ASUS RT-AX82U review: gaming meets Wi-Fi 6!

ASUS RT-AX82U review: gaming meets Wi-Fi 6!
Rating

Wireless network performance

First, let's look at the apartment used in our testing and how it is set up. The router is placed in the living room. With most wireless routers, the signal strength is not good in places like the Kitchen and the Medium balcony.

The apartment in which we tested the ASUS RT-AX82U

The apartment in which we tested the ASUS RT-AX82U

Our testing was done using a fast 1 Gigabit Internet connection capable of uploads on the internet of up to 500 Mbps.

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To get a better idea of the performance offered by ASUS RT-AX82U, we compared it with ASUS RT-AX58U (one of our favorite Wi-Fi 6 routers) and TP-Link Archer AX6000 (a top-performing Wi-Fi 6 router from the competition).

We analyzed the 2.4 GHz band first, when using the Wi-Fi 4 standard, and we measured the signal strength with NetSpot. The signal strength offered by ASUS RT-AX82U was on the lower end of our comparison in all the rooms of the test apartment.

ASUS RT-AX82U - the signal strength on the 2.4 GHz band

ASUS RT-AX82U - the signal strength on the 2.4 GHz band

We used SpeedTest to measure the speed of the internet connection when connected to the 2.4 GHz band on Wi-Fi 4. The download speed offered by ASUS RT-AX82U was outmatched by ASUS RT-AX58U in all rooms. In one of the rooms, it was surprisingly low.

ASUS RT-AX82U - Downloads in SpeedTest on Wi-Fi 4

ASUS RT-AX82U - Downloads in SpeedTest on Wi-Fi 4

When we measured the upload speed on the 2.4 GHz band, the results we obtained were surprisingly low in some rooms.

ASUS RT-AX82U - Uploads in SpeedTest on Wi-Fi 4

ASUS RT-AX82U - Uploads in SpeedTest on Wi-Fi 4

We used the PassMark Performance test to transfer data between two computers connected to the network on the 2.4 GHz band, when using Wi-Fi 4. ASUS RT-AX82U was outmatched by the routers we compared it to, in all rooms except one.

ASUS RT-AX82U - Download speeds in wireless transfers on Wi-Fi 4

ASUS RT-AX82U - Download speeds in wireless transfers on Wi-Fi 4

When we measured the upload speed, the results we got were surprisingly low in most rooms, except for the one where the router was placed.

ASUS RT-AX82U - Upload speeds in wireless transfers on Wi-Fi 4

ASUS RT-AX82U - Upload speeds in wireless transfers on Wi-Fi 4

On the 2.4 GHz band, when using the Wi-Fi 4 standard, ASUS RT-AX82U delivers uneven performance, and the upload speed seems to be problematic. This problem should be investigated by ASUS and fixed in future firmware updates.

For the next set of measurements, we analyzed the performance of the 5GHz wireless band, using Wi-Fi 5. We looked at the evolution of the signal strength from room to room. Again, ASUS RT-AX82U did not manage to impress us.

ASUS RT-AX82U - the signal strength on the 5 GHz band

ASUS RT-AX82U - the signal strength on the 5 GHz band

We used SpeedTest to measure the speed of the internet connection when connected to the 5 GHz band, when using the Wi-Fi 5 standard. ASUS RT-AX82U was the fastest router in the rooms closest to it.

ASUS RT-AX82U - Downloads in SpeedTest on Wi-Fi 5

ASUS RT-AX82U - Downloads in SpeedTest on Wi-Fi 5

When we measured the upload speed with SpeedTest, ASUS RT-AX82U performed great in most rooms.

ASUS RT-AX82U - Uploads in SpeedTest on Wi-Fi 5

ASUS RT-AX82U - Uploads in SpeedTest on Wi-Fi 5

We then used the PassMark Performance test to transfer data between two computers connected to the network using Wi-Fi 5. ASUS RT-AX82U delivered excellent results in many rooms, managing to beat its competitors in several cases.

ASUS RT-AX82U - Download speeds in wireless transfers on Wi-Fi 5

ASUS RT-AX82U - Download speeds in wireless transfers on Wi-Fi 5

The upload speed was excellent everywhere. A surprising result, considering our previous measurements on the 2.4 GHz band.

ASUS RT-AX82U - Upload speeds in wireless transfers on Wi-Fi 5

ASUS RT-AX82U - Upload speeds in wireless transfers on Wi-Fi 5

ASUS RT-AX82U is a very good performer on the 5 GHz band, when using the Wi-Fi 5 standard. Data uploads were especially fast in our measurements.

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We remained on the 5GHz wireless band, but we switched to using the Wi-Fi 6 standard. Unfortunately, the laptop we had when we reviewed previous Wi-Fi 6 routers was not compatible with this standard, so we cannot compare ASUS RT-AX82U with other routers. This model should, however, be featured in future reviews for routers that support Wi-Fi 6, so stay tuned. 🙂

We first used SpeedTest to see how fast the internet connection is when using Wi-Fi 6. You can see the results below.

