Review and testing of ASUS RT-AC87U wireless router. ASUS RT-AC87U router review: what's in the black box

Today, the vast majority of wireless routers on the market support the 802.11n standard, which began to be actively used in 2008. At the same time, real opportunities even within its framework can differ significantly. The main characteristics are the supported bands (the most common options are 2.4 GHz and 2.4 + 5 GHz) and the maximum connection speed (usually 150, 300 or 450 Mbps).

We got acquainted with the first models that support the new generation of 802.11ac wireless communication in the second half of 2012. At the beginning of its distribution, only the most powerful and expensive devices could boast of it. This standard allowed for a connection speed of 1300 Mbps in the 5 GHz band. The secret of such a significant increase in performance is quite simple - the use of four channels instead of two and new coding schemes.

But the marketing machine keeps moving, and this year manufacturers are trying to tempt us with new speeds. One of the new products that appeared on the shelves this summer was the Asus RT-AC87U. This device is based on the modern dual-core Broadcom platform, and the use of a new solution from Quantenna for the 5 GHz band, together with the installation of four antennas, allows it to be classified as AC2400 (1733 + 600).

Note that the progress with respect to the Asus RT-AC66U model, which is already about two years old and which is certainly successful, is not as great as we would like. In addition, the declared figures are very difficult to transfer to the real world. In particular, there are no corresponding adapters to achieve maximum speed per client yet, and support for MU-MIMO technology is available only in the chip itself, but not in the firmware and adapters. So at the moment it will not be possible to study in detail some of the interesting features of the device, so this test is in the format of a “first acquaintance” and does not pretend to be complete. We will continue to monitor the development of the situation and will definitely return to this unusual device when new features appear.

Contents of delivery

Recall that the RT-AC87U and RT-AC87R models are completely identical in terms of characteristics and firmware, and differ only in the name and sales channel. So in this article, we everywhere use the first name, which is more familiar to us, although the second option is used both on the box and in the web interface.

In terms of appearance, weight (more than 1.8 kg!) and format, the packaging of the router is more reminiscent of the delivery of a not the smallest laptop. Since the device is positioned at the very top of the line, the manufacturer decided to redesign the box once again. This time, white and black colors were used, as well as matte varnish.

The buyer can view the router in the photos, clarify the main technical characteristics, learn about additional functions and get acquainted with the connectors and connections.

After removing the cover, you will see the router, fixed in a specially shaped black cardboard insert. The compartment underneath contains four detachable antennas, a multilingual quick start guide, a warranty card, and a documentation and software CD.

On the right, in the side block, a network patch cord and a power supply were placed. The latter produces 45 W (19 V 2.37 A), which you can try to justify by connecting external hard drives. The manufacturer talks about the currents increased to 1.5 and 1.75 A on the USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports, respectively.

Appearance

Unlike smartphones, the large size in the segment of high-performance routers is perceived by manufacturers as a plus. Asus RT-AC87U was no exception. Its overall dimensions, excluding antennas and connections, are 29 × 17 × 5 centimeters. The body of the router is made of matte dark gray plastic and has an impressive finish, partly reminiscent of the past "diamond" design.

The main option for placing the router is on a horizontal surface. Large rubber feet give the device the necessary stability. If necessary, you can try to fix the model on the wall, but the holes provided for this, in our opinion, are not very convenient.

The design of the body most of all resembles, perhaps, the hood of a sports car. In the center of the top cover is a chrome manufacturer's logo. Along the front edge are indicators, with their soft light reminiscent of LED backlighting.

On the beveled front edge, there are buttons to turn off the indicators and Wi-Fi on the left, and a USB 3.0 port is hidden behind a rubber flap on the right.

Given that the second port on the rear panel only supports USB 2.0, this option seems suboptimal. Still, on an ongoing basis, devices are usually connected from behind. Yes, and a large hinged lid is very inconvenient.

There are ventilation grilles on the side ends and bottom of the router. For the used powerful platform, they are not superfluous at all.

There are four standard connectors for external antennas, gigabit network ports (four LAN and one WAN), a power supply input with a switch, a hidden reset button, a WPS button and a USB 2.0 port on the back.

The dimensions of the case allow you to place all this without any problems. No connectors are blocked, almost any modems can be installed in the USB port without extension cords, it is also easy to connect a client via WPS.

Without a doubt, the design and quality of materials are quite consistent with the status of this model.

Hardware configuration

No less interesting is the hardware stuffing of this model. The central processor of the router is Broadcom BCM4709A, which has two ARM cores with a frequency of 1 GHz, a built-in gigabit switch, a USB controller and a PCIe bus for connecting radio modules. The flash memory is 128 MB and the RAM is 256 MB.

The familiar Broadcom BCM4360 is responsible for servicing the 2.4 GHz band, but a novelty is installed at 5 GHz - the Quantenna QSR1000 chipset. The first, connected to the PCIe 2.0 x1 bus, provides support for 802.11b/g/n with connection speeds up to 600 Mbps. Recall that most clients today operate at speeds up to and including 450 Mbps, and support for encoding to reach 600 Mbps is very rare.

The second controller was introduced last spring as the first solution to the "second wave" of 802.11ac controllers. Its main differences are support for four spatial streams (maximum connection speed - 1733 Mbps) and MU-MIMO (Multi-user MIMO) technology.

A feature of the architecture of the router in question is the connection of this chip not to the PCIe bus, but to a specialized RGMII interface, which has maximum performance at the gigabit network level. This decision has certain negative consequences. First, the total speed of the wireless access point cannot exceed one gigabit. Second, it shares bandwidth with one of the LAN ports. Thirdly, a separate processor for processing 5 GHz access point traffic with its own RAM and flash chips, connected in the described way, is a “black box” not only for enthusiasts who offer alternative firmware for Asus routers, but also for the device manufacturer itself.

Keeping up with new technologies is not an easy task. In most cases, the implementation requires the simultaneous support of many elements, and for a real return, all of them must work in concert. The chip manufacturer can create a new chip and colorfully describe the benefits of this solution in marketing materials. However, it is one thing to assemble a demo stand for an exhibition, and quite another to mass-produce products and ensure their compatibility.

If you look at MU-MIMO, everything looks great on paper. Current "regular" Wi-Fi implementations use shared bandwidth for clients - only one device communicates with the access point at a time. In case it is more “simple” than a router (for example, a router with three antennas and speeds up to 1300 Mbps, and an adapter in a smartphone with one antenna and speeds up to 433 Mbps), or consumes not very much from the Internet “thick” stream (for example, a video from YouTube), then the time slot allotted for it is used very inefficiently and the actual system performance is far from the numbers declared in the router’s characteristics. Considering that the described situations are found almost everywhere and always, it is quite expected that the developers have paid attention to this problem. One of the options for solving it is MU-MIMO technology. Roughly speaking, it allows, when working with several “simple” clients, to allocate each one with its own router antenna. As a result, the latter will be able to work simultaneously with more than one device at any time, which significantly increases the efficiency of using the radio air and increases the overall performance. As you understand, in this case, for this beautiful scheme to work, you need to have support from the hardware (in the router and in the clients) and software (in the firmware and drivers). And if the situation seems clear with the first, then everything else only raises even more questions. In particular, from a technical point of view, the router in question is capable of providing the implementation of MU-MIMO, but in practice it will not be possible to see the effect of the technology today. Of course, this is a very interesting question for many users and we will definitely return to it in the future at the first opportunity. A connection speed of 1733 Mbps also exists only on paper so far, since there are no corresponding adapters. We did not have a second such router to check the bridge mode.

