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In this post, you’ll find the answers to picking the best AiMesh router combination that fits a particular situation.
When through, chances are you’ll be able to build yourself a flexible, feature-laden, privacy-friendly Wi-Fi solution that’s also well-performing and reliable.
Unlike popular canned mesh systems — like the eero, Netgear Orbi, TP-Link Deco, or Linksys Velop — AiMesh can be a bit hard to set up and use.
It can also be buggy, especially when you pick the wrong combo, which is why I wrote this piece — make sure you read the top part where I’ll explain the best way to pair AiMesh hardware.
But AiMesh also has the most to offer among all home mesh options. You’re opting for a somewhat adventurous, albeit exciting, Wi-Fi approach here. It’s worth it!
This post is part of my series on Asus’s AiMesh. Check out the related post below if you have other questions on the topic.
Dong’s note: I first published this piece on February 28, 2021, and last updated it on February 11, 2022, to add more relevant information.
Table of Contents
How to pick the best AiMesh Router Combos: The rules of thumb
Below is the list of existing Asus routers that can work as part of an AiMesh Wi-Fi system. It’s not complete and only includes broadcasters available in the U.S. market.
AiMesh hardware
The way it works, you use one router as the primary node, and the rest will work as satellite node(s) to scale up the coverage. The primary router decides the features of your mesh.
Extra: Current AiMesh broadcasters
Note: This extra content was originally published in the AiMesh overview post.
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) AiMesh broadcasters
Most of these are legacy broadcasters that might not support the latest version of AiMesh.
- Tri-band: GT-AC5300, RT-AC5300, Lyra, and ZenWiFi AC.
- Dual-band: RP-AC1900, RT-AC1900, RT-AC1900P/U, RT-AC2900, RT-AC3100, RT-AC5300, RT-AC68P/R/RW/U/UF/W, GT-AC2600, Lyra Trio, Blue Cave, RT-AC86U, RT-AC88U, and possibly more.
Wi-Fi 6/6E (802.11ax) AiMesh broadcasters
These non-complete lists only include mostly the latest broadcasters already covered on this website.
- Tri-band (Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E):
- Traditional Tri-band (5GHz + 5GHz + 2.4GHz): GT-AX11000, RT-AX92U, ZenWiFi XT8, ZenWiFi Pro XT12, ZenWiFi XT9, ROG Rapture GT6, and more.
- Wi-Fi 6E Tri-band (6GHz + 5GHz +2.4Ghz): GT-AXE11000, ZenWiFi ET8, ZenWiFi Pro ET12, GT-AXE16000, RT-AX7800 and more.
- Dual-band (Wi-Fi 6): RT-AX88U, RT-AX89X, RT-AX3000 / RT-AX58U, RT-AX56U, ZenWiFi XD4, RT-AX86U, RT-AX82U, RT-AX68U, RP-AX56, GS-AX3000, GS-AX5400, ZenWiFi XD6, GT-AX6000, ZenWiFi AX Hybrid XP4, ROG Rapture GT6 and more.
Technically, you can arbitrarily use a combo of any broadcasters above to create a mesh system, and it will work. It’s a matter of degrees. The point is don’t do that. Instead, follow these tips to make sure you get the best out of your hardware.
For the most part, though, picking AiMesh hardware is similar to that of any mesh system.
Wired backhaul is generally recommended, especially for Dual-band (or Wi-Fi 6E Tri-band) hardware
Like all home mesh systems, you should use the wired backhaul. That is when you use a network cable to connect the main router and a satellite unit.
In this case, you can use CAT5e (or higher-grade) network cables — Gigabit or faster wiring is a must. You can daisy-chain the hardware units or place (unmanaged) switch(es) in between them.
By the way, I talked about Multi-Gig wired backhaul AiMesh combos in this post.
Extra: 6GHz wireless backhaul is no good in an Asus AiMesh setup
If you can’t run network cables and think the new 6GHz band of the latest Wi-Fi 6E standard will bail you out, you’ll be deeply disappointed. (This applies to other non-Asus systems, too, such as the Linksys AXE8400.)
After trying out two GT-AXE11000 units, the 2-pack ZenWiFi ET8, and a combo of these two, I can say for sure that you can’t count on the 6GHz band as backhaul in an AiMesh setup at all. Its range is just too short.
Chances are a Wi-Fi 6E AiMesh wireless system will use the 5GHz or 2.4GHz band as backhaul when you place the hardware units farther than 50 feet away from each other or if there’s a wall in between them. As a result, you’ll get a system with much inferior performance to a traditional tri-band alternative, such as the ZenWiFi XT8.
Again, the point is this: Don’t count on the 6GHz unless you live in a small or open space.
But with network cabling, you can use almost any router combo without worrying about performance or reliability.
(“Almost” is the key here. There are some specific sets that you might want to avoid using wired backhauls — more below.)
That said, if you intend to mix hardware of different Wi-Fi grades or standards — dual-stream (2×2) vs. three-stream (3×3) vs. quad-stream (4×4), or Wi-Fi 5 vs. Wi-Fi 6 — then you should think about getting your home wired first.
But generally, if you use dual-band hardware or mix Wi-Fi grades, it’s best to use wired backhauls. And vice versa, if you have wired your home, there’s no need to use traditional tri-band hardware.
Finally, wired backhauling is generally recommended if you use Wi-Fi 6E hardware — such as the GT-AXE11000, or the ZenWiFi ET8.
Traditional tri-band hardware is generally recommended in a fully wireless setup
In a fully wireless setup, you should consider tri-band hardware. Specifically, you want to use broadcasters with an additional 5GHz band that works as the dedicated backhaul. (Again, Wi-Fi 6E hardware doesn’t apply.)
In most cases, using dual-band hardware works, too. However, you will get only 50 percent of the satellite (node) unit’s speed due to signal loss.
So, if you don’t need the node’s top Wi-Fi speed, then dual-band hardware will do. The key is what type of performance you want.
Avoid mixing hardware
It’s generally safest in terms of performance and reliability when you use the same routers across the entire system.
However, that’s not a must, and also not economical. Sometimes, you want to mix a router with the best feature set with a more affordable node. In this case, you’ll get the Wi-Fi performance at each mesh unit according to its specs.
Wired backhauling gives you more flexibility, and in a fully wireless system, it’s best to avoid broadcasters of the different Wi-Fi standards (*) and even performance tiers.
(*) Applicable to different standards that share the same frequency band, such as the case of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 5, which both use the 5GHz band but in different ways.
Specifically, if you use a 4×4 Wi-Fi 6 router as the primary node, the rest of the nodes should also be 4×4 Wi-Fi 6 hardware — at least on the backhaul band. The same goes for Wi-Fi 5 equipment.
Rules for mixing hardware
If you have broadcasters of different Wi-Fi standards or Wi-Fi performance tiers — often the case when you buy a new router and want to keep the old one as part of a mesh –, keep the following in mind:
1. Use wired backhauling when possible
Using networking cables to link Wi-Fi broadcasters is the only way to get the best-performing mesh system.
A mix of wired and wireless backhaul is still better than full wireless. In this case, the primary router unit should be wired to the first node, but you can wire only the nodes together.
Still picking the correct primary router and appropriate satellite nodes is still crucial.
Extra: Consider the hardware’s AP mode
With wired backhauling, you can use standard access point (AP) mode for any satellite unit.
While this setup will not give you a real mesh system — you can’t control the AP’s Wi-Fi settings via the main router — it’ll give you excellent performance, reliability, and more control. Specifically:
- You can fully control the satellite hardware, including some extra features available in the AP mode (Wi-Fi settings, USB-related, lighting, and others).
- If your primary router is a Dual-band and the AiMesh satellite is a traditional Tri-band, you can use the node’s 5GHz-2 band, which is unavailable in the AiMesh mode.
- You can use a third-party router (or AP) or a non-AiMesh Asus router, such as the RT-AC3200.
Using the satellite units in the AP role is far more reliable than using them as wireless AiMesh nodes in my trial. So, consider this as an alternative when you have issues with a pure AiMesh setup.
2. Pick the best AiMesh router and use appropriate settings for the primary node
In an AiMesh system, the primary router is the device that decides the features of your network. Consequently, keep the following in mind for the hardware for this role:
- It should be one of the highest Wi-Fi tiers, measured in the number of streams (4×4, 3×3, 2×2, etc.).
- It’s the one with the most bands. So, pick the tri-band instead of the dual-band if you have both.
- Use the latest router with the most feature. So pick the Wi-Fi 6 router if you also have Wi-Fi 5 broadcasters.
- Use the Wi-Fi settings at the primary router applicable to the satellite. For example:
- Avoid the 160MHz or UNII-4 if any of the satellites only supports 80MHz or doesn’t support this portion of the 5GHz band.
- When mixing a router of a newer Wi-Fi standard (such as Wi-Fi 6) with satellites of an older standard (such as Wi-Fi 5), use the latest hardware in compatibility mode. (Mixing Wi-Fi standards are always problematic, especially with wireless backhauling.)
3. Pick the proper hardware for the satellite nodes
In an AiMesh setup, you generally have little or no control over the satellite node’s features or settings. They are solely to extend the network by providing additional Wi-Fi coverage or network ports.
There are two scenarios: wired and wireless backhauling.
For wired backhauling, it’s best to you Dual-band hardware thought out.
If you mix hardware of different numbers of bands and use a Dual-band as the primary router, note that you won’t be able to use any of the satellites’ third or fourth bands — they are not available — unless you use the hardware in eh AP mode as mention above.
Notes on AiMesh satellites for a system with wireless backhauling
Generally, this case is when things get complicated. Keep the following in mind:
- When possible, use the primary router and the satellite node of the same Wi-Fi standards and tier (•). If that’s not an option, pick a node that uses the same Wi-Fi standard (and tier) as the router for the backhaul band (5GHz).
