🛒
Multi-Gigabit is the term used to describe data traveling at least twice the speed of Gigabit. To experience it, we generally resort to the new Multi-Gig wired network connection standard, which has become increasingly relevant thanks to the availability of Wi-Fi 7.
Confused about multi-Gigabit vs. Multi-Gig? Here’s the crash course on the subject!
While there’s no real need for multi-Gigabit at home in most cases, we all want it. It’s the only way to enjoy true Gigabit Internet or faster broadband, among other things.
This post features the best entry-level (2.5Gbps) multi-Gigabit-capable routers and mesh systems plucked from a comprehensive list of devices I’ve evaluated. These are sweet-spot hardware for those with Gigabit or Gig+ broadband needs.
If, for some reason, 2.5Gbps still doesn’t cut it. Check out this list of best 10Gbps Multi-Gig hardware instead. In that case, be prepared to pay more.
Dong’s note: I first published this frequently revised post on December 13, 2020, and last updated it on March 1, 2025, to include up-to-date hardware options.
Wi-Fi routers and mesh systems with 2.5Gbp multi-Gigabit capability: The lists
There are two lists: one for standalone routers and the other for purpose-built mesh systems. If you find the number of products overwhelming, the Table of Contents will help.
All the hardware mentioned here has at least two 2.5Gbps Multi-Gig ports. You’ll probably need a Multi-Gig switch to complete a faster-than-Gigabit network. So, before considering any of them, consider running network cables if you haven’t done so—we’re talking about wired networking.
I organize these lists in good-to-best rating order. The number before a product’s name indicates its ranking, with #1 being the best. When applicable, I also include similar alternatives.
Going beyond Gigabit (up to 2.5Gbps): The top five standalone routers
This list includes the top five standalone Wi-Fi routers with multiple multi-Gigabit ports. All of them can host at least one multi-Gigaibit connection.
Top 5 best 2.5Gbps Multi-Gig routers
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 (UDR7)’s Rating | Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Gateway Max (UCG-Max)’s Rating | Asus RT-AX88U Pro’s Rating | Asus RT-BE92U’s Rating | TP-Link Archer BE230 (BE3600)’s Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
5. TP-Link Archer BE230 (Wi-Fi 7): 2x 2.5GBASE-T
At the launch price of $99, the TP-Link Archer BE230 (or Archer BE3600) is the most affordable Wi-Fi 7 in the market. In fact, it’s less expensive than many Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 6 routers. And with two 2.5Gbps, it’s also one of the least extensive routers that can give you an authentic multi-Gigabit experience.
Alternative:
- TP-Link BE550/BE9300 (Wi-Fi 7): 5x 2.5BASE-T
TP-Link Archer BE230 (BE3600)'s Rating
Pros
Excellent performance for the specs; super affordable
Wi-Fi 7 and Multi-Gig support; robust web user interface with a good set of network features and Wi-Fi settings
Useful (optional) mobile app; EasyMesh-ready; compact and practical design
Cons
No 10Gbps ports or Dual-WAN; modest Wi-Fi 7 specs
Online protection and advanced parental controls require subscriptions
4. Asus RT-BE92U (Wi-Fi 7): 1x 1GBASE-T and 4x 2.5GBASE-T
The Asus RT-BE92U is a bit more than a 2.5Gbps router. It has one 10Gbps port. Unfortunately, without a 2nd 10Gbps port, it remains a 2.5Gbps networking device. Among other things, it’s the most flexible Asus router in terms of placement, with a clever wall-mounting design.
Asus RT-BE92U's Rating
Pros
One 10Gbps and four 2.5Gbps ports accompanied by decent Wi-Fi 7 specs
Lots of valuable features thanks to AsusWRT 5.0, including AiMesh, online protection, Parental Controls, multiple virtual SSIDs (SDNs)
Flexible network ports with Dual-WAN support
Universal setting backup and restoration; open source firmware
Relatively compact, fan-less, wall-mount-ready design; comparatively affordable
Cons
No 2nd 10Gbps port; no Link Aggregation
Mid-tier 5GHz and 6GHz bands; no built-in gaming features
3. Asus RT-AX88U Pro (Wi-Fi 6): 2x 2.5GBASE-T
The RT-AX88U Pro, the enhanced version of the RT-AX88U, which is the Wi-Fi 6 version of the RT-AC88U, is the last Wi-Fi 6 in Asus’s RT series and is one of the best. It’s also one of a few Wi-Fi 6 routers from the networking vendor with two Multi-Gig ports.
Alternatives:
- GT-AX6000 (2x 2.5GBASE-T)
- GT-AX11000 Pro (1x 10GBASE-T and 1x 2.5BASE-T)
Asus RT-AX88U Pro's Rating
Pros
Excellent Wi-Fi, wired, and network storage performance
Tons of useful features, including AiMesh 2.0, Guest Network Pro, and VLAN
Two 2.5GbE Multi-Gig ports with Dual-WAN and Link Aggregation support
Universal setting backup and restoration
Merlin firmware support
Cons
Pro-enabled features are still in the Beta
Only 6 network ports (instead of 9 in the previous variant)
No 6GHz band, not wall-mount-ready
2. Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Max (non-Wi-Fi): 5x 2.5GBASE-T
The Cloud Gateway Max is a UniFi console from Ubiquiti that can do much more than just a standard (non-Wi-Fi) router. For example, it can be the NVR for an IP camera surveillance system, the controller for an IP phone system, and more. And it can do that all at the same time. That, plus the five 2.5Gbps ports, the compact design, and excellent performance, makes its $199 price tag (no storage) a steal.
The Cloud Gateway Max works with any access point, but it’s designed to host those from the same UniFi family.
Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Gateway Max (UCG-Max)'s Rating
Pros
Excellent entry-level Multi-Gig performance for a comparatively low-cost
Compact and aesthetically pleasant design with powerful hardware to handle a home or small business network via multiple simultaneous enterprise-class applications
A complete set of useful networking features, including powerful security/web-filtering and WireGuard VPN; excellent web user interface; useful mobile apps
No subscription is required
Cons
No 10Gbps ports or built-in PoE
A Ubiquiti login account is required for the mobile apps and built-in Remote Management, as well as other features, to work
Runs a bit warm, no SSD caddy is included in the non-storage version
1. Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 (Wi-Fi 7): 1x SFP+ and 4x 2.5GBASE-T
The UniFi Dream Router 7 is indeed a dream router for those with 2.5Gbps bandwidth needs. In fact, if it had one more 10Gbps port, it’d belong to the top-tier multi-Gigabit crowd.
Like the UCG-Max above, the UDR7 is much more than an advanced router. It can do much more than networking, and the fast ports are only part of what it offers.
Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 (UDR7)'s Rating
Pros
All Multi-Gig ports with support for all of Ubiquiti's business hardware segments and built-in PoE
Excellent throughput performance with excellent coverage (for the specs)
Tons of useful networking features, including a mesh controller, all via a comprehensive web user interface and an optional mobile app
Compact and beautiful design
Comparatively affordable, quiet operator
Cons
No 2nd 10Gbps ports, single low-power PoE port
Many convenient features require a UI login, account, not wall-mount-ready, internal fan, awkwardly placed microSD slot
2.4GH band's performance could be better
Going beyond Gigabit (up to 2.5Gbps): The best five canned mesh systems
This list includes the top five purpose-built mesh systems that simultaneously handle faster-than-Gigabit broadband and multi-Gigabit local networks.
Top 5 best 2.5Gbps Multi-Gig mesh systems
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | Asus ZenWiFi Pro ET12’s Rating | Asus ZenWiFi BT8’s Rating | TP-Link Deco X55 Pro’s Rating | TP-Link Deco BE25 (Deco BE5000)’s Rating | Netgear Orbi RBKE960 Series’ Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
Specifically, their primary router has at least two multi-Gigabit ports, and their satellite unit has at least one.
