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AC3100 router shootout - ASUS RT-AC88U vs. D-Link DIR-885L

Note: This article was first published on 29th October 2016.

Explaining AC3100

The last two years has been exceptionally exciting for home networking. We saw the first “wave” of 802.11ac Wave 2 routers, and then there was more widespread adoption of MU-MIMO technology. If these two terms are puzzling to you read these two articles first:

Today, there are many classes of routers, but they can be broadly categorized other dual and tri-band routers. AC3200-class routers are the most basic of tri-band routers, while AC5300-class routers can be thought of as the supercharged versions of their AC3200-class counterparts.

With that thinking in mind, AC3100-class routers are therefore very simply the go-faster versions of AC2600, which are in turn faster versions of AC1900-class routers. Confused? Don’t be, here’s a table.

2.4GHz Speed

5GHz Speed (Band 1)

5GHz Speed (Band 2)

Total

600Mbps

1,300Mbps

None

1,900Mbps

800Mbps

1,733Mbps

None

2,533Mbps

1,000Mbps

2,167Mbps

None

3,167Mbps

600Mbps

1,900Mbps

1,900Mbps

3,200Mbps

1,000Mbps

2,167Mbps

2,167Mbps

5,334Mbps

So, how then do we arrive at the number 3100? It’s quite simple. AC3100 supports a technology called NitroQAM, which is also supported on AC5300-class routers. This technology increases the maximum bandwidth of each stream. The end result is that the 2.4GHz band on AC3100-class routers can support speeds of up to 1,000Mbps, whereas the 5GHz band can do about 2,167Mbps. Add them up together and you get 3,167Mbps, which is roughly 3100, give or take.

So now that you know what the numbers mean and how they are derived, let’s dive straight into our first contender, the ASUS RT-AC88U.

The ASUS RT-AC88U

The ASUS RT-AC88U's design marks it out as an ASUS router.
The ASUS RT-AC88U's design marks it out as an ASUS router.

The ASUS RT-AC88U is the brand’s newest dual-band flagship router, and the successor to 2014’s AC2400-class AC87U.

In terms of appearance, the two are quite similar in that they both have a rectangular form factor and four large external antennas. However, the new RT-AC88U is slightly larger and also more aggressive in design. It’s also more angular and has well-placed cuts into the chassis that act as ventilation vents. Not everyone is going to be a fan of its looks, especially if you're the kind that like to keep things understated, but I think the router’s general target audience will find the RT-AC88U’s design appealing.

Two rubber feet hide the wall mounting points on the top left and right corners.
Two rubber feet hide the wall mounting points on the top left and right corners.

The RT-AC88U can also be wall mounted. On the underside of the router are two rubber feet that can be removed to reveal the wall mounting points. However, considering the router’s substantial weight, users will want to make sure that their mounting points are secure before attempting to place this hefty router on the wall.

A handy row of LED status indicators sit on the top panel of the RT-AC88U router.
A handy row of LED status indicators sit on the top panel of the RT-AC88U router.

On the top panel is a row of LED status indicators, which users can use to quickly know the status of the router’s various functions, like whether the Wi-Fi networks, Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, and connection to the Internet are working. Below the indicators and on the extreme left is a USB 3.0 port hidden behind a protective cover, while on the extreme right are buttons to activate and deactivate the LED status indicators and Wi-Fi.

The ASUS RT-AC88U offers a whopping 8 Gigabit Ethernet ports, which is great for users who need to connect to multiple devices such as TVs, media streamers, NAS, and more.
The ASUS RT-AC88U offers a whopping 8 Gigabit Ethernet ports, which is great for users who need to connect to multiple devices such as TVs, media streamers, NAS, and more.

A surprise awaits round the back of the router, because the RT-AC88U has a whopping 8 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports. This is a much welcomed feature, considering the amount of connected devices we have today. This means that you can connect your router to, say, your TV, set-top box, console, NAS, and still have ports to spare. What’s more, the first two ports even support port aggregation. This means you can combine the two of them to create a super fast 2Gbps connection. This can be useful for users with high-end NAS that also support port aggregation like the Synology DS416slim. Elsewhere, there’s still a single Gigabit Ethernet WAN port, a USB 2.0 port, and a button to enable WPS setup.

The USB 3.0 port is oddly located up front, which is strange because connecting an external storage device would break up the router's good looks.
The USB 3.0 port is oddly located up front, which is strange because connecting an external storage device would break up the router's good looks.

