ASUS announces 8-antenna RT-AC5300 monster router at IFA 2015
ASUS has just released a monster router that looks like it came from outer space. Looks aside, the new RT-AC5300 also boasts high specifications, supporting data transfer rates of up to a combined 5300Mbps on its triple frequency bands.
Image source: The Verge
While smartphone makers fight over whose camera has a higher megapixel count, router manufacturers are trying to outdo each other with the number of external antennas. We have already seen routers with 6 antennas in the form of ASUS' RT-AC3200 and D-Link's DIR-890L, and now there's a router with 8 antennas.
The router you see here is the new ASUS RT-AC5300, which was just announced at IFA 2015. It's a tri-band router, which means it broadcasts up to three separate networks - a single 2.4GHz network and two 5GHz networks. The single 2.4GHz network can support up to 1000Mbps, whereas the two 5GHz networks will offer speeds of up to 2167Mbps. Do the math and that's how you end up with the AC5300 rating.
In terms of ports, the ASUS RT-AC5300 will have a single Gigabit Ethernet WAN port and four Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, which is standard fare for most consumer routers in the market today. It will also have a single USB 3.0 port and an additional USB 2.0 port.
But all of these specifications just fall flat in the face of how this router actually looks. It's looks so outrageous, and mechanical and organic all at the same time that it could actually pass off as an alien life-form. And we like it. A lot.
No word yet on local availability and pricing, but we will update as soon as we have news.
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