ASUSAC1900 WiFi Router (RT-AC68U) - Dual Band Gigabit Wireless Internet Router, Gaming & Streaming, AiMesh Compatible, Included Lifetime Internet Security, Adaptive QoS, Parental Control

I purchased this router in August of 2015. I am using the stock firmware (updated). Since purchasing it, I've had very few issues (which I'll go over later). Setup was quick and easy. I literally plugged my cable modem in, along with the machines I wanted wired into the network and it worked. Very little setup was involved.For the wired network, I have 2 PCs wired in, a Xbox One, and a Playstation 4. Connecting wirelessly, I have multiple cell phones, a tablet, a smart thermostat (Ecobee3), a laptop, a PS3, a wireless printer, and an Xbox 360. At no point have I had network disconnects occur due to the router. It has handled all network traffic lightning quick like a champ.I live in an 850 sq ft single story house. The router is centrally located, and I have found that I can still connect via the wireless from across the street. Mind you, this is with the transmission power turned down (more on this later also).I've been very impressed by this router. Especially since I upgraded from an old school Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router (WRT54GL) due to my router not being able to handle the bandwidth that a modern cable provider provides. Using the stock firmware, it is highly customizable. Despite being highly customizable, it is simple enough for the average user to be able to setup without needing advanced tech support.The only issue that I had with this router was connecting my HP Photosmart wireless printer to the wireless network. Changing out my old router for the new one and going through the setup, it seemed like it should be a simple affair. It was not, and it took me months to figure out that I needed to 1) Buy a USB cord (A-Male to B-Male) 2) Hook the printer up to my PC using this cord, and then install the HP software. The router administration pages made it seem like this wasn't needed and that I just needed to download the ASUS software. Had I looked at the HP documentation instead of the ASUS documentation, I probably would've been fine. All in all, the issue was mainly on me. I will say that ASUS's documentation was a bit misleading (in my opinion). I can't fault the router for that though, so no stars have been taken off.Transmission power: Earlier in the review, I stated that the range on this router is pretty strong despite me turning down the transmission power. Some would ask "Why would you turn down the transmission power? Doesn't that hurt the range or signal?". In my opinion, the default settings for this router's transmission power is excessive. For those not in the know, transmit power is a unit of power measured in milliwatts for the transmitter. The higher the power, the more milliwatts being used by the transmitter. Now, think of your average car. Would you want to put stronger fuel in it than what is needed and recommended for your use? What would happen if you continually used fuel that is stronger than what you needed?The short answer is: Nothing good.The long answer: You would be cutting the lifespan, along with the reliability. You *may* see a temporary increase in performance, or you may see a decrease because you pushed things too hard. You are more likely to see issues the higher the level you push things.All in all, I recommend testing different transmit power levels. I seriously would recommend cutting your transmit power down to fit only what you need it to, and not increasing it beyond the defaults. Those that have reported short lifespans of their router, transmitters dying, or overheating most likely left the settings on default or raised them even higher. If you want this router to last a long time, cut the transmit power down.Updated review:It's now been about 5 - 6 years with this router and it's going strong still. I now have my laptop hardwired along with a PS4 and Xbox Series X. I'm on a 800 Mbps data plan with Xfinity (using my own modem) and consistently will get speeds over 900 Mbps at times (wired). Speeds aren't as strong over wireless, but I also have *a lot* of noise in the house (Philips Hue bulbs, Nest front door camera, smart locks, tons of Google / Alexa devices, along with other wireless cameras, etc.).I am now in a house that's a bit larger (1,057 sq ft with a basement) and the range still works throughout the house and the yard. This router is a workhorse! I've upped the transmission power a little bit (to the default settings), but I don't think it really was needed.I will say that I wasn't getting my full speeds for awhile due to not having the right settings. As with any router that you own, this can be a factor in your speeds - so if you're not getting the promised speeds hardwired to your router (but are getting them hardwired to your modem), it's time to do some troubleshooting. All in all, despite the numerous other routers available since this one came out, I still highly recommend this one due to it being such a workhorse.

