| ASUS RT-N56U Wireless-N Gigabit Router |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Network | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by Steven Iglesias-Hearst | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monday, 18 April 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ASUS RT-N56U Wi-Fi Gigabit Router Review
Manufacturer: ASUS Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by ASUS. Stylish and router are two words that would not normally be put together in a sentence without a negative term preceding them somehow, but the tables are turning now as we look at the latest offering from ASUS. Today, Benchmark Reviews brings you the ASUS RT-N56U Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router. As you will see in the images that follow, the ASUS RT-N56U certainly has an air of class about it and is different in that way from 99% of routers on offer today. The RT-N56U has five built in antennae to allow simultaneous 2.4GHz and 5GHz signals to run at up to 300Mb/s concurrently, this allows you to stream HD content to your media devices (5GHz) while you enjoy uninterrupted wireless internet (2.4GHz). On the box ASUS claim that the RT-N56U allows for true Gigabit WAN to LAN throughput (900Mb/s) but as with most claims this doesn't always come true, our testing threw out some good numbers but nowhere near ASUS' claims. The ASUS RT-N56U has two built in USB 2.0 ports that allow you to share printers and USB storage over LAN and WAN, and it also allows you to download to your USB connected storage device while your PC is turned off.
Before we get to the testing we will have a good look at the RT-N56U and its features, so without further hesitation let's move on. ASUS RT-N56U FeaturesThe revolutionary new ASUS RT-N56U is the most advanced wireless router available, challenging tradition by dramatically exceeding all expectations. This stylish network enabler combines a series of cutting-edge and powerful technologies to offer you an ideal internet and wireless package, complete with striking design. Dual-band for Lag-free EntertainmentDouble your wireless performance and bandwidth with simultaneous 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands speed up to 300Mbps concurrently. While basic internet applications like browsing or file downloading can occur in 2.4GHz, wireless HD content streaming takes place in the 5GHz band at the same time, so both achieve optimized speeds and you enjoy smooth, buffer-free HD content streaming. Gigabit Internet Surfing with Hardware NATEquipped with a capable hardware NAT acceleration engine and built-in Gigabit Ethernet, it gives you full Gigabit internet performance, making its WAN to LAN throughput up to 2-5 times that of traditional software-based NAT Gigabit routers. Powerful Online Multitasking at up to 300,000 Data SessionsSupport for a massive data pipeline of up to 300,000 data sessions means the RT-N56U has around 20 times the networking capacity of other high session routers, so multiple data transfer jobs don't slow down even during heavy load. Plug-n-surf and Hassle-free ManagementASUS EZ UI offers you an intuitive router setup without read manuals. What's more, you can enjoy simultaneous printing and scanning by connecting an All-in-one printer to the router via the USB port. Also connect external hard disks to enjoy instant file sharing with family and friends! Ai Radar Optimized and Reliable Wireless CoverageThis unique and efficient design drastically increases wireless signal coverage and quality without increasing power consumption. It intelligently adapts beam patterns to local conditions to enable higher-gain directional signal emulation. Ai Radar shapes signals to offer the strongest possible output, transforming what may be a weak omnidirectional signal to a stronger unidirectional one, improving throughput at same time. Multi-Function Twin USB PortsWith effortless connectivity to a range of devices and FTP, SAMBA, UPnP AV server and DLNA standard compatible all supported, sharing and networking become easier than ever. Plus, the RT-N56U can continue downloading FTTP, FTP and BitTorrent file to the USB disk all day even when your PC is turned off. Additionally, the twin USB ports allow the router to offer printer and file server functions, so you enjoy simultaneous wireless printing, scanning and file sharing via the comfort of standardized USB! Source: asus.com ASUS RT-N56U Specifications
Source: asus.com Closer Look: ASUS RT-N56U RouterIn this section we will be looking at the RT-N56U hardware, it seems these days that manufacturers are trying to win us over with looks. It is a proven fact that when faced with buying something we know little about, it is in our nature to buy what looks the best, even though it might not necessarily be the best. Hopefully, by the end of this review you will have a better understanding of the RT-N56U, enabling you to make a more educated decision.
The box does its job very well, a catchy image of the product inside and all of the important features that allow you to quickly make a purchase decision.
