Asus RT-AX55 Wi-Fi 6 AX1800 Dual-band Mesh Wi-Fi system
Asus RT-AX55 Wi-Fi 6 AX1800 Dual-band Mesh Wi-Fi system Router, Aimesh, OFDMA + MU-MIMO Tech, 1024 QAM, Trend Micro AiProtection Classic, Adaptive QoS, black
WiFi that Goes Farther
With the latest 802.11ax WiFi standard featuring OFDMA technology, RT-AX55 provides increased WiFi signal range and better coverage by dividing each channel into smaller sub-channels. These sub-channels have a smaller bandwidth that enables them to travel up to 80% farther1, resulting in a better WiFi connection throughout your home*.
Protection for your Home Network
RT-AX55 has lifetime free AiProtection Classic, powered by Trend Micro with automatic, regularly updated security signatures to protect your devices and personal data from internet threats. This strong security offers parental controls, including the ability to block specific websites and mobile app types.
Powerful Whole-home WiFi System. The Way You Want.
In most cases, your RT-AX55 can deliver smooth, reliable WiFi to every part of your home. But WiFi coverage can be affected by many factors — room layout, construction materials, and even furnishings. ASUS AiMesh is an innovative new router feature that fixes these problems: it creates a whole-home WiFi network using multiple ASUS routers. AiMesh is powerful, flexible and you can use a mix of ASUS router models — protecting your investment! AiMesh gives you time-saving central control, and seamless roaming capability. AiMesh is WiFi you can rely on — for all your devices, all the time!
| Dimensions: | 18.44 x 27.55 x 28 cm; 374 Grams |
| Model: | RT-AX55 |
| Manufacture: | ASUS |
| Dimensions: | 18.44 x 27.55 x 28 cm; 374 Grams |
| Origin: | China |
Setup was super easy and I was impressed with the feature set, but after a week of use it completely died and then came back to life again on its own an hour later despite me trying alsorts in between. It’s definitely good for what it is but makes me nervous about its longevity
Bought this to join my other ASUS router to create a mesh system – easy and great speed and coverage
I purchased this based on Dittoma’s review and I could not be happier. If you’re reading this , thank you so much. Reviews like yours are the ones that count and really help in making a decision.
Setting the router up was a doddle, set the username and password, set the 5ghz and disabled the 2.4ghz , saved the settings.
This router is secondary to our Virgin superhub 3.0 and connected to my pc upstairs via a very long ethernet cable.
I’m getting full speed now on my upstairs pc , with my TP Link archer 50 c1200 I was only getting 75mb/s out of the 270 mb/s available, with this Asus I’m getting full speed!
Connected my Quest 2, logged into the router and connected instantly. Fired up Half Life Alyx, increased the data speed to 150 and it worked fine so increased it to the max 200 and it works a treat. The game runs super smooth , not noticed any stuttering and the game is on ultra settings. RTX 3060, Intel core i5 9600k cpu.
Brilliant stuff. This router is a vr game changer for wireless Airlink Quest 2 pcvr gaming.
Assus never let me down. Great router, easy config. Good signal strenght and speed.
Don’t dislike anything. Idiot proof setup through the Asus App. Get one, future proof and lifetime cloud protection.
Plugged this into the mains next to my existing router, opened the ASUS app and went into AiMesh and it found this router straight away. Took about 5 minutes to connect, then took it downstairs and extended my wifi signal to offer good strength to my firestick. Was then able to do the firmware update on the router, all with only plugging this new router into the mains.
Incredibly easy to set up as a node on AiMesh.
Good value for money and works brilliantly with my existing Asus kit. AI Mesh from Asus (I have three router/repeaters) allows a great WiFi signal throughout the house and into the garden.
Has taken me about an hour of troubleshooting to get the RT-AX55 to be recognised as an AiMesh node I would like to add. Then once I had added it, it took some more troubleshooting before it would actually add it.
This is what worked for me.
