Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 gaming router
Taking networking to the next level
PRICE $ 695 www.asus.com.au
Asus’ Republic of Gamers team aren’t known for doing things by halves. And with the release of this router, they’ve really outdone themselves. Sure, it’s crazy expensive, but it’s built with so much bandwidth and future-looking technologies that this router is going to last you several years at least.
First, there’s the fact it’s a tri-band router. The 2.4GHz network runs at 1000Mbps, while the twin 5GHz networks run at 2167MHz each, hence the AC5300 designation, which is the total of all three networks. It’s also fully MIMO ready, unlike many routers which are currently being sold as “MIMO support in future firmware updates”.
Looking like a robotic spider with eight different antennae, the internal configuration is a 4x4 transmit/radio configuration. There’s also eight different Gigabit Ethernet ports, along with twin USB 3.0 ports. These can be used to connect an external hard drive, turning this device into a NAS, or a printer, making it a centralised print server. Two of the Ethernet ports can be connected via Link Aggregation to double the speed to a PC equipped with similar tech.
The main CPU in use is the Broadcom BCM4908 64 bit quad-core, which churns along at 1.8 GHz. This is backed up by a huge 1024MB of RAM, along with another 256MB of Flash memory. The 2.4GHz network is supplied by the BCM4366E 4x4 2.4/5G single chip 802.11ac SoC, while each 5GHz network is powered by the new BCM4366E 4x4 2.4/5G single chip 802.11ac SoC.
As a gaming router, detailed Quality of Service features are included to prioritise games and streaming, but these can be altered manually by the incredibly deep user interface. While it’s easy enough to setup, there are hundreds of options for networking nerds to really tweak this router to their delight.
One final call-out is the inclusion of AiProtection, which would normally set you back $300 alone at JB Hi-Fi. Asus has included this three-pronged method of virus protection, originally created by Trend Micro, as part of the package. This works in three ways; firstly it scans your router for any loopholes or weak settings, and encourages changing these. Then it uses Trend Microsoft’s WRS and DPI protection to ensure no nasty packets are making their way into your network. Finally, it uses mitigation to detect if your PC has been infected with zombie-ware, by collecting a log of connections to these hostile servers.
We copied a 1GB file to a laptop at
there are hundreds of options for networking nerds to really tweak this router to their delight
a range of about ten metres, with a concrete wall in the way. On the 2.4GHz spectrum we measured 632Mbps down, 415 up. On the 5GHz network we measured 925Mbps down, and 917Mbps up, making this one of the fastest damn routers we’ve ever tested.
If you want the very best, and can afford it, this router comes highly recommended. We’d probably suggest it more for network aficionados, but even novices will be able to make the most of its benefits. BENNETT RING