AX router recommendations?

[xiaofan]

Xiaomi AX6000 ui are in Chinese?
How is Asus RT-AX82U better? It's using the same tri core Broadcom as TP-Link ax73
D-Link x5460 is using a tri core Broadcom but they didn't disclose the model

Yes, Xiaomi AX6000 has no global version and only Chinese version.

Asus FW feature and long term support are much better than TP-Link and D-Link.

 

[weeza77]

The Asus AX routers have support for the DFS channels for Wifi 5/6, for example, Asus RT-AX86U/82U/58U.

Thanks

 

[lance88]

Yes, Xiaomi AX6000 has no global version and only Chinese version.

Asus FW feature and long term support are much better than TP-Link and D-Link.

Thanks. If 249, I may consider but now this model is going 299-329 on average, which is almost double for those I shortlisted.

Based on a few reviews, I may go for D-Link.

 

[xiaofan]

Thanks. If 249, I may consider but now this model is going 299-329 on average, which is almost double for those I shortlisted.

Based on a few reviews, I may go for D-Link.

For Asus RT-AX82U, you have to wait for the Courts promotion. If you need an AX router right now, then yes you can consider either TP-Link or D-Link.

The only problem with D-Link AX routers is that almost no posts in this forum. So I have no ideas how well it works.

 

[lance88]

For Asus RT-AX82U, you have to wait for the Courts promotion. If you need an AX router right now, then yes you can consider either TP-Link or D-Link.

The only problem with D-Link AX routers is that almost no posts in this forum. So I have no ideas how well it works.

How about nighthawk rax50 ($249) compared to Asus or the 3 mentioned models?

 

[xiaofan]

How about nighthawk rax50 ($249) compared to Asus or the 3 mentioned models?

Netgear RAX50 is better than the three routers you shortlisted.

I am an owner of Asus RT-AX82U so I may he biased towards Asus. But the RAX50 is a good option.

Take note the normal retail price of RT-AX82U is kind of artificially high in Singapore. Courts promotion price of around S$240 should be the right price based on the hardware specifications. In fact I bought the China version myself which costs less than S$200.

Ref: review of RAX50
https://dongknows.com/netgear-rax50-nighthawk-ax6-wi-fi-6-router-review/

 

[lance88]

Any difference between china and global version in terms of performance/coverage?

 

[xiaofan]

Any difference between china and global version in terms of performance/coverage?

For Asus routers like RT-AX82U and RT-AX86U, the China version and the SG version have the same hardware and same firmware. Only difference is the country code and local warranty.

The country code will cause minor differences in behaviour but nothing important. The only main difference is that China version has a hack to boost transmission power by setting the Australia region. This hack is not available in SG version.

But if you can get Courts promotion of RT-AX82U at around S$240, then no point to get the China version. 3 year local warranty is worth the price difference. As for RT-AX86U Special Edition, Courts promotion price of S$330 can be even cheaper than China version from Taobao.

 

[lance88]

So the key to getting china wares is this hack to set Aussie region. Does all brand router have this? If so wouldn't I be better getting mi ax6000 as compared to other router as they are local?

 

[xiaofan]

So the key to getting china wares is this hack to set Aussie region. Does all brand router have this? If so wouldn't I be better getting mi ax6000 as compared to other router as they are local?

No, only Asus as far as I know.

But again if you are just interested in wireless performance (coverage and speed), Xiaomi AX6000 is pretty good as per the reviews.

 

[united-bet-6469]

Hi, need some advice please? I'm not interested in spending too much on a router, and my plan is up for renewal. Pretty much settled on M1 so I'm just wondering which free AX router option from M1 I should go for?

ASUS RT-AX55 or TP-Link Archer AX72?

Usage: Mostly mobile browsing (social media), minimal online gaming, occasional video streaming (disney+, amazon prime). My intention is actually to use it as an AP (main router in DB box), connected via cable.

 

[loganrunning]

Hi, need some advice please? I'm not interested in spending too much on a router, and my plan is up for renewal. Pretty much settled on M1 so I'm just wondering which free AX router option from M1 I should go for?

ASUS RT-AX55 or TP-Link Archer AX72?

Usage: Mostly mobile browsing (social media), minimal online gaming, occasional video streaming (disney+, amazon prime). My intention is actually to use it as an AP (main router in DB box), connected via cable.

sounds like either will do.

suggestion. if your main router is either Asus or TP-Link, get the same brand.
Also, if main router is Asus and AiMesh-capable, then with AX55U, you can have option of AiMesh.

 

[xiaofan]

Cross post from here:
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/...t-ax82u-and-tuf-ax5400.6315347/post-140343427
Quick list of the pricing from Courts for Asus routers, without special promotion.

