ASUS RT-AX3000 Router Review

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The Asus RT-AX3000 is an affordable router in the Asus 6-router series. Its features are similar to Ax1800. However, it is a bit less powerful than Ax1800. Like the 802.11ac standard routers, this Wi-Fi router device comes with a wide range of features.

The device offers the OFDMA technique, which divides a channel for multi-user access. It supports both 1024-QAM modulation and 160 MHz bandwidth. Asus RT-AX3000 also supports Ai-Mesh technology.

In today’s article, we are going to review the Asus RT-AX3000 in detail. We will focus on the design, networking, hardware, and setup (installation) of the device. Read on!

Specifications

Size: 8.8 x 5.0 x 6.3 inches

Antennas: 4 external non-removable antennas

Wi-Fi Spec: 5 GHz Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax

Ports: 1 USB 3.0 port

Peak Performance: 3000 Mbps

Range: 5,000 sqft.

Features

Networking

After we first bought the device and unboxed it, we installed the product to test the networking features of the router. The device supports OFDM. Unlike its competitor devices. It has 574 Mbps speed on 2.4 GHz and 2402 Mbps speed on 5 GHz frequency bands. The maximum speed it can achieve is 3000 Mbps.

The primary function of the OFDMA is to divide the channel and provide sub-channels, which are useful for multi-user access. The interesting thing about OFDMA is that you can share the bandwidth up to 30 devices simultaneously. Thus, the bandwidth is evenly distributed and not wasted. The OFDMA works both upstream and downstream.

Unlike the previous models, this new Asus Ax3000 comes with supported MU-MIMO technology and we observed some improvement than other models. We found that the MU-MIMO feature of this device serves 8 client devices simultaneously on the Wi-Fi5.

Most devices with the MU-MIMO feature only support 4 client devices. So, yes, this is a great improvement by Asus. It is important to know that this device is stuck with the 2 x 2 MU-MIMO configuration. Most users say that this is somewhat annoying but we think that since most devices do not support MU-MIMO technology, one should not bother the 2 x 2 MU-MIMO configuration.

The device comes with 1024-QAM technology, which ensures a 25% increase in the data rate transfer over Wi-Fi5. However, the client devices require connection with compatible Wi-Fi adapters to see a better throughput, which is only possible close to the client-side. Besides, this is the case with beamforming technology, the 160 MHz bandwidth support, and the MU-MIMO technology

Design

The case of the Asus Ax300 is similar to that of the Asus RT-AC88U except for the color difference. Compared to other routers from the same company, the Asus RT-AX3000 is aesthetically attractive and has a more aggressive appearance.

On the top side, you will see many sharp angles with a few ventilation grills, which point upwards. Therefore, it won’t be wrong if we say that the case of this router resembles a sports car hood.

You won’t find any red accents since this is not a gaming Wi-Fi router. It has a black matte finish and the device is also very soft-to-touch. There is a silver-golden logo of the company on the top of the device.

The measurements of the device are 8.8 x 5.0 x 6.3 inches. It is lightweight and smaller in size, which means it does not occupy more space than most of its competitors from the same company.

Compared to the Asus RT-AC86U Wi-Fi router, the Asus RT-AX3000 has a large footprint. You can mount the device on the wall and the ceiling. There are 2 mounting holes on the bottom of the router. Thus, if you don’t want to keep the router on the table, you can mount it on the wall. This, in particular, is useful for the office.

Towards the front, on the top of the device, you will find 8 LED indicators, which show the device’s status. From the left, you will find the WAN LED indicator followed by 4 LEDs. Each indicator corresponds to 1 LAN Ethernet port. So much so, the last 3 LED indicators show the 5 GHz network status, and the 2.4 GHz network status, the LED flash, and the power.

Hardware

The Asus RT-AX3000 has the Broadcom BCM6750KFE8G CPU with a 32-bit A7 core with a clock speed of 1.5 GHz. The CPU is backed with 512 MB RAM from NANYA. There are 2 SWAP B1923 net 10-100-1000 Base-T dual transformer modules. For LAN.

There is also a SWAT W1905 NS771802 net 10-100-1000 Base-T single port module for WAN. The Asus Ax3000 uses the Broadcom BCM6750 for the Wi-Fi performance. It has 4 x 4:2 chip for the 5 GHz band and 2×2:2 chip for the 2.4 GHz band.

Installation

The installation of the hardware is similar to other Wi-Fi routers of Asus. First, you need to “ON” the device by connecting the cord to the router’s back. You can use the Ethernet cable for connecting to the device to the modem to the WAN port from the router’s back.

Next, you can either use the web-based user interface through the browser or the smartphone app to run the setup wizard for configuring the device. This way, you can monitor the network continuously.

It is ideal to choose the web-based user interface due to the limitations of the smartphone app to install the Asus RT-AX3000 ROUTER. In the next step, you need to choose the router and start the automatic setup process. You can also install the router manually. We chose the automatic option so that we could have jumped directly to the WAN type configuration set up.

Next, you need to insert the ISP username and enter the password. Make sure you enter the SSID and the password followed by the Login ID and the password. Don’t choose “Admin” for the Login Id. Once you are done with this, you will have an option to enable the remote connection.

Overall, the Asus RT-AX3000 is an incredible device with fast wireless speed. It has a stylish design, a wide range of features including MU-MIMO and Ai-Mesh technology. The speed of the Wi-Fi was tested at different locations and we found this device adequately working even through thick walls. The maximum range is 5,000 sqft.

What We Liked

• Compatible with numerous devices
• Excellent Wireless Performance
• MU-MIMO and Ai-Mesh technology
• Compatible with Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6
• Affordable Price
• One of the best VPN router

What We didn’t Like

• Non-removable antennas
• Does not work well on 160 MHz

Related Asus Router Review

• ASUS RT-AX56U (AX1800) Router Review
• ASUS RT-c68u (AC1900) Review
• ASUS GT-AC5300 Gaming Router Review
• ASUS RT-AC86U (AC2900) Router Review

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