Trying to decide which would best suit my needs. I know the built in processor is dual with the 68u over the single with the 66u. The 68 is currently $135 and the 66 is 89. I get around 500 mbps with our cable modem currently. Couple of phones, a computer, and 1 fire stick will be about the only wireless devices that will be present. The blue iris pc, Roku tv and Xbox are all hard lined in. Does the 68 justify the price difference in my situation?
Asus AC66u vs AC68u
- Thread starter redman19
- Start date
If you ever add more devices, you will want the better processor, especially if you plan on utilizing the built in VPN.
SouthernYankee
IPCT Contributor
I have an RT-AC66U and an RT-AC66UB1. the B1 has a dual core. I have been very satisfied with them. I use the non B1 as an Access point, the B1 is my router. I use the stock manufacture software and have the VPN set up. I also have a usb disk drive on the access point that I use as a network disk drive.
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The B1 is what I have sitting in the cart right now and thought it might be a dual. Based on that any reason to drop more on the 68?
Maximo101
Getting the hang of it
I'm not sure on the 66, but I have the 68 for years and an really happy with it. It handles the dual WAN so I have a failsafe internet connection, with 3x wired AP connected, 2x switches, nas, nvr, some separate ip cameras on Wi-Fi & dozen or so devices half wired and half wifi devices.
At the time I bought it I didnt use half the features, but over time I didn't need to upgrade as it did all I needed and more.
At the time I bought it I didnt use half the features, but over time I didn't need to upgrade as it did all I needed and more.
Attachments
Did you mean to say 'Dual Band' or 'Dual WAN'? Both of my AC68U's in Mesh config, don't have the ability to accomodate 2 WAN's as there is only 1 WAN port on these. A router that will Accomodate 2 WAN's with failover is the Synology RT2600. This is what I'm currently using and it will switch from Xfinity/Comcast to WOW internet or vice-versa, should one of them fail.
If I'm wrong on the Asus Dual WAN part, please correct me.
I do not think you will find many dual WAN routers in the consumer class that also have WIFI.
You are correct. That's why I went with the Synology RT2600. It's pretty full featured with MESH WiFi, Threat Prevention and Safe Access packages that help a bit with safeguarding network security. One big problem, is they do not yet accomodate VLANS within the router. You have to do it externally in a switch, which is not that big of a deal really.
Maximo101
Getting the hang of it
It has dual band, as in a 2.4ghz & 5ghz wifi networks (running the same ssid), and does have dual wan; one wan port and usb connections.
E.g.. Optus 4g wireless broadband using AC800s usb modem connected via usb port is main connection giving me 100/40 speeds and NBN fixed wireless using d link modem connected via WAN port giving 45/5. Yep that's Australia's national broadband network, outdone by 4g techology....
You can setup as both connected at the same time with 'load balance' and assign which devices use which connection via dchp table, but I have it setup in failsafe mode where it will switch over from main to backup if connection is lost.
I also run that d link with a separate ssid and connect a couple of devices to it, but the majority are on the main network.
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Nice. I was not aware you could do this via the USB port. I wil look more into how to set that up. Thanks!
Wow man, my lying eyes, You know I just checked mine and sure enough, I guess I never looked hard enough just because I never saw dual Wan Interfaces on the router itself. Also Its not really advertised as such either. Very nice to know.
Mission Critical Internet connection, I have clients who use web based software for there business, They cannot even take a X-Ray without a Internet connection, all eyes and ears are lost if it goes down, No Charts, No Checkout, No credit cards. BYW That router would not be the one I would use for business situations.
Maximo101
Getting the hang of it
As i said i never used much of the features for years.
I haven't used the VPN in the router as I just run it on my main pc when required, but the option is there direct in the router.
Now since we are still locked down in Victoria Australia.... if internet goes down for a day I can't work remotely, so I have a back up internet. The money I'm saving on petrol covers the 2nd internet, and since March when we first got locked down, I've had the backup kick in on 4-5 occasions where I would have lost a days worth of productivity/ pay.
When things go back to normal I won't indefinitely run dual wan though.
I haven't used the VPN in the router as I just run it on my main pc when required, but the option is there direct in the router.
Now since we are still locked down in Victoria Australia.... if internet goes down for a day I can't work remotely, so I have a back up internet. The money I'm saving on petrol covers the 2nd internet, and since March when we first got locked down, I've had the backup kick in on 4-5 occasions where I would have lost a days worth of productivity/ pay.
When things go back to normal I won't indefinitely run dual wan though.
Based off your reply I went ahead with the AC66uB1. It should do everything I need it to do. It will defiantly be set up over the current arris modem router combo I have now. Finally on my way to getting the system set up, now to read through that dual NIC setup thread again!
HaHa..Backup Internet, what is that?..most of us in the States are lucky to have 1 provider service us, If Fiber ever came up my street, I would dump Spectrum in a heartbeat. We do have satellite providers but not worth it to me.
Maximo101
Getting the hang of it
We only generally have NBN, and even though I'm 800m away from a fibre node I'm put on Fixed Wireless where off peak I get 40mbps download 1mbps upload (and they cut our copper phone lines so we have to use voip), in peak times it's like 5-12 mbps (microwave backhaul congestion at the poi) which can't even have 2 streams of Netflix going, can't game online.... so i cancelled that 4 years ago and switched to 4G wireless which uses mobile data... so much for the billions of dollars investment our Govenment did to give us third world tech which was outdated before it was even complete.... the adsl2 I had prior was at least a constant 15mbps/5mbps.
So instead I use 4g which gives 80-120 mbps download / 40-45mbps upload. As stated, I only re activated a 'backup' internet with NBN since 'covid'.
Back on topic, the Asus is a great router
Man and I thought the internet we had at the office was bad. 5 computers, 5 voip phones and a nvr running on a converged 6 mb system. That’s almost golden compared to the setup you have to deal with. Thankfully for us we go to a 250/250 system on Thursday with fiber and do away with our inefficient system.
And no worries on the slight topic derail. I learned something new today. I had never really considered dual incoming services. I would imagine there are a number of settings that this is implemented just never had occurred to me.