In a wired home, each can work as a robust system with Multi-Gig wired backhauling to deliver the best possible Wi-Fi performance.
5. Netgear Orbi RBKE960 Series (Wi-Fi 6E): 1x 10GBASE-T and 1x 2.5GBASE-T (router) / 1x 2.5GBASE-T + 4x Gigabit (satellite)
Available as a 3-pack—RBKE963 (white) or RBKE963B (black)—Netgear’s first quad-band Orbi Wi-Fi 6E system was insanely expensive at launch, costing $1500 at launch—and you have the option to pay even more over the Armor add-on subscriptions.
With the router unit having a 10Gbps WAN port and a 2.5Gbps LAN port, and the satellite having one 2.5Gbps, the new mesh can have one multi-Gigabit wired backhaul right out of the box.
Netgear Orbi RBKE960 Series' Rating
Pros
Powerful hardware with quad-band Wi-Fi and Multi-Gig wired backhaul support
Excellent Wi-Fi coverage, fast performance
Multiple Multi-Gig ports
More Wi-Fi networks than previous Orbis, including two additional virtual SSIDs
Easy to use
Cons
Expensive
No web-based Remote Management, few free features; mobile app (with a login account and even subscriptions) is required to be useful
Rigid Multi-Gig ports' roles, few Multi-Gig ports
The 2nd 5GHz band is unavailable to clients even with wired backhaul; no 160MHz channel width on 5GHz
Limited Wi-Fi customization, bulky design
4. TP-Link Deco BE25 (Wi-Fi 7): 2x 2.5GBASE-T
The Deco BE25 is the second dual-band Deco set that comes with two 2.5Gbps ports, beside the Deco X55 Pro below. It’s also the first among its peers to feature Wi-Fi 7 sans-6GHz. It works best in a wired home.
Alternatively, you can also consider the TP-Link Deco BE63/65, which has all three Wi-Fi 7 bands.
TP-Link Deco BE25 (Deco BE5000)'s Rating
Pros
Reliable Wi-Fi performance; dual 2.5Gbps port with excellent wired backhauling
Super affordable for Wi-Fi 7 hardware; standard set of free networking and features
Compact, eye-catching, fanless design; easy to use
Cons
Short range, minimum Wi-Fi 7 specs with matching performance
Security+ and advanced Parental Controls require subscriptions.
TP-Link login account and mobile app required; no web-based management
3. TP-Link Deco X55 Pro (Wi-Fi 6): 2x 2.5GBASE-T
The TP-Link X55 Pro is one of many “Pro” Deco sets, but it’s the first with two 2.5Gbps Multi-Gig ports. It’s the first entry-level Wi-Fi 6 mesh system to host an actual multi-Gigabit local wired network.
TP-Link Deco X55 Pro's Rating
Pros
Reliable Wi-Fi coverage; top mid-tier performer via wired backhauling; dual 2.5GBASE-T ports
Easy to use; helpful mobile app with a standard set of network settings and features
Simple, practical design
Cons
Middling Wi-Fi specs with modest performance via wireless backhauling
Requires an account with TP-Link to work; limited Wi-Fi and network customization
No USB; not wall-mount-ready
2. Asus ZenWiFi BT8 (Wi-Fi 7): 2x 2.5GBASE-T
The ZenWiFi BT8 is Asus’s first Wi-Fi 7 hardware that doesn’t have 10Gbps. Instead, it features two 2.5Gbps ports per router. In return, it comes with a friendly price tag, making it an excellent deal for those living in a large, wired home.
Asus ZenWiFi BT8's Rating
Pros
Tri-band Wi-Fi 7; two 2.5Gbps ports per unit; excellent overall performance
AsusWRT 5.0 has lots of customizations and free-for-life high-end features (VPN, Parental Controls, Online Protection, Dual-WAN, Link Aggregation, Smart Home Master, etc.).
Robust web user interface and helpful optional mobile app; easy-to-blend-in design
Comparatively compact with no internal fan; runs cool and quiet
Cons
Only three network ports; entry-level Multi-Gig grade; terrible NAS performance when hosting an external USB drive
Not wall-mount-ready; slightly buggy interface and MLO
1. Asus ZenWiFi Pro ET12 (Wi-Fi 6E): 2x 2.5GBASE-T
The ZenWiFi Pro ET12 is Asus’s second purpose-built Wi-Fi 6E mesh system after the lower-tier ET8. It comes in a two-pack of identical routers and is somewhat the Wi-Fi 6E version of the ZenWiFi Pro XT12 below.
The ET12’s most remarkable feature is its two flexible 2.5Gbps ports. Consequently, you can use it out of the box with Multi-Gig wired backhauling, which is the recommended setup for all Wi-Fi 6E mesh systems. Like the XT12 above, you can even daisy-chain multiple satellites without a switch.
Alternatively, you can also pick the ZenWiFi Pro XT12, which features UNII-4 and is designed primarily for those without wired backhauling.
Asus ZenWiFi Pro ET12's Rating
Pros
Wi-Fi 6E-ready, extensive Wi-Fi coverage with top performance in specific setups with possible fast Wi-Fi performance in certain setups
Dual Multi-Gig ports with multi-Gigabit wired backhauling, flexible port configurations
Excellent performance and coverage as a standalone router
Tons of useful features and settings, flexible Wi-Fi customization
Helpful mobile app; no login account required
Cool design
Cons
Bulky, no USB, only four network ports
Fluctuating performance as a fully wireless mesh due to the lack of a dedicated backhaul band
Short 6GHz range
Expensive, not wall-mount-ready
The takeaway
Generally, multi-Gigabit hardware makes sense only when you have Gigabit or faster broadband. But they never hurt to get and will also significantly increase the local network throughputs.
Some Gigabit routers can deliver 2Gbps speed by combining two 1Gbps ports in a clunky Link Aggregation setup.
Multi-Gig vs. Link Aggregation
Link Aggregation, also known as bonding, occurs when multiple router network ports aggregate into a single fast combined connection.
Typically, two Gigabit ports work in tandem to provide a 2Gbps connection. In this case, Link Aggregation is a “cheat” way to get higher-than-Gigabit bandwidth out of two non-Multi-Gig ports. However, you can also bond two 10Gbps ports into a 20Gbps connection.
That said, Multi-Gig is a new standard that gives you a fast connection out of a single port, and Link Aggregation is a technique for artificially increasing the bandwidth when you have many ports to spare.
While Link Aggregation works, it’s an awkward method to experience multi-Gigabit bandwidth due to the requirement of multiple network ports and cables.
While multi-Gigabit is not necessarily something we need, once it’s in place, it’s hard to go back. With Wi-Fi 7, this new wired connection standard has slowly become the new norm, just like Gigabit has been in the past decade. Relatively soon, it’s something you can take for granted.
Hello Dong,
I’d like to have your opinion as I would like to upgrade my current Asus router-Ai Mesh set up.
