[Staples] ASUS RT-AX58U $189.99 (after $10 coupon and on sale price )

CadillacJack wrote: ↑ I have the 86u and the 68u. Agree with others that Asus is the way to go - never a problem, except they’ve never AiMeshed properly together.

I think it’s a little early to move away from AC. If you need a router now, I think we’re good for a couple years, esp considering some of the challenges noted on the new AX routers.

elusivest wrote: ↑ What would be the advantage of using Merlin over the official firmware?
A week ago I got from kijiji a brand new, factory sealed AC68U made in 2014. It was a nightmare to update the firmware, Asus website was no help, found the solution in a forum. Looking for an update solution, I stumbled upon Merlin alternative but having initially such an old firmware, even Merlin had some warnings. Just not sure if I there are significant benefits with a Merlin firmware. Thanks

shabby wrote: ↑ The main disadvantage of merlin is the asus router app doesn't work with it.

Elrondolio wrote: ↑ The main benefit to Merlin is bug fixes... they release far, far more often than Asus official does and they patch to the latest underlying linux packages when doing so. In addition to that, Merlin exposes quite a few quality of life settings in the UI that Asus does not, giving you much more control over a variety of settings. They even impliment wholesale new features that Asus leaves out completely but keep the extremely friendly Asus UI while doing so.

Don't be afraid of installing Merlin... just make sure to reset your router settings after doing so for the first time and you'll be good to go on both your AC68U and this AX58U.

shabby wrote: ↑ The main disadvantage of merlin is the asus router app doesn't work with it.

stormy13 wrote: ↑ Yes it does. Picked this up the last time Staples had it on sale and flashed Merlin right away, and the app works just fine with it (at least the Android version does).

elusivest wrote: ↑ Thanks for the reply.
Would Merlin solve the SMB1 problem? Asus says to enable it for USB external storage, Windows says not to do it because is a big vulnerability risk. I was looking forward to use the USB feature but with SMB1 not sure if is safe.

shabby wrote: ↑ Hmm it didn't on both of my ac routers, maybe it's router dependent?

nebulous wrote: ↑ Hello, I was having issues with my Fizz modem+router and my Videotron router decided to retire So I decided to buy an Asus RT-AX88U. Here are the issues I faced in one week with examples of similar experiences from other users:

1- Cisco Anyconnect VPN on my Windows 10 laptop would cause the router to drop connection for all my devices at once for about 2-3 minutes 3 to 6 times a day.
Example issue: https://www.snbforums.com/threads/cisco ... 68u.34384/
2- Access to router's web interface through http://router.asus.com/ stopped on the second day. It did not work even after factory reset. I figured it would let me connect to the interface if I had only one device connected to the wi-fi. Access via 192.168.50.1 worked sometimes.
Example issue: https://www.snbforums.com/threads/canno ... ion.57210/
3- On day 4, some of our devices could not connect to the wi-fi. I had to restart the router to make them connect. This issue is also present somewhere in the same forum.

Forum people suggest turning off the features like Wi-Fi 6 bands, MU-MIMO etc. to fix some of these issues. I gave in and got an AX6000 router from TP-Link to see if the problem was with the modem or the router. I have been using it for a week and there has not been a single issue since.

So if you have similar issues with an ASUS AX modem, just know that these issues can technically be fixed but it can be too much of a hassle.

theflyingsquirrel wrote: ↑ Are you sure the capacitors inside the router can last 10 years?

escape1975 wrote: ↑ I hope they're using sold state caps nowadays,... it's 2020 not 2002

CadillacJack wrote: ↑ I have the 86u and the 68u. Agree with others that Asus is the way to go - never a problem, except they’ve never AiMeshed properly together.

I think it’s a little early to move away from AC. If you need a router now, I think we’re good for a couple years, esp considering some of the challenges noted on the new AX routers.

egdeen wrote: ↑ Their AiMesh 1.0 is not really a real mash, they don't support 801.11k r or v.
But AiMesh 2.0 is coming! Should work much better.

It might be irrelevant, but after I watch a YouTube video comparing China version vs international version. All those deals are rip off!
For example, RT-AX55 here cost $159 but the Chinese version RT-AX56 V2 (same thing different model number) only cost ¥399 (CAD$80) plus always some discount available
RT-AX58U is TUF-AX3000 in China even with TUF gaming branding only cost ¥659 (CAD$130). Not to mention TUF-AX3000 latest firmware unlocks 4×4 AX5400 capability for the Broadcom chip
Not sure will RT-AX58U receive the same treatment

Constellation wrote: ↑ Anyone receive this from Staples yet? My order's shipped but no tracking # which is strange.