ASUS' Wi-Fi 6 compatible router "ROG Rapture GT-AX6000" was released on September 2nd.Among ASUS products, it will be a product of the gaming brand "ROG (Republic of Gamers)" series that sells high performance.[See another image related to this article] Wi-Fi routers are mostly focused on differences in communication standards and speeds.It is true that this machine has the highest performance in those respects, but it also incorporates various other functions and designs for gamers.In addition to the evaluation as a simple Wi-Fi router, let's take a look at what gamer features it has.■ It is equipped with high-performance CPU and large-capacity memory.The pinnacle of dual-band machines First, let's check the specs.It supports Wi-Fi 6, the number of streams is 4 × 4 in the 5 GHz band and the 2.4 GHz band, respectively, and the communication speed is 4804 + 1148 Mbps, which is the fastest at present.In addition, the wired WAN side is equipped with 2.5GBASE-T and the LAN side is also equipped with 1 port of 2.5GBASE-T, and both wired and wireless can support internet lines of over 1 Gbps.If you have multiple devices that you want to connect with 2.5GBASE-T, you will need a separate switching hub that supports 2.5GBASE-T.Not limited to this machine, ASUS Wi-Fi routers have released detailed specifications.The CPU is a quad-core 2GHz Broadcom BCM4912, and the memory is 1GB, making it a pretty luxurious Wi-Fi router.The Wi-Fi router is also a computer, and the more you use various gaming functions, the more memory it will eat up, so having 1GB of memory is reassuring.It has 2 USB ports.USB 3.2 Gen1 can be conveniently used for things that require speed such as simple NAS functions, and USB 2.0 can be used for connecting printers.As a ROG series Wi-Fi router, "ROG Rapture GT-AX11000" was released earlier.This is a tri-band with two 5GHz bands, and the GT-AX6000 is a dual-band with one 5GHz band.However, the GT-AX11000 was released three years ago, and the GT-AX6000 has the latest design, such as a higher performance CPU.■ Equipped with four antennas in a large housing Next, let's take a look at the exterior.The main body is an almost flat horizontal type, with a width of about 350 mm and a depth of about 200 mm, which is quite large.The height of the main body is about 60mm, but when the antenna is upright, it is about 230m.Four large antennas are installed.The direction can be adjusted to some extent, but you can only put it upright or fold it outward, and you can't move it to fold it upward (the antenna can be removed).It also features red clear parts, which is the image color of ROG, but LEDs are not installed here and do not glow.The terminals are grouped on the back.The two 2.5GBASE-T ports are arranged independently, and the four 1000BASE-T are grouped separately, making it easy to visually identify which port.All of the wired LAN terminals are covered with metal plates for durability.In addition, the USB port and power terminal are also on the back.There are various indicators on the front, with a WPS button on the left and an LED button on the right.Each time the LED button is pressed, the way the ROG logo on the top surface changes, and it can be turned off.The AC adapter has a 45W output.It is not integrated with the power plug, and the end of the slightly thicker cable is the AC adapter part.Although the size is not so large, it is better to consider the installation position of the AC adapter if you want to place the main unit in a higher place.■ About 1500Mbps with Wi-Fi 6.Fully compatible with 2Gbps internet line if wired Next, use iperf3 to test the communication speed of the Wi-Fi connection.The slave PC is compatible with 2402 Mbps with a width of 160 MHz.The communication partner is a PC wired at 2.5 Gbps.In addition to short-distance communication in the same room, in the author's 3LDK apartment, this unit is placed in the room on the aisle side, the PC is placed at the end of the room on the veranda side, and the three wooden doors in between are closed. communicated with*The unit is Mbps.iPerf3 was performed 10 times with the parameters "-i1 -t10 -P10", and the average value is posted. In short distances, the downlink is about 1500Mbps and the uplink is about 980Mbps, which exceeds the wired LAN of 1000BASE-T.If you have an Internet line of over 1 Gbps, you can expect speeds of over 1 Gbps even with a Wi-Fi connection.On the other hand, although it is a long distance, this product is equipped with "RangeBoost Plus" which strengthens the company's original function "RangeBoost" that expands the communication range.The feeling of use is not much different from the product equipped with "RangeBoost", and the numerical value is about 25 Mbps downstream and slightly less than 4 Mbps upstream.Because the distance was quite long, the uplink communication was sometimes interrupted during the measurement.Overall, it would be better to think of it as a product that delivers solid performance at short to medium distances rather than a product that excels at long distances.Next, I checked the communication speed on the WAN side.Since the writer's house has a NURO for apartment 2Gbps line, connect the WAN side to the line with 2.5GBASE-T, connect the LAN side to the PC with 2.5GBASE-T, and test the speed of the Internet line with "speedtest.net". I tried.The operation mode of the router is "wireless router mode", and combined with NURO's ONU built-in router, it is intentionally in the state of a double router.Although the results differed depending on the service being measured, we were able to measure data close to the limits of 2 Gbps for upstream and 1 Gbps for downstream.At least it doesn't seem like this machine will become a bottleneck and reduce the 2 Gbps Internet line speed.I'd like to do one more practical test.I connected my own USB SSD (a 2.5-inch SSD in a USB HDD case) to the USB 3.2 Gen1 port of this unit to build a simple NAS, 2.5GBASE-T, 1000BASE-T, Wi-Fi 6 We measured the access speed when connecting with "CrystalDiskMark".In 1000BASE-T, the maximum speed was about 118MB/s, while in 2.5GBASE-T, the speed improved to about 130MB/s.Considering the speed of the network and the performance of the USB SSD, I think that it can be faster, but it is also possible that the USB connection is causing a bottleneck.Still, since the limit of 1000Mbps is exceeded, there is significance in using 2.5GBASE-T.Even Wi-Fi exceeds 100MB/s, and access to NAS is comfortable enough.Regarding the setting of the simple NAS, although it will be a different model, it is explained in this article, so please refer to it.