ASUS RT-AX1800S Dual Band WiFi 6 Extendable Router, Subscription-Free Network Security, Parental Control, Built-in VPN, AiMesh Compatible, Gaming & Streaming, Smart Home

ASUS RT-AX1800S Dual Band WiFi 6 Extendable Router, Subscription-Free Network Security, Parental Control, Built-in VPN, AiMesh Compatible, Gaming & Streaming, Smart Home 

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Customer reviews

CoastingOregon
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent hardware despite misinformation in the manual and quick start guide
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2018
Style: AC1750Pattern Name: RouterVerified Purchase
Edit: I changed the rating to 5 stars from 3 because the router itself is really nice and quite effective in spite of some woeful errors and misleading information in the manual and quick start guide that made it frustrating to get it setup. See added comments below.

Wow. Yes, so far after spending some hours trying to connect and configure this router--it works well it seems. No, I'm not completely set up but things are working for some devices now. What's my quibble? Very little about the "quick startup" and the manual "quick start" instructions matched the actual router well enough to get off the ground. Astonishingly, tech support was totally unaware of what was not working and I had to stumble around while they were escalating to get into the setup menu by alternate means.

1. The URL for getting into the router's setup failed in Linux with two browsers. The browsers (chrome and firefox) changed the typed URL I gave it to a generic asus url. I could not get them to trigger the router's internal ddns to give me the setup software.

2. Chat help gave me a standard baseline IP to login: 192.168.1.1--didn't work. They couldn't understand why. It turned out that the router's internal initial IP was 192.168.1.50. Wow. Heads were spinning at Asus Help Chat.

I eventually got into the router's setup (while waiting for the "escalation agent" to arrive on the end of the line. Then, the setup menus were not as shown in the pdf manual on the disc that came with the router. It would be really nice if the folks that update the software would update the manuals before releasing it all to the world at large. Really bush league for a first rate hardware company like Asus. I have super Asus products that I think are first rate. I am shocked at how poor the instructions that came with this router were in spite of how good the router seems to be.

edit: it continues. There was a one sentence statement in a menu that implied that router login authentication could be more secure by making it via "https" so I clicked on it. Nope, locked me out until we agreed to reset to factory status by putting something in the pin-hole reset button. Bingo, 4 hours of setup disappeared but I was in again. Grrr. Totally inadequate documentation of what that would do and the inference that it was going to make logging in more secure. Grrr. The documentation of this device is well-intended but grossly out of date and also, it seems woefully inaccurate in some places where things get really important.

edit 2: I made this 5 stars because the router is really nice now that I've had 2 weeks to use it and tweak things. I should say that I have been dealing with multiple routers as technology has advanced for over 20 years. Overall, the menu system is good and reasonably well-documented within the router. The idea that the Quick Start Guide and the manual both failed to give me information that got me logged into the router from Chrome and Firefox within Linux is quite dismaying and a first for me. The idea that even Customer Support did not have the correct IP for logging into the router is astonishing. Logging in from Windows (which I almost never use) worked for the login url and I was then able to change the base IP to a value that fit the static IPs in my system.

Customer Support was earnest and polite. I was passed from a first line tech to a supervisor and the latter suggested a couple of things to get past the "https" lockout and then said I'd have to do the "pinhole reset." I assumed all along that I'd have to do that but was hoping not need to start over with setup which I had spent a while doing. However, the reset did not affect the firmware upgrade I had performed and I had notes for all the manually defined IPs and their corresponding MAC addresses and so redoing the setup went pretty quickly.

Performance: I had purchased the router because it was recommended by Nvidia support that getting a router with MU-MIMO capability was a good idea for enhancing streaming as well as one that was dual band. This router is 3x3 MU-MIMO and in addition it provides stronger signals from the other side of the house to my livingroom where the important wifi devices are located. Greater range would be overkill that only exposed my LAN to more of my neighborhood. Speed is great for streaming to my streaming box and Smart 4K TV. Three walls and about 40 feet of distance between the router and devices is no problem. I am still tinkering with the QoS settings to see how that affects things. I have yet to use the internal VPN and it was suggested by my VPN provider that for maximum speed with VPN I should stick with clients on my computers and individual devices since encryption and decryption may be demanding for router processors.

