The Asus ROG Rapture GT6 is designed for gamers that also need a mesh router system to eliminate Wi-Fi blind spots. And what Asus has done is to add a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port, include support for the UNII-4 spectrum, have an extra antenna to improve mesh connectivity, and of course, those must-have RGB LEDs.
Quick specs
- Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 mesh system
- 2.5Gbps port, 3 Gigabit LAN ports, 1x USB 3.2
- Additional antenna to optimise mesh connectivity
- AiProtection Pro, WPA3 security, gaming features
I was immediately reminded that the GT6 belongs to Asus' Republic of Gamers brand by the ROG tagline decorating the router enclosure. The dot-matrix-like ROG logo can display your favourite colour, or lighting effect. You can turn these LEDs off, like I did, if you find them too distracting or disruptive to sleep. Unlike most mesh routers that come with two or three Ethernet ports, the GT6 has the full complement of four. In addition, one of these ports is a 2.5Gbps one. You can also aggregate two 1Gbps ports to get 2Gbps in wired speeds for a NAS or desktop PC. There's a USB 3.2 port, a feature often omitted in mainstream mesh routers.
If you have tried any of Asus' recent routers, you'd be quite familiar with the Asus Router app that is used to set up and manage these devices. The GT6, being a gaming-centric model, has several gaming features, such as a one-button Mobile Game Mode that prioritises the smartphone for online mobile games. The setup process is relatively streamlined. You basically follow the instructions in a guided process, with the GT6's LEDs playing a part. But it does take longer than a standard router because there are two units of the GT6 to configure. Features-wise, there's the bundled AiProtection Pro security suite that blocks malicious websites, and monitors the network for security threats. The GT6 also offers parental controls that filters unsuitable content based on age profiles, a step-up from the basic ones that rely on blocking specific websites.
The GT6 is a tri-band router with two 5GHz Wi-Fi channels, and a single 2.4GHz channel. One of the two 5GHz channels is reserved as a dedicated wireless backhaul to improve wireless performance. But you can manually change this setting, and use this reserved Wi-Fi channel for clients, too. This is helpful if you are connecting the two units via wired LAN (Ethernet backhaul). The GT6 managed 890Mbps in download speed — with the router and two test laptops in the same living room — which was pretty good, but hardly spectacular. However, the GT6 really showed that Asus' claims of improved signal range and coverage were not mere hyperbole when the test laptop was moved to a distant bedroom. Typically, this would result in the speed dipping to between 200 and 400Mbps, even with a mesh router system. But colour me impressed, the GT6 actually produced a whopping 740Mbps.
Many of the GT6's features can be found in other Asus mesh routers, such as the ZenWiFi Pro XT12. But unlike other mesh routers that are designed to blend into the surroundings, the GT6 stands out with its unique looks. Whether you believe that's a good or a bad thing is another question. However, there's no doubting the GT6's performance. Its download speed for the bedroom was the highest I have seen from any router. Alas, this performance comes at a price. At around $1,000 for a two-pack, the Asus ROG Rapture GT6 is pricey, though comparable to some premium mesh routers. If you really need the very best speeds, the GT6 may be worth it. Get it now at Lazada, and Shopee.
Note: Review unit provided by Asus.
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