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Been waiting for this to drop yay!!
Update: Priced reduced from $176.00 to $174.40
Cash-backs apply as well.
ASUS RT-AC68U Router $174.40 at eBay (Seller Wireless1) Free Delivery
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How does this one compare to the linksys wrt1900ac-au http://www.harveynorman.com.au/linksys-dual-band-with-gigabi… other than the price difference?
Hardware zone have picked WRT1900AC by a whisker, but they are all pretty good and it's just personal preference.
I bought the WRT1900ACS for $220 ( http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-Linksys-WRT1900ACS-Gigabit-Wi… ) on the last 20% off, works great with OpenWRT loaded on it. Also note the one you linked to is the ..AC” model the new one is the “..ACS”. From reviews online the Linksys has better WiFi range.
Thanks just noticed that. The new one has a faster processor.
Also looks like 1 year warranty for this vs 2 year warranty for R7000 vs 3 year warranty for RT-AC68U.
You shouldn't count warranty in your decision since ACL is going to cover you for a "reasonable" period.
I'd be surprised if 3 years isn't a "reasonable" period to expect these higher end devices to last.
Yeah wish i had of brought the WRT1900AC. Wireless1 are flogging off old hardware revisions of this router A2 they are up to rev C1 which is what i was hoping to get… even rev B1 would of been better. Just a warning for anybody ells looking to buy.
@Argon: The WRT19010AC has been updated too. HN are selling the old model. Majority of the ebay sellers are selling the new model.
Don't get the Netgear. It's next to useless unless you're using it solely as a wireless AP.
(It doesn't recognise the older model Telstra cable modem as 'Internet'.. even though they're both Netgear..). Haven't tested with the newer Telstra modem yet.
I got the Netgear CG3100(v1?) cable modem. Should I get the ASUS RT-AC68U for better wireless. My wireless is terrible right now.. have to play musical chairs with the channels once every few months.
Or should I just replace the cable modem.. Which is damn old already.
EDIT: just changed some settings and now it appears to be 30% faster. Can download at 3.16MB/s hopefully connection is more stable.
No contest in terms of wireless performance. The Asus or Netgear linked above will be much, much better than your cable modem.
To check if your wireless is holding you back, compare wired/wireless speeds.
Yeah the CG3100s are useless in multi device households. Your internet experience may greatly improve with a dedicated router.
13.9MB/s download for wired connection. 10MB/s difference.
But seeing we have even more wireless devices now then than ever. 5 tablets, 5 phones, several laptops.
we'll see..
@imcold: Might be better off getting something more expensive with dual 5Ghz or whatever the 8500 models do. It's a nice chunk of change more though …
Don't get the Netgear. It's next to useless unless you're using it solely as a wireless AP.
(It doesn't recognise the older model Telstra cable modem as 'Internet'.. even though they're both Netgear..).
Incorrect: I'm using an R7000 right now, have had zero issues with 100bit Telstra cable on a Netgear modem with Telstra's awful firmware on it.
All I had to do was put the Telstra "router" (that can't function as a router) into bridge mode and plugged it into the "internet" ethernet port on the R7000.
Now it acts as a router for my LAN and WiFi, zero issues.
Which model netgear Telstra modem? The one I have doesn't work so seamlessly.
Go with Asus, its better.
Yeah, I lean that way as well although to be clear I haven't used this ASUS model.
Part of it is the derpy R7000 look - basically it looks like it's designed to impress 15 year old children with a sort of darth vader look :p The ASUS looks like it takes up considerably less space.
Other than that though I think it comes down to personal preference since they're almost identical hardware.
Got the Netgear due to a bonus thumbdrive :|
Also I HIGHLY suggest waiting until the 23rd to purchase: deals got better and better as shops tried to best each other in previous eBay promotions.
I have the Netgear
It works very well
Recommended
Fttn nbn compatible?
PLEASE NOTE: THIS PRODUCT IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH 'FTTN' NBN CONNECTIONS
To add some reasoning to this, fttn requires a user supplied modem. This is only a router, and would require a seperate modem to function.
That's not quite right. NBN ISPs should provide an NTU/modem, this can then be used as a (better) router - if wanted.
@Lukian: True. By "user supplied", I was contrasting ftth in which people will have the modem installed already.
It's not a modem…
i think the seller uses a template.Asus has a modem router model - DSL-AC68U… they look pretty much identical.
Same price as last eBay sell.
You sir, are perspicacious.
This will be a good word to give the kids during the spelling bee.
I had to google that word, thanks for improving my vocabulary
haha its now $1.60 cheaper so go for it
I'm tempted to ask wireless1 to lower the price by ~1c now.
This doesnt have a dsl modem… Router only.
Just grabbed the dsl version for $256 from same store.
Is Asus RT-AC5300 any better ? I have at least 15 devices connecting to the router.
The AC5300 looks like something out of a horror story =)
http://www.cnet.com/products/asus-rt-ac5300u-router/
In preliminary tests, the RT-AC5300 proved to be essentially the same as Asus' RT-AC88U.
…pricing aside, the only time you should pick the RT-AC5300 over the RT-AC88U is when need to support a lot (10 or more) concurrent active 5Ghz Wi-Fi clients at a time. In this case, thanks to the extra 5Ghz band, the RT-AC5300 can handle all clients better without slowing any of them down. Otherwise, chances are you won't see any difference between the two at all in terms of networking experience.
Not a direct comparison, but the AC68U is benchmarked in the AC88U review.
This is the most disappointing router I've owned, unlikely to buy Netgear again (especially over Asus's ease of use and quality).