1) Top of the line
RT-AX89X AX6000 with dual 10G ports (top of the line Qualcomm IPQ8074 CPU, 1GB RAM) -- S$699
GT-AX6000 with dual 2.5G ports (top of the line quad core BCM4912 CPU, 1GB RAM) -- S$699 [not really worth buying at this price]
GT-AX11000 AX1000 triband (quad core BCM4908 CPU, 1GB RAM, 2.5G WAN/LAN) -- S$659

2) High end
RT-AX88U AX6000 (quad core BCM49408 CPU, 1GB RAM, 1WAN+8LAN) -- S$499 [may have lower offer price sometimes]
RT-AX86U ZAKU II EDITION AX5700 (quad core BCM4908 CPU, 1GB RAM, 2.5G WAN/LAN port) -- S$419 but OUT OF STOCK
RT-AX92U AX6100 triband (dual core BCM4906 CPU, 512MB RAM)-- S$399
RT-AX86S AX5700 (dual core BCM4906 CPU, 512MB RAM) -- S$399 (not worth buying at this price)

3) Mid-end (all with lower end CPU BCM6750)
RT-AX82U GUNDAM EDITION (AX5400) -- S$329 (may have promotion at lower price)
RT-AX82U AX5400 -- S$329 (may have promotion at lower price, was around S$240 during promotion last year)
TUF-AX5400 AX5400 -- S$289

4) Mid to Low end (all with lower end CPU like BCM6750 or BCM6755)
TUF-AX3000 AX3000 -- S$239
RT-AX58U AX3000 -- S$235 OUT OF STOCK
RT-AX56U AX1800 (512MB RAM, USB port) -- S$179
RT-AX55 AX1800 (256MB RAM, no USB port) -- not available from Courts, but available from Carousell at around S$120; more suitable as an AImesh node

5) dedicated mesh solution (Zenwifi, all with lower end CPU BCM6755)
Zenwifi XT8 dual pack AX6600 triband (2.5G WAN + 3 LAN, 512MB RAM)-- S$749
Zenwifi XD6 dual pack AX5400 dual band (1WAN+3LAN, 512MB RAM) -- S$499
Zenwifi XD4 dual pack AX1800 dual band (1WAN+1LAN, 256MB RAM) -- S$329 [not recommended, better to buy XD6]

Ref: Courts Asus Router collection
https://www.courts.com.sg/asus/routers?p=2

 

[xiaofan]

If you are going for Lower Cost yet stable routers, then there are some TP-Link Archer routers worth looking at, especially Archer AX10, AX55, AX72 and AX73.

Challenger pricing for TP-Link Archer AX routers

1. Archer AX10 (AX1500) -- S$59, good buy at low end (Courts has the same offer now)
https://www.challenger.sg/biz-solut...k-archer-ax10-wireless-router0--6935364089221
2. Archer AX20 (AX1800) -- S$119 without promotion, promotion price may be below S$100
https://www.challenger.sg/biz-solut...-wifi-6-router0--6935364085209?h=MCwxLDAqMTE5
3. Archer AX23 (AX1800) -- lower cost version of AX20, not available from Challenger yet

4. Archer AX50 (AX3000) -- S$149, not worth buying because of the Intel CPU used.
https://www.challenger.sg/biz-solut...al-band-gigabit-wifi-6-router0--6935364089252
5. Archer AX55 (AX3000) -- S$149, better buy than Archer AX50, using Qualcomm CPU
https://www.challenger.sg/biz-solut...al-band-gigabit-wifi-6-router0--4897098683040
6. Archer AX72 (AX5400) -- S$189, but you may get cheaper price from Carousell from M1 users, using Qualcomm CPU, same performance as Archer AX73
https://www.challenger.sg/biz-solut...ualband-gigabit-wifi-6-router0--4897098687215
7. Archer AX73 (AX5400) -- S$199, but you may get cheaper price from Carousell from M1 users, using Broadcomm CPU, sam performance as Archer AX72
https://www.challenger.sg/biz-solut...ax5400-dualband-wifi-6-router0--6935364010263
8. Archer AX90 (AX6600 tri-band, 2.5G WAN/LAN) -- S$299, not really worth buying
https://www.challenger.sg/biz-solut...er-ax90-triband-wifi-6-router0--6935364053376
9. Archer AX6000 (AX6000, high end BCM4908 CPU, 2.5G WAN+ 8 LAN port) -- S$389, not really worth buying
https://www.challenger.sg/biz-solut...er-ax6000-nextgen-wifi-router0--6935364099763
10. Archer AX11000 (AX11000 tri-band, 2.5G WAN+8 LAN ports, high end BCM4908 CPU) -- S$439
https://www.challenger.sg/biz-solut...ax11000-triband-gaming-router0--6935364099657
TP-Link AX routers usually support OneMesh and can use the following RE505X (S$85, AX1500) to form a mesh system.
https://www.challenger.sg/biz-solut...-ax1500-wifi-ranger-extender-0--6935364089535

 

[xiaofan]

Netgear Singapore store only shows 5 AX routers. Their focus is the Orbi mesh system.

