This tri-band router (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz) has been delivering dependable Wi-Fi to my entire dwelling for the previous couple of weeks. Video calls, film streaming, and gaming have been silky clean. Stability has been rock strong, with a single firmware replace that took a couple of minutes being the one downtime up to now. The RT-AXE7800 blew away a lot of the competitors for velocity and latency at shut vary on each the 5-GHz and 6-GHz bands, and it turned in respectable outcomes over longer distances. Efficiency on the two.4-GHz band was common.
Vary is a weak point of the 6-GHz band, as Wi-Fi 6E has restricted energy, so it tends to drop off sharply with partitions and different obstacles. However even with these limitations, the Asus RT-AXE7800 matched or bested most different Wi-Fi 6E routers I’ve examined, together with mesh techniques just like the Nest Wifi Professional (7/10, WIRED Recommends) and Wyze Mesh Router Pro. It most carefully matched the efficiency of the costlier Netgear Nighthawk RAXE300 (7/10, WIRED recommends).
One potential weak point I discovered with the Asus RT-AXE7800 was file switch speeds, a take a look at the place I copy a 2.2-GB file from one PC on the community to a different. It constantly took greater than 4 minutes to finish this switch, which was barely beneath common. The final system I examined, the Eero Pro 6E, averaged a minute and 14 seconds.
Value Management
There’s a lot to consider when buying a router, so let’s drill into who the Asus RT-AXE7800 is for. Mesh techniques could also be tempting, however a single router typically makes extra sense for people with modest properties. The RT-AXE7800 supplied quicker speeds throughout most of my 1,600-square-foot dwelling than the vast majority of mesh techniques I’ve examined. It could’t compete on vary, however I had to enter my yard to really feel that.
Whereas the Wi-Fi 6E support ought to solely tempt you you probably have units able to connecting on that 6-GHz band, it might show very useful in the event you dwell in a congested space. In smaller properties or residence blocks the place your neighbor’s routers could trigger interference, connecting on that 6-GHz band might supply massive jumps in velocity and stability. If you happen to work at home with a Wi-Fi 6E-capable laptop computer or telephone and sit near the router (ideally in the identical room), the Asus RT-AXE7800 is an effective purchase.
Far too many routers and mesh techniques these days require costly subscriptions if you’d like parental controls or community safety. The Netgear Nighthawk RAXE300 is an effective instance, the place it prices $170 a 12 months to get each. Asus supplies strong parental controls, enabling you to schedule downtime, filter inappropriate content material, and block particular actions. There’s additionally AiProtection Professional powered by Pattern Micro to ship across-the-board safety, together with a firewall, safety scans, intrusion prevention, malicious website blocking, and extra. Asus contains each free of charge for the lifetime of your RT-AXE7800 router, which is nice.
When you have a bigger property, it’s possible you’ll choose one thing from our Best Mesh Wi-Fi Routers information, although it’s value noting that the AiMesh assist right here makes it straightforward to attach Asus routers to kind a mesh. If you happen to do go this route and use the RT-AXE7800 as your major router, a wired backhaul is suggested, as you don’t need the routers utilizing your 5-GHz band to attach with one another.
Of us content material to attend a little bit longer for Wi-Fi 7 ought to think about a less expensive Wi-Fi 6 stopgap from our Best Wi-Fi Routers information. Whereas the RT-AXE7800 is sort of dear, it performs nicely, presents greater than equally priced Wi-Fi 6E options, and harbors no hidden charges.
