Asus RT-AX88U Review

 

One of the first Wi-Fi 6 routers to hit our labs back in April of 2019, the Asus RT-AX88U ($349.99) is still one of the best we've tested to date. Armed with 802.11ax circuitry, this pricey router delivers speedy 160MHz throughput and fast file-transfer speeds in our tests, and its standard 802.11ac 

performance is also very good. If it's within your budget, the RT-AX88U is the best choice if you're ready for Wi-Fi 6 right now and you want to future-proof your wireless network.

, also known as 802.11ax or High Efficiency (HE) Wireless, is the next technology iteration for . An evolution of 802.11ac technology, 802.11ax promises increased throughput speeds of up to 4.8 gigabits per second (Gbps). That means less network congestion, greater client capacity, and better range 

performance courtesy of several new and improved wireless technologies. Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) improves overall throughput by breaking Wi-Fi channels into sub-channels. This allows up to 30 users to share a channel at the same time. Target Wake Time (TWT) is designed to reduce power consumption by allowing devices to determine when and how often they will 

wake up to begin sending and receiving data. The use of Target Wake Time is expected to extend the battery life of mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets as well as battery-powered  such as security cameras and video doorbells.

Wi-Fi 6 also takes advantage of previously unused radio frequencies to help boost 2.4GHz performance, and it uses refined uplink and downlink bandwidth management to provide enhanced QoS 

(Quality of Service). It also offers uplink and downlink MU-MIMO streaming (802.11ac only supports downlink MU-MIMO). 802.11ax is backward compatible and will work with devices that use older 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi tech, but only 802.11ax clients can take full advantage of its enhanced performance and features, and they are few and far between right now.

With its beveled top, angular front and sides, and matte black finish, the RT-AX88U looks nearly identical to the . It measures 2.4 by 11.8 by 7.4 inches (HWD) and has four removable antennas (two in the back and one on each side). Toward the front of the router are a USB 3.1 port, a Wi-Fi on/off button

, an LED on/off button, and a row of LED indicators for power, 2.4GHz and 5GHz band activity, WAN activity, LAN activity (one for each port), USB activity, and WPS activity. The rear panel holds 8 gigabit LAN ports, a WAN port, a secondary USB 3.1 port, a WPS button, a reset button, a power button, and a power jack.