ASUS RT-AX86U WiFi 6 Gaming Router Review

Interface: General Settings

The first things we get to within the ASUS interface are what I call special features. These are functions not necessary for the router to work. It’s also the section where you’ll find the bigger differences between routers. ASUS calls this the ‘General’ area.

AiMesh

AiMesh is one of the first things we come to. Actually, it is the first besides the network map. This is a really cool and relatively new feature from ASUS. It allows you to use your normal ASUS routers in a mesh setup, thus improving your network coverage. You can use older models to extend the network of your new ones, if they support AiMesh, and thereby allowing you to stick with what you know. There’s no need to invest in dedicated routers with such an setup. I got several ASUS routers here at the moment, so I’ll try this out in a seperate article later on.

The system doesn’t just work via WiFi all the way through, it also allows you to use Ethernet as the main connection to the internet from all devices, thus just sharing the WiFi bandwidth with connected devices and no using it to transfer between the mesh devices.

Guest Network

Guest networks should always be used for anyone that doesn’t reside in your home. It’s also a great network to use for your IoT devices. Guest networks will allow devices to access the internet, but keeps them away from your own devices which are on the normal bands. There is a guest network available for both bands, but it is up to you whether you want to use just one or two.

We can also see here that IFTTT is supported here, even though the official specifications list otherwise.

AiProtection

AiProtection is the name for all ASUS’ protection features. This includes network protection as well as people protection.

The first part covers the network protection. This includes an automated assesment of your settings as well as an overview of it all. But it isn’t limited to that. You can block malivious sides, enable two-way IPS, and prevent device infection.

The second part is the parental control, which doesn’t need to be limited to keeping your kids save. You can block apps and websites as well as limited the time they’re accessible. So, you can block out social networking for yourself at night too, in case it keeps you from proper sleep. Mostly, it is to protect your kids though.

Adaptive QoS

QoS stands for Quality of Service and as such, it kind of explains its own functionality with the name. The part of the userinterface starts with a bandwidth meter. This is already a great tool in the event that things are lagging and you wonder what system in gobling up your ressources. It continues with the actual QoS opage where you can prioritise tasks and applications. It can monitor which pages are visited to as well as run a speedtest through Ookla.

Traffic Analyzer

The traffic analyzer and monitor can be a great tool in some situations. It will allow you to figure out how your bandwidth is being used, who is the bandwidth hog, and what you can do to fix it.

Gaming

Gaming is the main reason you’ll want an awesome router such as the ASUS RT-AX86U. Not only does it deliver superb hardware which allows you to get the most out of your internet connection, it also comes with features such as this. The Gear Accelerator allows you to prioritise systems over others so the one browsing social media, watching memes, and funny dance videos doesn’t hog the valuable bandwidth you need for your shooter game. Just as an example. Other game features include mobile game mode which requires a mobile app from the Google Play or Apple App Store and the Open NAT feature which is an easy port-forwaring feature for known games.

Open NAT

Open NAT actually has its own menu point as it is such a big function on its own. It has pre-settings for ports needed for a long list of games already and you can add more profiles yourself. Easily forward all ports needed for an app and make sure they are prioritised when you’re playing.

USB Applications

Modern routers are more than traffic organisers. On routers such as this RT-AX86U, you also get a bunch of functions for USB connected devices. You can share files from USB drives over the network and internet through AiDisk, UPnP, iTunes, FTP, and Samba to start with. You can also turn USB printers into network printers which probably is the most used function.

You can also create internet connections or backup connections through a 3G/4G USB dongle. While I don’t think it is used a lot, it can be very useful for those who do need it.

Time Machine is also available for the MacOS users while the Download Master software allows you to download directly to a portable drive without leaving your PC running for it.

AiCloud

AiCloud is more than it sounds like, while also being that. With it, you can turn a connected USB storage into a cloud accessible drive when used in companion with the AiCloud 2.0 mobile apps. You can also share network shared Samba drives this way and sync files to ASUS Webstorage and other enabled cloud networks.