesh system): Generally, it would be best to use the firmware version of the same major release for all AiMesh members. (Mixing hardware of different releases might produce mixed results.)
(*) How to read an Asus router's firmware: As shown in the screenshot below, in a particular official firmware version, such as 3.0.0.4.386_47629, the 3xx number in the middle denotes Asus's home-grown major release. The following number -- often includes five digits, such as 47629 in the screenshot -- indicates a minor update.
(A firmware version that starts with 9.x.x.x instead of 3.x.x.x is a beta release meant for testing purposes only.)
The part before that -- 3.0.0.4 in the screenshot -- is the Linux kernel version that will also change, albeit much less frequently. It's even more significant and should also be taken into consideration.
On the one hand, moving between major releases might break your AiMesh setup or even your standalone router. On the other, new hardware comes with a specific initial version out of the box -- you have no option to downgrade it -- and some old models won't get the latest release. So depending on the mesh combo, your luck will vary.
AiMesh started as an add-on feature with firmware version 384 in early 2018 -- represented by the RT-AC86U -- and was stable by the latest minor update of this version. In early 2020, Asus released version 386, buggy in the early stages, to add AiMesh 2.0 via the introduction of the ZenWifi product line. By late 2022, version 386 became fully mature, and Asus started releasing version 388, and the history repeated itself. So on and so forth.
As a rule, in a mesh system, it's best to wait for a few minor updates of a major release before upgrading. Depending on the hardware combo, you might need to rebuild the system from scratch or reset and re-add a satellite node if you change the major firmware version (in one or all hardware units involved.)
With either, the GT-AX11000 proved to be reliable as a single router. In a mesh setup, things can be tricky depending on the combo.
Asus GT-AX11000 Pro: Excellent performance (as a standalone router)
As mentioned, I tested the Asus GT-AX11000 Pro extensively as a standalone router, and it performed well. The router proved to be fast and reliable with no random disconnection.
It's worth noting that the UNII-4 portion of its 5GHz-2 band was useless in my trial since there was no supported client.
That band will come in handy, though, if you couple the router with other supported broadcasters, such as the ZenWifi XT8 or XT9, to form a fully wireless AiMesh.
However, considering the 388 firmware is relatively new -- and it has shown to be buggy in my experience in other non-UNII-4 mesh setups -- I'd not recommend using this router in such a setup just yet. It's a good idea to wait for a few minor updates first.
At the time of this review, the GT-AX11000 Pro's 388 firmware, version 3.0.0.4.388.21224, was the first of this release that replaced the generally more stable 386 revision.
Regarding range, the GT-AX11000 Pro shared the same excellent coverage as other high-end Wi-Fi 6 routers I've tested.
It's impossible to put this in numbers, but I'd say if you live in a home of 2000 ft2 (186 m2) or 2500 ft2 (232 m2), place it in the center, and chances are your game. Keep in mind that your mileage will vary depending on the layout of your home.
Good NAS performance when hosting a portable drive
The GT-AX1100 Pro worked well as a mini NAS server when hosting a portable SSD -- the WD My Passport, in my case.
Its performance wasn't the fastest, nor as fast as I'd hoped, from a 10GbE connect, but it was speedy enough nonetheless, as shown in the charts below.
If you're serious about network storage, I'd always recommend getting a real NAS server. But until then, couple this router with a decent portable drive, and you'll have a viable solution for everyday needs, including as a Time Capsule alternative.
Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro's Rating
Pros
Excellent Wi-F performance; UNII-4 support
Lots of free and useful networking features and settings, including all gaming features collectively found in Asus routers
Two Multi-Gig ports with excelling port configuration; supports LAN/WAN port, Dual-WAN, and LAN/WAN Link Aggregations
No vendor required login account; improved design
Cons
UNII-4 clients are nonexistent; no 6GHz band
Only one 10Gbps port
Bulky design, not wall-mountable
Conclusion
The Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro is an excellent router and a clear winner if your other option is the older GT-AX11000.
However, remember that it's still a Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 router -- it doesn't have a 6GHz band. And while the support for UNII-4 doesn't hurt, it doesn't mean much, considering there's no supported client.