I have 1Gbit connection with my provider (Xfinity). The provider modem is an Xfinity Gateway in which I disabled the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz Wi-Fi (do not want to fight the Asus router Wi-Fi signals) and I only use the gateway Wi-Fi 6E for sporadic connection as the signal doesn’t go all the way thru my house. From the modem I go via ethernet to my main router which is an Asus RT-AX88U. I have two Ai Mesh points each with an Asus RT-AX86U. The first Ai Mesh point connect the main router RT-AX88U to the RT-AX86U (located in the living room) via ethernet cable. The second Ai Mesh point connect RT-AX86U (located in the living room) to the other RT-AX88U (located in the garage) via Wi-Fi (5Ghz). From the latest router (in the garage) I run an ethernet cable to a 8 port Netgear switch that provides all wired connection to all clients in my office (my own PC, my work laptop, home theater receiver etc.) As of today in the living room (adjacent the main router and 1st Ai Mesh) I measured 900Mbs on my wife laptop connected via ethernet cable and 430Mbps on my Samsung S23 Ultra using NetSpot app Wi-Fi speed test. In my office located adjacent the garage I measured 320Mbs on my working laptop (connected via ethernet to the Netgear switch) and 243Mbps on my Samsung S23 Ultra using NetSpot app Wi-Fi speed test. On a average, there are a total of 20-23 clients connected to my network (cell phones, computers, laptops, TVs, Roku boxes, Ecobee thermostat, google mini, etc.) My question to you is: if I upgrade my main router (for example) to a GT-AX11000 Pro i get some benefit or not? To get a real benefit do I also need to upgrade my Ai Mesh units? Which one should I pick
Thank you in advance
PS: Please note the following:
1) The main router is located inside a small closet located below my loft stairs. The 1st Ai Mesh is located in the north-west corner of my living room and the 2nd Ai Mesh is located inside my garage, my house has a really weird layout :-). I wish I could send you my home layout but I cant here.
2)The connection from the 1st Ai Mesh (living room) to the 2nd Ai Mesh (garage) is done with Wi-Fi as running an ethernet cable is really problematic.
2)As of now I only use the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz Wi-Fi signals as my daughters have each a google mini in their room which do not work on Wi-Fi 6(802.11ax) (unless something changed lately!!!)
You already have the performance speed as fast as Gigabit can give you (after overhead), Giovanni—more on that in this post.
For your case, if you change the current gateway (it’s not a modem, by the way) to a Multi-Gig modem—details in this post—and use Multi-Gig hardware through out, you’ll experience true Gigabit or maybe slightly faster. But it’s likely not worth it.
Hi Dong,
I currently have an AXE11000 and have issues with reception on the second floor, despite our space being small. I’ve lived with it but feel the time is right, with wifi7 getting ratified, to upgrade or add another unit. For details, I have full gig up and down via fiber, utilize lan aggregation for my Synology NAS, and have about 27 devices [4 6e connections, with the rest mixing 5 and 2.4 connections (smart devices, etc.) ]. I do have the ability to leverage a wired connection between the devices.
My question, would you add the GT-BE98 Pro or would you take a look at going to the RS700S? I hate to have aesthetic play a role but the RS700S removes the eyesore from living quarters.
I appreciate the feedback and the site – it’s how I decided to move to ASUS when the GT-AXE11000 was just released.
Derek
The quick answer is nothing will change if getting new hardware is your only route. More on Wi-Fi 7 in this post and on range in this one. Make sure you take time and read them. You’ll figure things out.
Been there, done that. The issue is the build of our structure with the mechanicals of AC/Heat and Washer/Dryer in the middle of the structure and broadcast. One floor or the other suffers depending on location.
I should have been more clear – it’s either add another ASUS or buy 2 Netgear. However, is it still the case that the RS700S AP isn’t finalized?
If you need two units, Asus is the way to go since you can use them in an AiMesh system.
Hey Dong,
Love your article, the timing is impeccable that I came across your site when trying to find what’s best for my home network upgrade. haha
I’m currently torn between these 3 routers – the ASUS RT-AXE7800 ($230), the ASUS RT-AX88U Pro ($260) and the TP-Link BE9300 / BE550 ($300).
I will be replacing my old ASUS AC1200G+ router, as such either of them should do me good. Their prices are fairly close to one another, and I was just wondering which of these would be of the better value.
Let me know your thoughts, or if you have a better suggestion, I am all ears.
Cheers,
Sham
These are quite different routers as you might have noticed via their reviews, Sham. Generally, I’d pick Asus over TP-Link for its feature set and top-tier hardware over mid-range. So the 88U Pro would be it, but that depends on your need. You can add the 6GHz via an access point later by the way.
I recently upgraded my home network to 10 gig after I found out that I already have cat 5e cables running inside the walls. Since they are less than 100 feet, they are able to support 10 gig connections.
I ended up getting two Netgear MS510TXM and one Netgear MS510TXUP switch. Thankfully, since those are Layer 2+/Layer 3 switches, I was able to get 7 gig+ transfers even though my router (Netgear RAXE500 at the time) only had a single 2.5 gig LAN port. Internet would still be capped to 1 gig since the router only had a single 2.5 gig port, so upgrading to the Netgear RS700 was a breath of fresh air with it having both a 10 gig Internet port and a 10 gig LAN port.
Only issue is each switch costs $500+ ($100 more for the MS510TXUP since that’s PoE), but I guess that’s the price of 10 gig network at the moment, and it’ll be a while before consumer routers can even handle complete 10 gig networks.
Yeap, CAT5e can do 10Gbps easily, that’s the goal of the Multi-Gig standard.
Hi Dong,
As usual, thanks again for a great article. I purchased four of the Deco BE95s when they first came out. I have a large number of IoT devices and my current WiFi6 network was just not handling the load.
There have been some glitches along the way with the BE95s. The issues have been Decos not staying connected wirelessly and random dramatic speed drops for seemingly no reason. I have been working with one of their engineers in China by email to try and solve the problems. One of the R&D team members has also been involved. After a beta firmware update and removing a Deco that seems to have hardware issues, the system now has been stable for about a week.
Because of the problems, I have considered returning the Decos and getting the ORBI 970. Here are two questions: Should I just keep the Deco system and wait for future updates to hopefully continue to improve the system, or just go for the 970. Alternately, should I return the Decos and just wait for WiFi 7 to become more mature?
Thank you!
Read my takes on them, Steve. And don’t fall for advertising. Those numbers don’t mean much.
Thanks Dong. I have read your take on the ORBIs before and was starting to fall for the advertising hype. Thanks for saving me!
1. Should I stay with the BE95 banking on more firmware updates or move on to something else?
2 . How would two of the RT-BE96U in an AiMesh setup work at opposite ends of the house. My home is 6800 Sq Ft. on three levels with the main (middle) level being the greatest percentage of that. I also need to cover a detached garage that is a double driveway away from the main house.
Thanks again.
I’d go with #2 but only if you have network cables to link the units. Note that it’s still new and the standard is not yet ratified. Good luck!
Thank you.
Fantastic article!
I recently moved and got a Zyxel AX7501-B1 router from my ISP {…}
It has one 10GB WAN port (and four Gigabit LAN ports) and the broadband is symmetric 10Gbit.
I have eight CAT6 wired connections going out to all rooms in my apartment.
The place is big enough (about 125m2 but with thick walls, not airy) that the router alone won’t cut it to blanket the apartment in reliable wifi.
What’s the best way to get maximum performance with this setup? Do I need a multi-gigabit switch to connect to the 10Gbit WAN port on the router, then connect the the switch to the eight ethernet ports leading to all the rooms, then as many multi-gigabit access points {…} as I deem necessary?
I assume there are other brands that have EasyMesh support that I could use in place of the access point I mentioned.
You need a mesh system with a 10Gbps WAN port and 10Gbps wired backhauling (or at least Multi-Gig), Ismi. That said, you can pick one on mentioned here, or one of these high-end AiMesh setup. More on Multi-Gig in this post. Your current hardware will give you Gigabit at best and the way you imgine the setup won’t work. More on how to set things up: a mesh system or a router.
EasyMesh is not really a thing yet and it, for now, can’t handle anything Gigabit or faster.
Did you see the IO router coming from Japan?
It’s available on Newegg, for around $300USD.
It has 10G RJ45 for WAN and another 10G RJ45 port for network.
