ASUS RT-AC3200 Tri-Band Wireless-AC3200 Gigabit Router Review
ASUS one of the leading names in networking, has released a new Tri-Band Wireless-AC3200 Gigabit Router the RT-AC3200 that features one of the fastest combined data rate available with any router on the Indian market. To achieve it theoretical top speed of 3200Mbps ASUS RT-AC3200 uses 6 massive antennas and broadcasts three networks – one 2.4GHz and two 5GHz fulfilling all households and office Wi-Fi needs with many connected devices.
Like other AC3200 routers, the ASUS RT-AC3200 also uses Broadcom's XStream "tri-band" architecture, XStream’s key feature is its potential to squeeze higher total throughput out of multiple 5 GHz devices. AC3200 doesn't bring range improvement and maximum link rates are the same as AC1900 class, i.e. 600 Mbps in 2.4 GHz and 1300 Mbps in 5 GHz but instead it provides stable high speed connectivity in a network that have high number of Wi-Fi devices that compete for wireless connectivity. The ASUS RT-AC3200 can automatically assign connecting devices to either 2.4 GHz network or one of two 5.0 GHz network depending on the device network bandwidth usage.
Now let’s see what this Asus AC3200 Router have for us.
Package
ASUS RT-AC3200 comes in a box securely packaged with Modem graphics, Model name and features highlights on front and the back of the box.
Inside the box
Looks
ASUS RT-AC3200 is one humongous router looks almost same as RT-AC87U router, but with 6 big external antennas, each about 21cm long.
Features
Intelligent Tri-band Wi-Fi for All Your Devices
RT-AC3200 is a tri-band 802.11ac router featuring Tri-Band Smart Connect, an incredible new feature that automatically maximizes the performance of each and every wireless device. With the world's fastest combined data rate of 3200 Mbps (2600 Mbps on the two 5 GHz bands plus 600 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band), RT-AC3200 allows every device to work at full speed, ensuring lag-free online gaming, silky-smooth 4K/UHD video streams, and effortless downloading. Add to this superb coverage and total security, and you'll see why RT-AC3200 takes your network to the next level!
REVOLUTIONARY HARDWARE
Six external high-performance antennas - RT-AC3200 uses two 802.11ac networks, each with a three transmit, three receive (3x3) antenna configuration. This is made possible by its six external high performance antennas, and allows more devices to connect faster with better stability.
Dual USB ports - The easy-to-use USB app lets you share printers, storage devices and 3G/4G (HSPA+) dongles over your entire network, and the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port ensures ultra-fast transfer speeds. Plus, there's plenty of space around each port to accommodate bulkier devices.
MORE BANDS MEANS MORE DEVICES
Tri-Band Wi-Fi - Having an ASUS RT-AC3200 is like having three wireless routers in one. The two separate 5 GHz wireless bands — each with speeds up to 1300 Mbps — and the single 600 Mbps 2.4 GHz wireless band all work simultaneously. This means you can enjoy lag-free online gaming, smooth 4K video streaming and uninterrupted file downloading on every device connected to your home network.
AiRadar beamforming - ASUS AiRadar intelligently strengthens wireless connectivity using 802.11ac universal beamforming technology, high-power amplification and exclusive ASUS RF fine-tuning.
Adaptive QoS -ASUS Adaptive Quality of Service (QoS) optimizes and prioritizes bandwidth, with presets for gaming, media streaming, VoIP, web browsing and file transfers.
Powerful online multitasking - RT-AC3200 has a data pipeline that's around 20 times larger than conventional routers — up to 300,000 data sessions — for exceptionally smooth performance.
SMART CONNECTIONS FOR FULL-SPEED NETWORKING
Tri-band Smart Connect - Our Tri-Band Smart Connect technology automatically assigns each device to either the 2.4 GHz band or one of the two 5 GHz bands, according to the device's speed, its signal strength, and how busy each band is. This means you get better range and faster, more reliable connections — all the time! With Tri-Band Smart Connect enabled, RT-AC3200 gives you up to 3X faster downloads — and up to a 39% overall Wi-Fi performance boost when compared to competing tri-band AC3200 routers with standard dual-band smart connect!
LIFE IN THE FAST LAN
For the fastest wired networking performance, RT-AC3200 has a dedicated Gigabit Ethernet WAN port plus four Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports. Its powerful hardware-accelerated NAT removes the bottleneck between the wired LAN and the internet for a lag-free gaming experience.
Hardware NAT - Removes the bottleneck between the internet and the home network, giving WAN-to-LAN performance that's between 2-5 times faster than a traditional software-based NAT.
Dual WAN support - Configure one of the LAN ports as a WAN to use two internet connections, either to share internet traffic between them or so that one can be used as a backup connection should one connection fail.
