ASUS RT-AX53U AX1800 Dual Band Router Review
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Appearance - 7/10
7/10
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Features - 8/10
8/10
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Performance - 7/10
7/10
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Value - 9/10
9/10
Summary
The ASUS RT-AX53U is an excellent entry-level product that offers exceptional performance at an affordable price.
Overall
7.8/10Pros
-AiMesh supported
-Robust sturdy design
-ASUS AiProtection
-Budget friendly price
Cons
-USB 2.0 instead of 3.0
The new ASUS RT-AX53U router is worth a look if you’re searching for a fast, reliable, and reasonably priced router. For those who are on a limited budget, the ASUS RT-AX53U router, which costs RM318, is the ideal router. With Wi-Fi 6, it offers increased speed and signal range, but your devices must support it in order to make full use of it. The ASUS RT-AX53U is an entry level product that is perfect for your home network usage.
ASUS RT-AX53U Specifications
Network Standard | IEEE 802.11a IEEE 802.11b IEEE 802.11g WiFi 4 (802.11n) WiFi 5 (802.11ac) WiFi 6 (802.11ax) IPv4 IPv6 |
Antenna | External Antennas x 4 |
Transmit/Receive | 2.4GHz 2×2 5GHz 2×2 |
CPU | Dual-core (4 VPE) |
Memory | 128 MB Flash 256 MB RAM |
Operating Frequency | 2.4G Hz, 5 GHz |
Boost Speeds | OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) Beamforming: standard-based and universal 1024-QAM high data rate 20/40/80 MHz bandwidth |
Ports | RJ45 for Gigabits BaseT for WAN x 1, RJ45 for Gigabits BaseT for LAN x 3,USB Port x1 |
Buttons | WPS Button, Reset Button, Power Switch |
Power Supply | AC Input : 110V~240V(50~60Hz) DC Output : 12 V with max. 1.5A current |
Package Content | RT-AX53U RJ45 x1 Adapter x1 QSG x1 Warranty Card x1 |
AiMesh | AiMesh : Yes Primary AiMesh router : Yes AiMesh node : Yes |
IFTTT | No |
AiProtection | AiProtection : AiProtection Classic Malicious site blocking : Yes Two-Way IPS : No Infected Device Prevention and Blocking ; Yes |
Traffic Control | Adaptive QoS : No Bandwidth limiter : Yes Traditional QoS : Yes Traffic Monitor : Yes Real-time traffic monitor : Yes Wired Traffic Monitor : Yes Wireless Traffic Monitor : Yes Website history : No |
Wireless | IPv6 : Yes MU-MIMO : Yes Wi-Fi Encryption : Open system, WPA/WPA2-Personal, WPA/WPA2-Enterprise, WPA3-Personal UTF-8 SSID : Yes Guest Network : Yes WPS : Yes Wi-Fi MAC address filter : Yes Wireless scheduler : Yes Airtime fairness : Yes RADIUS Server : Yes Universal beamforming : Yes Explicit beamforming : Yes IGMP snooping : Yes |
WAN | Internet connection Type : PPPoE, PPTP, L2TP, Automatic IP, Static IP Dual WAN : Yes WAN Aggregation : No 3G/4G LTE dongle : Yes Port triggering : Yes DMZ : Yes DDNS : Yes Let’s Encrypt : Yes |
LAN | DHCP Server : Yes IPTV : Yes LAN Link Aggregation : No Manually assign IP address : Yes |
VPN | VPN Client L2PT : Yes VPN Client OVPN : Yes VPN Client PPTP : Yes VPN Server IPSec : Yes VPN Server OVPN : Yes VPN Server PPTP : Yes VPN Fusion : No |
Administration | Operating mode : Access Point, Media Bridge, Repeater, Router Operating system : ASUSWRT Free OS upgrade : Yes Firewall : Yes Wake on LAN (WOL) : Yes SSH : Yes Configuration backup and restore : Yes Diagnosis tools : Yes Feedback system : Yes System log : Yes |
Unboxing the ASUS RT-AX53U
There is nothing special about the packaging as it is a fairly straightforward square, thin box.
Inside the box, you will only find the ASUS RT-AX53U, some documentations, and all the necessary accessories in the package.
There are four long exterior antennas added to the generally basic, attractive, and well-built design.
The first thing that comes to mind when I see the design from above is the Star Wars Destroyer space ship. I know there are no physical similarities, but it is what I first thought of.
The I/O ports on the ASUS RT-AX53U consists of one WAN port, three Gigabit LAN ports, and one USB 2.0 port.
The ASUS RT-AX53U is not particularly large or bulky. The antenna is fairly long though, which will undoubtedly help with signal range.
Performance
The fact that the ASUS RT-AX53U is entry level does not automatically imply poor performance. Using my 300Mbps connection, we’ll see at what distance Wi-Fi performance begins to drop.
The test is performed using my laptop and an ASUS USB-AX56. In the same room as the ASUS RT-AX53U, it effortlessly delivers the full speed of my internet connection.
Even after moving to my hallway which is blocked by one wall, Wi-Fi performance is still superb with only a slight speed reduction.
Moving further away to my kitchen which was obstructed multiple walls, the speed decreased more noticeably. However, at this distance and with multiple walls blocking it, 145 Mbps is still rather good, making it suitable for UHD streaming and gaming.
As is already common things, every ASUS Wi-Fi 6 router comes with lifetime AiProtection by Trend Micro to safeguard your home network from threats. If you use the internet frequently and download a lot of data, this function will stop phishing or malware sites from infecting your devices, so just enable it.
Verdict
The ASUS RT-AX53U is a fantastic entry-level product for those who with a tight budget. With value-added capabilities, it can deliver quick Wi-Fi performance while preserving its reliability. Currently, the ASUS RT-AX53U is not compatible with ASUSwrt Merlin firmware, which is renowned to offer advanced firmware customization and extra features. Still, the ASUS RT-AX53U performance with the standard firmware is adequate for handling your home network.