Do you want to upgrade the Wi-Fi in your home for Christmas? Do you want a better router for 2022? One that can handle more networked devices and provide optimizations for online gaming, your GeForce NOW subscription, or 8K movie streaming on your newly purchased high-end Smart TV? Or maybe you have a sizable multi-floor home, and you want excellent coverage everywhere, without rooms where the Wi-Fi is dead. Then, consider this buying guide for ASUS routers and mesh Wi-Fi systems:
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000: Perfect for 8K movie streaming, online gaming, and more
We tend to spend time at home during the winter holidays, cozying up in front of our favorite movies or playing games online with friends and family. So, if you’ve got a premium 8K Smart TV, the latest PlayStation 5 or Xbox One X, and plenty of networked devices in your home, the best choice is ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000.
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000
When ASUS launched it, this model was the world’s first tri-band router with Wi-Fi 6. It features a potent quad-core processor and 1 GB of RAM. Enough to handle plenty of devices and to cover an ample living space. Its firmware also features everything ASUS has to offer, from VPN server functionality to lots of gaming-oriented tools.
To make it even more appealing, it also works with 2.5 Gbps internet connections, which are slowly popping up all over the world. For example, in Romania, as a Christmas present for people living in major cities around the country, the largest internet service provider has launched 2.5 Gbps and 10 Gbps internet connections for home users. There are Google Fiber connections at similar speeds in the USA, while Telus offers 2.5 Gbps internet connectivity in Canada.
If you plan to upgrade your internet connection and enjoy a fantastic Wi-Fi 6 experience, ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 is a router you should consider.
ASUS RT-AX86U: Certified for GeForce NOW cloud-based gaming
Are you using NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW cloud-based gaming streaming service? In this case, ASUS RT-AX86U is the perfect choice for you. This router is certified by ASUS to work well with this service, and when you use it, it assigns up to 90% of its Wi-Fi bandwidth for your GeForce NOW gaming sessions. In addition, the company has optimized this model to ensure the lowest latency possible for cloud gaming.
ASUS RT-AX86U
While it doesn’t have as many features as the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000, RT-AX86U is a more affordable router with similar hardware, capable of working with 2.5 Gbps internet connections too.
ASUS ROG STRIX GS-AX3000: Online gaming and movie streaming at a reasonable price
For a more affordable price, you should try the ASUS ROG STRIX GS-AX3000. It is a Wi-Fi 6 router that tries to strike the perfect balance between hardware, price, gaming-oriented features, and the needs of anyone who uses movie streaming services like Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, and Hulu.
ASUS ROG STRIX GS-AX3000
This model has solid hardware, top-notch security features through the ASUS AiProtection module, and a prioritized gaming port for your PlayStation 5 console or gaming PC.
ASUS RT-AX55: Wi-Fi 6 on a budget
If you don’t need all the bells and whistles of the more premium models presented earlier, you can switch to Wi-Fi 6 without breaking the bank and buy the affordable ASUS RT-AX55.
ASUS RT-AX55
It doesn’t have specific online gaming features or any optimizations for GeForce NOW streaming. However, 4K movie streaming works well with this router, as well as any other thing you might want to do, from downloading large files from the internet to browsing the web or connecting remotely to your company’s VPN service. ASUS RT-AX55 covers all the basics you need: modern hardware, solid speed, and good Wi-Fi coverage.
ASUS ZenWiFi AX (XT8): Ultimate Mesh Wi-Fi for large homes and 8K movie streaming
If you have a multi-floor home with plenty of devices that need Wi-Fi, including an 8K Smart TV, you should consider the ASUS ZenWiFi AX (XT8). It works great with 2.5 Gbps internet connections, delivers a large coverage area, and has powerful hardware (quad-core processor, 1 GB of RAM) that can handle many networked devices simultaneously.
ASUS ZenWiFi AX (XT8)
ASUS ZenWiFi AX Mini (XD4): 4K movie streaming and Wi-Fi 6 coverage for large homes
If you need a more affordable Wi-Fi 6 solution than the ZenWiFi AX (XT8), consider ASUS ZenWiFi AX Mini (XD4). It is available in packs of one, two, or three stations, and it helps you get coverage over large multi-floor homes with multiple networked devices connected simultaneously.
ASUS ZenWiFi AX Mini (XD4)
It doesn’t offer any special features for online gaming, but it’s great if you want solid security features, parental controls, enough bandwidth for 4K movie streaming, and remote management using a simple mobile app.
Which ASUS router or mesh Wi-Fi did you choose?
ASUS has a wide variety of options, catering to different budgets, home sizes, and user needs. Their portfolio is much broader than the models we presented, but our selection focuses mainly on the newer, more exciting models that represent a great choice for Christmas 2021. So, before closing our shopping guide, let us know how large your home is, how many devices you have connected to the network, and which router or mesh Wi-Fi system you chose to buy.
