ASUS has quite a range of routers you can pick from for your networking needs. Now moving from the best gaming routers, we instead look to its travel router offerings. A bit more compact and handy for going places, this time we test and review the ASUS RT-AX57 Go. It brings plenty of features and security to your escapades outside your home network so it’s good to see how that holds up.
There are plenty of drawbacks to these smaller routers as compared to standard, with lower performances and certainly without range and performance not being their primary focus. In the same vein as the GL.iNet Slat AX, they both utilize the WiFi 6 standard and focus on portability and not being too attention-grabbing. In that case, let’s see how the ASUS one performs in comparison.
- Standard: WiFi 6
- Frequency bands: 2.4GHz, 5GHz
- Max speed: 3000Mbps
- LAN ports: 1x 1Gbps
- WAN: 1x 1Gbps
- CPU: Dual-core 1.3GHz SoC
- Memory: RAM 512MB / Flash 128MB
- USB: USB 3.2 Gen 1×1
- Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 21.5mm
- Weight: 210g
In general, the ASUS RT-AX57 Go has plenty to offer as a travel router. It might not be on the latest WiFi standard, but it still has a fast range of connections for when you’re on the go. Which not only includes wireless but wired too with a good range of IO available. It does perform well in certain areas and has a lot of features that favor use outside in public. But even though it’s a more compact pick, it’s still a rather large surface area to fit into places, plus with the higher specs come a bit higher asking price.
- Lots of internet connection options to utilize
- Still has a good amount of ports for a travel router
- Easy setup with the ability to split between connections and then mesh multiple routers
- Strong 5GHz performance, but 2.4 lacking
- Still takes up a bit of desk space for a travel router
- Higher latency than most
- Low USB port performance
- Lacks 6GHz support
Design
The ASUS RT-AX57 Go is a simple flat box design, resembling a white CD case, but you won’t find a disc inside just the hardware to get you connected to the internet. Measuring 120 x 120 x 21.5mm it opts to be more of a square shape without standing too tall. But you do get a stand with it, which allows you to stand it up on its side and it takes up more vertical space instead of spreading out over a bigger area. The router has gone for a bit wider design compared to the likes of the Slate AX which keeps things a lot more compact.
But still, the white RT-AX57 Go is a rather inconspicuous design. The top is a blank slate but the back right corner is cut out in case you want to tie on a string or handle, an interesting design choice that breaks up the flatness. On the underside is where you’ll find all the venting for the cooling solution inside, along with feet if you choose to lay it flat, and holes for wall mounting for a more permanent solution.
ASUS AX3000 RT-AX57 Go bottom vents, Image by PC Guide
ASUS AX3000 RT-AX57 Go box front, Image by PC Guide
ASUS AX3000 RT-AX57 Go box back, Image by PC Guide
ASUS AX3000 RT-AX57 Go front, Image by PC Guide
ASUS AX3000 RT-AX57 Go ports, Image by PC Guide
ASUS AX3000 RT-AX57 Go profile, Image by PC Guide
ASUS AX3000 RT-AX57 Go stand, Image by PC Guide
ASUS AX3000 RT-AX57 Go standing connected, Image by PC Guide
ASUS AX3000 RT-AX57 Go top profile, Image by PC Guide
Then around the sides, you’ll find all the important IO and switches. One of the edges features a light as a status symbol and a switch that has a multipurpose design we’ll look at later. Whilst on the back, you can find the power and rest of the IO, with a requirement for 9V 2A, the USB C power does utilize a standalone plug, a bit more tedious to find out and about. Along with the USB port, reset button, and both a WAN and LAN 1Gbps ports.
As for wireless, well at least this ASUS router goes for internal antennae and doesn’t protrude out. With 5 embedded inside, it offers a strong performance, although not the best for strength it still brings a lot to the network. As it supports WiFi 6, you have both 2.4GHz and 5GHz to separate out and create a faster network.
even though it’s a more compact pick, it’s still a rather large surface area to fit into places
Other features
As for what else you have on board, the USB port is a USB 3.0, that allows you to connect up storage or any other devices you want to have available to your router or network. It’s also a handy feature for us to do our storage test on there later on so we can see how fast and useful it actually is. As for the CPU, it has a Dual-core 1.3GHz SoC with RAM 512MB and Flash 128MB of storage, which isn’t much, but enough to keep things going with all the apps onboard.
Then there is the switch on the box, a one-touch function option for allowing you to activate your own settings. Being VPN, WiFI, and LED lights makes it a lot easier to get things done and only when necessary. Like if you’re connecting to a public network, turning on your VPN at a switch is a lot quicker for sure than having to access the admin page.
ASUS AX3000 RT-AX57 Go travel bag, Image by PC Guide
ASUS AX3000 RT-AX57 Go box contents, Image by PC Guide
ASUS AX3000 RT-AX57 Go box inside, Image by PC Guide
ASUS AX3000 RT-AX57 Go papers, Image by PC Guide
Inside the box, you’ll also get an ethernet cable, relatively short but enough for connecting up-close devices. Also, you’ll get the power adapter, which has a replaceable head, for the US version it might not be too different with one plug, but in the UK version we get both the UK and EU plug heads. So if traveling abroad and to a place with the same electricity output (230V) you can still use it natively even if it gets a bit stuck here and there when changing it out.
