After testing so many wireless routers for so long, it’s difficult for us to get excited about a new router unless there’s something extraordinary about it. Luckily, the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 is an extraordinary router in many ways, and this is obvious by looking both at it and at its price tag. When we got it a couple of weeks ago, we were curious to put it to the test and see for ourselves what it’s capable of. If you want to know more about this model and what makes it stand out in a crowded market, except for its premium price, read this detailed review:

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000: Who is it good for?

This wireless router is a suitable choice for:

• People with subscriptions to ultra-fast 2.5 Gbps internet connections
• Users who want one of the fastest Wi-Fi 6 routers ever made
• Gamers who often play online games
• Users who want a secure network with excellent antivirus and firewall protection
• Parents who are in need of efficient parental controls for their home network

Pros and cons

Here are the things we like about ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000:

• Can take advantage of 2.5 Gbps internet connections
• Offers one 2.5 Gbps LAN port too
• Futuristic design with RGB lighting
• It’s the fastest router we’ve tested so far
• 160 MHz channel width on Wi-Fi 6, with WPA3 security
• Powerful hardware that can handle many network clients
• Many features for gamers
• Fast USB 3.2 port, plus a second USB 2.0 port
• Top-notch security tools and parental controls
• Innovative VPN app that connects your mobile devices to your home network

There are a few downsides to consider as well:

• The price is not for everyone
• It would have been great for Dual WAN to work on both its 2.5 Gbps ports

Verdict

The ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 is a beast in all regards. Its size is imposing, and so are its looks and RGB lighting. The hardware inside is very powerful, and it can handle ultra-fast 2.5 Gbps internet connections, as well as a large number of network clients. The Wi-Fi 6 connectivity it offers is the fastest we’ve seen so far and its price, well… Rapture GT-AX6000 is also one of the most expensive routers on the market. If you can afford it, you won’t be sorry you bought it. It’s truly a magnificent piece of technology.

Unboxing ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 comes in a large black and red cardboard box, with the Republic of Gamers logo and a generous picture of the router you just bought on the top cover.

The packaging used for ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000

On the sides, you find plenty of technical information about the router and its specifications. On the back of the box, ASUS explains several of its main features, like the speed advantage you get from using Wi-Fi 6, the gaming features of the router, commercial-grade security tools, and flexible network ports functions.

When you unbox it, you find the following items: the router itself, its laptop-like power adapter, a network cable, the external antennas of the router, the quick start guide, some troubleshooting information, and the warranty card.

Unboxing the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000

The packaging of the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 is quite imposing through its size, colors, and design. It definitely makes you feel that you just bought a premium device. And when you first see the router, it definitely looks impressive. Inside the box, you find everything you need to get started.

Hardware specifications and design

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 is an impressive router both through its size and looks. It weighs 1.12 kg or 2.47 pounds. Its size is 13 x 6.6 x 2.6 inches or 33.02 x 16.76 x 6.6 cm.

The detachable antennas are quite thick and large, and the whole design is rather aggressive, definitely inspired by the Republic of Gamers brand. On the top, you see the RoG logo which can light up through RGB LEDs. However, the ROG letters on the top don’t light up, as they are part of the ventilation system.

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 has four detachable antennas

The ventilation system continues on the bottom of the router, where you also find the screws for accessing the insides of the router, two holes for wall mounting, and a sticker with information about the specific router you have.

Holes for wall mounting are available

On the back of the Rapture GT-AX6000, you find a WAN port that works at speeds up to 2.5 Gbps, one LAN port at 2.5 Gbps, and another four ports working at 1 Gbps. There’s also a USB 3.2 port and one USB 2.0 port. You’ll also find the power jack, the Power button, and the Reset button. There’s no WPS button on it. However, WPS can be turned on or off from the router’s firmware.

The ports on the back of the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000

While this router supports Dual-WAN, unfortunately, the second internet connection must be plugged into one of the four 1 Gbps Ethernet ports. You can’t connect two 2.5 Gbps internet connections simultaneously on the Rapture GT-AX6000.

