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ASUS RT-AC86U vs Belkin RT3200: Comparison

ASUS RT-AC86U and Belkin RT3200 differ on coverage area: ASUS RT-AC86U at 2500, Belkin RT3200 at 2000, which puts ASUS RT-AC86U ahead on that measure. They match on router type and band configuration.

Specs

Specification
ASUS RT-AC86U (WiFi 5/Standalone Router/Dual-Band AC2900/Gaming Enthusiast Classic)
ASUS RT-AC86U
Belkin RT3200 (WiFi 6/Standalone Router/Dual-Band/AX3200/OpenWrt Officially Supported)
Belkin RT3200
WiFi StandardWiFi 5 (802.11ac)WiFi 6 (802.11ax)
Router TypeStandalone RouterStandalone Router
Band ConfigurationDual-Band (2.4GHz + 5GHz)Dual-Band (2.4GHz + 5GHz)
Coverage Area25002000
Wired Ports4x Gigabit LAN, 1x Gigabit WAN, 1x USB 3.1, 1x USB 2.01x Gigabit WAN, 4x Gigabit LAN
Special Features1.8GHz dual-core CPU, WTFast gaming acceleration, AiProtection Pro securityOfficially supported OpenWrt installation target, MediaTek Filogic chipset, stock firmware also available
Speed ClassAC2900 (up to 2.9Gbps combined)AX3200 (up to 3.2Gbps combined, 2x2 streams per band)
MU-MIMO/OFDMAMU-MIMOYes

Verdict

ASUS RT-AC86U

7 / 10 Expert Rating

An aging but still-capable gaming router whose strong processor and AiMesh support keep it relevant well past most WiFi 5 routers' shelf life.

Belkin RT3200

7.1 / 10 Expert Rating

An unremarkable stock router that becomes genuinely excellent once flashed with OpenWrt, thanks to well-supported hardware.

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