An assessment of the level of consumption of the device showed that on test loads it does not exceed 15 watts. To ensure a comfortable thermal regime, three independent radiators are installed: on the processor and on each radio unit. Under load, the top panel of the router case heats up slightly. No negative effects of this were noted.

The performance of the router was measured with firmware 3.0.0.4.376_2678. At the time of publication of the article, version 3.0.0.4.376.2769 is already available, but, judging by the description, there are no significant changes in it for this testing.

Customization and features

Modern Asus routers have a unified firmware, so in this case it makes no sense to dwell on its capabilities in detail, since we have already written about this several times this year. Although the company's programmers, of course, do not sit idle and constantly upgrade the device software.

The web interface has translation into several languages, including Russian, a convenient "Network Map" page for monitoring the status of the device, special buttons for popular operations and a built-in help system.

To connect to the Internet, all modern popular options are implemented. Standard additional features are provided - DDNS client, IPTV, UDP proxy, port translation, DMZ, UPnP and NAT Passthrough for some protocols. The router has the ability to use two network connections with availability control to implement failover modes of operation.

The settings of the local network segment are also traditional - setting your own IP address and selecting DHCP server options. We also mention the support of the IPv6 protocol by the router.

Virtually nothing has changed for wireless access points. The router has the ability to turn them on according to a schedule, set a MAC address filter, organize guest networks, connect clients via WPS, adjust the output power in percent. The only surprise was the lack of support for WPA-Enterprise with a RADIUS server in the 5 GHz band. It should be noted that the operating modes of the device as an access point and a wireless bridge are implemented.

The set of features of a regular firewall is also familiar for a long time: URL filter, keyword filter and packet (service) filter.

In this firmware, we also found a new protection function - AiProtection, implemented using Trend Micro technologies. It allows you to check the current settings of the router to identify "weak" places, block websites using the Trend Micro database, detect and block infected devices on the local network.

This module also includes an extended version of parental control. In addition to restricting the access of selected clients to the Internet according to a schedule, there are individual filters for blocking a certain type of content by category.

The bandwidth management section has also changed a bit. In addition to monitoring by interfaces, now you can view the current speeds of receiving and transmitting data for each client, determine priorities for them, use the "adaptive" mode, in which traffic is classified into categories automatically. It is not very clear why the history of domain names for web surfing was also added to this section. Moreover, there are no convenient means for exporting data. Only filtering by client is provided. Unfortunately, there is no precise and detailed description of the new functions, which makes it difficult to study them.

Given the powerful hardware platform, having a VPN server and client is to be expected. The server supports PPTP and OpenVPN protocols, and the client can additionally work with L2TP. This feature will help organize secure remote access to the local network and network aggregation.

The "Administration" section contains items for updating the firmware, managing settings, selecting the operating mode of the device, and several system options. Among the latter, we mention choosing an administrator name and password, setting the clock, enabling access to the console via telnet, allowing work with the web interface from the Internet, enabling https, sending messages to the Syslog server.

As in other models of Asus routers, in addition to the traditional system log, the device has separate pages for checking the status of wireless clients, viewing routing tables, port forwarding and current connections.

The network utilities group contains the ping, traceroute, nslookup, and netstat programs. There is also the possibility of using WOL technology to wake up devices on the local network.

The router is equipped with USB ports, which allows you to implement many additional services. If two ports are not enough, you can connect devices through a hub. As external drives, you can use flash drives and hard drives marked with MBR or GPT. The list of supported file systems consists of FAT32, NTFS, EXT2/3/4 and HFS+. We did not notice any negative impact of USB 3.0 devices on the operation of the wireless network in the 2.4 GHz band. Note that this model uses the Tuxera driver, which allows us to hope for high results in performance tests.

User data is accessed via SMB and FTP protocols. It is possible to create several users and set individual rights for them. In the case of using the Time Machine service, you will need to work with an administrator account, which is not very convenient.

Additionally, DLNA media server and iTunes server services are implemented. Moreover, the user can choose to index not all drives at once, but only certain folders.

We did not forget about the offline file download system using the http, ftp, BitTorrent, ed2k, nzb protocols. It is controlled through a web interface or a proprietary utility for Windows. There is a possibility of remote control of work through the Internet.

Also, USB ports can be used with 3G / 4G modems to organize an Internet connection through cellular providers (including for reserving the main wired channel), printers and MFPs. For printing, you can use the standard LRP protocol implemented in many operating systems. If scanning functions are required, then this is done using a special utility for Windows that organizes the connection via a virtual USB port.

A set of remote data access and synchronization services AiCloud now has a second version. It allows you to work with files on external drives and on the local network through a web browser and a mobile utility for Android and iOS, turn on systems via WOL, synchronize data between two routers and with WebStorage and Dropbox cloud storage.

Performance

The device differs from its predecessor by using a faster processor and a new chip in the 5 GHz radio unit. The former can help increase routing performance in PPTP and L2TP modes, as well as affect the speed of the VPN server and network disk access.

The first graph shows the results of measuring the routing speed in various Internet connection modes, which were carried out according to our standard method on a special stand.

The differences from its predecessor are quite noticeable, especially in PPTP and L2TP. With these connection types, you can count on about 300 Mbps versus the predecessor's maximum 230 Mbps. For mass channels of 100 Mbps, this, of course, is not essential, but today there are more and more operators offering even higher speeds.

The VPN server was tested in three modes: PPTP with and without encryption, and OpenVPN with default settings. The graphs are averaged over three scenarios (reception, transmission and full duplex, eight streams in each case).

In this scenario, the novelty is also significantly ahead of its predecessor. For the most complex option (OpenVPN), the speed increased from 35 to 45 Mbps. In this case, apparently, not only faster processor cores played a role, but also software optimizations.

To test the speed of work in the NAS scenario, we used a WD10EFRX hard drive from the WD Red series and an external SATA-USB 3.0 box based on the ASMedia chip. A partition with FAT32, NTFS, EXT2/3/4 and HFS+ file systems was created on the disk. To obtain the results, a 2 GB file was read and written through Windows Network Neighborhood and using an FTP client. Recall that this model uses a special Tuxera driver to work with file systems other than the regular ones for Linux.

And this time the new router is faster than the previous leader. It is interesting to note that in terms of read speeds, the device is comparable to younger models of network drives. Yes, and the write speed at the level of 40-50 MB / s for routers is very good.

