ASUS unveiled RT-AC3200, the world's fastest tri-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi router.

RT-AC3200 6 Antenna 802.11AC Router – Computex 2014

PCDIY is excited to give you some information on a new ultra high performance 802.11AC router the RT-AC3200. This is a game changing router that will redefine the experience for networking enthusiasts who have embraced 802.11AC enabled devices and are looking for class leading features and functionality ASUS routers have become known for. If you are looking for a potential one router to rule them all candidate and not looking to compromise on speed, range, throughout, connectivity or features or functionality you are going to what to find out more about the RT-AC3200.

Quick details and usage environments

The RT-AC3200 router is a dual band, 6 antenna router capable of handling multiple devices while considerably reducing, minimizing or eliminating slow down due to mixed  client usage. Its six antennas are linked to two 3×3 802.11ac radios and one 3×3 802.11n radio. This design affords the router very wide coverage and enables ultra high performance & throughput. In addition like all ASUS router it feature the award winning ASUSWRT firmware offering rich functionality and features some of these include ASUS SmartSync, AiCloud, network monitoring, ASUS Media Station, QoS, VPN and much more. It’s designed for SMB & SOHO environments as well as for networking enthusiasts and modern digitally connected homes. All these environments share in usage of having to support many different types of devices and ensuring range and throughput for those devices. In addition the need to have flexibility for robust connectivity, solid attached storage performance and robust management and monitoring options is extremely high. All of these are ensured through class leading firmware development as well as complemented by advanced hardware designs.

One of the key benefits of this next generation 802.11AC router is its ability to ensure ultra high throughput to multiple 802.11AC devices. For networking installations utilizing the fastest wireless standard and digitally connected homes with the latest devices this ensure the best possible performance. AC3200 means 3200Mbps, which is the maximum concurrent bandwidth the router can provide to multiple clients. This is split between its 3 Wi-Fi radios, offering a maximum performance of 1300Mbps to multiple .ac devices, rather than always being limited to the slowest device speed on the network.

So what about the previously announced RT-87U? ACxxxx numbers represent the maximum throughput the networking product can handle. That doesn’t necessarily mean per-device, as the RT-AC3200 talks to multiple .ac and .n devices at full speed, rather than having to slow down to the slowest device on the network. Only the RT-AC87U provides 33% more area coverage and more per-client bandwidth (1700 versus 1300), however it only has one .ac band versus the RT-3200’s two.

Through our easy to use but powerful ASUS WRT firmware interface users will be able to optimally assign and configure their network and connected devices for the best performance. For users who have a lot wireless devices with different wireless standards at home. Many a/b/g/n clients will slow down the wireless speed to the lowest common setting. By owning the RT-AC3200, users will separate .ac clients and a/b/g/n clients in different 5 GHz bands: assigning ac clients to 5 GHz high band and a/b/g/n clients to 5 GHz low band.

Initial specifications

  • 6×6 Gigabit Router: 6 streams of 802.11ac implementation
  • 3.2 Gbps router and internet gateway platform
  • Tri-band: 160MHz usage with two 3×3 802.11ac and one 3×3 802.11n (maximum of 1300MBps per device, but multiple devices can run at full speed)
  • Double performance of previous models
  • ASUS SmartSync with Dropbox, WebStorage, FTP servers
  • ASUS AiCloud app with network monitoring
  • ASUS Media Station

 

Memory 256 MB DDR3 RAM (large 128 MB Firmware Flash)
Antenna 6 x External dual-band detachable Antenna
Operating Frequency 2.4 GHz and 5 Ghz (concurrent)
Data Rate 802.11b: up to 11Mbps
802.11a/g: up to 54Mbps
802.11n : up to 450Mbps
TurboQAM (2.4GHz): up to 600Mbps
802.11ac (5GHz):  up to 2.6Gbps between both bands
Interface Type 1 x RJ45 WAN
4 x Gigabit LAN Ports
1 x USB 3.0 Port, 1 x USB2.0 Port
Button Power on/off Button
Reset Button: Push for 5 seconds to restore factory setting
WPS Button: Push for 5 seconds to enter WPS mode

 

FAQ

When will this be available?

We are targeting a Q3 to Q4 release. Stay tuned for more information. This product is currently on product design and development.

What will it cost?

MSRP pricing will be release closer to product availability.

What other functionality does it offer?

ASUS WRT is continually being refined and improved extending the overall features and functionality offered on the router. Some of these functions are noted below.

  • Continued commitment to ASUSWRT
  • Dedicated tablet and smartphone interface
  • Intelligent QoS auto-optimization, with greatly improved reporting/stats and network map UI
  • AiCloud with network view, device view, file view and network monitoring
  • SmartSync external USB HDD with Dropbox, WebStorage and FTP servers
  • ASUS Media Station share files across your network
  • Router to router sync for extended networks
  • Additional security: event notification, status monitor and secure remote control

What type of client antenna configuration is recommend for use with the RT-AC3200?

Currently there are limited add in adapters offering 3×3 802.11AC. ASUS does produce the only 3×3 PCIe solution with the PCE-AC68. This ultra high performance 802.11AC PCIe wireless adapter is an optimal product to be paired with the AC3200 for ensuring the best throughput and range.

Is this a 802.11AC wave 2 router?

No this is not a wave 2 router. This is a router based on a revised broadcom platform designed to maximize current 802.11AC performance while focusing on heavy 802.11AC client environments.

Does this router support MU-MIMO?

No this router does not support MU-MIMO. For those interested in support of MU-MIMO please consider our RT-87U.

Stay tuned for more information. If you have any questions or comments feel free to send them to PCDIY@ASUS.COM or post in the comments section. As more information becomes available I will update this post.

56 Responses to "RT-AC3200 6 Antenna 802.11AC Router – Computex 2014"

  1. Mike L B
    Mike L B 5 months ago .Reply

    Sweet! This will be running my home network as soon as it is available. I can’t wait! It’s amazing how far ASUS is ahead of everyone else. That’s why they’re the best though. They make the best stuff, first!

  2. boniek
    boniek 4 months ago .Reply

    What I want is multicore router that can support gigabit WAN speeds with NAT and QOS with four, one gigabit ports and anti bufferbloat software (http://www.bufferbloat.net/). It can have only basic wifi (b/g/n). Perfect for demanding PC gamer like me.

  3. Corey fisher
    Corey fisher 4 months ago .Reply

    I’m confused, which if the two upcoming routers are more powerful? This one or the rt-87u? Can we just get a straightforward answer? This seams much more powerful due to it’s dual bands and the fact it has a 2.9 ghz penta core processor vs quantenna.

    • JJ
      JJ 4 months ago .Reply

      I would not focus on the “cores / SOC” detailing as they may not fully represent the complete picture relative to performance. Overall in many ways the 87U will offer greater range and distance at range. Their is the possibly the 3200 may offer superior throughput in some situations. As of now both units are still under design and development and we are tuning the firmware and the overall performance Stay tuned for more soon as I will be providing more information along with real world tests on both.

    • Shane
      Shane 4 months ago .Reply

      There’s no “straightforward answer”, you need to know what you’re trying to achieve, only then can you approximate which is the best in your usage scenario(s). In most scenarios I anticipate being interesting to me, the 87u makes more sense.

      • Shane
        Shane 4 months ago .Reply

        “you need to know what you’re trying to achieve”

        + exactly what each device is capable of (& what that means)

  4. Shane
    Shane 4 months ago .Reply

    Not interesting to me, 87U is far more intriguing, it is for anyone who understands WiFi intimately, & knows more than marketing speak.

  5. kristy foster
    kristy foster 4 months ago .Reply

    RT-AC3200 vs RT-AC87U – Don’t Be Confused

    the case for buying the AC87U

    if your talking about max performance in the home. The 87U will provide a 1700Mbps 5GHZ 802.11AC 4×4 Bridge between the two routers… and if you can get your clients laptops with build in 802.11AC (like the Intel AC7260 card) connected on the 5Ghz you will get 866mbps 2×2 Max connection (until someone releases a 3×3 internal card or USB device then 1300Mbps)

    in this case if you have 2-3 older 802.11N or G devices connect them to the 2.4ghz radio with a 40mhz channel if no other networks are nearby (or a 20mhz wil give better throughput if it’s there are lots of other wireless networks around)… my understanding this will NOT slow down your 5Ghz 1300 bridge or 866mbps clients

    (if you attempted to connect your 802.11N 5ghz to the existing 802.11AC 5ghz it would slow down your overall network

    So why buy the AC-3200

    the Speed of this Router is Slower… limited to 1300Mbps 3X3… (you cannot bond for a single 2600Mbps connection) it’s “Tri-Band” meaning in the case above your bridge would be limited to 1300Mbps not 1700mbps but the big advantage is that a slower client would not slow down the rest of your network

    so you have all your 802.11AC 5Ghz clients connect to Radio #1 – your 802.11N 5GHZ would connect to Radio #2 and your older 2.4ghz would connect to Radio #3 – so for an office or “mix mode” office this would be a better router..

    to make this more confusing some companies like Cisco are introducing 802.11AC routers with 4 physical antennas but still 1300Mbps – the forth antenna is basically used for better reception – but consumers see 4 antennas and think it’s faster.

    basically what you want is an 802.11AC routers with the largest channel size like 160mhz vs 80mhz and the greatest # of streams.. take a look at the visual chart below it explains things in more detail – so you want to buy a router with 8 Streams on the 160mhz channel for 6.92Gbps throughput – but this doesn’t exist yet. (if I have said anything wrong in this post… please let me know :-)

    http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r254/maylyn22/ASUS%20RT-AC68U/ofSpatialStreams.png

  6. Shane
    Shane 4 months ago .Reply

    Close… But no Cigar…. ;-)

  7. Cliff
    Cliff 4 months ago .Reply

    I only do 1 or 2 1080p streams at any given time.
    Wireless N covers my need for wireless speeds. What I am interested in is, will the RT3200 or 87U be best for performance on an openvpn client? And also, which will be fastest for HDD (NAS) access.
    My N66U limits my 20 mb line down to about 10 mb/s, sometimes slower when it is also trying to save stuff onto the USB hard drive.

  8. dallas
    dallas 4 months ago .Reply

    so what one is better the ac3200 or the 87U and whens the release prices?

    • JJ
      JJ 4 months ago .Reply

      The feature different chipsets and different design implementations. Stay tuned for more information soon. Our current focus is finishing the performance tuning and validation of the 87U.

      • dallas
        dallas 3 months ago .Reply

        can you please tell me what the different chipsets mean in each so i can chose what one i want to buy

  9. dallas
    dallas 4 months ago .Reply

    you do know the netgrear ac3200 comes out july 11
    and whats the different chipsets whats the difference between the 2 chipsets

  10. cryptochrome (@cryptochrome)

    Hi JJ,

    I know you said Asus would concentrate on the AC87 first. Now that it is basically released, I was wondering if you had any news in regards to the AC3200.

    Thanks.

  11. dallas
    dallas 3 months ago .Reply

    the ac2300 is at bestbuy to buy i seen it there does 5thousand sq ft

  12. cryptochrome (@cryptochrome)

    Any updates, JJ?

    • JJ
      JJ 3 months ago .Reply

      Our focus is currently that of the 87U in regards to firmware tuning and optimization and our new WRT feature these are all being put into the 87U. The AC3200 is still under design and development but is target a different user base. As noted if you are looking for the best range, throughput and USB performance the 87U will maintain this even when the 3200 is released. We are of course going to to focus on bringing an impressive AC3200 product to the market but the usage models are different. Once we are prepared to release more information on this unit we will do so.

  13. dallas
    dallas 3 months ago .Reply

    the asus ac2400 is out at bestbuy to buy i seen there but i want the ac3200 but what one is really better?

    • Shane
      Shane 3 months ago .Reply

      After reading the comments here, also read them here:
      http://pcdiy.asus.com/2014/01/rt-ac87u-the-ultimate-router-4×4-mu-mimo-ces-2014/
      There’s probably more & better explanations there…

      • dallas
        dallas 3 months ago .Reply

        well shane what one do you think is better

        • Shane
          Shane 3 months ago .Reply

          I could tell you, but that’d ruin the whole exercise I’m encouraging you to try, so I won’t.