So if you're comfortable with Wi-Fi 6 for the foreseeable future, the GT-AX11000 Pro is an easy recommendation -- it's among the best of its type and will work well, at least for those needing a single broadcaster at home.
But if you're looking to the future, it might already be a bit dated at the release time. So, to buy or not to buy is the question.
I am going to create a wireless mesh starting with an ASUS RT-AX11000 PRO. I am considering buying more of the same model Pros to use as nodes or XT12’s. I will need 2 or 3 nodes for this huge home. Do you’ve thoughts on which of those nodes would be better? Thanks.
I haven’t tried those combos, Jerry, but I think either will work, considering they all support UNII-4 for backhauling. Check out this post on how to set them up, especially if you choose the XT12 as satellites. Good luck!
Hi Dong, great learning from your posts. I need a suggestion from you. I have a fully wired network cable backhaul in my apartment. I hail from India and the internal brick walls in an apartment (India’s internal walls in rooms are of brick mortar and cement) are a major cause of dampening or attenuation of WiFi signal. Hence, I have now wired them fully all over. I have one ROG GT-AX6000 which I have been using as the primary router then connecting with the 2.5 Gbps LAN port with one RT-AX3000 in satellite mode. The RT-AX3000 does not have multiGig WAN ports or LAN ports and hence the mesh network is not a multiGig mesh at all. Here comes my question. Should I buy a GT-AX11000 Pro and make it the new master node and convert the GT-AX6000 to a satellite mesh?
OR should I buy a RT-AX86U Pro and replace the existing RT-AX3000 with this RT-AX86U Pro as satellite? What would make for the besh multiGig configuration?
Use the Dual-band hardware in your case, Anish. More here.
Given the current relative cost of two rog-rapture-gt-ax11000-pro of this router vs the ASUS XT12 2 pack, thoughts on employing two of these in a wireless mesh network?
They’ll work, Alex. More here.
I have always wondered … are the Anti-Malware Tools, affecting the latency and speeds ?
Yes, any of those features, especially QoS, will affect the speeds. As for how much the effect is or the latency, that depends. Most of the time, it’s negligible.
What router would be compatible to use with this GT-AX11000 Pro on a wired backhaul only please? or is it safe to purchase another one of these for upstairs? Thanks.
You can get almost any router, Justin, so another unit definitely works.
Hey Dong,
Awesome post and thank you for all that you do.
I Have a question. I currently have a pair of XT12 connected via wired backhaul, however i feel that the reach is not enough to reach my 3rd floor in my home. So after reading your review, I thought to take the plunge and have just purchased a used GT-AX11000 pro as the new main and the two XT12’s as nodes via wired backhaul. would this new set up work? or would i need to set these up as wireless? or is it best to get rid of the two XT12 and replace them with somthing else?
Your help would be greatly appreciated on this…
thanks
jay
I think that setup is going to work technically, Jay, though generally, I wouldn’t use Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 in a wired backhauling configuration — more here. As if it works for your situation, only you would know. I’d give it a try.
Thanks for your reply dong,
So after reading your link, its safe to say that although I have wired set up in my home, the equipment ( GT-AX11000 pro and XT12 pair) that I have is not designed for wired backhaul and that I should use them all as wireless instead? unless one day Idecide to get rid of them all and find a mesh device that are made for wired backhaul – am I correct?
cheers
Jay
No, you should always use them via wired backhauling. Just expect hiccups which might or might not happen.
Hey DN,
You were right, i found that the XT12 pair i have couldn’t get along with my GT-AX11000 Pro as Satalites on wired backhaul set up. What would be a compliment getter, Dual Band, wifi 6 router that i can use a satalite on a wired backhaul to my Primary GT-AX11000 Pro? would any of these choices work better out of the Asus RT-AX88U Pro or Asus RT-AX86U? They both have the 2.5Gb Multi Gig port that can connect to the 10Gb Multi-Gig port from the GT-AX11000 Pro. Once again thanks for your great tips, ive been reading loads on here 🙂
How are you testing read / write performance over the 10 g port?
Do you have an SMB or NFS share from a NAS with 10 g wired to the router?