Flipping the box over gives you much more information, the pictures help you to visualise usage scenarios and shows exactly what the RT-N56U is capable of.
The diamond design on the face of the RT-N56U is very unique indeed, but as with anything made of glossy plastic these days it is an absolute magnet for fingerprints and is very difficult to clean without leaving smudges or lines. Dust will and does stick and you will want to use a special cloth for cleaning, a spectacle cleaning cloth is good but any lint free cloth should do. I got a similar cloth when I purchased a black edition Nintendo Wii console. Maybe ASUS could see their way to including one of these cloths with each unit as the good looks can be easily tainted.
Each status icon has its own blue LED that glows like a star and further enhances the looks of the RT-N56U. These LED's do blink but not as sporadically as most router LED's, as you will see in the next image each Ethernet port has its own status/activity LED's, allowing the front face LED's to remain aesthetic.
Turning the router on its side gives you access to the I/O ports. From left to right we have 2x USB 2.0 ports, a reset button, 4x Gigabit LAN ports with individual status/activity LED's, a Gigabit WAN port also with its own status/activity LED, and finally is the power input. This area is slightly recessed (with some of the front face hiding it) this allows you to somewhat hide the wires that plug in, but it is not enough to hide them completely.
Your other option is to lie the RT-N56U flat, when positioned like this your wires are not so much visible. The router still looks good laid flat, but much better when stood up.
To keep the ASUS RT-N56U stood up you need to attach the base, this is simply a case of sliding it on. The underside of the base has a rubber strip to aid in grip so the unit will not slide around your desk.
On the bottom left side of the ASUS RT-N56U is the WPS button, this seems like a strange location for a button but it is out of view so doesn't matter so much. In case you were wondering, the WPS button (wireless protected setup) allows you connect a wireless device securely without having to enter any configuration. This might seem like a novel idea but is entering a security key really that difficult these days? I think not. ASUS Wi-Fi Router Detailed FeaturesSo now we have had the grand tour of the RT-N56U router itself, it is time now to look at the software side of things. Setup is very simple indeed as there are no drivers etc to install, simply connect your modem to the WAN port and connect your PC to a LAN port. Then you just open your chosen web browser and you will be greeted with the following screen.
The default mode is internet sharing mode, this speaks for itself in that it distributes your internet connection to all of the computers in your home. The second mode is access point, this mode will extend a current wired or wireless network giving more range or maybe to add wireless to a wired network. After this screen your internet connection type is detected and after that you are prompted to enter wireless security settings and then you are done. More advanced users may want to explore the menu's further.
The first screen you are greeted with after the initial setup is the network map screen, from here you can get status of your wireless settings, internet connection, connected clients and attached storage. Clicking on any of the icons in the network map gives you more in depth information, in this case I have wireless security selected.
Next up is the AiDisk screen. After you have attached a USB storage device you need to come here and configure its sharing options. When you are done you will be provided a link to access the USB disk over your LAN and another link to access the USB drive from the internet.
In addition to the previous USB options, you also have UPnP Media Server that allows UPnP enabled devices on your network to access the USB storage device. The UPnP is off by default and enabling it is just one click away.
Next up are the QoS settings, this screen is rather basic and allows you to give priority to certain types of internet traffic really quickly. More advanced users will find more in depth options are available in the Advanced>WAN>QoS settings menu.
Speaking of advanced options you have more options here than you may care to look at. The RT-N56U is designed for home users and SOHO users alike so there are options to cater for many scenarios (far to many to go into detail in this review). Testing & ResultsTesting Methodology
To test the ASUS RT-N56U Router we are using the Passmark Performance v7.0 Advanced Network Test. This test measures throughput between two clients connected to the router to be tested. In order for this test to work one PC must be set up as 'Client' and the other must be set up as the 'Server', each test is ran five times with the highest and lowest result omitted and the remaining three results are averaged to give a final result. At Benchmark Reviews we like to be comprehensive so you will find results here for many different configurations such as LAN to LAN (100Mb/s), LAN to LAN (1000MB/s), WAN to LAN (Wireless G 54Mb/s) and finally WAN to LAN (Wireless N 150Mb/s). To eliminate any variables Test System 1 was always set to 'Server' and results were monitored and recorded on the 'Client' systems. The ASUS RT-N56U shipped out with firmware v1.0.0.9 (factory default) and was upgraded to v1.0.1.3 prior to these tests. Test System 1
Test System 2
Test System 3
ResultsThe first test was conducted at a distance of 1 meter, which I would consider to be 'Wired' range. These tests were conducted using the method detailed above.
