Everything You Need to Know About ASUS Extendable Routers!

Choosing a WiFi router for your home can be a complicated endeavour. A top priority is finding a router that offers a simple UI, solid Cybersecurity support, and robust speeds and connectivity. In our experience, routers from other known manufacturers such as Netgear, TP-Link, Ubiquiti, and more can often complicate the installation process or not provide enough features to suit your needs whilst coming in at a solid price point.

ASUS routers have been a mainstay in the networking space for quite some time, and they offer a vast range of options for those looking to build an awesome WiFi network for gaming, workstations, or just for general usage. We’ll be discussing the benefits of ASUS’ best extendable routers, covering some of the unique features, and we’ll also be delving into each router to see what’s on offer and why they’re a good fit for your home!

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What Are Extendable Routers?

A huge problem that I’m sure we’ve all experienced is WiFi dead zones. You’re at home in bed trying to binge some TikTok, and the next video suddenly doesn’t load. You close the app and re-open it, and nothing pops up, just an infinite black screen. This is down to your router’s WiFi coverage. The actual WiFi signal can be blocked or weakened by other electronic devices, distance, or even the walls in a house.

A common but poor solution is adding repeaters or range extenders, often the router itself, which doesn’t get to the root of the problem. By picking up an extendable router, this eliminates this issue entirely. An extendable router creates a unified WiFi network for the entire home, providing an easy way to add more devices without reducing speeds or creating additional hassle. This means hardware doesn’t need to be switched out; the new router will work with other devices to determine signal strength and then transfer the connection without any direct input from your part.

Traditional routers and extenders generally don’t solve the problem. If the signal strength is already bad, an extender will extend the weak signal. And weaker routers often won’t have expandability in mind, which can cost more money in the long run. Extendable routers are ideal for those looking to save hassle and time regarding networking upgrades by providing a seamless network that can be extended as your needs grow. ASUS is one of the best manufacturers in the business thanks to its AiMesh system, which adapts and optimises networking performance.

ASUS Extendable Routers Key Features

ASUS extendable routers come with a set of key features that make them a competitive option versus other manufacturers in the networking space. In this section, we’ll be briefly discussing each of these excellent features which give them an edge over other brands on the market.

Solid Cybersecurity Practices

ASUS’ AiProtection leverages cybersecurity solutions from Trend Micro, which protect your network and any connected devices from malicious attacks. The routers are constantly updated with new firmware to avoid zero-day attacks. Vulnerability protection involves a two-way intrusion prevention system to block common attacks with signatures, such as a DDoS or a Ransomware attack.

AiProtection can also block malicious sites or infected devices to ensure the network isn’t compromised. Finding a router that utilises strong security practices with no caveats can be difficult, so knowing that ASUS has you covered on this front is excellent.

User-Friendly Setup and UI

Setting up ASUS routers is an incredibly simple process. There’s no knowledge barrier to getting your new ASUS router up and running. Upon opening the router box, ASUS advises that the ASUS Router software should be downloaded to a mobile device immediately. Once this has been done, monitoring and configuration are streamlined and can be accessed through the ASUS Router app. All of the Cybersecurity settings can also be accessed easily through this application.

Easily Connect New Devices

ASUS’ AiMesh system easily connects multiple routers and mesh products, unifying the network. These devices act as nodes throughout the network to provide more coverage and stronger connectivity, eliminating dead zones. This means you can easily move from one location to another without losing connection. Gone are the days of switching from the main router to a range extender. The single network name and password that AiMesh uses simplifies the user experience by allowing you to connect to any node without needing multiple passwords.

Excellent Gaming Experience

ASUS extendable routers are designed to provide a seamless roaming experience for mobile gaming. Smartphone games can utilise the one-clock mobile game mode, which provides improved ping and minimal lag. ASUS gaming routers optimise traffic for PC and console gamers, minimising ‘rubber banding’ and improving server connection.

The Best ASUS Extendable Routers

1. ASUS RT-AX56U (AX1800)

The RT-AX56U is a dual-band WiFi 6 router that supports MU-MIMO and OFDMA technology. These technologies increase the capacity and efficiency of your router, allowing more devices to connect and receive the data they’ve requested. Traditional routers sometimes struggle with this, as there might not be enough bandwidth for all of the devices in the network. MU-MIMO and OFDMA kick common WiFi issues to the curb by providing stronger connectivity even for those with numerous devices.