- When mixing (traditional) Tri-band and Dual-band hardware, we have two scenarios:
- If you use a Tri-band primary router, its dedicated backhaul band (5GHz-2) is unavailable to a Dual-band satellite, which will connect to the router’s 5GHz-1 (or 2.4Ghz) band as backhaul.
- If you use a Dual-band primary router, a Tri-band satellite’s second 5GHz band (5GHz-2) is not used at all. This band will not work as backhaul, nor will you be able to make it work for the client. The satellite will use its first 5GHz band (or the 2.4GHz) as a non-dedicated backhaul.
(•) If you use broadcasters of different tiers, keep in mind that your network’s Wi-Fi connection speed will generally be that of the lowest-tier broadcaster. For compatibility reasons, the system must support the lowest denominator.
Expect some bugs
Since there are so many possible AiMesh combos, mixing hardware, especially when doing so arbitrarily, likely will result in unexpected bugs.
This is especially true when you use a fully wireless setup and during a major firmware release.
With that out of the way, below are my experience with certain AiMesh combos.
AiMesh has gone Multi-Gig wired backhaul
For all mesh networks with wireless or Gigabit wired backhauling, you’ll generally get the real-world throughputs slower than Gigabit (sub-Gigabit.)
That’s because a gigabit wired connection has overhead. And the currently fastest wireless connection, between the fastest client and the fastest router, sustains at around 1.5Gbps (Gig+) in a best-case scenario — most of the time, you also get around 1Gbps or slower.
If you want a faster-than-Gigabit network, you must use Multi-Gig wired backhaul.
Going forward, I’ll update the performance of Asus’s Multi-Gig-ready routers — such as the GT-AXE16000, GT-AX6000, ZenWiFi Pro ET12, and RT-AX89X — in this separate post on AiMesh hardware with Multi-Gig wired backhaul capability.
Best AiMesh routers and combos: The battle-tested list
This part results from many hours — days, weeks, and months in most cases — of testing and real-world usage via dozens of AiMesh combos I’ve used (or had access to) since Asus first introduced this feature in early 2018.
Indeed, it consists of AiMesh routers and purposed-built systems, all after my extensive first-hand experience from a couple of weeks to tens of months.
I sorted this list in the order of my experience, newest on top — the order is not the ranking. Go through the entire post, and you’ll find out which fits your needs and budget.
16. ZenWiFi XD6
If the ZenWiFi XT8 (below) is the AiMesh choice for a wireless home, the ZenWiFi XD6 is the wired alternative.
This dual-band purpose-built mesh system is ideal for a home already wired with network cables. Sure, it’ll work well in a wireless setup, but if you want the full Gigabit performance, getting your house wired is the way to go.
The XD6 works great by itself but if you want to mix it with other routers:
- Backhaul: Wired (recommended) or wireless (acceptable, only as a 2-pack).
- Recommended nodes: Itself or the XD4, preferably via wired backhauling but wireless will also work for those with modest broadband.
- Recommended the main router:
- Wireless: Wi-Fi 6 router with a 4×4 5GHz band.
- Wired: Any dual-band Wi-Fi 6 routers.
- AiMesh 2.0 support: Yes (including system-wide Guest network) starting with the initial firmware.
The ZenWiFi XD6 works best as a wired system by itself (you can use up to six hardware units) or the satellite for a similarly-specced or higher-tier router, such as the RT-AX86U, RT-AX82U, GS-AX5400, RT-AX88U, or the RT-AX89X.
Asus ZenWiFi XD6's Rating
Pros
Fast and reliable Wi-Fi performance
AiMesh 2.0 fully supported
Lots of network settings and useful features, including free real-time online protection for life
Compact design
Presynced hardware, 160Mhz support
Cons
No Multi-Gig or Link aggregation
No USB port
15. GS-AX5400 or TUF AX5400 (or GS-AX3000)
These three gaming routers are the alternatives to the RT-AX82U and RT-AX3000 mentioned below. And they are excellent AiMesh members.
The three are very similar in terms of design and features — they are part of Asus’s new ROG STRIX and TUF gaming series.
The GS-AX5400 and TUF-AX5400 are virtually identical in terms of hardware specs while looking totally different. On the other hand, the GS-AX5400 and GS-AX3000 look exactly the same but of different Wi-Fi tiers.
Since these are dual-band broadcasters, it’s best to use them (either as primary routers or satellite nodes) in a wired setup. But a wireless configuration works, too, especially in the case of the two AX5400 broadcasters, which have the top-tier 5GHz band.
Notes on using AiMesh:
- Backhaul: Wired (recommended) or wireless (acceptable).
- Recommended nodes:
- Wireless: Wi-Fi 6 router with a 4×4 5GHz band, namely itself.
- Wired: Any dual-band Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 5 routers.
- AiMesh 2.0 support: Yes (including system-wide Guest network) starting with the initial firmware.
- Nodes I’ve used: Themselves, RT-AX86U, RT-AX82U.
Asus ROG STRIX GS-AX5400's Rating
Pros
Excellent overall performance
Complete AiMesh 2.0 support, including system-wide Guest network
Robust web interface, well-designed mobile app, no login account required
Lots of useful features, including those for gamers
Cool-looking front-facing AURA Game light
Cons
No Multi-Gig port or Gamer VPN (WTFast)
Performance as a NAS server could be better
The ROG logo doesn't light up, a bit boring
14. RP-AX56
The RP-AX56 is an extender (repeater) by design and can work with any router. But it works best as an AiMesh node in a wired (recommended) or wireless setup.
Note, though, that this is a modest piece of hardware. It features 2×2 80MHz Wi-Fi 6 and therefore caps at 1.2Gbps at best. Most importantly, it can’t handle DFS or 160MHz channels and won’t work with a router that uses these settings in a wireless setup.
That said, this is a node for those using an entry-level AiMesh router or a high-end one set up with wired backhaul or in compatibility mode (wireless backhaul).
Notes on using AiMesh:
- Backhaul: Wired (recommended) or wireless (acceptable).
- Recommended router:
- Wireless: Dual-band 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 routers without the use of DFS or 160MHz channel width.
- Wired: Any dual-band Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 5 routers. AP mode is available.
- AiMesh 2.0 support: Yes, with a system-wide Guest network (with the latest firmware.)
- Routers I’ve tried: RT-AX82U, RT-AX3000, RT-AX89X.
Asus RP-AX56 Repeater's Rating
Pros
Affordable
Reliable and relatively fast Wi-Fi with good coverage
Can work as an Access Point, a Media Bridge, an Extender, or an AiMesh node (via wireless or wired backhaul)
Convenient design, excellent web interface
Cons
No 160MHz bandwidth, modest specs
The Initial firmware is a bit buggy (at launch)
Bulky for a snap-on device
13. RT-AX68U
The RT-AX68U is a bit special. It’s the only 3×3 Wi-Fi 6 router on this list, and it’s also quite affordable. It’s a better version of the RT-AC68U that came out a couple of years ago.
Notes on using AiMesh:
- Backhaul: Wired (recommended) or wireless (acceptable).
- Recommended nodes:
- Wireless: Wi-Fi 6 router with a 3×3 5GHz band, namely itself.
- Wired: Any dual-band Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 5 routers.
- AiMesh 2.0 support: Yes (including system-wide Guest network) starting with the initial firmware.
- Nodes I’ve used: RT-AX68U, ZenWiFi Mini XD4 (wired backhaul).
Asus RT-AX68U's Rating
Pros
Fast performance, excellent range, reliable
Tons of helpful networking features and settings, including AiMesh 2.0
Robust web UI, well-designed mobile app
Excellent NAS performance and features when hosting a storage device
Comparatively affordable
Cons
No Multi-Gig ports or 160MHz channel width support (at launch)
Not wall-mountable
12. RT-AX86U
The Asus RT-AX86U is a safe choice to be an AiMesh host. It’s so far the best dual-band router on the market, after all.
On top of that, this router is an excellent Multi-Gig satellite when working with the RT-AX89X.
Notes on using AiMesh:
- Backhaul: Wired (recommended) or wireless (acceptable when using same-tier routers).
- Recommended nodes:
- Wireless: Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 routers with a 4×4 5GHz band.
- Wired: Any Dual-band Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 routers.
- AiMesh 2.0 support: Yes (including system-wide Guest network) starting with firmware version 3.0.0.4.386.41535.
- Nodes I’ve used: RT-AX86U, RT-AX82U, RT-AX88U, RT-AX58U, RP-AX56, ZenWiFi XD4, GS-AX5400, and GS-AX3000.
Asus RT-AX86U's Rating
Pros
Fast performance, excellent range, reliable
Tons of helpful networking features and settings
Useful settings for online gaming
Robust web UI, well-designed mobile app
Multi-Gig, WAN/LAN Link Aggregation support
Excellent NAS performance and features when hosting a storage device
Comparatively affordable
Cons
Single, low-speed (2.5Gbps) Multi-Gig port
Not wall-mountable
Gaming features turn Adaptive QoS off
No support for WTFast Gamer VPN
11. RT-AX3000 / RT-AX58U
The RT-AX3000 is virtually the same as the RT-AX58U, and the pair makes an excellent AiMesh setup when you use the wired backhaul.
Notes on AiMesh:
- Backhaul: Wired (recommended) or wireless (not recommended).
- Recommended nodes:
- Wireless: Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router with a 2×2 5GHz band.
- Wired: Any dual-band Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 routers of the same tier or lower.
- AiMesh 2.0 support: Yes (including system-wide Guest network) starting with firmware version 3.0.0.4.386.41700.
- Nodes I’ve used: RT-AX58U, RP-AX56 (wired and wireless), ZenWiFi XD4 (wired), RT-AC86U (wired).
