ASUS RT-AC51U Wireless Cable & Fibre Router - £20.69 @ PC World

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ASUS RT-AC51U Wireless Cable & Fibre Router for £20.69 Delivered at Currys/PCWorld

£20.69 PC World30 Dec 16

Source: HotUKDeals | Deals > Technology

Opening post

Shakeyyy

30 Dec 16

USE CODE: NETWORKING10 for 10% off to make it £20.69 when you get through to checkout.

Also possible to get FREE next day delivery when you select to specify delivery date. Pretty good deal if you ask me!

Description:

Ideal for streaming high definition video, the Asus RT-AC51U Wireless Cable Router offers high transfer speeds, allowing you to form a perfectly connected home.

Speedy WiFi

Powered by a dual-core processor, the RT-AC51U allows you to stream HD video, take part in online gaming and download files in a flash. It includes dual band technology for reliable, uncluttered wireless connection.

The 2.4 GHz band can deliver up to 300 Mbps, whilst the 5 GHz band can deliver up to 433 Mbps. This means that you can take advantage of the 2.4 GHz band for simple internet tasks such as web browsing and file downloading, whilst the 5 GHz band is ideal for streaming in Full HD or online gaming. Broadcom TurboQAM technology helps to improve the router's performance, so you know you can rely on this device.

Signal range

You won't struggle to connect to your network thanks to Asus AiRadar technology. Whilst other wireless routers may have weaker signal, the RT-AC68U uses beamforming technology, high power amplification, and RF fine-tuning. Not only does this help to boost coverage throughout your home, but it also helps to keep your connection stable and speedy.

Fantastic connectivity

The RT-AC51U Wireless Router includes a USB 2.0 connection which make it perfect for transferring files, attaching USB devices or setting up a shared printer. There are also five Ethernet ports for connecting your wired devices, whether it's your Smart TV or your PC.

You'll be able to connect to your data wherever you go thanks to Asus AiCloud technology, which links to your home network. Access your home content from your iOS or Android smartphone, or through a web browser.

Download Master allows you to download files even when your PC is turned off, which means you'll always have access to everything you want.

Getting connected is easier than ever when you use the Asus RT-AC51U Wireless Router.

All comments (53)

AndyRoyd

30 Dec 16 #1

Edit: Originally pricematched by zero-stock Amazon, although that option was subsequently withdrawn when Currys raised its price.

jh787

30 Dec 16 #2

Hie does this stand up against the n66u?
Would it be an upgrade or sideways move?

Shakeyyy to jh787

30 Dec 16 1 #3

I have no idea - depends on your current router. The n66u is around £50 more so if you're on a budget (like me) then this looks like a steal. Of course the n66u is going to be better, but its also more than triple the price

vitorsilvariotinto to jh787

30 Dec 16 #41

The N66u is light years faster than this piece of cr*p.
I have both, one in my main home and the other on my holiday home and the ac51u is just awful. It's there only until I get a proper replacement for my N66u. At that stage, that's the Ac51u off to fleebay.

jh787

30 Dec 16 #4

I already have the n66u. I was thinking, if this is better then I'd go for this.
Heat for the price

Rarnik

30 Dec 16 1 #5

Curry's description goes off on a tangent by mentioning the RT-AC68U half way through the product description.

Shakeyyy to Rarnik

30 Dec 16 #6

I noticed that too, not sure how they managed that one? Maybe copied from the official Asus site

callum84

30 Dec 16 #7

N66U was once the flagship model but now getting older only supports N where this supports AC standard.

I would expect the N66U still to have better hardware, performance and features than this.

Ive got a N66U which is still going strong and wouldnt see this as an upgrade.

