Wired connections are always preferred when it comes to networking. However, there are some scenarios where one network is sometimes not enough. In such situation, WiFi Router for Link Aggregation is implemented. It is merely a process of bonding up two or more interfaces or teaming connections together. Today, we will be discussing some networking hardware that is optimized for link aggregation. This methodology dramatically helps in bulk file transfers or massive 4k streaming simultaneously. Before we begin, here are some advantages of link aggregation:
- Enhances bandwidth between connected devices
- Increase resilience with redundancy whenever an Ethernet cable fails
- Balances load between connections
Best WiFi Router for Link Aggregation
Network switches are usually used for connecting two networks or for implementing link aggregation. However, that’s not it! To make sure that your system fully utilizes the link aggregation technology, you need to make sure that the hardware (routers, WAPs, etc.) used on your network is fully optimized for using link aggregation technology. Today, we are discussing three of the Best Wi-Fi Routers which come with support to link aggregation technology. Here we go:
1. Asus RT-AC5300U Router:
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Except for a hefty price tag, everything else is a plus. You can use the Smart Connect function to merge all three bands under a common SSID. The latest device firmware supports this, and the setup is a breeze, at least for us. The router dynamically assigns which band is support for what workloads. The Ai feature ensures excellent QoS support under different scenarios.
If you do a ton of 4K media streaming on multiple devices, this is the one to go for, if you have the money. When compared with the Nighthawk x4 that it replaced, you will like the extra security features. Here the detailed specifications are given below.
General
| Frequency Band |
2.4 GHz / 5 GHz |
| Capacity |
Guest networks: 9 |
| Authentication Method |
RADIUS |
| RAM |
512 MB |
| Authentication Method |
RADIUS |
| Status Indicators |
Power, WAN, LAN, wireless, WPS |
| Encryption Algorithm |
MPPE, 128-bit WEP, 64-bit WEP, WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, WPA-Enterprise, WPA2-Enterprise |
| Routing Protocol |
IGMPv2, IGMP, IGMPv3 |
| Manufacturer |
Asus |
Networking
| Form Factor |
desktop |
| Type |
wireless router |
| Connectivity Technology |
wired, wireless |
| Data Link Protocol |
Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n |
| Network / Transport Protocol |
DDNS, FTP, IPSec, L2TP, LPR/LPD, NTP, PPPoE, PPTP |
|
Features |
3G/4G USB Dongle Support, 802.1x authentication, FTP server, IPSec passthrough, L2TP passthrough, MU-MIMO technology, PPTP passthrough, Quality of Service (QoS), Roaming Assist technology, Samba support, Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI), Traffic Control, ASUS AiCloud, UPnP Media Server, URL filtering, VPN Server, Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), download client, dual WAN connection, dynamic IP mode, event log, link aggregation trunking, network monitoring, ASUS AiDisk, parental control, port triggering, print server, static IP mode, virtual server support, ASUS AiProtection, Access Point operational mode, DHCP server, DMZ port, DNS proxy, Denial of Service (DoS) |
| Compliant Standards |
IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.1x |
| Wireless Protocol |
802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
| Routing Protocol |
IGMP, IGMPv2, IGMPv3 |
| Remote Management Protocol |
SNMP |
| Data Transfer Rate |
5334 Mbps |
| Wi-Fi AC Rating |
AC5300 |
| WAN Ports Qty |
1 |
| Integrated Switch |
4-port switch |
Power Device
| Nominal Voltage |
AC 120/230 V |
| Frequency Required |
50/60 Hz |
| Type |
external power adapter |
Camera
Interface Provided
| Interface |
Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T |
| Qty |
1, 4 |
| Connector Type |
4 pin USB Type A, 9 pin USB Type A, RJ-45 |
| Type |
LAN, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, WAN |
Antenna
| Antenna |
External detachable |
| Antenna Qty |
8 |
| Antenna Form Factor |
external detachable |
Dimensions & Weight
| Width |
9.6 in |
| Depth |
9.6 in |
| Height |
2.6 in |
| Weight |
4 lbs |
Cable Details
| Type |
network cable |
| Included Qty |
1 |
Capacity
| Type |
guest networks |
| Value |
9 |
2. Asus RT-AC88U Router:
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The second one on our list also comes with Dual-WAN load balancing capability. The Smart connect, and the adaptive QoS feature on this device is amazing. The initial firmware was buggy, but the latest update resolved most of the niggles and hiccups for most of us.
We managed to test this thing with 45+ simultaneous connections, and this router was able to perform exceedingly well for the most part without any connection dropouts. Refer below for an in-depth specification review.