Not all results are at their max theoretical limit but this may or may not due to the router itself, it is quite possible that the network adapters themselves are not capable of maxing out their theoretical limit. We see a very good result for 100Mb/s LAN, in this case the network adapters are making full use of the available bandwidth. When we look at the Gigabit LAN result we start to see that throughput is not meeting its maximum potential, in an ideal scenario we would like to have matching Gigabit Ethernet controllers on each side of the test router but we must make do with what we have, still 579 Mb/s is nothing to be disappointed with though seeing as home internet connections are nowhere near as fast as this yet. Wireless G speeds and wireless N speeds are also somewhat lower than maximum potential, without further network adapters to test with though we must assume that this is the maximum throughput that the ASUS RT-N56U can deliver. Equally important as speed is range when looking at wireless internet, sure you get faster speed with wires but you also lose portability. The next two tests look at wireless G and N150 speed and range. Points 1~3 are downstairs rooms, points 4 and 5 are outside and points 6~9 are upstairs rooms. This gives a good idea of what sort of coverage we can expect in a fairly sized three bedroom house.
The wireless G test is very promising indeed, the ASUS RT-N56U was able to deliver a consistent speed at all but one test point. Test point 5 is the furthest away from the router and is outside so the lower score is somewhat expected.
When we tested Wireless N 150Mb/s speeds the results were sporadic to say the least. Wireless N 150 throughput was not as consistent as the Wireless G throughput. As we see it here, the further away you get from the router, the less throughput you get. It is quite interesting to see that the outside test location (Point 5) gets the same wireless speed for Wireless G and Wireless N 150. ASUS Dual Band Router Final ThoughtsWhen it comes to networking products looks tend to be somewhat of an afterthought, with the ASUS RT-N56U this simply isn't the case. I'm sure many of you will agree that first and foremost on your list of priorities when buying a router is the price, next would be performance and then looks come last. After all you can easily hide a router out of sight, or you may not even have room on your desk to display your router, so looks need not be so important. A non-tech savvy individual might look at the ASUS RT-N56U and think "what is that?" since this router doesn't fit the normal design brief. I myself am a sucker for good looking gear and I find the need to have things that fit into a certain scheme, whether it be a color scheme or purely a design scheme, I don't like things that don't fit in very well. The main quality I look for is performance, I always find myself looking for the best performance for the money I have available. When I can find looks and performance in one package then I don't hesitate, that's where reviews are handy. ASUS RT-N56U ConclusionImportant: In this section I am going to write a brief five point summary on the following categories; Performance, Appearance, Construction, Functionality and Value. These views are my own and help me to give the ASUS RT-N56U Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router a rating out of 10. A high or low score does not necessarily mean that it is better or worse than a similar router that has been reviewed by another writer here at Benchmark Reviews, which may have got a higher or lower score. It is however a good indicator of whether the ASUS RT-N56U router is good or not. I would strongly urge you to read the entire review, if you have not already, so that you can make an educated decision for yourself.