Inside, the RT-AC88U router relies on the same Broadcom chipset as other AC5300-class routers, with the only exception being that it broadcasts a single 5GHz band instead of two. It’s powered by a 1.4GHz dual-core Broadcom BCM4709 processor and has two BCM4366 radios, each supporting four spatial streams and MU-MIMO technology. It also has a generous 512MB of RAM and 128MB of flash storage.

The ASUSWRT setup interface will be familiar to longtime ASUS router users. It's not the prettiest, but it's user enough to use and very effective.
The ASUSWRT setup interface will be familiar to longtime ASUS router users. It's not the prettiest, but it's user enough to use and very effective.

Setting up the RT-AC88U router was a straightforward affair thanks to ASUS’ very functional ASUSWRT setup interface. Like I mentioned before, it isn’t the prettiest around, but its menus are clearly labeled, which make it easy to use and navigate. It also has loads of options for more advanced users like port forwarding, VPN, guest networking, parental controls, and so on.

A monitor let users know exactly which device is sapping up all the bandwidth.
A monitor let users know exactly which device is sapping up all the bandwidth.

Furthermore, ASUS has only gone and added more features in recent time. Some of the newer features added to ASUS routers include Adaptive QoS, AiCloud 2.0, AiProtection and Traffic Analyzer.

Adaptive QoS is a form of QoS that adapts dynamically based on usage scenarios and network workloads. AiCloud 2.0 is ASUS’ second-generation cloud storage utility. Users can connect external storage devices to the router and access them remotely from anywhere in the world using an accompanying app on their smartphone or tablet. AiProtection is a built-in anti-spyware and anti-malware utility that actively scans incoming packets of data. Finally, Traffic Analyzer lets users track and analyze their traffic usage on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis. It also shows real-time traffic usage.

The ASUS Router app lets you control and manage your router from anywhere in the world as long as you have a data connection.
The ASUS Router app lets you control and manage your router from anywhere in the world as long as you have a data connection.

In addition, ASUS routers can now be remotely managed thanks to a suite of four mobile apps that ASUS released late last year. The ASUS Router app lets you monitor router usage and alter QoS settings. The AiCloud app is required if you want to enable cloud storage functionality. The Download Master app lets you schedule files for download using torrent clients. And lastly, Device Discovery traces all your ASUS networking devices, including your router, repeater and IP camera. The apps are easy enough to use, but it’s a cumbersome system and we would rather have had a single app that can do it all.

D-Link DIR-885L

The D-Link DIR-885L is big, bold, and very red. It looks unlike any other router available today.
The D-Link DIR-885L is big, bold, and very red. It looks unlike any other router available today.

The D-Link DIR-885L is part of D-Link’s new Ultra Performance Series of routers, which was first unveiled at CES 2015. And like the previously reviewed DIR-890L router, the DIR-885L sports a fantastically aggressive design.

Like the other routers in the series, the DIR-885L comes in bright red and features a highly angular pyramidal design with large external antennas. Unlike other brands who have opted for more discreet designs, D-Link is the polar opposite and obviously wants its DIR-885L to be the centerpiece of any living area. It’s a look you either love or hate, but I think it will appeal well to the router’s target audience, those who are already keen to distinguish themselves from the pack by investing in a super high-end router. There’s no denying that it is a bold and refreshing design.

LED status indicators on the front let users know how the router is running.
LED status indicators on the front let users know how the router is running.

On the front, a silver strip that runs down the middle houses the router’s LED status indicators. However, it only shows the status of your Internet connectivity, wireless networks, and USB connection. This means that if you are having trouble with your LAN connections, there’s no quick way to see what’s wrong.

Behind the router lies the usual single Gigabit Ethernet WAN port and 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports. The D-Link DIR-885L only comes with a single USB 3.0 ports unlike other routers of this class that normally come with both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports. If you intend on connecting multiple devices to your router, such as an external storage drive and printer, this is something to take note of. The other thing worth mentioning is that the individual Ethernet ports do not have status indicators, which could make troubleshooting a little tricky.

The DIR-885L router has the usual single Gigabit Ethernet WAN port and four Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports. However, it only has one USB 3.0 port, unlike most other routers, which typically have an additional USB 2.0 port.
The DIR-885L router has the usual single Gigabit Ethernet WAN port and four Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports. However, it only has one USB 3.0 port, unlike most other routers, which typically have an additional USB 2.0 port.