{…}
Thanks
Dan
I’ve been to Japan, one of my fav places in Asia, and I can tell you that there’s a lot of stuff coming from there that we don’t see coming. 🙂
As for this particular router, no, I haven’t had any expereince with it. I do hope, though, that there’s an English version since Japanaese is really hard. I generally only cover prodcuts made specifically for the US.
How would you compare the advertised total bandwidth of these latest mesh/gaming routers (BE11000/19000/2200/33000) to an Omada stack and APs (AX3600/AX5400/AXE11000). While I would assume the Omada systems would offer better reliability, what real-world performance gains/losses could one expect when compared to these high tech consumer mesh/routers?
I’m looking to redo my home networking for multigig support and the fact that these consumer routers are basically full multigig switches already is very compelling. Beyond reliability, is there any other reason to go with an Omada solution?
Check out this post, Amit.
another thing.
about Asus RT-AX89X
Asus locked it to 1G / 10G [via sfp+]
so 2.5G is not work. or 5g does not work
That’s how SFP+ is. More here.
There are workarounds for that. For example, the MikroTik S+RJ10, a 10 gigabit RJ45 SFP+ module, acts sort of like a two port switch, where it always talks to the host at either 1 gigabit or 10 gigabit, but talks to the client device at 10/100/1000/2500/5000/10000. The host device (the one with the SFP+ port) is none the wiser, it will think it’s talking to a 10 gig device when it’s actually talking to a 2.5 gig device. This comes at a cost, though, more heat.
thank you for this article
i have fiber 2.5G
was having thoughts
MikroTik RB5009UG+S+IN or AX6000
bought the second one
should I use RB5009UG+S+IN instead ?
Please express you thoughts better as mentioned in the comment rules. I have no idea what you’re talking about.
I want a reliable product that will handle 2.5g connection
without problem and fir long period of time
some friends suggest me to check mikrotek products
it’s out of stock.. but when it will be stocked
should I replace my ax6000 with mikrotek equ with this specific model ?
I don’t have a lot of experience with Mikrotik, Maor. Here are my recommendations for Multi-Gig routers.
Hi Mr. Dong,
Thanks for the nice article. Have you gotten any chance to review QNAP Qhora 321 (6x 2.5GbE) and 322 (3x 10GbE & 6x 2.5GbE) wired router? Both unit are selling @ Amazon.
I might check them out when time and resources allows. Thanks for the suggestion.
I have generic feedback if you want to take it.
There are only handful of chipset manufactures, mainly Qualcomm and Broadcomm with WiFi 6E and WiFi-7. If you see products that use Qualcomm chipsets such as Google Nest Wi-fi Pro 6e or Eero, All their shortcomings are common ( they all contain 2 ports and gigabit). Similarly, Broadcomm based routers, all of them have only 1 multi gig port which is useless.
My feedback is to do cover the chipset inside it ( may be even open the router), and categorizing the routers based on it. A lot of consumers does know what chipset their phones runs and make purchase decisions on it, Why not do the same for WiFi 7.
To give an example: For WiFi 7 Qualcomm chipset “Immersive home 326” , All the qualcomm based routers are expected with 2 multi gig ports. This is a bit different to Broadcomm based solution which needs multiple chips to achieve multi gig ports. So, the way I see it, It’s best to segregate them into chipset groups and cover it.
👍
Hey Dong, great article as usual. I commend you for the no nonsense honest reviews.
Question;
I am moving into a bigger multifloor house and getting 5 gigabit internet for a smart home configuration.
I will need stellar wireless access on each floor.
Floor 1 – which is where the modem will be,
10 wired devices , multiple wireless devices
Floor 2 – 15 wired Devices, multiple wireless devices
Floor 3 – 10 wired Devices, multiple wireless devices
I was thinking of going for a mesh network like the Orbi, but I am also looking for the best configuration that will make use of my 5gb internet both wired and wirelessly with excellent connectivity.
Which devices would you recommend? Wireless Router and Router/Switches.
No Orbi, Cal, even the most expensive one, will give you Gigabit-class of real-world speed via a wireless setup, that’s just how it is with this brand. So far.
For your case, check out this post on mesh first, and then you can ask your question accordingly. Please note that I don’t give consultation on specific situations.
Hi Dong.
goog morning.
I currently have a mesh network with asus ax86u and ax88u. But I’m going to move to a bigger house, with 650 m2, and thinking about the future with a multi-gig internet, I want to buy a third router, but I’m lost about which one to buy. I thought of an rt-ax89x, ax11000, axe11000, among others.
What models do you suggest? All will be wired backhaul connection.
Thank you for your help.
Vladimir
I’d go with the GT-AX6000 in your case or, possibly, the upcoming RT-AX88U Pro.
This is an excellent post!
Question: I have a Gateway modem with one multigig port (in bridge mode), ROG AX-11000 (also one multigig port) and an 8-multigig switch.
To take advantage of the >1 gb speeds from my ISP, do I want to connect the Gateway’s multigig port to the ROG’s 2.5 port, and then connect the ROG to the switch using the ROG’s 1gb port? Or is it better to connect the Gateway to the ROG’s Wan port and then connect the ROG to the switch from the ROG’s 2.5 port?
Or does it matter?
I suppose this question applies to any routers that have only one multigig port.
Much appreciated!
You want a router with two Multi-Gig ports, Daniel, as mentioned in the post.
As is, the Gig+ WAN is only meaningful when multiple devices connect directly to the router. More in this the port on Multi-Gig in the Related Posts box.
Makes sense, thanks! So basically the setup won’t matter in my case because I am missing the 2nd multi-gig port on my router?
If that’s the case, why do they even make Gateways/Routers with only one multi-gig port?
It does if you think about bandwidth, Daniel. Two concurrently active devices can draw the full Gig+ bandwidth out of the router. It doesn’t if you think only in terms of speed. So, yes, having a router with just one Mulit-Gig port can be quite annoying — the worst is likely the case of the Orbi RBK860. But going full Mulit-Gig is still very expensive, for now.
Thanks so much! Maybe my first post focused too much on speed. So to increase bandwidth, should I connect the Gateway to the Router’s 2.5 port, even if it means connecting the Router’s 1gig Lan to the 2.5 switch; or should I connect the the Gateway to the Router’s 1gig Wan and then connect the Router’s 2.5 port to the switch’s 2.5 port.
Put another way, what is the best way to use Router’s 2.5 port, if to use it at all?
Use it for the Internet side if your terminal device (or gateway) supports Multi-Gig. If not use it for the LAN side.
Hey Dong, I’d like some info/advice.
Currently I have a EA8300 router that I’ll give to my mother and I was thinking to update to a better one, whatever 6/6E that would allow me to take advantage of 1.5Gbps in the near future.
Here’s my situation though, right now I need a router, tri band at least, that would allow me to use WDS mode according to TPLink / Hybrid mode called by Asus (This is the mode that uses one radio to connect to the WAN router but the other radios keeps working like an AP)
I’m really struggling to find something like this nowadays. Any tip or options that you could give me?
Thanks !
Pick one of the Asus routers on these lists, Ezequiel. More on Multi-Gig in this post. WDS is not common — I often don’t test it — so your experience will vary.
Thanks a lot !
Hi Dong,
As always thank you for a lot of great articles and for taking the time to answer everyone.
I have a rog Rapture gt-axe16000 with a 4g router as a modem. I have been trying to move Them around in either end of the house to get better coverage. And plex performance from my aging ds916+.
I want to get the house wired but I want to be sure where to put it before i pay for that.
I want to to get another router for aimesh. I think i read in one of articles that there is a problem with the gt-axe16000 and zenwifi pro et12/x12? Should i get one of those or wait for a better price for an additional gt-axe16000?
You can get the ET12, Martin. Make sure you use 386 firmware for now. More in this post.