The second difference from Asus RT-AC68U, as we already wrote above, cannot be studied in detail at the moment. So the only thing that can be interesting is to check the compatibility of the new 5 GHz chip with the adapters we already have. They were TP-Link TL-WDN4800 (802.11n, 450 Mbps), Asus PCE-AC68 (802.11ac, 1300 Mbps), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 (, 867 Mbps), AzureWave AW-CB161H (802.11ac (Realtek RTL8821AE chip), 433 Mbps).

The distance between the devices was about four meters. The tests were carried out in one/two streams and in eight streams.

The main testing was carried out only in the 5 GHz band using 802.11n and 802.11ac standards (depending on the adapter). A quick test at 2.4 GHz with TP-Link TL-WDN4800 showed that the situation is standard with the implementation of this range. On a 20 MHz channel, you can count on about 100 Mbps, and for a 40 MHz channel, the speed is 200 Mbps or more. The Asus PCE-AC68 adapter, thanks to its support for a connection speed of 600 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band, shows even slightly higher results. However, the use of such a combination in practice seems unlikely, since 802.11ac is significantly faster, as we see in the following graph.

First of all, we note the good results of the used adapter with 802.11n. Despite the fact that the formal connection speed, as in previous tests, was 450 Mbps, the real performance has increased significantly.

As for devices with 802.11ac, the currently top-end Asus PCE-AC68 adapter also performed better overall, and the maximum speed for it exceeded 850 Mbps. The Intel model achieved 350-380Mbps in this test, which is slightly less than we've seen in past tests. But the newcomer, equipped with only one antenna and capable of connecting at 433 Mbps, on the contrary, showed himself on the good side. Its speed was about 250 Mbps, which is very good for its configuration.

In general, the new solution from Quantenna turned out to be well compatible with the adapters used in the test, and it does not have significant problems that were sometimes noted at the stage of formation of 802.11n.

I would like to hope that the implementation of all its capabilities in the firmware of the router and adapters will not take long and will allow us to conduct many more interesting tests.

Addition

A little later, we were given the opportunity to test a 5 GHz wireless access point in 802.11ac mode using a second of the same router in bridge mode. The conditions for making changes are the same as described above. The results are shown in the following graph.

As we can see, despite the higher numbers in the device specification, the real performance differs little from using the PCE-AC68 adapter on the client. The reason for this, most likely, is the unusual hardware implementation of this element of the router.

conclusions

There is no doubt that Asus is one of the brightest innovators in the IT market. Despite the fact that the 802.11ac wireless standard is relatively uncommon today, this manufacturer has launched the next generation router on the market with support for new technologies and capabilities. However, testing has shown that at the moment, buyers, unfortunately, will not be able to use them. It is very likely that such a rush is marketing in nature.

There are almost no comments on the design of the router and the quality of its manufacture. The large case allows you not to worry about overheating and connecting devices on the rear panel. So the only controversial point is the covered USB 3.0 port.

The powerful hardware provides a noticeable advantage over its predecessor in most tests, including routing, VPN server, and external disk operation. However, you need to understand that in the top segment, each next step is more expensive, and for most use cases the difference will not be significant.

The company's new chip for 802.11ac service performed well when working with several models of adapters from different manufacturers. Let's hope that this router will still implement such a useful feature as MU-MIMO, which can improve performance when multiple clients work simultaneously.

The firmware of the router differs little from previous models. It has support for modern technologies for connecting to the Internet, channel reservation via a cellular modem, work with drives, media servers, a file download system and cloud services. We note the emergence of new protection functions implemented using Trend Micro technologies.

The model has not yet been presented on the domestic market. The cost in foreign stores (about $ 280 at the time of writing) exceeds the price of its predecessor by almost one and a half times. Given the uncertain situation with the implementation of some new features, it is difficult to recognize it as adequate. The device will be of interest to maximalists who do not have budget restrictions.

If you need to meet the high-speed network access needs of the tenants of a large apartment, there are several routing monsters on the market that have incredible performance. Below we will take a closer look at one of these devices from Asus.

About device

The spirit band ASUS RT AC87U is based on 1 GHz Quantenna QSR1000 and Broadcom BCM4709 chipsets. The speed in Wi-Fi broadcast mode at 5 GHz reaches 1734 Mbps.

Already from these characteristics it becomes clear that the device belongs to the top category, which is focused on wealthy users.

However, given the significant congestion of the 2.4 GHz band, it becomes relevant to purchase such equipment for residents of apartment buildings.

The developers tried to take into account all the nuances and possible problems during the operation of the device under increased loads. The cooling system is well designed, and even with impressive hardware performance, the body of the device heats up slightly.

The owner of the router quickly forgets about problems with speed jumps when working on the World Wide Web. Thanks to the support of 3G / 4G modems connected to the USB connector of the device, it is possible to provide double protection against temporary loss of communication due to the fault of providers.

Design

The name of the company is inscribed on top in large letters and on the front edge of the top cover there is a decoding of light indicators.

In order to ensure proper cooling of the powerful hardware filling, perforation slots are additionally placed on the ends of the device.

The manufacturer has provided special two keys, conveniently located on the front of the case.

One of them, “LED”, when pressed, turns off the mode lights so that they do not irritate the owner of the router at night, and although this is not significant, it saves electricity. The second button turns off Wi-Fi.

On the opposite side of the keys, there is a hidden USB 3.0 port.

The bottom lid has rubber base feet to prevent slipping on slippery table surfaces.

If desired, the device can also be mounted on a vertical surface, for this purpose special fasteners are provided.

Also on the bottom of the device is a label with information about the device.

There are also perforated cooling slots on the bottom cover, so it is recommended to install the device only on a hard surface.

The connectors are located wide at the back, as a result, there will be no difficulties with connecting large-sized devices and no additional purchase of adapters is required.

Having opened the package, the user, in addition to the router itself, will find in it: antennas (in the amount of 4 pieces), a short description of the commissioning instructions, a power adapter, documents for warranty service, a patch cord, a disk with software and a user manual . From the attached instructions, the buyer can find out the address for entering the Web configurator, as well as authorization parameters.

If you open the cover of the router, you can be sure of the quality performance of the Taiwanese gadget assembly company. The hardware filling is mounted on a durable textolite plate.

Above it are large radiators of the cooling system.

There is no forced cooling in the device and now it becomes clear that the case is equipped with good perforation

The manufacturer has provided everything so that the new owner of the gadget quickly and without additional searches for equipment put it into operation. And the appearance and equipment justify the high cost of the device.

Preparatory measures before commissioning and software updates

When entering the device's web configurator for the first time, the user is guided through a setup wizard. Through it, you can quickly enter the main network settings and protect the interface by yourself by inventing a password.

If you need more subtle debugging, you can switch to the manual mode for entering parameters.

It is recommended that you change the default authorization characteristics.