Peering underneath the router, one can see that although the DIR-885L is pretty hefty (it weighs nearly 700g), D-Link has added provisions for wall-mounting the router. That’s a nice touch, and considering the looks of this router, it would make for quite a sight.

Internally, the D-Link DIR-885L is powered by the same components as its competitor. Like the ASUS RT-AC88U, the DIR-885L is equipped a 1.4GHz dual-core Broadcom BCM4709 processor with two BCM4366 radios, each supporting four spatial streams and MU-MIMO technology. Likewise, it also has a generous 512MB of RAM and 128MB of flash storage.

The DIR-885L router comes preconfigured right out of the box, with the wireless SSID and password printed on a label that’s under the router. But if you wish to get your hands dirty, D-Link’s setup interface is less intimidating and slightly more straightforward to use. It also has all of the features you would expect to find from a high-end router such as Port Forwarding, Firewall, QoS, Parental Controls, cloud storage via SharePort, and more.

D-Link's setup interface is less intimidating and simpler to use. But it also misses out on some features found in its rivals.
D-Link's setup interface is less intimidating and simpler to use. But it also misses out on some features found in its rivals.

However, some of its features are more simplistic when compared to the ASUS RT-AC88U. For example, the DIR-885L’s QoS feature isn’t dynamic and only allows you to prioritize connections based on devices. ASUS’ RT-AC88U, on the other hand, has Adaptive QoS which can prioritize traffic based on usage scenarios, on top of traditional QoS rules like the DIR-885L’s.

Parents should also take note that the DIR-885L’s parental control features aren’t obvious and quite primitive when compared to newer solutions from the likes of ASUS and Linksys. The problem with the DIR-885L’s parental control feature is that it’s a blanket setting that affects all client devices, whereas most other brands have parental control features that allow administrators to create schedules for specific devices. In other words, if you were to cut off Internet connectivity past a certain timing, everyone will be affected and not just your children.

D-Link's mydlink Lite app is pretty simplistic and doesn't allow users to do much apart from monitoring speeds and rebooting the router remotely.
D-Link's mydlink Lite app is pretty simplistic and doesn't allow users to do much apart from monitoring speeds and rebooting the router remotely.

In addition, the DIR-885L’s remote router management app is really basic and simplistic, and doesn’t really let users do anything other than check on its status and rebooting it remotely. In comparison, ASUS’ remote router management app can even allow users to edit parental control settings, update firmware, change Wi-Fi settings and more.

Test setup

Our routine test setup includes a desktop PC, the reviewed router, and a laptop to simulate a wireless home network. The desktop system takes on the role of a host machine, while the router acts as a gateway. And lastly, an external Wireless 802.11ac adapter attached to the notebook is used to fulfill the role of a wireless remote client. The router is locked down in N-only mode for the 2.4GHz band, and 802.11ac for the 5GHz band, mainly to prevent the use of varying 802.11 standards. Typically, a channel bandwidth of 40MHz is selected where applicable, while 80MHz is used for the 5GHz AC band.

We'll be using Netgear's A6200 802.11ac USB adapter for our throughput tests to reduce the number of variables involved. The Netgear A6200 USB adapter supports up to two spatial streams for a maximum data transfer rate of 867Mbps - the maximum for USB adapters currently. Hence, if your system has a more advanced wireless chipset that supports three spatial streams, you can expect even higher speeds.

Here is a graphical representation of our network test setup.
Here is a graphical representation of our network test setup.

To evaluate, we will be using a mix of synthetic benchmarks and real-world testing. The synthetic benchmark we are using is called LAN Speed Test. As for real-world testing, we will be measuring the routers’ speeds in transferring a 1GB zip file. We will do multiple tests at different distances to simulate use around a typical home. For the 5GHz band, we also measured how performance is affected if two clients are connected and uploading and downloading data at the same time. Here are the test distances we used and what they represent.

  • 2m - Right beside the router.

  • 5m - In the adjacent room.

  • 13m - In the room opposite.

  • 17m - To simulate extreme distances

An important thing to note is that we will be phasing out 2.4GHz testing from our benchmarks. For one, 802.11ac is now being widely supported by most if not all mobile devices. If your device supports 802.11ac, it makes absolutely no sense to connect to the router via the slower and more congested 2.4GHz band. Speaking of congestion, our test environment currently has no less than 19 different 2.4GHz networks being broadcasted. The amount of noise and interference makes it very difficult for us to properly evaluate 2.4GHz performance. As such, we'll only be presenting performance from the 5GHz band.

