Which router to choose: Asus AX55 or AX56U?

Question

Hello,

I need your help in choosing an AX55 or AX56U Router? Which router will have better range?
I have fiber optic Internet 150 Mb / s, 53 m2 apartment with thick walls in an old building

Regards. Thank you in advance for your help

RobeMek · Answer

You will find out about the range when you start using it, it also depends on the devices that are connected, but for a small apartment it is enough that it will be mounted more or less in the middle. AX55 is enough.

Anonymous · Answer

It also depends on interference - mainly on the networks of neighbors.

KOCUREK1970 · Answer

Theoretically, both have the same, because the power of the wifi radio is regulated by law. Individual copies may behave differently when you mount them. No one here will remotely guarantee it, they won't tell you what to buy - you buy Sam and check how which one will work.

Anonymous · Answer

Looking at wifi, I would take 55 due to the number of antennas that give more freedom in creating coverage, as long as they are movable. Other than that, they look identical on wifi. However, which in reality will give greater ranges, it is impossible to predict.

But, if I were you, I would check what ranges of channels in the 5GHz band they support. Because if you have crowded air, the only rescue for higher speeds are DFS channels, i.e. those above 48/100 in the 5GHz band.

szymonit928 · Answer

I had Archer C6 some time ago and in terms of range it was worse than my old wr340g, which has coverage throughout the house, and the C6 did not have coverage throughout the house despite different settings, so I gave it back and now I would like to get better, but opinions on forums and the tests are different about ax55 and ax56u I live in a detached house and have no problems with interference I see that two types of antennas were installed in the ax56u model. I saw some rounder ones similar to those in ax55, and the other ones that I saw thick flat ones with the Asus logo on the antennas, but it is not known if this also translates into range? and it is not known after ordering, when I decide on the ax56u with which antennas I will get. Watching the ax56u and ax55 tests, ax56 usually has better performance and range, but also ax55 was better in some, I don't know what could be the reason. The only difference is that the ax56u has 256 MB Flash, 512 MB RAM, usb ports and only two antennas, but in some tests it has better range. In tests, the ax55 had unstable wireless performance in the 2.4 GHz network, while others write that the ax55 has better performance than the ax56u, so I don't know what will be better for me. I am currently using an old wr340g with one antenna and have coverage throughout the house.

KOCUREK1970 · Answer

@szymonit928 Order both copies online, you have 14 days to return it, choose what suits you. There is no point in asking even in stores what antennas or parameters have - descriptions are outdated, not to mention the photo. For them, art is art.

Anonymous · Answer

The problem is that each device will behave differently in each place - that is, have different ranges. It depends on the hardware and software of the device and the client that connects to it. In other words - all wifi tests can be treated as fiction or as SF. You can only compare by placing both routers in the SAME place and testing them with the SAME client. Two remarks here: 1. in each case, you rotate the antenna settings of the router so as to have maximum range on the client. 2. The client MUST be placed in EXACTLY the same measurement position at each router. Because I don't know if you know, but turning a smartphone or a laptop can change signal levels by even a good few dB (and even a dozen or so in the wrong configuration), which means drastic changes in range, and thus also in speed. Of course, there will probably be some differences in the ranges between them, but this is usually incomparably less impact than the conditions I described above.

Anonymous · Answer

You have. The fact that you don't have neighbors through the wall is a plus, but everything affects the WiFi signal interference: the construction of walls, ceilings, other devices working in the WiFi band and those not working in the WiFi band. Even the very location of the AP in the house will affect the propagation of the signal. [edit] I see that Colleague _cheetah_ has already shed some light on the situation with WiFi and with tests.

szymonit928 · Answer

It is possible that the ax56u was marginally better than the ax55, because in the first tests it could have been with thick antennas. I managed to determine that already all ax56u routers are sold with these thin antennas out of the box, and on the box and photos in the offers it still shows with thick antennas the same as the ax58u. The Asus ax55 is fresh and there will still be a lot of software updates, so the range will definitely improve. It seems to me that it is better to have these two antennas more, in which case the ax56u will let go. Tell me now, is it worth paying PLN 300 more for ax58u? you can see that it is strong in range, but it has a 3-core processor, weaker than ax55, and RAM and Flash memory the same as in ax56u