I’m not sure what a 16bps wired connection is, but using AJA to test my setup with a Sonnet Dual 10g to TB3 adapter, I’m able to saturate the 10g connection reading and writing to a RAID 0 SSD storage pool on my NAS.
I’m just wondering if the performance over 10g is so poor over the LAN, does it make sense to just go with the GT-AX6000 and use 2.5g instead?
Here’s how I do the testing.
I believe your tech specs you stated for the AX11000 PRO are incorrect. They indicate the the 2.5GB port is LAN/WAN- but the web site tech specs clearly state otherwise. Unless you are saying the Asus web site is wrong:
x 2.5 Gigabit WAN Port
1 x 10 Gigabit WAN/LAN Port
4 x Gigabit LAN Ports
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Port
1 x USB 2.0 Port
Fixed. Thanks for reporting. And yes, that’s the case with all Asus routers with two Multi-Gig ports where one is the WAN. This port won’t work as a LAN in the router role.
Weird, it lists on ASUS now as swinging both ways:
Flexible networking ports – One 2.5G port and one 10G port can be configured for either WAN or LAN operation
I can confirm that the ax-11000 pro is able to utilize its WAN port as a local port if you use this as a mesh node or AP etc. Tested it.
Thanks for confirming, Barak, but that’s always been the case. More here.
I have a dumb question. To setup wireless backhaul and employ unii4 I believe both the main router and the mesh router have to support unii4. Is this correct? I have an AX11000 Pro and an RT-AX88U. The later doesn’t support unii 4.
That’s correct, Lowell. More on UNII-4 in this post.
Mixing the two, in your case, in a wireless setup is not a good idea. More here.
To avoid “dumb” questions, you can read the available info before asking them. 🙂
Hi Dong!
Thanks very much for such a detailed review! Appreciate you!
I purchased a GT-AX11000 Pro. I need more coverage. Would you recommend another GT-AX11000 Pro or would some ZenWifi XT8s be sufficient. They will be setup on a wired backhaul. Gigabit internet connection. Thanks again!
If you have wired backhauling, I’d recommend Dual-band satellites, Russel. Considering you have a Multi-Gig router, this post will help.
Hi Dong. Great review as always.
I’m a console gamer who needs to connect wirelessly. I was thinking of getting this router for its UNII-4 capability and then getting a cheaper XT8 to use as a media bridge for a clean connection without threat of the neighbors changing their wifi channels to what I’m using. Can you think of any downside to gaming this way vs just connecting directly to the gt-ax11000 pro, as far as QoS compatibility and general lag?
Thanks for any help and all your good work.
I haven’t tried that but the idea seems plausible, Greg. It’s best to run a network cable, though, but you probably already know that.
Hi Dong, very useful router tests you publish here, thanks for that!
My Wifi usecase is very specific and so I would like to ask you directly:
I teach in a classroom with over 30 Wifi clients, latops and iPads of various generations, maximum with Wifi 6 receivers. We do serious gaming (Minecraft Multiplayer) in class and therefore need low latency with many devices transmitting at the same time. Range is less of an issue as everyone is in a room in relative proximity. Only one powerful device is intended to be the router, no mesh. The router is mobile, set up specifically for the class, so it can’t be permanently installed. A game server is connected to the router via LAN cable, all other student devices must be connected via wifi. Currently I am testing the Netgear RAXE500 and also had the RAX200 in use, but I am not 100% satisfied with the performance. Which device, or features, would you advise me to use? I would consider one of the Asus ROG routers next, like the GT-AX11000 Pro. Or do you have a better recommendation?
The GT-AX11000 Pro placed in the center will work out great, Chris.
To be sure you can make two SSIDs out of the two 5GHz bands and segment the clients equally. Other than that, keep the Wi-Fi settings at default (Auto).
Have fun!
Thanks Dang, but would there be a better device than the GT-AX11000 Pro?
No, not for your needs. But if you have 10Gbps broadband, you can go with the GT-AXE16000.