TESTED FOR COMPATIBILITY
Time Machine® support - Any USB storage device attached to RT-AC3200 can be used in conjunction with Time Machine® backups for your Apple devices.
WPS - Any device supporting the Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) standard can be connected instantly simply by pressing the WPS button on RT-AC3200.
VPN support - Create a VPN server or turn your network-connected devices into VPN-enabled clients — with no need for paid VPN services.
THE POWERFUL, USER-FRIENDLY INTERFACE
ASUSWRT - RT-AC3200 features the enhanced ASUSWRT graphical user interface, which gives you easy access to the 30-second, 3-step web-based installation process3. It's also where you can configure AiCloud 2.0 and all RT-AC3200's advanced options. ASUSWRT is web-based, so it doesn't need a separate app, or restrict what you can change via mobile devices — you get full access to everything, from any device that can run a web browser.
AIPROTECTION WITH TREND MICRO™ FOR ADVANCED SECURITY
AiProtection, incorporating state-of-the-art, three-pronged security from Trend Micro™, gives you enterprise-level security in the home — it's one of the most secure home routers you can buy! It constantly monitors the health and safety of your network for total peace of mind.
CREATE YOUR OWN PERSONAL CLOUD
ASUS AiCloud keeps you close to your data wherever and whenever you have an internet connection. It links your home network and online storage service4, giving you access to your files using the AiCloud mobile app on your iOS, Android smartphones or via a personalized browser URL. You can share photos instantly to services like Facebook, Flickr or Dropbox directly from the AiCloud interface. Even better, AiCloud can be connected to another compatible router to expand your personal cloud even further.
BOOST THE CONNECTION SPEEDS AND MAXIMIZE THE HARDWARE
Tuxera solutions bring enhanced performance with significantly reduced CPU so more applications can run at the same time. With special optimization for network storages you can quickly access and transfer your data.
Testing
For testing this router I used Sony VIA S-Series Laptop and WD My Passport 1TB USB3 drive.
Software / Interface
ASUS Device Discovery Utility
ASUS Restore Utility
ASUS Network Printer Setup Utility
ASUS RT- AC3200 Web Interface
Guest Network
AiProtection
Adaptive QoS - WAN/LAN Bandwidth Monitor
Traffic Analyzer
USB Applications – AiDisk, Media Services and Servers, Network Printer Server, 3G/4G
AiCloud 2.0
Wirelss – General Settings
LAN IP Configuration
WAN – Internet Connection
IPv6
Firewall – General Settings
Administration – Operation Mode
System Log
Network Tools
ASUS one of the leading names in networking, has released a new Tri-Band Wireless-AC3200 Gigabit Router the RT-AC3200 that features one of the fastest combined data rate available with any router on the Indian market. To achieve it theoretical top speed of 3200Mbps ASUS RT-AC3200 uses 6 massive antennas and broadcasts three networks – one 2.4GHz and two 5GHz fulfilling all households and office Wi-Fi needs with many connected devices.
Like other AC3200 routers, the ASUS RT-AC3200 also uses Broadcom's XStream "tri-band" architecture, XStream’s key feature is its potential to squeeze higher total throughput out of multiple 5 GHz devices. AC3200 doesn't bring range improvement and maximum link rates are the same as AC1900 class, i.e. 600 Mbps in 2.4 GHz and 1300 Mbps in 5 GHz but instead it provides stable high speed connectivity in a network that have high number of Wi-Fi devices that compete for wireless connectivity. The ASUS RT-AC3200 can automatically assign connecting devices to either 2.4 GHz network or one of two 5.0 GHz network depending on the device network bandwidth usage.
Now let’s see what this Asus AC3200 Router have for us.
Package
ASUS RT-AC3200 comes in a box securely packaged with Modem graphics, Model name and features highlights on front and the back of the box.
Inside the box
Looks
ASUS RT-AC3200 is one humongous router looks almost same as RT-AC87U router, but with 6 big external antennas, each about 21cm long.
Features
Intelligent Tri-band Wi-Fi for All Your Devices
RT-AC3200 is a tri-band 802.11ac router featuring Tri-Band Smart Connect, an incredible new feature that automatically maximizes the performance of each and every wireless device. With the world's fastest combined data rate of 3200 Mbps (2600 Mbps on the two 5 GHz bands plus 600 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band), RT-AC3200 allows every device to work at full speed, ensuring lag-free online gaming, silky-smooth 4K/UHD video streams, and effortless downloading. Add to this superb coverage and total security, and you'll see why RT-AC3200 takes your network to the next level!
REVOLUTIONARY HARDWARE
Six external high-performance antennas - RT-AC3200 uses two 802.11ac networks, each with a three transmit, three receive (3x3) antenna configuration. This is made possible by its six external high performance antennas, and allows more devices to connect faster with better stability.
