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ASUS RT AC51U Review | 77 Data compared

Avg. price in UK:~£35Avg. price in US:~$40Wi-Fi version:Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)Wi-Fi speed:733 MbpsLAN port speeds:100 MbpsMesh Wi-Fi:no

ASUS RT AC51U Review: Compare 77 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Routers category and whether it is worth buying.

7.0

Overall score

Score
7.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of the router's quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference to identify the best routers on the market.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 53% of models
Score components

90%

6.9

Technical Score

10%

8.7

User score

â–²Better than 53% of routers
6.9

Technical Score

Technical score
6.9/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of the router's technical performance, covering key areas such as Wi-Fi performance, wired connectivity, security, software features, coverage, and design.
When it matters
When you want to compare routers based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 52% of models
Score components

26%

5.3

Wireless

20%

5.5

Ports

18%

9.7

Networking

14%

9.1

Security

12%

4.8

Hardware

10%

7.9

Management

â–¼Worse than 52% of routers
8.7

User score

User score
8.7/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the router.
When it matters
When you want to know how a router performs in daily use and how reliable it is for speed, coverage, and stability according to user feedback.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 81% of models
Score components

70%

8.4

User reviews

30%

9.5

Popularity

User score:
United Kingdom
amazon
4.2
(4779)
amazon
4.0
(384)
amazon
4.0
(154)
United States
Amazon_logo.png
4.3
(869)
Amazon_logo.png
4.0
(372)
Amazon_logo.png
4.0
(154)
Amazon_logo.png
3.1
(10)

(Reviews last updated: May 2026)

â–²Better than 81% of routers
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Best prices in UK

Best rankings

Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Verdict

The ASUS RT-AC51U is an AC750 dual-band Wi-Fi 5 router that delivers combined wireless speeds of up to 733 Mbps, with 300 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 433 Mbps on the 5 GHz band. Its primary characteristics include a versatile USB 2.0 port for printer sharing, storage, or 3G/4G dongle support, alongside two high-gain external antennas that enhance coverage by up to 150%. Main pros include an extremely simple 30-second setup via the ASUSWRT dashboard, VPN server capabilities, and advanced parental controls. However, notable cons include its limitation to Fast Ethernet (10/100 Mbps) WAN and LAN ports, which caps wired internet speeds at 100 Mbps regardless of higher wireless ratings, and the lack of MU-MIMO technology for managing multiple high-demand devices simultaneously.

Technical Specifications of router ASUS RT AC51U

Technical Score
Technical score
6.9/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of the router's technical performance, covering key areas such as Wi-Fi performance, wired connectivity, security, software features, coverage, and design.
When it matters
When you want to compare routers based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 52% of models
Score components:

26%

5.3

Wireless

20%

5.5

Ports

18%

9.7

Networking

14%

9.1

Security

12%

4.8

Hardware

10%

7.9

Management

6.9
ASUS RT AC51U has a technical score of 6.9 points, which is lower than that of 52% of products in this category.
User score
User score
8.7/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the router.
When it matters
When you want to know how a router performs in daily use and how reliable it is for speed, coverage, and stability according to user feedback.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 81% of models
Score components

70%

8.4

User reviews

30%

9.5

Popularity

User score:
United Kingdom
amazon
4.2
(4779)
amazon
4.0
(384)
amazon
4.0
(154)
United States
Amazon_logo.png
4.3
(869)
Amazon_logo.png
4.0
(372)
Amazon_logo.png
4.0
(154)
Amazon_logo.png
3.1
(10)

(Reviews last updated: May 2026)

8.7
ASUS RT AC51U has a user score of 8.68 points, which is higher than that of 81.4% of products in this category.
Popularity
Popularity
9.5/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the router.
When it matters
When you prefer to choose a router reviewed and selected by many other buyers.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 89% of models
Popularity:
ASUS RT AC51U has a popularity score of 9.5 points, which is higher than that of 88.7% of products in this category.
9.5
ASUS RT AC51U has a popularity score of 9.5 points, which is higher than that of 88.7% of products in this category.
Ratio quality/price
Value for money
7.9/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the router's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a router with a good balance between network performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 54% of models
Score components:

60%

7.0

Overall score

40%

10

Price

7.9
ASUS RT AC51U has a value-for-money score of 7.9 points, which is higher than that of 53.7% of products in this category.
Brand name
Asus
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
â–² Better than 39% of models
This router uses Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), which is more advanced than 39.5% of routers and equal to 25.3% of routers.
Wi-Fi bands
2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
Wi-Fi bands
2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
â–² Better than 25% of models
This router supports 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands, which are more versatile than 24.8% of routers and equal to 68.1% of routers.
Wi-Fi speed
733 Mbps
Wi-Fi speed
733 Mbps
â–¼ Worse than 66% of models
Market range: <0 Mbps – >6k Mbps
This router delivers 733 Mbps Wi-Fi speed, which is lower than 66.4% of routers.
Channel widths supported
20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz
Channel widths supported
20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz
â–² Better than 41% of models
This router supports 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz channel width options, which is more than 40.9% of routers and the same as 31.6% of routers.
Show more
Wi-Fi security protocols
WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS
Wi-Fi security protocols
WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS
â–¼ Worse than 67% of models
This router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS Wi-Fi security protocols, which are less advanced than 67.5% of routers and equal to 11.6% of routers.
DoS protection
yes
DoS protection
yes
â–² Better than 13% of models
This router includes DoS protection. 12.8% of routers include DoS protection.
SPI intrusion protection
yes
SPI intrusion protection
yes
â–² Better than 6% of models
This router includes SPI-based intrusion protection. 6.1% of routers include SPI-based intrusion protection.
MAC address filtering
yes
MAC address filtering
yes
â–² Better than 2% of models
This router supports MAC address filtering. 2.2% of routers include MAC address filtering.
URL filter
yes
URL filter
yes
â–² Better than 3% of models
This router supports URL filtering. 3.4% of routers include URL filtering.
Show more
IPv6 support
yes
IPv6 support
yes
â–² Better than 12% of models
This router supports IPv6. 11.5% of routers are IPv6-ready.
Dynamic routing
yes
Dynamic routing
yes
â–² Better than 48% of models
This router supports dynamic routing. 47.8% of routers support dynamic routing.
Inter-VLAN routing
no
Inter-VLAN routing
no
â–¼ Worse than 24% of models
This router does not support inter-VLAN routing. 23.5% of routers support inter-VLAN routing.
VLAN tagging
yes
VLAN tagging
yes
â–² Better than 38% of models
This router supports VLAN tagging. 38.2% of routers include VLAN tagging.
QoS
yes
QoS
yes
â–² Better than 3% of models
This router includes QoS controls. 3.2% of routers include QoS controls.
Show more
N. of LAN ports
4
N. of LAN ports
4
â–² Better than 24% of models
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 4 LAN ports, which is more than 23.7% of routers and the same as 69.2% of routers.
LAN port speeds
100 Mbps
LAN port speeds
100 Mbps
â–¼ Worse than 73% of models
This router offers 100 Mbps on its LAN ports, which is slower than 73.2% of routers and on par with 26.4% of routers.
N. of WAN ports
1
N. of WAN ports
1
â–¼ Worse than 9% of models
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 1 WAN ports, which is more than 1% of routers and the same as 90.1% of routers.
N. of USB ports
1
N. of USB ports
1
â–² Better than 39% of models
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 1 USB ports, which is more than 39.5% of routers and the same as 39.5% of routers.
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
no
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
no
Category Benchmark
This router does not support Power over Ethernet (PoE). 0.5% of routers can be powered over Ethernet.
Show more
Management interface
Web UI, App
Management interface
Web UI, App
â–² Better than 33% of models
This router uses Web UI, App for management, which is more advanced than 33.4% of routers and equal to 57% of routers.
Firmware upgrade method
Web UI, App, Automatic
Firmware upgrade method
Web UI, App, Automatic
â–² Better than 79% of models
This router supports Web UI, App, Automatic firmware update methods, which are more convenient than 78.9% of routers and equal to 19.9% of routers.
Traffic monitoring
yes
Traffic monitoring
yes
â–² Better than 18% of models
This router includes traffic monitoring. 18.1% of routers include traffic monitoring.
Guest Wi-Fi network
yes
Guest Wi-Fi network
yes
â–² Better than 9% of models
This router offers a guest Wi‑Fi network. 8.6% of routers offer a guest Wi‑Fi network.
Captive portal
no
Captive portal
no
â–¼ Worse than 24% of models
This router does not offer captive portal features. 23.5% of routers offer captive portal features.
Show more
CPU clock speed
0.9 GHz
CPU clock speed
0.9 GHz
â–¼ Worse than 56% of models
This router runs at 0.9 GHz, which is slower than 55.9% of routers and on par with 0.3% of routers.
RAM capacity
64 MB
RAM capacity
64 MB
â–¼ Worse than 69% of models
Market range: <0 MB – >1k MB
This router has 64 MB of RAM, which is less than 69% of routers and the same as 14.3% of routers.
Internal storage
0.007812 GB
Internal storage
0.007812 GB
â–¼ Worse than 73% of models
Market range: <0 GB – >0.5 GB
This router has 0.007812 GB of internal storage, which is less than 72.7% of routers and the same as 20.6% of routers.
Hardware acceleration
no
Hardware acceleration
no
â–¼ Worse than 69% of models
This router does not offer hardware acceleration. 68.9% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
N. of external antennas
2
N. of external antennas
2
â–² Better than 45% of models
Market range: <0 – >10
This router has 2 external antennas, which is more than 45.1% of routers and the same as 13.1% of routers.
Show more