Anonymous · Answer

And you still believe in pears on the willow ... Definitely better. And 55 and 58 are, in my opinion, significantly oversized. Why would you want to pay for 802.11ax when you have a 150Mbps connection, for which, if you were stubborn, 802.11nw MIMO2x2 wifi could be enough? And 'ac' in MIMO2x2 is already with a large excess. If I were you, I would look for a router with MIMO3x3 or 4x4 in 802.11ac for your current link. Well, unless you want to buy in the future. But here I think it's worth considering - new routers come out every moment, with more and more possibilities at better and better prices. And as for the thick walls - if you have a lot of neighborhood networks and really good walls, there is a good chance that you will not jump in speed and speed on one router stability that you imagine after wifi. Did you at least check what kind of ether you have and whether it is possible to break through these walls in any sensible way? Sorry, what do you see???

szymonit928 · Answer

I'm probably oversensitive, because I tested the Archer C6 in such a way as you wrote and compared to my old wr340g it was very poor, but it's possible that I got a defective piece, I don't rule it out. I checked, I only have one neighbor and no other devices, so I don't have crowded ether. I set it to a free channel, but the Archer C6 behind the other wall was breaking the connection and even the video on Youtube could not load. The signal -86 dBm and dropped to -89 dBm, where on the old TL-WR340G it worked without any problems, stably held -68 dBm, and nothing jammed in the same place. In the ax58u and ac86u tests I saw. The Asus ac86u had better wireless performance, but still the ax58u fared pretty well against it.

Interesant · Answer

... You had something misconfigured in Archer C6, e.g. the SSID name common to 2.4GHz and 5GHz, maybe you thought that 2.4GHz would break you, ps. the last update improved some things in C6, but not everything.

szymonit928 · Answer

The last update I used in C6 was from January 23, 2020 - 1.2.1 Build 20200110 rel.60119, because I had Archer C6 a year ago and I haven't bought any router so far. I remember how in the same room as Archer C6 on p20 pro it reached max - 114 Mb / s, and behind the other wall when the signal dropped to 1 Mb / s, where in the same place with the wr340g connected it was about 30 Mb / s I configured and changed the bandwidth, channels, etc., but I remember that on 2.4GHz and 5GHz it was similar, and I tried different settings, I also changed the SSID name for 2.4GHz and 5GHz, set the antennas in different positions, nothing helped.

Interesant · Answer

... There have already been three updates on the way... Although there were cases with malfunctioning radio on 2.4GHz ... There will always be a shorter range on 5GHz - a shorter wave...

Anonymous · Answer

You're not oversensitive. TP-Links tend to be able to set the levels of wifi signals at much, much lower levels than the permissible emission power. They can reduce the emission power by up to 30dB. Which, of course, then results in catastrophic range drops. They just have it - this is how anti-collision and optimization algorithms work for them. In other devices, it is extremely different, so the situation when one router transmits with powers close to the maximum allowable and the other sows very weak signals is the reality of wfi. Hence the range differences. The problem is, as I wrote earlier - you never know in advance how which router will be set up in a given location. This can be verified by measuring wifi signals in the immediate vicinity of the router / AP - let's say up to one meter. At the maximum allowable power, the measurement should show levels around minus a dozen or so... twenty dBm. Relatively good levels are about minus twenty or so... thirty dBm At levels of minus thirty ... forty dBm, the ranges start to be short, with signals below minus forty dBm, a complete tragedy begins. So in general, the client should be better than -65dBm level to have high speeds and interference distance >20dB . This is the effect of setting routers on different output powers. It seems that the WR had about 25dB higher levels than the C6. Typical, you might say. Levels of -85dBm are the fumes of the wifi signal and it's no wonder that you didn't have the speed.

szymonit928 · Answer

Of course, you are right, Just pre-ordered ax55 and it's already in the shop. Could you advise me on this second router for the test? then I will be able to choose the one that will be better, e.g. this ax56u, ax58u or ac86u? Or maybe something else? I have no idea. Or maybe not to mess around and take only one ax55 at once? and as you wrote, new routers with more and more possibilities will come in, then I will buy a second one at most.

