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Scored using Routers Methodology v1.0
Routers Methodology v1.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are evaluated mathematically under Frontumo Routers Methodology v1.0 using verified laboratory benchmarks, technical specifications, and authentic consumer ratings with 0% commercial bias.
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ASUS RT N16 Review | 77 Data compared

Avg. price:~£280Wi-Fi version:Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)Wi-Fi speed:300 MbpsLAN port speeds:1 GbpsMesh Wi-Fi:no

ASUS RT N16 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 50% of models
Score components

90%

6.9

Technical score

10%

7.4

User score

â–²Better than 50% 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–² Better than 50% of models
Score components

26%

4.8

Wireless

20%

6.3

Ports

18%

9.3

Networking

14%

8.9

Security

12%

6.2

Hardware

10%

7.7

Management

â–²Better than 50% of routers
7.4

User score

User score
7.4/ 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–¼ Worse than 83% of models
Score components

70%

8.8

User ratings

30%

4.3

Number of reviews

Based on 27 buyer reviews from online shops.
Read buyer reviews on Amazon →
How we calculate this
User ratings – average star rating across all shop listings, weighted by how many reviews each has, on a 1–10 scale.
Number of reviews – how many buyer reviews the product has, on a logarithmic scale; the 8% most-reviewed models in the category get 10.
â–¼Worse than 83% of routers
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Best prices

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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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Technical Specifications of router ASUS RT N16

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–² Better than 50% of models
Score components:

26%

4.8

Wireless

20%

6.3

Ports

18%

9.3

Networking

14%

8.9

Security

12%

6.2

Hardware

10%

7.7

Management

6.9
User score
User score
7.4/ 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–¼ Worse than 83% of models
Score components

70%

8.8

User ratings

30%

4.3

Number of reviews

Based on 27 buyer reviews from online shops.
Read buyer reviews on Amazon →
How we calculate this
User ratings – average star rating across all shop listings, weighted by how many reviews each has, on a 1–10 scale.
Number of reviews – how many buyer reviews the product has, on a logarithmic scale; the 8% most-reviewed models in the category get 10.
7.4
Popularity
Popularity
4.3/ 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–¼ Worse than 64% of models
Popularity:
ASUS RT N16 has a popularity score of 4.3 points, which is lower than that of 64% of products in this category.
4.3
Value for money
Value for money
7.6/ 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–¼ Worse than 66% of models
Score components:

60%

7.0

Overall score

40%

9.0

Price

7.6
Brand name
Asus
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
â–¼ Worse than 61% of models
This router uses Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), which is less advanced than 60.8% of routers and equal to 37.3% of routers.
Wi-Fi bands
2.4 GHz
Wi-Fi bands
2.4 GHz
â–¼ Worse than 75% of models
This router supports 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi bands, which are less versatile than 75.4% of routers and equal to 22.4% of routers.
Wi-Fi speed
300 Mbps
Wi-Fi speed
300 Mbps
â–¼ Worse than 74% of models
Market range: <0 Mbps – >6k Mbps
This router delivers 300 Mbps Wi-Fi speed, which is lower than 73.7% of routers and equal to 16.8% of routers.
Channel widths supported
20 MHz + 40 MHz
Channel widths supported
20 MHz + 40 MHz
â–¼ Worse than 59% of models
This router supports 20 MHz + 40 MHz channel width options, which is fewer than 59.3% of routers and the same as 35.1% of routers.
Show more
Wi-Fi security protocols
WPA2, WPA, WEP, 802.1X
Wi-Fi security protocols
WPA2, WPA, WEP, 802.1X
â–¼ Worse than 62% of models
This router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP, 802.1X Wi-Fi security protocols, which are less advanced than 62.3% of routers and equal to 4.9% 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
no
MAC address filtering
no
â–¼ Worse than 98% of models
This router does not support MAC address filtering. 98% 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
yes
Inter-VLAN routing
yes
â–² Better than 77% of models
This router supports inter-VLAN routing. 76.7% 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
1 Gbps
LAN port speeds
1 Gbps
â–² Better than 27% of models
This router offers 1 Gbps on its LAN ports, which is faster than 27.1% of routers and on par with 59.9% 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
2
N. of USB ports
2
â–² Better than 79% of models
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 2 USB ports, which is more than 79.2% of routers and the same as 20.6% 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, CLI
Management interface
Web UI, App, CLI
★ Better than 96% of models
This router uses Web UI, App, CLI for management, which is more advanced than 96.3% of routers and equal to 1.2% of routers.
Firmware upgrade method
Web UI
Firmware upgrade method
Web UI
â–¼ Worse than 70% of models
This router supports Web UI firmware update methods, which are less convenient than 69.5% of routers and equal to 29.7% 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
1x 0.48 GHz
CPU clock speed
1x 0.48 GHz
â–¼ Worse than 81% of models
This router runs at 1x0.48 GHz, which is slower than 81.3% of routers and on par with 0.3% of routers.
RAM capacity
128 MB
RAM capacity
128 MB
â–¼ Worse than 52% of models
Market range: <0 MB – >1k MB
This router has 128 MB of RAM, which is less than 51.6% of routers and the same as 17.1% of routers.
Internal storage
0.03125 GB
Internal storage
0.03125 GB
â–¼ Worse than 56% of models
Market range: <0 GB – >0.5 GB
This router has 0.03125 GB of internal storage, which is less than 55.8% of routers and the same as 2.5% of routers.
Hardware acceleration
yes
Hardware acceleration
yes
â–² Better than 31% of models
This router offers hardware acceleration. 31.4% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
N. of external antennas
3
N. of external antennas
3
â–² Better than 58% of models
Market range: <0 – >10
This router has 3 external antennas, which is more than 58.4% of routers and the same as 13.3% of routers.
Show more