I bought this three months ago; wish I had found it years earlier:I have a serious 16yo geek / gamer whom, if allowed, would FIND a way to stay up all night and play games and do who knows what else.This router has solved a significant issues we face as parents with the Parental Controls issues:First, I debated for a while to give it five or four stars --there are a couple of things I do not like. However, overall it has been great. My biggest problem was my kids, and their abuse of the Internet at night, too long gaming, etc. I did try other expensive routers and returned them. This one does get them in their beds, away from the Internet at whatever time I set --and, once you get over the relatively small learning curve, is relatively easy.I am by trade a geek. However, this message is NOT intended to be written at that level --even though this router has tons of features that would please even the geekest. This message is to PARENTS whom, IMHO, are very obligated these days to guard their children and whom typically need a way to stay ahead of technology and to protect them. . . this router, in addition to other tools, is a significant layer in the defense of our children.Asus accomplishes Parental Controls by several methods: Time controls (that work) per any connected device; filters that effectively eliminate PORN and even messaging / file sharing, if desired, etc. Asus brands this by what they call "AI" controls (not sure what that stands for) also, their Firewall controls / website blocker works well, too. "E.g., when my kids stumble in school, I have entered "WarCraft" in their case in the firewall blocking which stops that problem in its tracks until the grades come up. . . Good. Worth the price of admission for just that! :-)The learning curve, for even non-technical parents, I cannot imagine how it could be easier. But there is some learning to it. Primarily, this is done by typing in the IP address of the router in your browser, typically 192.168.1.1 and loggin in, Then, going to the "AI Controls" screen, seeing who is connected, and applying whatever restrictions you desire on that specific connected device. It works, (I love the time settings) and again, isn't that hard to do. Once mine saw that they cannot get around this, they started getting good night's sleep, etc.My geek sons did eventually figure out how to SPOOF their "MAC" addresses (it isn't that hard to do) (A MAC address is the unique identifier for each device, and is shown on all screens and can be faked or "Spoofed") But, if you monitor this with some regularity, you can see when this happens as foreign-to-you addresses start popping up That is solved by some extra work, by applying an extra layer of "Filters" in the "Wireless" section that allow only specified MAC addresses to access the Internet. (a "white list" I call it) Asus helps you by associating MACs with machine name when, when possible, when you go to the screen to set this up. (I wish they had called it "whitelists" vs. "blacklists" and made it some easier. Be aware that at times I have had to go spend a few minutes and dig up a MAC address, e.g., for my NEST thermostat, so that it can get out, too --the price of raising kids these days. And please let me say again that all this is well worth it for the kid's sake. . .In addition to the parental controls, the geek in me likes the range of this device --how far it gets out. We live in a three story townhouse, and range has been an issue for us. . . Today, this router is on the first floor, I am currently on the third with four bars (2.4Ghz) The 5Ghz DOES reach up here, but not as well (the nature of 5Ghz is not to reach as far) Throughput is great; and I do NOT have to reboot this device very often. Other features, (there are many; I have barely scratched the surface) are there, but I haven't had time! (another cost of having teenagers :-) ) If I do get time, some of the USB storage features would be next; also the VPN feature set is built in IF I ever need to adjust settings from outside my home. .(my first shallow attempt to do that failed, but I am sure it was my fault) .PROS:- Parental controls --far superior to others I tried (the "Open DNS" approach [ i.e., NetGear], IMHO, is not satisfactory. Again, this router has fairly easily solved this which WAS a very-large problem for us- Reliability: First router and I haven't had to reboot a lot.-Range: great-Feature set: Far superior to most anything I have seen. Geeks can have a field day with all the stuff in the feature sets--Instructions / Ease of setup and operations: Overall, were great-Support: Recent firmware upgrades have been regular and helpful; I can tell Asus is on the job supporting this routerCONS-Price. Obviously I think it is worth it --for my kids-Asus, why in the world cannot I add additional SSIDs to my 2.4Ghz for example??? (not a huge deal, but was a point I debated to kick this down to four stars)- Minor point, but even I had a little of a time figuring out the MAC Filter "white list"- need controls over the wired clients