Shakeyyy

30 Dec 16 #8

What would be the difference between N900 and AC750? I've ordered this model since my Superhub 3 is pretty lackluster in the range department.

sjr1974uk

30 Dec 16 2 #9

https://www.asus.com/Networking/RTAC51U/specifications/

Not really for people wanting the best performance, it's severely limited by a 100mbit WAN interface port https://www.asus.com/Networking/RTAC51U/specifications/ why would Asus do this?! If it supports speeds up to 300mbs etc the wan port is under specification ???

Older Rt-n66u and the newer ac 66 posted earlier better for people who want the fastest throughout on their router but this is fine for casual users, no idea why Asus would cripple the WAN RJ45 port on this model though... Crazy

Shakeyyy

30 Dec 16 #10

Would this then limit my internet speeds if I connected this to my virgin Superhub? I only want to use WiFi and no wired connections. My current speed is 50Mb, would this limit my speed to 10?

callum84

30 Dec 16 #11

Wow, that is poor having no gigabit WAN. Not a great choice for cable broadband.

Obviously to push consumers away from the budget model.

Perhaps hardware restrictions.

callum84

30 Dec 16 #12

No you would get the full 50. In theory anyway. Closer to 100 and you would be pushing it.

suniil

30 Dec 16 #13

This is good for those who are on BT fibre. From ASUS website

Shakeyyy

30 Dec 16 #14

Right gotcha. I'm currently on 325mbps and a download speed of 50MB. Hoping this router doesn't limit my speed. Also the RJ45 port says 10/100, not sure what that means? I take it this is the port where you would connect it to the Superhub?

callum84

30 Dec 16 1 #15

10/100. Means 10Mbps or 100Mbps, whichever the device supports.
If you are on 325Mbps you really need a router with gigabit wan, 10/100/1000 otherwise your superhub will be connecting to your router with a severly limiting 100Mbps throughput.

The throughput is in bits and not bytes. So your 50MB (Megabytes) download speed is equal to around 400Mb (Megabit).

Your last post stated you had a 50Mb connection and thats why I said you wouldnt be limited.

If you have a 325Mb connection this is absolutely no use to you.

Shakeyyy

30 Dec 16 #16

So I won't get the full 325Mbps or 50MB download speed with this router? I'm so confused with all the numbers, sorry for being a pain. I just don't want to limit my download speed or bandwidth

callum84

30 Dec 16 1 #17

No mate you definately wont.

Youd be looking at downloding around 12MB/S.

Speeds are always quoted in bits for services and devices.

Not really relevant in the real world where we use bytes, megabytes, gigabytes etc. There is around 8 bits in a byte.

So if you see a 200Mbps connection divide that by 8 and you could expect download speeds of 25MB.

Shakeyyy

30 Dec 16 #18

Damn, looks like I'll be taking this back then. I'll try it and see what speeds I get, if I get capped at 12.5MB/s this is going straight back.
Hopefully Asus just got the specs wrong on their site, because there's no way you can advertise something as giving you up to 433Mbps speeds when it is actually impossible

callum84

30 Dec 16 #19

You could get those speeds internally on your network, filesharing streaming etc.

Let us know how u get on incase it is a mistake.

Shakeyyy

30 Dec 16 #20

Will do, really hoping it is a mistake on the website because it would be pointless to have all that speed but cripple it with a 10/100 RJ45 port. Hope Curry's take back opened products because there's no way I'll keep something that advertises one thing then does the opposite.

Chuggee

30 Dec 16 #21

You're allowed to return an item under false advertisement, so no sweat, just make sure you keep a copy of their webpage in case they get fussy.

Shakeyyy to Chuggee

30 Dec 16 #22

I rang them up and they're going to give me a refund. I told them about them mixing up the description by including the part about the Asus 68U and that the speeds won't reach 433mbps because of the slow speed of the RJ45 port. They said to me to just reject it when it arrives and I'll get a full refund.