Hi Dong, thanks for the great article! I used to have 400/50 mbit internet and just switched to 1.5 Gbit/1Gbit. I have had 2 AX86U in mesh on merlin software (connected in wired backhaul through the 2.5gbe ports) since my previous connection, but I feel like I am not taking full advantage of my connection. currently most of my house is wired and i have no trouble with wireless connections, but it seems like the wired connections don’t feel as snappy as they used to (all Cat6). I’m not sure if it has to do with processing power or not, but I’m curious what to do. Do I change 1 router, do I add a managed switch with its own processor (such as the Zyxel you reviewed), or do i just switch to a ubiquiti system?
Any advice would be appreciated!
You need a router with TWO Multi-Gig ports, Andrew. So pick one on the particular list. If you get an Asus, you can keep an RT-AX86U as a Multi-Gig satellite(s).
What about a budget mesh set up for starlink. We are rural in a valley so i need something outside reliable.
You can use any router or mesh system on top of the Startlink router, Richard. So pick one among these Wi-Fi 6E or or Wi-Fi 6 options. Good luck!
Dong thank you for your answers! I have donated!
Trying to discern real, valuable experience differences for what money. I thought I needed upload speed for work from home with Microsoft Teams etc but I probably have overkill. Household has 5 users and 20 devices.
I have xfinity 1200/40 service with SB8600 (1Gb) with ac86u, two older netgear ac routers set as AP via wired backhaul, and 1gb infrastructure (switches). I get 941mbps to my 4 wired desktops. I have 5 people (two college students, one high school, and two adults and I work from home as an sales engineer. I got the gigabit service because I wanted the 35(40)Mb uplink because the next lower was 15(20). We have roughly 18 devices in the 2000sq ft house (main and basement each).
I upgraded from n66u in 2020 to an AC86u and the Motorola SB8600 and things have gone very well….reliable too. However, I cannot take advantage of the over provisioned gigabit service. Xfinity with the SB8611 that I have been testing can do 1366 down wired and 885 down via an AX6000.
I spent $765 to try my experiment……SB8611 with 2.5Gbps port to AX6000 with 2 ports. Internal 2.5Gb will go to a new TrendNet 2.5Gbps 16 hub for the 3 wired computers and then for one remote basement corner, I will put in the ac86u, and one for outside usage at a back window. I understand the loss of speed but pragmatic $$. AX6000 would cover the central house. Most of my wifi devices are ac wifi5. The AX6000 seems to provide 20-100% better download speed for the same distance on wifi5 devices…..
Though with this investment, unless transferring large files or doing a speed test, it does not seem this upgrade will make much of a real world noticable difference? Does this extra downspeed make much difference? Many articles say no.
Any comments on this situation or considerations? Debating to keep ‘my investment’ or send the whole kit and kabootle back and wait 2-3 years for wifi7 and DOCSIS 4.0. I could easily have a great setup with 3 x ac86u properly placed for good 5ghz with 80mhz channel and even probably lower my internet speed to 300/15 and be fine. only my son’s gaming computer downloads multi GB updates for some games. But the 40Mb uplink makes my work for Zoom and Teams and Onedrive upload and sync faster……so I think…..
Thank you in advance for any advice. Peace.
This post on Gigabit Internet applies to your situation, Mike. And this one is on how to do speed tests properly — it’s not easy. Make sure you give them a good read. And you’re welcome.
PS: Thanks for the support, I appreciate it — we don’t keep tabs on the personal information of donors — but my answer would be the same if you didn’t donate :).
Hi Dong, I discovered your blog/portal yesterday and literally spent 3 hours to read articles, although my basic English;) You make an amazing job and I’m loving your writing style, deep and well balanced!
Anyway, I’m waiting my 2500/1000Mbs GPON Fiber here in Italy scheduled in October, I can’t wait to move from a 60/20Mbs DSL!
The fiber will be delivered with an external ZTE ONT with a 2.5Gbs Ethernet.
Actually I’ve a FritzBox 7530AX router, Fritz are very famous in EU, really great Router/OS with tons of features, and are very good for VOIP with an integrated DECT base and a mini PBX, very usefully also in a small office.
Sadly, at the moment, Fritz dont’make a 2×2.5Gbs router and I’m looking for a replace with an Asus GT-AX6000 or GT-AXE16000 or the new GT-AX11000 pro or something else.
I’m confused, because for the 2.5 Fiber the AX6000 is today enough, but isn’t future proof for the next fiber upgrade due to lack of 10Gbs ports.
Is it better to spend now 375€ for the AX6000 and when the WAN will be > of 2.5 (2-3-5 years!?) buy the correct router, or spend now 680€ for the 16000/10Gbs ports…
Hi Giacomo. Your English is excellent!
I’d go with the GT-AX6000. 10Gbps is not necessary for now, and can be complicated to experience — more in this post. But the GT-AXE16000 doesn’t hurt but I’d wait for the cost to come down.
Thank you for the tip, I agree, I’ll go with 6000, may be the 16000 is overkill now in my environment, but you know, we’re IT enthusiast and we’re “tempted”!
Check also the Fritz products, imho greats brand, totally different style compared to Asus/Asian products, I don’t know if they are available in the US.
Prego, Giacomo. And I’m familiar with Fritz. We have families and friends in Germany, the UK, and France who use those. They are great.:)
I have a 6100 sq ft home and 5gb/5gb Fiber internet I am currently using the orbi 960 and 3 satelites that are are wired with cat 6a. I have two computers that have 10gb cards and I am able to get wired speeds of 2.4/2.4. Since the 960 only has a 10gb port and then 2.5gb out port( which in my case runs to a switch) I am looking for recommendations for a mesh system that can support 10gb and which switch would you recommend?
Check out this post, Don. I talked about this topic in detail.
Thank you. I just read that. I am getting about 2300/2300 now on my other house which has fiber 2gb/2gb. Your price for 10gb is amazing. For 5gb here is $180 a month and 2gb is 110. In north Texas. I think for me I am going to wait until the orbi has at least 2 10gbe ports. It gets a little complicated because I am running Video IP and also need POE for my cameras. This is a new house that is closing sept 8th so I am trying to figure out the right switches. I asked the HT guy but my guess is he is not very familair with 10gbe switches and setups. I said all of that to ask this. Do you think I should get different switches for different things ( IE one for my internet/networking, one for my Video/Audio and one for my Cameras with POE? or should I try and find an all in one?
The one I mentioned in the post is a PoE one, Don. And it’s been great! But you can use any others, here are those I’ve reviewed — there are not many options yet. And you can use as many switches as you want, you can use a main Multi-Gig switch and a Gigabit PoE for devices if that works better cost-wise.
I heard utility costs are very high in Texas. But housing is a lot more affordable so there’s that. 🙂
Want to know if it’s right device to get GT-AX6000 to replace RT-AC68U ( use this old router as AiMesh Node via ethernet backhaul)
As I’m on giga fiber broadband as on AC68U on speedtest getting around 600 Mbps, when I remove router and connect direct to GPON media converter, getting around 950 Mbps.
So AC68U can’t get higher speed as just drops speed, using on LAN.
Will AX6000 can do higher speed?
Even better wifi as all walls are solid blocks.
Even in future to connect to 2.5 Giga broadband..
I’ve been using AC68U for 8 years, only difference is speed on 1 Giga fiber connected last year.
Now that the ET12 can be purchased as a single unit for $480 on Amazon is this generally the best single router solution / best value for a multi-gigabit network?
Only $130 more than GT-AX6000 for tri-band & 6E ($350 vs $480).
That depends, Aaron. Read the reviews for more, but the ET12 only outdoes the GT-AX6000 in the 6GHz band.
