ASUS Previews RT-AXE7800 Router at Computex, 6 Antennas!

[TheLostSwede]

As Computex is a hybrid event this year, a lot of companies are showing off their products online and ASUS has shared a whole host of upcoming products. One that caught our eye was the upcoming RT-AXE7800 router, mostly because it resembles a boxy version of a German kaisersemmeln or kaiser roll when the antennas are folded down. Unfortunately, ASUS didn't share too many details about the RT-AXE7800, but it's a tri-band WiFi 6E router and ASUS claims that it supports wireless speeds up to 7800 Mbps, hence the model name. It supports 160 MHz wide channels, although this is pretty common in WiFi 6E routers, as is the 1024-QAM support and the 6 GHz band that ASUS shared that the router will support.

What we can tell from the pictures, is that it'll have a single 2.5 Gbps port that can be used as either a WAN or a LAN port, as well as four Gigabit Ethernet ports, of which one can be a WAN port, or it can be teamed with a second Gigabit port. Keep in mind that teaming doesn't actually give you double the bandwidth to a single client, it requires multiple clients to offer any kind of advantage, as well as a managed switch, alternatively a NAS or a server that supports teaming. Around the back there's a single USB 3.0 port and this is also where the power connector is located. It obviously has six foldable antennas and we'd expect to see more similar designs in the future, as consumer routers with supports for the WiFi channels in the 6 GHz band aren't allowed to have removable antennas. This will also apply to WiFi 7 routers, as it's a regulatory requirement.



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[Chaitanya]

Given the prices of these, I would much rather get a multi-port switch and dedicated AP from likes of Ubiquity or Fortinet.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Given the prices of these, I would much rather get a multi-port switch and dedicated AP from likes of Ubiquity or Fortinet.

This is unlikely to be super expensive, as it doesn't have any higher-end wired connectivity.

 

[Ruru]

Those antennas look like a crown to me.

 

[Chaitanya]

This is unlikely to be super expensive, as it doesn't have any higher-end wired connectivity.

There is a 2.5G port and 2x1G ports supporting port aggregation so that's fairly "high-end" for consumer routers.

 

[TheLostSwede]

There is a 2.5G port and 2x1G ports supporting port aggregation so that's fairly "high-end" for consumer routers.

Aggregation means nothing and a single 2.5 Gbps port isn't useful.
Besides, similar routers are in the mid-range these days, not high-end.

 

[AnarchoPrimitiv]

Someone should force these companies to list the absolute maximum bandwidth/speed to a SINGLE CLIENT! Not the combined speed across all frequencies/bands.

I do like that a 2.5Gbps port is available that can be used as a WAN port. I have a 1.2Gbps internet connection, so to get that last 200Mbps, it is necessary, but truth is, pretty much everything is hardlined in my home, even the TV, and about the only things that use wireless are smart phones, so I really don't need a crazy router.

 

[stimpy88]

Well, this is a waste of money, isn't it. A router from 5 years ago, with an updated WiFi module, such wow.

I do like that a 2.5Gbps port is available that can be used as a WAN port. I have a 1.2Gbps internet connection, so to get that last 200Mbps, it is necessary...

So how do you get that last 200MB to your wired clients then?

That's exactly why a single 2.5Gb connection is a waste of time and money. If they wanted to cheap out, it should have come with 2, so that you could at least buy a 2.5Gb switch to share that single LAN port. But that would actually be useful, and taken $10 from their profits.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Someone should force these companies to list the absolute maximum bandwidth/speed to a SINGLE CLIENT! Not the combined speed across all frequencies/bands.

It's all about marketing the big numbers. Biggly is bestly.

I do like that a 2.5Gbps port is available that can be used as a WAN port. I have a 1.2Gbps internet connection, so to get that last 200Mbps, it is necessary, but truth is, pretty much everything is hardlined in my home, even the TV, and about the only things that use wireless are smart phones, so I really don't need a crazy router.

How are you going to get that speed out of the router though, when none of the other interfaces can reach that kind of speed?

 

[Nanochip]

No RGB? I have the GT-AX6000 with RGB and 2 2.5 Gbps lan ports. I like it. That being said, I'm looking forward to WiFi 7 and multi-channel operation which is like carrier aggregation in cellular connectivity. Since Wi-Fi supports multiple frequency bands, an end-user device can connect on multi bands at the same time with the AP points, resulting in an increase in data rate.

 

[Makaveli]

I'm more curious to see when Asus will update the AX88U

 

[zlobby]

SIx antennae yet just one 2.5Gbps port...

That being said, I'm looking forward to WiFi 7 and multi-channel operation which is like carrier aggregation in cellular connectivity. Since Wi-Fi supports multiple frequency bands, an end-user device can connect on multi bands at the same time with the AP points, resulting in an increase in data rate.

On a single 2.5Gbps port? Good luck!

