In terms of performance, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 ($449) is the first router in the new Wi-Fi 6 class, and it does not disappoint, earning a position in our list of the best Wi-Fi 6 routers, as well as our list of the best gaming routers. Performance is good at close range, but it increases with distance, allowing it to establish a new benchmark for people who wish to fill a big home with high-speed wireless Internet.
It’s true that the router is large and costly, but it’s also clear that if you want speed, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 review shows that it should be at the top of your shopping list. In terms of performance, this is one of the best Wi-Fi routers available for power users and gamers.
Design
The Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 is the first 802.11ax router we’ve examined, and it sets the bar high for others that come after it. The GT-AX11000 is an aggressively angular router with Asus’ Republic of Gaming (ROG) emblem illuminated in LEDs. It is not a router to be hidden away.
This router’s dimensions are gigantic in comparison to the TP-Link Archer C2300, which has dimensions of 8.75 by 7.5 by 1.5 inches, but it is roughly the same size as the company’s Archer C5400X. The eight screw-on antennae on the router may swivel and spin to direct the signal of the GT-AX11000 in the most effective direction, although they run the danger of appearing like a coat rack.
It features soft rubber feet to prevent your furniture from being scratched. In contrast, Asus engineers did not include any facility for mounting the GT-AX11000 on a wall in the design of the device. It was a good fit for a bookshelf.
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It uses Broadcom’s BCM43684 Wi-Fi chip to generate a tri-band 802.11ax network, which is also known as WiFi 6. It is powered by the BCM43684 Wi-Fi chip. There are 15 different 5GHz bands available, allowing it to make use of the most up-to-date wireless methods, such as Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), dynamic frequency selection, and orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA).
The chip is equipped with a quad-core 1.8GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and 256MB of storage space for firmware and configurations. It is a lightning-fast router, capable of theoretically pushing 4.8Gbps on each of its two 5GHz transmission bands and 1.2Gbps on its 2.4GHz channel, according to the manufacturer. It is capable of transmitting data at a maximum rate of 10.8Gbps to wireless devices equipped with 802.11ax technology. In contrast, because there are so few 802.11ax devices on the market, it will be some time before the GT-AX11000 – and other comparable routers – can achieve their full potential in terms of speed and range.
The GT-AX11000 router is a gamer’s dream come true, thanks to its low-latency design, which allows it to outperform the competition in alien attacks, medieval sword duels, and urban automobile chases, among other things. In addition to the device’s four downstream gigabit Ethernet ports, it also has a single 2.5G Base T Ethernet connector for individuals who prefer physical connections over wireless ones. With a maximum throughput of 2.5Gbps, this standard is only supported by a small number of gaming PCs. However, many chips that can take advantage of the speed bump are now in development.
On the front of the boxy router, there is a row of LED lights to indicate its status. They provide information about what is going on inside, including tiny lights for power, which bands are active, the WAN connection, LAN data transfer, the Wireless Protected Setup (WPS), and if the 2.5G connection is being used. In addition, there are controls for turning it on, transmitting via Wi-Fi, using WPS, and activating the Boost function. The system is equipped with a recessed rest button that allows it to be reset to its factory specifications and software.
Additionally, the GT-AX11000 provides the anticipated complement of four downstream gigabit LAN ports, in addition to its WAN broadband connection and 2.5G fast wired connection. There are also a pair of USB 3.0 connections for connecting a data drive or printer to the router for usage on a local network or for remote access.
Performance
The GT-AX11000 is equipped with the most recent Wi-Fi 6 specification, which allows it to transmit on two 5GHz channels and one 2.4GHz band. Overall, it is capable of transmitting data at up to a maximum rate of 10.8Gbps to wireless devices, making it one of the most powerful routers currently available.
The GT-AX11000 proved to be a capable gaming router when tested in our Utah test facility using 802.11ac devices and Ixia’s ixChariot software to mimic a busy network. However, it was not the fastest router available when tested. That honor continues to go to TP-Archer Link’s C5400X, which was able to provide up to 859.5Mbps at 15 feet, compared to 615.7Mbps for the GT-AX11000, a 40 percent performance difference between the two devices.
The GT-AX11000, on the other hand, provided 642.3Mbps at 5 feet, which was 14 percent lower than the C5400X’s 733.9Mbps. Neither, however, was able to keep up with the Archer C2300, which continues to be the fastest of the bunch with a maximum transfer rate of 939.6Mbps at 5 feet.