Hi Dong –
I have a 2 story home, with my office in the finished basement, and WiFi needs that span the 60 ft length of the house, plus the garage (WiFi garage door openers / cameras) and past that to the driveway (light / camera). Each floor is about 1600 sq ft and the basement is about the same. I’ve been through several versions of WiFi devices here over many years, from the early fairly awful ones through MoCa adapters / APs to extend the range of my ISP’s modem / gateway / AP. When Google WiFi came out, I took a chance, and while it was limited and never spectacular, it was the first solid experience I had with WiFi in the house in about 20 years. I added nodes over the years, wound up replacing the “Google” nodes with Nest nodes, and for a few months it was good (again – not “great”), with WiFi speeds anywhere from 250 to 350 Mbps around most of the house. (My ISP service is nominally 1 Gbps, actual seems to hover at 850 to 900). Down in the basement I have a Nest router functioning as a mesh node, with a CAT5e cable from one of the LAN ports going to my desktop hub. For a couple of months, I was seeing speeds on my laptop (at my desk) in the range of 650 Mbps. Google pushed a slew of firmware updates though in what I believe to be an attempt to resolve other issues, but resulting in speeds reliability significantly reduced. I finally gave up, and am looking for an “adult” WiFi mesh at this point…
As I started considering alternatives I came across your site and have been soaking up articles as I have time to read them. Fantastic resource – thank you!
I appreciate your perspective re: wired backhaul. I had ruled out wiring the house years ago (still have a huge backlog of other projects to tackle), but will revisit this as a possibility. I’m somewhat skeptical though that I’ll get to that this year (or next). So I’m looking for the best completely wireless mesh setup, and if that hits the right performance, it should hold me for the next couple of years (or more). With that in mind, after reading many of your posts, I had homed in on the Asus pro XT12, but was also considering adding a 3rd unit to the mesh (might try the pair first – but would like to think ahead to an addition if warranted).
First thought was to plan on getting a 3rd XT12. But then I wondered what difference, if any, I might see if I used a GT-AX11000 Pro as the base until, and a pair of XT12’s as satellites instead.
I still may bite the bullet and revisit wired backhaul (and different units, e.g., the ET12, instead) but I suspect wireless will win out this year.
I’d be curious to get your thoughts on the two different combos above: 1) GT-AX11000 Pro plus two XT12’s, or 2) three XT12’s.
Thanks in advance…
I think you’re right on the money as to how things should be, Jon. I bit the bullet a while back and wired my home — yes, I did it myself — and everything has been great. For reference, we have a large yard with an office at the far end where I’m right now. All get 10Gbps throughout. All it takes is a single CAT6 cable. Your combo (either one) will likely work — the GT only gives you more features. How well that works, though, depends on how things are at your place, and only you can tell. But you can start with them wirelessly and use wired backhauling later (not ideal hardware but still great.) Good luck!
Thanks Dong! Food for thought (and a bit of a personal challenge!). When I can find the time away from my “real” job I like to tackle as many DIY projects as I can – carpentry, plumbing, gas, electric. Torn with the choice now…if I can find the time, I really ought to run CAT 6. In the meantime as I ponder this, I’ll be reading through a lot more of your site. Fantastically valuable, and frankly one of incredibly few sources of thorough, fact- and experienced-based perspective, amidst a sea of “review sites” that exist pretty much just to earn referral commissions from links to products on e-commerce sites. Refreshing – and most appreciated. Thanks again!
👍
If you put ethernet inwall, dont go with CAT6a, go with CAT8. Its worth getting the extra future proofing and its not much more expensive raw material wise. Its just as difficult of a DIY job regardless of the cable, so make it count. Good luck!
incorrect info in the chart. according to asus it does have 802.11ax
Pay a bit attention, Iarry.
I’m split between purchasing the rapture GT-AX11000 Pro vs the GT-AXE16000. I have 3 desktop PCs (used primarily for work and gaming) that will be wired into the LAN ports on the router. My home has 3 floors, so I will need to purchase additional AiMesh compatible nodes to ensure I have complete coverage in the case the router does not cover my entire home. I will need to use wireless backhauling for the node connections.
The GT-AXE16000 sounds awesome, however you mentioned in the review for that it wouldn’t be a good idea to use it in a wireless mesh system.