ASUS RT-AX82U - Downloads in SpeedTest on Wi-Fi 6

ASUS RT-AX82U - Downloads in SpeedTest on Wi-Fi 6

Uploads were fast too, but in a few rooms, the maximum speed dropped quite a lot.

ASUS RT-AX82U - Uploads in SpeedTest on Wi-Fi 6

ASUS RT-AX82U - Uploads in SpeedTest on Wi-Fi 6

We then used the PassMark Performance test to transfer data between two computers connected to the network using Wi-Fi 6. In half of the apartment, ASUS RT-AX82U was an excellent performer, while in the other half it delivered speeds that were lower than expected.

ASUS RT-AX82U - Download speeds in wireless transfers on Wi-Fi 6

ASUS RT-AX82U - Download speeds in wireless transfers on Wi-Fi 6

When measuring data uploads, we noticed the same trend.

ASUS RT-AX82U - Upload speeds in wireless transfers on Wi-Fi 6

ASUS RT-AX82U - Upload speeds in wireless transfers on Wi-Fi 6

When using Wi-Fi 6, ASUS RT-AX82U is an excellent performer in rooms that are separated from the router by a maximum of one wall.

Wired network performance

We measured the speed of the internet connection with a 1 Gbps Ethernet cable using SpeedTest. ASUS RT-AX82U delivered speeds that were very close to the maximum potential of our internet connection: 1 Gbps for the download and 500 Mbps for the upload.

ASUS RT-AX82U - SpeedTest on Ethernet connections

ASUS RT-AX82U - SpeedTest on Ethernet connections

Then, we ran a network transfer between two computers, using the PassMark Performance test. ASUS RT-AX82U got really close to the maximum speed possible of 1 Gbps.

ASUS RT-AX82U - Network transfer on Ethernet connections

ASUS RT-AX82U - Network transfer on Ethernet connections

ASUS RT-AX82U delivers real 1 Gbps Ethernet connections, as expected from a modern wireless router.

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USB performance

We connected a portable SSD to the USB 3.0 port of the router and made some data transfers on it. We measured a download speed of 749.50 Mbps and an upload speed of 354.02 Mbps. Most users are going to be happy with these numbers.

ASUS RT-AX82U - The speed of the USB port

ASUS RT-AX82U - The speed of the USB port

ASUS RT-AX82U has a fast USB 3.0 port that you can use to connect fast storage to the router.

Extra features

ASUS RT-AX82U is a premium router with plenty of features, some of which are aimed at gamers:

Gaming features on the ASUS RT-AX82U

Gaming features on the ASUS RT-AX82U

  • Gear Accelerator - prioritize the network traffic generated by gaming devices, such as your desktop PC or your console, to get the fastest speed possible and the most bandwidth.
  • Mobile Game Mode - boosts online gaming performance on your smartphone.
  • Open NAT - with the help of game profiles, you can easily set the network address translation rules for your favorite games.
  • A comprehensive Router Security Assessment tool that verifies whether your settings are secure. When it finds problems, it proactively informs you and helps you fix things.
  • Malicious Sites Blocking - an efficient cloud-based module that blocks malicious websites on all the devices connected to your network.
  • Two-Way IPS - a two-way intrusion prevention system that protects all your network from spam, DDoS attacks, network attacks, and more. Additionally, it also scans the packets that are sent from your network to the internet.
  • Infected Device Prevention and Blocking - if your network devices get infected and become zombies in malware networks, they are automatically blocked, and you are informed about this problem.
  • Parental Controls - useful, cloud-based parental controls that can be used to set rules about internet access for children's devices.
  • Adaptive QoS - an advanced Quality of Service feature that you can use to optimize network traffic, including but not limited to online gaming.
  • Guest Network - you can enable three wireless guest networks with individual security and access settings, on each band.
  • Traffic Analyzer - offers visual traffic statistics that give you a clear picture of how your network is used and by which devices.
  • AiCloud 2.0 - it gives you the tools to create your own cloud storage service, using a hard disk connected to the router.
  • IPv6 - support for IPv6 addresses that are going to replace IPv4.
  • VPN - you can set the router to work as a VPN server, and you can also use it to turn your network-connected devices into VPN-enabled clients without additional VPN software required.
  • Network Tools - for analyzing the network and identifying what's wrong. They are useful when you need to troubleshoot problems.
  • DDNS - a service that allows you to connect to the router from the internet, even if your internet provider assigns you a dynamic public IP address.
  • Integration with Amazon's Alexa and IFTTT - you can say things like "Alexa, ask ASUS ROUTER to upgrade the firmware" to perform different tasks. You can also automate tasks that might otherwise be repetitive or unable to "talk to each other."

ASUS RT-AX82U packs an impressive list of advanced features that make it stand out in the crowded market of wireless routers.

What is your opinion about the ASUS RT-AX82U wireless router?

Now you know our opinion about the dual-band ASUS RT-AX82U AX5400 gaming router with Wi-Fi 6. You also know its strengths and weaknesses. Before closing this review, tell us what you think. Are you interested in purchasing this router? If you already own it, what has been your experience with it? Comment below and let's discuss.

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