Your reviews were extremely helpful in making a purchasing decision and I went with the ET12. Only notable downside of ET12 that annoys me is no Merlin support (yet).
So outside of 6E do you consider the ET12 / GT-AX6000 to be roughly equivalent (same 2x 2.5gbps, same new 16nm quad core CPU etc.)?
My original question was primarily related to how you think the ET12 being available as a single unit for $480 changes it’s value proposition relative to others multigigabit options. Sorry if that wasn’t clear.
Thanks for the amazing site!
Hi Dong, thank you for all of the great info you provide. I have a question about multi-gig routers I was hoping to ask you about. My home is not wired, unfortunately, but I have an Asus RT-A86U that provides decent wifi coverage across the home. However, one thing I’d like to improve is my computer’s connectivity. The computer doesn’t have built-in wifi, and so I’ve been using a USB wifi adapter which hasn’t been that great. As an alternative, I’ve been looking for a second router that I could use as a wifi to ethernet bridge. My computer has a 2.5gbe ethernet port, and so I’d like to get a Wifi 6 router that has a 2.5gbe LAN port, and that can be used as a wifi to ethernet bridge. I suppose I could get another Asus RT-86U, but I was wondering if you knew of a less expensive router? I was looking at a one-pack of the TP-Link Deco X90 or X5700 since those have 2.5gbe LAN ports, but I couldn’t tell from those products’ manuals if they can be used as a wifi to ethernet bridge.
You’d waste your money in that case, Eugene, because chances are the wireless connection will not be as fast as the speed of the wired port — you’d be lucky to get 1Gbps of sustained speed in most cases. If your computer is a desktop, get a PCIe adapter instead. Don’t bother with Multi-Gig until you get the place WIRED.
I have a 2,5g internet connection and would like to maximise my wifi Network. I have a orbi 752 (limited to 1gb). I have a 1000ft2 flat, what is the best choice for multi gig router: asus xt8, orbi 852, netgear raxe500, others ?
Thanks for your help!! Best regards
You *can’t* get 2.5Gbps out of a wireless connection, E. So, generally any of these routers will do on the wireless front. But if you want to really enjoy a real 2.5Gbps, then you need one with *two* 2.5Gbps (or better yet 10Gbps) Multi-Gig ports. Make sure you read the intro part of this post. Also, check out this post on how hard it is when it comes to getting *real* Multi-Gig Internet.
In fact my ISP router as a 2,5gb lan port, so i would like to find The best router with a 2,5 GB port. Thanks
It’s one the list. 🙂
I would like to setup the 2.5Gbe LAN network as I purchased Asustor 5304t with 2.5Gbe ports.
My current setup are as follows:
Internet: Exetel HFC
Modem from NBN: Arrius CM8200
Modem router from Exetel: ZTE H268A using 2 VOIP service (4 x 1 Gbe ports and 1 1Gbe WAN port)
Mesh Router from ASUS: ASUS Xt8 mesh (1 2.5 GBE port and 3 x 1 Gbe) and 1 mesh satellite
Current connection is from NBN modem port to Exetel HFC wan port and then Exetel HFC lan port to ASUS XT8 WAN port. 3 rooms with wired LAN (1 downstairs and 2 upstairs cat6 wiring) are currently connected to ZTE H268A modem. 2 VOIP phones are connected to the ZTE H268A modem router. The ASUS XT8 satellite is connected to the ASUS Xt8 router wirelessly.
I just obtained the Internet and VOIP settings from Exetel so I thought I can remove the modem router and using asus xt8 router and buying 2.5 switch and VOIP phone adapter (grandstream?)
Also if I setup the network using ASUS XT8 in wired backhaul, I think I have some issue which causes no internet (when the cat 6 wiring connects to the asus router and then the lan wiring upstairs connected to the asus mesh satellite upstairs using wired backhaul)
Q1. What is the best setup in my scenario?
Q2. What sort of extra equipment should I get?
Q3. Should I get a 8 port managed switch (e.g. QNAP) or unmanaged switch (QNAP)? Does a managed switch help to solve the asus wired backhaul issue?
Q4. Is it a way to solve the wired backhaul issue?
You should start this with this post, Johnny, and follow related posts. Set aside some time and you’ll figure it out.
I have three Zyxel 2.5 GB switches in my network – thanks for the recommendation, by the way! Is maintaining a consistent 2.5 GB wired LAN connection from the router to the switches sufficient justification to buy a router with a 2.5 GB LAN port? I subscribe to my ISP’s 1 GB Internet plan.
Yes, Ron. 2.5Gbps Multi-Gig hardware is the sure way to get full 1Gbps Internet. You need a router that has the same speed grade (or faster) on both the WAN and LAN sides, too, by the way.
I appreciate the time and advice, Dong I have enjoyed your work for a long time, even before you went solo, and I will find a way to support it!
Thanks for the support, Ron! ❤️
Can you tell me which has better range the GT-AX11000 or the new GT-AX6000?
I’d say the AX6000’s is slightly better, Eric.
I am here in the multi gig (LAN) world thanks to the posts on your website, I am running a full GT-AX6000 mesh and all nodes are wired and running at 2.5 GB.
I do have an oddity though. I have a QNAP 2104-2T multi-gig switch to connect to the satellite nodes and the satellite speed is at full throttle (930 Mb) for a 1GB WAN .
When I connect my Imac 24 (1GB) to the router I get the full speed (930 Mb) but when I go thru the QNAP switch (either the 2.5 or 10GB port) the speed drops to about 600 Mb. Same cable etc.
n
Source OOKLA speed test. Very consistent result. Any suggestions?
Something to do with the switch, Mario, in case it’s not obvious to you. 🙂 That or because you connected the switch to a Gigabit port on the router.
Dong
Can you recommend mesh system, with at least 2gig wan and 2 gig lan on each unit. My fiber connection is 2gig so obviously need the wan at least 2, but also want a 2 gig lan .
thanks
joe
Your only option, for now, is this AiMesh combo, Joe. And you’ll need a Multi-Gig switch, too.
wont be able to wire backhaul,,,just router downstairs and mesh node upstairs,,,want the 2gig LAN to run Apple TV 4k over it’s gig ethernet port by the main router/fiber connection thanks
Then you’ll never get the speed you want, Joe, more in this post. And get the XT8.
thanks,,that’s the unit i was looking at for my home mesh setup,,non cabled backhaul,,,3000sq ft residence
I have read your article on Multi-Gig Wi-Fi 6 Routers. I am looking to purchase an Asus ZenWiFi AX XT8 AX6600 to use as a wifi access point or AIMesh point with an existing ASUS GT-AX11000. The question is, can hooking up the 2.5gb ethernet ports on the 2 devices work to establish a 2.5 gb connection or is the port on the X8 an unusable WAN only port.
That’s how you’re supposed to use the XT8 as APs or AiMesh node, Ronald. More in this post. By the way, in your case, you need a Multi-Gig switch since the GT-AX11000 has just one Multi-Gig port.
Hi Dong
Love your site and advice.
Can I ask about a new setup of the Orbi Pro SXR80 with extra satellites, the use of CAT6 cabling as backhaul and the use of the single 2.5G port (port 1) vs using the 1GB port (port 2) for WAN. I have a 2.5G D-link switch available.
My Internet via NBN is maximally at 1,000Mbps.
I was going to change the default on the SXR80 to use Port 2 for the WAN, and use Port 1 (2.5G) to connect to the 2.5G switch and then use that to backhaul to the satellities via Ethernet.
Is that the most best methodology to get the best speed all around?
Using the WiFi backhaul on the Router sounds enticing but my place is big with solid concrete walls – thus the Ethernet backhaul consideration.
Appreciate your advice.
