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A refreshed AX6000 dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router built on a 2.0 GHz quad-core CPU with 1 GB RAM, dual 2.5 Gbps ports with link aggregation, AiMesh, and lifetime AiProtection Pro security from Trend Micro.
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Quick Specs
A fast, future-proofed Wi-Fi 6 workhorse with dual 2.5G ports and lifetime security — power without the mesh-system price.
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Overall expert editorial score
| Wi-Fi Standard | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), AX6000 |
|---|---|
| Bands | Dual-band (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz) |
| 2.4 GHz Rate | Up to 1148 Mbps |
| 5 GHz Rate | Up to 4804 Mbps |
| MU-MIMO | 4×4 (uplink & downlink) |
| OFDMA | Yes |
| Channel Width | Up to 160 MHz |
| Modulation | 1024-QAM |
| Beamforming | Standard-based & universal |
| CPU | 2.0 GHz quad-core |
|---|---|
| RAM | 1 GB DDR |
| Flash | 256 MB |
| Operating Mode | Router / AiMesh node / AP / repeater |
| Buttons | WPS, reset, Wi-Fi on/off, LED on/off |
| WAN | 1× 2.5 Gbps (configurable WAN/LAN) |
|---|---|
| 2.5G LAN | 1× 2.5 Gbps |
| Gigabit LAN | 4× 1 Gbps RJ45 |
| Link Aggregation | Yes (dual 2.5G / WAN-LAN) |
| Dual-WAN | Yes (failover & load balance) |
| USB | 1× USB 3.2 Gen 1 + 1× USB 2.0 |
| Antennas | 4× external (detachable) |
|---|---|
| Antenna Type | Dual-band high-gain |
| AiMesh | Supported (whole-home mesh) |
| Dimensions | 300 × 188 × 60 mm (without antennas) |
| Recommended Coverage | Large home / multi-room |
| Firmware | ASUSWRT |
|---|---|
| Network Security | AiProtection Pro (Trend Micro, lifetime) |
| Threat Protection | Two-way IPS, infected-device detection |
| VPN | Instant Guard, WireGuard, OpenVPN, IPSec (server & client) |
| QoS | Adaptive QoS, traditional QoS, bandwidth limiter |
| Parental Controls | Time scheduling, content filtering |
| Guest Network | Yes (multiple SSIDs) |
| IPv6 | Yes |
|---|---|
| DHCP / DNS | Server, DDNS, custom DNS |
| Port Forwarding | Port forwarding, port triggering, DMZ, UPnP |
| USB Apps | AiDisk, media/file server, 3G/4G dongle, Time Machine |
| Management | ASUS Router app, web UI |
Configuration
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The RT-AX88U Pro is a meaningful refresh of one of ASUS's most popular routers. The faster 2.0 GHz quad-core CPU and full 1 GB of RAM keep the interface and security engine snappy under load, while the pair of 2.5 Gbps ports finally moves wired networking past gigabit — with link aggregation and dual-WAN on top. AiMesh, lifetime AiProtection Pro and the deep ASUSWRT feature set make it a genuine power-user's router rather than a set-and-forget appliance. It is dual-band only and stops short of Wi-Fi 6E/7, so the most future-proof buyers should look higher up the range, but for a fast, secure, endlessly configurable AX6000 router it is hard to beat at this price.
Replaced my mesh kit with one of these
Coverage across my three-bedroom flat is excellent on a single unit, and the 2.5G WAN finally lets my 1Gbps fibre run flat out with headroom. Adaptive QoS keeps gaming smooth while the household streams. The interface has a learning curve but the control you get is worth it.
Lifetime security is the killer feature
AiProtection Pro with no subscription is what sold me over the competition. It has flagged a couple of dodgy sites already. RAM is generous so the web UI never stutters even with the security engine on and a VPN server running.
Great router, just wish it had a 6 GHz band
Performance and the dual 2.5G ports are fantastic and the WireGuard VPN throughput is much better than my old router. My only real gripe is that it is Wi-Fi 6 dual-band — for the price I half expected 6E. Still, for wired and dual-band Wi-Fi it is superb.
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AX6000 is the combined theoretical maximum of both Wi-Fi 6 bands: up to 1148 Mbps on 2.4 GHz plus up to 4804 Mbps on 5 GHz, totalling roughly 6000 Mbps. Real-world speeds are lower and depend on your devices, channel width and distance, but it places this router in the high-end dual-band tier.
Yes. It has two 2.5 Gbps ports — one can serve as the WAN (internet) port and the other as a 2.5G LAN — plus four Gigabit LAN ports. The two 2.5G ports also support link aggregation, and the router supports dual-WAN for failover or load balancing.
AiProtection Pro is powered by Trend Micro and is included free for the lifetime of the router — there is no recurring subscription. It covers two-way intrusion prevention, infected-device detection and blocking, and malicious-site protection.
Yes. The RT-AX88U Pro supports ASUS AiMesh, so you can pair it with another AiMesh-capable ASUS router to extend coverage under a single network name. Note that on a dual-band model the wireless backhaul shares the 5 GHz band with your client devices, so a wired backhaul is recommended for best throughput.
It runs Instant Guard for a one-tap secure connection back to your home network, and supports WireGuard, OpenVPN and IPSec as both a VPN server and client. WireGuard in particular gives noticeably higher throughput than the older OpenVPN implementation.
The Pro upgrades the CPU to a 2.0 GHz quad-core, doubles RAM to 1 GB, and replaces the older 1 Gbps WAN with two 2.5 Gbps ports. Wi-Fi rates (AX6000) and the four-antenna design are broadly similar, but the faster internals and multi-gig ports make a real difference for security processing and wired speed.
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