If you've ever wondered whether AC1900 routers are worth it, prepare to have your horizons broadened. The RT-AC5300 is Asus' flagship router and it costs nearly ￡400. For that you get the absolute latest in Wi-Fi technology, with NitroQAM for incredibly fast single-user throughput, alongside MU-MIMO...

Incredible top speeds; Masses of features; 2Gbps Ethernet link aggregation; Plenty of media server features and setup options

Incredibly expensive; Only one USB 3.0; Only four Gigabit Ethernet ports

I was initially very impressed with the packaging for this product. No space is wasted in the packaging. However, I believe there is an issue with the way the 8 antennas are packaged. In my first delivery one of the antennas had a broken collar around the base of the antenna.

Here is my list of regrets to far: 1: Not getting one sooner 2: ...

RT-AC5300 Yes; the router is a strength

We call it "The Mothership" it looks like one; which is a plus; but it's also the size of one

Designed for large homes that require maximum bandwidth for online gaming and 4K video streaming, the Asus RT-AC5300 Wireless AC5300 Tri-Band Gigabit Router ($399.99) uses the latest 802.11ac technology and three individual radio bands to deliver game-worthy throughput to multiple clients.

Very fast 2.4GHz and 5GHz throughput in testing; Numerous management settings; MU-MIMO enabled

Expensive; Large footprint; Middling file-transfer speeds

When people say quality control has gone down with reputable companies I used to think that may be it is some other reason. But I bought one of these ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 from MicroCenter and just before 30 days were over one of the LAN ports died.

Class-leading Wi-Fi speeds; Hugely versatile; Masses of features; Great for gaming;

Very expensive; Not for novice users; Overkill for most homes;

Kitguru Says: Although it's a niche product, the Asus RT-AC5300 is an all-round great router. If you think you can make use of multiple 5GHz networks, then its absolutely worth the investment. However, given you will need to fork out for 4×4 bridges as well, the whole setup will cost quite a bit.

The Asus WRT software is full of useful features; Fast performance; capable of great speed all round; Twice the potential wireless bandwidth of other 4×4 routers

No single client transfer can go particularly faster than any other 4×4 router; Expensive

W elcome to the fastest router that has passed through the PC and Tech Authority test labs. Asus' new router combines three different wireless networks into one device to provide oodles of bandwidth for users that need to connect a large number of devices.

With a street price ranging from $320 to more than $400, Asus' ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 is expensive for a reason. It's the only router on the market that combines powerful hardware specs, eight Gigabit LAN ports and a ton of features geared toward gaming .

The GT-AC5300 has fast performance, excellent Wi-Fi range and includes loads of unique gaming-centric features; The router has free built-in lifetime protection against online threats, has eight Gigabit LAN ports, and can combine two of them into a superfast connection

The router is bulky, expensive and generally overkill for most homes' needs; Its interface can be daunting, and its mobile app only works locally

Hardcore gamers rely on fast systems with blazing graphics cards to gain an edge while competing online, but all of that speedy hardware means nothing if your router can't deliver the throughput needed to overcome network lag. Enter the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 ($399.99), a high-end tri-band router designed for gamers. This beast of a router looks the part and offers hardware- and software-based gaming acceleration and prioritization, a whole heap of LAN ports, robust protection against malware and viruses, and a powerful quad-core processor. It's expensive and it's big, but its speedy performance and robust features make it a must-have whether you're a serious online gamer or manage a high-traffic home network. Large and in Charge At 2.5 by 9.6 by 9.6 inches (HWD), the ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 is one router. The black enclosure with copper trim sports the familiar black and red Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG) logo and boasts a whopping removable, adjustable antenna stalks. (That'...

One of the fastest routers we've tested, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 offers lots of gamer-friendly features, copious I/O ports, and a slick management console that lets you optimize your network for lag-free gaming.

Speedy throughput performance; Lots of gamer-friendly features; Eight LAN ports; Works with Alexa voice commands and IFTTT applets; Slick user interface

Expensive; Huge footprint; Middling file-transfer speeds