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Review: Asus RT-AC56U and RT-AC68U

by Parm Mann on 1 November 2013, 15:00

Tags: ASUSTeK (TPE:2357)

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qab4oz

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Conclusion

Armed with dual-core processing, USB 3.0 connectivity, a wealth of features and bags of wireless potential, these are two of the most impressive high-end routers on the market today.

There's no denying the fact that the latest generation of Wireless AC routers can provide a significant boost in WiFi performance in and around the home. Yet, while the technology is sound and the speed benefits are clear to see, premium solutions such as the RT-AC56U and RT-AC68U won't immediately prove beneficial to all users.

As only one part of the networking jigsaw, these routers ultimately rely on the capabilities of connecting devices, and that leaves consumers pondering an important question: how many of your gadgets actually have support for the 802.11ac standard? We'd hazard a guess it won't be many, if any at all.

The RT-AC56U and RT-AC68U are, however, a sign of things to come, and enthusiast users looking to upgrade their network with a forward-looking solution will be well served by Asus's latest offerings.

Armed with dual-core processing, USB 3.0 connectivity, a wealth of features and bags of wireless potential, these are two of the most impressive high-end routers on the market today. We can expect to see a flurry of competing AC1900 solutions in the coming months, but the RT-AC68U in particular will be hard to beat.

Asus RT-AC56U

Asus RT-AC68U

The Good

Strong 802.11ac performance
Good USB 3.0 speeds
Comprehensive feature set
Easy to setup and configure
Elegant exterior

The Bad

Limited range on 2.4GHz band

The Good

Excellent 802.11ac performance
Strong performance and range on 2.4GHz
Good USB 3.0 speeds
Comprehensive feature set
Easy to setup and configure

The Bad

Expensive at Ā£190


Asus RT-AC56U

Asus RT-AC68U

HEXUS.where2buy

A wide range of Asus routers, including the reviewed RT-AC56U, are available to purchase from Scan Computers*.

HEXUS.right2reply

At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.



*UK-based HEXUS community members are eligible for free delivery and priority customer service through the SCAN.care@HEXUS forum.



HEXUS Forums :: 17 Comments

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Maintaining the design ethos of its predecessors, the router's front fascia sports a mock carbon-fibre weave that gives it a premium look and feel.
Hmm, that picture makes it look like tartan. :p
Wow those are getting expensive… might be time to start fitting wifi cards to my existing machines. Anyone know where I could pick up a 3 antenna AC card?

*edit* scratch that, the cards do exist for sensible money, they were just far too expensive last time I checked.
Be nice if Hexus compared these to something other than the Home Hub 3, not exactly a far comparison.
Does not appear to be wall mountable….fail :(

Also how hot do these get as the previous generation RT-AC66U gets very toasty???
Brewster0101
Be nice if Hexus compared these to something other than the Home Hub 3, not exactly a far comparison.
My thoughts exactly..