The owner of a future Wi-Fi network can choose one of the three proposed modes, for example, bridge.

In order for the setup to be successful, you should find out the type of connection from the contract with the provider. If the document has been lost, then the service provider can provide all the information by phone.

The interface is so friendly and intuitive that there is rarely any difficulty entering settings. The main thing after the procedure is not to forget to save the adjustments by clicking "Apply".

Despite the fact that the firmware already installed in the device is fully functional, but in order to maximize the efficiency of the device, it is better to upgrade it as part of the preparatory measures

To update the software, you must perform these sequential steps:

The manufacturer does not recommend using third-party software, such as DD-WRT, since this firmware often led to failures and then recovery was required. It should be noted that the use of alternative software will void the hardware warranty.

The official source of Asus has a special utility "Firmware Restoration", which is designed to bring a damaged device back to life with third-party programs.

Among the owners of the router in question, the Asuswrt merlin firmware is especially popular.

It is based on factory software from Asus. It lacks many of the shortcomings of the original software and has some additional features.

However, no matter how flattering reviews are about alternative firmware, their use is still associated with a certain risk.

Setting

As noted above, the address and parameters for authorization to enter the web configurator are written in the router documentation. The interface for models with the last letter in the name "U" and "R" is completely the same.

It should be noted that entering the settings of this router is very quickly carried out through mobile gadgets on the Android platform. At the same time, all menus of the web configurator are displayed correctly and no errors have been noticed in them yet. After launching it, you should select the Russian language.

Through the main menu, you can immediately open quick settings or make fine manual adjustments to the parameters.

It is recommended to study the "Network Map". It allows you to control the operating modes of the device.

In order to connect to the global network, you need to enter the parameters specified in the agreement with the provider.

It should be noted that the router is able to use two connections at once with constant monitoring of their availability. This minimizes the risk of mode failures.

In the "Local Network" section, it is possible to register a specific IP and specify the DHCP server parameters. In the same section, there is an intuitive menu for setting up interactive TV. Note that the machine supports the IPv6 protocol.

In the "Wireless Network" section, set the name of the Wi-Fi to be created and, having thought of it, enter a complex security code. For each range, you can select the wireless network mode, channel and its width, encryption type, etc. After entering the parameters, click "Apply".

If necessary, it is possible to use the MAC filter, organize guest networks, set a specific signal transmission power value, connect guests via WPS. The device can work both as an access point and as a repeater.

When configuring network protection, it is recommended to use filters: packets, keywords, and URLs.

In the "AiProtection" section, an additional level of security is configured. Here you should analyze the system for "narrow" sides in the field of protective mechanisms.

Internet pages containing threats and malicious applications are blocked, as well as access to the home network is blocked for devices whose systems are damaged by viruses.

In this section, the parental control functions are activated. The item "Check for security" shows the safety parameters of the router and home network. The owner of the router independently determines which functions to enable there.

Immediately after detecting a client with a virus, the device sends a message to the network owner's e-mail.

In the "Adaptive Service" tab, the user monitors the current data transmission and reception rates and specifies restrictions and priorities for any client.

Through the VPN server tab, remote access to equipment that is connected to the home line is organized. If necessary, in the same section, network aggregation is carried out.

The advanced system log additionally allows you to analyze the routing tables, the work of wireless clients, as well as all current connections.

It is allowed to connect not only flash drives, MFPs and hard drives to usb connectors, but also modems of cellular operators. The latter allows you to reserve the main channel, in order to increase the reliability of the Internet connection.

Through the web configurator, the system for downloading files for popular services is controlled.

"Network Map" will show if there is an Internet connection. And also here are the main settings of the two ranges and data on the levels of RAM and processor workload.

The special subsection “Traffic Monitoring” controls the loading of interfaces.

The list of sites that the client was a part of is displayed in the "Web History" section.

In the “Switch Control” tab, the NAT acceleration method is set.

Conclusion

Asus has once again confirmed that it is an IT market innovator in the wireless equipment niche. The router discussed above is a vivid confirmation of this. There can be no complaints about the appearance and hardware stuffing.

In general, the device causes only positive emotions, but this is only until its cost is clarified. Therefore, while the device can only be acquired by people who are not limited in their means, preferring the best devices.

In mid-2012, devices began to appear that could work with the new high-speed WI-FI 802.11ac standard. Today, there are plenty of such routers and adapters, but this winter ASUS introduced a real WI-FI monster - the ASUS RT-AC87U router.

Appearance and equipment ASUS RT-AC87U

Out of the box, along with the ASUS RT-AC87U router, we get the usual set:

antennas,
power unit,
ethernet cable,
and instructions

Only the appearance and dimensions of the router can impress anyone - the traditional for the line of chopped edges and textured elements of the black matte case are reminiscent of the design of laptops from the Republic of Gamers series. The design of the case implies both horizontal and wall placement of the model. There are also rubber feet, and two holes with which you can hang the router on the wall.

Radio modules on / off buttons and indicators are placed on the front of the case

And under the matte cover is a USB 3.0 port for connecting drives.

The rear panel contains four connectors for external antennas, a button, five gigabit LAN ports, a power and reset button, and a power supply connector.

Filling and characteristics ASUS RT-AC87U

The router is based on a dual-core processor Broadcom BCM4709A with a frequency of 1 GHz. It has 256 MB of DDR3 RAM and 128 MB of flash memory for firmware. The familiar Broadcom BCM4360 processor is responsible for operating in the 2.4 GHz band. It provides support for 802.11 b/g/n standards with connection speeds up to 600 Mbps.

Data exchange in the standard is implemented using a separate Quantenna QSR1000 chipset, thanks to which ASUS RT-AC87U became king. This separate module got 128 MB of DDR3 RAM and 16 MB of flash memory.

This build supports four spatial streams and 4x4 MU-MIMO technology. This allowed us to achieve an amazing connection speed of up to 1733 Mbps for the WI-FI 802.11ac standard, and use intranet traffic much more efficiently.

Connecting and configuring the ASUS RT-AC87U router

When connecting the RT-AC87U for the first time, it will take about a minute. No additional software is needed - just follow the instructions.

Branded is distinguished by intelligence, ingenuity and convenience. All settings are clearly organized into groups. There is also support for IPTV, NAT, DMZ, broadcasts and ports, and everything that we are used to seeing in routers.

Separately, it should be noted the ability to connect to two networks with access control at once - the function, the ability to work in, and the presence of the built-in Ai Protection protection system, which will identify weaknesses and independently block infected network devices.

The powerful platform made it possible to implement WPN as a server as well as a client. The server supports PPTP and OpenVPN protocols, and the client can work with L2TP.

In the "Administration" section there is a command line and the ability to control wireless clients, manage current connections, and much more that is necessary for competent network management.

Of course, there are additional utilities such as offline download, access to the AiCloud cloud, network testing, Wake on Lan (WOL) and Netstat.

Using USB ports, you can implement a file server, connect a USB modem or a printer.