The GT-AX11000, like a marathon runner, found its stride far from the starting line, achieving 733.4Mbps of throughput at a distance of 100 feet. This outperforms the Archer C5400X (with 622.9Mbps) and the Netgear Nighthawk XR500 (with 622.9Mbps) (at 514.5Mbps). In spite of being 150 feet away from the other routers, the GT-AX11000 had 501.8Mbps available for gaming, streaming movies, and 4K videos, whereas the Archer C5400X and the Nighthawk XR500 could only manage 383.3Mbps and 342.2Mbps, respectively, at the same terminal distance.
In the real world, however, the GT-AX11000 had difficulty transmitting its signal over a metal wall barrier, only transmitting 444.3Mbps to the opposite side of the barrier. In comparison, the Archer C5400X was able to achieve 853.7Mbps, which is a little less than half of the total speed. While it performed better with the soundboard and ceiling barriers, with 807.2Mbps and 620.2Mbps accessible for devices, it still fell short of the Archer C5400X’s 832.3Mbps and 786.2Mbps available for devices, respectively.
With a range of 95 feet in my older 3,500-square-foot home, the GT-AX11000 came up just short of completely covering the space with Wi-Fi coverage. While the router provided coverage for an outdoor porch, a section of the basement remained without wireless connectivity. The Netgear Nighthawk XR500 Pro Gaming Router, on the other hand, had a range of 115 feet, which was significantly better.
Every day, I utilized the GT-AX11000 to do things like play games, view movies, and do the more boring household chores like sending emails and perusing the web. Its response time was superb, and it never let me down. It also passed my informal saturation test with flying colors. A Samsung Tab Pro S was used to transport files on and off a network-attached storage system while I was using the router to play an internet radio station on my Macbook while I was also watching HD and 4K films on a Surface Pro 3 and an iPad Pro. It performed well, with neither skips nor dropouts occurring.
When performing its data-intensive tasks, the GT-AX11000 never grew hot to the touch and consumed only 13.2 watts of electricity. That put it on a level with the 13.4-watt power consumption of the TP-Link C5400X, but roughly a third more than the 10.1-watt power consumption of the Linksys WRT32X. Overall, if you pay the national average for electricity (13.3 cents per kilowatt-hour), you could expect to pay an additional $15 per year in higher electricity bills.
Specifications
| Network Standard |
| Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) |
| Backwards compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi |
| Product Segment |
| AX11000 ultimate AX performance |
| AX technology |
| Yes |
| Data Rate |
| 2.4GHz AX: 4×4 (Tx/Rx) 1024 QAM 20/40MHz, up to 1148Mbps |
| 5G-1Hz AX: 4×4 (Tx/Rx) 1024 QAM 20/40/80/160MHz, up to 4804Mbps |
| 5G-2Hz AX: 4×4 (Tx/Rx) 1024 QAM 20/40/80/160MHz, up to 4804Mbps |
| Antenna |
| External antenna x 8 |
| Transmit/Receive |
| 2.4 GHz 4 x 4 |
| 5 GHz-1 4 x 4 |
| 5 GHz-2 4 x 4 |
| Processor |
| 1.8GHz quad-core processor |
| Memory |
| 256MB NAND flash and 1GB DDR3 SDRAM |
| Boosts speed |
| “OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) |
| Beamforming: standard-based and universal |
| 1024-QAM high data rate |
| 20/40/80/160 MHz bandwidth” |
| Operating Frequency |
| Tri-band Wi-Fi |
| Ports |
| RJ45 for Gigabits BaseT for WAN x 1, RJ45 for Gigabits BaseT for LAN x 4, Multi-Gig Ethernet port 2.5G/1G x1 |
| USB 3.1 Gen 1 x 2 |
| Button |
| WPS Button, Reset Button, Power Button, Wireless on/off Button, Boost Key |
| LED Indicator |
| Power x 1 |
| Wi-Fi x 2 |
| WAN x 1 |
| LAN x 1 |
| USB x 2 |
| WPS x 1 |
| 2.5G Port x 1 |
| Power Supply |
| AC Input : 110V~240V(50~60Hz) |
| DC Output : 19 V with max. 3.42 A current |
| Package content |
| GT-AX11000 Extreme Gaming Router |
| RJ-45 Cable |
| Power Adapter |
| Quick Start Guide |
| Warranty Card |
| AiMesh |
| AiMesh : Yes |
| Primary AiMesh router : Yes |
| AiMesh node : Yes |
| Router APP |
| ASUS Router APP : Yes |
| Game |
| Game Boost/acceleration : Yes |
| Game Radar : Yes |
| WTFast : Yes |
| Geforce Now : No |
| UU boost (CN only) : No |
| ROG_First : Yes |