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 offers Dual WAN

The hardware inside the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 is really powerful: it has a quad-core Broadcom BCM4912 System on a Chip working at 2 GHz, 1 GB of RAM, and 256 MB of storage space for the firmware. The router is dual-band, and it works with all the modern standards including Wi-Fi 6, using the 160 MHz channel bandwidth, and WPA3 encryption. It offers both 4x4 MU-MIMO for wireless transfers and OFDMA. The total theoretical maximum bandwidth is 1148 Mbps for the 2.4 GHz band, and 4804 Mbps for the 5 GHz band.

For more information about the technical specifications of this router, visit this page: ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 Specifications.

Setting up and using the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 can be set up both from a web browser on your computer and the ASUS Router mobile app for iOS and Android. We usually go the browser route, but this time, we decided to use the mobile app instead. The initial setup is not that complicated. You have to connect your smartphone to the Wi-Fi emitted by the router, choose the series your router belongs to, and allow the app to use your location, at least temporarily.

Setting up the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 from the ASUS Router app

Then, you choose the type of internet connection you’re using, provide the connection details, set up the name and password for the Wi-Fi and the administrator account for the router. The app will apply your settings to the router, optimize the network, and then provide a summary. Once that is over, you can connect your devices to the network and enjoy using your internet connection. You can also continue using the app to fine-tune other settings. The ASUS Router app uses a special ROG skin for this router, as well as others of the same brand, to appeal to its target audience.

The ASUS Router app has a ROG skin for this router

The settings available in the app are fewer than those found in the firmware itself. However, you can use the ASUS Router app to remotely administer and troubleshoot your network from anywhere in the world, as long as you have an internet connection.

The admin interface accessible from a web browser also uses a ROG skin. Gamers might like it, but we prefer the classic interface used by ASUS as we consider it more pragmatic and a bit easier to use. However, ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 offers tons of features, the maximum available from ASUS. For the complete list, check the Extra features section on the second page of this review.

The admin user interface for ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000

This router’s features are pretty well organized, and finding your way shouldn’t be difficult. One aspect that we appreciate a lot is the firmware auto-update capability. We recommend that you enable it and choose a late hour for it, when you’re likely to be asleep, to avoid being impacted while the router reboots to finalize the update. It’s comforting to know that the router takes care of staying up-to-date with the latest security patches, bug fixes, and performance improvements, without your manual intervention.

You can set the router to update the firmware automatically

The admin interface is available in 25 languages, and the help documentation is easily available with links towards the manual at the bottom of the interface. Gamers should not hesitate to familiarize themselves with this router’s firmware, as they will find many features targeted at them. They’ll also appreciate the RGB lighting on the router, with some good-looking effects that can be personalized from the admin interface.

The RGB lighting on the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000

Performance-wise, we were very happy with the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000. We didn’t have any issues connecting our devices to it.

To check the quality of the Wi-Fi broadcast by this router, we took a laptop and moved it to a room separated by one wall from the router. Then, we made several wireless transfers on it, using a specialized app that measured the average speed and the variability of the network transfer. When using the 2.4 GHz band and the Wi-Fi 4 standard, the average download speed was relatively fast (but not as fast as other routers), and the wireless transfer was quite stable.

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 - a network transfer on Wi-Fi 4

When switching to the 5 GHz band and the Wi-Fi 5 standard, the average download speed increased significantly. Also, the wireless transfer remained very stable.

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 - a network transfer on Wi-Fi 5

We then switched to the Wi-Fi 6 standard on the 5GHz band. This time, the download speed reached a whopping 1451.4 Mbps, showcasing the true potential of this 2.5 Gbps router.

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 - a network transfer on Wi-Fi 6

This comparison shows a clear focus from ASUS on delivering a great networking experience on the 5 GHz band when using Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 5. The older Wi-Fi 4 works well too, but it’s not as fast as it is on other more affordable routers.

If you want to know more about the real-world performance offered by ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000, including comparisons with other wireless routers, go to the next page of this review.