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Router user feedback/opinions - ASUS RT-N66U

6K views 28 replies 11 participants last post by  Zaldrain 
#1 ·
Hey folks.

Been thinking of upgrading my router a little.. currently on an asus E2500, which has been suitable.. but nothing great. My mothers DIR-615 is toast, so thinking of giving her the E2500 and upgrading mine.

The main one I have been looking/thinking of, is the ASUS RT-N66U.

(now, I know I can get the RT-AC66U or the RT-AC68U... these would more future-proof my setup, with the newer AC standard.. but I don't have any devices that would be able to take advantage of it at this time. MOST of my wireless is phones, etc to not heavy speeds needed. Also the $$ increase).

Do any of you have EXPERIENCE with this unit..
Feedback... + / - with it?

I know it has quite a bit more in the way of monitoring and QoS.
How about stuff like Time of Day and mac filtering for devices, etc?

Thanks for any input!
 
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#2 ·
...currently on an asus E2500, which has been suitable.. but nothing great.
Did you mean Linksys E2500? What firmware do you run? Features you are looking for can probably be had in DD-WRT on E2500.
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Linksys_E2500

If you don't plan to update the external antennas, I'd go with the AC56U: it's cheaper (and faster!) than the N66U.
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Search/Products?Search=asus+router
Also, has 4x the flash size (if this is of interest)...

On the other hand, the N66U has (a hidden) microSSD on the motherboard that can be used...
http://www.dd-wrt.ca/wiki/index.php/Asus_RT-N66U

I have both and have problems with neither (DD-WRT firmware)...

As a side note: flagship smartphones of any ecosystem run AC since last year. It will be in the mainstream by the year end.
Since routers are kept for years, it would probably be a good idea to splurge for a AC model...
 
#3 ·
This router gets high marks from every publication so it's almost a no brainer. Asus routers get high marks from most users I know.

Check out this link
http://event.asus.com/2012/nw/dummy_ui/en/index.html

which lets you test drive the UI and see if the features you want are there.

I was going to purchase it but will opt for the RT-AC68U when I can get it for $200. I want the RT-AC68U for its dual wan capability and ultimately AC.

EDIT: SORRY :confused:
that link is for the AC66U interface, not the N66U. I have seen something similar for the N66U so you may want to try googling. My guess is you can also grab the manual from the support page for information on the feature set.
 
#4 ·
I have one of these and I quite like it. There are also lots of options if you want to use custom firware.

Merlin is a firmware version that is very close to the Asus stock firmware but it adds some functionality including OpenVPN and the ability to permanently save some types of commands that normally have to be redone after a reboot - like custom routing to allow a Chromecast to work properly in Canada.

You can also install dd-wrt on this router and probably Tomato.

FYI - SmallNetBuilder forums are very good for info on routers and they have several very active forums dedicated just to Asus routers so you might want to give that a look.
 
#5 ·
Yeah, sorry, meant the cisco e2500.

@four:
I am finding a few slight pockets in the house, which are not great with it coverage wise.. so hoping that one with the ext antennas like the N66u, would help slightly in the coverage.. that leaves the AC56U, etc, out.

@hugh:
Clicking the link on the left.. appears it brings you to a page which says what routers this UI supports.. so while some features may not be there.. should give me the general idea.


I am only doing this upgrade currently.. since my mother needs a new one.. I really don't have the extra $$ for it at the moment.. so $50 difference is quite a bit to go to the AC.. when all of everything I use wireless now, is MORE than fast enough on the N on the e2500.
 
#6 ·
The ASUS RT-N66U is a great router. Used as a wireless access point, coverage, performance and features are way better than the Cisco/Lynksys e3000 that I was using previously. That's with stock firmware. Third party firmware may provide extra features and/or stability on some routers but I haven't found a need for it on the ASUS RT-N66U. Third party firmware may negatively affect wireless performance, something the RT-N66U stock firmware excels at. From what I've read, the RT-N66U outperforms the RT-AC66U on some tests.
 
#9 ·
After probably a decade of trusty service, I replaced my Linksys WRT54G with an ASUS RT-N66U last fall. I've been extremely pleased with the 2.4 and 5Ghz performance.

I'm running the Shibby Tomato firmware on it, which allows me to use it as an OpenVPN server and I've also got it running whole home ad blocking via the Clean, Lean and Mean Adblocking script.
 
#10 ·
Thanks folks.

@Exdilbert: good to hear someone who has run it, as an AP.. which is what I will be doing initially..

For money, etc.. I think I will get the N66U... I can always change down the road again IF I need to.
 
#11 ·
ASUS claims the RT-N66U has an algorithm to increase wireless range. It certainly has excellent range compared to other routers. I haven't tested any third party software on this router so it's unknown how well it compares. On other routers, I have experienced instability with third party firmware on the 5GHz band.

