The Asus RT-AC3100 and the Asus RT-AC5300 are both routers designed to help you get better WiFi signal in your home or office. Both routers have similar features and are in the same price bracket, so which one is better?
We have analyzed both the Asus RT-AC3100 and the Asus RT-AC5300 to see which of these routers we think comes out on top.
Asus RT-AC3100
Asus RT-AC5300
Speed
The Asus RT-AC3100 is a dual band router that operates on both 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz frequencies, with speeds of up to 2,100 Mbps at 5 GHz and up to 1,000 Mbps at 2.4 GHz. The Asus RT-AC5300 is a tri-band router with dual 5 GHz frequencies and a single 2.4 GHz and can offer combined speeds of up to 5,334 Mpbs.
Both routers have MU-MIMO technology that will allow every compatible device to be able to access the fastest possible speeds, which works by allocating each device its own WiFi connection without slowing down the network.
Features
Both the Asus RT-AC3100 and the Asus RT-AC5300 have built in technology that provides faster responses for gaming, giving you access to the Gamers Private Network (GPN) that sends the information on a quicker route, lowering the ping times during your games.
The two routers also feature the Asus router app, meaning you can stay in control of all your connections and manage your security settings. Both models also feature the same dual core 1.4 GHz processor with 512 MB of memory, giving you enough speed to power the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks.
Safety
The Asus RT-AC3100 and the Asus RT-AC5300 are both protected with AiProtection technology by Trend Micro which helps to prevent online threats from affecting your network and devices. The technology will also prevent any infected devices from sending out your personal information and will help to block access to malicious sites.
Both routers also benefit from having parental controls so you can manage what access your children have to the internet and what sites are available to them, allowing you to monitor their online activities. With both models, you can set up guest logins, so that each member of your family has their own network with their own tailored security settings.
Connection
The Asus RT-AC5300 benefits from having Smart Connect technology that will automatically switch your devices to the best and fastest connection for your online activity. The Asus RT-AC3100 has QoS technology that will prioritize your gaming or streaming above other activities.
The Asus RT-AC3100 has 8 gigabit ethernet LAN ports and 1 double speed WAN port compared to the Asus RT-AC5300 which has 4 gigabit LAN ports and 1 WAN port. Both models have both 2.0 and 3.0 USB connections.
Recommendation
After looking at both the Asus RT-AC3100 and the Asus RT-AC5300 we think the better router is the Asus RT-AC3100. It is less expensive than the RT-AC5300 and still gives you similar speeds.
The Asus RT-AC3100 has the ability to prioritize devices on a dual band networks without requiring the tri-band capabilities and has the benefit of the WAN port for 4K HD streaming.
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