Thanks
Andrew
I haven’t tested the SXK80, Andrew, so I can’t say for sure, but you can try that. Generally, though, you don’t want to use the Orbi if you have wired backhauls. Also, the option for Multi-Gig backhauls are limited.
I haven’t tested the SXK80, Andrew, so I can’t say for sure, but you can try that. Generally, though, you don’t want to use the Orbi if you have wired backhauls. Also, the options for Multi-Gig backhauls are limited.
Multi gig is a non thing to me. I have xfinity 1200 with a netgear cm 2050v and am never able to get any multi gig because of weak links in the chain-under 1 gig
1.2Gbps is Gig+, Thomas. That’s not Multi-Gig yet. But you’re right, often the Gigabit is the bottleneck.
Hello Dong,
Can I “soup-up” the performance of my WiFi 5 TV by streaming with a WiFi 6 router and WiFi 6 streaming device like the Fire TV 4K Max?
Yes, RJ. You basically have a new Smart TV — the Smart portion is new — in this case.
There comes a point where the selection of wifi routers with more than one multigig port is so slim that it makes sense to start looking at separate wired/wireless setups. For example, the MikroTik RB5009UG+S+IN, a $219 wired router that has an SFP+ 10G port, 1×2.5G port, and 7x1G ports. With this, you can use one of the multigig ports for the WAN, one of the multigig ports for connecting to a multigig switch or wifi access point (and since many of the wifi routers on your list have just a single multigig port, they can be used for this), and connect 1G devices directly to the router.
There is also the $379 Ubiquiti UDM Pro, which is kind of overkill and large, but for a router with two 10G SFP+ ports and a 3.5″ HDD bay, the price isn’t that bad.
The downside would be that these sorts of routers is much less user friendly than typical consumer fare. But then, I think we’re still at the point where people who are paying for Internet connections faster than 1 gigabit are probably still more technically savvy people.
Hey Dong, do you have a multi-gig router suggestion that is not super expensive for my setup (wifi is not important)
– 2-port WAN link aggregation
– Multi-gig LAN port (1 or more)
The RT-AX89X is your only option, Marc.
Thanks but unfortunately this AX89X is far beyond budget. Guess I’ll have to keep waiting
Hi Dong,
I’ve looked around and see that the AX86U has WAN Link aggregation AND a 2.5Gbe port. Can this 2.5Gbe port be used for LAN?
I might just get a AX86U if this fulfils my requirements.
Hi Dong,
I have a single mode G.657.B3 fiber to my unit, with a 1.5Gbps service.
What router I could use?
I have 2 computers that are pretty far and I want to use fiber to them with SFP+, so I need at least 3 SFP+ ports, one for WAN and 2 for the other computers.
Other ports can be 1Gb and wi-fi 6 should do it.
Thanks for the article, this is a new issue with home networking.
You’ll need a Multi-Gig switch, Dan. As for the router, the RT-AX89X is about the only one right now. Use its SFP+ for WAN and the 10Gbps BaseT to connect to the switch.
Thanks Dong,
I’m not sure the Asus is enough or I need a modem also.
I could use the WAN SFP+ from the termination point, but this is single mode, I’m not sure if it works, Asus says multi mode SFP+.
As a switch, I could use a Mikrotik with 4 SFP+ ports between the router and my computers.
Dan
That depends on the ISP, Dan.
I finally pulled the trigger on an RT-AX89X, ver. A2 and updated to the latest firmware. Using the SFP+ port as WAN (SMF) with the 10GBase-T port hooked up to a 10Gbe switch. That in turn is linked to my PC via a 10G SFP+ to Thunderbolt 3 adapter. Got close to advertised ISP speeds measured on Ookla initially. Testing the next day saw speeds drop to a tenth of what the ISP provides. I unplugged the router and hooked up the ethernet link directly to the PC from the 10Gbe switch and got back nearly full advertised speeds. I tried turning off Ai Protection, which hurts performance, but no dice. Ended up doing a hard reset of the router and apparently that worked. Going to monitor it for the rest of the week to see if the LAN speeds drop off again like before. The transceiver in the SFP+ port runs uncomfortably hot even with a fibre optic one plugged in. I’m concerned that will shorten the lifespan of the router even with the built-in fan and will monitor closely. Like everyone else, I got this for the 10G ports so wifi wasn’t really a priority, if only there was a function to disable the radios. The wifi is spotty at best with the 5Ghz band sporadically disappearing and dropping my AC/AX devices down to 2.4Ghz. Hence, the family uses a separate wireless home network. Looking forward to the Wifi 6E version of the router if there is going to be one. I’ve also set my sights on TP-Link’s Archer AX206 as well but there’ve been no new updates since it was announced at CES 2021 in January.
Archer AX206 | AX11000 Tri-Band 10G WiFi 6E Router | TP-Linkhttps://www.tp-link.com › home-networking › archer-a…
Oh the global chip shortage…
Hi Dong
I have an Asus AX89X and I have created two different bands because I was having issue with the dual band smart connect options- the homepods kept disconnecting from the Apple TVs for some strange reason. Seperating the bands seem to be working much better for me. A few questions-
1. Do you recommend keeping the bands seperate?
2. How many devices can the AX89X support on the 5G band? With most of my devices 5Ghz and Wifi 6 capable is one band enough or would you recommend a triband router?
3. I love the ASUS router because it allows me to connect to the internet directly by plugging the ethernet cable into the RJ45 port and get rid of the ISP router from BT. Is the ASUS the only device capable of doing that?
Sorry of I sound like a bit of an amateur, networking is not my thing and I cant think of anyone better to ask these questions.
Thanks in advance.
1. Yes.
2. It’s a matter of bandwidth. More in this post about routers. And this post will talk in lenght about dual-band vs. tri-band.
3. All routers can do that.
Thank you. Love the article, it’s made things a lot clearer and answered a lot of questions.
I wasn’t aware that all routers could do that? I was under the impression that most routers needed the isp modem to be active and an Ethernet cable to connect the modem to the router. Just to be clear what you’re saying is that all Wi-fi 6 routers can connect to the internet directly, bypassing the need for a separate modem?
No, Nipun, all routers need a terminal device, be it a modem or an ONT. The 89X has an SPF+ port so it might be able to handle a special ONT. So it’s more of a port issue than a router issue.
Thank you 😊
Great decision separating the bands anyway. I thought toggling the dual band smart connect would make things easier, things have been super smooth since disabling it.
Hi Dong,
Loving your reviews! Been busy reading to make sure the choice of my new routers meets my expectations and needs.
I have one question that I’m not 100% sure on though. I am considering getting two RT-AX86U’s to cover my house in Wifi using AiMesh. I have a Cat6 wired backhaul already installed.
With those two RT-AX86U’s can I use the 2.5Gbps multi-gig ports to connect them through the wired backhaul? I gather once you set up AiMesh you lose many configuration options on a node, so I’m not sure I’d be able to set up the multi-gig port as the WAN (LAN is default).
Thanks again for your amazing content!
That will work out well, Jeri. AS for the Multi-Gig backhaul, that’s a no, at least for now — the port won’t as backhaul work on the node. It might change via firmware update though.
Thanks mate. Any other node you can recommend that would work with multi-gig backhaul?
whats the point of having a 2.5Gb WAN when (for a wired setup) all of the ethernet LAN ports are gigabit … ?
Suppose you can get full gig Internet on at least two 1Gbps devices, Jimmy.
Thank you for this article.
I’m looking to upgrade to my ISP’s 5 gigabit plan (an extra $50/month). So I’m needing a multi-gig router.
I want to keep connect my existing ethernet wall jacks into a 10 gigabit network. (got a WiFi 5 AP in one room, and a switch with a desktop and a couple servers in another room)
None of the options here seem to support multiple wired multi-gig LAN connections. Do you know of any router than does?