Asus RT-AX3000 / RT-AX58U's Rating
Pros
160 MHz channel support
Fast and reliable performance
Tons of useful features with excellent AiMesh support
Full web interface and well-design mobile app
Compact design, wall-mountable
Cons
No multi-gig port or Link Aggregation
Modest hardware specs
Relatively short Wi-Fi range
The Parental Control feature could use some improvement
10. RT-AX82U
The Asus RT-AX82U is almost the same as the RT-AX86U above in terms of performance and features. The two share the same 4×4 Wi-Fi 6 band, which is strong enough to handle both backhaul and clients in most cases.
Notes on AiMesh:
- Backhaul: Wired (recommended) or wireless (acceptable when using same-tier routers).
- Recommended nodes:
- Wireless: Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 routers with a 4×4 5GHz band.
- Wired: Any Dual-band Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 routers.
- AiMesh 2.0 support: Yes (including system-wide Guest network) starting with firmware version 3.0.0.4.386.41700.
- Nodes I’ve used: RT-AX86U, RT-AX58U, ZenWiFi XD4, RT-AC86U, GS-AX5400, and GS-AX3000.
Asus RT-AX82U's Rating
Pros
Excellent performance
Beautiful design with tons of helpful networking, game-related features, and settings
Robust web UI, well-designed mobile app
Comparatively affordable
Cons
No support for WTFast Gamer VPN
No multi-gig network port
Network storage performance (when hosting a portable drive) could use some improvement
Not wall-mountable
9. RT-AX89X
The Asus RT-AX89X is quite different since it’s the only Wi-Fi 6 router on this list that uses a Qualcomm chip. As a result, it doesn’t have the best support for AiMesh — it works best as a standalone router.
But if you’re building a wired network, it can still work as an excellent host. In fact, when coupled with the RT-AX86U (as a satellite), the RT-AX89X is one of the best router options to build a Multi-Gig AiMesh network.
Notes on AiMesh:
- Backhaul: Wired only. I didn’t have a good experience using this router in a wireless AiMesh setup.
- Recommended nodes: Any dual-band Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 5 routers.
- AiMesh 2.0 support: Yes with a system-wide Guest network (via the latest firmware).
- Nodes I’ve used: RT-AX88U, RT-AX58U, ZenWiFi XD4, RT-AC86U, GS-AX5400, and GS-AX3000.
Asus RT-AX89X's Rating
Pros
Excellent Wi-Fi performance
Uniquely cool design with two 10Gbps network ports
Eight Gigabit network ports with Dual-WAN and Link Aggregation
Super-fast network-attached storage speed when coupled with an external drive
Tons of useful features, including free-for-life real-time online protection and AiMesh
Cons
A bit buggy at launch, relatively expensive
Bulky physical size with an internal fan — potential heat issue in hot environments
Web interface needs work
Not wall-mountable, no universal backup restoration
8. RT-AX88U
In many ways, the RT-AX88U is the Wi-Fi 6 version of the RT-AC88U, which is an excellent router. The two look almost identical and share many similar features, including the eight Gigabit LAN ports and the lack of a multi-gig port.
Notes on AiMesh:
- Backhaul: Wired (recommended) or wireless (acceptable when using same-tier routers).
- Recommended nodes:
- Wireless: Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 routers with a 4×4 5GHz band.
- Wired: Any Dual-band Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 routers.
- AiMesh 2.0 support: Yes (including system-wide Guest network) starting with firmware version 3.0.0.4.386.41700.
- Nodes I’ve used: RT-AX88U, RT-AX86U, RT-AX58U, ZenWiFi XD4 (wired backhaul), RT-AC86U (wired), RT-AC88U (wired).
Asus RT-AX88U's Rating
Pros
Fast Wi-Fi performance
Tons of useful features
Eight network ports with Dual-WAN and Link Aggregation
Universal setting backup and restoration
Fast network-attached storage speed when coupled with an external drive.
Merlin firmware support
Cons
No multi-gig network port
Buggy firmware (at review)
7. RT-AX92U
A 2-pack Asus RT-AX92U makes an excellent AiMesh wireless mesh system. It also supported wired backhaul well. In many ways, it’s the mini version of the GT-AX11000 below.
Notes on AiMesh:
- Backhaul: Wired or wireless (tri-band routers only).
- Recommended nodes:
- Wireless: Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 routers of the same tier, namely itself. 5GHz-band works as the dedicated backhaul.
- Wired: Any Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 routers. In this case, the 5GHz-2 band is available only at tri-band nodes.
- AiMesh 2.0 support: Yes (including system-wide Guest network) starting with firmware version 3.0.0.4.386.41712.
- Nodes I’ve used: RT-AX92U.
ASUS RT-AX92U's Rating
Pros
Compact design, tri-band specs
Good performance, large coverage
Excellent set of features, including online protection, WTFast VPN for gamers, and system-wide Guest network when working as a mesh
Link Aggregation and Dual-WAN support, wall-mountable
Comparatively affordable
Cons
Wi-Fi 6 available only on one of the 5GHz bands
No Multi-Gig port
6. GT-AX11000
The GT-AX11000 is the full-size version of the RT-AX92U above. It’s an excellent full-feature AiMesh host.
Notes on AiMesh:
- Backhaul: Wired or wireless (tri-band routers only).
- Recommended nodes:
- Wireless: Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 routers of the same tier, such as itself or the RT-AX92U. In this case, the 5GHz-2 band works as the dedicated backhaul.
- Wired: Any Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 (dual-band) routers. In this case, the 5GHz-2 band is available only at tri-band nodes.
- AiMesh 2.0 support: Yes (including system-wide Guest network) starting with firmware version 3.0.0.4.386.41712.
- Nodes I’ve used: RT-AX92U, RT-AX88U, RT-AX86U, RT-AX58U, ZenWiFi AX XT8, ZenWiFi XD4 (wired back), Lyra (wired), RT-AC86U (wired), RT-AC88U (wired), Blue Cave (wired).
Asus GT-AX11000's Rating
Pros
Fast and reliable Wi-Fi performance with an excellent range
Lots of useful features for home users
Unique and effective settings for online gaming
Multi-Gig network port, Dual-WAN, Link Aggregation
Mesh ready
Cons
Expensive
Bulky design, loose antennas, non-wall-mountable
Fewer LAN ports than the previous model
Long boot-up time, buggy (at launch), fluctuating Wi-Fi throughputs
5. ZenWiFi AX XT8
This set is the first purpose-built tri-band Wi-Fi 6 AiMesh set. As such, it’s intended primarily to work as a standalone wireless system (no network cables or other hardware involved.)
As a result, while this set support wired backhaul well, using a network cable to connect the two might cause issues when new firmware is released or deliver worse performance, which has happened multiple times since its release.
Important note: Unless you have issues, don’t update to a new firmware immediately. Instead, wait for a subsequent version. When running into problems after an update, revert to the previous firmware version.
Notes on AiMesh:
- Backhaul: Wired (with caution) or wireless (recommended).
- Recommended nodes: Itself.
- AiMesh 2.0 support: Yes (vis latest firmware). with system-wide Guest network.
- Nodes I’ve used: 2-pack set.
Asus ZenWiFi XT8's Rating
Pros
Fast Wi-Fi performance and large coverage at a comparatively affordable cost
Improved and flexible AiMesh
Lots of network settings and useful features, including free real-time online protection for life
Full 4×4 dedicated backhaul band with optional wired backhaul support
Multi-Gig WAN port with Dual-WAN and WAN link aggregation
Cons
No 160MHz 4×4 support for Wi-Fi 6 clients in a dedicated wireless backhaul setup
No Multi-Gig LAN port or LAN link aggregation
Only four network ports on each hardware unit
Firmware can be buggy, especially via wired backhaul
Storage performance (when hosting an external drive) could be better
4. ZenWiFi AX Mini XD4
As the name suggests, the XD4 is the mini version of the XT8 above. It works best in the wired backhaul setup, either as a standalone system or the nodes of another dual-band router among those mentioned above.
Notes on AiMesh:
- Backhaul: Wired (recommend) or wireless (OK with low performance).
- Recommended nodes: Itself.
- AiMesh 2.0 support: Yes, with a system-wide Guest network, right out of the box.
- Nodes I’ve used: 3-pack set.
Asus ZenWiFi AX Mini XD4's Rating
Pros
Reliable performance
Improved AiMesh feature
Guest networking works throughout the system
Useful network settings and feature
Cons
No dedicated backhaul band or 160MHz channel width support
No multi-gig port, Dual-WAN or Link Aggregation
Stripped-down, borderline useless QoS and Parental Control features
Limited number of network ports, switch needed for a complete wired backhaul setup
Non-pre-synced hardware, not wall-mountable
3. ZenWiFi AC CT8
The CT8 is the Wi-Fi 5 version of the XT8 above. It would help if you used it as a standalone mesh set via the wireless backhaul without other AiMesh routers. While it supports wired backhaul, using a network cable to link the hardware might cause firmware-related issues.
Notes on AiMesh:
- Backhaul: Wired (with caution) or wireless (recommended).
- Recommended nodes: Itself.
- AiMesh 2.0 support: Partially. No system-wide Guest network yet.
- Nodes I’ve used: 2-pack set
Asus ZenWiFi AC CT8's Rating
Pros
Significantly improved AiMesh feature
Fast performance, excellent Wi-Fi coverage
Tons of useful features and settings, including free network real-time online protection for life
Fast dedicated backhaul, wired backhaul supported
Helpful mobile app
Cons
The web user interface doesn't always work as intended (bugs)
Only 3 LAN ports per router
Not enough setting instructions
Guest networking still has issues
The combo of buggy firmware and auto-update
2. RT-AC88U
This one is the Wi-Fi 5 version of the RT-AX88U above, and that’s the only difference between the two. In an AiMesh system, though, the RT-AC88U, when working as the primary router, should host only Wi-Fi 5 nodes unless you use wired backhauling.
Notes on AiMesh:
- Backhaul: Wired (recommended) or wireless (acceptable when using same-tier routers).