The GT-AX11000 doesn’t support WiFi 6e, however it sounds like it would work really well in a wireless mesh setup due to UNII-4 (I would then purchase additional compatible nodes if needed, most likely the ZenWifi XT8).
Which of the 2 would you recommend based on my scenario?
I’d go with the GT-AXE16000, Mehrik. You have lots of options with it. And it’s great, too.
I recently came across your site while looking to upgrade my existing router to take advantage of my new (to me) 5Gps speed and I I really appreciate the in-depth review of these devices.
I saw in your GT-AXE16000 review you had a screenshot that showed how to change one of the 10Gbps ports from LAN to WAN. Is that an option with the GT-AX11000 Pro? I tried comparing screenshots to look at the menus but didn’t see an option. The AXE16000 seems to be a great router but I can’t justify an extra $200 for another 10Gbps port I won’t use.
Yes, you can do that with all Asus routers with a Multi-Gig WAN port, Brad. More on them in this post.
Thanks for the wonderfull content. I’m trying to find information on the best wifi 6 router for console remote play. I love gaming on my Xbox and PlayStation via their remote play features but I can’t find any router recommendations. Would you happen to know which wifi 6 routers are best for this?
Almost any Wi-Fi 6 router is OK for that, Cameron since Remote Play requires relatively low bandwidth. But this one will work well. Or any on this list for that matter.
Thank you for the thorough review. I especially appreciate the list of UNII-4 compliant existing routers. I currently use a set of ZenWiFi-XT8 in a mesh network. It actually works quite well. However, I recently upgraded my ISP plan to 1.2Gbps, and I wish to slowly upgrade to a multi-gigabit home network. I am a novice, but from reading many of your in-depth guides and reviews, I believe I understand one of the goals for a mesh architecture is to match the components as closely as possible, thereby not sacrificing as many features available.
A ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro as my primary router in a mesh network (re-purposing the XT8s as wired nodes) in a 3200ft2 home is probably overkill. But, one of my goals is to also “future proof”. While I do not totally understand the implications of the roll out of WiFi 7, my house is fully wired, and only a few phones, tablets and IoT devices connect wirelessly. My primary focus is on a wired multi-gigabit network.
I will continue to monitor your site for updates, as I slowly upgrade to a multi-gig wired infrastructure as funding is available. Meanwhile, I will hold off on the GT-AX11000 Pro for a few more months to see if the price may fall some.
Thank you again for the insight you’ve provided for me to embark on this endeavor.
Your assessment is on point, Keith. Generally, I’d get whatever I need at the present time, but if your existing setup still suffices, it makes sense to wait.
Cheers! 🙂
I just received my GT-AX11000 Pro today from a European storefront. I’m currently running a GT-AX11000 with four ZenWifi XT8s in a wireless mesh configuration, and I have gigaspeed internet with a fiber gateway that has a 2.5/10 WAN connection.
I’m going to setup the GT-AX11000 Pro in the same configuration and try to employ the 5.9 ghz band for my wireless backhaul on the XT8s, which are also UNII-4 compliant. I’ll get back with the results this weekend!
It’ll work much better if in a wireless setup, Alan. By the way, it’s safer to use the 386 firmware for now.
More here.
Keep us posted! 🙂
I’m hoping you can help me with this. I got the GT-AX11000 Pro up and running, along with all four XT8s—and to your comment, they are all running the 388 firmware version at the moment. Odd thing is that there is no option to select the UNII-4 channels in my GUI as there were on the screen shot you posted—it only offers 160 ghz with DFS channels as a selectable choice.
This is a product I purchased from a European storefront, but the firmwares are from the US website. Can you think of any reason it isn’t giving me the option for the UNII-4 channels please?
UNII-4 is only available in select regions, Alan. I don’t think you can enable it via firmware.
How do I find out if Texas has it available? And what firmware were you using for your screenshot that showed it available to select under the 5ghz band for the XT9 and the ZenWifi AX11000?
The portion is available in the US. My guess is you got an European version of the hardware which doesn’t have it.
The firmware version is generally noted in the hardware specs table of each review and should be shown on the screenshot itself.