I hard reset the node using guidance from the Asus website:
ASUS router Hard Factory Reset – Method 2
1. Turn the router off.
2. Press and hold the “WPS” button and turn the router on.
3. Power light is on (keep holding the WPS button).
4. Release the WPS button after the power light is off.
5. Reboot your router by manually pressing the power button.
I followed the advice of VISCHAN on YouTube, and connected new device between the LAN port in my Asus RT-AC86U (which will act as my router) and the WLAN port of the node RT-AX55.
I then reset the new device, not hard reset, just pushed the reset button the back.
On router.asus.com, clicked on AiMesh, clicked on search for the node to the right of this page, and it found it.
I then added the node by clicking on the picture of my new device, but the circle went round and round for 10 mins on 0% progress. So I clicked on the icon at the bottom of the page which said add AiMesh node and strangely it refreshed and the progress moved off of 0%.
I have now updated the firmware, and shall move the device to the back of the house to see how good it is at boosting my WiFi.
We have success! We now have coverage from our garage which is why we bought this additional router. Just watched Netflix and loaded Zwift, perfect!
The LEDs are not too bright, the antennas angles are flexible enough. I have it standing flat like a tall book slotted into a bookshelf.
The only complain I may have is I wish the power adapter cable is longer. It will allow more flexible placement if this router.
Initial set-up was a little fiddly, out of the box it needed a firmware update which initially bricked the device requiring a factory reset. Once that was sorted it took some time to get various smart home devices to stick with a preferred node instead of flip-flopping between nodes causing brief outages, but the blame for that doesn’t really lie here.
Asus mobile app is great for configuration and setup, although the desktop browser interface is still a bit easier to work with.
Has been working flawlessly for months now, getting my full internet speeds up and down on devices connected to this node, which has allowed me to move my son’s PC into his bedroom away from the main router without impacting his gaming.
I bought this to replace my official Starlink router and it does a fantastic job. Set up was easy and I get really good speeds all over my house. There is a cool smartphone app with lots of features and settings and it even supports my VPN service from the router itself which can be turned on and off from within the app. Super happy
I’ve bought this router to replace the wifi AP function of my broadband provider’s (Plusnet) router. I live in a small, one bedroom flat but the Plusnet router struggled (during video calls) when I went from the living room – where the router is located – to the bedroom. After a couple of weeks I had enough and I ordered this Asus router. I love it! It was really easy to setup and it works like charm. I’ve had no problem with this so far!
This is the cheapest wifi 6 router in the Asus RT series. The next router up is the AX56U. As with most new Asus routers setup is very easy. It doesn’t have a modem so you cant connect any telephones lines to it. If you have an old modem router or one supplied by your ISP then simply plug them into one of GB Lan ports with the Lan cable that’s included, and you’re ready go. Wifi coverage is very good and good overall speed. Had this for three weeks and performance is excellent. Haven’t rebooted it once. Doesn’t over heat, the CPU is 1.5ghz, RAM is 128 MB there is always 50MB free in the system.
Two weeks later I bought another one of these for a mesh network, because my telephone line is at a corner of my house with the modem and the router has to sit there. The second AX55 sits in the centre of the house. First AX55 picked it up as a node with no problem although you have to initially set them up next to each other. Its a dual band router so the node shares the 5ghz bandwidth with your devices. Looking a the router stats most of my devices connect to the mesh node, this then relays the radio signals to the main router and I find there is no lag in internet speed.
Overall works well as a stand alone router or as mesh network.
I bought this for the sole purpose of it being a dedicated router for my quest 2 for airlink and it’s amazing. I previously used the TP Link AX1800 and was very happy with it ( I’m based in the U.K. and TP Link AX routers work fine for airlink ), But I saw this on sale and after a group of people on discord said this was their router of choice, I had to try it out.
It is noticeably better than my tp link and performs better in every area too. Needless to say my TP Link has now been retired and will be a back up.
