Thanks to the inception of its Republic of Gamers (ROG) product line back in 2006, Asus also makes some of the best gaming routers on the market, packing in powerful multi-core CPUs that all but eliminate network latency, plus a wealth of other game optimization features. This expertise spills over into all of its routers, however, since any company that can build a router to meet the demands of high-octane gamers can easily tackle things like streaming, video calling, and security.  The best Asus routers also include AiProtection by Trend Micro built right in, with no subscription fees required. This gives you everything you need right out of the box to protect your network from malware and keep your kids safe online. AiMesh technology across almost all of its routers also lets you mix and match any combination of Asus router models to ensure your whole home is bathed in strong wireless coverage. With their versatility and open access to tweak every network feature imaginable, Asus’ routers make especially great picks for anybody who wants to make sure that they’ll be able to configure their router to work how they want it. Packing in the latest 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 technology, the AX88U offers up to 6Gbps of bandwidth across all channels, plus a staggering 5,000 square feet of coverage, making it a great choice for even the largest homes. Thanks to its four powerful beamforming antennas and 4x4 MU-MIMO support, it can easily handle the needs of a busy family with multiple users streaming in 4K and gaming without slowing each other down.  Around back, the RT-AX88U packs in a whopping eight Gigabit Ethernet ports, so you’ll have plenty of room to hardwire in those devices that either lack wireless or simply need maximum performance. It also includes AiProtection by Trend Micro to help protect you from online threats—with no ongoing subscription required.  That doesn’t mean it can’t handle a busy household, of course, since OFDMA and MU-MIMO support still makes sure that every one of your devices gets its fair share of bandwidth without slowing each other down. However, its AX1800 rating means that you’re only going to have about 1.8Gbps to share around your home—574Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 1.2Gbps on the 5GHz side. That’s still more than enough for a couple of devices to enjoy 4K streaming and online gaming. While the RT-AX55 supports all of Asus’ standard AiProtection and AiMesh features, it’s a fairly spartan router by Asus’ usual standards. Instead, Asus has gotten down to the core basics here to provide an affordable Wi-Fi 6 router for users who don’t need advanced features like USB ports, wider 160MHz channel support, or game traffic optimization. On the upside, however, it does support Asus’ AiMesh technology, making it a great companion to a more powerful Asus router for those looking to expand their network coverage.  Make no mistake, the RT-AX89X is a beast of a router, even by Asus’ usual standards, and the design may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s hard to argue that it will make its presence known. The RT-AX89X is one of the most capable Wi-Fi 6 routers on the market today, with an array of eight powerful antennas delivering ultra-fast wireless speeds that can easily reach gigabit levels at close range.  The RT-AX89X also packs in an absolutely staggering collection of ports around the edges. There’s a pair of 10Gbps Ethernet and SFP+ ports—a rare inclusion on home routers that will have you more than ready for the fastest internet plans. These are joined by a whopping eight Gigabit Ethernet ports, and no less than two 5Gbps USB 3.2 ports. That said, the RT-AX89U is a dual-band router, not tri-band, so even though it supports Asus’ AiMesh technology, we wouldn’t recommend it for a wireless mesh system. You can, however, use the 10Gbps ports to link two or more of them around your home in a wired configuration to create an insanely high-performance Wi-Fi network.  While many mesh Wi-Fi systems focus on dumbing down the user experience, the ZenWifi XT8 is one of the most advanced and highly configurable solutions we’ve yet seen. It’s a move that’s not surprising for Asus, with its reputation for versatility, but it’s still not common among mesh systems. To be clear, that doesn’t mean that the XT8 is hard to set up, but power users will love the ability to dig down beneath the configuration wizards and tweak this system to their heart’s content.  The system supports tri-band Wi-Fi 6, with each unit delivering 2,750 square feet of coverage. This means that you could cover an 8,000-square-foot home with three units. Plus, the system still supports Asus’ AiMesh technology, so you can also add just about any other Asus router into the mix. Best of all, Asus’ penchant for configurability means you get to decide how to use your Wi-Fi bands, rather than forcing the router to do it for you.  Each of the two 5GHz bands offers 4.8Gbps of bandwidth, with advanced band steering features that will let you keep your gaming PC on a separate channel to avoid being dragged down by other 5GHz devices on your network. The eight beamforming antennas can also push out a strong enough signal to cover a 5,000 square foot home. Four Gigabit Ethernet ports around the back are joined by a special 2.5Gbps gaming port, so you can also hardwire your rig in for maximum performance.  