1) RAX10 AX1800, S$149, similar to Asus RT-AX56 (BCM6755 CPU and 512MB RAM) but without USB port
https://netgearstore.sg/collections...ighthawk-rax10-dual-band-wifi-6-router-ax1800
2) RAX43 AX4200, S$239, seems to be an okay value if compared to Asus RT-AX58U (AX3000), same BCM6750 CPU and 512MB RAM
https://netgearstore.sg/collections...hawk-rax43-dual-band-ax5-wifi-6-router-ax4200
3) RAX50 AX5400, S$299, good competition to Asus RT-AX82U with similar specifications, same BCM6750 CPU and 512MB RAM.
https://netgearstore.sg/collections...hawk-rax50-dual-band-ax6-wifi-6-router-ax5400
4) RAX70 AX6600 triband, S$499, not worth buying with the lower end BCM6755 CPU (but Asus Zenwifi AX6600 is also using BCM6755 CPU and 512MB RAM).
https://netgearstore.sg/collections...thawk-rax70-tri-band-ax8-wifi-6-router-ax6600
5) RAX200 AX11000 triband, S$649, a good alternative to Asus GT-AX11000, similar high end specification (BCM4908 CPU and 1GB RAM) and similar high performance
https://netgearstore.sg/collections...wk-rax200-tri-band-ax12-wifi-6-router-ax11000

 

[BradenHeat]

Netgear Singapore store only shows 5 AX routers. Their focus is the Orbi mesh system.

1) RAX10 AX1800, S$149, similar to Asus RT-AX56 (BCM6755 CPU and 512MB RAM) but without USB port
https://netgearstore.sg/collections...ighthawk-rax10-dual-band-wifi-6-router-ax1800
2) RAX43 AX4200, S$239, seems to be an okay value if compared to Asus RT-AX58U (AX3000), same BCM6750 CPU and 512MB RAM
https://netgearstore.sg/collections...hawk-rax43-dual-band-ax5-wifi-6-router-ax4200
3) RAX50 AX5400, S$299, good competition to Asus RT-AX82U with similar specifications, same BCM6750 CPU and 512MB RAM.
https://netgearstore.sg/collections...hawk-rax50-dual-band-ax6-wifi-6-router-ax5400
4) RAX70 AX6600 triband, S$499, not worth buying with the lower end BCM6755 CPU (but Asus Zenwifi AX6600 is also using BCM6755 CPU and 512MB RAM).
https://netgearstore.sg/collections...thawk-rax70-tri-band-ax8-wifi-6-router-ax6600
5) RAX200 AX11000 triband, S$649, a good alternative to Asus GT-AX11000, similar high end specification (BCM4908 CPU and 1GB RAM) and similar high performance
https://netgearstore.sg/collections...wk-rax200-tri-band-ax12-wifi-6-router-ax11000

technically speaking,

if they can sell just single Orbi mesh router, it might find a new market for those fancy a good looking router

 

[lance88]

Most wifi 6 mesh routers are just too expensive. 2 packs are easily more than $400. The only routers (price quoted are of a pair) that are below these range are:
-Xiaomi AX3000 (get the global version) at $170, but these are not local sets
-Tp link AX20 (ax1800) at $199, X60 (ax3000) at $339
-Netgear Nighthawk AX1800 at $299

 

[Phen8210]

Wow everybody moved to AX already?

I am still using Asus AC2600, bought for $40 only.


Is this router good or bad? In terms of coverage?

 

[loganrunning]

Wow everybody moved to AX already?

I am still using Asus AC2600, bought for $40 only.


Is this router good or bad? In terms of coverage?

if it suits your needs, and you are happy with it, then it's all good

using RT-AC68U

 

[xiaofan]

Wow everybody moved to AX already?

I am still using Asus AC2600, bought for $40 only.

Is this router good or bad? In terms of coverage?

That was a popular low end low cost router as M1 was given it for free from late 2019 to 2020 and later M1 switch the free router to Asus RT-AX55 and TP-Link Archer AX73/AX72.

It is at lower tier than the older RT-AC68U (AC1900) in reality as it does not support AIMesh.

You may want to upgrade later now that Asus seems to stop updating the FW, last version is dated 09-March-2021. Or you may want to flash OpenWRT in case you are concerned about security.
https://www.asus.com/sg/Networking-...rs/ASUS-WiFi-Routers/RT-AC2600/HelpDesk_BIOS/
On the other hand, Asus is still updating the FW of RT-AC68U (first release in 2013). Last FW version is dated 27-Jan-2022.
https://www.asus.com/Networking-IoT-Servers/WiFi-Routers/ASUS-WiFi-Routers/RTAC68U/HelpDesk_BIOS/
Before RT-AC2600, M1 was giving away RT-AC1200G+, its latest FW is dated 29-Jun-2020.
https://www.asus.com/sg/Networking-...S-WiFi-Routers/RT-AC1200G-plus/HelpDesk_BIOS/