So....I can recommend the router strongly for those who can get past the hiccups imposed by the faulty documentation. I still have not explored what exactly was being suggested in the menu system about using https for better security in accessing the router menus and I doubt I check that box again any time soon. Changing the login username and passwords should be safe enough in my somewhat isolated location and moderately low tech neighborhood.
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Kelsey S
5.0 out of 5 stars If you’re a gamer or someone who relies on connection speed.
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2024
Style: AX3000Pattern Name: RouterVerified Purchase
I’m a gamer and remote worker, So I wanted Two things from this router. 1. was to get better Wifi and connection speeds/stability and with updated technology in general which means this thing has newer technology than what was available in my basic router that My ISP provides. 2. I needed options to see security and other features not available to me from my other router. So I got that and then some. With the ability to customize my router settings unlike with my ISP router I was able to setup the newer technology in the Menu. Which is the router settings page. Firefox worked perfectly and connected to the router immediately. The router setup was easy but I was cautious. It prompted to UPDATE FIRMWARE which I and almost everybody recommend just make sure theirs no other programs running on the PC. I used Asus recommendations on their website for best security. I couldnt mess with these settings on my old router because my ISP locked down the page. I would recommend this if you need a more reliable router than your ISP provides. Its much better, trust me. I instantly saw the speed increase and it doesnt buffer at all when watching TV or on PC. Very smooth. So the gaming is far better experience than before. Im getting better latency in games like MW3 which has terrible servers to begin with. Sure you can’t get rid of the packet burst completely because of this. But this helps very much and Im glad I bought this. In the future who knows I might get something better and use this for its mesh capability. So there is that option. But honestly I couldn't ask for much more. Just make sure you research and turn off certain features that you dont need. Asus has recommendations that should help even in the settings page UI. Side note, I love MSI and ASUS boxes their nice quality.
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scuba steve
5.0 out of 5 stars NOT made in China. Fast, excellent security.
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2023
Style: AX1800Pattern Name: RouterVerified Purchase
You can verify everything written here is true with a quick google search. Talking to you, Amazon.

While ASUS does source some production to China, ASUS is a Taiwanese company and the sticker on the router states “Made in Vietnam”. I’m inclined to believe that. The product origin on this page states “China” but I doubt, and hope, that’s not true. You may not think it matters, but it does more than you might know.

Most consumers only care about speed and affordability when it comes to routers, but it should be security at the top of the list. All your data flows through your router, including personal and financial data. Security flaws in your network can also affect neighboring networks around you. If you buy a cheap router based on speed capability alone with security flaws built in, either intentionally or not, you’re basically paying to be hacked, or for your neighbors to be, or possibly unknowingly being a conduit for attacks on your entire country. It has happened in the past, it’s still happening, and will continue to happen.

Most routers today are produced in China. Even companies based in the US produce there and it’s very hard to find one that’s not made there. The problem with routers made in China is that ultimately, businesses there are controlled by the CCP government, not the business owner. This allows their government to implement whatever they want in their exported tech and products. It’s why some of their tech companies like Huawei have been banned in numerous countries. Routers made in China from brands like Wavlink which are sold in big retail stores across the US have been found to contain hidden back doors and intentional security holes and vulnerabilities to malware like Mirai. Basically open doors for hackers. Some of these back doors have been used in the past to launch cyber attacks (Mirai botnet) on the US which caused major network outages, as well as in other countries. From a cybersecurity perspective, these look a lot like “trial runs” to me. But speculation and paranoia aside, why take the chance on inviting that kind of tech into your home? It wasn’t an isolated, one time event when these back doors were discovered, and it was with various routers and companies out of China. Again, all this is verifiable with the slightest amount of research using credible sources.

I have tried some routers made in China. I could tell they had horrible security just by using the app, or during setup. One was capable of remote access, yet the option to turn it on or off was non existent. It didn’t even ask during set up and the option was nowhere in the app. Remote access should always be turned off, unless you need to access your router from outside your home, which is rarely needed for the average user. If it’s on, it’s just an unnecessary access point open for hackers to attempt access. It might have been possible to check by connecting directly to it using the Web UI, but instead I just returned it and went on the hunt for non-Chinese routers. It took a lot of research since there aren’t many, but finally landed on this one.

