Ubiquiti Vs Asus–Which brand provides high bandwidth routers?
Among the best router manufacturers today are Ubiquiti and Asus. The following is detailed guide on the two and a detailed review of some of their best products.
If you’re looking for a router, you have most likely stumbled upon either or both companies’ products. This is because they make high quality products that cater for all budgets and user needs. If you need a router, you will definitely get a nice router from these either of themthat fits all your needs and budget. Furthermore, the two companies have focused on different preferences for the user. For instance, Ubiquiti is known for having tough durable hardware-based routers while Asus is known for manufacturing high performance routers. Both companies have dipped their toes in the mesh extender router systems which is a relatively new trend among routers. Ubiquiti have the top performance premium priced Amplifi HD mesh router system while Asus have the less known Asus Lyra. On top of these, both Ubiquiti and Asus have supplied us with top quality routers over the years. The following table shows some of their differences
Table of Contents
What are the differences between Ubiquiti and Asus?
Brands |
Ubiquiti |
Asus |
Specialty |
Routers, modems and switches |
PCs, laptops, routers |
Operating system |
Air OS |
Asus OS or DD-WRT |
Internal Antennas |
Ranges between 4 and 13 |
7 |
LED Light Position |
Top front |
Bottom front |
Guest Networking |
Yes |
Yes |
Default username |
root |
admin |
Ubiquiti vs. Asus – How do these router brands compare?
The Ubiquiti and Asus Companies are two of the biggest router companies today. The following factors should always be considered when choosing a what router to buy
Performance
The performance of these routers depends on what you’re looking for in a router. Asus is known to manufacture routers meant for high performance internet activities such as online gaming and 4K streaming. Ubiquiti router on the other hand make routers with superior hardware acceleration. However, overall, Asus generally have better performing routers. Their products have wonderful transfer rate. Ubiquiti only offers the hardware acceleration which although is great, does not match up to the transfer rate of Asus routers. But even with that said, the hardware and features are what determine the better performance router. Ubiquiti is great for office setups and use by organizations whereas Asus routers are great for gamers and heavy internet users who deal with large files or live streaming
Area of coverage
The area of coverage refers to the maximum area or distance covered by the router. Since the Ubiquiti is hardware based and provides hardware acceleration, you will find that it used in industrial setups and organizations. This means that Ubiquiti has more edge over Asus routers when it comes to area of coverage. However, higher end and more premium Asus routers provide fantastic range.
Operating systems
To power and control the routers, they are equipped with operating systems. Ubiquiti routers have the Ubiquiti OS which is very hardware based for superior network control. Asus routers are equipped with Asus Operating System. To test which routers had the better operating system, a connectivity test was done to connect the routers to their respective mobile apps. The Asus was found to have better and faster connectivity as it connected fast and worked quite seamlessly. Ubiquiti on the other hand connected much slower. This didn’t comes as a shock though, because Ubiquiti is more hardware based.
Pricing
There is no doubt that price and budget is a main factor we look at when looking to buy a router. The two brands focus on different customer preferences and because of this they are quite different priced. It is also important to note that because the two brands manufacture high end routers, their router generally cost more compared to other companies such as TP Link. Ubiquiti routers are slightly more expensive than Asus routers since their routers are hardware based and are used over large spaces such as industries and factories. Ubiquiti routers also provide excellent network control features such as PoE. Asus is mainly used for heavy internet use due to its high throughput speeds and transfer rates. And because of this, there are expensive too. However, both companies have a wide range of routers to choose from and you will get something that fits your budget perfectly.
Ubiquiti vs. Asus – A comparison Overview
Ubiquiti – Overview
The Ubiquiti Company is known for making very durable, hardware based and high quality routers. They manufacture and release a wide range of routers with some of the most unique and diverse designs. The company also makes other networking products other than routers such as servers, switches and modems. However, we’ll look at their routers. Some of the best and most popular industrial routers are made by Ubiquiti. This is because their routers come with built in hardware acceleration and provide better network control. Ubiquiti routers are fitted with Air OS which is a generally a powerful operating system developed by Airmax. The routers also come with a communication protocol known as Air Max that improves communication quality as multiple devices connect and run through the router.
Ubiquiti is also trying to keep up with recent trends despite their unique niche. They recently released one of the best mesh extender router systems known as Amplifi HD. Like all the rest of their devices. The router is quite unique in design compared with other mesh routers. It is also quite expensive just as its other products are. To understand their products better, we will look at two of the company’s routers in depth and see why one may go for an Ubiquiti router.
Ubiquiti UniFi AC Pro
- Manage Your Networks from a Single Control Plane
- Intuitive and Robust Configuration, Control and Monitoring
Ubiquiti has been around for a long time and the UniFi proves this. Released in 2013, this router is still one of the best home router you can find in the market today. The router is a simple yet elegant white circular piece of device that provides high throughput speeds, transfer rates and decent area of coverage. The Ubiquiti router is one of the nicest looking Ubiquiti router. It is white in color with the Ubiquiti logo imbibed at the top center in grey silver metallic material. Around the logo, there is an LED ring of light that acts as the status indicator for the router. The circular design is great because it allows the router to be mounted easily.
