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Some two years after the release of the RP-AX56U range extender, Asus finally made available the better version, the RT-AX58U.
This brief take will compare the two and help you decide which to get. But if you are in a hurry, the RP-AX58U is an easy pick, considering it comes with the same affordable price tag of $100.
However, if you live in areas where DFS channels are not reliably available, the new Wi-Fi broadcaster has no advantage over the previous model—in this case, the two are essentially the same.
Asus RP-AX58 vs. RP-AX56: The same range extenders for the most part
These two Wi-Fi extenders look exactly the same and are actually so, with one exception: The latter features twice the bandwidth on the 5GHz band on a good day, thanks to the support for Wi-Fi 6’s 160MHz channel width.
On the inside, both are modest 2×2 Wi-Fi broadcasters with a single Gigabit port. They share the AsusWRT firmware with identical web user interfaces and feature sets. Either can work as a Wi-Fi repeater (extender), media bridge, access point (for a wired home), or an AiMesh satellite node.
That said, if you want to find out what the RP-AX58 can do, my review of the RT-AX56 explains it all.
Ultimately, how much better a broadcaster the RP-AX58 is versus the RP-AX56 depends on if you can count on the former’s 160MHz support. And the way Wi-Fi 6 works, chances are you can’t every day, or more precisely, everywhere. We’ll get there in a bit.
In the meantime, what you sure can count on is that the new broadcaster will at least be the same as its older cousin, as shown in the table below. There’s no situation where it’s worse.
Asus RP-AX58 vs. RP-AX56: Hardware specifications
| Full Name | Asus RP-AX58 AX3000 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Repeater | Asus RP-AX56 AX1800 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Repeater |
| Model | RP-AX58 | RP-AX56 |
| Dimensions | 5.91 x 3.43 x 2.83 in (15 x 8.71 x 7.18 cm) | |
| Weight | 6.7 oz (190 g) | |
| Wi-Fi Bandwidth | Dual-band AX3000 | Dual-band AX1800 |
| 5GHz Wi-Fi Specs (channel with) | 2×2 AX: Up to 2.4Gbps (20/40/80/160MHz) | 2×2 AX: Up to 1.2Gbps (20/40/80MHz) |
| 2.4GHz Wi-Fi Specs (channel with) | 2×2 AX: Up to 574Mbps (20/40 MHz) | |
| Backward Compatibility | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | |
| Wireless Security | WPA, WPA2, WPA3 | |
| Mobile App | Asus Router | |
| Web User Interface | Yes | |
| Available Operating Mode | Access Point (AP) Repeater (Extender) Media Bridge AiMesh Node | |
| Mesh-Ready | Yes (AiMesh 2.0) with wireless or wired backhaul | |
| Gigabit Port | 1x LAN | |
| Multi-Gig Port | None | |
| Release Date | February 2023 | February 2021 |
| Price (at Launch) | $99.99 | |
Asus RP-AX58 vs. RP-AX56: The nuanced differences
On the surface, with the support for the 160MHz, the RP-AX58 is clearly better than the RP-AX56. In reality, that depends. The devil is in the details.
For one, if you live in an area where DFS channels can’t be used reliably, such as near an airport, the two are the same broadcasters. The RP-AX58 would use an 80MHz channel with a ceiling Wi-Fi bandwidth on the 5GHz band of 1.2Gbps anyway.
Secondly, if you use them via wired backhauling, which is recommended, their Gigabit port is the bottleneck. You’ll get the sustained rates of sub-Gigabit at most out of either, regardless of how fast their Wi-Fi speeds are.
So, the only situation where the RP-AX58 is clearly better than the RP-AX56 is when:
- You use it as a wireless extender / AiMesh satellite node or a media bridge. And
- The use of the DFS channels is reliably available. And
- The original broadcaster (router or AiMesh primary router) also supports 160MHz
So, it’s quite narrow the area where the RP-AX58 is better. But it never hurt to get it over the older model.
Asus RP-AX56/58 Repeaters' Rating
Pros
Affordable
Reliable and relatively fast Wi-Fi (for the specs) with good coverage
Can work as an Access Point, a Media Bridge, an Extender, or an AiMesh node (via wireless or wired backhaul)
Convenient design, excellent web interface
Cons
Modest 2×2 specs; only one Gigabit port; no Mulit-Gig support
Bulky for a snap-on device
Conclusion
The Asus AX3000 dual-band Wi-Fi 6 Range Extender is a compact, convenient Wi-Fi broadcaster for those needing to scale up Wi-Fi coverage with modest bandwidth needs.
It works especially well for homes with an existing Asus AiMesh router and is worth its current $100 price tag.
If you’re pondering between it and the older RP-AX56 model, there’s no situation where the RP-AX58 would hurt, and in relatively rare cases, it can be significantly better.