I am much, much happier with this ASUS router and it seems very security focused! There are numerous security options available in the app, and also asks you about remote access during set up. It has AI Protection by Trend Micro built in (included free of charge) which constantly monitors your network for viruses and intrusions and even blocks harmful websites. You can also monitor all connections and traffic through the app. There are even additional apps you can download for more functionalities.

As for speed, WiFi 6 is awesome. This thing is lightning fast to my previous ISP provided router and much more stable. If you’re not familiar with WiFi 6, it’s not really a speed booster. It provides a more stable connection though, even in very signal-congested areas such as apartments or offices where there’s numerous routers and networks overlapping and causing interference. This more stable connection will often times yield higher speeds. Your PC and various hardware must be WiFi 6 capable to utilize it, but there are cheap and affordable USB adapters available to enable it on your PC if it’s not already capable. Aside from that, the 5GHz signal is stable and fast, even without WiFi 6. 2.4GHz is not bad at all either. There are options in the app to monitor what’s connected at all times and you can even limit bandwidth to certain devices, or ban them from connecting completely if you want to streamline your connections.

There are a lot more features to this router, which are easily accessed from the app which appears extremely robust compared to the anemic apps I used with the Chinese routers. Those seemed like toys compared to this. I haven’t tried Ai Mesh, but it is yet another useful capability of this router.

Completely happy with this router based on speed, stability, capabilities, and most of all, security!
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toni
5.0 out of 5 stars easy set up
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2024
Style: AX3000Pattern Name: RouterVerified Purchase
I was a little nervous about changing my router I had a Netgear router, and it started to give me problems with having to reboot every day manually, I installed this router and had it up and running within 10 minutes, and it seems to be working great I have 32 smart devices installed on the router and not having any problems, also a nice feature you can set a schedule to automatically reboot at a time that is best for you, I have nine set for Sunday at 3 am.
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N5S-Matter
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent affordable replacement for rental ISP device
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2024
Style: AX1800Pattern Name: RouterVerified Purchase
I'm just started year 2 of a 2 year promotional plan with my ISP. 500 Mbps for 49.99. That included the modem and a WiFi6 router. So, my last statement the payment went up, even though I'm "locked in" to a promotional price. That did not sit well, so I bought this ASUS router, and returned the ISP one. It lowered my bill beginning the next cycle, and the device is a lot more flexible, and not monitored by anyone but me.

As for the Router, I've had a number of ASUS products over the years, and at least two other routers. I wanted to maintain the WiFi6 speed of the ISP router, so I needed an upgrade from the routers I already own.

Setup was super easy. I followed the directions and they were accurate about connecting the device, powering things on, accessing the router via IP address, updating the firmware and the setup of the network security. It read the ISP modem specs and set things up automatically, which is easier than my previous routers. I created the same SSID name and password, and all my IOT devices, Roku's, phones and computers connected right away.

Speed has been fully or slightly above the rating of my plan, and the signal range is better than the ISP router, which had two internal antennas. I have had the ASUS for 31 days now. It is connected to a UPS for power consistency, and I have not had to change anything or reset the device even once. Very good.

If you are looking for an affordable, mesh capable WiFi6 router with built in security and an extensive but easy to grasp settings menu, you could do far worse than this one. Definitely one I would recommend.
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Stephanie
5.0 out of 5 stars Beats the ISP provided router in every way
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2024
Style: AX1800Pattern Name: RouterVerified Purchase
We have had over 10 different techs out to our place over the past year to troubleshoot poor connectivity. They've done everything from managing the box outside, ripping out and replacing cables in the walls and attic, swapping the router/modem several times and nothing consistently helped. Finally caved and bought my own router. The difference has been night and day. No packet loss, no random disconnections despite the modem having internet access, no getting interrupted in the middle of online exams..... It's been awesome. And with the money saved from renting a router, this thing pays for itself in 10 months. Easy decision.

The setup was quick and easy but you do have to install their app. The interface was fine on the app and everything was easy to navigate. I looked around for a while before settling on this one and it works great.
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Kudjo Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars So far so good!!
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2024
Style: AX3000Pattern Name: RouterVerified Purchase
I've had the ASUS AX3000 WiFi 6 Router (RT-AX57) for a month now and so I figured that would give me enough time to see just how well the router is holding up.

Originally, I was using the router provided by my ISP but at some point it just started periodically going down and would have to restart the router every time this happened.