When it comes to performance, this router is quite decent. First, the router provides an area of coverage of 2600 square feet or about 241 square meters. To put it into perspective, this is enough to comfortable work in a two or three bedroom house with minimal obstructions. In addition, it is important to know that the UniFi series contains three routers in its line: the AC Lite, AC LR and AC Pro. The Pro as the name suggest is the best performance and most expensive of the batch. It goes for about $150 which is rather decent considering the service it renders. The router weighs 350 g and features a powerful triband CPU processor.
Ubiquiti Edge Router X
- Connectivity Technology: Ethernet
- Brand : Ubiquiti Networks
Another wonderful, timeless release by the Ubiquiti Company is the Ubiquiti Edge Router X. This router is one of the best releases by the company due to two main reason. First, the router is quite affordable and two, it provides high throughput speeds and wide area coverage. This Edge X takes the more known design that Ubiquiti is known to use. It features a very industrial design with minimal touches for beauty or elegance. The router is a black box shaped device with small holes on both sides for cooling and breathability. The router can easily be mistaken for a switch. But the design shouldn’t put you off just yet because this router has some of the best performance you will find in a router on its price range. The unit measures 4.33 x 2.95 x 0.87 inches. This small size ensures it can be placed anywhere in the house and can even be mounted. But perhaps the best feature of the Edge router X is the PoE feature that really comes through when using more than one access points. Because of this, there are two PoE ports at the back of the router: one in and one out. There are also two additional gigabit Ethernet ports.
Asus– Overview
Asus is one of the biggest names in the IT and networking industry. This can be attributed to the diversity of their products. They manufacture almost everything from desktops and laptops to networking devices such as routers and hubs. However, one thing sets them apart from their competitors and that is the fact that Asus focuses mainly on high end gaming devices. Because of this, you find that Asus products take a very fancy and futuristic design. Even their routers take this design. But even with that said, even non-gamers will find a lot of value in any Asus router. The company also makes less premium routers to accommodate the whole market. So there is always something Asus for you. To understand their products better, we are going to look at two of their most popular releases.
Asus RT-AX88U
- Next gen Wi-Fi standard 802.11Ax Wi-Fi standard for better efficiency and throughput; ultrafast Wi-Fi...
- Certified for Humans – Smart home made easy for non-experts. Setup with Alexa is simple.
The Asus RT-AX88U is a high end premium router with superior coverage and excellent throughput speeds and transfer rates. If you’re a gamer, this is definitely a router you should consider buying. The router features some of the most recent Wi-Fi technology such as Wi-Fi 6 or 802.11 which propel the speeds to a whopping 4.8 Gpbs. The two also ensure that there is minimal network congestion. This router is heavily tailored for performance junkies and therefore you may not get its full potential if you’re planning to use it on regular home use. The router comes with a powerful 1.8 GHz quad core CPU with 1 GB of RAM and 256 MB of flash memory. Furthermore, the router comes with a mobile app that is compatible for both android and apple users. The router also allows web client access which is a great additional perk
When it comes to design, the Asus RT-AX88U takes a very fancy and techy design. It is black in color, with a serrated top and a bright LED light at the center. It measures 11.8 x 2.4 x 7.4 inches, with four antennas and 11 ports: nine Ethernet ports and three USB 3.0 ports.
ASUS Dual-Band AC1300
- Dual band AC1300 with the latest 2x2 MU MIMO technology for combined speeds of up to 1267 Mbps
- 4 external 5dBi antennas for improved Wi Fi range and multi device performance; Connected devices must be...
The AC1300 is a more budget friendly mid-range performance router that has grown quite popular. It is a no frill router that costs as little as seventy bucks. This router is the perfect choice for anyone looking for a decent performing low level router. It is also a great choice for anyone on a tight budget or if you’re looking for a quick fix with value for money. Like majority of Asus routers, it also features a very unique design that any gamer will love. It comes with four external antennas and five ports: four gigabit Ethernet and one USB 3.0 port. Furthermore, the router is smaller compared to the previous and measures 5.8 x 1.4 x 8.1 inches. The ASUS Dual-Band AC1300 provides a transfer rate of 1.2 Gbps.
Model |
Ubiquiti UniFi AC Pro |
Asus RT-AX88U |
Ports |
5 (three LAN, one WAN, two PoE ports) |
11 (nine LAN, one WAN, two USB 3.0) |
Antennas |
4 internal |
4 external |
Special features |
PoE |
MUMIMO, adaptive QoS and Traffice Analyzer |
Size |
196.7 x 196.7 x 35mm |
11.8 x 2.4 x 7.4 inches |
Color |
White |
Black |
Throughput speed |
2400 Mbps |
4800 Mbps |
Availability |
Conclusion
Both brands have a router that will fit your needs. However, comparing the AC Pro by Ubiquiti and Asus RT-AX88U, the Asus is way ahead of the Ubiquiti. It offers better performance and provides a wider area of coverage.