ASUS RT N16 vs the average router

246810TotalWirelessSecurityNetworkingPortsManagementHardware
  • Better management tools
    Management interface
    Web UI, App, CLI
    ★ Better than 96% of models
    This router uses the management interface Web UI, App, CLI, while the average router uses Web UI, App.
    Web UI, App, CLI vs Web UI, App
  • 285,012 more NAT sessions
    NAT concurrent sessions
    300,000
    â–² Better than 80% of models
    Market range: <0 – >300k
    This router has more concurrent NAT sessions than the average router (300,000 vs 14,988). The average router supports 14,988 concurrent NAT sessions.
    300,000 vs 14,988
  • 1 more USB ports
    N. of USB ports
    2
    â–² Better than 79% of models
    Market range: <0 – >5
    This router has more USB ports than the average router (2 vs 1). The average router has 1 USB ports.
    2 vs 1
  • Supports inter-VLAN routing
    Inter-VLAN routing
    yes
    â–² Better than 77% of models
    This router supports inter-VLAN routing, while the average router does not. 23.5% of routers support inter-VLAN routing.
  • Suitable for gaming
    Suitable for gaming
    yes
    â–² Better than 63% of models
    This router is designed for gaming, while the average router is not. 36.9% of routers are designed for gaming.
  • 3.1 W lower power consumption
    Power consumption
    5 W
    â–² Better than 74% of models
    Market range: <3 W – >18 W
    This router uses less power than the average router (5 W vs 8.1 W). The average router uses 8.1 W power.
    5 W vs 8.1 W
  • Removable antennas
    Removable antennas
    yes
    â–² Better than 73% of models
    This router has removable antennas, while the average router does not. 27.4% of routers have removable antennas.
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    Wi-Fi security protocols
    WPA2, WPA, WEP, 802.1X
    â–¼ Worse than 62% of models
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA2, WPA, WEP, 802.1X, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS.
    WPA2, WPA, WEP, 802.1X vs WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    Wi-Fi security protocols
    WPA2, WPA, WEP, 802.1X
    â–¼ Worse than 62% of models
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA2, WPA, WEP, 802.1X, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS.
    WPA2, WPA, WEP, 802.1X vs WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS
  • 285,012 more NAT sessions
    NAT concurrent sessions
    300,000
    â–² Better than 80% of models
    Market range: <0 – >300k
    This router has more concurrent NAT sessions than the average router (300,000 vs 14,988). The average router supports 14,988 concurrent NAT sessions.
    300,000 vs 14,988
  • Supports inter-VLAN routing
    Inter-VLAN routing
    yes
    â–² Better than 77% of models
    This router supports inter-VLAN routing, while the average router does not. 23.5% of routers support inter-VLAN routing.
  • 1 more USB ports
    N. of USB ports
    2
    â–² Better than 79% of models
    Market range: <0 – >5
    This router has more USB ports than the average router (2 vs 1). The average router has 1 USB ports.
    2 vs 1
  • Better management tools
    Management interface
    Web UI, App, CLI
    ★ Better than 96% of models
    This router uses the management interface Web UI, App, CLI, while the average router uses Web UI, App.
    Web UI, App, CLI vs Web UI, App
  • Suitable for gaming
    Suitable for gaming
    yes
    â–² Better than 63% of models
    This router is designed for gaming, while the average router is not. 36.9% of routers are designed for gaming.
  • 3.1 W lower power consumption
    Power consumption
    5 W
    â–² Better than 74% of models
    Market range: <3 W – >18 W
    This router uses less power than the average router (5 W vs 8.1 W). The average router uses 8.1 W power.
    5 W vs 8.1 W
  • Removable antennas
    Removable antennas
    yes
    â–² Better than 73% of models
    This router has removable antennas, while the average router does not. 27.4% of routers have removable antennas.
  • Limited firmware updates
    Firmware upgrade method
    Web UI
    â–¼ Worse than 70% of models
    This router supports the firmware update methods Web UI, while the average router supports Web UI, App, Automatic.
    Web UI vs Web UI, App, Automatic
  • Older Wi-Fi version
    Wi-Fi version
    Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
    â–¼ Worse than 61% of models
    This router uses an older Wi-Fi version than the average router (Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)). The average router uses Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).
    Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • Fewer Wi-Fi bands
    Wi-Fi bands
    2.4 GHz
    â–¼ Worse than 75% of models
    This router supports fewer Wi-Fi bands than the average router (2.4 GHz vs 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz). The average router supports 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands.
    2.4 GHz vs 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
  • 79.7% slower Wi-Fi speed
    Wi-Fi speed
    300 Mbps
    â–¼ Worse than 74% of models
    Market range: <0 Mbps – >6k Mbps
    This router has a lower Wi-Fi speed than the average router (300 Mbps vs 1475 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1475 Mbps.
    300 Mbps vs 1,475 Mbps