- Recommended nodes:
- Wireless: Dual-band Wi-Fi 5 routers with a 4×4 5GHz band.
- Wired: Any Dual-band Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 routers.
- AiMesh 2.0 support: Yes (including system-wide Guest network) starting with firmware version 3.0.0.4.386.41535.
- Nodes I’ve used: RT-AC88U, Blue Cave, RT-AC86U.
Asus RT-AC88U's Rating
Pros
Fast Wi-Fi performance with excellent coverage
Tons of valuable features, including the ability to guard the network against online threats
Eight LAN ports with Dual-WAN and Link Aggregation
Excellent support for Asus's AiMesh
Merlin firmware support
Cons
Awkwardly placed USB 3.0 ports
Slow network storage speed when coupled with an external hard drive
1. RT-AC86U
This router is the first that supports AiMesh. In other words, together with it, Asus released these mesh features, paving the way to scaleable home Wi-Fi.
Notes on AiMesh:
- Backhaul: Wired (recommended) or wireless (acceptable when using same-tier routers).
- Recommended nodes:
- Wireless: Dual-band Wi-Fi 5 routers with a 4×4 5GHz band.
- Wired: Any Dual-band Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 routers.
- AiMesh 2.0 support: Yes (including system-wide Guest network) starting with firmware version 3.0.0.4.386.40451
- Nodes I’ve used: RT-AC86U, Blue Cave, Lyra Trio (wired).
Asus RT-AC86U's Rating
Pros
Excellent performance both as a single router and as part of an AiMesh system
AiProtection security for the entire network
Plenty of useful features for home users as well as gamers
Can be restored using backup files of other Asus routers
Cons
No extra network ports like other high-end Asus routers
Not wall mountable
The takeaway
There you go. Pick a combo mentioned above (using the recommended backhaul), and I can almost guarantee you’ll get yourself an excellent mesh system.
Keep in mind that there might be other excellent combos I’ve not tested, and also, I haven’t used all the different scenarios of those mentioned here.
The key is not to mess around too much when everything is working. Keep that in mind, especially when you choose to use the Asus mobile app.
Hello Dong,
Hope all is well!! 🙂
Excellent article. I love the way you have compared so many combinations.
Looking for some advise on where to go next.
I have a lot of smart globes (bulbs) and smart devices at home. I think around 70+ devices all connecting to over the 2.4GHz.
I have noticed that some of the devices keep dropping on and off the network.
I have a RT-AX88U as my primary router. I have a RT-AC68U in the AiMesh. I also have a RP-AC68U connected as a repeater (no AiMesh support). All hard wired.
I have turned off 2.4GHz wireless on the 88U which acts as the host and have left it enabled on the nodes. Still some of the smart devices have difficulty in connecting and I was thinking of adding another node to the AiMesh.
What would you recommend as my best medium cost option that would fix the 2.4GHz due to the high volume of smart devices?
Thank you in advance!! Really appreciate your advice and support 🙂
Allen
This post on Airtime Fairness will help with your issues, Allen.
Thank you Dong!! Great article again. Much appreciated!! 🙂
👍
Hi Dong,
I have a Asus GT-AC5300 router and the house is very big and was built with concrete and steel. The coverage is bad. Can I add a 2 pack zenwifi ct8 as wireless nodes to get a better coverage?
Will that work in a AiMesh setup?
Thank you
Omar
It’s impossible to say, Omar. The only sure thing is running network cables. But you can try the CT8. More in this post.
Great read, mate.
I have a GTAX11000 as my primary and am looking at buying two nodes to run via wired backhaul. I was looking at 2x RTAX92U’s, but was just curious, a year on from this write up, do you recommend anything else?
They seem pretty scarce in the shops these days too 🙂
Thanks!
With wired backhauling, that will work, Phillip. Generally, it’s best to use dual-band Wi-F 6 or Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E when you have weird backhauling, though. More in this post.
I’ll keep that in mind for the next upgrade. Currently disabled the 5ghz-1 channel and am using the 5ghz-2 channel so the 2x ax92u nodes run in wifi 6! 🙂
great website!
Hello Dong. You are extremely cool!
There is no AH55 in the list of routers recommended by you. Have you not tested it, or simply do not recommend it for use?
Now I have two routers: RT-AX86U and RT- AX55, which work in a wireless network. Wi-Fi coverage in the house satisfies me, but I want to buy another router to increase the coverage in the yard. Therefore, I am interested in whether it will be relevant to purchase another RT-AX55?
Thank you
I assumed you meant the RT-AX55, Nykson. If so, no I haven’t tested it — and I won’t — but it should very similar to the RP-AX56 as an AiMesh satellite in terms of Wi-Fi performance. If you intend to use them in the wireless setup, using the satellite in the star topology will help. It’s best to use wired backhauling, though.
In any case, this post on AiMesh setup will give you more info. Give it a good read.
Good job Dong, very good job. A lot of useful information. I will definitely listen to your advice and connect the routers with a cable. It’s a pity that in the AiMesh network (being at a short distance) they create obstacles for each other, but we will have to put up with this.
You’re right, I made a grammatical mistake, I’m talking about the RT-AX55. I understand that you don’t consider this model to be worth spending money on in any case?
Thank you
I don’t know what you understand, Nykson. That’s between you and yourself. 🙂
Hello! I am fairly new to the mesh system, but I am moving into a two story townhouse and I currently have been running the Asus RT-AX82U in my 1 BD/ 1BTH apartment. I want to try the mesh route, but I am wondering if you think I could run the RT-AX86U, the RT-AX88U, or maybe even the GT-AX6000 with what I have? Would I be better off just replacing the RT-AX82U with one of the three instead? Thanks!
Get all three if you need a large coverage, or keep the 82U as the satellite and get the GT as the primary router. In any case, start with this post in the series, follow the related posts and comment rules, and you will have ALL of your questions answered. If you don’t have time to read, well, you’ll remain “new” on the subject. 🙂
Hi Dong,
I want to setup mesh in my apartment. Currently I have a cheap router which sits in the armored wall behind a closet. My apartment is wired so I will go for wired backhaul. I wanted to buy AXE11000/AXE16000 as a main unit (that will sit in the closed – I’m considering wires extensions so the main unit doesn’t have to sit in the wall) and 2 more units for WiFi extensions (XT9 nodes). I have 1Gbps connection. I want setup that is reliable. Is this a good combo? Won’t it be an overkill? Maybe you can recommend different combo.
If you have wiring, Matt. Get either of the GT routers you mentioned and then the ET8 as satellites. This post is more applicable to your case.
Do you have any recommendation for ET8 substitute? I can’t find any ET8’s for sale in my country. AXE16000 will be main router for sure but now I need to choose satellites.
The ET8 will work similarly, Matt. For best performance, make sure you have wired backhauling.
Hi Dong, I currently have an AX88U and am looking to purchase another router to set up a Aimesh with a Wired back haul. In your opinion would the GT AX6000 work well with the AX88U? I currently have 800 mb service but may upgrade to to a multi gigabit in the future. I was also looking at the AX86U since it has a 2.5 gigabyte wan port too. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Yes, use the GT as the primary router, Rick. The combo is pretty standard by read the post on AiMesh setup — in the related post box — for more. Good luck!
Thank you Dong.
👍
Hi Dong, First, fantastic site, very informative!! Second, I need to build an in-home AiMesh network with Wireless backhaul and currently have 800mb internet. I have ~20 clients (2 macbook pro’s (wifi 6), iphones (wifi 6), tv/stereo/ps5, 8 cameras, etc.). The primary node will be in the back bedroom at the cable modem (w/NAS) with one satellite in the main room and another satellite in the garage (low bandwidth – primarily for 3 cameras). I already have an ASUS RT-AX86U. I also am very comfortable configuring/troubleshooting networking hardware. After reading thru a number of your articles, I would very much appreciate your opinion on what to use as my other 2 nodes and what the config should be as to which is the primary and which are the satellites:
• Two new RT-AX86U along with the existing RT-AX86U
• Two new RT-AX92U’s with the RT-AX86U
• One new primary RT-AXE7800 or 1100 or 1600 with one new and one existing RT-AX86U
• ZenWifi Pro XT12 with the exiting RT-AX86U
• All new config without the RT-AX86U
I really appreciate your advice.
Thanks, Bob
Unless you can run a network cable (or have the option to use MoCA 2.5), Bob, use the ZenWifi Pro XT12 + RT-AX86U (for the “low bandwidth” area). The XT12 supports Link Aggregation, which is great for your NAS.
tks for ur help and quick response!
Sure, Bob! 🙂
Hi Dong,
Thank you for the great site. You were a key source when I selected a 2x AX92U configuration in 2020.
I am acquiring another router and moving a Synology DS920+ from the primary router to a node (that I will be on) as my wife believes high NAS i/o activity is the reason the current main router goes down more than she would like for her work situation. While I’m sure I could troubleshoot this, I’m not sure if I’ll ever overcome her perception… so I’m hoping a different network config may be the easier answer and (possibly) improve my NAS interaction by wiring my workstation into the same node as the NAS.
Earlier today I ordered an AX88U as it had 8 LAN ports vs. the 5 LAN ports on the more expensive AX11000. I then remembered your site and starting reading your articles and scouring the Q&As for my situation.
My current AX92Us are wired/aggregated (2x1GB) and each router has two hardwired devices (primary incl NAS, node incl Zigbee & main tv). My next step is to install wiring to the new node location.
As my setup is wired, it seems like the dual-band vs. tri-band issue doesn’t matter much or am I missing something other than having the AX-92 backhaul bands go unused? It seems like both the AX-88U and AX-11000 only support one link aggregation so I won’t be able to set entire the backplane up at 2GB but could use that for the NAS connection. The 2.5GB port in the AX-11000 seems to provide some future proofing but no current help for me. The lack of ports on the AX-11000 can be mitigated by buying a low-cost, unmanaged switch, if necessary.