But it seems Asus has made it easier for everyone by discontinuing the RP-AX56—it still works and gets support but is no longer readily available for purchase. In other words, the RP-AX58 is meant to be the replacement instead of an alternative. And in that context, it’s excellent.
I have an Asus RT-AX86U as my primary router and three RP-AX58 as mesh AP’s. One is wired to the router and the others are wireless.
Works great.
In my router there is an option to enable 160Mhz bandwidth, would you recommend doing that or just leave it disabled?
I’d recommend leaving that setting at default and let the router use whichever appropriate, Johan.
Just come across your site – great resource for clear info.
Moving to full fibre 900Mbps early in new year in a three floor home with a separate garden office (10m away). No option for wired backhaul but need Ethernet ports for devices on top floor and in the office.
Was thinking two-unit Asus XT8 or XT9 system for the main house (one ground floor at modem and top floor), but not sure what would work best in the office?
Would an XD5 or AX58 work ok or should I just get another XT9 unit? Can the XD5 or AX58 be configured to use the same 5Ghz backhaul as the XT8/9?
Main priority is stability and reliability rather than blazing fast speeds.
Cheers for any pointers!
Check out this post, Mat. I’d go with the same hardware.
Hi,
What’s the range like on these RP-AX56/58? In particular compared to some of the cheaper ZEN nodes (XD4/XD5) (to be used as Mesh nodes with a wired backhaul)?
The ZEN devices look very small and I can’t imagine they have particularly good / big internal antennas whereas the AX56/58 appear taller suggesting they have bigger antennas?
Or would a cheap router with external antennas (e.g RT-AX55/57) give significant better WiFi range and performance? Any downsides to that?
Finally, do you think we’ll see something like an RP-AX58 with a 2.5Gb port before long as the faster 160MHz channel is of very limited use otherwise.
Many thanks,
Jon.
I’d say the range is about the same among them, Jon, give or take. More on range here. Only Asus can answer your question about new hardware with 2.5Gbps port. 🙂
I’m thinking about pairing this with a AX88U Pro for use in my condo. My unit is a tiny studio so the router will be overkill but I’m hoping to use the AX-58 to extend coverage to the rooftop patio of my building so I can work from up there. Wired backhaul and a daisy chained mesh isn’t an option since none of the space between my unit and the roof is mine. I can see the rooftop from a window in my unit so I’m hoping the reception isn’t too bad. Or maybe I should get an entire second router to use as a satellite? (Plus they have external power bricks, so power from a USB battery bank should be easier if I don’t want to be tethered to an outlet)
I can see land when flying on an airplane, Duffle, and still have no cell signal on my phone. I think you should start with this post.
I’ve read through that article and loads more. Lots of great stuff. A straight line between the window of my condo and the area I’d sit on the roof is about 23m horizontal and 23m vertical. So I don’t think range would be a problem… except for the building in the way. It would probably be a few walls and a concrete floor to pass through. Putting the AX-58 on a mast is the obvious answer, which would make it line of sight. 😄 I’ll start with the AX88U Pro and AX-58 and see if that’s any good. If the AX-58 isn’t up to the task, maybe a second AX88U Pro in AiMesh. The second benefit for me being that I could DC power the satellite router, freeing me from the areas on the roof with AC power. Or maybe I should just get a powerful USB Wifi adapter for my laptop.
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Found this site recently and love the thought and care in your posts!
You’ve mentioned that the XT8 system works best with wireless backhaul (firmware support for wired backhaul being unreliable.)
if this RP-AX58 was to extend an XT8 wireless backhaul network, would it be better wired (since its only dual band) or wireless (because of the XT8s bad support for wired.)
Looking for a small module to put in a weather proof box outside, I could run ethernet there if that best for the network
It’s always best to use wired backhauling, Andrew. In a wireles setup, the RT-AX58 will work as a client to the XT8 — it’ll connect to the 5GHz-1 band.
I have two ZenWifi AX in AiMesh, but I need to get better coverage outdoors. Does Asus make anything rated for outdoors or should I consider something from EnGenius and have it act as an Access Point?
PoE outdoor access point is the way to go, AJ. This one is a good candidate.
Can I use the LAN port for this to connect my PC? My setup will be like this : router->wireless to ax58->wired to PC. I already have a LAN cable installed here. Will it work this way?
That depends on how you set it up. But the quick answer is yes.
Hi Dong, this means that in Wireless Extender mode, the Gigabit port can be used to connect a client device?
That’s the case, in any mode where the port is not used for the backhaul link, Fazli.
Hi and thank you for all your great articles!
I’m wondering if you would consider these to be decent nodes in a ZenWiFi Pro XT12 AiMesh setup (wireless backhaul) for areas with lower bandwidth requirements? If not, what alternatives would you recommend for this purpose.
Thank you in advance!
Yes, I would, Paolo. Go for it.
Thank you Dong for clarifying this issue.
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