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ASUS RT-AX3000 is a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 capable wireless router recently announced by ASUS. It is similar to ASUS RT-AX58U and currently available in Malaysia for RM1099. There’s also a 3 years one to one exchange warranty included with the router.
ASUS is not trying to reinvent the wheel with the RT-AX3000. It looks like a normal wireless router with 4 non removable external antennas. The design itself is really basic and simple. The only special element is the golden ASUS logo.
Wi-Fi 6 or Wireless AX is the next generation wireless technology after Wireless AC. Without going into the technical details, Wi-Fi 6 will improve Wi-Fi speed significantly when you are using it with a Wi-Fi 6 device. There are also multiple user experience improvements which promises to enhance battery usage on devices and offer improved stability.
If you are using a Wi-Fi 6 device such as the iPhone 11 or Samsung Galaxy S10, getting a Wi-Fi 6 wireless router will greatly improve the Wi-Fi speed. It will also benefit older Wireless AC devices with improved Wi-Fi coverage and speed especially if you are coming from a much older wireless router.
Hardware and Specs
| Wireless 2.4Ghz | Wireless AX up to 574Mbps (40Mhz 2×2) |
| Wireless 5Ghz | Wireless AX up to 2402Mbps (160Mhz 2×2) |
| WiFi Features | OFDMA, MU-MIMO, Beamforming, AiMesh |
| CPU | Broadcom BCM6750 1.5Ghz Triple-Core CPU |
| RAM | 512MB |
| Ports | 1x Gigabit WAN port + 4x Gigabit LAN port |
| 1x USB 3.1 port |
Unlike the RT-AX56U, the RT-AX3000 only comes with a single standard USB 3.1 port for printer sharing and file sharing feature on the network. The USB port can support printer sharing, file sharing and even use it as 4G Internet backup with a USB 4G modem.
Setup Guide
Setting up the RT-AX3000 is really easy by using ASUS router app available for both Android and iOS devices. The app will guide you how to connect the router to the modem. If you use Unifi, remember to select the Unifi-Home profile on the app.
I can complete the setup process under 15 minutes with the ASUS router app. If you use Unifi TV, your STB should be connected to LAN Port 4. There’s also a web interface if you prefer doing it the old way. You can refer to my ASUS Unifi setup guide here.
WiFi Performance
We will be testing the Wi-Fi performance of the RT-AX3000 using ASUS PCE-AX58BT Wi-Fi 6 AX3000 wireless adapter on a desktop and Samsung Galaxy S10. I will be running speedtest on my TIME Fibre 1Gbps Internet connection with 500Mbps upload speed.
On the peak performance test, we placed the router at a close distance to my desktop to see what is the maximum Wi-Fi speed the router can reach on the best conditions. I am surprised that this affordable router can reach close to 900Mbps on a Wi-Fi speedtest.
On the next test, I run the speedtest at multiple points to see how the router performs after several walls using the Galaxy S10. Like all routers, the speed dropped as I moved further from the router. However, the performance remain solid and is always above the 100Mbps mark.
RT-AX3000 + RT-AX56U AiMesh
The great part of the RT-AX3000 will be the AiMesh function. It lets you to link it with another AiMesh supported router to expand the Wi-Fi coverage. This will be useful if you are staying in a larger home
For my case, I completed setup by matching the RT-AX3000 with ASUS RT-AX56U to form a mesh Wi-Fi network. By doing so, I can have a much stronger 5Ghz Wi-Fi in certain parts of my house. Unlike using a Wi-Fi extender, AiMesh is more reliable and performs faster as it is better integrated.
Firmware and Features
ASUS RT-AX3000 runs the familiar ASUSWRT firmware which itself is a really huge deal. This is because ASUSWRT is one of the best router firmware in the market with a ton of features. Not to mention that it is frequently updated by ASUS once every few months.
The navigation of the firmware is really simple and it shows your a ton of information about your network. Enthusiasts will really enjoy having so much information to know better about the network connection. There’s even a CPU usage meter to show the CPU usage.
ASUS RT-AX3000 also included the AiProtection Pro Antivirus feature, powered by TrendMicro database. It is designed to block any website containing a malware or virus. In our testing, this feature works well and do not cause any decrease in Internet speed. We suggest to have this feature enabled.
There’s also the parental control feature which can block website for selected users based on a preset category. However, it can see some improvement as ASUS does not let you to customize which website you want to be blocked currently.
The build-in Adaptive QoS function lets you to select which device you want to have a higher priority. It also lets you to choose what kind of Internet traffic to enjoy a higher priority. It also comes with multiple QoS modes such as gaming and video conferencing to optimize the Internet for that usage.
