KitGuru KitGuru.net – Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards
The Asus EA-AC87 is capable of some tremendous speeds over 802.11ac. Whether you use it as a bridge or access point, it can really boost wireless performance in a room where speeds are poor.
It’s also amazingly fast when used with a 4×4 router, as expected. In this mode, it works basically like a massive wireless dongle. It’s fairly easy to use and set up too.
That said, it lacks any internal hardware for 2.4GHz 802.11n support (or really ancient standards like 802.11g/b/a). This precludes many older devices from using it, and even some which aren’t so old, including the Playstation 4 (as of writing).
It has plenty of competition although we think this is the only bridge to support 4×4 802.11ac. Many competing models are considerably less expensive though – you can pick up a basic bridge for less than £50, which certainly won’t be as fast, but will at least be compatible with all your gadgets.
A quick look online showed the EA-AC87 hovering at prices roughly between £100 and £150 (Amazon £110 inc vat HERE). That’s more than some standalone routers themselves, and the top end of this pricing it’s only £30 cheaper than the Asus RT-AC87U (£179), a full-fledged router which can be set to work in bridge mode, offering a 4×4 802.11ac extension in the exact same way, but with far more features. You could buy that instead, switch to bridge mode and use it in the exact same way.
And don’t forget, if you ever want to sell it on or give it away at a later date, the recipient will be much happier with a full router to use rather than just a bridge. If you currently have a slow router and want to add 5GHz support, it makes more sense to just buy a new router than hook up the EA-AC87 to your old model, since it doesn’t cost much more.
Perhaps things to consider, but we digress.
The EA-AC87 is a niche product. If you’re not worried about the lack of 2.4 GHz support, and want to extend your existing 802.11ac network, the EA-AC87 has its place, especially if you can find it for a good price. But with the right setup, it’s still a great device. If you’ve already invested in a 4×4 router, the EA-AC87 will let you take advantage of those faster speeds, and no other bridge can do that right now.
Buy from Lambdatek for £114 inc vat HERE.
Discuss on our Facebook page, over HERE.
Pros:
- Really fast when used with a 4×4 802.11ac router.
- 5 LAN ports.
- Easy to set up.
Cons:
- No 2.4 GHz support.
- Stiff competition from alternative methods of wireless extension.
- Expensive for its limited function.
Kitguru Says: The EA-AC87’s raw performance makes it a great way to extend a fast 5GHz wireless network, but it’s not the cheapest solution.