Where the GT-AX11000 really shines, however, is in the high-performance quad-core CPU that powers its gaming optimization features. There’s full VPN support, including Asus’ VPN Fusion feature to keep your VPN up while gaming without slowing things down, along with dynamic game-focused QoS to prioritize your gaming traffic, and the WTFast Gamers Private Network (GPN) to make sure it always goes to the fastest game servers. The ROG Game Dashboard adds other gamer-centric features like Game Boost, Game IPS security, and route-optimized low latency servers on the GPN so you’ll enjoy lag-free gaming. Dual 5GHz bands and a single 2.4GHz band offer combined throughput of 5,334Mbps, while MU-MIMO and beamforming antennas make sure that all of your devices get maximum bandwidth. As our testing determined, the result is speedy and solid network performance for smooth Netflix 4K streaming throughout your home, even when someone else is gaming at the same time.  Eight Gigabit Ethernet ports around the back offer plenty of wired connectivity options, and two USB 3.0 ports will let you wire up external hard drives to share your media using the built-in DLNA server. As with most other Asus routers, you also get AiProtection powered by Trend Micro to protect you against malware and other internet threats, built-in VPN support, and a whole slew of advanced configuration options so power users can tweak wireless performance and other settings.  The four powerful beamforming antennas and MU-MIMO technology not only help it to deliver impressive range, but it’s also able to easily handle the streaming, gaming, and video calling needs of a dozen or more devices without breaking a sweat. You’ll also find an impressive eight Gigabit Ethernet ports around back, so there’s plenty of room to hardwire in. While you’re not going to get the latest dual-band Wi-Fi technologies at this price, the N12 does offer fast 300Mbps throughput on the 2.4GHz band, which should be more than ample for the surfing, streaming, and video-calling needs of a single user or a small family. More importantly, however, it can also be used as a Wi-Fi extender in either wired or wireless mode, so it’s a really affordable way to augment your main router and bring wireless access into more areas of your home.  The RT-N12 also has another interesting trick up its sleeve. You can configure up to four separate SSIDs with dynamic bandwidth management on each one—something that’s almost unheard of in a router in this price range. This lets you set up multiple networks for visitors, guests, or even just to provide more controlled access for your kids, while also making sure you reserve enough bandwidth to deliver 4K streaming to your smart TV. Don’t let its aesthetics fool you, though, as this little box is a surprisingly capable router in its class. It offers up pretty impressive performance and range when you consider that it doesn’t have a single antenna protruding in any direction. It also delivers powerful AC2600 dual-band Wi-Fi, reaching speeds of up to 1,733Mbps on the 5GHz channel, plus the typical set of four Gigabit Ethernet ports around the back, plus a single USB 3.0 port for sharing a hard drive or printer. Jeremy Laukkonen is an experienced tech journalist with a background in automotive repair that has taught him the importance of breaking down complex technical subjects in understandable ways. He specializes in VPNs, antivirus, and home electronics, and manages his own automotive blog on the side. Yoona Wagener has a background in content and technical writing. She has written for BigTime Software, Idealist Careers, and other small tech companies. Yoona enjoys helping people simplify processes. She has experience providing technical support and help documentation to end users, building websites for small business owners, and offering career advice to social-impact job seekers. Bill Thomas is a Denver-based freelance writer who covers technology, music, film, and gaming. They began writing for Lifewire in January 2018, but you can also find their work on TechRadar. Bill has also worked as an editor at Future. Rebecca Isaacs has been writing for Lifewire since 2019, specializing in consumer tech, games, and networking.

What to Look for in an Asus Router

Range

The worst discovery is purchasing a top-of-the-line router only to find out that it can’t adequately cover your property. Blazing-fast speeds are great, but if your router can’t provide Wi-Fi to your entire home, there might not be a point. Ensure that the router can cover the proper square footage needed.

Speed

Are you sending emails, playing video games, or streaming videos? Not everyone’s needs require routers with rocket-fast speeds so consider how you use your internet before purchasing. AC routers are currently the fastest available option, but those who aren’t doing much gaming or video streaming should still be happy with the last generation N routers.

Smart Features

Routers are much more intelligent than they were years ago. Check for special abilities such as parental controls, built-in firewalls for security, mobile application access, and prioritization for significant traffic. Smart routers give you the ability to be entirely in control of your Wi-Fi.