Based on what I’ve shared (incl wired backplane), do you see a reason why I should switch from the AX88U to the AX11000? If I stick with the AX88U, any reason to use it as a node instead of as the primary router?
Thanks!
For the sake of consistency, Gordon, I’d recommend the GT-AX11000 (or, better yet, the Pro version) as the primary router. With wired backhauling, you can open the 5GHz-2 band for clients, and that’s a good thing since the 5Ghz-1 of the RT-AX92U is Wi-Fi 5. The RT-AX88U is insignificant, considering how cheap Gigabit switches are these days.
Thanks Dong! I’ve made the switch to the GT-AX11000 but decided to save the $100 on the non-Pro version as I don’t have any near-term prospects of doing multi-Gig.
👍
Hi Dong!
Thanks a lot for the great post! I just moved to a 1,800 sqft townhouse with three floors and I’m trying to get a good coverage. I’m using ATT Fiber 1Gb network. The panel is on the third floor.
I currently have a AX58u and want a decent coverage for my 10+ mobile devices (computers will be wired). Since I assume the ATT modem/router won’t be useful for AiMesh, I want to use AX58u as potentially main node, or a sub-node if a better main node is required. I will use wired-backhaul for all of them.
I’m thinking of getting two/three XD4s as the budget choice (as they are going sale as $180 for 3) although three seem like an overkill. I’m also thinking getting another AX58u, or potentially a better one (AX88u for $270 or similar) so my gaming experience can be (slightly better?). What would be the budget combo that you would recommend?
Really appreciate any tips!
Thanks,
Allen
I’d go with what you envision, Allen, so two or three XD4 as nodes. That’d be the least expensive approach for your situation. Make sure you follow this post to set them up. Good luck!
I am using a gt-ax6000 as my main router and it covers my fairly small home quite well. I set up my old rt-ac86u as an AI-Mesh node in my detached garage to service some smart home devices I have out there. No issues using the AC node with the AX primary router but I know its slowing down my entire network. What’s the cheapest Asus AX router that wouldnt do this?
You can go with the RT-AX86U, RT-AX82U, GS-AX5400, or TUF-AX5400. The RP-AX56 will work, too, but you’ll need to turn off 160MHz on the router.
Or you can get a cable to link your RT-AC86U to the GT-AX6000.
Good luck, Daniel!
Thanks! I’d run cable if I could. Garage is detached and 50′ away. Didnt think to get them to lay ethernet when they ran power. I think about trying power line adapters but not sure what I’d do on the garage end. Would still need a AP of some sort.
Powerline is really slow and not worth it. Depending on the situation, you can run a cable inside a conduit. A bit of work but totally worth it.
I had the same issue when I tried to use an RT-AX3000 in my garage for couple of security cameras on the front of my house. First tried the AX3000 in AiMesh mode with the GT-AX6000, got the results I expected, about 1/2 speed. So I decided that I needed a better solution for the security cams.
The solution for me was to put the RT-AX3000 in repeater mode instead of using it in AiMesh mode. And I have only the 2.4GHz. subnet running on the AX3000, as well. That provides plenty of speed for the security cameras, and has no noticeable effect on the speed of clients that are connected to the GT-AX6000. And still doesn’t require any cabling. Very happy with this.
Hi Dong, I have an AX55 and an AC68U and am guessing I should use the former as primary and latter as node? Or is it the other way round as they are 2×2 and 3×3 respectively?
If it makes a difference the primary will be wired and node will be wireless. Thanks!
You’re at the right post for that question, Keise. Give it a serious read, especially this part. Please make sure you read before asking more questions!
I currently have the AT-AX86U as my main router with three (3) of hardwired XD-4s serving as the mesh web across the rest of the house. Curious if there would be any meaningful benefit from a speed/reliability/etc., perspective by swapping out the XD4s for the XD6s or would that be a relative waste of money?
Thanks.
Not really, Howie. But you can check out the reviews of the XD6 and XD4 for more on their performances — use the router units’ numbers.
I’ve got a 5 router Aimesh setup with the ac86u as the main router another as a nice + 2 ac68u and an ac66u as other nodes. They are all hard wired and work ok. recently I’ve been adding quite a lot of smart devices to the house and now have 100+ devices regularly connected to the 2.4 network via the various routers.
I’m seeing various issues with the 2.4 network hanging or dropping which requires a main router reboot.
– Is this setup (and specifically the ac86u main router) capable of handling 100+ devices as a mesh? (I’m wondering if I’m having memory/processor issues?)
– Would it the any better to remove the mesh and run the node routers in AP mode?
Thanks in advance
Check out this post, Steve. But the gist is “smart” doesn’t always equal “smart”.
Back again – I asked before and got a good response.
Setup:
1. GT-AC5300 – Master (Wired to 2)
2. RT-AC86U (Wired to 3)
3. RT-AC86U
4. RT-AC68U (25 metres away and not feasible to go wired)
On a 900 Broadband package and cannot get decent speed on the GT-AC5300, so looking to replace the Master Node and leave others alone.
Whats the best option (No budget Limitation)
Thanks
Dear Dong, your resources are much appreciated
I am looking to upgrade my mesh system to take advantage of recently upgreded 500mps fibre internet connection
I can only implement wireless only mesh, not wired, and feel the Asus’ product lines are the way to go.
Looking at the small price difference currently between XT8 and XT9 it would seem sensible to go for an XT9 2-pack system. Given the size and layout of my building, I believe I will need 3 units, and I wondered if you could recommend a router to use with the 2 XT9 units?
Would the R-AX92U be a sensible choice or would you recommend anything else as the main router?
Many thanks
No, Jeremy, you should use a single unit of the XT9, XT12 or GT-AX11000 Pro.
Thanks so much for all this detailed info – you are extremely helpful! I have a question about compatibility for the XT8 in a mesh. I have two XT8’s already setup with wired gigabit backhaul, and need another access point in a location that I also have ethernet cabling available. Buying single XT8 units is very expensive, and I am wondering what you think of them working with the XD6 or XD4, or even the XP4?
It’ll work, Nick. Pick whichever you want, or this one, and go for it.
At the moment I have a 1 gigabit connection to my eero router (standard router used as a modem) which I have 1 standard eero connected wirelessly in the middle of a 4 bedroom 3 story brick built house? I get 500mbps in the same room as the router and about 60 mbps on the 3rd floor. If I was to switch over to Asus which Tri band wired router would you recommend to use with the ZenWiFi XT8 set up (ASUS RT-AX92U AX6100 maybe)? Do you think 2 of these ‘nodes’ would be enough to cover the house and small garden?
Also should I go for a gaming router if my son uses a playstation 5? Or just plug in an ethernet cable from the ZenWiFi XT8 node to the ps5 instead.
Lastly would you instead recommend trying a standalone router such as the Asus RT-AX89X?
A router is not a modem, Colin. Check out this post.
You should go with the XT8 among those you mentioned, but the XT112 is better. You don’t need a “gaming” router to play games — more here.
Only you who’d know if you can use just a single router or a mesh. — More here.
Make sure you read before posting more questions, please.
Have not seen this answered, is it best to use one’s best performing router in the client wifi position, or the router position with wifi disabled?
I hardwired my house (cat6) homerunned to a wiring closet in the basement. Closet has 300 Mbps fiber Internet, 24 port unmanaged switch, 4 bay NAS as movie server, a NUC music server, 3 IP cams. My existing router is the Asus RT-N66U. Running OpenVPN for outside access to NAS and cameras. Wifi is disabled as the basement location makes the signal useless on the 1st floor.
I want to upgrade the router. I presently have two routers running in access point mode on the first floor, a Netgear R7800 and an Asus RT-AC86U, just purchased last year.
I am thinking of buying the RT-AX86U (or RT-AX82U) and turning on AiMesh. I could place this new router in the basement running as a router (running OpenVPN) and wifi disabled, since it has the most powerful processor.
Or, should I use it as a client since it would have the best wifi perfomance. I would then move my existing RT-AC86U to the basement router position.
Which job is best for this new router?
Thanks!
Check out the first article in the Related Posts box at the top of this post, Glenn. But to answer your questions, there’s no point in using higher-end hardware as a node.
Thanks for another great article!
A question if I may: I am thinking of buying two routers, to be joined in AIMesh, wirelessly I’m afraid… I had my eyes on RT AX82U and TUF AX5400, that I believe from your article work better together. Or shall I get two TUF AX5400? What do you think? Thanks Enrico
I’d go with two units of the same model than getting a mix, Enrico. More in this post.
Thank you very much! I’ve just ordered them!
👍
Thanks for the great info!
I wish I could read this before I struggled with my AiMesh system. Currently I am using
1. AX88U as a host (with newest Merlin firmware)
2. I have 7 nodes and 2 stand alone AP (All Asus, asus firmware)
4 x AX3000, 2 x AX82U, 1 AX88U on AiMesh
1 x AX82U, 1 x AX86U as AP
3. I have Netgear GS348 Switcher
at a small 5 story building with students studying mainly on the online contents. About All backhaul connected with CAT6 cables. About 10 computers / 26 CCTVs (connected with 6 PoE hubs) / 5 IP phones are wired, and 80 laptops(mixed with Chromebooks and regular ones) are wireless.
Most of the time, I have no issues on the standalone APs.
I do come across problems with AiMesh frequently though.
1. All the network gets slow.
2. Some nodes are not functioning well(slow or not allowing to connect – no internet)
3. Roaming problems (some have lots of users connected while some have almost none)
Theses problems started happening after about 6 months using it. I was searching for a solid solution for it and found your site. I have read almost every article you wrote and was very helpful, but I just wanted your(or other users) opinion.
1. Is my AiMesh is too weak for the number of people connected? Seems like when more than 25 are connected on 1 node, it gets slower.