The AX56U also supports up to 1800Mbps on both bands. The 5GHz band will provide the best WiFi speed possible with up to 1201Mbps, but the 2.4GHz band isn’t insanely far behind, still providing 574Mbps too. This router is well-designed for a home with multiple devices. For those with a family of people who have laptops, tablets, phones, computers, consoles, and more, the AX56U can efficiently handle all of the traffic without dropping the signal. This router can also be extended easily and is extremely simple to set up by utilising the ASUS Router app.

2. ASUS RT-AX59U (AX4200)

Next up is another dual-band WiFi 6 option with strong security and browsing features, along with excellent speeds ideal for those that need the most bandwidth and high data transmission. On the security front, the AX59U is equipped with ASUS‘ renowned AiProtection Pro, which automatically updates and keeps your network safe from threats. The ASUS Router app allows you to turn on safe browsing and turn off ads and any malicious content. The built-in parental controls also allow for easy internet scheduling, along with filters for websites.

Regarding speeds, the AX59U is equipped with a 2GHz quad-core processor that can handle 4x more capacity compared to older revisions, offering a 7x longer battery life and 3x WiFi speed. The RT-AX59U supports speeds up to 4200Mbps, providing the bandwidth for plenty of devices, reducing connection drops to zero, and offering capability in high-intensity networking activities. To top it all off, the sleek and compact design has a relatively small footprint, providing an easy way to keep it out of sight or mount it to the wall for hassle-free installation.

3. ASUS TUF Gaming AX4200

For our third option, we’ve picked out the TUF Gaming AX4200. This router is another dual-band WiFi 6 router, with gaming at the forefront of the design. This particular router features the signature TUF branding with four antennas that offer sleek black and yellow colouring, which provides a nice aesthetic change to the consistent black theme across most router designs. Looking at speeds, much like the aforementioned RT-AX59U, this router also offers up to 4200Mbps speeds with improved efficiency using OFDMA and MU-MIMO technologies.

The ASUS’s AiMesh software provides an easy way to set up and connect further devices to the network. ASUS has also upped the privacy measures on this router by providing VPN Fusion, which allows for an ordinary WiFi connection alongside a VPN, providing a secure way to enjoy maximum gaming speeds and full privacy.

4. ASUS RT-AX58U (AX3000)

The AX3000 RT-AX58U is a slightly cheaper and slower router with great features despite the lower price point. The dual-band WiFi 6 capabilities, with MU-MIMO and OFDMA, improve capacity and efficiency across the board. This router also offers strong cybersecurity and privacy by utilising ASUS’ AiProtection Pro. Due to the increased bandwidth, this router is designed to handle many devices, making it ideal for smaller businesses or larger families.

This model offers a slightly weaker speed than some of the other routers in this roundup, but it also comes at a much cheaper price. For those looking to pick up a new extendable router on a budget, the AX58U is a great option. The 3000Mbps speeds, strong network security, and solid connection efficiency are boosted by BSS colouring, which helps with traffic crowding, ensuring network speeds are stable and strong across the board.

5. ASUS RT-AX88U Pro (AX6000)

The RT-AX88U Pro is a top-end extendable router designed to handle multiple devices whilst providing incredible speeds. This extendable router has a 2GHz quad-core 64-bit CPU designed to handle the most demanding network traffic. This router is equipped with dual 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports supporting link aggregation and load balancing, providing massive bandwidth for connected devices.

The AX88U Pro also offers in-built adaptive QoS (quality of service) that prioritises gaming traffic to ensure a smoother gameplay experience. It also offers ‘wtfast’, which will seek out the shortest path between your PC and the game server, reducing lag and ping. On top of this, the AiProtection system is also included, which provides a simple way to configure and monitor the network, ensuring safety and security. We’d recommend this router for those looking to improve gaming connectivity and network stability

6. ASUS RT-AXE7800

The ASUS RT-AXE7800 router is the only WiFi 6E design in this guide. This particular model is a tri-band design that provides a 6GHz WiFi band. This band significantly increases network capacity while delivering stronger WiFi performance and stability with speeds up to 7800Mbps. The AXE7800 also offers low latency, less interference, and near-instant connectivity for any WiFi 6E-compatible device.

This router also features the excellent security and protection features of ASUS’ AiProtection-based routers, providing advanced controls, more privacy, and an upgraded VPN that fully encrypts networking connections. The AXE7800 also offers a multi-gigabit wired connection with a 2.5 Gigabit LAN and WAN port, ideal for those that need increased stability or have a file server.