Operating experience RT-AC87U

It was problematic to test this miracle of technology, since there was not a single mobile device at hand capable of exchanging data via WI-FI at a speed of 1733 Mbps. Even having connected everything that was at hand, it was not possible to load the router. Eleven clients worked with maximum comfort and speed, and the router - at least that, it just warmed up a little.

The coverage and signal quality are excellent. The declared coverage area is sufficient for a large office space or a healthy private home, and the proprietary Ai Radar technology will take care of a stable connection.

In general, this is the king of the router. With it, you can create an extensive wireless corporate network, or a wireless media server, or broadcast video in 4K resolution. An ideal solution for those who do not tolerate compromises and are ready to pay a tidy sum for it.

Grade 5

Advantages: Speed of work, settings interface, easy connection, a lot of chips that are needed and not very much. It heats up more than other Asus, but not critical.

Cons: The price in the current conditions, the coverage is not so hot personally in my case

Comment: I took Asus rt-ac56u as a replacement, which faithfully served me for two years. The 56th worked around the clock, supported 3-4 iPhones, iPads, a stationary computer and 2 laptops + a TV with a media server. There was only one problem - I couldn’t cover the entire apartment. This model works almost the same - I don’t see a big difference, including coverage. in its 105 sq.m. I was hoping for a better result. 2 concrete walls break through but unfortunately with an enema. There are no more complaints, given that one watches movies online, two are cut in Dota2 in different rooms and I watch something through HMS with a score of 5 with a minus. Minus only because I can’t read mail and news on the balcony in the morning))), the connection breaks. The router is in the center of the hut. Would I buy it knowing all this, probably not. toy.

Grade 5

Advantages: 1) High functionality, in fact it is not a big media center. There is a built-in DNLA server;
2) 4 1000 Mb/s ports and external USB 3.0 allow you to organize a NAS with an average data transfer rate of 40 Mb/s for reading and 30 Mb/s for writing, which is quite normal for a home. There is a built-in torrent client;
3) after switching to firmware 3.0.0.4.378_7410, the router works stably without reboots.
4) using AiDisk and ASUS DDNS services, you can allow any user to download via ftp from an external disk.
5) support for simultaneous operation of 2.4 and 5 GHz really helps to distribute traffic between devices. The 5GHz signal works further and I connect all smartphones to 5GHz. It completely covers a two-room apartment, moreover, it reaches from the 3rd floor to a bench at the entrance.
5) By tilting the antennas, you can adjust the signal coverage area.
6) I don’t observe brakes at work, and when setting up, too. It is overloaded for a long time (30-60 seconds), but this is only necessary during configuration, it is not reflected in continuous operation.

Disadvantages: 1) the built-in ftp server is not functional. Provides the root list of files for reading, but at the same time allows viewing and writing only to allowed folders;
2) the built-in torrent client is very simple. It does not even allow you to choose the path where to download a specific download, this is a general setting for the entire client. No Download Master extension for Yandex Browser, only Chrome, Firefox and IE;

Comment: I tried to install firmware from Merlin in order to deploy a normal torrent, ftp and overcome problems with causeless router overloads 1-2 times a week, but I ran into glitches:
1) after the firmware, the router did not want to receive an IP address from the provider via DHCP, but when it was manually registered, everything worked;
2) Wi-Fi speed could not be raised more than 72Mb / s in both bands. On native firmware, everything works at 150 Mb / s.
I did not experiment anymore, I installed firmware 3.0.0.4.378_7410 and the problem with stability was gone.

Other features such as guest network, parental control, dual WAN, QoS, VPN - haven't used it yet. This is more suitable for a small office.

Shmagarenko Alexander July 28, 2015, Tomsk

Grade 5

Advantages: 1. Dual-core processor BCM4709A with a frequency of 1GHz.
2. The 2.4 and 5GHz bands are on two different chips.
3. Two USB ports, one of them is USB 3.0
4. Finally made separate buttons to turn off the LEDs and Wi-Fi.
5. Pre-scan parental control: each individual device can restrict sites, services, as well as monitor traffic and visited sites in real time. What was previously unavailable in official firmware.
6. Availability of alternative firmware (Merlin, Tomato)

Disadvantages: 1. The price, to put it mildly, is not budget.
2. It heats up quite noticeably.

Comment: Took to replace RT-N66U.

Kulakov Alexander May 26, 2015, Moscow \ Experience: less than a month

Grade 5

Pros: Easy to set up, solid signal.

Cons: Haven't identified yet

Comment: For those who need trouble-free Internet, including wireless.
Worth your money. Probably the best router for a simple user at the moment.

Grade 5

Advantages: + Excellent performance in terms of signal range and stable transmission;
+ USB 3.0 for connecting SSD and HDD drives;
+ Convenient WEB-interface ASUSWRT and great opportunities for customization;
+ The best speed indicators among Wi-Fi routers at the moment (I don’t take professional solutions into account because of their high cost);
+ Modern hardware with two CPUs: 1GHz 2.4GHz and 1.2GHz for 5GHz;
+ Support for Dual-LAN, which actually gives a two-fold increase in performance (assuming a gigabit Internet channel).

Cons: None at the moment!

Comment: I have been using it for the third day and my impressions are only positive. I bought to replace my old ASUS RT-AC66U router, because. it was no longer enough for my needs and there was no full coverage of the required area of \u200b\u200bthe house. In conjunction with the ASUS USB-AC56 wireless adapter, it shows the speed of a wired connection of 100 Mbps. The latest firmware fixes the problem with the 5GHz Wi-Fi band that users wrote about.
The first device on the market with built-in network protection:
- Router security assessment;
- Blocking of malicious sites;
- Intrusion prevention;
- Detection and blocking of infected devices and parental control at the hardware level, not to be confused with a firewall.
Of course, as many have written, this is a high-tech design that is noticeable the first time and stands out among the same type of devices from other manufacturers as a bonus to purchase =)

Vyazalov Leonid April 23, 2015, Moscow \ Experience: less than a month

Grade 5

Advantages: A cool router breaks through 90 m2 of reinforced concrete walls with a bang, in the farthest corner 60mb out of 100mb of the incoming signal, no device has been able to do this before.

Cons: None. Well, maybe just the size.

ASUS occupies a fairly significant position in the network equipment market. Therefore, updating its lineup in connection with the announcement of the IEEE 802.11ac wireless communication standard was only a matter of time. We must pay tribute to the manufacturer, because he did not keep himself waiting long, presenting a whole series of new solutions at once. All of them have the prefix "AC" in their name and differ from each other in functionality and maximum data transfer rate over Wi-Fi air. It is especially commendable that the company did not limit itself to the AC1750 class, like its competitors, but went even further, one of the first to present to the public a model of the AC2400 type. There is no doubt that other manufacturers will bring the same performance solutions to the market in the future. The novelty was named ASUS RT-AC87 U, and we want to dedicate this review to her name.