One tip my IP address that appeared in windows for this router did not match the actual IP address for me to log into in and change the settings for the router. I downloaded the app from ASUS and it gave me the correct IP address and then I was able to log into the software and tweak its settings. Other than that minor hiccup, I cannot fault this router!
If you want an amazing airlink experience for your quest 2, look no further, you have found the ideal dedicated router for it!
I bought this as an add on to my Virgin Hub 3. Put my virgin router into Modem mode & connected this Asus Router to provide my Wi-fi & LAN. Wi-fi is much improved & even turned off two boosters I had. Big improvement without costing sn arm & a leg.
If you’re here for a dedicated router for Quest 2 VR streaming (e.g.: Virtual Desktop) then you’ve come to the right place!
CONTEXT
YouTuber “Virtual Panda” made a video titled “The Best Router for Oculus Quest 2 Wireless PCVR with Virtual Desktop”, where this was the mid-end router recommended for using streaming services to wirelessly use your Quest 2 so I picked it up to check it out… and I’m SO glad I did!
Whenever I’d use Virtual desktop, my Network latency would be the biggest bottleneck ever! My previous setup was the following:
ISP router –> TP-Link AC1200 –> Powerline Ethernet –> PC, Ethernet
and
ISP router –> Quest 2, 5GHz
Even though the connection to 5GHz was strong, the router clearly was struggling with all the traffic. With a network latency of around 30ms, I’d have to turn every single setting to its absolute minimum, or have a latency of 200ms. It was awful.
PURCHASE/RESULTS
Then I bought this router and I was a bit concerned that since the ethernet was powerline passthrough, which DOES decrease the speed a little, that this router would not work. I’ve never been more happy to be wrong!
This router clearly does what it needs to! I can currently run medium settings (simply because my PC isn’t SUPER beefy with a GTX 1080 instead of any of the RTX series) with a REALLY high bitrate and no perceivable lag (note, there IS still lag of about 30ms but as long as you’re not doing Beatsaber it’s practically undetectable).
The following is now my setup
ISP router –> TP-Link AC1200 –> Powerline Ethernet –> RT-AX55 –> PC, Ethernet
and
ISP router –> TP-Link AC1200 –> Powerline Ethernet –> RT-AX55 –> Quest 2, 5GHz
Note: I’ve also disabled the RT-AX55’s 2.4GHz channel, and set the RT-AX55 in Access Point mode instead of Router mode. I saw some recommendations online to do this. I’m not sure if it’s necessary but it’s clearly working.
This has been the greatest investment for my Quest 2 that I have ever made. I’m no Facebook fan and have no loyalties to any brands or channels mentioned at ALL, but I spent so long doing this research that I understand the frustration and worry around spending money on something that might not work.
SUMMARY
I’m sure this router isn’t for everyone. Maybe there are better routers out there with better functionality for a larger number of connections and devices. But here is the summary for this device, 2 questions and 2 answers:
Q: Is this router for everyone?
A: I honestly do not know, I’m sure it depends.
Q: Is this router a good choice for Virtual Desktop/Would I recommend this to other Quest 2 users for wireless play/Is this router worth the 90 I spent on it?
A: (Provided you have some way to connect it with ethernet to your primary router, like a physical Cat5e cable, or with Passthrough solutions) 100% Absolutely!
Grab this router, plug it in, set it up on the app on your phone, connect your quest to this router, and have fun!
P.S.: Maybe it’s because I’m using a Quest 2 instead of the CV1 I was using before, but streaming gameplay on discord saw NO performance decrease! Maybe that’s the headset, this router, or both, but my friends could watch me game over the internet incredibly well! (Note: I had some trouble with this; make sure the StreamVR overlay’s setting to “always be on top” is disabled, and that the game is fullscreened when you run it. Then choose the “Stream” option in the BOTTOM-LEFT of discord when your VR game pops up, NOT the “Stream application” option in the middle of any discord calls your in. It should all work then 😀 )
A delight to set up. Quick and easy when these things are generally a nightmare. I was open to using this as my main router but really the signal strength is no different than my existing router. Perhaps there is a better 5ghz range on this one, but if you have concrete walls, I see no real difference in use. So I am now using this as an access point and so far there are no issues.
