[Maylyn's Review] ASUS RT-AC87U

maylyn

Master Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2007
Messages
4,814
Reaction score
42
That means 7 早 8 早 must go queue and buy, cos its like a hot cake. Wait until sunday sure no stock.. :p

I just hope distri bring in sufficient stocks.

its a SGD 399 premium consumer network equipment - not hello kitty or mac leh. Hope no long queues in a sardine-packed IT show!!

Definitely will be limited, demand way way over supply if you guys have been following AC87R/U smallnetbuilder postings. No other regions are retailing as yet besides US.

If you are not in a rush to get it or wants to wait for the firmware to be more stable. don't need to come to COMEX and squeeze with the crowd and wait for the next or subsequent shipments.

If one is wondering if the AC87U is stable for day to day use. i will say 100% yes. Things like stable Internet connectivity without frequent disconnections, AiProtection, DDNS, VPN server, OpenVPN, CTF1/CTF2 NAT, NAT loopback, access point, media bridging etc.

Unless one is turn off by the syslog got spammed with kernel: br0: received packet on vlan1 with own address as source address, Dead loop on virtual device vlan2, fix it urgently!" (ASUS will be addressing this in the next firmware update), MU-MIMO (MU-MINO isn't be enabled as yet as there isn't any MU-MIMO clients until the arrival of the ASUS EA-87)

Don't take my word for it, just feel free to jump into the smallnetbuilder forums to read about the ASUS RT-87U.

US peeps already got their ASUS RT-87R fix more than one month ago.

ASUS AC Routers & Adapters - SmallNetBuilder Forums

Some of the comments ~

The performance isn't terrible. It's just not what it's going to be yet.

With early firmware, I found performance to be equal or better to the RT-AC66R I owned prior to this, with the one caveat that Tim described: radios disabling occasionally for no reason --or at least, maybe not disabling, but losing WAN access. I also would argue there is no "cheating" here --cheating would be a new firmware that actually makes performance look better than reality (e.g., manipulating Speedtest scores, or falsifying its SSI). Bug-fixing is not "cheating", it is bug-fixing and improving functionality.

Gary of ASUS (this is public in the forums already) provided everyone with a link for the 2061 firmware (up from the original 1179 and then the 2044 update) which has the Quantenna performance driver in it. I have seen improvements in a short period of time with this update. I wouldn't say that firmware is anywhere near its peak yet, but the unit is noticeably better than it was a week and a half ago.

SmallNetBuilder Forums - View Single Post - ASUS RT-AC87 Firmware - Official Releases

If you've already got an RT-AC68U/R model, I'd probably wait. You've got a dual-core CPU that supports OpenVPN client/server options reasonably well (which caused a fair drop in the lower-clocked single-core RT-AC66U/R's performance). If you don't, and your budget is flexible, I'd probably go with the 87, at least if you plan on running VPN, as support is developing quite rapidly (faster than any router I've owned before) and you get the best CPU performance of any ASUS model available, with more to come as the firmware reaches maturity.

The rate ASUS is pumping out the firmware releases is simply :s22:

Update -
I am hoping to have another public beta release based on the 2381 firmware next week. At this point I would expect the next supported public firmware release in early September, maybe earlier.
 
Last edited:

maylyn

Master Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2007
Messages
4,814
Reaction score
42
Any idea whether AC68 configuration backup file can be transfer to AC87?

Cannot as the setup parameters are different. (i.e different SKU) You will have to re-configure it.

If not, RMerlin will not be having so many cfgs for different SKUs.



Image Credits ~ RMerlin
 

maylyn

Master Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2007
Messages
4,814
Reaction score
42
How is IPv6 (DHCPv6-PD) support and performance?

DHCPv6-PD works fine as intended as the previous ASUS routers SKU, (i.e. AC68U, AC56U, AC56S, AC66U, N66U, N56) on respective latest firmware.
 

moron+genius

Senior Member
Joined
May 16, 2011
Messages
1,338
Reaction score
17
SNB testing shows not much better on wireless performance compare wif 3x3 routers. Mayb wait 4 better fw b4 buying
 

SimonLam

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
11,800
Reaction score
0
Any test reports on 4x4 media bridging performance between 2 AC87U units?
 

maylyn

Master Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2007
Messages
4,814
Reaction score
42
Some zealous other vendors' fanboy got flamed .... :s13:

I would hold out buying RT-AC87U/R because it actually sucks on 5Ghz.