  • Narrower channel widths
    Channel widths supported
    20 MHz + 40 MHz
    â–¼ Worse than 59% of models
    This router has a lower supported channel width than the average router (20 MHz + 40 MHz vs 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz). The average router supports channel width of 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz.
    20 MHz + 40 MHz vs 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz
  • Lower CPU clock speed
    CPU clock speed
    1 x 0.48 GHz
    â–¼ Worse than 81% of models
    This router has a lower CPU clock speed than the average router (1x0.48 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz). The average router has a CPU clock speed of 2x0.5 GHz.
    1x0.48 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz
  • 50% less RAM
    RAM capacity
    128 MB
    â–¼ Worse than 52% of models
    Market range: <0 MB – >1k MB
    This router has less RAM than the average router (128 MB vs 256 MB). The average router has 256 MB of RAM.
    128 MB vs 256 MB
  • 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.
  • 3.11x more expensive
    ASUS RT N16 is more expensive than the average router (£280 vs £90).
    £280 vs £90
  • 7.5% lower user score
    User score
    7.4/ 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
    ▼▼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    ASUS RT N16
    the average router
    ASUS RT N16 has a lower user score than the average router (7.44 vs 8.000).
    7.44 vs 8
  • 52.6% less popular
    ASUS RT N16 is less popular than the average router (4.28 vs 6.5).
    4.28 vs 6.54
  • 3% worse value for money
    ASUS RT N16 has worse value for money than the average router (7.59 vs 7.8).
    7.59 vs 7.82
  • Older Wi-Fi version
    Wi-Fi version
    Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
    â–¼ Worse than 61% of models
    This router uses an older Wi-Fi version than the average router (Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)). The average router uses Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).
    Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • Fewer Wi-Fi bands
    Wi-Fi bands
    2.4 GHz
    â–¼ Worse than 75% of models
    This router supports fewer Wi-Fi bands than the average router (2.4 GHz vs 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz). The average router supports 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands.
    2.4 GHz vs 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
  • 79.7% slower Wi-Fi speed
    Wi-Fi speed
    300 Mbps
    â–¼ Worse than 74% of models
    Market range: <0 Mbps – >6k Mbps
    This router has a lower Wi-Fi speed than the average router (300 Mbps vs 1475 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1475 Mbps.
    300 Mbps vs 1,475 Mbps
  • Narrower channel widths
    Channel widths supported
    20 MHz + 40 MHz
    â–¼ Worse than 59% of models
    This router has a lower supported channel width than the average router (20 MHz + 40 MHz vs 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz). The average router supports channel width of 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz.
    20 MHz + 40 MHz vs 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz
  • 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.
  • No beamforming
    Beamforming
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 57% of models
    This router does not support beamforming, while the average router does. 56.7% of routers support beamforming.
  • No MAC address filtering
    MAC address filtering
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 98% of models
    This router does not support MAC address filtering, while the average router does. 97.8% of routers support MAC address filtering.
  • Limited firmware updates
    Firmware upgrade method
    Web UI
    â–¼ Worse than 70% of models
    This router supports the firmware update methods Web UI, while the average router supports Web UI, App, Automatic.
    Web UI vs Web UI, App, Automatic
  • Less capable NAS services
    Built-in NAS services
    SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS
    â–² Better than 69% of models
    This router includes SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access.
    SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS vs SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access
  • Lower CPU clock speed
    CPU clock speed
    1 x 0.48 GHz
    â–¼ Worse than 81% of models
    This router has a lower CPU clock speed than the average router (1x0.48 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz). The average router has a CPU clock speed of 2x0.5 GHz.
    1x0.48 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz
  • 50% less RAM
    RAM capacity
    128 MB
    â–¼ Worse than 52% of models
    Market range: <0 MB – >1k MB
    This router has less RAM than the average router (128 MB vs 256 MB). The average router has 256 MB of RAM.
    128 MB vs 256 MB
  • 6 older release date
    Release date
    2009
    â–¼ Worse than 94% of models
    Market range: <2k – >2k
    This router is an older model than the average router (2009 vs 2015). The average router release year is 2015.
    June 2009
    2009 vs 2015
  • 75% less internal storage
    Internal storage
    0.03125 GB
    â–¼ Worse than 56% 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.
    0.03125 GB vs 0.125 GB

