ASUS RT-AC66U (AC1750) Router Review

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ASUS RT-AC66U is an old Wi-Fi router. It is still one of the best and the most popular routers available on the market.

The demand for the millions of users around the world makes ASUS continue manufacturing RT-AC66U (Ac1750) Wi-Fi router. The RT-AC66U B1 is the updated version of the original RT-AC66U and has improved AiMesh specifications.

AiMesh of the MESH Wi-Fi is developed for compatibility with the existing routers. ASUS allows users to match and mix AiMesh products according to their requirements or needs.

To improve Wi-Fi coverage requires a Mesh Wi-Fi at home when you combine multiple products with AiMesh support.

With ASUS AiMesh support, the products can work together adequately. In today’s review article, we will review the ASUS RT-AC66U Wi-Fi router. Read on!

Specifications

Size: 5.80 x 1.70 x 8.50 inches

Antennas: 4 (external)

Wi-Fi Spec: 5 GHz 802.11ac dual band

Ports: 1 x USB 2.0 and 1 x USB 3.0

Peak Performance: 1.75 Gbps

Range: 3,000 sqft.

Unbox Video

Networking

The Asus RT-AC66U is a 5 GHz router, which means it offers excellent wireless performance and faster data rates. The router also performs better on 2.4 GHz but not like a 5 GHz radio frequency band.

We tested the RT-AC66U with regular Wireless-N clients and 802.11ac clients. We used a second Asus RT-AC66U unit, which would act as a bridge for the 802.11ac Wi-Fi test. The router has the fastest Wi-Fi speed at a distance of 15 feet. We measured 339 Mbps.

With a Wireless-N client, we measured the speed of 208 Mbps, which is quite impressive at the same distance of 15 feet. Then, we increased the distance to 100 feet, the speed of the router went down to 179 Mbps for 802.11ac clients and 167 Mbps for Wireless-N clients. These are incredible results.

Also, the router works with Wireless-N clients on the 2.4 GHz radio frequency band. At a close range of 15 feet, the router scored 66 Mbps and at a long range of 45 feet, the speed of the router was 50 Mbps. When it comes to the 2.4 GHz data rates, this router still performs well than other wireless devices.

In our testing of the device, the RT-AC66U offered a long range, which was up to 350 feet. We think this was stable and passed the wireless performance test and range coverage test. To us, the speed of the Wi-Fi is adequate on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio frequency bands.

Design

The ASUS RT-AC66U looks the same as the ASUS RT-N66U. It has a sleek casing, which looks like a jewelry box and not as a wireless device. Indeed, it is a router and has detachable antennas, which stick up from the router’s back. The measurements are 5.80 x 1.70 x 8.50 inches and the weight of the router is 1.40 pounds, which makes it a lightweight router.

When it comes to the placement of the router, it is quite flexible. You can mount it on the wall or place it on a flat surface. It stays in the semi-vertical position when it is coupled with the detachable base.

The ASUS RT-AC66U has 4 LAN ports for wired clients and 1 WAN port for internet connectivity. These ports are located on the back of the router. Both LAN and WAN ports are Gigabit Ethernet, which means you get a faster-wired network.

Not only is the ASUS RT-AC66U an excellent router but it also works as a media bridge or an access point. You can use the WAN port of the device as another LAN port in case the device is not working as a router.

Moreover, on the back, there are 1 USB 2.0 ports and 1 USB 3.0 port, a reset button, a tiny power port, the power button, and the WPS button. The router has LED indicator arrays on the front, which shows the ports’ statuses on the back, the USB ports, the internet connection, and wireless networks.

Hardware

The ASUS RT-AC66U has both wireless 2.4 GHz and wireless 5 GHz radio frequency band with 450 Mbps and 1300 Mbps speeds respectively. All this is achieved by the router because it is powered with top-class Broadcom Dual Core SoC CPU with the clock speed of 1 GHz. The ASUS RT-AC66U has 256 MB of RAM. It has 2 USB ports such as USB 2.0 and USB 3.0.

The ASUS RT-AC66U is a brilliant entry-level wireless router to the AiMesh router ecosystem. The specs are decent with an adequate amount of RAM and a fast dual-core CPU clocked at 1 GHz. The Wi-Fi of the RT-AC66U is rated up to Ac1750.

Installation

The installation and setup process of any ASUS router is the same. You don’t need anything extra to install the RT-AC66U. The process is simple and easy. You can refer to the guide or setup walkthrough to set up the ASUS router.

Again, it is much easier than the installation of many other routers of the different brands. It is important to set up the AiMesh system and for this, you need to follow a few steps. The first step is to make sure all devices are running the compatible and latest firmware.

The second step is to perform a hard reset. Make sure you do this before the setup of the AiMesh node. The next step is to set up the router and ensures the AiMesh nodes are in the reset mode. Now, search for the AiMesh node and connect it to the main Asus router.

The AiMesh node will require an update for the firmware before it starts supporting the AiMesh mode. It is important to see the AiMesh features on the node. The interesting thing is that the ASUS RT-AC66U B1 already comes with the AiMesh technology and you can clearly see the AiMesh icon.

Overall, the networking features and wireless performance, the design, the hardware specifications, and the installation of the ASUS Ac1750 are up to the mark. We had no trouble installing the device. Our testing of the router also shows promising results.

What We Liked

• 802.11ac Dual-Band
• Excellent performance on the 5GHz band
• Easy Installation
• Advanced features
• External, upgradeable antennas
• Affordable

What We didn’t Like

• Sluggish interface performance
• Often slows down on 2.4 GHz

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