A good Internet connection plays a significant role in the experience of using any computer, smartphone, and other gadgets. In normal home conditions, gamers will be among the first for whom the quality of the connection will play a key role. For those users who have the possibility of a wired computer connection, this issue is not so noticeable, but for laptop owners, a powerful router can significantly simplify life. And in today’s review, we will see how the ASUS RT-AX86U Pro copes with this task.

ASUS RT-AX86U Pro complete set

Gaming router RT-AX86U Pro is supplied in the same way as most regular models. Only a power supply, three antennas, and an Ethernet cable are included with the device. However, in a global sense, nothing else is needed for the operation of such a gadget, and taking into account its design, additional fasteners or anything else is not provided.

But it is worth noting that even if the router has a fast 2.5-gigabit port, the supplied cable will not provide the required speed. In the box, they put a 5e cable, which was capable of providing only up to 1 Gbit/s. So if you plan to have a faster wired connection, you need to additionally purchase a cable of at least category 6a.

Design and usability

Previously, routers could occasionally please with an unusual design, remaining dark rectangular “boxes” with several flickering diodes in a far corner of the apartment. The appearance of Mesh-systems and separate game models diversified the situation. ASUS RT-AX86U Pro is just a representative of gaming devices and has the appropriate appearance.

In a global sense, of course, the RT-AX86U Pro still remains a more or less usual router with a vertical installation and a static stand on the body. But it still has its own characteristics. To begin with, it is rather large – 242x100x164/325 mm (without and with antennas) with a weight of 815 grams. Most likely, when updating an old router with such a model, it will need significantly more space. In addition, this impression is enhanced by vertical installation.

Three rather small antennas only add massiveness to the appearance, while supporting the overall gaming concept of the device. In the box, they are placed separately from the case, although more often they are fixed on it, so the process of unpacking and installing a new router is supplemented by one additional step.

RT-AX86U Pro is not the first model in the line. Previously, the company released RT-AX86U and RT-AX86S. All these models look the same: a black body, each side of which is divided into several faces, among which only one (the lower one on the front panel) is highlighted in red. Also, the router has many slots for cooling. And all this is supplemented with ten white status diodes. They can illuminate a dark room, but there is also the possibility of turning them off.

For this, there is a separate button on the case, but they can also be disabled in the administrative panel or mobile application. On the opposite side of the router, there is a WPS mode activation button, and all ports are traditionally located on the back. Among them, you can see a power port, two USBs (3.0 and 2.0), a 2.5-gigabit Ethernet port, WAN, and four LANs (the first of which is dedicated specifically for the main computer as a Gaming port). Next to the power port is also a power toggle and a recessed reset button.

In general, this design is not new and, as noted earlier, completely repeats the previous model. For routers, appearance does not play such an important role as, say, for smartphones, which users update more often and the model of using such devices is completely different. In any case, the ASUS RT-AX86U Pro looks fit for purpose and will most likely make a good addition to a gamer’s workplace. And although the manufacturer has outwardly more interesting models, this one does not disappoint in any way.

ASUS RT-AX86U Pro functionality

As in the case of gaming laptops, routers in this category also offer users considerable performance and some additional features that may not be available in conventional models. But let’s start with the inherent features of the RT-AX86U Pro: from the simpler RT-AX86S, the model with the Pro index received USB 3.2 and 2.0, instead of two USB 3.2, as in the RT-AX86U; the 2.5-gigabit port, which is absent from the RT-AX86S, remains in place here, too; the RT-AX86U Pro has the same quad-core processor as the RT-AX86U, but with a frequency of 2 GHz instead of 1.8 (and the RT-AX86S has two cores fewer).

As with previous models, the ASUS RT-AX86U Pro remains with the Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) AX5700 standard and will offer up to 861 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band (3×3), and up to 4804 Mbps in the 5 GHz (4×4). Of course, there is support for MU-MIMO, OFDMA, Beamforming, 1024-QAM modulation, and a 160 MHz channel. Along with this, the device is equipped with three external and one built-in antenna.

Another nice point is support for port aggregation for connecting two one-gigabit channels, which will allow you to get a speed of up to 2 Gbit/s and, accordingly, connect a computer to a 2.5-gigabit port. For games, of course, this will not be such a fundamental point, but for sending or downloading large files, it will be a very cool bonus. Separately, the router has a “gaming” LAN port, which the router can also give priority in the network.

You can also get priority in the local network for wireless devices. For mobile devices, there is a trigger in the mobile application, and for laptops or consoles, you can set the status through the admin panel. Along with this, in the corresponding tab, you can configure Open NAT profiles for individual games (CS:GO, Battlefield V, PUBG, Dota 2, etc.). Several standard QoS modes of operation do not override this.

