The Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 is a Rolls-Royce of a router. And I'm not saying that just because it's big, powerful, and pricey. With four wireless bands, including a 6GHz one that's required for Wi-Fi 6E, as well as dual 10Gbps ports, the GT-AXE16000 has everything but the kitchen sink. But to get the best out of it, you'll probably want to subscribe to the 10Gbps broadband plans available from Singtel and StarHub.
Quick specs
- Quad-band Wi-Fi 6E
- Dual 10Gbps WAN/LAN ports, 2.5Gbps WAN port, four Gigabit LAN ports, 1x USB 3.2, 1x USB 2.0
- Supports 160MHz channels, and LAN/WAN link aggregation
- AiProtection Pro, WPA3 security, gaming features
The GT-AXE16000 shares a similar design as the GT-AX11000 Pro. It's bulky at over 2kg, and comes with eight chunky antennas. But Asus has changed up the top of the router chassis. It now sports a reflective mirrored finish — Asus calls it an “infinity mirror” — that gives the LED-lit ROG logo a 3D-like effect. It looks cool, and is a definite conversation starter. You can adjust the lighting using the Asus Router mobile app or the browser interface. I prefer the former. It's just easier to set up and configure the router using the app. While Asus should probably streamline the options available in the app — perhaps a simplified version with just the key settings for everyday use — the user interface is straightforward.
While manufacturers are beginning to roll out Wi-Fi 7 routers, client devices that can make use of the latest Wi-Fi standard are far and few between. Chances are, your current devices, such as the latest iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max only support Wi-Fi 6E. That's where the GT-AXE16000, a Wi-Fi 6E router that supports four wireless bands (2.4GHz, two 5GHz, and 6GHz) comes in. But you should know that Wi-Fi 6E's peak speed (on paper) isn't actually any higher than Wi-Fi 6. What 6E brings to the table is less network congestion, thanks to additional 160MHz channels that use the 6GHz spectrum. This translates to more consistent, and hence higher average speeds than Wi-Fi 6 in the real world. The catch is that the 6GHz band has a shorter range than 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands. So if your device is not within a few metres from the router, you won't see much benefit.
Case in point: My Wi-Fi 6E laptop recorded speeds of around 1.7Gbps when it was just a metre from the GT-AXE16000 using the 6GHz band. This was similar to what I recorded with the same laptop using the 5GHz band. When I moved the laptop further (5m away), the speed dipped to 879Mbps on average on 5GHz. But on 6GHz, I still managed to get slightly over 1Gbps in average download speed. However, once I moved to a bedroom, and closed the door, the speed dipped drastically to 167Mbps on the 6GHz. It was also inconsistent, with occasional brief dips to zero. In comparison, on the 2.4GHz band, the router produced an average, and more constant speed of 173Mbps in the bedroom. In short, if you're using a Wi-Fi 6E client in the same room as the AXE16000 router, Wi-Fi 6E's 6GHz band offers the best performance.
The Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 also has a staggering seven Ethernet ports, including two 10Gbps ones. You'll also find all the usual features available on Asus ROG routers, from the excellent (and still free) AiProtection security suite to gaming VPN WTFast. In other words, the GT-AXE16000 has everything you'd want in a modern router, and more. Most folks probably don't need all its features, but that's fine. This router isn't for your average consumer, not at its S$999 retail price. But the performance has been excellent, and wireless connections have been rock solid. During my testing, I didn't get any complaints about slow internet from other family members. Is it worth paying a premium for? Well, that depends on what you want out of a router. It's available from Shopee, and Lazada.
Note: Review unit provided by Asus.
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