The ASUS RT-AX1800S is a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router with 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. It features four 1Gbps LAN ports and a 1Gbps WAN port. It's compatible with ASUS' AiMesh, which allows you to use other ASUS routers as additional mesh access points.
Our Verdict
The ASUS RT-AX1800S is decent for a single-story home or condo. It delivers good top speeds and is suitable for high-speed downloads and 4k video streaming. Still, it lacks DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) support, so its speeds may be slower if you live in a congested wireless environment like an apartment building.
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Good top speeds.
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Lacks DFS support, so it can't avoid more congested channels.
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Wi-Fi 6 doesn't take full advantage of new Wi-Fi 6E or 7 devices.
The ASUS AX1800S is adequate if you live in a multi-level house. It delivers good top speeds suitable for downloading large files quickly when you're close to it, but it's a standalone router and slows down when you're far away from it. It supports AiMesh, so you can pair it with compatible ASUS devices to improve its coverage.
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Good top speeds.
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Compatible with AiMesh devices to create a mesh network for better range.
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Lacks DFS support, so it can't avoid more congested channels.
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Wi-Fi 6 doesn't take full advantage of new Wi-Fi 6E or 7 devices.
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Range is just okay.
This router delivers good speeds suitable for an internet connection of up to ~600Mbps. However, it doesn't support DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection), so it can't access DFS-only channels, which would help its speeds in congested wireless environments.
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Good top speeds.
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Lacks DFS support, so it can't avoid more congested channels.
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Wi-Fi 6 doesn't take full advantage of new Wi-Fi 6E or 7 devices.
This router has an okay range, but it's a standalone unit, so depending on your home's size, layout, and construction, you might experience dropouts. It supports AiMesh, so you can pair it with compatible ASUS devices to improve its coverage.
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Compatible with AiMesh devices to create a mesh network for better range.
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Wi-Fi 6 doesn't take full advantage of new Wi-Fi 6E or 7 devices.
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Range is just okay.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The ASUS RT-AX1800S has no variants. Here's a photo of our unit's label.
Compared To Other Routers
The ASUS RT-AX1800S is a budget dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router. Like most ASUS routers, it has useful software features, like AiMesh, which allows you to connect compatible ASUS routers as access points in a mesh network.
Performance-wise, it provides decent signal strength throughout a multi-level home, but it's not nearly as fast as other Wi-Fi 6 routers in its price category, like the TP-Link Archer AX20 or TP-Link Archer AX21.
If you're looking for more options, check out our recommendations for the best Wi-Fi routers, the best Wi-Fi 6 routers, and the best routers for streaming.
Test Results
This router has a pair of screw head slots on the bottom, so you can easily mount it to your wall or ceiling.
It's a standalone router, so the mesh satellite position line on this graph isn't applicable.
It's a standalone router, so the mesh satellite position line on this graph isn't applicable.
