Product Listing

ASUS RT-AX88U router review: A promising glimpse of the possibilities of Wi-Fi 6

By Kenny Yeo - 16 Jun 2019

Performance Analysis & Conclusion

Test Setup

Since there are no 802.11ax clients or Wi-Fi adapters available, we are conducting this test using two ASUS RT-AX88U routers, one acting as a host and the other as a network bridge. The host and client devices (two ASUS ROG notebooks with Ethernet ports) are then connected to the routers via Ethernet to ensure the fastest possible performance.

The test distances and what they simulate are as follows:

  • 5m - in an adjacent room
  • 10m - in a room that is farther away
  • Second story - One floor above

Before we go on to the performance charts, it is important to note that comparison results from the Linksys EA9500, Netgear Orbi, and Google Wifi were achieved using our usual setup which consists of a MacBook Pro notebook acting as a client device. The MacBook Pro has supports 802.11ac and has a 3x3 radio which can support speeds of up to 1,300Mbps, so naturally, the results won’t be competitive. Even so, this test gives a good idea of what kind of performance users can expect when 802.11ax becomes the predominant wireless standard (antenna configuration and antenna power levels notwithstanding). Let’s see how fast 802.11ax can be from the setup we've in place.

The results are nothing short of impressive. Even at 5 meters, the two RT-AX88U routers managed almost 70% higher speeds than the Linksys EA9500, which is one of the fastest routers we have ever tested - it even won the Best Wireless Router Award at Tech Awards 2017. It is also significantly faster than when we first previewed it last year.

At 10 meters and beyond, the RT-AX88U peels away from the competition like Usain Bolt in a race with a bunch of school kids. Perhaps the most impressive thing is how its performance held up even when we were one floor above. At the second story, the two RT-AX88U routers only saw a performance degradation of less than 20% whereas the other routers couldn’t even maintain a decent connection at that point.

Take note that the results from the mesh capable products were tested with only a single node. The next section deals with the RT-AX88U against multi-node mesh setups.

 

ASUS RT-AX88U vs. mesh networks

But what about against mesh networks? The graphs above show the RT-AX88U's performance against the mesh performance of the Netgear Orbi and Google Wifi. Even with the Netgear and Google operating in mesh networking mode with a node on the second floor, the RT-AX88U still beats them by a considerable margin. Does the RT-AX88U provide such impressive range that it makes mesh networking systems redundant? It’s hard to say right now without using actual clients supporting the new 802.11ax standard but the numbers are very, very promising.

 

Things to keep in mind

Though the performance of the RT-AX88U is very good, it is important to remember that these tests were done using two RT-AX88U routers. It's safe to assume that most client devices won’t have Wi-Fi 6 chipsets or radios that are as elaborate or powerful as the RT-AX88U - they would have to be shrunk and made less powerful to fit in devices such as phones and tablets. Furthermore, the sheer size of the router alone enables a better layout of antennas which will undoubtedly have a positive effect on overall performance. Nonetheless, based on what we have seen here at least, Wi-Fi 6 looks like a very promising piece of wireless technology. Certainly much better than what 802.11ad was capable as its underlying technology had a severe performance penalty over increasing distances.

 

Conclusion

The RT-AX88U offers a promising glimpse into the future of Wi-Fi.

It’s hard to look at these results and not be excited about the possibilities of Wi-Fi 6 and also the ASUS RT-AX88U router. The router’s performance, when compared to every other networking device we have tested so far, is superlative. But the ASUS RT-AX88U isn't perfect. Its most glaring shortcoming is that its WAN port should support higher speeds as Wi-Fi 6 has the capability of delivering speeds well in access of the 1Gbps that we have become accustomed to.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 range of phones will be the first mobile devices to support Wi-Fi 6.

But the biggest reservation that we have is that the kind of speeds that we've experienced here are only attainable with a suitably high-end Wi-Fi 6-compliant client device, of which there are none at the time of writing. There are a couple that are going to be hitting the market really soon, the most prominent of which is the new Samsung Galaxy S10, which happens to be the world's first Wi-Fi 6 capable mobile device. The ASUS ROG Mothership is also one of the first notebooks announced to be supporting Wi-Fi 6.

The only way you can get these speeds now is to get a second Wi-Fi 6-compliant router and that’s a very pricey proposition considering a single ASUS RT-AX88U router is an eye-watering S$599. As it is, the RT-AX88U provides a tantalizing glimpse of the future of Wi-Fi. Power users who demand the absolute best will find the RT-AX88U a compelling upgrade. For everyone else, it's best to wait until Wi-Fi 6 becomes mainstream.

If the wait's too long, get the router at a discounted price from ASUS' Lazmall store now.

Join HWZ's Telegram channel here and catch all the latest tech news!
Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.