The router is pretty old as well so I was thinking about getting an upgrade(wi-fi 6) from my ISP but after reading some comments on the community page, it seemed you had to have a certain internet speed in order to get the upgrade.

There was a recommendation to buy my own router and just put the new router in DMZ mode and so I decided I would go this route with the RT-AX57. Setting the router up was pretty painless with identifying the router on my old router being the most challenging part. Everything connected once I used their wizard and I didn't have to do any additional setup for the second router I've been using as an access point.

Since I setup the RT-AX57, I've only once experienced a slight drop in connection and just recently, I had to restart my second router but that has pretty much been the only two noticeable occurrences.

Things have been so far so good and I'm glad I went forward with the upgrade as the drops from the ISPs router were getting pretty annoying.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great price to use for AI Mesh whole-house coverage!
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2024
Style: AX1800Pattern Name: RouterVerified Purchase
I bought two of these from Amazon Warehouse and they arrived as ASUS refurbished units with V1.0 hardware.

I quickly learned, DO NOT follow any of the instructions if you want to set up AiMesh, and DO NOT use the app as it isn't set up (at this time) for AiMesh out of the box.

Sooo...what I found worked easiest/best/quickest was to connect the WAN port of the AX1800S to the LAN port of my main router (an AX-3000) and then log into my AX-3000. Right on the main screen it acknowledged the new AX1800S and was simply click to configure it for AiMesh use (your router's software may be different, so you might have to click the AiMesh tab to start the process).

Once it was set up, I disconnected the first AX1800S and then set up the 2nd one the exact same way (just to be sure there wasn't any configuration corruption between the two new units). I set them up for Ethernet backhaul as I have Ethernet wired throughout my home, and the WiFi is broadcasting the same SSID and password (none of this <network-EXT> crap). I made the guest network available on the AiMesh nodes.

After I had put everything physically in place and powered them up again, I went back to the AX-3000 screen to Administration and checked for firmware updates. Both AX1800S had a new firmware release showing, so I manually updated each individually (sorry, the picture is after I had updated the firmware, but shows you where to look).

For whatever reason, it took about 12 hours for the network to fully stabilize after it was installed, but it's been smooth sailing since then. My coverage is much, much better throughout the house and outdoors to my Ring cameras that would frequently not have Live views because of weak signal. My main router is downstairs with the new AX1800S units each close to the far ends of my upper level.

Aside from coverage, I wanted to have all of my Ring, Dots, Enphase equipment, smart plugs, etc. on their own network, isolated from my personal network, to help isolate their access to my everyday internet use and reduce the possibilities of a hack into my personal network from these devices (which, aside from Ring, really aren't updated very often for security). Will it actually help? I don't know, but I feel better about it!

Oh, also a super-cool feature is that as an AiMesh node ALSO acts as a physical network switch (hub), so you can use those 4 Ethernet ports for anything you want hardwired to your network.

Anyway, super-happy and very easy setup if you just plug stuff in and go straight to your main ASUS router!
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Double D
5.0 out of 5 stars Solid Router
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2024
Style: AX1800Pattern Name: RouterVerified Purchase
I upgraded from a Linksys EA7300. My motherboard is ASUS and my Gamefirst VI wanted me to have a ASUS ROG router. Gamefirst VI likes this router and it seems that I am getting significantly better network performance than before. It was kind of a cheaper one (it was on sale). Didn't have 400 or 500 dollars to spend on a router. Also, I like the configuration page, however it should function perfectly when you click apply. I was having to click apply multiple times. Perhaps a future firmware update could fix this.

(I have Xfinity and I am getting 839.49Mb/s down and 120.14Mb/s upload.

5 stars. Thanks guys.

(I wonder what a router worth 500 or 600 dollars would do [maybe one made by Google or something]).
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy setup, great range.
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2024
Style: AX1800Pattern Name: RouterVerified Purchase
Ordered this router to replace my ISP’s supplied on in order to take the rental fee off my bill. The ASUS Router app made setup a breeze, it only took 5 minutes and it was ready to go.

The wifi range and strength in my house has been improved dramatically. I paired this with an ASUS mesh signal booster in my kitchen, and now my entire yard has high speed wifi.

The directional antennas might be a gimmick, but I have them pointed at all the major wifi devices in my home(bedroom tv, living room, kitchen), and it seems to in fact strengthen the signal. Would definitely recommend this or any other ASUS router.

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