Quote:
Originally Posted by Synthetic
Hey guys, looking at the ASUS RT-N66U to replace the SH3 as i've seen it recommended a few times on here, however I noticed on Amazon they have the RT-AC1200G which has (on the face of it) faster wifi, but Amazon have it cheaper than the N66U, and I can't see any reason why not to get the 1200G over the N66U?
Does anyone know why the N66U would be priced higher, or I should get it over the 1200G?
Thanks in advance.
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Basically, the N66-U has more antennae than the AC1200 - the AC1200 has 2x2 (2 upstream and 2 downstream) whereas the N66 has 3x3. Both multiplex their speeds, but the AC has faster speeds for each antennae.
What does this mean for you?
Well, that depends. If you have an AC device, you'll
probably get more speed from the AC router. If you have an N device, you
might get more speed from the N66-U but only if it has the matching number of antennae - most laptops are 2x2 at best anyway. A 2x2 laptop will be just as fast on the AC as it is on the N. Your phone will not be 3x3.
Having less antennae means you can have less guest networks as well. If that's a concern to you, then the N66 might be better.
I'd go for the AC device. Unless you've got a chunky wireless card that can multiplex 3 channels, you'll not see any benefit with the N66. If you suddenly decide that you'd really like to have the extra antennae, go for a 3x3 AC device instead.
EDIT: To clarify something - the "number of antennae" isn't the physical things sticking out of the devices, but the number of streams for the 2.4ghz and 5ghz bands.