Say hello to 802.11ax.
ASUS announced today that the RT-AX88U router is now available for $350. (opens in new tab). The router is among the first to support Wi-Fi 6, also known as 802.11ax, the successor standard to 802.11ac.
Wi-Fi 6 offers a variety of advantages, the most notable of which is an increase in speed and optimizations for managing a large number of connected devices through a single access point. The router also incorporates technology that divides data channels into subchannels, allowing for “up to 80 percent more coverage than previous-generation routers,” according to ASUS.
According to ASUS, the RT-AX88U offers up to four times greater network capacity and efficiency than its predecessor. According to the manufacturer, the router is capable of Wi-Fi speeds of up to 6,000Mbps, which includes speeds of up to 1,148Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 4,804Mbps on the 5GHz band.
The router itself has eight Gigabit LAN ports and two USB ports for connecting network storage devices or printers. It also includes the usual QoS and gaming optimizations so that you can prioritize traffic for particular devices as you see fit.
All of this is powered by a 1.8GHz quad-core processor to keep traffic flowing smoothly, and built-in support for ASUS’ AiMesh allows you to create a mesh Wi-Fi network throughout your entire home.
The ASUS RT-AX88U is available for $350 at present. Keep in mind, however, that while the RT-AX88U is fully compatible with all previous Wi-Fi standards, it will be some time before Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)-enabled devices such as smartphones and laptops become widely available.