The performance of the ASUS RT-N56U is very respectable indeed, on a Wireless G 54Mb/s connection the router maintained an average 19.80Mb/s (bar the Point 5 result) UDP throughput on all test points. The Wireless N 150Mb/s throughput tapered off with distance but this is to be expected anyway. The hard wired LAN to LAN throughput tests presented some vey interesting numbers and are not to be shrugged off. All in all these are very good results for a home user router. The ASUS RT-N56U appearance will score very highly. I have already stated that I am a sucker for good looks and that is exactly what the RT-N56U has, as I'm sure you will agree. It is certainly different from 99% of the routers available on the market today and will set a new 'bar' for competing manufacturers to aim for. The construction of the ASUS RT-N56U is very good indeed. The setup is a two step process, simply slot the base on and plug it in. The unit is much smaller and lighter than one would expect for a router with this sort of feature set, and the internal antennae mean there is less things that can be broken off. It has been built very well with no obvious screws holding it together, like the first time you open a bricked ipod, you have to figure how to open it without permanently breaking it. Functionality of the ASUS RT-N56U also gets top marks. The two USB 2.0 ports add a whole new dimension of functionality and the implemented uses mean that you can use the RT-N56U almost like a dedicated NAS, downloading and streaming content while your PC is off. The QoS settings are quick and simple as is the setup and navigation through the routers settings. There is some broken English in the menu's but they are like finding easter eggs in your favorite game and you get a little smile when you find them. 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands both run at the same time meaning you can download and stream at the same time without maxing out on bandwidth. The ASUS RT-N56U is available for $129.99 at NewEgg.com which is a saving of $20 off the MSRP of $149.99. At this price point it fits into the bottom end of the price range for many routers that have the same feature set. With this in mind, mixed with a dash of style and good performance, I would say the ASUS RT-N56U offers reasonable value for money, but may be considered slightly high for those who need only need a simple router for home use. If you are looking for a stylish, feature packed and great performing router then you should definitely consider the ASUS RT-N56U as one to put on the shortlist. Pros:
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Comments
Are you telling us that you dont have a laptop or other device that has 300mbps 802.11n with 2.4Ghz and/or 5Ghz ???
being a former reviewer myself i am appauled that you people have access to some of the best equipment available today and you dont even use the proper testing hardware or methodology.
Its getting harder and harder to read you peoples reviews. They are kore of a joke than anything.
And i cant believe you have dont anything but pi$$ off Asus with this review.
Why dont you remove this review before you hurt your own tarnished reputation and Asus'
Your comments suggest the latter, so please take the time to read the entire article before you run your mouth.
Also both of you please learn to spell and use correct punctuation and grammar before you make your next response.
As you doubtless know, the maximum theoretical throughput of a wireless router is something only reached in an RFI-shielded testing room with a pair of routers sitting rather close to each other. As Steven's tests show, the throughput tested with the Belkin USB router didn't come close to saturating even the 150Mb/s connection (there's that pesky "real world" interfering again!), so I don't understand why you think a faster connection would have made any difference. But then I'm not an expert on RFI propagation. Maybe you can explain it to me.
The new ASUS RT-N56U promised much better throughput. I tested it and discovered, as the reviewer noted, that the throughput never reached 150 Mbps. Worse, as the load increased (I have multiple computers doing various tasks such as streaming HD media files, music, and printing) the speed dropped to less than 80 Mbps for simple Internet connectivity.
This is basically a small computer that runs itself in Linux, with a modern Ralink chipset and 128 MB DDR Memory. As long as you update the firmware, go through all the settings and set this up properly, it will be a stable and stellar performer for anyone. Personally, I use random 63 character wpa2 password and reject my neighbor's mac address since he is a hack. If you have a real network printer with an Ethernet cable connecting it, simply copy the printer's mac address and lock it down to something standared like 192.168.1.200 and you will not have any issues at all! Simple and stable and secure!
Personally, the ASUS router is nice to look at, clean it with a synthetic cloth, as you would use to wax a high end car and it will be a pleasure to look at every day. Simple to clean also!
Now the best part in my opinion is that ASUS writes the firmware and they are a computer manufacturer with good code writers. Incidentally, had so many problems with firmware for a netgear wndr-3700 that I am selling that unit, which performed slower all around and had poor 5GHz signal strength in contrast to the ASUS RT-N56U! While I praise Netgear's Pro Safe professional series of equipment and recommend it for my client's, their consumer line seems much less refined.
ASUS RT-N56U is a WINNER for myself.
Umm... no, you don't assume that this is the maximum throughput based on just one Wireless G and one Wireless N adapter. If you are going to publish test results you should at least use multiple adapters from different vendors and a faster N adapter (300Mb/s) to see the routers true potential. This is an unfair review for ASUS.
Watch this space.
A statement such as "without further network adapters to test with these results were the maximum throughput that we could achieve" would be more appropriate.
Thank you for replying promptly though.