gaming router | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Fri, 06 Sep 2019 10:08:49 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png gaming router | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC2900 Wireless Router Review https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/james-morris/asus-rog-rapture-gt-ac2900-wireless-router-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/james-morris/asus-rog-rapture-gt-ac2900-wireless-router-review/#respond Fri, 06 Sep 2019 10:08:49 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=422478 It's a gaming router from ASUS ROG that won't break the bank, but how does it perform?

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Networking for games is about more than just raw throughput. You also want the lowest latency possible, as well as the ability to prioritise gaming traffic over other applications that make use of the network. As a result we have seen a number of gaming-focused broadband routers hit the market over the last few years. Latest to arrive on the testing bench is the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC2900. Alongside a raft of features, its gaming cred is ratified by being an ‘NVIDIA GeForce Now Recommended Router'.

The underlying hardware is dual-band and ASUS claims AC2900 performance. This is made up of up to 750Mbits/sec of 2.4GHz performance plus 2,167Mbits/sec at 5GHz. But this is thanks to support for 1,024QAM, which requires client devices supporting this as well. So normally the maximum bandwidth will be 450Mbits/sec and 1,733Mbits/sec respectively. The GT-AC2900 has three external antennas that are used both for 2.4GHz and 5GHz, with a single internal antenna for additional 5GHz support.

This router also support's ASUS's AiMesh technology, so it can form part of a mesh network with other ASUS devices supporting this system, although this works better when tri-band devices are used. There are security features from Trend Micro built in, including a lifetime subscript to AiProtection Pro, which uses regularly updated signatures to detect and provide protection against external attacks. The GT-AC2900 is also endowed with ASUS Aura Lighting, so you can set your router to have a technicolour light scheme to go with your other ASUS ROG devices that also have Aura compatibility.

The GT-AC2900 is intended to sit upright on a stand, rather than flat, with the antennas sticking out the top. The ports are therefore along the bottom of the rear, including four LAN, WAN, and two USB. The underlying hardware is fairly meaty. The device is based around a 1.8GHz dual-core processor, with 256MB of Flash ROM and 512MB of RAM. There's extensive VPN support, and you can use the USB ports for print, storage and media serving.

For under £250, the GT-AC2900 is a promising proposition for the serious gamer looking to upgrade their router so it's more focused for their everyday entertainment activities. It's around the same price as the NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500, so let's find out how it compares.

Price: £229.99

Specification:

  • Wireless protocols: MU-MIMO with 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz, 802.11a/n/ac/ac 5GHz, 1024QAM
  • Performance: AC2900 (2,167 + 750 Mbits/sec)
  • Antenna Configuration: 3×3 External Antennas for 2.4, 3×3 External + 1 internal Antennas for 5GHz
  • Ports: 4 x Gigabit Ethernet LAN, 1x Gigabit Ethernet WAN, 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0
  • Modem Support: VDSL/ADSL 2+ or cable

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Netgear launches Nighthawk Pro Gaming Mesh WiFi System with dedicated router and extender https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/matthew-wilson/netgear-launches-nighthawk-pro-gaming-mesh-wifi-system-with-dedicated-router-and-extender/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/matthew-wilson/netgear-launches-nighthawk-pro-gaming-mesh-wifi-system-with-dedicated-router-and-extender/#respond Thu, 27 Jun 2019 15:14:57 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=416674 Netgear has been one of the main driving forces behind Mesh WiFi adoption for years now. Providing a strong, speedy WiFi signal through all areas of a home or business can be a challenge, with some rooms getting weaker performance than others, which is something a Mesh router setup can solve to great effect. Now, …

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Netgear has been one of the main driving forces behind Mesh WiFi adoption for years now. Providing a strong, speedy WiFi signal through all areas of a home or business can be a challenge, with some rooms getting weaker performance than others, which is something a Mesh router setup can solve to great effect. Now, Netgear is trying to get gamers to adopt this technology with the new Nighthawk Pro Gaming Mesh WiFi router.

This is a tri-band mesh router with software specifically developed to reduce ping times and enhance online gaming performance while also extending WiFi range throughout the home. The Nighthawk Pro Gaming Mesh WiFi System (XRM570) has two components, a Nighthawk Mesh EX7700 Tri-band WiFi extender and the Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500 router. You can replace your house's main router with the XR500 and then put the EX7700 WiFi extender nearer to your gaming space. Both the router and the extender are pre-paired out of the box, so getting better signal should be as simple as plugging it all in and switching it on.

WiFi extenders have been on the market for years now but Netgear's EX7700 sets itself apart by implementing a dedicated high-speed channel for data and pairing that with smart features that seamlessly organise and prioritise traffic for different devices.

The router itself is also quite powerful and comes pre-loaded with DumaOS, a dashboard geared towards the gaming crowd with VPN, QoS, Network Monitoring and Geo Filtering capabilities. If you are a single person living in a small flat, then all of this might be overkill, but if you are in a house with multiple people and high bandwidth requirements for streaming, gaming, browsing etc, then a system like this could be worth looking in to for better performance.

The Nighthawk Pro Gaming Mesh WiFi System is available starting this month, it is pricey though, coming in at the £319.99 mark.

KitGuru Says: I used to live in a moderately sized four-bedroom house and getting decent internet signal to two of the upstairs rooms was a hassle with just one standard ISP-issued router. Are any of you looking to upgrade your networking gear? Are you thinking about making the jump to a Mesh WiFi system at all?

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Computex: ASUS ROG unveils new Rapture GT-AC5300 gaming router https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/routers/dominic-moass/computex-asus-rog-unveils-new-rapture-gt-ac5300-gaming-router/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/routers/dominic-moass/computex-asus-rog-unveils-new-rapture-gt-ac5300-gaming-router/#respond Wed, 31 May 2017 14:54:05 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=336307 At Computex today, ASUS Republic of Gamers announced a new router named the Rapture GT-AC5300. It is actually ROG's first ‘gaming' router and boasts plenty of features designed to appeal to those looking to get a competitive edge. First of all, gaming features. ROG says two of the router's eight LAN ports are dedicated gaming ports that prioritise …

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At Computex today, ASUS Republic of Gamers announced a new router named the Rapture GT-AC5300. It is actually ROG's first ‘gaming' router and boasts plenty of features designed to appeal to those looking to get a competitive edge.

First of all, gaming features. ROG says two of the router's eight LAN ports are dedicated gaming ports that prioritise network traffic to devices connected to those specific ports (i.e. your PC). The GT-AC5300 router also has a ‘Game Boost' feature that works in conjunction with those two dedicated gaming ports to prioritise gaming traffic for supposedly faster networking speeds, as well as optimising speeds for each connected gaming device.

In terms of actual hardware, ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 offers tri-band AC5300 Wi-Fi with two separate 5GHz bands and a 2.4GHz band, which ROG says allows gamers to create a dedicated high-speed gaming Wi-Fi network by allocating one of the two 5GHz bands to gaming devices and leaving the other free for general use. ROG is also keen to emphasis the 1.8GHz 64bit quad-core CPU that is at the heart of the router.

Lastly, the Rapture GT-AC5300 also features ROG Gaming Centre, an interface that gives gamers full point-and-click control over all aspects of the network. For instance, it provides an overview of the key network parameters, including the current internet status and stability, and what apps or games the gaming devices are running. ROG Gaming Centre also gives gamers  one-click control over many network settings, while the Game Radar feature shows server ping speeds for selected games all around the world.

KitGuru says: For those looking for a high-end gaming-specific router, the Rapture GT-AC5300 looks it could be very good indeed. Its design is also interesting to say the least!

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