ASUS RT AC51U vs the average router

246810TotalWirelessSecurityNetworkingPortsManagementHardware
  • Supports automatic failover
    Automatic failover
    yes
    â–² Better than 75% of models
    This router offers automatic failover, while the average router does not. 24.9% of routers offer automatic failover.
  • 5.67 W lower power consumption
    Power consumption
    2.43 W
    ★ Better than 92% of models
    Market range: <3 W – >18 W
    This router uses less power than the average router (2.4 W vs 8.1 W). The average router uses 8.1 W power.
    2.43 W vs 8.1 W
  • 8.6% higher user score
    User score
    8.7/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the router.
    When it matters
    When you want to know how a router performs in daily use and how reliable it is for speed, coverage, and stability according to user feedback.
    Score distribution
    â–¼
    â–¼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    ASUS RT AC51U
    the average router
    ★ Better than 94% of models
    ASUS RT AC51U has a higher user score than the average router (8.68 vs 8.000).
    8.68 vs 8
  • 44.6% more popular
    ASUS RT AC51U is more popular than the average router (9.45 vs 6.5).
    9.45 vs 6.54
  • 2.57x cheaper
    ASUS RT AC51U is cheaper than the average router (£35 vs £90).
    £35 vs £90
  • 1 more internal antennas
    N. of internal antennas
    1
    â–² Better than 56% of models
    Market range: <0 – >10
    This router has more internal antennas than the average router (1 vs 0). The average router has 0 internal antennas.
    1 vs 0
  • 8.6% higher user score
    User score
    8.7/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the router.
    When it matters
    When you want to know how a router performs in daily use and how reliable it is for speed, coverage, and stability according to user feedback.
    Score distribution
    â–¼
    â–¼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    ASUS RT AC51U
    the average router
    ★ Better than 94% of models
    ASUS RT AC51U has a higher user score than the average router (8.68 vs 8.000).
    8.68 vs 8
  • 44.6% more popular
    ASUS RT AC51U is more popular than the average router (9.45 vs 6.5).
    9.45 vs 6.54
  • 2.57x cheaper
    ASUS RT AC51U is cheaper than the average router (£35 vs £90).
    £35 vs £90
  • Supports automatic failover
    Automatic failover
    yes
    â–² Better than 75% of models
    This router offers automatic failover, while the average router does not. 24.9% of routers offer automatic failover.
  • 5.67 W lower power consumption
    Power consumption
    2.43 W
    ★ Better than 92% of models
    Market range: <3 W – >18 W
    This router uses less power than the average router (2.4 W vs 8.1 W). The average router uses 8.1 W power.
    2.43 W vs 8.1 W
  • 1 more internal antennas
    N. of internal antennas
    1
    â–² Better than 56% of models
    Market range: <0 – >10
    This router has more internal antennas than the average router (1 vs 0). The average router has 0 internal antennas.
    1 vs 0
  • Slower LAN ports
    LAN port speeds
    100 Mbps
    â–¼ Worse than 73% of models
    This router has a lower LAN port speed than the average router (100 Mbps vs 1 Gbps). The average router has a LAN port speed of 1 Gbps.
    100 Mbps vs 1 Gbps
  • No hardware acceleration
    Hardware acceleration
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 69% of models
    This router does not offer hardware acceleration, while the average router does. 68.7% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
  • 75% less RAM
    RAM capacity
    64 MB
    â–¼ Worse than 69% of models
    Market range: <0 MB – >1k MB
    This router has less RAM than the average router (64 MB vs 256 MB). The average router has 256 MB of RAM.
    64 MB vs 256 MB
  • 2 fewer spatial streams
    N. of spatial streams
    1
    â–¼ Worse than 91% of models
    Market range: <0 – >10
    This router has fewer spatial streams than the average router (1 vs 3). The average router has 3 spatial streams.
    1 vs 3
  • 50.3% slower Wi-Fi speed
    Wi-Fi speed
    733 Mbps
    â–¼ Worse than 66% of models
    Market range: <0 Mbps – >6k Mbps
    This router has a lower Wi-Fi speed than the average router (733 Mbps vs 1475 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1475 Mbps.
    733 Mbps vs 1,475 Mbps
  • Less capable NAS services
    Built-in NAS services
    SMB, FTP, media server
    â–² Better than 56% of models
    This router includes SMB, FTP, media server NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access.
    SMB, FTP, media server vs SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access
  • No band steering
    Band steering
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 52% of models
    This router does not support band steering, while the average router does. 51.8% of routers support band steering.
  • 93.8% less internal storage
    Internal storage
    0.007812 GB
    â–¼ Worse than 73% of models
    Market range: <0 GB – >0.5 GB
    This router has less internal storage than the average router (0 GB vs 0.1 GB). The average router offers 0.125 GB of internal storage.
    0.007812 GB vs 0.125 GB
  • 2 fewer spatial streams
    N. of spatial streams
    1
    â–¼ Worse than 91% of models
    Market range: <0 – >10
    This router has fewer spatial streams than the average router (1 vs 3). The average router has 3 spatial streams.
    1 vs 3
  • 50.3% slower Wi-Fi speed
    Wi-Fi speed
    733 Mbps
    â–¼ Worse than 66% of models
    Market range: <0 Mbps – >6k Mbps
    This router has a lower Wi-Fi speed than the average router (733 Mbps vs 1475 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1475 Mbps.
    733 Mbps vs 1,475 Mbps
  • No band steering
    Band steering
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 52% of models
    This router does not support band steering, while the average router does. 51.8% of routers support band steering.
  • Slower LAN ports
    LAN port speeds
    100 Mbps
    â–¼ Worse than 73% of models
    This router has a lower LAN port speed than the average router (100 Mbps vs 1 Gbps). The average router has a LAN port speed of 1 Gbps.
    100 Mbps vs 1 Gbps
  • Less capable NAS services
    Built-in NAS services
    SMB, FTP, media server
    â–² Better than 56% of models
    This router includes SMB, FTP, media server NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access.
    SMB, FTP, media server vs SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access
  • No hardware acceleration
    Hardware acceleration
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 69% of models
    This router does not offer hardware acceleration, while the average router does. 68.7% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
  • 75% less RAM
    RAM capacity
    64 MB
    â–¼ Worse than 69% of models
    Market range: <0 MB – >1k MB
    This router has less RAM than the average router (64 MB vs 256 MB). The average router has 256 MB of RAM.
    64 MB vs 256 MB
  • 93.8% less internal storage
    Internal storage
    0.007812 GB
    â–¼ Worse than 73% of models
    Market range: <0 GB – >0.5 GB
    This router has less internal storage than the average router (0 GB vs 0.1 GB). The average router offers 0.125 GB of internal storage.
    0.007812 GB vs 0.125 GB