This router is great for those with 25MB/s speeds but for me it was pointless. I think I'm going to go for the Linksys EA6350 now

sjr1974uk

30 Dec 16 1 #23

Amazon have TP-LINK Archer C2 AC750 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Cable Router (2.4 GHz 300 Mbps, 5 GHz 433 Mbps, USB Port for Storage Sharing, Printer Sharing, FTP Server and Media Server, IPv6) for £35 worth a look too <3

Shakeyyy

30 Dec 16 #24

Nice one! Not sure if I should be looking into a new router or investing in a powerline adapter set. What would you recommend?

sjr1974uk

30 Dec 16 #25

Maplin also have the TP Link router for £35 plus click and collect and get http://www.maplin.co.uk/voucher-offer-click-collect £5 voucher so worth a look if stock in your area, reviews seem generally positive. I use TP Link powered switch for cctv never let me down and also their latest homeplugs (admittedly their old style homeplugs do have a bug! But new ones are brilliant 100% uptime)

sjr1974uk

30 Dec 16 1 #26

I have Asus Rt-n66u (bought it off ebay for £15) as it was 'bricked' but took me like 15 mins to fix! It all depends what setup you need?

I have a cable modem in our children's playroom connected to Asus router which is next to my main PC and also wired to N40l microserver, router is also plugged into TP Link home plug which links the Internet to the lounge (Kodi media centre).

If you stream large media content I would recommend home plugs and we use the router wireless for mobile phones, tablets, Alexa and a laptop the children use around the house.

I personally prefer homeplugs but obviously wireless is useful for mobiles/tablets etc..

Shakeyyy to sjr1974uk

30 Dec 16 #27

I basically have very low signal in my bedroom which is at the opposite end of the house to the router, and I was wondering whether getting a new router would be sufficient or a powerline adapter would be better for my desktop PC.

sjr1974uk

30 Dec 16 #28

In this case I would definitely recommend getting powerline adaptors, they are really good and it will feel like you are plugged directly into the router. Wireless is great for mobile devices but powerline comes into it's own when dealing with large amounts of data (CCTV, Media Centre's, Gaming)

I bought these http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/tp-link-1200mbps-gigabit-powerline-kit-tl-pa8010p-with-passthrough-49-99-click-n-2318483 TP-Link TL-PA8010PKIT 1200Mbps Pass-Through Powerline Kit and they have been very reliable.

Also to fix your wireless problem to improve it for other devices in your house install this https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.farproc.wifi.analyzer&hl=en_GB on your mobile phone, it gives you an idea what might be causing interference, maybe try changing the channel your wireless signal is on http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/networks/1401371/how-to-extend-wi-fi-range-increase-speed-and-fix-problems/page/0/1

Shakeyyy

30 Dec 16 #29

I'm going to take the plunge and buy this powerline set- http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing-accessories/networking/powerline/netgear-pl1000-powerline-adapter-kit-twin-pack-10154618-pdt.html?awc=1599_1483129569_424091edbb2455f5009b617ff388b2dc&srcid=369&xtor=AL-1&cmpid=aff~HotUKDeals~Communities%20%26%20UGC~47868&awid=47868

What do you think?

And I've already downloaded that and changed the 2.4ghz channel to 13 and 5ghz channel to 36. I downloaded inSSIDer on my PC to analyse 5ghz channels and found only one other using it on channel 44. I think its just the virgin superhub being absolute crud

sjr1974uk

30 Dec 16 1 #30

I'm with Virgin too and use their superhub in modem mode (yes it was crud!) the powerline set at curry's looks good and gets good reviews on amazon and will be far more reliable than wireless. I also use some old powerline adaptors they stream 1080p 25fps cctv camera video to a laptop so they don't congest the router with unnecessary traffic, powerline is wonderful technology!

Shakeyyy

30 Dec 16 #31

Thank you for your help kind sir, looks like I'll be going for powerline instead of a new router!

TheDuke1970

30 Dec 16 1 #32

Just bought it, not sure if it's suitable as an upgrade/replacement for my generic talktalk supplied unit, any comments would be appreciated, voted hot!