Make sure you pay attention when reading this site. 🙂
So I discovered that the model I bought online was from an international seller (a corrupt one) that sold me a unit that was pre-programmed for the UK, where the U-NII-4 band is not legal to use. I should have known because the GUI gave me the option to select channels 12 & 13 on the 2.4 GHx band. You were right!
So I returned it and ordered a new one from Amazon that is set for the US. Now the U-NII-4 option shows up! (the 12-13 channels did not this time).
Despite the 388 concerns, I installed the latest stock 388 versions on my ZenWifi XT8s, then installed RMerlin’s latest 388.1 firmware on the AX11000 pro. I turned on the U-NII-4 channels, chose 160 mhz for the backhaul and selected channel 177 (only 169, 173 and 177 are available—181 is not). I figured any of them should suffice since no one around me is using any of these channels according to my Wi-Fi radar.
My setup has been rock solid for three days. The nodes haven’t budged from the main router connection and are showing no less than -60 dBm RSSI. All of my 61 clients have remained steadily connected to my network since setup with no dropouts. UPnP port forwarding is working flawlessly.
I’m using 40 channel width for 2.4 and 160 for 5GHz (with DFS channels allowed)—2.4 GHz is using channel 5 and 5GHz-1 is using 48, and I’m getting download speeds of 600 mbps on my iPhone 14 Pro Max near the furthest node from my AX11000 Pro.
I’m extraordinarily impressed—the upgrade from the AX11000 is working exactly as I hoped it would. I’ve never had such a seamless node configuration and stability than I’ve seen with this AX11000 Pro, and for the first time in ages I have zero network issues. I’ll be sure to follow up if anything changes. Thanks so much for this great tip!
Sure, Alan. And thanks for the update. That’s great news!
And the router’s latest 388 firmware already includes minor updates, and that helped. But yeah, keep in mind the firmware issue in the future.
Cheers!
Hi Dong,
Great content and reviews. I have been given an option by my ISP for a AX11000 for my 1Gbps line.
Should I take this option for about $300 and but 2 compatible AiMesh routers or just go with the line only and get a better mesh setup. Is so, which is a better mesh setup?
I live in a 2 storey apartment of about 1800 sqft with my primary WIFI point downstairs and almost all my WIFI hungry stuff upstairs and no option to do wired.
Thank you.
That’s up to you, Vinx. This post will help, if not, check those in the related post box (at the top).
Hello Dong,
is there any chance for the review in the close future or you don’t plan to get the router anytime soon?
{…}
Regards!
I currently have no plan to review it — it’s not even available where I am. But this post on UNII-4 will give you more info.
I also don’t comment on stuff you’ve seen elsewhere unless it’s from the vendor. Please don’t post links to other sources.
This unit is finally showing as available from a U.S. storefront. I have a GT-AX11000 now with several ZenWifi XT8 mesh nodes. If the nodes don’t support the UNII 4 spectrum then there’s really no advantage to this pro version, correct? I won’t be able to take advantage of the extended spectrum for my wireless backhaul anyway, from the way it sounds…
That’s correct, Allan. It’s kinda pointless as a standalone router and you’ll need to use multiple units or the XT8 or XT12 with it — I haven’t tried either case.
Hi, Dong – You do a great job of reviewing and explaining! I’ve learned a tremendous amount from you by reading your articles in the last few weeks. Thank you!
Would you agree with this conclusion concerning GT-AX11000 Pro vs. GT-AXE11000? It seems to me that much of the Pro model’s second 5GHz band would still be compatible and useful for existing WiFi clients to connect to, since the new 5GHz UII-4 segments are just part of the 5-2 GHz band, which is the third band of this tri-band router. In contrast, the AXE model’s 6GHz band, which is that router’s third band, has almost no compatibility or connectivity to most existing clients. Therefore, without upgraded clients, the AX11000 Pro will provide more useful 5GHz band connectivity today than the one 5GHz band on the AXE11000.
(Also, note that the AX11000 Pro has newer and faster CPU and memory and WiFi chips than the original AX11000. Further, the original AX11000 will not be upgraded to the 2022 ASUSWRT firmware, but both the AX11000 Pro and AXE11000 will be supported.)