General
| Frequency Band |
2.4 GHz / 5 GHz |
| Capacity |
Guest networks: 6 |
| Flash Memory |
128 MB |
| Status Indicators |
Power, WAN, LAN, wireless, USB, WPS |
| Encryption Algorithm |
MPPE, 128-bit WEP, 64-bit WEP, WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, WPA-Enterprise, WPA2-Enterprise |
| Routing Protocol |
IGMPv2, IGMP, static IP routing, IGMPv3 |
| Manufacturer |
Asus |
Networking
| Form Factor |
desktop |
| Type |
wireless router |
| Connectivity Technology |
wired, wireless |
| Data Link Protocol |
Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n |
| Network / Transport Protocol |
DDNS, DHCP, FTP, IPSec, L2TP, NTP, PPPoE, PPTP |
|
Features: |
3G/4G USB Dongle Support, 4T4R MIMO technology, ASUS AiCloud, ASUS AiDisk, ASUS AiProtection, ASUS AiRadar, Access Point operational mode, Adaptive QoS, Broadcom NitroQAM technology, DHCP server, DMZ port, DNS proxy, IPSec passthrough, IPv4 support, IPv6 support, L2TP passthrough, Link Aggregation, MIMO technology, MU-MIMO technology, PPTP passthrough, Roaming Assist technology, SNMP support, SmartConnect Technology, URL filtering, VPN Server, VPN support, Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), bandwidth control, beamforming technology, download client, dual WAN connection, event log, parental control, port filtering, port triggering, print server, reset button, static IP mode, virtual server support, wireless bridge mode |
| Compliant Standards |
IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, UPnP |
| Wireless Protocol |
802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
| Routing Protocol |
IGMP, IGMPv2, IGMPv3, static IP routing |
| Data Transfer Rate |
3167 Mbps |
| Line Coding Format |
1024 QAM |
| WAN Ports Qty |
1 |
| Integrated Switch |
8-port switch |
| Key Features |
USB port, VPN support |
Camera
Power Device
| Nominal Voltage |
AC 120/230 V |
| Frequency Required |
50/60 Hz |
| Type |
external power adapter |
Interface Provided
| Interface |
Ethernet 1000Base-T, Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T |
| Qty |
1, 8 |
| Connector Type |
4 pin USB Type A, 9 pin USB Type A, RJ-45 |
| Type |
LAN, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, WAN |
Antenna
Processing Performance
| Processor Clock Speed |
1.4 GHz |
| RAM Size |
512 MB |
Dimensions & Weight
| Width |
11.8 in |
| Depth |
7.4 in |
| Height |
3.3 in |
| Weight |
33.51 oz |
Software
| Type |
WTFast Gamers Private Network |
Capacity
| Type |
guest networks |
| Value |
6 |
3. EnGenius Neutron Series EWS371AP:
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The device comes with eleven ac band wave 2 speeds of up to 2.Gbpsps using link aggregation. Dual mu-mimo capability ensures the performance you would expect from this device. The router is suitable for seamlessly supporting multiple device types, such as TVs, Mobiles, and PCs.
The smart Beamforming feature ensures that the WiFi signal reaches every corner of your room based on its physical dimensions, which we think is cool. See below for its details specs:
General
| Power Over Ethernet (PoE) |
PoE |
| Ruggedized Design |
indoor |
| Authentication Method |
Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID), RADIUS, Radio Service Set ID (SSID) |
| Height |
2.2 in |
| Ruggedized Design |
Indoor |
| Depth |
8.5 in |
| Manufacturer |
EnGenius Tech Inc. |
Power Device
| Type |
external power adapter |
Networking
| Frequency Band |
2.4 GHz, 5 GHz |
| Type |
Wireless access point |
| Connectivity Technology |
wireless |
| Data Link Protocol |
IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11ac Wave 2, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n |
| Network / Transport Protocol |
FTP |
| Features: |
E-mail alert, Link Aggregation, ceiling mountable, firmware upgradable, manageable, reset button, security lock slot (cable lock sold separately), tagged VLAN, traffic shaping, wall mountable, MAC address filtering, MU-MIMO technology, Multiple SSID support, Quality of Service (QoS), SU-MIMO technology, Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) support, VLAN support, Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) support |
| Compliant Standards |
IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11ac Wave 2, IEEE 802.1Q, IEEE 802.3at, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11e, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11i, IEEE 802.11k, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11r, IEEE 802.11x |
| Wireless Protocol |
802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wave 2 |
| Remote Management Protocol |
CLI, HTTP, HTTPS, SNMP 1, SNMP 2c, SNMP 3, SSH, Telnet |
| Data Transfer Rate |
2.5 Gbps |
| Wi-Fi Bands |
2.4 GHz, 5 GHz |
| Spread Spectrum Method |
DSSS, OFDM |
| Encryption Algorithm |
AES, SSL, TKIP, WPA-Enterprise, WPA2-Enterprise |
| Status Indicators |
Power, WLAN, LAN |
| Line Coding Format |
CCK, 64 QAM, 256 QAM, BPSK, QPSK, 16 QAM |
| Authentication Method |
RADIUS, Radio Service Set ID (SSID), Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) |
| Power Over Ethernet (PoE) |
PoE |
| Line Coding Format |
16 QAM, 256 QAM, 64 QAM, BPSK, CCK, QPSK |
Antenna
| Antenna Qty |
8 |
| Directivity |
omnidirectional |
| Gain Level |
3 dB |
| Antenna Form Factor |
external detachable |
Environmental Parameters
| Min Operating Temperature |
32 °F |
| Max Operating Temperature |
122 °F |
| Humidity Range Operating |
0 – 90% (non-condensing) |
Dimensions & Weight
| Width |
8.5 in |
| Depth |
8.5 in |
| Height |
2.2 in |
| Weight |
3.75 lbs |
Capacity
Service & Support Details
| Type |
limited warranty |
| Full Contract Period |
1 year |
Conclusion:
We hope this post helps you to understand these products completely as we have covered all the technical factors, features, and specifications; so that you can choose the right hardware for your network.
Still, if there is any doubt, question or suggestion in your mind, feel free to use the comment box below. We are always looking forward to hearing from our readers. Thank You!
Disclosure: We are a professional review website that sometimes receive compensation or free units from the companies whose products we review. We test each product thoroughly and give high marks to only the very best. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.