2. Since the host is working really hard, do I have to change the host router regularly?
3. Is there other options for my situation? I was thinking of separating all nodes into standalone APs.
I do hope my questions are not so complicated for you.
Thanks again for the great website!
Jake from South Korea.
Hi Jake.
1. Move everything to Asus firmware.
2. Use the RT-AX86u as the main router (with its 2.5Gbps port as the WAN port if you have Gigabit or faster Internet.)
3. Use the rest as wired AiMesh nodes. (You might need to reset all the hardware and set the whole system up from scratch, but you might be able to upload the backup for the 88U to the 86U and keep most of the existing nodes.)
4. Turn on Ethernet Backhaul Mode.
It’ll work out fine. It’s important to note, though, that your Internet connection can be the issue — there’s only so much bandwidth. You have many users, and I don’t know how fast your Internet is. But at best, you’ll get Gigabit out of this setup — divide it by the number of users, and you’ll see how things are. So maybe you need to turn on QoS.
Wow, thanks for the quick reply.
1. Move everything to Asus firmware – I will do so.
2. Use the RT-AX86u as the main router (with its 2.5Gbps port as the WAN port if you have Gigabit or faster Internet.) – I have 1G Internet. Still use the 2.5G port?
3. Use the rest as wired AiMesh nodes. (You might need to reset all the hardware and set the whole system up from scratch, but you might be able to upload the backup for the 88U to the 86U and keep most of the existing nodes.)
– So total of 9 nodes are fine with AiMesh?
4. Turn on Ethernet Backhaul Mode. – It’s been on the whole time.
I might have to upgrade it to 10G soon if I have problems after I re-do the system.
I heard enabling QoS could slow down the system somewhere? What do you think?
Jake
2. Yes, you can only get full Gigabit if you use hardware that’s faster than Gigabit — more here.
3. Yes, you can use up to 10, including the router units. — more here.
Read the QoS post. Make sure you read the linked posts — including those in the previous reply — before asking any more questions. If you had read this post from its beginning without skipping around, you wouldn’t have had to ask any questions. So do read!
Thanks much!!
Dong,
I worked on my system last weekend and it works just fine so far. Just to report to you and the readers,
1. I flashed the host and the nodes to stock firmware.
2. Backed up my settings from AX88U and restored to AX86U – I did a reset on AX86U to make the 2.5G port as WAN first – and connect the internet to 2.5G. 1G WAN works as LAN, so I connected my switch there.
3. I connected the 2 standalone APs as nodes, so I have total of 9 nodes and 1 host.
4. All of them are connected with CAT6 wired.
Additionally, I turned off wireless on the host(AX86) since I have another node on the same floor expecting to reserve some more processing power on the host (not sure it helps though).
I am testing QoS on and off to see what’s gonna happen.
Again, thanks for your help!
Nice! Thanks for the update, Jake. Looks like it’s working out.
Thanks for all the good articles. I have a mesh network using ORBI AC3000 (RBK50) router and two RBS50 satellites. After reading a bunch of your articles, since my house is wired with ethernet, found out if I want to upgrade, I don’t have to stay with expensive ORBIs and wireless backhaul-yippee. I have ATT internet (1 gig) – no telling when I’ll get more than a gig – so I can stay “sub-gigabit” or actually 1 gigabit.
Q1: I’m looking to upgrade to WiFi 6 and stay with mesh, so ASUS AIMesh seems like a good option. I get the impression that the best option is a router plus two satellites. Am I correct? In this case, I’m looking at one RT-AX82U and two ZenWiFi XD6s. IF there is no advantage to the router, I could stick with three ZenWiFi XD6s.
Mike
Your first choice is great, Mike. But it’s better if you go with the RT-AX86U and a 2-pack XD6 since the router has a 2.5Gbps port that can work as the WAN port — now you know you get your Gigabit in full even though you might not see that on a single client. But three XD6 will work. Make sure you follow the setup steps in this post.
Hi Dong! Really glad I found your site, great resources and answers!
I currently have an Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 as my main router, with a somewhat glitchy ZyXEL Armor X1 Extender in AP mode, connected via Cat 5e ethernet cable. It’s mostly worked well enough for a few years, but I’ve had numerous problems with the ZyXEL unit, and I’m thinking about getting another Asus router for better compatibility/reliability and the option to try out AiMesh. I might add another node at some point, as well. I believe the AC5300 has the requisite firmware that supports AiMesh 2.0.
I also currently have a USB external hard drive connected to the AC5300, for local network storage, as well as several home entertainment devices (TV, Roku, Blu-ray player, etc.)
I plan on keeping my ethernet backhaul, connecting all nodes with cabling. I will use the newer router as my primary router/node. As I understand it, this setup should work with nearly any combination of compatible Asus routers, but I’m primarily looking into the AX86U and the AX6000. I understand that if I get a dual-band router and use it as the primary in an AiMesh setup, I will lose the 2nd 5GHz band on the AC5300 (as a satellite node). Will I also lose access/control of my USB-connected hard drive?
And this might be a stupid question, but will the AC5300 (as either an AiMesh satellite node or in AP mode) still function normally as a router/switch for all my home entertainment devices (TV, Blu-ray player,etc. ) connected to it? I would assume so, but I just wanted to make sure on that point.
Thanks again!
Check out this post, Ryan. you’ll find all your questions answered there, if not already in this post. For your questions:
1. About the USB port.
2. About the ports.
Make sure you read before posting any more questions. Generally, it’s best to read a post from beginning to end and follow related links — or you’ll miss a lot.
Hello Dong, I cannot thank you enough for your time sharing all of this knowledge! I currently have an Asus ZenWiFi XT8 2 pack in a very large home with many dead spots. I just signed up for gig internet. I don’t have the time, money or energy to have my home wired (or do it myself). I plan to buy an Asus ZenWiFi XT12 Pro 2 pack & set one of those up as the main router, use the other as a node as well as the two XT8’s as nodes. From what I read here I gather this would be a an optimal set up & should work seamlessly with AiMesh. Your thoughts? I’d very much like your opinion! Thank you!
Ken
I haven’t tried the XT12 with XT8 yet, Ken, but I guess the combo will work since both support UNII-4. But if you get just the XT8 or the XT12, that will work well. You can start with a 2-pack and get more units if need be. You want the XT12 if you want to see full Gig on the client, though — more here.
So your suggesting I just stick with XT-8 (buy another 2 pack)? Or scrap my existing XT-8 and go wholly with XT-12 Pro? Dang, I need 1 router + 3 nodes to get the coverage I want & I didn’t want to drop $1500+ on this (especially with the higher monthly bill coming for the gig connection). But sticking with XT-8, I will not be able to make use of the gig connection, yes? Oh boy! What have I gotten myself into! I had to beg & plead with the wife to upgrade to the gig, now I may have to tell her to cancel it! 😂😁
Whichever way will work, Ken, though, again I haven’t tried the XT12 + XT8 combo. You’ll have many better options if you run cables. 🙂
Dong, thanks so much for your work to create this site. I spent considerable time reading many of your posts before landing on my new wifi solution. I have sub-Gig internet (~600 Mpbs and have ethernet connections where I want to place the nodes.
I considered many solutions before landing on the RT-AX86U as the primary router with two XD6 wired nodes. Total system for $500. Thus far, the performance is fantastic. Set-up was far simpler than I expected. I tried installing the Asus XT8 a couple of years ago and gave up and returned it (could not get the wired backhaul to work). I reverted back to my old network of three Apple Airport Extreme routers. These had a long life for me, but I now realize how much better my wifi network can be.
Given my past trouble with Asus, I had been leaning toward the Linksys Velop AX4200 or TP-Link Deco X4300. After reading your posts I was convinced to try Asus again.
Keep up the great work!
Sure, Rob. Glad it worked out.
Hello Dong Ngo, You are a super hero. Thank you for your research and sharing of knowledge!
I have a Cat 5 wired house with short runs and get near 1GB on my wired lan. 80ft length brick and concrete wall house at 2000 sq ft for main and basement plus a storage space. I have a deck out back and a distant garden and back yard. I want coverage especially through a few brick and concrete walls (or around them….through windows). I’m cost conscious and pragmatic. Since 2020 I have an ac86u in the central main floor and two very old netgear AP (r6400 (poor) and r7000(okay)). I want to upgrade things and realize wired backhaul is the way to go. So I want to replace my central router. I have a 1200Mbps Comcast connection so I need a 2.5mbps port for the WAN to model, correct? This would preclude the ax86u correct?
So my logical choice it seems is to chose the GT-AX6000 since it has such good coverage and then use two ac86u or ax86u as my two remote wired APs. I put those near windows to catch the back yard. I could use my old trusty n66u for that distant 2.4G option but that can clutter the network perhaps and why not 5G.
Since I don’t need wireless backhaul, and two 5G bands may limit channel options, and I don’t have any wifi6e devices yet…..
Logically I should chose the AX11000 or the GT-AX6000, correct? Any concurring wisdom or guidance?
Amazing how long my n66u lasted but I purchased the ac86u for a bargain in 2020 and its speeds have been find and a solid machine but I don’t see why I should miss out on top end ISP speed. And it seems that the GT-AX6000 really has excellent distant coverage.
Peace sir. Thank you in advance for any comments.
Your assessment is correct, Mike, and it seems just a matter of what’s the best financially. If so, I’d recommend getting the RT-AX86U (use its 2.5Gbps port as the WAN port) or the GT-AX6000, as the main router. After that, you can use some less expensive hardware as the wired satellite, like the ZenWiFi XD6.
But you have many options- it depends on what you want the outcome. More in this post.
Thank you Dong.
AX6000 for the win with two 2.5Gb ports. XD6 reviews look mixed. I could get another ac86u for not much. Those would be decent satellites. Peace ✌️ sir.
