Comparing the Asus AC3200 vs AC3100 Wireless Adapters will show which router is best for your home or office. Asus has long been at the forefront of innovative technology for network devices. The Wi-Fi routers we are reviewing in this article have most of Asus’s latest developments and features.
We will help you choose the best router for your needs by comparing their strengths and weaknesses. Your final decision will depend on what you need from a router and if these high-end Asus routers will work for you.
The following Asus router comparison will help you to see the benefits and weaknesses of each router.
Contents
We compare the Asus AC3100 and AC3200
| Model | Asus AC3100 Wireless Adapter |
Asus AC3200 Wireless Dual-Band Adapter |
| Bands – wireless frequency | 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz Dual-Band |
2.4 GHz, 5 GHz Tri-Band |
| Antennas | 4 | 6 |
| MU-MIMO Support | 4 x 4 | 3 x 3 |
| WLAN Mode | 802.11 ac/a/b/g/n | 802.11 ac/a/b/g/n |
| Ports | 1 x 10/100/1000 Mb/s Gigabit Ethernet
4 x 10/100/1000 Mb/s Gigabit Ethernet 1 x 5 Gb/s USB Type-A 1 x 480 Mb/s USB Type-A |
1 x 10/100/1000 Mb/s Gigabit Ethernet
4 x 10/100/1000 Mb/s Gigabit Ethernet 1 x 5 Gb/s USB Type-A 1 x 480 Mb/s USB Type-A |
| Throughput | 3100 Mb/s Total
2.4 GHz: 1000 Mb/s 5 GHz: 2167 Mb/s |
3200 Mb/s Total
2.4 GHz: 600 Mb/s 2 x 5 GHz: 1300 Mb/s |
| RAM | 512 RAM | 256 RAM |
| Processor | 1.4 GHz Dual-Core | 1.0 GHz Dual-Core |
Looking at the table above, you will see that the Asus AC3100 is more powerful than the Asus AC3200 regarding the CPU and the RAM.
The AC3100 is also more up to date than the AC3200, and it has all the latest network-related features from ASUS.
It would appear at first glance that the AC3100 is the clear choice between the two ASUS models. However, the AC3200 would be more useful than the AC3100 if you had many Wi-Fi clients (at least 30 or more). And if you want to use all three bands of the AC3200 in your network.
Individual Reviews
1. Asus AC3100 Review
• 802.11n Wi-Fi Technology –
• maximum speed of 300 Mbps
• 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz Tri-Band.
• 1 x WAN Ethernet port and 4 x LAN ports
• Asus Genie App Support
• compatible with IEEE 802.11 b/g/n standards
Pros |
|
Cons |
|
| § Dual-band with the latest 802.11ac 4×4 technology for maximum throughput of 3167 Mbps and extensive coverage | § Expensive | ||
| § MU-MIMO technology enables multiple compatible clients to connect at each client’s respective maximum speed | |||
| § Built-in access to WTFast Gamers Private Network of route-optimized servers ensures low, stable ping times for gaming | |||
| § AiMesh technology gives exceptional reach and speed | |||
| § Port Aggregation support for high-speed fixed wire connections. |
This Asus AC3100 review will look at what makes this router special. We will see if this might be the router for you or if the Asus AC3200 is a better choice.
Speed is usually the first thing one considers when looking for a new router. Both these routers are fast. NitroQAM (1024-QAM) technology on the Asus AC3100 delivers a combined 3167 Mbps Wi-Fi speed. It uses both the 2.4Ghz and the 5GHz frequencies.
Remember that the speed of your network depends on many factors. These factors include your ISP speed, your physical location and your distance from the router. The Asus AC3100 is fast, and it will do the best it can to give you high speeds within the physical infrastructure where you will be using the router. You can be sure of low-latency online gaming and smooth streaming of 4K multimedia content. Downloading large files will be as fast as your ISP allows.
The Asus AC3100 has a four-transmit, four-receive (4T4R) antenna design. It makes use of AiRadar beamforming technology, giving the Asus AC3100 a range of 500 square metres. Beamforming technology is like a torch that “shines” at the device you want to connect. This gives a more focussed and reliable connection. Add MU-MIMO technology to this, and you can support many devices without slowing down.
The AC3100 also has four Gigabit Ethernet ports and dedicated aggregation support. This type of support means that you will get a bandwidth of up to 2 Gbps if you want or need a high-speed wired connection. And that is very fast!
Asus’ AiMesh technology is the feature that may be the most significant asset of the Asus AC3100. AiMesh gives you a Wi-Fi system that operates in your entire home at high-speed. You will have coverage at the remotest corner of your home or garden. You will be able to stream 4K UHD without problems.
Online gaming is hard on network resources. In online gaming, slow and sluggish performance is unacceptable when playing. Ping time and variance are the critical technical parameters that affect responsiveness. The route game packets take to and from their destination reduce ping times.
The Gamers Private Network (GPN) powered by WTFast automatically performs route optimization. It does this by choosing the most efficient route for game packets. GPN reduces ping time and packet loss, leading to an improved gaming experience. The Asus AC3100 includes this optimization as one of the standard features of the router. If you are a serious gamer, then you want GPN on your router.
ASUS AiProtection powered by Trend Micro keeps your online experience safe and secure. It uses automatic vulnerability detection, malicious site blocking and parental controls.
Advanced parental controls prevent users from visiting inappropriate websites. These controls help parents keep young children safe from viewing adult content. You can also restrict the times that each device or guest account can access the Internet.
2. Asus AC3200 Review
• 802.11n Wi-Fi Technology – two 802.11ac networks
• maximum speed of 600 Mbps
• 2.4Ghz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands. (Tri-band)
• 1 x WAN Gigabit Ethernet port and 4 x LAN Gigabit Ethernet ports
• Asus Genie App Support
• compatible with IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n standards
Pros |
|
Cons |
|
| § Dual-band with the latest 802.11ac 4×4 technology for a maximum throughput of 3167 Mbps and extensive coverage | § Expensive | ||
| § MU-MIMO technology enables multiple compatible clients to connect at each client’s respective maximum speed | § Big footprint | ||
| § Built-in access to WTFast Gamers Private Network of route-optimized servers ensures low, stable ping times for gaming |
|
The Asus AC3200 router’s main difference from the AC3100 is that it has three frequency bands instead of two. It uses two 5 GHz and one 2.4 GHz band which gives it the following theoretical speeds:
• 1300Mbps at each of the 5 GHz band
• 600Mbps at the 2.4 GHz band
• Total of 1300+1300+600 = 3200Mbps (maximum) in all bands
Throughput speed on all three bands is perfect, and the user interface (UI) is easy to understand with loaded features. With six antennae, the Asus AC3200 range is vast. The router uses two 802.11ac networks, each with a three transmit, three receive (3×3) antenna configuration. This allows more devices to connect faster with better stability.
The Asus AC3200 uses Tri-Band Smart Connect to allocate wireless clients one of the three frequency bands. Tri-band selects the bands automatically. It uses the one 2.4GHz band and two 5 GHz bands to give the best performance. Beamforming technology makes sure each client receives a strong signal.
What are the advantages of Tri-Band for you? It means you get the best speeds possible considering your ISP speed and your physical distance from the router. It also means you can connect many devices to the AC3200. Throughput is also good, and you will not experience lags or delays when connected to the Internet. LAN gaming will be as good as you could hope.
The web user interface makes setting up and using the AC3200 simple. It is easy to understand with many useful features.
Like the Asus AC3100, ASUS AiRadar gives you exceptionally reliable wireless connectivity using 802.11ac universal beamforming technology, high-power amplification and exclusive ASUS RF fine-tuning.
ASUS Adaptive Quality of Service (QoS) gets the maximum performance from the bandwidth available, with presets for gaming, media streaming, VoIP, web browsing and file transfers. These are features that make a real difference to your gaming or streaming experience.
The RT-AC3200 has a data pipeline around 20 times larger than conventional routers – up to 300,000 data sessions – for smooth performance. This also means that if you have many devices connected, the data pipeline will ensure that they are all connected and running well.
Security is the one thing we all need on a network connected to the Internet. With Asus, you have the peace-of-mind that Trend Micro gives you enterprise-level security in your home or business. With features including Router Security Scan, Malicious Site Blocking, Vulnerability Protection, Infected Device Detection and Blocking, Web and App Filters, and Time Scheduling, you can monitor and protect your network from a variety of attacks and threats.
The Asus AiProtection feature uses Trend Micro’s Smart Home Network solution to monitor and detect malware and viruses and block malicious sites. It also offers comprehensive parental controls, such as time scheduling and app filtering. With the AiCloud feature, you can access your data from a smartphone or tablet using an iOS or Android app
A traffic analyzer helps you spot internet bottlenecks quickly and easily. It gives you an at-a-glance view of the amount of network bandwidth used by each user, device or application on a daily, weekly or monthly timescale.
A comprehensive network map shows you details of what devices are connected to your router and their connection status.
Difference between Asus AC3100 and AC3200
The main difference between Asus AC3100 and AC3200 is, Asus AC3100 has a faster processor, more RAM, and the latest features offered by Asus, while Asus 3200 at covering a wider range.
– Speed
The Asus AC3100 is a more robust package than the Asus AC3200. It has a faster processor, more RAM and has all the latest features offered by Asus.
In the throughput race, the Asus AC3200 transfers marginally more data. But these are technical specifications. In your home or office, the difference between the two routers would hardly be noticeable. And you with the advantage of the more powerful hardware in the Asus AC3100, you should get better performance from the AC3100
• Winner: Asus AC3100
– Range
The Asus 3200 has six antennae working hard to ensure that your data reaches all the devices on the network. The Asus 3200 uses the powerful Tri-Band Smart Connect and the ASUS Adaptive Quality of Service, and ASUS AiRadar. These features give the Asus 3200 a small advantage in reaching hidden areas of your network.
• Winner: Asus AC3200
– Value
Both Asus AC3100 and AC3200 are expensive routers. Unless you have 50 plus devices on your network, you will get more for your money with the AC3100.
• Winner: Asus AC3100
Conclusion
The Asus AC3200 and the AC3200 are both good buys. They will improve your Wi-Fi network. And they will give exceptional LAN gaming and media streaming performance.
The Asus AC3100 is a high specification router from a respected manufacturer of routers. It has a higher specification level than the AC3200 and should perform better than it. The AC3100 has the latest Asus features, and we would recommend the AC3100 over the AC3200. It also costs less than the Asus AC3200, so you will end up saving some money as well.
The only real reason for buying the AC3200 is if you have over 30 Wi-Fi clients on your network. Using the Tri-Band feature of the AC3200 and you might want to distribute them across the router’s 3 bands. Otherwise, the Asus AC3100 is a sensible solution without any downside.