In addition to the features I mentioned just now, there’s also some really advanced feature such as dual-WAN, VPN server, VPN client, download master and more. Most users will probably never need these but enthusiasts will appreciate these function.
ASUS RT-AX3000 also supported the ASUS Router app which is really feature packed as well.
Closing Thoughts
ASUS RT-AX3000 is a great wireless router. It offers really good Wi-Fi performance with fast Wi-Fi speed and strong Wi-Fi coverage. ASUSWRT comes with plenty of great features and customization. The AiMesh function is also handy as it lets you to use another ASUS AiMesh router to get a stronger Wi-Fi coverage at your home.
While the price is higher than competing models such as TP-Link Archer AX50, ASUS justify it with the comprehensive features of the ASUSWRT firmware. You won’t be disappointed by the ASUS RT-AX3000.
ASUS RT-AX3000
8.8
Tubi Rating
Good Stuff
- Strong WiFi coverage
- A lot of customization options
- Fast WiFi 6 performance
Bad Stuff
- 1 USB port only
Hi there I’m recently looking for new router upgrade should this is best?? I’m using 800Mbps Turbo Unifi or should I go for lower asus AX56( AX1800) because I worried as I saw some reviews stated that AX3000 had connectivity issues and random restarts issues it is true?? Should I invest 600+ for this!! Hope you reply
Actually having a small percent of failure rate is normal and it happens for all product. The RT-AX3000 is a better product.
Just bought this router today. Can the mesh work with other mesh for example TP-link mesh?
No, it only works with ASUS AiMesh products.
Hi i just got this router and for some reason my Unifi speed seem to be capped.
I’m stuck from 20 to 40 mbps on speed test. On my old router I can get up to 230mbps.
Anyone know how to resolve this issue?
Interesting, have you tried to call TM to reset the port? I would suggest using the MAC clone feature to clone the MAC address of your old router as well. Your last resort will be sending it back to warranty.
Hi there. I have an ac86u, and would like to get this router and pair with aimesh. Is the mesh functionality better compared to the CT8? With the CT8, there is only one SSID that auto connects either 2.4/5ghz. Will this router with the 86u have the same function, or will there be two SSIDs (2.4/5ghz)? Thanks!!!
Yes as long as you use the smart connect function on the RT-AC86U.
I bought this router and am using unifi turbo 800mb but i cant get 500mb…is there any special setting needed?
You will need a device that support WiFi 6 as well. It will do 800Mbps if you use an Ethernet cable.
I just bought the router 30th May 2020, I am now having problem using the router with UNIFI, the internet connectivity keep dropping.
I tested the internet connectivity using a different router, all OK.
Anyone having similar problem? or is the unit I bought is faulty. Any advice is appreciated.
I faced the similar problem. Even unifi technician assisted in configuration
My router keep on restarting after few minutes of successful internet connection therefore internet connection repeatedly interrupted. Similar router if configured as repeater, it works perfectly
Make sure you update the firmware of RT-AX3000 from ASUS. Earlier firmware seems to be really buggy with Unifi.
Using Tenda Ac18, would this beast be an upgrade to it?
Yea, this is a big upgrade.
Will it be an upgrade if I get this? I’m using ac13000 uhp now. Signal strength is important for me as the router is on the second floor at the back of the house with the tv on the ground floor right in front. Thanks in advance
If you want coverage at second floor, you should consider mesh WiFi system.
Does the aimesh have ethernet back haul
Yup
Hi, can you suggest me to upgrade either Ax3000 Asus or Ax50 tp-link. Currently I’m using stock unifi router which doesn’t support my turbo unifi 800 mbps. My router placed in second floor center in my house. Currently using Dir-850L
The performance is similar. RT-AX3000 comes with more function to play around but it is much more expensive than the AX50 as well.
Hi, I am currently using asus rt-ac68u, will this RT-AX3000 be an upgrade for me?
Yup, it will be a huge upgrade for you.
Hi! What would you recommend more? This RT-AX3000 or the TP-Link Archer AX50? I currently have a AC3150 from TP Link and it’s been serving me well, but I’ve also heard great things from Asus as well.
Stick to the Archer C3150. Both the ASUS RT-AX3000 and AX50 won’t give you any improvement.
Bought Both the TPlink C4000 and ASUS AX-3000 since they’re both $160 + tax. Having a hard time deciding on which device to keep as they offer different things beneficial to me. I like that my AX200 desktop has full wired speed when 160mhz is enabled on the AX3000, but the range drops off worse than the C4000 in AC mode.. So its kinda a weird situation for me. C4000 has benefits like the extra band to alleviate congestion (router is using 10-15 devices on/off give or take) , but most of my devices peak out for 2×2 config 866.7… Read more »