Keep an eye on new round of Wave 2 ac routers which will be released this fall. ASUS themselves might release a new improved RT-AC3200 with 6 antennas.

Next year, we will be able to play Game of thrones with our routers
0a361bca_router.png

Do you actually own a RT-AC87 at all?????

I do not think you do.....

I have owned RT-AC66R, RT-AC68R and now the RT-AC87R and I can tell you for a FACT that the RT-AC87R has hands down the best coverage of all!! I now have 5GHz all over my house and very useable in areas where the others could not even reach. And I noticed sluggishness in the older 2 while doing multiple things at once and now I notice nothing with the RT-AC87R.

I also have read that the 3200's will not have the range in 5ghz that the RT-AC87's have.

Unless I am reading something wrong, please let me know?


from here
rt-ac3200

(Below is my opinion)
Everything I have read makes me believe the RT-AC87R will be the better of the 2 for most people.

edit: current firmware is pretty good also compared to months after the RT-AC68R took.
using merlin's alfa. So far not a problem on the alfa for me.

I'm also going to ask the same question as another poster --have you owned or worked with an RT-AC87? Your statement also appears very undefined. Does 5GHz throughput "suck"? Range? What?

I ask because while earlier firmwares had some 5GHz issues, it works fairly well on the 2061 firmware, and I've had better 5GHz range and performance than on my previous RT-AC66. I believe this will only improve with time as new firmwares are released with tweaked Quantenna drivers. Is it perfect? No. Does it suck on 5GHz? Not even close.

I am also impressed with the RT-AC87R. Where I was only receiving marginal 5G networking around the edges of my home I am now seeing full coverage. And a big in the back yard now. Can't wait to see what the new drivers do for it.

The 376.46 Alpha build I uploaded a few days ago is based on the new driver Asus used in 376_2061.

From ~> Thinking of buying RT-AC87 ... - Page 2 - SmallNetBuilder Forums
 
Last edited:

ASUS@SG

Suspended
Joined
Jul 26, 2011
Messages
7,581
Reaction score
3
We have been testing on latest beta firmware - 3.0.0.4.376_2678, since this morning until now.

25ou80g67qgphqz6g.jpg


Best regard,
JK
 
Last edited:

SimonLam

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
11,800
Reaction score
0
Got test 5Ghz media bridge throughput performance for 2 AC87U? Can hit 850-900Mbps?


Last Result on my PC connected to 5Ghz media bridge on 2x AC68U setup on MR 1Gbps:
Download Speed: 660476 kbps (82559.5 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 474697 kbps (59337.1 KB/sec transfer rate)
Latency: 3 ms
Jitter: 0 ms
‎8‎/‎25‎/‎2014‎ ‎7‎:‎16‎:‎22‎ ‎PM
 

ASUS@SG

Suspended
Joined
Jul 26, 2011
Messages
7,581
Reaction score
3
Got test 5Ghz media bridge throughput performance for 2 AC87U? Can hit 850-900Mbps?


Last Result on my PC connected to 5Ghz media bridge on 2x AC68U setup on MR 1Gbps:
Download Speed: 660476 kbps (82559.5 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 474697 kbps (59337.1 KB/sec transfer rate)
Latency: 3 ms
Jitter: 0 ms
‎8‎/‎25‎/‎2014‎ ‎7‎:‎16‎:‎22‎ ‎PM

Dear Simon,

My office internet isn't that fast. it's hard for me to test download speed at office.

Best regard,
JK
 
Important Forum Advisory Note
This forum is moderated by volunteer moderators who will react only to members' feedback on posts. Moderators are not employees or representatives of HWZ. Forum members and moderators are responsible for their own posts.

Please refer to our Community Guidelines and Standards, Terms of Service and Member T&Cs for more information.
Top