Thanks I was thinking about it but reviews dont seem good….
I was deciding between the netgear and a TP-Link Archer D9 Dual Band
The D7000 is a modem/router combo, the R7000 on the other hand is a better router, loaded with third party firmware, does alright
True, loading R7000 with community firmware is quite easy. Last I checked though gigabit routing was in software emulated acceleration (CPU time) as opposed to hardware acceleration (due to Netgear not releasing source code), which limited it to about 700mbit?
Maybe a non-issue for basic home use, but such use is unlikely to re-flash the modem anyway. Starts to become important if you shuffle files between NAS and NAS/PC(s) often.
@Lukian: yeah file transfer stuff is on the slow side but with normal daily basic use, it's pretty good
Whats the big attraction to these? Its it just performance, or features above and beyond most consumer devices? (i run corporate stuff at home - havent really touched consumer stuff in ages it seems). I see these and the high end Netgears are well regarded. But was just curious as to why…
I believe their wireless performs well, the device is generally stable and they also have the ability to install third party firmware which probably opens up whole bunch of options to power users.
I haven't used one myself, but thats the take away I got from looking on Whirlpool briefly a few weeks back. This model also seems pretty decent in terms of price if it performs as well as people say. Not cheap, but a far cry away from the upper price brackets.
WIFI performance is excellent. We've got a two-level apartment, it blasts the signal downstairs very well, unlike a few others I've tried.
Thanks for the replies folks :)
Lol the battle is on!
Will this work for NBN "HFC" connections
Yep, but your isp will need to provide you with the cable modem
I use one with Optus HFC currently, with the supplied Cisco modem just sitting in dumb bridge mode. NBN HFC should be similar.
Great router, I run DD-WRT on mine but even the stock firmware is very capable.
I've got the Asus RT-N66U which is working fine, any benefit to an upgrade?
I borrowed a mates R7000 and was disappointed by the laggy web interface. The router in general and the wifi range was fine but everything just felt a bit too slow.
Was looking at the AC66U but in the end grabbed an Asus AC88U at the last 20% ebay sale. Obviously a very different price point but I am really happy with the performance and functionality of the AC88U!
The primary reason I went for the Asus in the end was Merlin's third party DDWRT based firmware. It has one feature I have been looking for in a mid-range router - Per device DNS settings. With the additional features that have been added to the Merlin third party firmware, I have set up OpenDNS Family DNS servers as the default DNS service for all devices on my network. That means the kids have a level of standard protection when surfing the net on any connected device regardless of device type or operating system (its all centrally managed at the router). Of course, I have exceptions for the grown ups computers to allow unrestricted internet access.
A very useful feature !
Thanks for sharing Philbyj5, a very good feature indeed!
I have one.
Would recommend flashing with Merlin firmware to get the most out of it.
haha you're kidding! I literally bought one of these at 10am this morning for $228 at Umart :(
I hope you used a credit card with price protection :)
(Although this wouldn't be eligible because the discount is from eBay)
Telstra cable modem owners may he in for a surprise. Telstra is sending out new Negear AC wireless modems to replace old modems.
A family member received one in the mail this week. Their current modem is an ancient Motorola modem with a single ethernet port, no wireless.I'm on a NBN Internet and using TP-LINK TD-W8980 Wireless N600 router. Is it worth going for ASUS RT-AC68U Router? Can somebody educate me please!
Purchased this one on the Sunday night before the sale for $220.Got into work and seen the sale on OZ and was highly dissapointed. Called Wireless1. Talked to a guy called Ash. Fantastic service as he sorted me out pronto. First class service.
There are multiple hardware versions of this router: A1, A2, B1, C1. B1 and C1 have better CPU (in terms of raw performance). C1 probably has the best raw performance, the third party firmware support is limited (merlin supports it (because merlin firmware is based on Asus firmware), but tomato is yet to support it.
Just wondering if you need a modem with this router to get the wifi?
Yes.
Thank you. Which Modem do you recommend?
I would say just use your existing modem.
Does this one work with fttn nbn?
With most of the modem on sale right now which one would be the best to buy for a fttn nbn service??This isn't a modem, it's just a router - so no it will not work with FTTN.
You'll need a VDSL compatible modem, which you can then bridge and connect the RT-AC68U to.
Would you guys take this over the r8000 posted up?
I have this modem. It is amazing. I bought it for $300 2 years ago
In the end I ordered this.. Took about 30 minutes to setup.. Did run into some issues with Ethernet not working after a few minutes of getting everything set up. However restarting my computer and waiting 5 minutes apparently fixed everything.
WIFI speeds are now 50MB/s about 100% faster on my old WIFI on the optimized config. Too early to know if I will still get dropouts.
Some people on Whirlpool mentioned they received the C1 version from Wireless one. Does anyone here have the C1 version and what is the UPC for this version? Thank you
There is a sticker on the box which tells you the serial number and version. I received an A2 version (probably wouldn't have bought it if I knew, part of the reason I bought it was due to people indicating they received the C1 version on Whirlpool).
I originally +ve voted this.. but I've now removed it. Getting revision A2 is not worth it. B1 and C1 are both worthwhile. A2 is just too old. I checked one of the competitor stores (retail store), and that store only has C1.
Also, I was planning to purchase another product from wireless1, but after this, I decided not to (because it will be likely I will get the old version for that product too). Very disappointed with wireless1.
I have received A2 as well. Not really bothered much though because it's working fine for me and doing its job.
Received my router today thanks OP. I received the one with hardware version C1. For future reference the UPC for the C1 version is 886227418992
thanks OP!!!