Specification:

		ASUS RT-AC87 U


Number of ports

Fixed IP
Dynamic IP
PPPoE/Russia PPPoE




Ability to set MAC manually
Ability to set the MTU size manually

		Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000 Mbps)
Number of ports

Manual blocking of interfaces


Quantity

Antenna replacement/connector type
Forced assignment of the working antenna number
Manual blocking of the wireless interface
Support for WPS technology
Operating frequency
Supported standards and speeds
		up to 54 Mbps
		up to 11 Mbps
		up to 54 Mbps
	Standard Mode	up to 450 Mbps
	Using TurboQAM technology	up to 600 Mbps
		up to 1734 Mbps
Region/Number of channels 2.4 GHz
Region/Number of channels 5 GHz
Possibility of manual speed setting
Maximum output power
Working with another AP
WDS support (bridge)
AP Support
Support WDS+AP
Ability to work in client mode
Wireless repeater (repeater)
Safety
Broadcast SSID blocking
Binding to MAC addresses
		yes, up to 128 bit




802.1x (via Radius)
Firmware capabilities
Administration
Setting a password for the admin user
Ability to change / add Login
WEB interface
WEB interface via SSL
Own utility




Ability to save and load configuration
Built-in DHCP server
Static DHCP over MAC
UPnP support
Protocols supported by WAN




Traffic shaping (traffic restriction)

one-to-many NAT (standard)

Ability to disable NAT (work in router mode)
Ability to work in bridge mode
VPN pass through		IPSec, PPTP, PPPoE, L2TP, RTSP, H.323, SIP

Built-in DNS server (dns-relay)
Dynamic DNS support
Watch
Clock synchronization
Setting the time manually
Utilities




Logging
Logging the execution of firewall rules
Logging Wireless
DHCP Leases logging
Logging Port Forwarding
System Log
Storage inside the device
Storage on an external Syslog server
Sending by email
Routing
Static (set entries manually)
Availability and capabilities of built-in filters and firewall
PossibilitiesSPI (Stateful Packet Inspection)
SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) support
Ability to use SPI in rules
Presence of filters/firewall
on the LAN-WAN segment, Internet access restriction
on the WLAN-WAN segment, Internet access restriction
on LAN-WLAN-segment
Supported filter types
Including SPI
By MAC address
By source IP address
By destination IP address
By protocol
By source port
By destination port
Time binding
By application

By domain

Working with URL Block List Services
Action types



Virtual servers
Ability to create
Setting different public/private ports for a virtual server
Ability to set DMZ
Ability to set DMZ traffic at the port level
Nutrition
		external, Input AC: 100 - 240 V, 1.2 A, 50-60 Hz; Output DC: 19V, 2.37A
Support 802.1af (PoE)
Additional Information
Availability of USB ports
Connecting an external USB HDD, Flash (Samba(Storage) / FTP server / media server)
Connecting a WEB-camera (video surveillance)
Connecting 3G modems
Connecting a USB Printer
Firmware version		3.0.0.4.376_2769
		290 x 168 x 48mm

Products webpage
Product page

Packing and scope of delivery

The ASUS RT-AC87U router comes in a cardboard box, which protects it from damage during transportation. It is replete with high-quality printing and is very informative. On the front side, the most important features of the device are traditionally indicated, namely:

2334 MbpsConcurrent 2.4 & 5 GHz- the total data transfer rate in the wireless range can reach 2334 Mbps.
2 xPerformanceInMulti- userEnvironments- Doubled performance when simultaneously working with multiple devices in the wireless network segment.
AdaptiveQoSAutoOptimization- the presence of an adaptive QoS service, which allows you to specify the priority of using the bandwidth of a wired and wireless connection by applications for various types of tasks: games, streaming video or audio, surfing the Internet, transferring files, and others.
AiProtectionPoweredbytrendMicro- use of modern network protection tools developed by Trend Micro, which include blocking sites with malicious content, countering intrusions and attacks from the Internet, constantly monitoring potential security threats, preventing leakage of confidential information, creating a schedule for accessing Internet services for specific clients and devices.
iCloudMulti- useUSB- support for the ASUS AiCloud service to access files stored on your home network or cloud service from any device with free Internet access, including those that operate on Android and iOS operating systems. In the latter case, you will just need to install the appropriate applications.

On the back of the box, you can find an interface diagram, as well as get acquainted with the features of ASUS AiRadar and ASUS AiProtection technologies. We will look at all this in more detail a little later, but now let's take a look at the package.

It is quite standard for devices of this kind and includes everything necessary for the user to connect this model and its further operation:

user guide;
warranty card;
mains power adapter (Input AC: 100 - 240 V, 1.2 A, 50-60 Hz; Output DC: 19 V, 2.37 A);
four antennas;
network cable;
CD with documentation and software.

From the first glance at the ASUS RT-AC87U model, you immediately understand that you are facing one of the network solutions released by ASUS. These sharp edges and signature Black Diamond Style texture are unmistakable. As a result, the case of the router turned out to be simple and at the same time attractive. Of course, this is far from the most important factor for a device of this kind. But, you must admit, out of two absolutely identical routers, you will choose the one that has a more interesting design.

ASUS RT-AC87U is one of the most productive and functional solutions among wireless network equipment presented on store shelves today. Therefore, it is quite logical that its case has slightly increased dimensions (290 x 168 x 48 mm) and weight (747 g). In addition, instead of the traditional one, two or three antennas, four are installed here at once. We will talk about the advantages that such a technical solution brought in more detail in the section on the internal structure of the router.

The case of the ASUS RT-AC87U model is made of durable thick black plastic and is dotted with ventilation holes.

They can be found on the side panels, as well as on the bottom of the router. So that ASUS RT-AC87U does not slip on the surface of the furniture and does not leave scratches on it, the manufacturer has provided special rubber feet.

A number of LEDs are traditionally placed on the front end of the case, which are indicators of the device's operating mode and the status of the LAN ports.

There are two buttons right there: one (“LED”) is used to turn off this very backlight, and the second (“WiFi”) allows you to deactivate the wireless communication mode. On the opposite side there is a plug with the inscription "USB 3.0", behind which the connector of the same name is hidden. It will come in handy when connecting a printer, 3G/4G modem or an external drive to organize a network storage. For these purposes, the USB 2.0 port located on the opposite end of the case is also suitable, although its throughput will be lower.

The configuration of the back panel of the router is as follows:

USB 2.0 port;
WPS button for quick connection to an existing wireless network;
WAN port (1000 Mbps);
four LAN ports (1000 Mbps);
"Reset" button to reset settings;
device power button;
input for external power adapter;
four connectors for connecting external antennas.

Internal organization

All components of the router fit on one double-sided printed circuit board. We note the manufacturer's careful approach to the organization of circuitry: smooth tracks; high-quality soldering; in all circuits, liquid electrolyte capacitors have been replaced with more reliable solid-state counterparts; for laying cables to the antennas, special clamps are used.