Bought 3 of these to set up in an AI mesh configuration. Took less than 5 minutes to set each one up and it works flawlessly. The App is great to monitor performance. Equally very easy to set up. I would highly recommend.
First one received from Amazon Warehouse (i.e. had been returned and repackaged) was DOA – Still waiting for refund at time of review. Decided to risk buying totally new one and this works alright. Am using it as wireless mesh extender. House is big and old with thick walls. Quality is better (i.e. jitter lower) and 5G band extends further than previous setup when at far end from router.
The app worked easily to add as an AIMesh extender (unlike modem setup!). Leaving the key connection functions on Auto is recommended unless you have good reason not to.
I got this as a warehouse deal for 80, features are good and range is a bit better than my ISP router (which is a good one). But I felt like I wanted more so ordered a RT-AX56U, which is so much better, night and day that is the one you want, better features and as the reviewers tests claimed a significantly better signal.
I was going to return this 55 but thought 8 better keep it and use as an aimesh node now our WiFi is perfect throughout.
Bought this to upgrade the Virgin Fibre router that came OEM with our fibre optic installation. The router provided was not very good (no signal right next to the box) so I upgraded to this. Fantastic choice. Easy set up, very good WiFi range (even in the garden), simple GUI, loads of extra settings for those worried about security or more technically minded. Overall great product.
I went from 76mbps download using standard BT equipment they give you to 186mbps. I definitely didn’t expect that kind of performance change.
I had a bit of difficulty getting connected with the app for setup but that was the phones fault wanting to automatically connect to default WiFi. It’s not the prettiest thing to have in the hallway but the performance is flawless.
I bought this to expand my AiMesh network from my Asus ROG router over the Ethernet backbone. It works perfectly and seems to be seamless with it’s wi-fi handover. Great product at a great price.
The router overall is good and works well in all aspects, except when I’m on VPN.
I have VPN on a wireless pc and if activity is high it disrupts the router and other pc’s on the network lose connection for a few seconds.
I have 100MB internet connection and an app that needs 100% connectivity, running on a couple of wire connected pc’s. If my wireless pc have more than 10MB downloading through the VPN I get connection error messages from my other computers and my wireless pc stops downloading for a few seconds. Looking around it maybe because the router has 256MB RAM and can’t handle the load? This would be barely noticeable if it wasn’t for my apps and connectivity resumes within seconds.
Update: I’m starting to think it maybe a connection problem with virgin and not the router.
I am so glad I did and so glad Amazon let me try it. This router from Asus was pretty much plug and play. Turned WiFi off on the Sky router. Lan port to Wan port could not have been easier. The WiFi coverage all around the house is outstanding, I really wish I had bought this a longtime ago. I use WiFi 6 Ax band for my Oculus Quest 2 Virtual desktop. If your on the fence buy this router. Thanks ASU’s and Amazon for the returns option. It’s got a 3 year warranty and hopefully I’ll never need to test that.
Update. Sadly the first one broke after three weeks. 2.4ghz band just kept dropping. So far new one is going well
Brilliant signal, and lots of different setup modes available.
I got this to improve the WiFi in the house as the Sky router just isn’t good enough.
I set it up as a WiFi access point with a static IP address and plugged it into a port on the router… Worked straight away.
Haven’t managed to use this in router mode yet but this is an issue with Sky as it isn’t possible to set their router into modem mode.
Great produc
To paint the context, I live alone in a flat, so that’s the use case (single user, small space for Wi-Fi signal). I was having issues with my standard Vodafone router in terms of the Wi-Fi strength and even the speed over ethernet dropping out from time to time and thought I’d give this a go.