My bottom line conclusion is that the GT-AX11000 Pro is a more practical choice than the GT-AXE11000 for better immediate WiFi LAN speed and bandwidth for existing clients.
(All of the above disregards any mesh use unless fully wired backhaul is used.)
Yeap, Mick, the Pro is definitely better and you can always opt to NOT use the UNII-4 portion of the band. The extra Multi-Gig ports alone already make it a much better choice.
Ah! So with my four XT8 mesh nodes, which are UNII-4 capable after all, I will be able to improve my existing wireless mesh with the GT-AX11000 (non pro version) I have now, since I will be able to assign my 5G-2 band to the 160/5.9 channel, instead of the 80 channel width setting I’m using now?
I assume with UNII-4 the 5.9 ghz channel is user-selectable on the 5G-2 band?
You can’t use the UNII-4 portion of the band, which is generally user-selectable, with broadcasters that don’t have it, Alan. All that implies.
I’m sorry, I’m not getting you. UNII-4 is a radio bandwidth—if I get this GT-AX11000 Pro (which is on the way), and all my mesh routers support it for the backhaul (not for device clients), then what “broadcaster” are you referring to?
“Broadcasters,” in this case, means a Wi-Fi routers or Wi-Fi access points, Alan.
Here’s the post on UNII-4, please read it. It should answer ALL the questions you might have. As for my previous answer that you didn’t get, I only replied to your question before that. The GT-AX11000 (non-pro) has nothing to do with UNII-4, and it will not work with it.
I have, at times, upwards of 30 devices on WiFi, and we randomly loose connections (old Pace 5268AC I believe.) I have no clients that could use the AXE 6 GHz band, so it seems like I’d be better off with the AX11000 Pro, with three radios to support all my devices…? As a side question, I have six Nest smoke detectors and a Carrier WiFi thermostat – should those be isolated from the rest of our numerous iPhones, iPads, and computers somehow? Thanks for any help – the constant dropped connections are driving me nuts, and the last time I asked AT&T about the Pace unit, I was told “it is still currently in use.” Right, and I still have an old transistor radio from the 1960’s I sometimes use, but anyway 🙂
Please feel free to delete this sentence and tack this on to my previous post. As it turns out, I cannot find anybody selling the GT-AX11000 Pro! The AXE11000 is available, but not what I want (I think.) Any thoughts on a Netgear equivalent? Thanks again.
The GT-AX11000 Pro is not out yet, Jeff. There’s no Netgear equivalent, at least for now. The only one that’s similar is the Synology RT6600ax. More about the 5.9GHz in this post.
You have way too many “smart” devices, Jeff. Check out this post (especially item #3), and related ones, to have a better understanding of them. There’s no easy fix for your situation.
I just got 2.5gbps internet. I opted to pass on 5gbps plan from at&t for now because it’s more expensive and I need new network gear! I hear sonic is testing 10gbps so I might switch to that when available.
So that leaves me in a spot. Should I wait on wifi router you think? Or upgrade my Asus router (I can’t remember model but it’s an 802.11ac that I put Merlin WRT on) to something like this?
I now find myself in need of two multi gig ports and there’s not many with that.
Mikrotik has a new router with all 10gbe. No wifi. About $600. Maybe that and add wifi to that? Ugh. Multigig is expensive. Im just looking for the best wifi range and speed at the most cost effective price. I hard wire like two or three machines otherwise (for now, kids one day will too I guess and I wired every room cat6a).
Any suggestions?
I have Sonic 10Gbps, Tom, and it’s decent. But for your case, I’d get the GT-AX6000, or (single unit) ZenWiFi Pro ET12. Or just get any router with a Multi-Gig WAN port and wait for Wi-Fi 7.
Had the RT-AX3000 and it didn’t really cut it even with 1gbps fiber. Upgraded to a single unit ZenWiFi Pro ET12 and the difference is huge – especially if you have a mix of 6 / 6E devices to split connections between 5Ghz 4×4 and 6Ghz 4×4.
That’s to be expected. The RT-AX3000 is an entry-level router.