■ Too many gaming functions ASUS routers are characterized by their rich software functions, but this product bearing the ROG brand has even more unique functions, making it extremely versatile.Introducing all of them would be a tremendous amount, so let's pick up the main ones.Regarding settings, in addition to accessing with a web browser, the smartphone application "ASUS Router" can be used.The author has touched various routers and is accustomed to setting with a web browser, but the setting with the "ASUS Router" application is really easy and easy to understand, so from the initial setup to the subsequent function setting, it is possible. As far as this app is concerned.Let's start with the gaming-related features.This product is equipped with several functions that prioritize game communication.The easiest to understand is the "gaming LAN port" installed in the wired LAN.It is set to one of the 1000BASE-T ports, and the communication of the device connected here has priority over the others.It is natural that communication is used in places that you do not intend, such as family members using the Internet, PCs and game consoles that are not in use updating in the background.Even in such a case, the device connected to the "gaming LAN port" ensures stable communication, and it is a mechanism that minimizes the occurrence of communication lag in online games.Next is "Adaptive QoS".There are various types of Internet communication, such as web browsing and streaming video, but this product distinguishes communication types and gives priority to specific communication.If you set the game to be the top priority, even if someone in your family downloads a large amount of data and eats up the Internet connection, the online game communication will be prioritized over the download, so you will not be affected. become difficult.You can freely choose which communication to prioritize, so you can use it in a wide range of ways, such as prioritizing video conferencing during telework.When playing online games on your smartphone, you can use the "mobile game mode".It is a mechanism that prioritizes communication of Wi-Fi connected games, and can be easily turned on / off from the "ASUS Router" application.Wi-Fi has many factors that make communication unstable, such as radio wave congestion, distance from the base unit, and obstructions.As long as you play smartphone games, there are parts that can't be helped, but adding communication congestion within the LAN is unacceptable.By using "mobile game mode", the congestion problem in the LAN can be reduced.Apart from optimizing communication, it also has "Open NAT" that makes it easy to open ports according to the game.Simply select the online game you want to play from the list and the appropriate port will be opened.It can be used not only for PC games, but also for home game consoles such as PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.Many recent online games do not require port opening, but problems such as voice chat not being possible without port opening can occur.A large number of games are registered both in Japan and overseas, and it is a useful function for enthusiastic online gamers because it saves the trouble of searching and responding to each game.In addition, it supports the application "GameFirst V" installed on ROG brand motherboards and gaming PCs, and also supports "ROG First" that optimizes communication bandwidth.The available environment is limited, but those who have ROG brand products should keep it in mind.■ Variety of general functions such as security functions and USB backup lines There are also many functions other than those related to games.Security is especially powerful, and "AiProtection" blocks communication to malicious sites and communication from infected devices, and you can also use parental control functions that can be set according to the age of the child.In addition to the simple NAS, the USB storage function used earlier also has functions such as an FTP server, "AiDisk" that can share files via the Internet, and "Time Machine" that can be used as backup storage for MacOS.In addition, it also has a function to connect a USB modem or smartphone and communicate via USB.When the main Internet line is disconnected, it can be used by switching to a failover mode that automatically switches to the USB line, and a load balancing mode that uses both lines.Recently, there are 5G unlimited data plans and inexpensive plans by MVNO, so it can be used as a backup line in case of trouble.In addition, ``AiMesh'' that allows you to easily build a mesh network using multiple ASUS Wi-Fi routers, ``WiFi Sharing'' that allows you to quickly create a Wi-Fi network for guests, and investigation of the cause of Internet connection troubles. It has too many functions for general home use, such as "network diagnosis" that this unit self-checks.In addition, it also supports "v6 Plus", one of FLET'S Hikari's IPv6 IPoE services.You can use the Internet environment comfortably by avoiding congestion with PPPoE connection.The estimated market price is 57,618 yen, which is quite expensive for a general household Wi-Fi router.You may think that the communication speed is the same even with cheaper products, but there are many parts where you can expect stability, such as high-performance CPU, large capacity memory, and large housing.If you're a gamer, you think, ``I can't allow you to lose the game due to the performance difference of the hardware you use.''Regardless of the wired or wireless connection method, it is difficult to find a better gaming Wi-Fi router than this product.This machine is a product that focuses on "functions and design for gamers", suitable for the name of the brand "ROG".The price is reasonable, so it's not for everyone, but if you want the ultimate performance in a Wi-Fi router, it's a product worth considering.(Cooperation: ASUS JAPAN Co., Ltd.)Copyright © 2022 Impress Corporation, An impress Group Company. 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