The router looks great and runs great too! The user interface is really nice and even for a non networking technie like me it was easy to set up and configure my network.
This model of router isn’t the highest end listed, but you don’t need the highest end model unless you’re running an insane number of devices or looking to have signal over a super large house. I’d recommend this model if you can get it in stock, even if you have lots of devices. Instantly improved my Wi-Fi signal strength and the consistency of my network over ethernet.
Good product with free included security options. Interface is simple to understand but not as configurable as a Draytek. Wi-fi signal is much better than my Draytek 2860n+ router. Still using Draytek for the firewall with ASUS used as an AP
After reading up on AI Mesh I have to say I was a bit dubious, however I’ve bought a pair of the RT-AX55 and the result is awesome! After plugging in the first one and testing I was getting almost full speed everywhere only dropping to the 150Mbps at the furthest points in my house. I plugged in the second one with very easy setup to get the mesh working and I’m getting almost full speed everywhere, only dropping to just below 200Mbps at worst.
For the price of these routers they are excellent and I wish I had splashed out earlier to upgrade, I’ve resigned my trusty old RT-N56U along side my 14400Kbps modem in the loft!
My parents had had big trouble getting reliable wifi signal in their house. The wifi would also cut out completely whenever the microwave was turned on. I bought them a TP Link Archer C7 AC1750 but it didn’t show much improvement over their existing Sky router.
This router has solved all the problems – Skype calls work smoothly even in the far corners of the house, and the microwave no longer impacts connectivity.
I have around 15-20 devices connected at any one time between wired/wireless. I seem to permanently be using around 80-85% of the RAM, the CPU never seems to go above 15% on any one of its four cores and that’s with four people streaming TV/games at once.
Setup was a piece of cake, just needed my ISP login details then connected up to my ISP modem/router set to bridge mode. The options screen on PC and Android app are very clear and easy to use to access features like parental control and see what’s connected. I can’t really see anything to improve there – more functions than I will ever need. You can set up 5 VPN profiles (i.e. multiple locations) and switch on/off via the app or PC which is good if you have a smart TV that can’t run a VPN on its own. I only wish it was possible to be able to select certain devices to bypass the VPN as the missus might get cross if iplayer doesn’t work (I understand some older Asus routers have a custom firmware that achieves this but this one’s new and it’s not yet supported).
In terms of the wi-fi signal, it is definitely better than my Technicolor ISP router. It was always acceptable but devices would switch between router and an extender at the back of the house (my router is unfortunately by the front door in a fairly large house). Nothing selects the extender now but I haven’t gained much straight line distance so still lose signal a little way into the garden. Two floors above the router my phone on 2.4GHz shows a 57Mpbs Link Speed and I’ve seen speed test results of between 30-40Mbps depending on devices (my connection is around 80Mbps). One floor above the router a 5GHz signal is only showing 3/4 signal strength in Windows. It’s more than adequate (around 48Mbps on a test) but I’m seeing the same strength from a neighbour’s router and I’d expect to see a ‘full’ icon.
I’m happy with the device and have no regrets. I’m in a house with a loft conversion and the signal is good throughout despite its less than optimal positioning. Were it not for needing a signal to a detached garage I’d have no need for any extender at the back of the house now.
I haven’t any alterantives to compare it to but my gut feeling is that it should be maybe 15-20 cheaper given the cheap feel or the hardware and lack of USB compared to cheaper alternatives.
EDIT – I bought another router to use as an Access Point for an Oculus Quest 2 which I prefer to use two floors up from this router. I got a Tenda AC1200 which is only 40. If all you want is better wifi then get the Tenda. At less than half the cost it produces a stronger wifi signal. It also has a USB port and ability to schedule the wi-fi to turn off which I thought was handy (edit: as does this Asus though it’s not immediately obvious being buried in heading marked ‘Professional). It doesn’t come close to the features of the Asus but for the average user it will be a great buy.