Most of the internal space of the case is occupied by three huge (by the standards of routers) aluminum radiators that cool the central processor, wireless controllers and signal amplifiers at a transmission frequency of 2.4 and 5 GHz.

Unfortunately, the markings of all these chips could not be seen, since they are hidden behind large heat-distributing plates, the removal of which could lead to damage to the components or the board itself.

However, on the official website of ASUS, we managed to find a photo of the printed circuit board with the cooling system removed, which shed some light on the hardware of the router. To be honest, its capabilities are really impressive. It is based on a dual-core multi-tasking processor Broadcom BCM4709, operating at a frequency of 1 GHz. In addition to managing the router, it is also responsible for supporting gigabit wired ports and USB 3.0 / USB 2.0 connectors. Its operational subsystem is represented by one DDR3 chip with a capacity of 256 MB.

The central processor functions in conjunction with the Broadcom BCM4360 chip, which ensures the operation of a wireless channel at a transmission frequency of 2.4 GHz. The independent Quantenna QSR1000 node is responsible for supporting the 5 GHz band, which consists of a bunch of Quantenna QT3840BC + Quantenna QT2518B controllers, its own 128 MB DDR3 RAM and a separate flash memory.

Such an organization of the hardware allows us to say that the ASUS RT-AC87U router belongs to the second wave (Wave 2) of devices that comply with the IEEE 802.11ac standard. Because it can already take full advantage of MU-MIMO technology and provide fast wireless connection for multiple devices simultaneously in a busy network. According to ASUS, the efficiency gain can be up to 50% compared to traditional single-threaded solutions (SU-MIMO).

As for the data transfer rate, for a connection at a frequency of 2.4 GHz it is 450 Mbps, and at a frequency of 5 GHz it is 1734 Mbps. However, as in the recently reviewed ASUS RT-N18U router, support for Broadcom TurboQAM technology is also implemented here at the level of a bundle of Broadcom chips. Its essence lies in the fact that on the 40 MHz channel, QAM-256 signal modulation is used instead of QAM-64. This increases the data transfer rate in the 2.4 GHz band by about 33%, i.e. up to 600 Mbps. In other words, the theoretical throughput of the ASUS RT-AC87U is 600 + 1734 Mbps, which ultimately gives us the 2334 Mbps declared in the specification. Hence we have the name of the class of devices AC2400, to which the hero of this review belongs.

Since we are analyzing the technical part of the router in detail, it is appropriate to recall the presence of four antennas and support for the 4x4:4 configuration. Together with the use of the AiRadar function, this significantly increases the coverage area (up to 465 m 2), that is, by about 33% compared to conventional three-way solutions (3x3:3). Recall that this technology works according to the following principle: the location of wireless network clients is determined and an amplified signal is generated in their direction, which ensures a fast and stable connection over a longer distance.

The ASUS RT-AC87U model does not have its own configuration utility, so it is configured via the WEB interface. It has an intuitive and logical structure with several tabs on the left side of the page. Accordingly, their contents and a list of available parameters are displayed on the right side. Note the presence of Russian and Ukrainian localization and high-quality translation of all names and explanations.

The first group of tabs is called "Internet Quick Setup", which fully describes their purpose. This configuration method is quite simple, so it is primarily suitable for beginners who have not previously encountered setting up network equipment.

In this mode, the system automatically sets all the necessary parameters and performs a check. The user is only required to select the type of connection, enter a password for network access and, if necessary, set the information provided by the provider for Internet access. The entire setup process only takes a couple of minutes.

To control and monitor the state of the created network, the group of tabs "General" is intended. The Network Map page displays a detailed diagram where you can get a quick overview of connected clients, network devices, and the connection to the World Wide Web. To do this, just click on the corresponding icon.

The "Guest network" section allows you to configure a session to connect guest clients to the Internet without access to the internal network. Moreover, this can be done separately for each band (2.4 or 5 GHz).

Configuring the network protection service is carried out using the parameters of the "Ai Protection" tab. This software package was developed by Trend Micro specialists and includes various methods for tracking and blocking malicious objects at all connection levels.

Also, this service provides the ability to restrict access to inappropriate content and set the time for using the network by a specific client. This feature is useful in schools, office organizations, and even at home if your child spends too much time on social networks or playing online games.

The Adaptive QoS tab contains settings for prioritizing specific network tasks (surfing, downloading files, transferring files, etc.), as well as tools for monitoring incoming and outgoing traffic.

Information about all additional services available when devices are connected via USB ports is grouped on the USB application tab. Here you can set rules for sharing an external drive via the Internet, organize file storage (FTP / SAMBA) or a print server. There is support for 3G / 4G modems, as well as the ability to use the phone as a device to access the global network.

Separately, I would like to note the functionality of the built-in utility for downloading files (Download Master). It supports different types of networks, including the p2p protocol. That is, based on ASUS RT-AC87U, you can organize a torrent client that does not require a separate, always-on PC. The main thing is not to forget to connect a USB drive to the router and correctly set the path for saving files.

The last section "AiCloud" from the group of tabs "General" is used to organize access to cloud services.

For more fine-grained configuration of the wired and wireless network segments, refer to the "Advanced Settings" tab group. In addition, it contains options for managing the NAT service, VPN server, firewall and other services that will be useful when administering complex networks.

One of the advantages of the ASUS RT-AC87U model compared to other routers is the support for the dual WAN function. With it, the LAN port can be configured to be used as a second WAN port, and thus provide two independent Internet connections. In this case, the user is given the opportunity to manually distribute Internet traffic between them or set one of the connections as a backup.

Through the WEB-interface of the router, detailed logging of ongoing events is carried out. It also provides the ability to quickly diagnose and collect information about the network.

In general, the functionality of the ASUS RT-AC87U model can be called very good. The number of settings described above is quite enough to organize and control a network in a home, office or small business. You can see the full list of all available options by looking at the screenshot gallery.

Software

The ASUS RT-AC87U router has several utilities that partially duplicate the functions available from the WEB interface.

The first program is called ASUS Device Discovery. With it, you can quickly learn about the network configuration and get a summary of all connected clients.

The second utility - ASUS Printer Setup Utility - allows you to connect and configure a network printer through the installation wizard.

Testing

The main problem of network technologies, and especially wireless lines, can be called signal transmission interference. It is they who force the limited computing resources of the Wi-Fi client to be spent on decryption and additional verification of each transmitted packet. Creating radio interference for a wireless channel is very simple - almost any electrical appliance or digital device does this. The most common household appliances can have a particularly strong impact: a microwave oven, a refrigerator motor or even a fluorescent lamp when it is turned on, etc. Another important and often the main source of interference can be the high density of Wi-Fi networks surrounding the place where the wireless solution is used. Considering all these factors, it is impossible to speak about the complete repeatability of the test results of the wireless segment of the network.

Therefore, testing of all network solutions that got into our laboratory takes place under “ideal” operating conditions: in the same room with direct visibility and at a distance of no more than two meters between points. For experiments, we used the following additional network equipment: ASUS RT-N66U , ASUS EA-N66 and Gigabit Ethernet Intel 82566MC.