 

[AusWolf]

It reminds me of a medieval fortress. In fact, there was a map in Doom 2 that had a similar layout as this router from above.

 

[mechtech]

Asus, let me know when you have a router with six 10Gb lan ports.

 

[zlobby]

There is a 2.5G port and 2x1G ports supporting port aggregation so that's fairly "high-end" for consumer routers.

Assuming .3ad, it is rubbish for throughput increase without proper hardware offload. If it's just a soft implementation, it will just hog the CPU with nearly no benefit in throughput.

 

[Makaveli]

Asus, let me know when you have a router with six 10Gb lan ports.

lol facts but knowing asus they will charge you $1000 for it and slap a ROG logo on it and some RGB.

 

[mechtech]

lol facts but knowing asus they will charge you $1000 for it and slap an ROG logo on it and some RGB.

Lol. True enough

 

[TheLostSwede]

No RGB? I have the GT-AX6000 with RGB and 2 2.5 Gbps lan ports. I like it. That being said, I'm looking forward to WiFi 7 and multi-channel operation which is like carrier aggregation in cellular connectivity. Since Wi-Fi supports multiple frequency bands, an end-user device can connect on multi bands at the same time with the AP points, resulting in an increase in data rate.

It's not ROG, so no RGB.

Asus, let me know when you have a router with six 10Gb lan ports.

We'll be getting two on at least some WiFi 7 routers, but six, maybe 2030 at this rate, if ever?

 

[mechtech]

It's not ROG, so no RGB.


We'll be getting two on at least some WiFi 7 routers, but six, maybe 2030 at this rate, if ever?

No doubt. By the time 5Gb is common we’ll have nas’s with nvme drives and need 100Gb networks lol

 

[TheLostSwede]

No doubt. By the time 5Gb is common we’ll have nas’s with nvme drives and need 100Gb networks lol

I doubt 5 Gbps will ever be common, the only company that seems to have put it in a router so far is Netgear.
There doesn't seem to be any 5 Gbps only network cards for sale any longer either, except, oddly enough, a few USB dongles for around $70-80.
10 Gbps should be come common once WiFi 7 works, at least based on the SoC designs that Broadcom, MediaTek and Qualcomm has announced.

 

[zlobby]

No doubt. By the time 5Gb is common we’ll have nas’s with nvme drives and need 100Gb networks lol

We already do.

 

[thegnome]

Boycot routers with a single 2.5Gbe until they understand anybody using them would need atleast two, and if possible, all of them. Imagine having to sit a few inches from your router just to be able to use that 2.5Gbe port on *wifi*, ridiculous.

 

[bubbleawsome]

It seems pretty clear to me that the 1 fast port is meant for multi-user and multi-device homes. And isn’t that what WiFi6 and 6E are designed for? Plug in your 2Gbit fiber into the port and let all the kids stream YouTube or download Fortnite while someone streams some 1080p60 sports over iptv while someone else streams some high-bitrate content from Sony’s proprietary service while someone else is redownloading their entire 150GB github repo all while every single IoT device in your home updates every 20 minutes. None of those (except github) can even touch anything over maybe 100mbit but all of them together will strain that 2Gbit connection.

And even after all that I prefer wired connections but cables are dying. If WiFi can keep up with speed increases I think we’ll see routers with 10Gbit WAN ports with basic 1G/100/10 ports for legacy devices on the back and all the speed dedicated to WiFi.

 

[zlobby]

It seems pretty clear to me that the 1 fast port is meant for multi-user and multi-device homes. And isn’t that what WiFi6 and 6E are designed for? Plug in your 2Gbit fiber into the port and let all the kids stream YouTube or download Fortnite while someone streams some 1080p60 sports over iptv while someone else streams some high-bitrate content from Sony’s proprietary service while someone else is redownloading their entire 150GB github repo all while every single IoT device in your home updates every 20 minutes. None of those (except github) can even touch anything over maybe 100mbit but all of them together will strain that 2Gbit connection.

And even after all that I prefer wired connections but cables are dying. If WiFi can keep up with speed increases I think we’ll see routers with 10Gbit WAN ports with basic 1G/100/10 ports for legacy devices on the back and all the speed dedicated to WiFi.

With proper QoS implementation and a proper router nobody will even notice the connection is strained. Only some heavy DLs will decrease.

 

[Nanochip]

SIx antennae yet just one 2.5Gbps port...


On a single 2.5Gbps port? Good luck!

Many Wifi 7 solutions will come with 10 gbps. 10 gbps is incoming! MediaTek for example recently announced its Filoogic 880 chip which has upto 10 gbps Ethernet. A router manufacturer could use two of these in tandem, one for 10 gig Ethernet and the other for 2.5 gbps and some 1 gbps connections.

also Broadcom announced its wifi 7 solution which will have 10 gbps Ethernet.