Your best bet is the RT-AX89X, Benjamin, and then get a Multi-Gig switch. You’re SO ahead of the world. 🙂
Hi Dong,
This is certainly a great article, I have a quick question. I live in an apartment (full concrete walls, floor and ceiling) wiring is not an option even though is a small area (800 sqft), and I need a strong backhaul mainly for streaming from my gaming pc to my 2 tvs, which router would you recommend for this situation?
One of these Ray. I’d recommend an Asus.
Thanks a lot! One last question would you recommend a mesh system to keep both tvs and desktop wired to the satellite/router and rely on the backhaul to transfer data between them? if so any recommendation on a mesh device? streaming will be 4K HDR if that is possible.
I came across another idea, but am not certain if it would work as I think it could.
I am waiting on the AX86U to arrive, driven by your review. Thank you.
the question is as follows,
I have NAS that supports LAN Aggregation.
AX86U supports LAN Aggregation.
So the question is – If I buy a USB-C 2.5G RJ45 Ethernet dongle and connect it to the LAN configured 2.5G port on the router will I be able to use the 2G connectivity option between the NAS, Router and My Mac?
I am still looking for the answers online and I could not find anything conclusive enough.
Cheers,
Martin
Yes, Martin. Try it. Note though, that even if you don’t have a multi-gig device, the LA from the NAS still helps when you have multiple devices accessing it.
I may give it a shot and move some things around to make it happen.
Thank you,
Martin
Ok. To make it short it does not work as I thought it would. There is a technical limitation within the router and it does not allow speeds to be exchanged between the 2.5G port and LAN Aggregated ports 1 and 2.
uGREEN USB-C 2.5G adapter to 2.5G port on Router works fine but the maximum speed of transfer is 1G aka 110MB/s on average.
The transfer speed from my MBP16 to the NAS over wifi is still averaging 75-85MB/s over wifi, only it seems this router leaves the old AC88U in the dust. Internet speeds and coverage across the apartment have been improved considerably.
In order for my 2.5G idea to work I need the following:
1x uGREEN USB-C dongle for Mac (199RMB)
1x uGreen USB-A dongle for Synology(189RMB)
1x 2.5G enabled switch TP-Link TL-SH-1008(549RMB)
on top of the 1450RMB router.
so for now I have decided to stay with the 1G wired link until a more options hit the market. Or until it becomes financially more reasonable for investing into setting up the 2.5G network at home. I can do the current work on 1G.
In case anyone has a similar question on the fringe situation, this may help them find the answer.
Hello, I really enjoy your reviews. I am thinking of upgrading my current fios router (g1100) and extender. I currently have fios gigabit. Would it be better to use the Verizon 3100 router and their 3200 extender (connected to moca / coax) or use a mesh network like asus xt8?
Thanks,
John
I’d go with the XT8, John. But that depends on how big your home is and how you set things up. More here.
Thank you – I really appreciate it!!
For Wi-Fi some use ~60% figure for effective throughput. Does USB 3.0+ go as bad as that?
(reply button is missing, so starting a new thread)
Possiblily worse. But don’t quote me on that. Let’s conclude here. I don’t have answers to all of your questions, especially you just want me to confirm your belief, instead of reading and learning yourself. Take care. 🙂
So I’m under my own beliefs and I can’t study to learn by myself. Where did all that hostility come from? Yeah, take care.
It’s really not my business what you’re under or what you can or can’t do, Davi. But just because I’m open to answering your questions doesn’t mean you should waste my time. If you do a search, you’ll see that I have written about the said issues in multiple posts. (Examples: USB, Wi-Fi.) Also including a link to your own stuff in a comment is spamming. (I removed that from your original comment). Don’t do that! So, no hostility at all, just real hard truth.
You are *assuming* that that link was my own stuff. Which is not. The link was a legitimate source for my comment (it was just a MCS table). I only bothered to make that comment because I enjoyed your article but unfortunately you chose to be hostile towards a reader based on your own assumptions. Your assumptions simply didn’t meet reality. Hard truth. Funny because you blamed *me* for being under beliefs.
Well, it must have been some misunderstanding. I had lots and lots of comments and emails daily, things might get mixed up. Again, no hostility, I was just being blunt. And I don’t blame anyone for anything. Appreciate the fact you enjoyed my articles. Check out those I linked in previous comments, too.
Both my Netgear Orbi RBK853 and RAX20 have a setting that allows “WAN aggregation (2.5 Gbps + 1 Gbps, LACP-IEEE802.3ad)” using the WAN port and the first LAN port. Quoted text copied from RBK853 Internet Setup page.
Many routers come with WAN LG, Bob. But that only works if your modem also supports that feature.
For me to use Nighthawk RAX120 WAN Aggregation, I need to find out if my FiOS routers support LAG, if not then either replace my RAX120 with an Asus unit.
@DongNgo – on the RAX120 I cannot seem to get the WAN aggregation (1gb + 1 gb) to work. I have two Fios connection, so I should be able to link the to connection to the RAX120. I get “error: unable to setup Wan Aggregation”. Is Wan Aggregation the same as Dual-Wan support?
Let me know your thoughts, or should replace the RAX120 to the Asus GT-AX11000?
No, Dual-WAN is different from WAN Link Aggregation, John. The former is when you use TWO separate broadband plans, like cable AND fiber, for faster speed or higher availability. The latter is to combine two ports into a single connection.
@DongNgo – I have TWO separate FiOS broadband plans, so I need to purchase a router that supports Dual-Wan and then connect the RAX120? Can you make recommendation on Dual-Wan solution; Linksys LRT224, Cisco RV, QNAP, or Ubiquiti?
I’d go with an Asus router in this case, John. Most (if not all) of them support Dual-WAN.
Thank you for all the assistance. Most likely will replace my RAX120 with the Asus GT-AX11000.
Quick comparison across different technologies:
Wi-Fi 6* ————> ~1 Gbps (“real life”, per article)
SATA 3.0 ————> 6 Gbps
USB 3.0** ———–> 5 Gbps
USB 3.1 Gen 2*** —-> 10 Gbps
10GBASE-T**** ——-> 10 Gbps
PCI Express 3.0 —–> 128 Gbps (x16 lanes)
PCI Express 4.0 —–> 256 Gbps (x16 lanes)
Also known as:
* 802.11ax
** USB 3.1 Gen 1; USB 3.2 Gen 1×1; SuperSpeed USB
*** USB 3.2 Gen 2×1; SuperSpeed+ USB
**** 802.3an-2006
~
Wi-Fi data rates (“theoretical”):
Wi-Fi 5* ————> 3.5 Gbps (160MHz; 4SS; 256QAM)
Wi-Fi 6** ———–> 9.6 Gbps (160MHz; 8SS; 1024QAM)
aka:
* 802.11ac-2013
** 802.11ax (final approval est. Feb 2021)
Not sure what you’re trying to get at but thanks for the input, Davi.
The other throughput figures can help when you want to tell whether your piece of equipment (say a USB 3.0 drive) can handle the throughput of a given technology (say a file transfer over 802.11ax). In this case, yes, if it’s connected to functional USB 3.0 port from Wi-Fi 6 ready system.
Or maybe you are designing a PC for a given application and you want to be able to tell if there is some nasty bottleneck in your system data flow (you strive for a overall well balanced system).
Thanks for the article, by the way.
Feelthhis
Sure, Davi. Your numbers are all theoretical so they are not really applicable when it comes to picking a piece of equipment. 🙂
If I can’t rely on the standards themselves, I have no idea of what to rely on that would serve as an initial foundation for picking a compatible equipment or for building a system without obvious bottlenecks. What would you suggest?
Pick the lowest denominator. USB and Wi-Fi have crazy overheads.