Benchmarking 802.11n 2.4GHz 300Mbps Link Using WPA2 Encryption

Data flow from router to client

In practice, the ASUS RT-AC87U showed very high performance. Of course, we did not manage to see the numbers declared by the manufacturer, but this situation is typical for all wireless routers. Let's not forget that the actual operating conditions differ from the ideal ones, which are accepted during theoretical calculations.

The average data transfer rate in both directions over a wireless connection at a frequency of 2.4 GHz (IEEE 802.11n) was about 120 Mbps, and for 5 GHz (IEEE 802.11n) it reached almost 251 Mbps. In the latter case, a very high result was obtained: even top competitive solutions rarely manage to exceed 200 Mbps. As you can see, the use of a powerful hardware platform and innovative technologies has borne fruit not only on paper, but also in practice.

When using the IEEE 802.11ac mode, the average data transfer rate in both directions over the wireless connection increased to 354 Mbps. At the same time, during testing of only one direction, the maximum speed increased to 400 Mbps. Devices that support the IEEE 802.11ac standard cannot yet come close to the declared figures, but the trend cannot but rejoice. Each new class (in this case AC2400) shifts the bar of maximum achieved speeds higher and higher. At least, such a conclusion can be drawn based on the data obtained during the testing of solutions that have already visited our test lab.

Be that as it may, looking at such results, we can say with confidence that within the framework of home and small corporate networks, the performance of the ASUS RT-AC87U model in the wireless segment is quite enough.

Comparative testing of the speed of packets passing through the LAN interface for another LAN client

Data flow in both directions

Data flow in one direction

The functionality of the node responsible for data exchange via LAN interfaces is quite good. Recall that the router has Gigabit Ethernet ports with a theoretical bandwidth of up to 1000 Mbps. The overall crossover speed was almost 887 Mbps, and the maximum was 800 Mbps. Such results for devices of this kind are more than acceptable.

Comparative testing of packet speed through the NAT service of the router

But the capabilities of the NAT service did not please us very much. In ASUS RT-AC87U it has a hardware implementation. However, the average switching speed of 272 Mbps allows us to say that this node is far from being at the peak of its capabilities. During testing, it seemed that the NAT service worked at the software level, although all the necessary settings for using the hardware mode were set in the router menu. We do not exclude that the problem lies in the "dampness" of the firmware. It is possible that this problem will be fixed in future versions.

Comparative testing of read / write speed of files usingSAMBA-client to an external USB 3.0 connectedSSD-storage device

Reading from a connected SSD

Recording to a connected SSD

The speed of reading files through the SAMBA client from an SSD connected to the router via a USB 3.0 connector was about 67.6 MB / s, and writing - 53.5 MB / s. The results obtained can only be described as excellent. Since for competitive solutions these figures fluctuate around 15 MB / s and 5 MB / s, respectively. This performance will be quite enough to organize a home file server or network storage within a small company.

Also, in the course of testing, features in the operation of this model were noticed, which, in our opinion, should be highlighted separately. Firstly, ASUS RT-AC87U takes a relatively long time to reboot after applying the settings - about 2-3 minutes. If you work on the principle of “set it up and forget it once”, then, of course, there is nothing to worry about. However, if the router is frequently configured, such a long reboot time may seem inconvenient. Secondly, after 1-3 minutes of device operation in test mode, the wireless connection speed decreased by about 10-20%. Under normal operating conditions, this kind of problem should not be observed.

When it comes to innovations in the computer components industry, the ASUS brand always flickers in the foreground: whether it's video cards, motherboards, peripherals or even network equipment. Yes, you heard right. In the presence of manufacturers who are purely engaged in the release of devices for networking, it is ASUS that often sets the pace in this area. An example is a wireless router ASUS RT-AC87 U. The new wireless communication standard IEEE 802.11ac has not yet had time to really gain a foothold in the minds of users, and ASUS is already bringing a second-wave device to the market that corresponds to the AC2400 class.

This router has very great capabilities, but it is unlikely that it will be possible to fully implement them in practice. Nevertheless, even without showing the declared values during testing, it still surpassed those that we had before this decision by a head. Under actual operating conditions, the average data transfer rate in both directions over a wireless connection using the IEEE 802.11n mode was about 251 Mbps. Switching to the IEEE 802.11ac broadcast standard, it increased to 354 Mbps.

An important role in achieving such results was played by the hardware platform, which includes two independent nodes for servicing wireless channels at a frequency of 2.4 and 5 GHz. In addition, there is a full-fledged implementation of MU-MIMO technology, which increases the performance of the wireless network segment when broadcasting is carried out simultaneously for several devices. However, this is not the only advantage that this router can boast of. Thanks to the use of modern components, primarily a powerful processor, the novelty has great potential in the LAN segment. In particular, traditional 100-megabit interfaces have been replaced with gigabit counterparts, and the NAT service is implemented not at the software level, but at the hardware level. True, in the latter case, we did not manage to achieve unsurpassed performance. Perhaps the firmware is to blame, and in its subsequent versions this problem will be solved.

In addition to its direct duties, the ASUS RT-AC87U model can also act as a network storage, a service for working with cloud services, a print server, and even a torrent client. For these purposes, there are two USB ports, one of which complies with the 3.0 standard, and functional software built into the WEB interface. By the way, as testing has shown, this router is the best suited for organizing network storage: the speed of reading files through the SAMBA client from the connected SSD is about 67.6 MB/s, and writing - 53.5 MB/s.

Of course, the payoff for such great opportunities is a high price. However, having bought the ASUS RT-AC87U model, you can already now experience the benefits of the new IEEE 802.11ac standard and be sure that this router will not lose its relevance even after a few years.

Advantages:

support for the IEEE 802.11ac standard;
support for simultaneous operation of two wireless Wi-Fi data channels: 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz;
high real-world data rates: averaging 251 Mbps and 354 Mbps in both directions using IEEE 802.11n and IEEE 802.11ac modes, respectively;
availability of gigabit LAN and WAN ports;
high performance hardware platform;
the presence of four antennas and support for a 4x4: 4 configuration;
full implementation of MU-MIMO technology;
support for dual WAN technology for organizing two simultaneously functioning Internet connections;
increased coverage area;
the presence of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 connectors, which significantly expands the functionality of the router and provides the user with access to a number of services: print server, media server, FTP storage, torrent client;
very high speed of writing and reading files from an external drive connected to the router;
efficient cooling system;
the presence of a hardware button for the WPS mode;
ease of setup;
convenient and very functional WEB-interface;
built-in protection against the penetration of malicious objects and leakage of confidential data;
simple organization of access and synchronization with cloud services.

Peculiarities:

relatively long reboot time of the router after applying the settings;
after 1-3 minutes of device operation in test mode, the wireless connection speed decreased by about 10-20%.

Flaws: