The ASUS RT-AX1800S is a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router with 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. It features four 1Gbps LAN ports and a 1Gbps WAN port. It's compatible with ASUS' AiMesh, which allows you to use other ASUS routers as additional mesh access points.
Our Verdict
The ASUS RT-AX1800S is decent for a single-story home or condo. It delivers good top speeds and is suitable for high-speed downloads and 4k video streaming. Still, it lacks DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) support, so its speeds may be slower if you live in a congested wireless environment like an apartment building.
- Good top speeds.
- Lacks DFS support, so it can't avoid more congested channels.
- Wi-Fi 6 doesn't take full advantage of new Wi-Fi 6E or 7 devices.
All four Ethernet ports are limited to 1Gbps.
The ASUS AX1800S is adequate if you live in a multi-level house. It delivers good top speeds suitable for downloading large files quickly when you're close to it, but it's a standalone router and slows down when you're far away from it. It supports AiMesh, so you can pair it with compatible ASUS devices to improve its coverage.
- Good top speeds.
- Compatible with AiMesh devices to create a mesh network for better range.
- Lacks DFS support, so it can't avoid more congested channels.
- Wi-Fi 6 doesn't take full advantage of new Wi-Fi 6E or 7 devices.
- Range is just okay.
All four Ethernet ports are limited to 1Gbps.
The ASUS RT-AX1800S is adequate for gaming over Wi-Fi. Its wireless speeds are good enough to download games and updates quickly at a reasonable distance, but the router's wireless latency performance is unstable and can fluctuate depending on environmental factors. As always, plugging in your gaming device via Ethernet ensures the most stable and latency-free connection, which is crucial if you're gaming competitively online.
Adequate wireless latency for browsing and non-competitive gaming.
- Wi-Fi 6 doesn't take full advantage of new Wi-Fi 6E or 7 devices.
Unsuitable for competitive gaming over Wi-Fi.
All four Ethernet ports are limited to 1Gbps.
This router delivers good speeds suitable for an internet connection of up to ~600Mbps. However, it doesn't support DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection), so it can't access DFS-only channels for higher speeds in congested environments.
- Good top speeds.
- Lacks DFS support, so it can't avoid more congested channels.
- Wi-Fi 6 doesn't take full advantage of new Wi-Fi 6E or 7 devices.
This router has an okay range, but it's a standalone unit, so depending on your home's size, layout, and construction, you might experience dropouts. It supports AiMesh, so you can pair it with compatible ASUS devices to improve its coverage.
- Compatible with AiMesh devices to create a mesh network for better range.
- Wi-Fi 6 doesn't take full advantage of new Wi-Fi 6E or 7 devices.
- Range is just okay.
The ASUS RT-AX1800S delivers reasonable latency that's in line with other Wi-Fi routers. However, its performance is notably erratic and less consistent than what you'd expect during use. It's suitable for browsing the web, downloading files, and working remotely, but it's not recommended for online gaming unless you're connected to one of its four LAN ports directly.
Adequate wireless latency for browsing and non-competitive gaming.
- Wi-Fi 6 doesn't take full advantage of new Wi-Fi 6E or 7 devices.
Unsuitable for competitive gaming over Wi-Fi.
Changelog
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Updated Apr 30, 2026:
We've updated this review and added text to interpret and contextualize our results from Test Bench 0.9.
- Updated Apr 22, 2026: We've updated this review to Test Bench 0.9! This update adds wireless latency testing to evaluate router gaming performance. Read the changelog for more info.
- Updated Dec 16, 2025: We've added an MLO Implementation test for Test Bench 0.8.2! Read the changelog for more details.
- Updated May 01, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 0.8.1. This includes a new test result for our Test Configuration box.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The ASUS RT-AX1800S has no variants. Here's a photo of our unit's label.
Popular Router Comparisons
The ASUS RT-AX1800S is a budget dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router. Like most ASUS routers, it has useful software features, like AiMesh, which allows you to connect compatible ASUS routers as access points in a mesh network. However, unlike many modern routers, the RT-AX1800S lacks support for DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) channels to help it manage traffic in more congested environments.
Performance-wise, it provides decent signal strength throughout a multi-level home, but it's not nearly as fast as other Wi-Fi 6 routers in its price category, like the TP-Link Archer AX20 or TP-Link Archer AX21.
If you're looking for more options, check out our recommendations for the best Wi-Fi routers, the best Wi-Fi 6 routers, and the best routers for streaming.
Test Results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
- Ethernet cable
- Power adapter
- User documentation
for pictures & test results
This router has a pair of screw head slots on the bottom, so you can easily mount it to your wall or ceiling.
for pictures & test results
It's a standalone router, so the mesh satellite position line on this graph isn't applicable.
for pictures & test results
It's a standalone router, so the mesh satellite position line on this graph isn't applicable.
for pictures & test results
This router's wireless latency and jitter are adequate for general browsing. While our scores reflect the best possible run we were able to obtain during testing, the device's latency performance fluctuates significantly and can negatively impact your experience when gaming or making video calls over Wi-Fi.
If you need a more reliable connection, consider hardwiring your device directly to this router via Ethernet.
