Ac68u vs Ac88u – Which one has the best throughput performance?
If you’re looking for a versatile dual-band router that can work as a whole home wifi router with ample capability and flexibility that you can use for gaming as well as your home network, the Ac68u and Ac88u are great options.
Asus has made a mark in the router industry by providing high performance units with plenty of flexibility. The ac68u and ac88u are excellent routers that may not have the best designs but can deliver fast speeds for all your wifi needs. They come with external storage options with the USB ports so you can share and access wirelessly from external hard drives.
Table of Contents
What are the differences between Ac68u and Ac88u?
Asus router models |
Ac68u |
Ac88u (Winner) |
Bandwidth speeds |
2.4 GHz- 600 Mbps
5 GHz- 1300 Mbps |
2.4 GHz- 11000 Mbps
5 GHz- 2167 Mbps |
USB ports |
USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 at the back |
USB 2.0 at the back and USB 3.0 at the front |
Gigabit LAN ports |
4 |
8 |
Processor |
800 MHz dual-core processor |
Broadcom 1.4 GHz dual-core processor with Broadcom’s NitroQAM technology |
Ac68u vs Ac88u – How do they differ?
Design
The ac68u is a slim and lightweight router that will not take up a lot of space in any room which makes it perfect for small apartments with limited space. Though it can support the wifi demand of a large home.it has a relatively low profile body with 3 detachable antennas at the top and subtle LED lights at the top and bottom front that has a smooth and criss-cross pattern with long angular lines to give it a visually interesting look. At the back are 4 LAN ports, a WAN port, a USB 2.0 ports, and a USB 3.0 port. As for the ac88u router, it has a black angular design with 4 removable antennas at the sides and back with red accents, bright LED lights, and a wide base stand which gives it an eye-catching look but might not be pleasing to everyone. At the back are 8 LAN ports, a WAN port, a USB 2.0 port, a power jack, and buttons for WPS, power, and reset. At the front of the router is a USB 3.0 port.
The ac68u is a better-looking router that you can place anywhere in your home and it won’t occupy a lot of space.
Bandwidth speeds
The ac68u is an excellent upgrade from the ac66u that boasts of a fast 800 MHz dual-core processor and it supports a new wifi chip that delivers speeds of up to 600 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 1.3 Gbps on the 5 GHz band. While its combined possible wifi speeds are 1900 Mbps, its actual performance will vary depending on your internet service and data plan, interference from other signals and devices, and even the location of your router. On the other hand, the ac88u uses a Broadcom 1.4 GHz dual-core processor and Broadcom’s NitroQAM technology to deliver a combined theoretical throughput of 3167 Mbps with 1 Gbps on the 2.4 GHz and 2167 Mbps on the 5 GHz band.
The ac88u is a better performer with faster throughput speeds on both band frequencies and a more powerful processor.
USB and LAN ports
Both Ac68u and Ac88u come with two USB ports, the USB 2.0 and 3.0 that you can use for many functions like connecting your external storage devices, printers, or broadband devices which will turn your router into a storage or print server. However, the positioning of the ports in the router is very different. The ac68u has both USB ports positioned at the back while the ac88u has the USB 2.0 port at the back and the USB 3.0 port at the front. This is because the USB 3.0 port can deliver faster speeds for hosting a permanent storage device that will serve as a network storage server. As for the LAN ports, the ac88u has 8 gigabit LAN ports as opposed to ac68u with 4. More LAN ports mean you can connect more wired devices to your router.
The ac88u is a versatile router with more LAN ports for more wired connections and faster wifi speeds.
Ac68u vs Ac88u – A comparison review
Asus rt-ac68u
- Dual band with the latest 802; 11 AC 3x3 technology for combined speeds of up to 1900 Mbps
- 1 GigaHertz dual core CPU enables smart multitasking by dedicating separate lanes for Wi Fi and USB data;...
The ac68u is a dual-band router that is fairly affordable and has enough power to support a large home with gaming support, parental controls, and AiMesh home networking. Apart from being not too large or heavy, this router has a wide base that allows it to stand upright so it doesn’t take up much space. It uses a Broadcom wireless controller with TurboQAM technology which allows the router to support 600 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 1300 Mbps on the 5 GHz band. It has two USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports that will not only support your external hard drives but also your printer and 3G/4G broadband devices.
You can use the mobile app to set up the router, or the web interface that gives you more settings for control and customization for parental controls, QoS, firewall, security, and simple guest networks. Other complicated features include settings for FTP, USB, and AiCloud, configuring servers, and syncing files to the cloud. The ac68u is a fine performer with better wireless signal coverage. On the 2.4 GHz band at close range, it can deliver speeds of up to 225 Mbps and 211 Mbps at a long-range. On the 5 GHz band at close range, it scored 203 Mbps and 176 Mbps at a long-range.
Pros
- Has a nice design
- Strong wifi signal
- Quality built and stable
- The AiMesh feature is great
Cons
- Has no automatic notification for new firmware
- Not wall mountable
Asus rt-ac88u
- 1024 Qam technology 80 percent faster 5 GigaHertz at up to 2100 Mbps, 66 percent faster 2. 4 GigaHertz at...
- 33 percent greater 2. 4 GigaHertz coverage with a 4 transmit, 4 receive (4T4R) antenna design, able to...
The ac88u is also a dual-band router packed with lots of unique features for gamers, gigabit LAN ports, USB ports and supports MU-MIMO technology. It has lots of management options in its well-designed user interface. This nice-looking router can deliver a combined theoretical speed of up to 3167 Mbps that will deliver fast transfer speeds, long-range, and a stable signal. Setting up this router is a breeze with the help of a user-friendly web interface and a mobile app. You will find settings for the guest network, adaptive QoS for prioritizing bandwidth, bandwidth monitor, traffic analyzer, and game boost to connect you to the GPN.
The Asus AiProtection feature helps to monitor and detect viruses and malware and also block malicious sites while the parental controls will allow you to limit or block access to certain websites. The ac88u has quite an impressive throughput performance on both band frequencies. On the 2.4 GHz band at close proximity, it can deliver 97.9 Mbps and 74.3 Mbps at 30 feet. On the 5 GHz band at close proximity, it scored 537 Mbps and 302 Mbps at 30 feet which were a very good range performance.
Pros
- Impressive throughput performance
- Lots of useful features
- User-friendly web interface
- Supports Asus AiMesh
Cons
- Awkwardly placed USB 3.0 port
- It’s expensive
Conclusion
Both the Ac68u and Ac88u come with lots of useful features and excellent throughput performance on both band frequencies.
So which one is better Ac68u or Ac88u?
The ac88u is a better router because it has a massive set of features, supports MU-MIMO technology, has a nice eye-catching design, and can deliver blazing throughput speeds for both your gaming and home networking needs.
FAQ
What is the Asus AiCloud?
Asus AiCloudallows you to connect to your data from anywhere at any time as long as you have an internet connection. It uses the AiCloud mobile app that gives you access to your files in your home network.
Is Asus AiProtection any good?
Asus AiProtection is quite effective when it comes to security. It will monitor and detect viruses and malware and also block malicious sites.