AX4200 vs Asus ZenWiFi XT8

[ihsteven]

Been an Orbi user and fan both at the office and home for a long time.  Due to an impending need to extend connectivity for a new addition we completed, I'm wondering what people are thinking about the Orbi AX4200 or 5700 mesh system vs say the Asus ZenWiFi XT8 ?

Orbi Pros:

Ease of Use

Easy Gui

Known solid product

Good speeds

Orbi Negatives:

Not in stock!

No 160MHZ

ZenWifi Pros:

Solid peformance

More Comprehensive GUI

-Steven

[kildare]

Only some further considerations besides that I've already posted:

ZenWifi Pros:

• cheaper
• no difference between router and satellite: the devices are all identical, you choose which you want to use as a router and which as a satellite. So you can easily extend your mesh, don't have to look for extra satellites, you can buy any existing kit (1, 2 o 3 pieces) and choose to use all the included devices in the kit as satellites
• compatible with any already owned Asus Wifi 6 AiMesh router or access point
• access control：parental control, network service filter, URL filter, port filter (already included and free)
• USB 3 ports for sharing external disks, enhanced media server (AiPlayer app compatible)

Much faster than the Orbi AX 4200, it's to be correctly compared to Orbi AX 6000.

[CallPaul]

I've actually used both the RBK752 and the XT8. They're pretty similar in terms of coverage and speed wise they were also pretty similar. The one area where they both fail is the handoff of clients between the router and the nodes, both aren't very good with it.

Biggest difference is the XT8 has a lot more settings to tweak if you feel the need, the 160mhz channels and better port selection. The RBK752

is designed like all Orbi to set it and forget it. I will say I've been running the Orbi for about three weeks with no issues at all other than the too sticky clients mostly iOS.

I think it boils down to personal preference and what's available right now.

[ihsteven]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your valuable feedback, it's really appreciated..  I do like the set and forget it.  Do you have to change much with the Asus?

-Steven

[kildare]

---

@CallPaul
I've actually used both the RBK752 and the XT8. They're pretty similar in terms of coverage and speed wise they were also pretty similar. The one area where they both fail is the handoff of clients between the router and the nodes, both aren't very good with it.

Actually the ZenWifi AX has a specific setting that controls the roaming between router and satellites.

In presence of a wireless mesh system it's very likely that, when the device's current wifi signal level falls under a certain threshold, a stronger signal from another AP/satellite might be available,

Through the "Roaming assistant" setting it's possible to set the threshold under which the wireless devices is "suggested" to search for a better AP, for ex. when  signal level falls below -50 dBm.

In my experience with the Asus AX mesh system I use "Roaming assistant: Enable" and the signal threshold "Disconnect clients when RSSI lower then: -50 dBm".

I have a very large house (> 5000 sq.ft, 3 levels) with 1 router and 3 satellites, and when moving around the floors on my OnePlus 7TPro I immediately get 867 Mbps when in view of the floor's satellite, no latency.

So changing the threshold from -70 dBm (the default) to -50 dBm in my case gives very good roaming support.

[CallPaul]

I've used the feature when I had an Aimesh setup with two Asus routers and the XT-8. Unfortunately the Orbi

doesnt allow changing the default setting on roaming assist. I've found location and distance between  nodes has a lot to do with how clients switch. In my case it's not a concern because most of my clients are in two main areas and even if say I'm on an iPhone 11 I'm still getting 300-400 mbps even though I'm not connected to the closest node when moving around. Changing power levels and lowering transmit power also works when the nodes are not capable of being moved farther apart.

The biggest issue is the clients themselves. I've found iOS devices will hang onto a signal for a long time no matter what parameters are set.

[Bandito]

I, too, have both systems, ASUS ZenWiFi XT8 and Orbi RBK852, and after running the ASUS XT8 for a while, I tend to like it a bit better because it's more stable for me.  I also like that it's a bit less expensive and has a boatload of options for configuration.  It also provides a lot more information about how my network is performing and which devices are actively accessing the Internet.

Don't let all of the configuration options scare you off.  You don't need to adjust them if you don't feel the need to as the system will run just fine with the defaults.  However, if you want to tweak, experiment, or optimize to the Nth degree, then the ASUS will support you where the Orbi is far more limited.

They are both good systems and I'm sure that you'd be happy with either one. 

[ihsteven]

I just wanted to say thank you all very much for your valuable input.  I purchased the Asus XT8 units earlier today, and decided I would check netgear as well.  Much to my surpise, NG came out with a new model (RBK753) https://www.netgear.com/orbi/rbk753.aspx so I purchased it too, so will do some testing and see which one performs better! 

Thanks again!

-Steven

[kildare]

For a direct comparison between the Orbi AX6000 and the Asus ZenWifi AX6600 (XT8) I found these reviews:

https://www.cnet.com/reviews/asus-zenwifi-ax-review/

These were all reasons that the two-piece, $700 Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6 mesh router earned a strong review here on CNET. But I could say all of the same things about the Asus ZenWiFi AX, too -- and that two-piece system only costs $450. On top of that, the ZenWiFi AX boasts better range per device and a better array of app-based controls and customizations for your network, and it lets you use either device as router or extender (the Orbi doesn't). It even comes in your choice of white or black.

[...]

That makes the new ZenWiFi system my top-rated mesh router to date, an easy Editors' Choice Award winner, and the first system I'd recommend for anyone looking for a router worth splurging on.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykarcz/2020/02/28/1-month-with-the-asus-zenwifi-ax6600-xt8/

Back in December when I reviewed the Netgear Orbi WiFi 6  I was wondering if anyone would be able to top it. I shouldn't have worried, because Asus has launched a new WiFi 6 router that's quickly become my new favorite.

Anyway, the RBK753 AX4200 is less powerful than the RBK853 AX6000, and unfortunately it's not the direct competitor of the Asus ZenWifi AX6600.

[FURRYe38]

I recommend you review the asus user forums for user review and experiences. Marketing reviews tend to be one sided and don't offer real world experience or mentione problems. There maybe problems seen from the users perspective. I do enjoy ASUS and my GT-AX11000 router however its had its own problems. Not everything ASUS is pretty. 

[ihsteven]

So I just wanted to update everyone about the Asus as I received it this weekend..  Once I connected it, setup was easy, it asked to do a firmware update, so that was done, once that was done the unit had a ton of site disconnects.  Apparently, after a firmware update it's common for Asus routers to need to be reset to factory defaults and setup again (weird).  After that, performance has been great.  I really do like the fact that is offers a bunch of configuration variables that the ORBI doesn't.  I like seeing the signal strength of devices and having some other functionality. 

Hopefully will be getting the Netgear 3 Pack Wifi 6 in a week or so as well.  Anyone know if NG will update their UI to allow for more customizations ?  It's nice to be able to see per device usage as well.

-Steven

[FURRYe38]

NG seems strict on any user configurations in the UI. NG seems to put limited advanced features on Orbi systems and you get what you get. Like it or not.