The Asus RT-AXE7800 is a tri-band Wi-Fi 6e router designed for general household wireless networking but with advanced functionality for those who need it.
The RT-AXE7800 looks impressive, if a little aggressive. It's not the most impractical styling I've seen from Asus. It's not a device that I'd say will likely blend in with your home décor, unless you as going for either a cyberpunk look or that of a medieval torture chamber (or even a bit of both).
The design speaks volumes about the device's intent. The unfolding antennas suggest that the RT-AXE7800 means business, and to be honest, it does.
The back of the unit has one 2.5 Gigabit WAN/LAN port, one Gigabit WAN/LAN port and three Gigabit LAN ports. There's also a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port. The router has seven channels, two 5GHz and seven 6GHz, it also supports devices using the 2.5GHz frequency.
Like most decent bits of consumer electronics, the Asus RT-AXE7800 router works on two levels. The thing is straightforward to set up with no need for any technical skills other than how to connect your phone to a wireless network. Under the hood, though, it is a fully functional router that enthusiasts can fine-tune to their requirements if they want.
In the box is a quick-start document that has a QR code to download the Asus Router app from either the Apple or Android stores. You then simply plug the router into your Internet access point (being, in my case, my NBN modem), using the included Ethernet cable and switch it on. Make sure that the cable is in the router's WAN socket, though. The instructions also suggest powering the modem off and on again. I usually use my ISP's app to reset all the connections to ensure the router is properly registered to the service.
Following the instructions on the app, it will detect the router and allow you to set up your wireless network by selecting a name and password. The router is set up with both 2.5G, 5G, and 6G wireless networks, and the actual data speeds will depend on your Internet speed, the speed of the devices, and your Ethernet cabling (if you have any).
And that's it. The set-up is simple and painless.
The router can be used in several different ways. First, there's standard wireless router mode (which is the default) suitable for most new set-ups. Access point mode creates a new wireless network on an existing network. Repeater mode turns the router into a wireless repeater extending the range of the signal from your existing router. Media bridge uses two RT-AXE7800 routers to transfer data to multiple media devices. AiMesh uses the router as a node in an AiMesh router array.
After my initial tests I switched the Asus router to access point mode and plugged in into my old ISP-supplied voice-over-IP router (the RT-AXE7800 does not support IP telephony). I could still use the RT-AXE7800's faster wireless networking speeds in access point mode and my VoIP phone.
Reviewing the Asus RT-AXE7800 coincided with me purchasing a PlayStation Portal. These devices enable gamers to stream games from their PlayStation 5 to a handheld screen that looks like a cross between a PlayStation 5 controller and a mobile phone.
It's a nice idea, but the problem is the PlayStation Portal needs a decent Wi-Fi signal. It is well documented that for many people the device just doesn't work well on their home networks. It took a punt on the PlayStation Portal as it could make reviewing PS5 games a lot easier for me. Unfortunately, though, with my existing wireless network, it was a bit of a disappointment and pretty much unusable- a laggy mess that seemed to be $330 down the drain.
I've reviewed plenty of networking devices with impressive numbers but have been unable to see that much of an improvement except maybe with some network coverage. The number of people experiencing issues with the PlayStation Portal suggests that it is a problem with Sony's device and not gamers' networks. I didn't think that the RT-AXE7800 would solve the problem, but it was a great opportunity to see what the router could do in a real-world situation.
Not wanting to sound contrived, but the difference was night and day. With the PlayStation Portal connected wirelessly to the RT-AXE7800 (which was wired, via my old VoIP router to the Asus router) I could play my PlayStation 5 games anywhere in the house. The streaming connection between the PlayStation 5 and the PlayStation Portal was solid.
If that wasn't amazing enough, trying the RT-AXE7800 with the Meta Quest 3 VR headset was also a revelation. The Meta Quest 3 connected to Xbox Cloud gaming without a hitch creating a crisp, lag-free virtual gaming room for me to steam Xbox games to the VR headset. But, to top things off, I was also able to wirelessly connect the Meta Quest 3 in the lounge to a PC in the office, using Stream Link, via the 6Ghz channel of the RT-AXE7800, and play all my PC VR games.
"So what?", you may ask. Well, streaming video games, especially remotely like cloud gaming is the ultimate test of the stability of a network. Streaming TV doesn't require a consistent flow of data, just enough to keep enough buffered so that the moving images continue to be displayed. Games not only require a continuous 2-way flow of data but also no interruptions, no matter how brief (interruptions that the TV's data buffer can accommodate), or else the game will stutter, lag and controls become unresponsive.
The Speedtest results were impressive as well. My Australian National Broadband Network plan is for 100Mbps download and 40Mbps download, the rather paltry maximum speeds for the NBN's fibre-to-the-curb service. Some 20m from the router, at the back of the garden, I was still getting 88.2Mbps down and 34Mbps up with a ping of around 139ms. Closer to the router I was getting the full speed of my Internet connection, delivered wirelessly to my phone.
Whilst most of the router's functionality can be accessed via the mobile app, you can still connect to the RT-AXE7800 via a web interface from a PC. This gives a better overview of the router's settings, especially if you are setting up some of the more advanced options such as port forwarding and the DMZ.
The router has a selection of features for security and file management. AiProtection is a suite of tools that are built into the router. These protect your network from malicious sites, provide a built-in firewall and allow you to set up parental controls.
Additional functionality can be had by using the device's AiCloud 2.0 service, Cloud Disk, AiCloud Sync and Smart Access. Cloud Disk allows you to synchronise data from USB storage and shared PCs connected to the router via a mobile app so you can access your data whenever there is an Internet connection. Similarly, AiCloud Sych extends the file sharing with AiCloud 2.0-compatible commercial online services. Smart Access allows access to your home network via the router's domain name. There's also a guest network capability and user control of DHCP for device IPs.
The RT-AXE7800 is an easy-to-use router that should be able to service your entire house with fast Wi-Fi. The device not only made my mesh network redundant but also enabled me to stream video games in a manner that I would never have been able to previously. Be it general Wi-Fi use, such as streaming TV or fast-paced competitive gaming, the Asus RT-AXE7800 is worth considering.
