Asus introduces its pre-draft 802.11AC router: the RT-AC66U. It's the only pre-draft 11AC router so far, to utilize external antennas, a plus for range, because the RT-AC66U sustained the best throughput at distance than any other pre-draft 11AC routers tested to date.

Excellent range; Top performing router at 5 GHz N, very good in 11ac mode; Advanced features; Business-class capabilities

Some sluggish performance in the interface; Connected clients lost Internet connectivity a few times

This is the best home router your money can buy. Absolutely stunning in looks and a beast of a performer. The router's UI is best I have ever seen. The signals are super strong reaching every nook and corner of a ~1500 soft. apartment.

Asus has introduced its pre-draft 802.11ac router, the RT-AC66U. It's the only pre-draft 11ac router thus far to utilise external antennas, which is a plus in terms of range, and the RT-AC66U sustained a better throughput at distance compared to other pre-draft 11ac routers we've seen.

Very impressive range; Excellent performance at 5GHz 11n; Plenty of advanced features on board; Business-class capabilities

Somewhat sluggish interface; Lost Internet connectivity a few times

You know how much we love the ASUS RT-N66U Dark Knight router; a joyously powerful and feature-packed router. Now, with the RT-AC66U, ASUS is taking its Dark Knight router into 802.11ac territory. To accurately sum, this router is the router of the future.

802.11ac support; Excellent performance; Tonnes of features; AiCloud support

2.4GHz output isn't as performable

Asus' RT-AC66U is easy to confuse with the identical-looking, and similar-sounding RT-N66U. The subtle naming difference is due to the former having an 802.11ac module for the 5GHz, and the latter being the 802.11n model. See also: Group test: what's the best wireless router

Even though it comes with setup CD you don't need it. I just connected the Ethernet cable to my laptop and entered 192.168.1.1 in my browser address and set up my wi-fi there. It's pretty straight forward.

My frustration with this product is entirely based on the absolutely inadequate instructions included with the product, to allow me to restart the router after installation fails (and it seems like it always does!).

Bought this based on many favorable reviews. Current 7 year old router had poor coverage, and slow wi-FI speeds, even when in the same room. Installation was simple and straightforward.

Easy To Set Up; Fast; Fast Connection Speed; Reliable connection

With great performance and lots of useful features, the Asus RT-AC66U, with the latest firmware, is one of the best 802.11ac-ready routers on the market and worthy of its hefty price tag.

Great 5GHz performance; AiCloud features

Runs hot

The Asus RT-AC66U is an 802.11ac dual-band Gigabit Ethernet router that provides extremely high-speed data. It also has two USB ports, so you can connect and share printers and external hard drives.