ASUS DSL-AC88U AC3100 Modem Router Review

Interface: Wireless and Guest Network Settings

The most typical wireless network settings are accessible through the Network map. However, we aren’t limited to those, and there are more advanced features within the Wireless settings panel

Band Setup: 2.4GHz and 5GHz

Each of the two available bands has their own settings, from network name to security options. The available channels and channel widths are different, but that’s about it.

I would highly recommend that you get an application like WifiInfoView and scan available networks to find the best channel. If possible, avoid sharing channels with other networks and if possible, find one where the neighbouring channels are free too. Most of them share half their signal with the next and previous channels. In my tests later, I’ll limit the bandwidth to the 40/80MHz on the two bands and find a completely free channel – if at all possible.

Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS)

The WPS feature is one that can we find on most devices these days, and it is one that can make our lives a lot easier. With WPS, you only need one key press to pair two wireless devices with each other. WPS PIN codes are available too for devices that don’t have a physical WPS button. No need for your friends and family to enter complicated passwords when they want to access the internet.

Client Filter

A wireless network is naturally an attack vector. Anyone in range can see it and try to connect to it. One way to limit the network to known sources is the client filter. You can add up to 32 devices to this list.

Advanced Settings

We get access to most advanced wireless settings too, and that’s within the professional setup panel. Here you can fine tune the settings to match your network if you want to. Most users will never visit this page and just leave it all at default.

Guest Network

The guest network is a great way to keep your network private, yet share your internet connection with guests. It is a separate wireless network with its own SSID and password where the connected devices won’t have access to your own networked devices. This way, there’s no need to share your normal Wi-Fi password, and you also protect your systems from negligible guests.

Where most routers only feature a single guest network per band, the ASUS router offers you up to three different guest networks with different settings on each band.