You also get a nice travel bag. Able to fit in the router and cables down the side, it does make it a bit easier to keep it all together when taking it out. As for the software and features it does offer up a range of connections to the internet you can utilize. With mobile tethering, hotspot from WiFi, and router mode, along with the range of VPNs you can use. It also has parental controls you can utilize and set up a guest network for others to use, or you can use it as part of a mesh network.
Pricing
As for how much you’re paying, it’s a bit more than other choices we’ve looked at. Certainly more than the GL.iNet GL-MT300N-V2 (Mango) that was under $30. But the RT-AX57 comes in at $130, which is also a bit under the Slate AX which offers a similar level of specs so it is a good price range to go for with better performance and specs than the mango option on the lower end.
ASUS RT-AX57 Go is a capable and handy travel router
Performance
We tested out how the ASUS router performs in the range of tasks. Plugging it into our network in the office we could see how it performs stacked up against a range of other options too. With the network reaching a max of 300Mbps, the traffic and number of personnel do change between tests but shouldn’t be affected too much. Then we tested the wireless with our Samsung S21 FE with WiFiman and speed test apps at four distances from the router, 10ft/3m, 30ft/9m with direct sight of the router, then 50ft/18m with a wall in between, and finally at 90ft/27m with four walls/two rooms in between. With the ethernet done with our test rig.
Router benchmark – LAN internet speeds, source PCGuide
Router benchmark – latency to router @ 2.4GHz, source PCGuide
Router benchmark – signal strength @ 5GHz, source PCGuide
Router benchmark – download speed @ 5GHz, source PCGuide
Router benchmark – LAN read write speeds to SSD plugged into router, source PCGuide
Router benchmark – download speed @ 2.4GHz, source PCGuide
Router benchmark – signal strength @ 2.4GHz, source PCGuide
Router benchmark – physical download speed @ 5GHz, source PCGuide
Router benchmark – physical upload speed @ 2.4GHz, source PCGuide
Router benchmark – physical download speed @ 2.4GHz, source PCGuide
Router benchmark – upload speed @ 2.4GHz, source PCGuide
Router benchmark – latency to router @ 5GHz, source PCGuide
Router benchmark – physical upload speed @ 5GHz, source PCGuide
Signal strength
To start we check how well the antenna sends out the signal and how strong the connection to the phone is. The lower the number, the closer to zero, and the better the connection. So we test these for both frequencies at those different ranges so we can see how well it retains over that distance and obstacles.
Starting off at 2.4GHz, we see it keep up a good connection but drop out by the farthest point. We see it range from -39dBm to -62dBm. At 5GHz the story is the same, but the strength falls weaker even closer as it goes from -49dBm to -68dBm. Out of the options we tested it up against, it’s a middle-of-the-pack kind of performance but certainly enough for close range that is expected from it.
Speed test and latency
One of the more important features is the speed you actually get from it. With both PHY (physical speed between phone and router) and the internet speeds it can achieve over wireless. So starting off with 2.4GHz the PHY download started off strong with 172Mbps but dropped off to 25Mbps by 60ft. With the upload ranging from 258Mbps down to 34Mbps. As for 5GHz that jumps up to a strong 860Mbps and only falls to 288Mbps downloads, with the upload ranging from 720 Mbps to 576Mbps.
As for the actual Speed Test results, 2.4GHz downloads span ned 39.9Mbps to 11.0Mbps, with the uploads ranging from 42 to 9Mbps. For 5GHz that download ranges from 257Mbps to 165Mbps, with the upload getting achieving a range of 218 to 57Mbps.
For the latency and how long it takes for data to travel between the router and phone, at 2.4GHz that sits around 25ms across the distances, with 5Ghz dropping to around 11ms. A weak lower band performance compared to others but a compelling 5GHz option. As for the LAN connection, the RJ45 ports provide plenty of speed as the router gets a 235Mbps download and 240Mbps upload speed.
Storage speed test
The last test we tried was the storage speed over the USB connection. Utilizing CrystalDiskMark, we could load it up with a range of sequential and random read-and-write tests on the SSD attached to a USB sled. There we see an ok performance in the double digits, the write speeds fall a lot behind the reads. But for the generation connector, it holds up well to the others at that level, outperformed slightly by the GL.iNet competition and much more expensive stationary routers.
Conclusion
Overall, the ASUS RT-AX57 Go is a capable and handy travel router. It is more compact than standalone options but still takes up a bit of table space, so standing it up makes it a bit more prominent as well. But It has a good range of connectivity available and being a WiFi 6 router, it offers a good speed option for 5GHz and utilizing public connections. Although its 2.4Ghz does lag behind and its signal strength plus latency leave things to be desired. But for an inconspicuous and mesh-enabled option, it also offers a good boost to signal at home if needed. It is a very versatile choice and so still has a lot to offer for the portability market.
- Standard: WiFi 6
- Frequency bands: 2.4GHz, 5GHz
- Max speed: 3000Mbps
- LAN ports: 1x 1Gbps
- WAN: 1x 1Gbps
- CPU: Dual-core 1.3GHz SoC
- Memory: RAM 512MB / Flash 128MB
- USB: USB 3.2 Gen 1×1
- Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 21.5mm
- Weight: 210g