I've also tried increasing the power with third party software on other routers. In my experience, it doesn't make a lot of difference. It certainly was nowhere near the increased range provided by the RT-N66U using stock firmware.
 
#13 ·
Another two thumbs up for the N66U.

I run the Tomato based Shibby firmware.

Things I like.

WINS server. No more issues with my stupid DNS-323 trying to take over the role of master browser.

Tor: Still playing with this but I like the idea.

Per device traffic analysis and logging.

My 2.4 N device max out at 300Mbps (it is a 300 Mbps device). That was a total 'happy' surprise. 2.4 coverage is great.

USB shares.

UPS support
 
#14 ·
@four
I don't really plan on using the USB on this unit at all for shares/external access, etc.. as I have a full server for that already in place at home.
So.. not overly worried about that. Will be updating the firmware, etc anyways just to be safe.
As well... that I will be setting this up in AP mode at least to start.. should make it immune to a lot of that anyways. (as its not external facing at all).

Hopefully will be all fixed, when/if I choose to re-do my networking setup, and changed to Bridged mode, using the full router functionality.
 
#15 ·
Any comments on if / how often this router drops out? I've got a Cisco E2000 that - when it's not running smoothly - suffers drop-outs several times a day, anywhere from a few seconds to as much as a minute, on both the wired and wireless connections.

On top of that, watching videos can often be frustrating, with frequent interruptions due to buffering.

I originally thought the issue might have been with my TekSavvy ADSL connection and/or modem, but I've confirmed that everything's fine on that end, and I get a pretty solid ~13-15Mb download speed.

I've read good things about the RT-N66U, which I'm currently eyeing as a replacement (I just missed it on sale at Staples for $129, so I'm waiting for the next sale). But I'm curious to know if drop-outs are a "fact of life" with routers, or if the E2000 is just a piece of garbage.

Or are there settings in my current router that, if changed, could resolve the drop-out issue?

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated. :)
 
#16 ·
I replaced my almost 10 year old WRT54G with an Asus RT-N66U last year and have been extremely happy with it. I'm running the Shibby variant of Tomato on it and it's been rock solid.

One of my favourite features with running Tomato on it is the OpenVPN server, which I use whenever I'm on a public wifi network.
 
#20 ·
I run the RT-N66U upright on its included stand. No heat issues with it. Some Cisco/Linksys routers also run quite hot. That can be fixed by placing a couple of stick-on feet under the back of the router to improve air flow.

eljay, you might want to try DD-WRT on the e2000. If it's a heat issue, the stick on feet fix may help. Those fixes might make it last until the next RT-N66U sale. The RT-N66U is a much better router all around than the e2000 and it can also run DD-WRT. I haven't found the need to switch firmware with the RT-N66U though. The RT-N66U has been replaced with the RT-AC66U for compatibility with AC devices. That might provide better future proofing.
 
#22 ·
I got a Netgear Nighthawk,
AC is well worth the upgrade, got an AC card for my laptop for like $35, it's almost as good as a wired connection, way faster than N
love it for large file transfers, and backing up files to my desktop,
 
#23 ·
Most of my wireless devices, are not doing file transfer.. are a lot of handheld ones.. streaming at most (which seem to be fine currently with N)

My boss has the netgear nighthawk.. he seems to like it (other than some of the flakeyness around the media server part of it)
 
#27 ·
A couple of days ago, I bit the bullet and picked up an RT-N66U for $150 at F.S. It was was extremely easy to set up, and it has a very user-friendly GUI that's miles ahead of the one on the Cisco E2000.

So far, not a single drop-out, and with the router installed in the west-facing office on the second floor of my ~1,900 sq.ft. house, I'm getting a pretty steady ~13Mbps* on my laptop in the east-facing HT in my finished basement. :)

(*I have TekSavvy's HIGH SPEED DSL 15 package.)

I just finished watching about twenty minutes of Metallica's "Francais Pour Une Nuit", streamed from YouTube in 1080/60i (IIRC). Very cool. :cool:
 
#28 ·
I picked mine up on Friday.

I am on Rogers, 30/5 package, non bridged, router as an AP. On my old e2500, pulled 25ish on a speedtest, wireless in the same room.
With the N66U, everything else the same, pulling now over 30 on a speedtest (same as a wired connection in the house).

AP mode was easy to set up, uses the wan port.

MUCH better range. 2 spots in the house, I fluxuated between 1-2 bars on the 2.4ghz (5 wouldn't work in those spots). I now get 2 sold in those spots, on the 5ghz.. 2.4 is prestine. I can pretty much get even to the front of the driveway now :)
 
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