The Asus RT-AX58U wireless router is one of the best cost to specs ratio units we've tested. This crams in some of the latest features, including WiFi 6, yet still keeps the price competitively affordable.
This is a more affordable option than, say, a mesh system. This is ideal for those in medium sized spaces that don't require all that extra expense. Yet you still get the future-proofing and high-end speeds for 802.11ax Wifi connectivity.
Of course you'll need other Wifi 6 devices to take full advantage of the top speeds but this is very much compatible with all current systems too, offering maximum speed and range for the size and cost.
Take note though, this is a router and does not include a modem, but rather attaches to what you have in place from your internet provider.
So is this the best wireless router for you? Read on to find out everything you need to know in this Asus RT-AX58U review.
Asus RT-AX58U review: Design, build and features
Could this look any more like a standard router? We don't think so. There are those no-nonsense straight antennas which can be angled to extend about the home directionally. It's black and it has a row of LED lights for at-a-glance workings. Yet this also has that hunched look about it, curving down to the front giving it a slightly menacing look. That is very much a good thing.
This low profile wireless router is small enough for any home at just 8.8 x 6.1 x 6.3 inches. That's partly down to the fact this has no modem onboard, making this a pure router that attaches to what you already have setup.
The rear features four gigabit LAN ports for wired internet connections. There is also a USB 3.1 port for connecting flash drives and the like for high-speed file transfers on your home network.
Asus has crammed in plenty of controls for the price. You get QoS (Quality of Service) controls which mean you can prioritize certain service types, like streaming for Netflix viewing, for example. There are also decent parental controls including schedules for internet access, plus adult content blocks and for other unsuitable material.
There's a Broadcom BCM43684 processor running at 1.5GHz backed by 512MB or RAM and 256MB of flash storage. This is a dual-band router covering the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bandwidths for high speeds 802.11ax performance. That means this has a theoretical top-end performance of up to 3,000Mbps. But how did it perform in real-world testing?
Asus RT-AX58U review: Performance
If you've got WiFi 6 capable gadgets then this router will churn out some serious speeds both over long and short distances. This is more of a future-proofing issue though, with plenty of devices still using 802.11ac at best.
Setup initially was simple with either the iOS or Android app. This lets you either create a single network or two that use 2.4GHz and 5GHz separately and have different passwords.
At close range the 2.4GHz and 5GHz band both topped out with speeds of 59Mbps and at 30 feet only moved down to 58Mbps. That might sound relatively low but was actually reaching near the capacity of the connection it was tested on. That should mean a 7.4MB/s download rate at close range or 7.3MB/s at longer range.
All that equates to more than enough power to hit the Netflix required minimum of 20Mbps for ultra high definition quality streaming.
Asus RT-AX58U review: Price and warranty
The price of this Wifi 6 router makes it one of the most affordable future-proof options out there, at time of publishing. At $180 this is a great deal. However, for those that might not want or use Wifi 6, it's worth keeping in mind that the 1,800Mbps Asus RT-AX56U is about $50 cheaper.
The Asus RT-AX58U is covered by the Asus one year limited warranty. This covers you for any faults that occur as part of manufacturer failure. Anything beyond that and it's down to you.
Should you buy the Asus RT-AX58U?
If you want a WiFi 6 802.11ax future-proofed router that has fast speeds of up to 3,000Mbps then this is a great option that will also give you parental controls and QoS features.
However, if you've got a larger space to cover, need a mesh, or want to get even faster speeds you'll want to spend more. That said, if you don't need Wifi 6, you can spend less and make a decent saving.