| OpenNAT (Game Profile) : Yes |
| Gaming port : Yes |
| Alexa |
| Support Alexa skill : Yes |
| IFTTT |
| Support IFTTT : Yes |
| AiProtection |
| AiProtection : AiProtection Pro |
| Router Security Assessment : Yes |
| Malicious site blocking : Yes |
| Two-Way IPS : Yes |
| Infected Device Prevention and Blocking : Yes |
| Parental Control |
| Parental Control : Yes |
| Parental Control Customized Internet schedule : Yes |
| Maximum Parental Control profile : 16 |
| Maximum Parental Control content filter rule : 16 |
| Traffic Control |
| Adaptive QoS : Yes |
| Bandwidth Monitor : Yes |
| Bandwidth limiter : Yes |
| Maximum Bandwidth limiter rule : 32 |
| Traditional QoS : Yes |
| Maximum Traditional QoS rule : 32 |
| Traffic Monitor : Yes |
| Real-time traffic monitor : Yes |
| Wired Traffic Monitor : Yes |
| Wireless Traffic Monitor : Yes |
| Traffic Analyzer : Yes |
| Traffic analysis period : Daily, Weekly, Monthly |
| Website history : Yes |
| Wireless |
| IPv6 : Yes |
| MU-MIMO : Yes |
| Wi-Fi Encryption : Open system, WPA/WPA2-Personal, WPA/WPA2-Enterprise |
| UTF-8 SSID : Yes |
| Guest Network : Yes |
| Maximum Guest Network rule : 2.4GHz x3, 5GHz-1 x3, 5GHz2 x3 |
| Guest Network Encryption : Open system, WPA/WPA2-Personal |
| WPS : Yes |
| Wi-Fi MAC address filter : Yes |
| Maximum MAC filters : 64 |
| Wireless scheduler : Yes |
| Wi-Fi Radar : Yes |
| Airtime fairness : Yes |
| RADIUS Server : Yes |
| Universal beamforming : Yes |
| WAN |
| Explicit beamforming : Yes |
| Internet connection Type : PPPoE, PPTP, L2TP, Automatic IP, Static IP |
| Dual WAN : Yes |
| WAN Aggregation : Yes |
| 3G/4G LTE dongle : Yes |
| Android tethering : Yes |
| Port forwarding : Yes |
| Maximum port forwarding rule : 64 |
| Port triggering : Yes |
| Maximum port triggering rule : 32 |
| DMZ : Yes |
| DDNS : Yes |
| NAT Passthrough : PPTP, L2TP, IPSec, RTSP, H.323, SIP Passthrough,PPPoE relay |
| LAN |
| Let’s Encrypt : Yes |
| DHCP Server : Yes |
| IGMP snooping : Yes |
| IPTV : Yes |
| LAN Link Aggregation : Yes |
| Manually assign IP address : Yes |
| Maximum manually assign IP address rule : 64 |
| VPN |
| VPN Client L2PT : Yes |
| VPN Client OVPN : Yes |
| VPN Client PPTP : Yes |
| VPN Server IPSec : Yes |
| VPN Server OVPN : Yes |
| VPN Server PPTP : Yes |
| VPN Fusion : Yes |
| USB application |
| File System : HFS+, NTFS, vFAT, ext2, ext3, ext4 |
| HDD hibernation : Yes |
| Safely Remove disk : Yes |
| AiCloud : Yes |
| Download master : Yes |
| AiDisk : Yes |
| Media Server : Yes |
| Time Machine : Yes |
| Samba Server : Yes |
| FTP Server : Yes |
| Shared Folder privileges : Yes |
| Administration |
| Operating mode : Router(AiMesh router), AiMesh node, Access point, Repeater, Media bridge |
| Operating system : ASUSWRT |
| Free OS upgrade : Yes |
| Firewall : Yes |
| Maximum Firewall keyword filter : 32 |
| Maximum Firewall network service filter : 32 |
| Maximum Firewall URL filter : 64 |
| Wake on LAN (WOL) : Yes |
| SSH : Yes |
| Configuration backup and restore : Yes |
| Diagnosis tools : Yes |
| Feedback system : Yes |
| System log : Yes |
Verdict
With the launch of the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000, all previous gaming routers are no longer only out of date but are now considered second best. Large and equipped with eight antennas, this router is one that you might want to brag about. With a price tag of $450, it is one of the most costly routers on the market, but it is a need for any dedicated gamer.
In our opinion, even with the advantage of Wi-Fi 6, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 does not displace the TP-Link Archer C5400X as the best wireless router for gaming. Greater throughput, longer reach, and better handling of typical obstacles are all provided by the TP-Link Archer C5400X, which costs less than its predecessor.
Although several Wi-Fi 6 gaming routers have entered the market after we published our original evaluation, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 has maintained its place as the best of the best among the best of them. It remains one of the finest gaming routers available on the market, as well as one of the top Wi-Fi 6 versions available for purchase.
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