Standard functions of parental control and traffic analysis remained for controlling connected devices. And to ensure basic security, ASUS continues to cooperate with Trend Micro.

As for the operation of the network, here the manufacturer has left everything familiar. There is support for the operation of the network with separate bands, as well as Smart Connect, which will distribute devices depending on their needs and capabilities. For each band, you can create up to three guest networks with appropriate rules and time limits. If possible (or necessary), you can connect other routers with AiMesh support and expand the local network, also with Ethernet Backhaul support.

Why the manufacturer simplified one of the USB ports to USB 2.0 is a separate question. But without judgment, because not so many users actually use them. But those people who will find a use for them will traditionally be able to connect a printer, 3G/4G modem, a drive for backup copies or with a download manager, etc. Moreover, with AiCloud 2.0 you can have your own cloud storage or SAMBA server.

Remote control can also be configured with the app. Voice assistants from Google or Amazon will also be able to help with some functions. Also in the administrative panel, you can find the usual network screen functions with various filters, a standard set of administrative features (automatic updates and reboots, saving settings, system logs, etc.), VPN (PPTP, OpenVPN, IPSec, WireGuard, VPN Fusion and remote fast connection from a smartphone via the Instant Guard app for iOS and Android).

Given the manufacturer’s consistency, those users who replace ASUS routers, as can be seen from the screenshots above, will not get confused in the administrative panel (unless, of course, they will see a lot of new settings there). The same applies to mobile applications. And, by the way, when the router is turned on for the first time in both cases, the router will also guide the user through a quick and convenient menu of settings and creating a network, which has also been in almost all new devices for several years. All this works quickly and, in my opinion, is quite convenient even for those who are not used to maintaining their own network, but have enough desire to understand it.

ASUS RT-AX86U Pro performance

Well, to the most interesting thing — tests of capabilities. On paper, they should not have changed significantly compared to the RT-AX86U, but in recent years, customers have also learned a lot, where it is already difficult to find a decent smartphone without support for at least Wi-Fi 6, not to mention gaming and business laptops. And looking ahead, it remains to add that the “test” two-room apartment is not enough for such a router.

Two laptops were used for the tests: ROG Zephyrus M16 (GU604V) and ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED (UX8402), each of which supports the newer Wi-Fi 6E. At this time, the local network was split between the bands, and the wired connection could show 831 Mbps download and 906 Mbps upload speed. In the 2.4 GHz band, it was possible to get 213/196 Mbit/s next to the router, and 109/89 Mbit/s at the farthest point in the apartment. Switching to 5 GHz, the figures in the same places increased to 728/789 Mbps and 642/851 Mbps.

These are some of the fastest rates I’ve seen. Therefore, already at this stage, the expectations of internal data transfer were already quite high. So, in the 2.4 GHz range, located next to the router, two wireless clients could exchange data at an average speed of 102.5 Mbit/s, and 61 Mbit/s at the farthest point. This is quite good, considering that this range is not intended for devices that need a high connection speed.

Under the same conditions at 5 GHz, clients “communicated” much faster: an average of 600 Mbit/s near the router and 505 Mbit/s at a distance. Interestingly, the intermediate measurement between these positions showed no difference with the farthest point, although it was expected that there would be less speed left at the latter.

After trying to leave one of the clients connected to the router, the indicators increased accordingly. At 2.4 GHz, average figures of 225 and 94 Mbps were thus seen in the same locations.

But at 5 GHz, the indicators increase dramatically — 914 and 858 Mbit/s. And these are average indicators. The peak speed during measurements could reach 982 Mbps, and at the farthest point – 947 Mbps. This is a considerable and exceptional speed, especially taking into account both virtual and physical interference from other networks.

Wired connection of both clients showed almost the maximum for standard ports without any surprises.

The remaining time for the test router covered several laptops, smartphones, TVs, and other home gadgets in Smart Connect mode. Here I would like to note that I have never seen such speed indicators at my workplace before, and this is two walls from the router. For example, the download speed of games from Steam could exceed 80 MB/s (640 Mbps). The same applies to any everyday tasks, such as wireless information transfer, for example, from a smartphone to a laptop or vice versa, not to mention downloading or transferring large files on the Internet – everything happens significantly faster than with other routers. Therefore, I can say without a doubt that ASUS RT-AX86U Pro is the leader among routers and even Mesh systems that I have had to deal with.

As for games, it’s a little more difficult to say exactly how much such a router helped, because I never had problems with high ping without it, and a gigabit connection is still not a fundamental factor, because a game connection does not need such speeds. But users who broadcast the process on YouTube or Twitch at the same time as games, supplementing it with images from the camera, can still feel the difference. Especially if there are many other clients on the network that simultaneously load the router and the channel in general.