Sure, Mike! Good luck! 🙂
Hi Dong,
Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us mere mortals!
I recently moved into a new house which is three-story 5500+ sq. ft; and has a gigabit wired setup through a gigabit switch. I have been using RT-AC68U router as the main unit (from the old house setup) and I added the Lyra AC2200 Tri-Band Mesh system to the AiMesh as wired nodes. The three nodes are placed as: one in the basement, two on the main floor (one near the front yard, one near the backyard); my main router is on the top floor in the center covering the bedrooms. The setup is slow, unreliable, and I can’t seem to figure out why. I am thinking of upgrading, and your website was an excellent help in putting me in the right direction. Just wanted your advice on which of the below setups would make a better sense than the others:
1. Using 4 XD6’s with wired backhaul at the 4 locations
2. RT-AX92U/RT-AX86U as primary + two XD6’s as wired backhauls + old RT-AC68U as fourth node in basement
3. GT-AXE11000 as primary + two ET8 as wired backhauls + old RT-AC68U as fourth node in basement
Priority is decent speed and high reliability. Cost is a factor as I might upgrade to Multi-gig wired in a few years. Thanks in advance.
I generally don’t comment on specific situations, Ghai. I can’t. More in this post.
For your case, I’d recommend rereading this post. If that doesn’t help, give this one a try and those in the related box at the top of the post, too — as mentioned in the intro. You will find your answer if you pay attention. Asking me to read my own posts for you doesn’t help. Good luck! 🙂
Thanks for the quick response, Dong. My hesitation/confusion stems from the fact that you haven’t reviewed ET8 in a combo setup like others in this post. That is why my post is specific. I don’t want to upgrade beyond what is necessary, but I want the setup to be reliable as well.
Let me rephrase the question, so you don’t feel the liability. Do you think a wi-fi 6E is really necessary for a wired backhaul setup?
Wi-Fi 6E (Tri-band), which is the case of the ET8, is basically the same as Dual-band Wi-Fi 6. More in this post. So I’m not sure where the notion of “necessary” you mentioned came from — it’s irrelevant.
You need to approach the idea with an open mind that wants to learn things instead of finding quick answers. There are too many scenarios, nobody can test/check them all. But if you understand the fundamentals, you can apply that to everything.
Pick any post I’ve linked in any reply, read it with attention, don’t skim it, and follow the linked related posts, you’ll figure things out. I mean it. There’s no easy answer, and only you can figure out what best fits your needs. And you need to know *what* you need first.
TBH, I haven’t been able to clarify the confusion 100% in the last several hours I spent reading the posts, top to bottom. But your answer helps.
I am gonna go with my gut with the 2nd option of RT-AX86U as primary + two XD6’s as wired backhauls and try it out…
👍
Good evening Dong,
I need to update my home network. I have 600 mbps xfinity tier plan. I will be using Asus products with Aimesh. I will use your solid idea of using ethernet for backhaul. My home is 3100sqf plus basement. The Asus rt-ax92u (2 pack) has come down in price but it is a dual core processor. I am looking at the rt-ax86U (quad core) or the rt-ax86S (tri core)as the main router. I would like to use the rt-ax92u as wired nodes and one of the rt-ax86(s) as the main router. Would using the rt-ax86(s) as the main router take the stress off the dual core processors, would it be doing the main work instead of the nodes? I have read many posts of how the rt-ax92u dual core (when using only the 92u) seem to be running near capacity and some heat issues. I would appreciate your input.
Thanks
Rich N.
I don’t evaluate routers based much on the processing power, Rich. You should direct the core-related questions to those that do. As for your other questions, this post and the linked related reviews and posts will provide answers. Give them a serious read.
First, thank you so much for posting all of these articles, especially the “explainer” articles that make understanding the terminology in the others much easier.
After spending too much time reading, it’s time for me to finally buy. I am a clean slate, not looking to use any of my old equipment.
My situation is a main structure that is about 3000 sq. ft. (all on one floor) and a back structure that is about 800 sq. ft. The two are separated by a patio that is about 25’ long. Both structures are fully wired to a media cabinet that is in a closet in the middle of the main structure. Internet is Google Fiber 2 gigabit service. There is a one shared drive, ~45 wireless smart home devices (switches, appliances, etc.), 3 wired TVs, 2 wired Macs, and 4 or so MacBooks / iPads / iPhones connecting wirelessly.
I’m coming from a five-year old Plume system with three “pods” – 1 superpod and two regular pods – all connected via wired backhaul. Superpod is in media cabinet. One pod is at the front of house. One pod is in the secondary structure. It was getting the job done ok, with decent speeds. But it is going down more and more. And it has gotten to the point of needing 45 minutes to “reboot” after it goes down. It’s time for something new.
The short version of my question is there are so many combos that differ so much in price, I am almost at a loss for which to choose. I started with the combos in the Multi-Gig AiMesh article. Then, after reading the comments there and in this article, I decided that was overkill for my setup and needs. That led me here.
I’ve narrowed it to the following options, and I really don’t know which to choose or more importantly, if I’d even notice the difference between them:
My first inclination was to buy two sets of xd6s and an unmanaged switch. Features and performance seem well reviewed. Cost seems fine. The lack of USB isn’t ideal, but that seems ok. Lack of multi-gig didn’t seem like a huge deal to my setup.
Then I saw that three ax5400s would cost about the same and seemingly perform better. And honestly, I’m not sure I’d use the fourth xd6 anyway. Or maybe one ax5400 with two xd6s as nodes.
The ax5700 with two ax5400s seems like a good solution, but I’m not quite sure what the extra money is buying me that I’d notice. Same for an ax5700 with two xd6s.
The xd4s seem like the least expensive solution. But performance and feature ratings seems to reflect that. That said, is it such a marginal difference that I’d notice?
Finally, the GT-AX11000 seems to be super popular in the comments and throughout your site. But it’s performance and features seem to be lower rated that the ones above.If I got it, I’d probably pair it with xd6s.
I guess finally, finally, I could get the venerable GT-AXE16000 and add two of any of the above as nodes. It seems the only reason to do that would be for the sake of future proofing.
Sorry for the long post with all the options. I’ve thought way too much about this. And I assume the answer is any of the above will work just fine, with only small differences.
Also, if there is a better solution / combo that I’ve left out, please let me know. I’ve noticed your comments with your equipment and thought about just buying that. But you may have put your system together before other equipment was released, etc. So, I figured I’d ask.
And your next cup of coffee is happily on me. I thought that link was a great idea.
Will
AX5400 is not a model name, Will, so nobody knows which one you were referring to. For your case, get the RT-AX86U as the main router and two XD6 as the satellite nodes. You will need to follow the setup guide to add them up as a system. Good luck! And thanks for the coffee! 🙂
Happy to buy the coffee. Least I can do for the advice.
And thanks for the advice. I appreciate it very much.
I have everything saved on Amazon. When I said ax5400, I was referring to the ASUS ROG Strix AX5400. It’s number 15 in your article. Sorry for the confusion if I used the wrong shorthand.
And thanks again. I can finally make the buy and stop thinking about this.
Will
Got it, you can use the GS-AX5400, or the RT-AX82U, in the place of the RT-AX86U I mentioned. I haven’t tried the particular combos but I’m pretty sure they’ll work out well. Again, note that you have to add the ZenWiFi hardware one at a time with the other turned off, but follow the setup guide for details. Have fun, Will!
Dong, thanks again. I took your advice, with a slight variation given a recent review on here and trying to put all the info together myself.
I got an Asus ROG gt-ax6000 and a pair of Zen XD6s. The variation was the gt-ax6000 instead of the RT-AX86u. It should all be here Saturday.
I’ve read your article on setting it all up.
I can’t thank you enough for the help! I’ll let you know how setup goes and how it all works for me.
Will
Sure, Will. Have fun! And yes, keep us posted.
This is all very good info. I found this article after my latest purchase. The GT-AXE16000. I bought it for it’s dual wan capability. I’m running Spectrum Fiber and ATT Fiber.
I wasn’t sure I would need a second node for my home, but have decided I do. I don’t have the capability for wired backhaul now, but will in the future. I am also not sure if wired backhaul is possible when doing the dual lan. I still have one 10Gbps port open, but didn’t know if grabbing one for the second wan would affect anything. I am trying to avoid a second AXE16000 if I can. What would be your recommendation for a second node in this case?
Wired backhaul is possible when you do Dual-WAN. In that case, you should get an ET12 (unless you need 10Gbps backhaul). More in this post.
I have an RT-AC68U. Tried adding a linksys repeater to improve signal at other side of my 1400 sqft apartment and hopefully reach out to the carport on 2.4 at least (barely reached). Switching between SSIDs while in apt. was not smooth enough.
Looking at either adding as aimesh, an RP-AC1900–which I understand is essentially the same as my router and (based on your article) leads me to believe would be most stable and likely to succeed– or a Blue cave which I’m finding at nearly half the price.
Which would you recommend and with that combo, should I use my current router as the primary or the new? My setup is not ideal. The primary is on one side of the apt. and the node will be in bedroom/office closer to (but likely beyond) the center of the apt. The carport is basically on a straight line further away, but not a big priority.
Oops, to clarify returned the linksys repeater. Not part of the equation
You can try the Blue Cave, Alex. Make sure you follow this guide on setting them up. Also, placement is the key.
Thanks for replying. Worried my post was near borderline rule-breaking. You did not specify whether to use the Blue Cave as my primary.
I presume from your article that it should be. Further research turned up that the ac68u is 3×3. But there are two reasons I still wonder whether ac68u should be primary:
1. VPN (which I don’t yet take advantage of, anyhow).
2. If the node’s bandwidth will be effectively cut in half without wired backhaul (kicking myself for not having them run a cable during remodel), wouldn’t it be best when connected to node? In other words, performance from node will closer resemble my current speed vs half of current.