Performance Analysis

Let’s begin our look at the routers’ performance beginning with LAN Speed Test. As you can see from the graphs, the two routers overall performance were in line with our expectations from high-end routers of their class. Looking a little deeper however, reveals that the D-Link DIR-885L impresses with its very high upload speeds and was about 5% faster overall than the ASUS RT-AC88U. The DIR-885L’s downlink speeds were faster than the RT-AC88U as well, especially at the farthest test range of 17 meters, where it managed 136.59Mbps compared to the ASUS’ 121.42Mbps - an advantage of over 12%, which is significant. On the flip side, we can also see that the RT-AC88U’s performance at the farther test ranges of 13 and 17 meters is actually amongst the poorest of the routers tested.

Moving on the File Transfer workload where we measure the speed recorded in transferring a 1GB file, we can see that the ASUS RT-AC88U and D-Link DIR-885L routers both recorded very impressive file transfer speeds at 2 and 5 meters. The RT-AC88U’s performance at 5 meters, in particular, was the fastest we have ever recorded and on a par with the mighty Linksys EA9500 router. However, the RT-AC88U’s performance at range is worrying as the dip in performance going from 5 to 13 meters was markedly more drastic that the competing DIR-885L router.

And last, but not least, we come to our performance load test, where we test the routers’ performance in a situation where it has to transmit data to two devices simultaneously. Tri-band routers, which can assign a device each to its dual 5GHz networks, have the obvious advantage. Here, the RT-AC88U router posted a slightly advantage over the DIR-885L, managing 86.96Mbps against the DIR-885L’s 83.33Mbps.

Conclusion

Even though the two routers feature the same internals, it is clear from our performance benchmarks that the D-Link DIR-885L has the better implementation. Overall, the D-Link DIR-885L provided better data link speeds and better range. That said, the ASUS RT-AC88U was no slouch, but its performance at farther range was disappointing, which also means reduced performance at the edge of its range.

Fortunately, the RT-AC88U router was able to redeem itself with its long list of features. Its ASUSWRT setup interface remains to be one of the most powerful in the market today, and it comes choke-full of features such as AiProtection, AiCloud, Traffic Analyzer and more. In addition, it has a rather powerful and well designed remote router management app. Not to mention, it has 8 Gigabit Ethernet ports and supports port aggregation.

The D-Link DIR-885L, however, is let down by its comparative lack of features. Its setup interface, though easy to use, is a bit simplistic and basic for a high-end router. I'd also prefer a more comprehensive parental control feature and a more full-featured remote router management app. That said, I do think that for users who do not fuss about managing and tweaking their routers, the DIR-885L is the better choice.

These two routers are pricey but fast. However, if you are prepared to splash the cash, it's better to get a tri-band router.
These two routers are pricey but fast. However, if you are prepared to splash the cash, it's better to get a tri-band router.

Not only is the DIR-885L easier to setup and use, it is also significantly more affordable. At S$349, the DIR-885L is pricey for a dual-band router, but it is also a whopping S$80 less expensive than the ASUS RT-AC88U. That’s right, the ASUS RT-AC88U is priced at an eye-watering S$429. And even though it comes with loads of features and 8 Gigabit Ethernet ports (count them), there’s still no getting around the fact that it is really pricey.

In fact, if you are prepared to pay over S$400 for a router, you might as well cough up $40 more for the more impressive RT-AC5300 router. Though you’ll lose the 8 Gigabit Ethernet ports, the RT-AC5300 comes with all the other features that the RT-AC88U and packs even better performance. Plus, it’s a tri-band router, which means you’ll benefit more even if you don’t have compatible devices.

Speaking of compatible devices, this brings me neatly to my final point. The thing about AC3150-class routers is that there is currently no client devices in the market capable of taking full advantage of its fast 5GHz network speeds (2,167Mbps). Heck, as I have mentioned many times in the past, few client devices can even maximize the performance of an AC1900-class routers, much less these newfangled AC3150-class ones.

As a result, the performance you’ll get from these routers won’t differ too greatly if you already have a fast AC1900 dual-band router. And so it makes much more sense to invest in a tri-band router and spread your devices over its two 5GHz bands. Fewer devices on a network means more bandwidth and speed for everyone. To end, my buying advice would be this: if you are willing to spend over S$300 on a router, get a tri-band router instead. ASUS and D-Link have some great tri-band routers here.