JayPyro to TheDuke1970

30 Dec 16 #42

I bought this on amazon thinking to upgrade my talktalk super router and I ended up sending it back, wireless signal was terrible in parts of the house my talktalk reached, AiCloud function seemed ok (paid extra if you want it to sync like Dropbox etc) but downstairs 4K tv,ps4, amazon tv etc is all plugged in direct so the wireless part was essential for me. Got my eye on so,e of the more expensive ASUS routers, I suppose you get what you pay for.

sjr1974uk

30 Dec 16 #33

Hopefully Virgin will bring out a new superhub next year. I believe they are bringing out a new tivo box soon as ours has slowed down since the software updates they keep adding! Good thing is if you complain... Virgin will upgrade your router / tivo box for free :smiley: let's hope they test their new boxes before releasing them!

soton26

30 Dec 16 1 #34

Basically don't buy this router, it's cheap for a reason. 100mb ports and 1x1 5GHz Antenna makes it a poor choice.

tower2108

30 Dec 16 #35

Can this type of router be used to boost the reception of data for a mobile phone that is being used for tethering?

takeshioto

30 Dec 16 #36

Would this be an upgrade over an old virgin superhub?

Gollywood to takeshioto

30 Dec 16 #37

a paper cup, some string & 2 cocktail sticks are an improvement on the VM Superhub 1,2 & 3!

Gollywood

30 Dec 16 1 #38

Ive had every Superhub. They progressively get worse

Shakeyyy

30 Dec 16 #39

Second this, getting fed up with Virgin's horrible hardware

callum84

30 Dec 16 2 #40

Personally id have the carpets up and run a cat5 cable.
I did the whole house with a flush rj45 socket in each room. What a difference it makes.
Bit of work but well worth it in long run.

Besides that definately powerline adapters over wifi.

Quickblood

30 Dec 16 1 #43

I was going to buy a router to increase the wi-fi signal strength upstairs (as I'm another poor Superhub user) and for me to hook up my PC & PS4, but all the cheaper ones seem to be limited to 100mbits so I just used an old Sky router for wifi and picked up a cheap switch. I genuinely assumed they'd all be gigabit by now especially as some are offer wi-fi speeds above 100mbits.

danjames922

31 Dec 16 1 #44

No gigabit ethernet ports FYI

Deeco

31 Dec 16 #45

I got Superhub 2 non AC model and despite complaining they told me I need to take a new contract out to get the new Superhub 3...What's the deal with you? lol

rasanh

31 Dec 16 #46

looks like a scammer , beware. <<< the prices on his items are too low.

AndyRoyd

31 Dec 16 #47

At time of original post, Amazon itself was offering the lowest price option on back order at same price as OP. Amazon has subsequently now withdrawn that option reflecting Currys price rise, leaving a zero-rated foreign marketplace seller appearing to offer lowest price at time of your and this post.

TheDuke1970

31 Dec 16 #48

Ok cheers, I'll cancel that order then, thanks for your time

Shakeyyy

31 Dec 16 #49

This deal is no longer available, but it's not a great router for those with internet faster than 25MB/s anyway. Can't expire this deal on my phone so if someone is willing to do it for me that would be brilliant

Krizzo3 to Shakeyyy

2 Jan 17 #52

if the wan port is 100megabit / 12.5megabyte
it is good for internet up to 100megabit / 12.5megabyte

It is very simple

LTgoodevil

31 Dec 16 #50

Not tomato - no buy :wink:

Krizzo3

2 Jan 17 #51

Theoretically it can give you 433Mbps between WLAN devices, if it meets what the box says, which is most likley full of marketing **** and "up to" type of data.

Anyway give it a go and report back :wink:

Shakeyyy

2 Jan 17 #53

Hey! Yeah I decided to take this back, bought a Netgear PL1000 powerline kit and works like a charm! Control panel says I'm on 1Gbps and download speed is my full download of 56MB/s. Very happy I bought powerline over a new router.

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