ASUS ZenWiFi AC (CT8) AC3000 WiFi 5 Mesh System
These days, Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 ac) mesh systems have pretty much taken a back seat to those that use the newest Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 ax) technology. The fact is, there are more Wi-Fi 5 clients out there than Wi-Fi 6 clients, and unless you plan to upgrade your phones, tablets, and computers in the near future, a solid Wi-Fi 5 mesh system like the Asus ZenWiFi AC CT8 will handle all of your home networking needs.
ASUS ZenWiFi AC (CT8) mesh system is easy to install and manage, covers up to 5,400 square feet, and offers lifetime parental controls and anti-malware tools. Most importantly, it delivered high speeds on our throughput performance tests and maintained a strong signal throughout the house. That earns it our Editors’ Choice award for affordable mesh systems.
ASUS ZenWiFi AC CT8 Feature:
The ASUS ZenWiFi AC CT8 system comes with two identical routers that offer coverage for homes as high as 5,400 square feet, similar to the $449.99 ZenWiFi AX XT8 Wi-Fi 6 system. The flat-yet-cylindrical routers look exactly like those used by the XT8. They’re available in black or white, measure 6.2 by 6.3 by 2.9 inches (HWD) each, and sport a small LED indicator on the front that glows blue during setup, white when the satellite node has a strong wireless signal with the router, yellow when there’s a weak signal, and red when the signal is lost.
Around back are three gigabit LAN ports, a gigabit WAN port, a USB 3.1 port, a power port, and a power switch. Reset and WPS buttons are located on the base. Missing is the 2.5 GHz LAN port that you get with the ZenWiFi XT8. You can use a LAN port for Ethernet backhaul, or dedicate the second 5GHz band for backhaul.
Inside each router are six antennas, a quad-core CPU, 256MB of RAM, and 128MB of flash memory. The ASUS ZenWiFi AC CT8 is a tri-band AC3000 system that can reach maximum (theoretical) data rates of as high as 400Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band, up to 867Mbps on the first 5GHz band, and as high as 1,733 Mbps on the second 5GHz band. It supports all of the newest 802.11 ac technologies including MU-MIMO data streaming, beamforming, and intelligent band steering, and it supports WPA2 and WPA encryption.
ASUS ZenWiFi AC CT8 Spec:
| Model Name | ASUS ZenWiFi AC CT8 (B-1-PK) CT8 (W-2-PK) CT8 (B-2-PK) CT8 (W-1-PK) |
| Network Standard | IEEE 802.11a IEEE 802.11b IEEE 802.11g WiFi 4 (802.11n) WiFi 5 (802.11ac) IPv4 IPv6 |
| Data Rate | 802.11a : up to 54 Mbps 802.11b : up to 11 Mbps 802.11g : up to 54 Mbps WiFi 4 (802.11n) : up to 150 Mbps WiFi 4 (802.11n) TurboQAM : up to 150 Mbps WiFi 5 (802.11ac) : up to 433 Mbps WiFi 5 (802.11ac) : up to 867 Mbps |
| Antenna | Internal antenna x 6 |
| Transmit/Receive | 2.4GHz 2×2 5GHz-1 2×2 5GHz-2 4×4 |
| Memory | 128 MB Flash 256 MB RAM |
| Ports | RJ45 for Gigabits BaseT for WAN x 1, RJ45 for Gigabits BaseT for LAN x 3 USB 3.1 Gen 1 x 1 |
| Package content | ZenWiFi AC RJ45 Ethernet Cable Power Adapter Quick Start Guide Warranty Card |
ASUS ZenWiFi AC (CT8) Performance
Keep in mind that, although it’s a tri-band system, from the Wi-Fi clients’ perspective, this is a dual-band 2 × 2 Wi-Fi 5 system with a top ceiling speed of 867 Mbps. And I tested in the default wireless setting, with the two hardware units using the 5GHz-2 band as the dedicated backhaul.
The ASUS ZenWiFi AC CT8’s router unit did quite well, with a top speed of almost 570 Mbps at the close range. At 40 feet (12 m) away, it still registered at some 480 Mbps.
And the system was even more impressive at the satellite unit, likely because of the dedicated and robust backhaul band. Clients connected to the ZenWiFi AC working as an AiMesh node got an average speed of more than 510 Mbps at close range and some 420 Mbps at 40 feet away. These were among the fastest.
The ASUS ZenWiFi AC CT8 proved to be reliable, too– it passed my 3-day stress test with no disconnection, and the range was quite outstanding. Again, the two units can manage some 4000 ft of residential space quite easily. But you can adjust the distance of the two hardware units to deliver more coverage at the expense of the node’s Wi-Fi speed.
Verdict
ASUS ZenWiFi AC (CT8) is an elegant mesh Wi-Fi system that offers excellent performance and security. It has many ports, including USB 3.0, and an advanced mobile app that you can use to remotely control your network from anywhere on the internet. You can also use it alongside any AiMesh compatible router and mesh Wi-Fi system from ASUS. The only notable downside is that the launch price is a bit high. Overall, ASUS ZenWiFi AC (CT8) is an outstanding choice for anyone who wants fast Wi-Fi, as well as outstanding wireless coverage.
