ASUS - DSL-AX82U AX5400 Dual Band WiFi 6 xDSL Modem Router

I've had the ASUS ZEN WIFI Mini xd4 since 2020 and just recently upgraded the main router to an ASUS RT-AX82U AX5400 DUAL-BAND WIFI-6 GAMING ROUTER so I could put one of the nodes in my basement where I spend a lot of time. The coverage is amazing and the speed is good everywhere. Heck, as soon as I turn onto my street my phones switch to it and I'm the 4th house down. I'd recommend to anyone and you have free internet security for the life of the product. And all of the mesh systems are compatible with one another.

As title states, looking for a cheap ish router with 2.5 Gbps WAN and at least one 2.5 Gbps LAN port. I have my fiber speed being upgraded to 2 Gbps in a day, my ONT box is ready to handle it, but my current router isn't (currently using ASUS RT-AX82U AX5400). The router is limited to Gigabit both on WAN port and all LAN ports but otherwise has been great. I found the TP-Link BE3600 and BE4800 both in stock at my local Walmart so I could pick them up today, BE3600 is $79.99 and BE4800 is $99.99. They seem to be the most affordable routers I can find that have both a 2.5 Gbps WAN port and one 2.5 Gbps LAN port, but I have no experience with TP Link stuff. They are also Wi-Fi 7, which is nice for the future. Range isn't a major concern, house is 1,700 Sq Ft and router will only have to pass through 2-3 walls to reach furthest points of the home. We usually have 1 Xbox in use to stream 4K video, a few smart devices, couple of phones (sometimes streaming Youtube videos at the same time), and I often stream games to my Steam Deck from my gaming PC via Wi-Fi with Apollo/Moonlight. Very occasionally I use VirtualDesktop to stream PCVR to my Quest 3 as well. The one 2.5 Gbps LAN port I need is for my main gaming PC.

I get what you’re saying. Unless TP Link has notorious software issues, on paper, the specs seem great for the price. That’s why I’m on here asking if anyone has experience with their networking products. And to be fair, my ASUS router only runs about $120 these days and it been great for me for years. Only lacking now because I’m upgrading from Gigabit to 2.5 Gbps speed with my ISP (got a great deal, only $5 more per month)

Yes that box in the picture is your NTD (modem) that NBN have installed to terminate the fibre. Any router will work, including that Asus. You just plug the WAN port of the router into the UNI-D port your ISP tells you with an ethernet cable (usually port 1). Do yourself a favour though and forget Telstra. Go to Leaptel, Launtel, Superloop and save the $$$$ for a better quality service. If you’re gamers Leaptel or Launtel. Oh and for gaming in particular use Ethernet cabling to the router. WiFi adds latency and jitter.

Asus AX82U is great, I have one. But, it's wifi 6 and wifi 7 is out. If you want to future-proof, go for a wifi 7 version of it. If you don't need the extra speed, it's a fine router.

I have the Asus AC56U and AX5400 I use for Spectrum. Great about Asus is the free parental controls (no subscription needed). Speeds are decent. We use it for COD/Rivals.

Wi-Fi 7 isn’t automatically “better” than Wi-Fi 6 in every case. Right now, Wi-Fi 7 routers at the low end (like the BE3600) are basically entry-level devices with the new label slapped on. They’ll support the Wi-Fi 7 standard, but with fewer streams, weaker hardware, and lower real-world performance than some of the more mature Wi-Fi 6/6E models you listed. For your use case (WFH, PS5, Quest 2): * AX5400 / AX6600 / AXE75 will likely give you better range and consistency because they have stronger radios and more streams, even if they’re “only” Wi-Fi 6/6E. * The BE3600 will work fine for basic tasks, but don’t expect it to outperform a higher-end Wi-Fi 6 router just because it says Wi-Fi 7. So at \~$140 CAD, the BE3600 is more of a budget router with future branding. If you can stretch a bit, the AX5400 or AXE75 are safer picks for stability and gaming.

I have the same RT-AX86U Pro and an Aimesh (Asus 5400). And I'm not planning on changing them for now.

counterpoint: I've had both the AX5400 and currently using the BE3600. The only noticeable difference is that the Ring Chime modules stay connected now that I'm using the BE3600 while they would disconnect randomly with the AX5400 I upgraded to the BE3600 because Xfinity/Comcast offered 1.2Gbps service (was at 800Mbps when using the AX5400) for $15/mo less (thank goodness for competition from fiber). To take advantage of the upgraded service, I upgraded the router and modem Either way, I'm a fan of ASUS networking products, especially the web admin

Avoid tp-link and any other CCP networking equipment. Don't intentionally put stuff with backdoors in them just to save a few bucks. Unifi is great but it's expensive and you really should use it wired. If you're just looking for plug and play mesh Asus has good offerings. Their AI mesh system works well

I've had zero problems with M1 for many years. Only went down once, and that was for scheduled maintenance in the middle of the night. Also, it's not just your internet plan that could be the cause of any issues. If your router isn't good enough, or is in a terrible position, or is overheating, or the bomb shelter is between your laptop and the router, you are gonna have issues no matter what plan you have. I have a standard 1Gbps plan but an Asus gaming router with ethernet cables going to the 3 heaviest users in the home – PS5, living TV and bedroom TV. I also set up a second router using Asus AImesh to provide wifi signal to one of the further corners of the house.