Anonymous · Answer

There is no chance to predict these ranges, so there is no way to advise sensibly. I don't know, maybe try something from netgar, edimax.

By the way - ac86u seems to support DFS channels, which in blocks is sometimes decisive due to the crowd of neighboring networks.

szymonit928 · Answer

Yes, DFS has ac86u and ax58u. Ax55 and ax56u do not have. In the ac86u and ax58u tests of the ax58's wireless performance at 30ft, the speed dropped significantly. And is it true if, for example, my devices support the WiFi 802.11ac standard, even if I change the router to WiFi 6, my devices will work more stably than with the WiFi 5 router? Reading various tests, they often mention it.

Anonymous · Answer

And do you have somewhere written what channel range exactly? I don't know, I don't know these tests, but here's the physics - if two devices transmit with the same power, their ranges should also decrease. It's physics - attenuation of RF signals is governed by frequency and distance. There may be some difference if there is a difference in receiver sensitivity for UL. Then there may be a difference in ranges. In addition, as I wrote earlier - anti-collision and optimization algorithms may work differently in different types of routers, which of course may affect the level of emission power when increasing the distance between the router and the client. As above, I do not know what these tests are, so there is no way to refer. But, differences in stability may come from differences in the design of the chipsets sitting in the devices. Not guessable. And, as usual, the matter of optimization and anti-collision algorithms. Summing up - theoretically there should be no differences between routers, but in practice it can be arbitrary. I think that the producers are also cunning - if the router will reduce the power level for reasons only known to itself, making the connection annoying - its unfortunate owner will have a greater desire and need to buy an AP or MESZ to complete the set. From a practical point of view - if the router does not get satisfactory results at a given distance and obstacles, it simply indicates that an additional AP is needed.

szymonit928 · Answer

I can't find anything in detail about DFS in this model, on some forum someone added a picture of ac86u So it turns out that if you buy a cheaper one, e.g. ax55, you will have to buy another ax55 or ax56u for AiMesh sooner or later, or maybe it's better to buy a more expensive ac86u or ax58u right away And how long would ac86u be enough for me? will it not be too old, generally the router from 2017. WiFi 5 is no longer future-proof.

KOCUREK1970 · Answer

Each router lasts up to 3 years after the manufacturer's support ends. People write alternative soft, and thus extend the life of devices no longer supported by the factory, but not every hardware is suitable for alternative soft.

Anonymous · Answer

It's not bad, it only lacks the latest UNII-3 band, but this band has really little, including customers. As I wrote, the DFS band in blocks is sometimes the only rescue. And this is what the full 5GHz band looks like now: This is the eternal what for how much dilemma. Unfortunately, no one will be able to advise you responsibly here, you have to decide for yourself. Oh, life teaches you that you can work on equipment for a very long time until it breaks down. Here, however, what may be more dangerous is what @KOCUREK1970 wrote above, i.e. the lack of support, patching the errors found in the software and improving security for wifi. It's not future-proof, but it will last for a long, long time for home use. The ax standard was developed mainly for very fast transmissions, for which you need to have very fast links - several hundred Mbps or > 1Gbps, and clients who can handle it. And it's far from that. In addition, very fast ax requires very good signals and a lot of MIMO, so it will be a while before such client equipment will become a permanent fixture in homes. Summing up - for me, at the moment, ax at home is mainly for gadget lovers. Instead of 'ax' I prefer 'ac' with maximum MIMO. And I would wait for the future for wifi6E equipment with the 6GHz band, because it will only make noticeable differences, especially in blocks.

szymonit928 · Answer

Ac86u is still supported, last update from 2021/04/28, but for how long it will be unknown. Unfortunately, all prices have returned to normal, so ax56u now costs PLN 549, ax58u PLN 769 and there is still ac86u for PLN 599 and ax55, which I managed to order a week ago, so I can only decide on ax55 or ac86u.

szymonit928 · Answer

I picked up the Ax55. The signal has -65dBm, in the same place the Archer C6 had -89dBm, so it's better, but only slightly better than the wr340g, i.e. it can get a much better signal, but it jumps a lot and is unstable, so what they wrote in the tests is probably true. What would you do if you were me, would you replace the ax55 with an ac86u? because I have the option.

