The RT-AX86U delivered very good throughput on our 2.4GHz close proximity (same room) performance tests. It’s score of 137Mbps was faster than both the TP-Link AX11000 (133Mbps) and the Linksys MR9600 (111Mbps) but just a tad slower than the Asus RT-AX88U (144Mbps). However, it did not fare so well on our long range test: its score of 38Mbps was 29Mbps and 21Mbps slower than the AX11000 and the RT-AX88U, respectively.

RT-AX86S vs RT-AX86U vs RT-AX86U pro: Odd Variants Asus RT-AX86S vs RT-AX86U vs RT-AX86U pro: Odd Variants

The results in my testing, so far … the rt-ax86u pro is a solid router that works very well with my rt-ax82u in mesh. No resets, everything is communicating well, and both the app and web gui work flawlessly. Post 48 hours … Zero issues. Due to the different power supply requirements on USB external hard disk and 4G/5G Modem device, to ensure that the external device can be used stably, if the USB external device exceeds the standard USB 2.0 (5V/500mA) and USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5V/900mA) power supply requirements, you need to use it with an independent external power supply.

Remove Network Bottlenecks

VLAN capability on the LAN side was added with the release of Firmware: 9.0.0.6.102.3506 (Beta Version) Avoid using Auto-Update for firmware: You should update the firmware when you see fit instead of letting the hardware update itself. And the resemblance goes beyond the look. They also share the same set of network features and settings. Apart from Asus’s core feature set, they both include valuable gaming-related features. Also, I noticed a significant lag with my Ring cameras with the 88u pro compared to the 86u pro. The 86u pro opened my cameras instantaneously. The 88u pro needed to think about it before eventually connecting.

Asus RT-AX86U AX5700 Router Review | PCMag Asus RT-AX86U AX5700 Router Review | PCMag

It shares all common features and settings collectively available in Asus Wi-Fi routers, as I detailed in this primer post. It's similar to any Dual-band Asus Wi-Fi 6 router, including the non-Pro version or the GT-AX6000. As a rule, in a mesh system, it's best to wait for a few minor updates of a major release before upgrading. Depending on the hardware combo, you might need to rebuild the system from scratch or reset and re-add a satellite node if you change the major firmware version (in one or all hardware units involved.) As soon as I replaced my old RT-AC68U with the RT-AX86U Pro, I gained over 100 Mbps on a wired connection, thanks no doubt mainly to the faster processor. I’m now getting ~945 Mbps (up and down) on a connection rated for 1 GHz. In fact, the new Pro router has everything you'd expect in a top-tier ROG Rapture router, save for the bling -- there's no Aura light. And that includes a built-in client for WTFast gaming private network, which is normally only available in top-tier gaming routers, such as the GT-AX11000. The Asus RT-AX88U Pro, running an official firmware as pictured here, includes all gaming features available in Asus gaming routers. That said, just like all Asus Wi-Fi 6 routers, these three routers seem to have more in common than they do in differences.

AiMesh started as an add-on feature with firmware version 384 in early 2018 -- represented by the RT-AC86U -- and was stable by the latest minor update of this version. In early 2020, Asus released version 386, buggy in the early stages, to add AiMesh 2.0 via the introduction of the ZenWifi product line. By late 2022, version 386 became fully mature, and Asus started releasing version 388, and the history repeated itself. So on and so forth. Best-practices for replacing ASUS RT-AX86U with ASUS RT-AX86U Pro (=moving everything from the existing router to a replacement one)? The Asus RT-AX86U Pro is a tabletop router that offers a range of features for seamless connectivity. It supports Ethernet WAN, allowing for a stable and secure connection. Unfortunately, it does not support DSL WAN or have a SIM card slot for mobile connectivity. However, it is compatible with 3G/4G USB modems, giving users the flexibility to choose their preferred mode of network connection.