Video reviews

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

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Third-party reviews

Based on 27 buyer reviews from online shops.
Reviews last updated: October 2026 · How we calculate this
Read buyer reviews on Amazon →

What we like about ASUS RT N16

  • Excellent hardware specifications including a powerful processor and ample RAM for its class
  • Strong support for third-party, open-source firmware like DD-WRT and Tomato
  • Includes Gigabit Ethernet ports (1 WAN, 4 LAN) for high-speed wired connections
  • Dual USB 2.0 ports support printer sharing and basic network-attached storage (NAS)
  • User-friendly web interface (EZ UI) with helpful visual network mapping
  • Strong wireless signal strength and stable coverage once configured correctly

What we don't like about ASUS RT N16

  • Stock firmware is often reported as buggy, unstable, or prone to signal drops
  • Single-band only (2.4GHz); lacks support for the less congested 5GHz band
  • USB ports may not provide enough power for some bus-powered portable hard drives
  • Bulky physical design that is larger than many comparable routers
  • Built-in media server is not DLNA certified, which can cause issues with some consoles
  • Slow data transfer speeds when used as a NAS compared to dedicated storage devices

Verdict

The Asus RT-N16 is a single-band 2.4GHz wireless-N router featuring a 533MHz Broadcom CPU, 128MB of DDR2 RAM, and 32MB of flash memory. It offers high-speed connectivity with five Gigabit Ethernet ports (1 WAN, 4 LAN) and two USB 2.0 ports that support printer sharing, FTP file services, and standalone BitTorrent downloads via ASUS Download Master. Main advantages include its robust support for third-party open-source firmware like DD-WRT or Tomato, three external detachable antennas for extended coverage, and the ability to handle up to 300,000 concurrent sessions for heavy P2P usage. However, the device is limited by its lack of a 5GHz band, relatively slow USB file transfer speeds, and reported stability issues when using the original stock firmware.

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