ASUS GT AC2900 - Best Gaming Router for Hardcore Gamers
ASUS has a thing for gamers. That is not new, as their Republic of Gamers brand is famous worldwide. A new trend is for the company to develop wireless routers for gaming, that are packed with many friendly features for online gamers.
The latest addition to their lineup of gaming routers is the new ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC2900, which also features some spectacular RGB lighting. If you want to know what this router has to offer, in terms of real-world performance, read this review!
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC2900: Who is it good for?
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC2900 is an excellent choice for the these types of users:
Gamers who want the best possible tools for online gaming and an impressive RGB lighting system
Users who want the best security for their smart home devices and have many diverse devices in their network
People who want task automation services from their wireless router, through IFTTT (If This, Then That)
Users who want to control their home network using the Alexa voice assistant
Users who want advanced firmware that offers complete control
People who desire an advanced mobile app from which they can personalize the router
Pros and Cons
What we liked about the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC2900:
Fast WiFi on both bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz
Many features for gamers who play multiplayer games online
Excellent security features that secure your smart home
Powerful hardware that can handle many clients and simultaneous connections
Fast USB 3.0 port
RGB lighting that looks great
Advanced smartphone app for administering your wireless router
Great multilingual support and easily accessible Help documentation
And some downsides:
The skin used for the firmware and the ASUS Router app may not be to everyone's tastes
The mobile app cannot be used to configure the gaming oriented features of the router
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC2900: Specs & Design
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-2900 is powered by a dual-core Broadcom BCM4906 at 1.8 GHz. It's identical to its brother ASUS RT-886U. It also includes 256 MB storage space and 512MB RAM.
ASUS GT-AC2900's design is an evolution of the earlier model. We like it more. RoG branding is beautiful. The detachable stand makes it easier to remove than the one on the old model.
The ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC2900's Performance
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC2900 is a dual-band wireless router, with a total theoretical maximum bandwidth split as follows: 750 Mbps for the 2.4 GHz wireless frequency, and 2167 Mbps for the 5 GHz frequency. It has support for the Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac Wave 2) wireless standard, 4x4 MU-MIMO transfers on the 5 GHz band, and 3x3 MU-MIMO transfers on the 2.4 GHz band. The router has three detachable external antennas and one internal antenna.
On the back of the router, we have the four Ethernet ports at 1 Gbps, two of which offer Link Aggregation. There is also one Internet port, one USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port, the power jack, and the Power button.
The Ports on the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC2900
On one of the sides, there are the following buttons: a button with the RoG logo (named Boost Key) which can be customized to perform specific actions when pressed, the button for controlling the LED on the front, the WPS button, the WiFi button, and the Reset one.
The Buttons on the Side of the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC2900
The size of the router is 8.7 x 6.65 x 4.37 inches or 221 x 169 x 111 mm in width, height, and depth. It also weighs 1.72 lb or 780 grams, without the stand.
The ASUS Router Mobile App for Android
The RGB lighting is a striking feature. Other routers that have RGB lighting are available, but none look as good. It is stunning how it is implemented on the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC2900. It looks amazing, and you can program the router to adjust the lighting based on what happens with your internet connection or router.
Rapture GT-AC2900 connected approximately twenty devices, including two desktop computers, several tablets, smartphones, smart plugs and one smart bulb.
We noticed that some clients of network would disconnect from the WiFi for short periods of time. ASUS was notified about this bug and they will investigate. We also noticed some instability in data uploads at first.
ASUS released a new firmware update two days after we tested the router. We were able to enjoy fast network transfers after that. We don't have to tell you. Take a look at the diagram below to see how data was transferred from one computer to another using WiFi. It is located in a separate room from the router, separated by one wall. There is no direct line-of-sight to it.
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC2900: Verdict
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-2900 is the gamer-friendly version of our favorite wireless router: ASUS RTG-AC86U. It has the same hardware as its predecessor. The firmware has many new features and tools, which include some that will be of interest to gamers.
The new model also features beautiful RGB lighting. ASUS ROG Rapture GT-2900 wireless router is a great choice for gamers.