Thanks again. If I can figure out how to backup and transfer my settings, I will try setting it up as primary right now
Hi Dong,
I have an ROG AX5400 and am considering buying an AX92U 2-pack for a wireless AiMesh. My intent is to use one of the AX92U units as a primary and the second AX92U and the AX5400 as nodes.
The AX5400 would be positioned at the furthest point of my apartment and be used for devices wired into it as well as expand the reach of the 2.4ghz signal for my IoT devices in that part of the apartment.
The node AX92U would be situated at the midway between the primary AX92U and the AX5400. That the AX98U units are tri-band while the AX5400 is dual-band gives me some pause.
What issues would you see arise from this mesh setup? What would you do differently? Please keep in mind that a wired backhaul isn’t really an option at this time.
Thanks in advance,
Mikhail
Read this post again, Mikhail, the answer is there if you pay attention. Please follow the rules.
Hi Dong-I have been considering the XD6 based on your reviews for our house which is wired. Would the better setup be three XD6 units or could I pair the GT-AX6000 with two XD6 satellites? Connection is centurylink gigabit fiber. Thanks!
That likely will work well, Jake. Make sure you follow this setup guide.
Hi Dong,
My I have a backhauled AiMesh setup with three asus rt ac86u routers. Unfortunately 1 of the routers just died. Which model would you recommend to replace the dead router?
Thanks in advanced!
You can get another RT-AC86U or any *Dual-band Wi-Fi 5 AiMesh router* for that matter — so pick one on this list.
Hi Dong,
rt-ac86u can’t be node of rt-ax86u?
thanks
tong
It can be but it won’t work well since you’re mixing two Wi-Fi standards, tong. If you use wired backhauling, it’ll work better, but seamless hand-off will be hit or miss. More here.
thank you very much dong
👍
Hi Dong,
Quick question. I currently have a RT-AX3000 and 300Mbps internet service. About half of my house is wired for gigabit as I use a lot of internal Plex steaming, etc. I would like to place a second router in the corner of my house where wiring is not possible to strengthen either the wifi signal or to create another ethernet port that I can feed a separate switch for those two bedrooms. Do you recommend a 2nd RT-AX3000 or something else for me?
That’ll work, Seth. More here.
Thanks for the reply. I’m actually looking now into purchasing 2 qty of the AX3000. I didn’t see this specific scenario, throughout your great site, but is it possible/efficient to connect one router as wired and the other as wireless? I understand that the wired is much much better. I’m just wondering if this is possible and supported by the aimesh system?
It’ll work, Seth.
Thanks Dong! Quick follow up, since I need two, I’m looking at the rt-x92u bundle instead. Assuming these may be a better value for my investment, would this improve or change what I plan to do? In this scenario, I assume I should use one x92u as the primary. The second x92u will be my wireless mode upstairs, and my ax3000 will be a wired node. What do you think? Am I complicating this too much by mixing the dual and tri band routers?
Thanks so much!
That will work, it’s a matter of degree. To understand more, or if you have other questions, check out this post and the review of the products involved.
Hello Dong, this is a great site and I spent the last three days reading everything I can find on this topic. First of all, I already own an Asus AX3000 Dual Band router and love it, but I just moved into a new house and trying to figure out how to run cat6 ethernet into each bedroom. However, running ethernet cable from my new basement to the 2nd floor is near impossible. So I was looking into a pair of the tri-band XT8 routers, one upstairs, and one downstairs. Will I then be able to then run cat 6 wires from each XT8 router into a switch or two so I can continue to wire the upstairs bedrooms as I intended to? If I do something similar to what you listed above regarding using AP mode, could I somehow leverage my AX3000 in this setup as well? Thanks again for this great site!
I mentioned that in this post and, if you need to know more, there’s also this post on the topic, Seth! Also, check out the review of the XT8 for more. You generally have to figure out the detail for your specific situation yourself using the info provided.
I need a wired mesh setup due to my new larger house/property and the need for better range. I currently have an AX88U. I have gigabit fiber service to my house, a NAS using 2 aggregated LAN ports, and a few other hardwired devices. I’m leaning towards turning the AX88U into a node, and getting one of the new 6e routers, either the AXE16000 or AXE11000. Curious if the 160000 is worth the extra $150 as it will be paired to the AX88u. Thanks!
I’d recommend the AXE16000 over the AXE11000, Caesar. However, in your case, they will likely deliver similar experiences in terms of performance. If you want to save money, get the RT-AX86U instead. That’s the best bang for your buck.
Much appreciated Dong 🙂
Hi Dong,
Great site and info. Thanks for sharing this with the public.
I want a stable mesh network but also a strong wired connection with my main pc. I am thinking getting the RT-AX86U as the main router for the multi-gig support.
Is it possible to connect my main PC with the 2.5g port. And use another 1g port with an AiMesh node? or does it need to be connect via 2.5g. I need wired backhauling.
I prefer stability over speed. What AiMesh nodes would you recommend?
To summarize, cable speed to main pc is most important. After that stability. After that “future proof”. After that cost. After that WiFi speed.
Thanks!
Check the related posts on AiMesh, Thomas. They will answer this question more, in great details.
Hi Dong,
Thank you so much for all your work & posting Information for us!
Quick question:
Recommendation at a secondary router/satellite node to work with my RT-AX88U (as a primary)? It will be wired.
Thanks again!
You can get any AiMesh hardware, Ethan, depending on the speed you’d like. One of these. If you have modest Internet, the RP-AX56 will do.
Hello Dong,
I had 3 RT-AX55 routers.
1 used as main router
2 used as nodes using wired ethernet backhole (each one individually)
The problem with both the nodes was that after a few weeks they lost connection. I had to reset them completely and assign them as nodes all over again. This happenend every few weeks, so I sent them back to where I bought them.
The reason I tell this, is because I didn’t see this combo in your test. It also might be important for other people who would buy the same combo.
It would be interesting if someone else with the same set-up could share their experiance.
They are not on my list for a reason, Peter. Thanks for the input though.
Hi Dong,
Which one will you suggest?
-ASUS RT-92U AX6100 2 pack or
-Linksys Velop MX4200 2 pack?
I can get both at similar price ($260 now)
My internet is 600MB, and I can wired them together as mesh.
When I read the spec. the RT92U has only 1 ax radio and the other 2 are only ac and n,
while Linksys MX4200 have all ax on all 3 radios.
Does that means I can have a more stable speed with Linksys?
ASUS RT92U
• 4804 Mbps – 4SS 5GHz 802.11ax (160MHz chan.),
• 867 Mbps – 2SS 5GHz 802.11ac (80MHz chan.),
• 400 Mbps – 2SS 2.4GHz 802.11n (40MHz chan.) = AX6100 class
Linksys MX4200
• 2402 Mbps – 4SS 5GHz 802.11ax (80MHz chan.)
• 1201 Mbps – 2SS 5GHz 802.11ax (80MHz chan.)
• 574 Mbps – 2SS 2.4GHz 802.11ax (40MHz chan.) = AX4200 class
I’d go with the Asus, and open it Wi-Fi 6 band to clients, read the reviews for more. Don’t get too hung up on the specs.
Thank you Dong for the informative posts.
I’d appreciate some advice on my home upgrade.
I currently have an old AC1900 RT-AC68U to cover whole home. However signal is very poor in the upstairs bedrooms (concrete walls)
For compatibility & price, I was thinking of upgrading to AC86U as main router and using the old 68u as a wireless satellite node if the 86u does not improve the coverage upstairs.
Wired backhaul is unfortunately not possible.
Is there any advantage going with AX86 or AX88 instead of AC86 as main router given the majority of equipment on the network is Wi-Fi 5?
Similarly, would there be any benefit in upgrading system to newer Zen Wi-Fi XD6 (hub & satellite)? XT8 looks like better solution though is too costly.
From what I can gather based on your posts, the additional cost for newer Wi-Fi 6 options may not be very beneficial in my case. (Basic home use with 10-15 devices and max 1000Mbps fibre to home).
What would you recommend:
1/ AC86u (with AC68u if required)
2/ AX86 or AX88 (with AC68u if required)
3/ XD-6 (2 pack)
4/ other cost effective option?
Thank you for your feedback
You can try any of those options, but you should generally use routers of the same Wi-Fi standard. Note, though:
1. Depending on how the concrete wall is, none of them will help much. You’d still get a slow Internet connection (despite having a full-bar Wi-Fi signal upstairs.) More in this post.
2. Your home is not “basic”, it’s as demanding as any home, if not more demanding than most.
3. Running a cable is a must, it’s the only way in your case.
Dong – Thank you for the quick response
Whilst I appreciate that wired backhaul is by far the best option it’s unfortunately the most impractical in this instance.
I understand that the beam strength/coverage can be quite site specific though is there a particular model router I could expect better signal from to use at the hub?
If I cannot get a suitably strong wireless signal from the hub to the satellite, I may have to try a powerline extender.
Under this scenario – and understanding that powerline in general is slow, unpredictable and may not even work – would it make sense to use a kit with built-in Wi-Fi or to use non Wi-Fi extender and connect my old AC68u to the extender in the bedroom?
Not ideal though possibly better than my current setup
Thank you
I don’t have specific answers, Paul. It’s really impossible to know from afar. Try one and find out. Follow my suggestions in the post linked in the previous reply.
Thanks Dong – very informative site. I’ll play around with some options to see what works best
Sure, Paul. Good luck 🤞! And thanks!
Hi Dong, I have a AC88U which is now 6 years old, and perhaps showing its age. I want to upgrade my network, and was looking at GT-AX6000, ASUS RT-AX89X, or GT-AX11000 &/or its expensive brother GT-AXE11000.
My network bands 2.4Ghz are crowded with ‘smart devices’ maybe 6-8 of them, and my 5Ghz is also crowded with (6-8) devices + 4: 1/100 & 1/1000 plugg