This is a very expensive router but, in my case, it has solved several years of WiFi issues and, as it is even compatible with the Internet channels on "BT YouView", has enabled me to completely "retire" my BT HH5 (Currently a simple firmware upgrade is required, see later).
Our house is very WiFi unfriendly as all the internal walls are solid and there is a metal mesh under the rendering of the exterior walls; this severely attenuates WiFi signals (Especially 5GHz) in just 30ft or so, which is the distance from the VDSL (BT Infinity 2) master socket to all the multimedia equipment in the lounge. We also have two exterior IP security cameras.
The pre ASUS set-up included a BT HH5, an Apple AirPort Extreme, a BT dual channel WiFi extender, a Netgear power line adaptor (For non-WiFi YouView box); I also needed a timer to force the IP cameras to reboot every 24hours as, even with the WiFi extender the WiFi signal to/from the IP cameras was very dodgy. I also have a 20TB QNAP NAS which backs-up tech for the whole family as well as being a multimedia server and security camera recorder.
Preservation of domestic harmony has prevented me remedying the WiFi situation with several runs of Cat 6 Ethernet cable.
The BT HH5 is probably one of best ISP provided modem/routers but its WiFi performance is not brilliant and the more advanced features are ether abysmal, missing or just do not work properly (UPnP for example).
Due to Amazons very fair "returns policy" I thought I would try the ASUS and am glad I did.
For a few days I used the router just for WiFi (Replacing the Apple Airport Extreme and WiFi extender) and found that not only did I no longer need the WiFi Extender, but the connection to my IP security cameras became more stable than ever! I also found the WiFi was signal was strong enough and fast enough to support 4K video, from Netflix and Amazon Prime, to my Smart TV, in the lounge.
I was also very impressed with the 802.11n speed (Over 56MB, yes MB not Mbit) I was getting on my laptop from my NAS server.
The following may be of interest to Potential buyers who are BT Infinity customers or with an ISP that uses a separate modem and router or a modem/router that can be switched to modem only, such as Virgin. Unfortunately Sky customers can probably only use this router as a super powerful WiFi extender.
According to information on the Internet ASUS routers are compatible with YouView (A digital/IPTV service from BT, TalkTalk and others) the Internet channels on this service use a feature called "multicasting" which causes problems with most non-ISP provided routers.
I wanted to completely replace the BT HH5; so I purchased an Openreach VDSL modem, from eBay, connected it to the VDSL socket and the WAN port of the ASUS RT-AC5300. The ASUS connection wizard quickly detected the appropriate settings, subsequently asking for a username and password, I had obtained the username from the settings page of the BT HH5 and, although the password is not used, something has to be typed into the password field.
I don't know if the separate modem is better than the one built in to the BT HH5 but my connection speed has increased by around 5mb/s (To over 70mb/s) and the connection does not seem to "drop off" as much.
I modified the appropriate settings on the ASUS, as recommended on Internet sites, to enable YouView compatibility but to my dismay the Internet channels on YouView did not work.
I telephoned ASUS support and spoke to a very helpful gentleman who went through all the settings with me eventually coming to the conclusion that there was a "bug" in the current version of the RT-AC5300 "firmware". He said he would escalate the issue, which should be addressed in a future firmware update. He went on to say that there was third-party firmware that may solve the problem, in the meantime. ASUS does not officially support third-party firmware and he warned me the router would not be supported by ASUS whilst third-party firmware was installed and it would be down to me if the router did not work at all after the update.
I decided to try this alternative firmware, which I believe is a "tweaked" version of the ASUS firmware, as it looks and behaves the same.
After installing the third-party firmware and rebooting "YouView" started working and even the 4K "BT UHD Sport channel works.
I was now, and still am, very happy with my purchase.
Uploading firmware on the RT-AC5300 is a very simple process and I have had no problems doing it numerous times (Comparing different firmware versions) nevertheless, I am not recommending anybody else do it and, if you do, you do so at your own risk and it will be your fault if, no matter how unlikely, you turn your very expensive modem into a "brick".
The third-party "YouView" friendly software is available from:
(...)
You need the RT-AC5300 version 380.57, the latest version (380.58 at the time of writing, 25/03/16) does not support YouView and I have emailed the developer this fact.
Hopefully this review will be helpful to someone considering purchasing this very capable router.
| Brand | Asus |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 20 x 10 x 15 cm; 861.83 g |
| Item model number | RT-AC86U |
| Manufacturer | ASUS |
| Series | Asus AC2900 |
| Colour | Black |
| Connectivity Type | Wi-Fi |
| Wireless Type | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
| Operating System | Linux, Windows 8, Windows 7, Mac OS, Windows 10 |
| Are Batteries Included | No |
| Item Weight | 862 g |
| Guaranteed software updates until | unknown |