    • Shane
      Shane 3 months ago .Reply

      Do some searching/reading bro, it’s good for you, you’ll find your answer soon enough.

    • JJ
      JJ 3 months ago .Reply

      Our current focus is on the 87R / 87U. The AC3200 will be released a later date and also have a different target usage. If you are looking for the best unit in regards to range , throughput and USB performance then that will be the 87R/87U. The AC3200 will be more of a consideration depending on heavy mix mode utilization and complex WiFi environments. That being noted I still generally recommend for legacy N based environments that are complex that co exist with AC networks consider two separate routers ( one purely for the N network and another for the AC network ). Of course this depends on your installation considerations and usage model.

  14. cryptochrome (@cryptochrome)

    Where is JJ?

    • JJ
      JJ 3 months ago .Reply

      I am back! I was out of the office at HQ for a bit.

      • cryptochrome (@cryptochrome)

        Can you comment on the release timeframe for the AC3200? Now that the AC87 is out…

        • dallas
          dallas 2 months ago .Reply

          CYPTOCHROME WHAT ONE YOU GETTING BRO

  15. dallas
    dallas 3 months ago .Reply

    so whats better then the ac3200 asus or the netgear ac3200

  16. Bud
    Bud 2 months ago .Reply

    JJ,
    you previously commented: “That being noted I still generally recommend for legacy N based environments that are complex that co exist with AC networks consider two separate routers ( one purely for the N network and another for the AC network )”

    I have a mix of G and N (No AC yet). iPhones, iPads, Blu-Rays, Smart Tv, NETFLIX, Wii, , X-Box, etc. Some of the N clients are on 2.4 GHZ. Not sure on the X-Box 360. Reagrdles I’m currently running a Buffalo G only (2.4GHZ) router w DD-WRT (works great). Should I move towards the 87U or wait for the AC3200? Thanks.

  17. Steve
    Steve 2 months ago .Reply

    This router looks like it will kick-A! Any word on when it will be release + how much it will cost? We’re getting closer to Q3.

    Also, I recently covered a few other Wireless AC Routers and a Cable Modem AC Router combo device at http://www.squidoo.com/802-11ac-wireless-ac-router

    Check it out, it’s a good write-up. I really like the Nighthawk but ended up going the combo route.

    • JJ
      JJ 2 months ago .Reply

      The AC-3200 is still under designed and development. Our current focus is on the 87U it will offer superior performance in many respects compared to the AC3200. The 3200 is target towards users with specific environmental and client configuration and endorsements. As we prepare to release the AC3200 we will of course provide more information here on PCDIY.

  18. Frank
    Frank 2 months ago .Reply

    Bud, I have a similar situation in my house. I hope JJ will give us an answer which router is better for our particular case.

  19. dallas
    dallas 2 months ago .Reply

    jj won’t say a word about this router because they wanna make money on the ac2400 first but i would personally but i know i prolly have to wait at least maybe 32days

    • JJ
      JJ 2 months ago .Reply

      This is not correct. Our current focus is on the 87U due to it being a finalized product. Additionally it is based on an entirely different 5GHZ AC chipset and very different design than the AC3200. They are focused at different usage models.

      The 87U will offers superior range, throughput and storage performance. Additionally it will improve further as further improvements are made with future MU-MIMO enabled clients and more clients that incorporate beamforming.

      The AC3200 will offer potentially better in heavy mixed mode environments.

      Both routers will offer overall great range and performance but the AC3200 is much closer to a heavily revised and enhanced AC68U ( with the incorporation of the secondary 5GHz antenna ). There is of course more to it but I will not detail more as it is still under design and development and we are working to tune the firmware which is a key aspect to this router especially in relation to its auto 5GHz channeling for connected devices.

      • bobby
        bobby 2 months ago .Reply

        so jj you said the ac3200 is a enhanced ac68u so then what is the 87u compaired to then because the 68u was a beast

        • JJ
          JJ 2 months ago .Reply

          The comparison is not literal the AC3200 is features it’s own design and features the updated chipset from Broadcom designed for Tri Band ( XSTREAM ) but overall it is very similar to the current chipset used ( Broadcom ) in the 68U. For more information on the 87U I would recommend you read my overview it goes into details on its design. It features two chipsets ( One from Quantenna for the 5GHz and another for the 2.4GHz and USB from Broadcom ) this is very different from the 87U or upcoming AC3200. In addition the 87U features and specialized hardware design isolating the two chipset which leads to further benefits.

    • Michael Bivins
      Michael Bivins 2 months ago .Reply

      If you know anything about JJ, you should know he is always forthcoming. Under a strict NDA, he can only say what he is authorized to disclose.. and he does. He is not out to squeeze every penny out of the community. Give the guy a bit of credit here Dallas my friend.

  20. Shane
    Shane 2 months ago .Reply

    2wks & you’re still bitching about something you could’ve found out for yourself by now? Never have I met someone so lazy…

    JJ’s explained at least once since you’ve been posting here, I gave you a link to the other thread ~2wks ago.

    Very simple answer:
    87U/R’s the way to go if u want raw performance & don’t have legacy clients, or plan to replace them, or plan to have a dedicated 802.11n router for them.

    • Shane
      Shane 2 months ago .Reply

      I don’t have one, I’m summarising what JJ’s said.
      Based on internal testing they’ve done for many mths. Mmmkay…

  21. chance
    chance 2 months ago .Reply

    JJ i just can’t undertand how AC87U has better range/coverate if the 2.4GHZ chip is the same on AC68U, AC87U and AC3200, it’s BCM4360.

    • JJ
      JJ 2 months ago .Reply

      Superior load balancing due to the SOC not being shared for both 5GHz and 2.4Ghz helps. Overall though 2.4Ghz performance is fairly close to that of the same chipset units. The main benefits come from 5GHz. 2.4GHz sees some improvements as noted due to the SOC being less resources constrained.

  22. cryptochrome (@cryptochrome)

    JJ, any word on the ETA of the AC3200?

    • JJ
      JJ 2 months ago .Reply

      As previously noted our focus is currently on the 87U. The AC3200 is still under design, development and validation. Once more information is ready to be released I will have an official posting.

  23. […] that the RT-AC87's have. Unless I am reading something wrong, please let me know? from here rt-ac3200 (Below is my opinion) Everything I have read makes me believe the RT-AC87R will be the better of […]

  24. Larvin TAN
    Larvin TAN 2 months ago .Reply

    What processor?

    • JJ
      JJ 2 months ago .Reply

      I do not understand your question.

  25. Larvin TAN
    Larvin TAN 2 months ago .Reply

    I don’t know why ASUS want to split the band like 2.4G/5G!!! Like Aruba, it combine 2 bands into 1. I just connect 1 signal only but it consist of multi-bands. I don’t need to choose 2.4G or 5G, isn’t it?

    • JJ
      JJ 2 months ago .Reply

      What are you referring to? Please help to clarify your inquiry.

  26. Greg
    Greg 3 weeks ago .Reply

    I want to watch Ultra HD movies across the network from PC and/or NAS while others are browsing or gaming or whatever.

    Which one will be best for me, the AC87U or the AC3200?

    • JJ
      JJ 2 weeks ago .Reply

      Both would be fine and even lower end routers would be fine. For both of these they are high performance routers designed for AC based clients and extensive WiFi environments with varying usage models. The upcoming AC3200 will be more focused a 5GHz based devices where range or pure throughput is not as much as a requirement but still will be very good. Depending on what you are streaming if you want to ensure the best possible streaming performance where WiFi does little to impact USB performance the 87U is the best option.

  27. kenrok1
    kenrok1 2 weeks ago .Reply

    Hi – for a while there was a page with info https://www.asus.com/Networking/RTAC3200 and recently the image of the router was changed to look more like the RT-AC68 model (vs the image on this page) but now that link is just redirecting to the ASUS home page. Also do you have any info on this http://www.asus.com/Networking/RTAC68P – Thanks!

    • JJ
      JJ 2 weeks ago .Reply

      We will provide more information on these routers once we reach the actual release date or shortly before. As of now both are still under design and development or last stage validation. Until then stay tuned for more information.

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