Graphic comparison of ASUS RT AC51U and other routers

No results found

Third-party reviews

United Kingdom
amazon
4.2
4779 Reviews
amazon
4.0
384 Reviews
amazon
4.0
154 Reviews
United States
Amazon_logo.png
4.3
869 Reviews
Amazon_logo.png
4.0
372 Reviews
Amazon_logo.png
4.0
154 Reviews
Amazon_logo.png
3.1
10 Reviews

(Reviews last updated: May 2026)

What customers like about ASUS RT AC51U?

  • Excellent value for money and very affordable price point
  • Intuitive ASUSWRT interface and powerful mobile app for easy setup and management
  • Multipurpose USB port supports file sharing, printer sharing, and 3G/4G dongles
  • Stable performance for basic home tasks with simultaneous dual-band support
  • Low energy consumption (only 5W during operation)
  • Includes useful advanced features like VPN server (PPTP), Guest SSIDs, and AiCloud

What customers dislike about ASUS RT AC51U?

  • Limited to 100Mbps Ethernet ports (both WAN and LAN), which bottlenecks faster fiber connections
  • Weak Wi-Fi signal penetration through thick walls or over long distances
  • Lacks support for Apple Time Machine backups on USB-attached storage
  • VPN server performance can be slow with high-level encryption (e.g., OpenVPN)
  • USB port stability can sometimes be inconsistent according to some users

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

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