Nathan Rizzuti, dedicated to Gadget Review for over 4 years, specializes in home entertainment technology and purchasing decisions. Outside of work, Nathan finds solace in playing bluegrass. With 50 months of consistent contributions at GadgetReview, Nathan’s expertise lies in navigating the realms of home entertainment technology and aiding purchasing decisions. His insightful articles, such as “Oh Ballers of Pittsburgh, Where Art Thou,” reflect a unique perspective that resonates with readers.
The Asus RT-AC66U is a middle-of-the-road dual-band home router that issues fast upload speed and reliable connections However, it doesn’t come with a dedicated app for configuring settings.
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Table of Contents
Product Snapshot
Overview
The updated dual-band mesh Asus RT-AC66U was released in 2018, providing many features found on today’s best routers. The three antenna router operates on an 802.11ac and 1GHz dual-core CPU, capable of reaching max speeds of up to 450 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 1,300 Mbps on the 5 GHz band. In terms of memory, it holds 256 MB of RAM. It also has download speeds that measure in at 233 Mbps on 5GHz and 88 Mbps on a 2.4 Mbps.
The router comes with a web interface for users to manage a handful of security features, parental controls, upgrade firmware, and network prioritization. The router also comes with a total of two USB ports and four LAN ports.
Consensus
our Verdict
The Asus RT-AC66U is a lower-tier dual-band mesh-supporting router for home use. It delivers strong upload speeds, asests confirm that the router delivers speeds of 109 Mbps (2.4 GHz band) and 322 Mbps (5 GHz band), in both respects, this puts it in the top 25% of the category. However, the router doesn’t support MIMO and has poor download speeds — 88.4 on a 2.4 GHz band and 233 Mbps on a 5 GHz band. The 5GHz speed ranks in the bottom 10% of our certified tested list of router reviews, while the 2.4 GHz speed ranks in the bottom half. Additionally, the router also has a limited connection range of 26.1 meters.
The router itself is easy to set up. The process takes users around ten minutes to install, and this can be done via a physical CD or through a web interface where they can select parental controls, manage security features, and create network profiles. However, there is no dedicated app, which can make it more difficult to configure settings. The router also has good connectivity, offering one USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port, and four three LAN ports with link aggregation.
ReasonS to Buy
Good Upload Speed
The router’s upload speeds are impressive and work well for general use in smaller homes, as tests show they come in at 109 Mbps on 2.4 GHz and 322 Mbps at 5 GHz, which are both in the top 25% of the category.
Easy to Setup and Configure
Setting up the router is painless. Users can choose to install software via a CD or by using the web interface. The process takes about 10 minutes.
The interface also allows for easy configuration, such as setting up any of the six available guest WiFi networks, managing network storage, and parental controls.
Reason to Avoid
Subpar Download Speed
The ASUS RT-AC66U does not excel in creating hyper-fast performance for bandwidth-intensive activities. Tests show that at on a 2.4 GHz band, download speeds max out at 88.4 Mspb, which is in the lower half of the category. At a 5 GHz band, speeds max out at 233 Mbps, which is in the bottom 10%.
Limited Connection Range
The router’s connection range tests in at 26.1 meters, which is in the bottom 25% of the category.
No Dedicated App
Unlike many routers, there’s no app for setup or configuration, which can irritate users who like controlling devices with their phones.
Limited USB Ports
There’s not a lot of room to connect external devices, as the router only comes with one USB port.
The updated dual-band mesh Asus RT-AC66U was released in 2018, providing many features found on today’s best routers. The three antenna router operates on an…
The updated dual-band mesh Asus RT-AC66U was released in 2018, providing many features found on today’s best routers. The three antenna router operates on an 802.11ac and 1GHz dual-core CPU, capable of reaching max speeds of up to 450 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 1,300 Mbps on the 5 GHz band. In terms of memory, it holds 256 MB of RAM. It also has download speeds that measure in at 233 Mbps on 5GHz and 88 Mbps on a 2.4 Mbps.
The router comes with a web interface for users to manage a handful of security features, parental controls, upgrade firmware, and network prioritization. The router also comes with a total of two USB ports and four LAN ports.
While the Asus RT-AC66U is designed for home use, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 is built with gamers in mind. At 233 Mbps on the…
While the Asus RT-AC66U is designed for home use, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 is built with gamers in mind. At 233 Mbps on the 5 GHz band, RT-AC66U B1 has slower max download speeds than the ROG Rapture, which maxes out at 549 Mbps. However, the RT-AC66U has a longer range, which reaches up to 26 meters before dropping out, whereas the ROG Rapture maxes out at 18 meters. For more on this brand, also check out our ASUS ROG GT6 Mesh review.
The ASUS Blue Cave AC2600 has a shorter range than the ASUS RT-AC66U. The AC66U has a connection range of 85 feet, whereas the Blue…
The ASUS Blue Cave AC2600 has a shorter range than the ASUS RT-AC66U. The AC66U has a connection range of 85 feet, whereas the Blue Cave reaches about 125 feet. But in terms of speed, the Blue Cave provides a higher download speed on the 5 GHZ band, which is 242 Mbps, while the AC66U has a peak of 233 Mbps. The AC66U also works better for connecting external devices, given it has 2 USB 3.0 ports compared to the Blue Caves lone USB port. Both are oriented for at-home use, but the RT-AC66U works better for large homes. For further research, we also have an ASUS RT AX86S review.
The Eero 6+ is a great dual-band home WiFi router that has a very high 5 GHz download speed of 444 Mbps, compared to the…
The Eero 6+ is a great dual-band home WiFi router that has a very high 5 GHz download speed of 444 Mbps, compared to the Asus RT-AC66U, which peaks at 233 Mbps. The Eero 6+ also has an easier setup process, given that users can create networks and manage settings through the dedicated smartphone app or web interface; the ASUS RT-AC66U only offers a web interface for setup and settings management. However, the ASUS is much better for supporting external devices, given it has 2 USB ports, whereas the Eero has none. For best speed performance, such as gaming, the Eero is the way to go, but the ASUS is more handy for general home use. If you want to continue learning more about routers, check out our article covering AImesh vs Orbi.
The Asus RT-AC66U improves in the previous RT-AC66U in a few ways. To start, the speed of the newer RT-AC66U B1 is much better, offering…
The Asus RT-AC66U improves in the previous RT-AC66U in a few ways. To start, the speed of the newer RT-AC66U B1 is much better, offering 233 Mbps speeds, whereas the original maxes out at 174 Mbps at a close range. The newer model’s web interface is also more up-to-date, performs at faster speeds, and has enhanced features, providing a quicker setup. Ultimately, the RT-AC66U B1 is a better but pricier option that works better for larger homes.