So many great new routers! Huge Asus fan since I loaded Tomato on my RT-N10 and didn’t look back! Sadly, I have spent a couple years now trying to choose something to upgrade from my RT-N66U. Problem is, with our awful 14Mbps max rural satellite (Wavedirect.. ugh) internet, it’s a tough thing to know what to choose and spend the cash on when you are using it hardwired for gaming on PC (Lost Ark) & PS5 with Alexa & a few other smart plugs and bulbs along with an older Night Owl analog camera system. Luckily it’s just my husband & I here but I need something to maximize the paltry pipe we get in our small 2 bd/1 bath home on 3 acres. Our Starlink application put in 1.5 years ago just got released for us 3 days ago but we cannot get an unobstructed area until we cut more massive trees so just cancelled for now and will just have to keep suffering Canada’s terrible rural “infrastructure” and just choose a new Router without waiting for a better pipe. Maybe the RT-AX88U,AX82U, AX86U or the RT-AX92U but honestly I really don’t know with this terrible connection what would be the best bet and I keep casting envious eyes at the new Asus models. *sigh*
Get the ZenWiFi XD4, Miz. With that type of speed, you can place them relatively far apart, and you can also get a separate router (like the RT-AX56U) and use the XD4 as AiMesh nodes.
Thanks so much for your reply! As we don’t really use our wifi outside of our smaller 1200 sqft home (wifi is only used for a couple extra Wyze cams in the garage and around 12 assorted 2.4 Ghz plugs and smartbulbs) and are primarily gamers who game at the same time (hubby on hardwired PS5 and me on Hardwired PC), would this still be the best solution for us and the RT-AX56U the best router purchase for our application? Thanks so much! I really appreciate your time and all of the fabulous content you have provided on this site!
For the speed, Miz, there’s not much you can do to improve the online experience. So yes, the hardware I recommended should be as good as can be. Pick the number of hardware units that can blanket your area, and that’s about it. You can start with one and scale it up later. This post might help. Good luck! 🙂
Thanks Again for the reply! I have read that article a couple of times now and will definitely read it again now! The incredible amount of work and in depth reviewing you have done here, and advice you have given is indeed amazing and you deserve to be lauded for all your hard work, long hours and care put into this site! This evening I am going to order the AX56U and an XD4 or XD6 as the XD6 is only $20 more at our BestBuy atm. I will have to search the site now and read what you may have written about the XD4 vs XD6 to see for sure! Again, much Thanks!
Sure, Miz. 🙂
##In late 2020, FCC approved it for Wi-Fi use and then made it available for unlicensed use sometime in 2021.#
is this availability also applied to all other world countries or only USA? i mean, this router released in all other world countries will have also this range improvement? will it be capped by the local regulations?
What range improvement? Make sure you pay attention to the details. And I can only speak for the US region, the FCC is a US organization.
Is it really possible the original GT-AX11000 could get the extra 5.9 Ghz 160 support? or is the radio hardware different ?
Highly unlikely. Almost a hard no. Among other things, the hardware needs to be certified by the government, for the portion and chances are vendors don’t do that retrospectively.
Are you sure the GT-AX11000 Pro will have two 10Gbs ports? From what I can tell from the ROG CES 2022 announcement site (link below), this model only gets a 2.5Gbs WAN and a 2.5Gbs LAN, and only the GT-AXE16000 gets the two 10Gbs ports.
https://rog.asus.com/us/articles/networking/rog-rapture-gt-axe16000-and-rog-rapture-gt-ax11000-2/
I’m not, Chris. But that’s what Asus told me. I don’t think the rep himself knew for sure at the time. We’ll find out.
There’s also a non 6e revised ax11000 coming out with support for unii-4
This is the one, J.
This one looks more (slightly) budget friendly than that ridiculous 4 Bands GT-AXE16000. This one certainly ticks all areas when it comes to multi-gigabit connectivity. However allowing one 10Gbe port to work as WAN would be super. I might upgrade to this model and use two of these in mesh mode. My current RT-AX88U is really hampered by 1 GIgabit LAN and WAN.
We don’t know the costs of the two yet.