Is the Asus AX86U Gaming Router the right router for you?
If you’re a serious gamer, you know how important it is to have a fast, reliable internet connection. A router that can keep up with your demands is essential. That’s where the Asus AX86U Gaming Router comes in. This router is designed specifically for gamers, with features that prioritize gaming traffic and minimize lag.
Let's talk Gaming.
When we talk Gaming, we talk Speed! What I mean by Speed is the Speed of CPU processor the router has. It needs to process many more routes than typical routers, thus being different or having a different use case from other routers. The AX86U also has a powerful processor (a 1.8GHz quad-core CPU) and 1GB of RAM, which allows it to handle heavy loads without slowing down. In addition to the CPU Speed, you will also need connection speed from your gaming device to the router via WiFi. In the past, people would use Ethernet connections to their gaming boxes to make sure it always had the fastest speeds. Today, this has changed with the advent of WiFi 6 and WiFi 6e.
Settings.
One of the standout features of the Asus AX86U Gaming Router is its gaming-specific settings. The router has a built-in Gaming Center, which lets you prioritize gaming traffic and assign bandwidth to specific devices. You can also create a VPN gaming tunnel, which can reduce latency and protect your privacy while gaming online.
Another useful feature is Adaptive QoS (Quality of Service). This allows you to prioritize different types of traffic (such as Gaming or streaming) and assign bandwidth accordingly. The router will automatically adjust the bandwidth allocation based on your network traffic, ensuring that your gaming traffic always gets the priority it deserves.
Specifications.
And with its range of ports (including four Gigabit Ethernet ports, a USB 3.0 port, and a USB 2.0 port), you can connect all your gaming devices and peripherals without any issues.
Finally, the AX86U has a sleek, gamer-friendly design that will look great on your desk. The router also has Aura RGB lighting, which you can customize to match your gaming setup.
| Item: | Information: |
|---|---|
| Model | RT-AX86 Series(RT-AX86U/RT-AX86S) |
| Network Standard | IEEE 802.11a IEEE 802.11b IEEE 802.11g WiFi 4 (802.11n) WiFi 5 (802.11ac) WiFi 6 (802.11ax) IPv4 IPv6 |
| Product Segment | AX5700 ultimate AX performance : 861+4804 Mbps |
| AX technology | Yes |
| Data Rate | 802.11a : up to 54 Mbps 802.11b : up to 11 Mbps 802.11g : up to 54 Mbps WiFi 4 (802.11n) : up to 450 Mbps WiFi 4 (802.11n) (1024QAM) : up to 750 Mbps WiFi 5 (802.11ac) (1024QAM) : up to 4333 Mbps WiFi 6 (802.11ax) (2.4GHz) : up to 861 Mbps WiFi 6 (802.11ax) (5GHz) : up to 4804 Mbps |
| Antenna | External antenna x 3 Internal PCB antenna x 1 |
| Transmit/Receive | 2.4GHz 3x3 5GHz 4x4 |
| Processor | RT-AX86U:1.8GHz quad-core processor RT-AX86S:1.8GHz dual- core processor |
| Memory | RT-AX86U: 256 MB Flash 1 GB RAM RT-AX86S: 256MB Flash 512MB RAM |
| Boosts speed | OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) Beamforming: standard-based and universal 1024-QAM high data rate 20/40/80/160 MHz bandwidth |
| Operating Frequency | 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz |
| Ports | RT-AX86U: RJ45 for 10/100/1000 BaseT for WAN x 1 RJ45 for 10/100/1000 BaseT for LAN x 4 Five (5) 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet ports + one (1) 2.5G/1Gbps multi-Gig port (configurable) -- LAN: 4xGbE (2x port aggregation LAN) -- WAN: 1 GbE -- WAN/LAN: 2.5G/1Gbps multi-Gig port (configurable) -- Multi-Gig: Ability to aggregate two Gigabit LAN ports and two Gigabit WAN ports (configurable) concurrently. USB 3.2 Gen 1 x 2RT-AX86S: RJ45 for 10/100/1000 BaseT for WAN x 1 RJ45 for 10/100/1000 BaseT for LAN x 4 Five (5) 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet ports -- LAN: 4xGbE (2x port aggregation LAN) -- WAN: 1 GbE -- Multi-Gig: Ability to aggregate two Gigabit LAN ports and two Gigabit WAN ports (configurable) concurrently. USB 3.2 Gen1 x1, 2.0 x1 |
| Button | WPS Button, Reset Button, Power Switch, LED on/off Button |
| LED Indicator | RT-AX86U: Power x 1 2.4GHz x 1 5GHz x 1 2.5G Port x 1 WAN x 1 LAN x 4 WPS x 1 RT-AX86S: Power x 1 2.4GHz x 1 5GHz x 1 WAN x 1 LAN x 4 WPS x 1 USB x 1 |
| Power Supply | RT-AX86U:RT-AX86U WiFi router RJ-45 cable Power adapter Quick Start Guide Warranty cardRT-AX86S:RT-AX86S WiFi router RJ-45 cable Power adapter Quick Start Guide Warranty card |
| Product Weight (g) | 814.5 g |
| AiMesh | AiMesh Primary AiMesh router AiMesh node |
| Router APP | ASUS Router APP |
| Game | Game Boost / Acceleration |
| Alexa | Support Alexa skill |
| AiProtection | AiProtection Pro AiProtection Malicious site blocking Two-Way IPS Infected Device Prevention and Blocking |
| Parental Control | Parental Control Parental Control Customized Internet schedule |
| Traffic Control | Adaptive QoS Bandwidth Monitor Bandwidth limiter Maximum Bandwidth limiter rule : 32 Traditional QoS Maximum Traditional QoS rule : 32 Traffic Monitor Real-time traffic monitor Wired Traffic Monitor Wireless Traffic Monitor Traffic Analyzer Traffic analysis period : Daily, Weekly, Monthly Website history |
| Wireless | IPv6 Wi-Fi Encryption : WPA3-Personal, WPA2-Personal, WPA-Personal, WPA-Enterprise , WPA2-Enterprise , WPS support UTF-8 SSID Guest Network Maximum Guest Network rule : 2.4GHz x3, 5GHz x3 Guest Network Connection time limit WPS WiFi MAC address filter Maximum MAC filters : 64 Wireless scheduler Airtime fairness RADIUS Client Universal beamforming Explicit beamforming |
| WAN | Internet connection Type : PPPoE, PPTP, L2TP, Automatic IP, Static IP Dual WAN WAN Aggregation 3G/4G LTE dongle Android tethering Port forwarding Maximum port forwarding rule : 64 Port triggering Maximum port triggering rule : 32 DMZ DDNS NAT Passthrough : PPTP Pass-Through, L2TP Pass-Through, IPSec Pass-Through, RTSP Pass-Through, H.323 Pass-Through, PPPoE relay Safe browsing DNS-over-TLS |
| LAN | DHCP Server IPTV LAN Link Aggregation Manually assign IP address Maximum manually assign IP address rule : 64 |
| VPN | File System : HFS+, NTFS, vFAT, ext2, ext3, ext4 3G/4G LTE dongle HDD hibernation Safely Remove disk AiCloud Download master AiDisk Media Server Time Machine Samba Server FTP Server Shared Folder privileges |
| Administration | Operating mode : Wireless router mode,Access point mode,Media bridge mode,Repeater mode,AiMesh node mode Operating system : ASUSWRT Free OS upgrade Firewall Maximum Firewall keyword filter : 64 Maximum Firewall network service filter : 32 Maximum Firewall URL filter : 64 SSH Wake on LAN (WOL) Configuration backup and restore Diagnosis tools Feedback system System log New Device Connect Notification Login Captcha Connection Diagnosis Security Scan Auto Firmware Update |
Conclusion:
Overall, the Asus AX86U Gaming Router is an excellent choice for gamers who demand the best performance from their network. With its fast WiFi 6 speeds, gaming-specific settings, and powerful processor, it’s a router that can keep up with even the most demanding gaming sessions. This router does not have WiFi 6e, however it is an excellent router for its price point. This is why we put this article together.