Page 5 - Conclusion
Is the ROG Strix GS-AX5400 another excellent router from ASUS, and do they need more validation given its already excellent reputation in the wireless networking world? To start off, this midrange gaming-focused AX5400 Wi-Fi router was capable of delivering consistent wireless performance across all locations in our tests. All of the real-life results were appropriate for its performance class. So check one for actual Wi-Fi capabilities. The ASUS ROG Strix GS-AX5400 also comes in reasonable physical dimensions with a gaming-appropriate appearance. You can call it tacky, and I personally have my router in the networking room so no one really looks at it, but it comes fittingly with RGB LEDs. I also like the fact the GS-AX5400 is wall-mountable with aimable antennas. This gives it check two for physical design. When it comes to the stock user interface, those who are familiar with ASUS products will immediately feel at home. It is user-friendly and feature-loaded, and unless you like to dig into the very specific features, you may not miss third-party loads like DD-WRT at all. So check three for the firmware. However, there are some questions that need to be answered about the GS-AX5400, and all of them revolve around its price. For about $250 at press time, it is $50 more than the company's own RT-AX82U, which is practically the same hardware with some software-based feature additions like VPN Fusion. You will need to vote with your wallet to determine whether these additions are worth the 25% increase in cost. The GS-AX5400 is also the same price as the TP-Link Archer GX90, which has much faster hardware and generally better Wi-Fi performance with the tradeoff of physical size and firmware quality. If ASUS wants to make the ROG Strix GS-AX5400 more competitive, they either need to add more features like extra Gigabit Ethernet ports or even have 2.5 Gbps ports. All in all, the ASUS ROG Strix GS-AX5400 is a great midrange router in many respects, but the price tag may be a little more than what I would expect for a midrange product.
ASUS provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Networks Review Focus Summary:
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that are not likely going to matter to the end user.
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks, but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Networks Numeric Rating is 7.3/10
Please note that the APH Networks Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other publications.
The ASUS ROG Strix GS-AX5400 is a great midrange Wi-Fi router that delivers solid performance with a powerful user interface in an appropriate physical form, but the price tag may be a little higher than what I would expect for its class.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware
3. Configuration and User Interface
4. Performance Tests
5. Conclusion