Anonymous · Answer

And how about interference after wifi, i.e. with neighborhood networks?

If you haven't done wifi diagnostics - do --> https://www.elektroda.pl/rtvforum/topic3158772.html
Preferably InSSIDer (Win), possibly Wifi Analyzer (Android).
One measurement DIRECTLY at the router
Subsequent measurements in typical places where mobiles are used.

And post the screen accordingly: https://obrazki.elektroda.pl/4257484200_1454694642.png / https://obrazki.elektroda.pl/9695492800_1454695020.png

ATTENTION : When using a laptop or smartphone, you need to orient it spatially (rotate) at each measurement point so that you always have the maximum signal at the measurement point. This is very important, because by changing the orientation of the phone or laptop in relation to the direction of the router / AP, the differences in signal measurement can be VERY large.

If the 5GHz band is empty - it could be ax55, and if it's clogged - ac86 with DFX could be better.

szymonit928 · Answer

I did the diagnostics as you wrote, only WiFi Analyzer in places where I sit most often. Behind the second wall, the signal jumps so much that it's hard to even take a screenshot with the best result. I did the diagnostics first with auto settings, and then changed the channels and channel band, so I chose the photos with the best signal. Directly at the router, 1 meter from the router and in a room where the router: Behind the first wall: Behind the second wall: Behind the third wall:

Interesant · Answer

... In the TP link, if it is yours, you have something mixed up, because in the G standard it sets up the connection and move it from 6+10 to 9+13 (40MHz). Then set Asus to channel 3.

szymonit928 · Answer

TP-Link is not mine, but a neighbor's. I checked on all channels, I also changed the channel band, but I chose the photos with the best signal

Anonymous · Answer

The router transmits well, although you get terribly fast level degradation as you move away from it, but maybe that's how it works with the client.

The signals behind the first wall are already on the reception limit (-60...-65dBm) for 'n', especially on the wide channel (40MHz). -70dBm is not enough, although the speed could still be bearable, but there is no reasonable margin for level changes.

The signals behind the other wall are already below the required levels, so you can't count on the maximum speed, as well as problems with the stability of the connection may begin if the router swings the levels.

Behind the third wall, there are only fumes of signals, maybe a connection with a good client.

Summing up - if it's so bad at 2.4GHz, it will be a complete disaster at 5GHz, because the signal levels may be lower than those at 2.4GHz by several, several dB. And the higher the speed ('sc'), the greater the demands on signal parameters.

And why didn't you measure at 5GHz at all?

To think about what reasonable speeds on 5GHz behind these walls, additional AP would be needed. I'm writing right away - for MESH your levels are already too weak - you would probably have to give a few satellites.

Which router to choose: Asus AX55 or AX56U?

How can I choose between an Asus AX55 and AX56U for better Wi‑Fi range in a 53 m² apartment with thick walls?

Topic summary

FAQ

Quick Facts

1. Which router actually gives better range, RT-AX55 or RT-AX56U?

2. Do four antennas on AX55 really help coverage?

3. Will Wi-Fi 6 improve stability for my older 802.11ac devices?

4. When do DFS channels matter?

5. How can I compare two routers at home without lab tools?

6. Why did my Archer C6 show –86 dBm while an old WR340G held –68 dBm?

7. How much speed do I lose after each wall?

8. Firmware life cycle: how long will Asus keep updating these models?

9. Should I pay €300 more for RT-AX58U instead?

10. Edge-case: my AX56U antennas became loose—now no signal. What replacement works?

11. Can I just add a mesh node instead of changing routers?

12. Does router CPU speed affect Wi-Fi range?