Using ASUS RT-AC88U with Sky

shopper150 · 1 Jan 2020 at 17:25

Would anyone be able to help me setup there above?

I was hoping to use the Sky Router as a Modem, and plug this into the WAN port on the ASUS to improve the WiFi at home.

It doesn’t appear to be as straightforward as I’d hoped.

Thanks in advance.

bremen1874 · 1 Jan 2020 at 18:08

The sky router doesn't have a 'modem mode'.

The Asus router should have an AP mode that turns most of its functionality off except the wireless. In AP mode you can connect the Asus to the Sky and get better wireless without having double NAT. The Sky router would continue to do all of the routing, DHCP, DNS, etc.

andy_mk3 · 1 Jan 2020 at 18:11

Why not use the Asus as your modem too? Assuming you have a vdsl connection

bremen1874 · 1 Jan 2020 at 18:20

It's an RT- version.

andy_mk3 · 1 Jan 2020 at 18:41

bremen1874 said:
It's an RT- version.

Ah yeah, my bad. I thought they were the modem verions.

In which case pick up a by open reach modem.

shopper150 · 1 Jan 2020 at 19:02

bremen1874 said:
The sky router doesn't have a 'modem mode'.

The Asus router should have an AP mode that turns most of its functionality off except the wireless. In AP mode you can connect the Asus to the Sky and get better wireless without having double NAT. The Sky router would continue to do all of the routing, DHCP, DNS, etc.

Thanks!
Do I plug Sky into the WAN port on ASUS or just a LAN port?

bremen1874 · 1 Jan 2020 at 19:22

Back when I had an earlier model ASUS router it used the WAN port in AP mode.

I was using the Merlin firmware.

shopper150 · 2 Jan 2020 at 21:10

Thank you.

I’ve been trying to set this up as an AP
The menus are running painfully slow.

I finally got round to getting it in AP mode, but I can see any of the SSIDs being broadcast. I once saw it on my laptop, but nothing on the iPhone.

I’ve given up and will send it back. It shouldn’t be this difficult and traumatic!!

YoungBlood · 3 Jan 2020 at 06:23

shopper150 said:
Thank you.

I’ve been trying to set this up as an AP
The menus are running painfully slow.

I finally got round to getting it in AP mode, but I can see any of the SSIDs being broadcast. I once saw it on my laptop, but nothing on the iPhone.

I’ve given up and will send it back. It shouldn’t be this difficult and traumatic!!

Yes, the 2.4 wifi fails on these, on day one...
Just google "asus rt-ac88u 2.4ghz not working" goes back years, they never fixed it and put me off Asus for life.

I went through 2 from amazon both had the same fault. Shame as on paper it's a killer unit, but I will stick with Netgear from now on.

shopper150 · 11 Jan 2020 at 17:57

YoungBlood said:
Yes, the 2.4 wifi fails on these, on day one...
Just google "asus rt-ac88u 2.4ghz not working" goes back years, they never fixed it and put me off Asus for life.

I went through 2 from amazon both had the same fault. Shame as on paper it's a killer unit, but I will stick with Netgear from now on.

So I got a replacement unit, also from Amazon. This time the 5G works, but not the 2.4G, just like you said!
Any recommendations for something else? Perhaps a pack of 3 mesh AP'S with a nice and easy to use app for setting up

Avalon · 11 Jan 2020 at 20:15

Generally you don’t buy a router to improve wifi, they are all compromised by design and tend to be poorly located. You have two credible options, the first will require you to run a cable to a central location and install an AP, I like the UniFi kit as it’s relatively inexpensive and fits in with my set-up reasonably well and adding extra units/management is a doddle, TP Link do some slightly cheaper options. The next option would be something mesh based, I have in the past described this as the hipster of networking as personally having run cables and having multiple AP’s, it’s largely pointless and comparatively expensive, but if you absolutely can’t/won’t run cables, then it’s often the least awful option.