Dual USB ports - The easy-to-use USB app lets you share printers, storage devices and 3G/4G (HSPA+) dongles over your entire network, and the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port ensures ultra-fast transfer speeds. Plus, there's plenty of space around each port to accommodate bulkier devices.
MORE BANDS MEANS MORE DEVICES
Tri-Band Wi-Fi - Having an ASUS RT-AC3200 is like having three wireless routers in one. The two separate 5 GHz wireless bands — each with speeds up to 1300 Mbps — and the single 600 Mbps 2.4 GHz wireless band all work simultaneously. This means you can enjoy lag-free online gaming, smooth 4K video streaming and uninterrupted file downloading on every device connected to your home network.
AiRadar beamforming - ASUS AiRadar intelligently strengthens wireless connectivity using 802.11ac universal beamforming technology, high-power amplification and exclusive ASUS RF fine-tuning.
Adaptive QoS -ASUS Adaptive Quality of Service (QoS) optimizes and prioritizes bandwidth, with presets for gaming, media streaming, VoIP, web browsing and file transfers.
Powerful online multitasking - RT-AC3200 has a data pipeline that's around 20 times larger than conventional routers — up to 300,000 data sessions — for exceptionally smooth performance.
SMART CONNECTIONS FOR FULL-SPEED NETWORKING
Tri-band Smart Connect - Our Tri-Band Smart Connect technology automatically assigns each device to either the 2.4 GHz band or one of the two 5 GHz bands, according to the device's speed, its signal strength, and how busy each band is. This means you get better range and faster, more reliable connections — all the time! With Tri-Band Smart Connect enabled, RT-AC3200 gives you up to 3X faster downloads — and up to a 39% overall Wi-Fi performance boost when compared to competing tri-band AC3200 routers with standard dual-band smart connect!
LIFE IN THE FAST LAN
For the fastest wired networking performance, RT-AC3200 has a dedicated Gigabit Ethernet WAN port plus four Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports. Its powerful hardware-accelerated NAT removes the bottleneck between the wired LAN and the internet for a lag-free gaming experience.
Hardware NAT - Removes the bottleneck between the internet and the home network, giving WAN-to-LAN performance that's between 2-5 times faster than a traditional software-based NAT.
Dual WAN support - Configure one of the LAN ports as a WAN to use two internet connections, either to share internet traffic between them or so that one can be used as a backup connection should one connection fail.
TESTED FOR COMPATIBILITY
Time Machine® support - Any USB storage device attached to RT-AC3200 can be used in conjunction with Time Machine® backups for your Apple devices.
WPS - Any device supporting the Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) standard can be connected instantly simply by pressing the WPS button on RT-AC3200.
VPN support - Create a VPN server or turn your network-connected devices into VPN-enabled clients — with no need for paid VPN services.
THE POWERFUL, USER-FRIENDLY INTERFACE
ASUSWRT - RT-AC3200 features the enhanced ASUSWRT graphical user interface, which gives you easy access to the 30-second, 3-step web-based installation process3. It's also where you can configure AiCloud 2.0 and all RT-AC3200's advanced options. ASUSWRT is web-based, so it doesn't need a separate app, or restrict what you can change via mobile devices — you get full access to everything, from any device that can run a web browser.
AIPROTECTION WITH TREND MICRO™ FOR ADVANCED SECURITY
AiProtection, incorporating state-of-the-art, three-pronged security from Trend Micro™, gives you enterprise-level security in the home — it's one of the most secure home routers you can buy! It constantly monitors the health and safety of your network for total peace of mind.
CREATE YOUR OWN PERSONAL CLOUD
ASUS AiCloud keeps you close to your data wherever and whenever you have an internet connection. It links your home network and online storage service4, giving you access to your files using the AiCloud mobile app on your iOS, Android smartphones or via a personalized browser URL. You can share photos instantly to services like Facebook, Flickr or Dropbox directly from the AiCloud interface. Even better, AiCloud can be connected to another compatible router to expand your personal cloud even further.
BOOST THE CONNECTION SPEEDS AND MAXIMIZE THE HARDWARE
Tuxera solutions bring enhanced performance with significantly reduced CPU so more applications can run at the same time. With special optimization for network storages you can quickly access and transfer your data.
Testing
For testing this router I used Sony VIA S-Series Laptop and WD My Passport 1TB USB3 drive.
Software / Interface
ASUS Device Discovery Utility
ASUS Restore Utility
ASUS Network Printer Setup Utility
ASUS RT- AC3200 Web Interface
Guest Network
AiProtection
Adaptive QoS - WAN/LAN Bandwidth Monitor
Traffic Analyzer
USB Applications – AiDisk, Media Services and Servers, Network Printer Server, 3G/4G
AiCloud 2.0
Wirelss – General Settings
LAN IP Configuration
WAN – Internet Connection
IPv6
Firewall – General Settings
Administration – Operation Mode
System Log
Network Tools
