OVERALL
ALTERNATIVES
SPECS
VS AVERAGE
REVIEWS

Mercusys AC12 Review | 77 Data compared

Avg. price in UK:~£25Avg. price in US:~$20Wi-Fi version:Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)Wi-Fi speed:1200 MbpsLAN port speeds:100 MbpsMesh Wi-Fi:no

Mercusys AC12 Review: Compare 77 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Routers category and whether it is worth buying.

6.4

Overall score

Score
6.4/ 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–¼ Worse than 76% of models
Score components

90%

6.2

Technical Score

10%

7.8

User score

â–¼Worse than 76% of routers
6.2

Technical Score

Technical score
6.2/ 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 79% of models
Score components

26%

5.3

Wireless

20%

4.6

Ports

18%

8.5

Networking

14%

7.7

Security

12%

4.9

Hardware

10%

7.1

Management

â–¼Worse than 79% of routers
7.8

User score

User score
7.8/ 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 74% of models
Score components

70%

8.1

User reviews

30%

7.3

Popularity

User score:
United Kingdom
amazon
4.0
(433)
amazon
4.2
(130)
amazon
3.8
(29)

(Reviews last updated: May 2026)

â–¼Worse than 74% of routers
  • mercusys-ac12
  • mercusys-ac12
  • mercusys-ac12
  • mercusys-ac12
  • mercusys-ac12
  • mercusys-ac12
  • mercusys-ac12
mercusys-ac12
mercusys-ac12
mercusys-ac12
mercusys-ac12
mercusys-ac12
mercusys-ac12
mercusys-ac12

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.
Loading category ranking...

Verdict

The Mercusys AC12 is an AC1200 Dual Band Wireless Router designed for SOHO networks, delivering concurrent Wi-Fi speeds of up to 300Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 867Mbps on the 5GHz band. Key characteristics include four external 5dBi antennas for expanded coverage, 2x2 MIMO technology for efficient data transmission, and a 4-port 10/100Mbps switch for wired connections. Its primary pros are easy three-step web-based setup, support for Guest Networks, and compatibility with IPv6 and IPTV services. However, a notable con is that its LAN and WAN ports are limited to Fast Ethernet (10/100Mbps) rather than Gigabit speeds, which can bottleneck high-speed internet plans.

Technical Specifications of router Mercusys AC12

Technical Score
Technical score
6.2/ 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 79% of models
Score components:

26%

5.3

Wireless

20%

4.6

Ports

18%

8.5

Networking

14%

7.7

Security

12%

4.9

Hardware

10%

7.1

Management

6.2
Mercusys AC12 has a technical score of 6.2 points, which is lower than that of 78.7% of products in this category.
User score
User score
7.8/ 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 74% of models
Score components

70%

8.1

User reviews

30%

7.3

Popularity

User score:
United Kingdom
amazon
4.0
(433)
amazon
4.2
(130)
amazon
3.8
(29)

(Reviews last updated: May 2026)

7.8
Mercusys AC12 has a user score of 7.83 points, which is lower than that of 74% of products in this category.
Popularity
Popularity
7.3/ 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–² Better than 57% of models
Popularity:
Mercusys AC12 has a popularity score of 7.3 points, which is higher than that of 57.1% of products in this category.
7.3
Mercusys AC12 has a popularity score of 7.3 points, which is higher than that of 57.1% of products in this category.
Ratio quality/price
Value for money
7.5/ 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 75% of models
Score components:

60%

6.4

Overall score

40%

10

Price

7.5
Mercusys AC12 has a value-for-money score of 7.5 points, which is lower than that of 66.7% of products in this category.
Brand name
Mercusys
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
1,200 Mbps
Wi-Fi speed
1,200 Mbps
â–¼ Worse than 52% of models
Market range: <0 Mbps – >6k Mbps
This router delivers 1,200 Mbps Wi-Fi speed, which is lower than 52.1% of routers and equal to 5.8% 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
Wi-Fi security protocols
WPA2, WPA
â–¼ Worse than 81% of models
This router supports WPA2, WPA Wi-Fi security protocols, which are less advanced than 81.3% of routers and equal to 8.1% of routers.
DoS protection
no
DoS protection
no
â–¼ Worse than 87% of models
This router does not include DoS protection. 87.5% of routers include DoS protection.
SPI intrusion protection
no
SPI intrusion protection
no
â–¼ Worse than 94% of models
This router does not include SPI-based intrusion protection. 94.1% 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
no
Dynamic routing
no
â–¼ Worse than 52% of models
This router does not support dynamic routing. 52.5% 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
3
N. of LAN ports
3
â–¼ Worse than 77% of models
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 3 LAN ports, which is fewer than 76.6% of routers and the same as 14.5% 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
0
N. of USB ports
0
â–¼ Worse than 61% of models
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 0 USB ports, which is fewer than 60.8% of routers and the same as 39.2% 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, Automatic
Firmware upgrade method
Web UI, Automatic
â–² Better than 35% of models
This router supports Web UI, Automatic firmware update methods, which are more convenient than 35.4% of routers and equal to 37.8% 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
?
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
4
N. of external antennas
4
â–² Better than 72% of models
Market range: <0 – >10
This router has 4 external antennas, which is more than 71.9% of routers and the same as 17.5% of routers.
Show more

Mercusys AC12 vs the average router

246810TotalWirelessSecurityNetworkingPortsManagementHardware
  • Supports MU-MIMO
    MU-MIMO
    yes
    â–² Better than 52% of models
    This router supports MU-MIMO, while the average router does not. 47.7% of routers support MU-MIMO.
  • 2 more external antennas
    N. of external antennas
    4
    â–² Better than 72% of models
    Market range: <0 – >10
    This router has more external antennas than the average router (4 vs 2). The average router has 2 external antennas.
    4 vs 2
  • 3.6x cheaper
    Mercusys AC12 is cheaper than the average router (£25 vs £90).
    £25 vs £90
  • 3.6x cheaper
    Mercusys AC12 is cheaper than the average router (£25 vs £90).
    £25 vs £90
  • Supports MU-MIMO
    MU-MIMO
    yes
    â–² Better than 52% of models
    This router supports MU-MIMO, while the average router does not. 47.7% of routers support MU-MIMO.
  • 2 more external antennas
    N. of external antennas
    4
    â–² Better than 72% of models
    Market range: <0 – >10
    This router has more external antennas than the average router (4 vs 2). The average router has 2 external antennas.
    4 vs 2
  • 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.
  • 1 fewer LAN ports
    N. of LAN ports
    3
    â–¼ Worse than 77% of models
    Market range: <0 – >5
    This router has fewer LAN ports than the average router (3 vs 4). The average router has 4 LAN ports.
    3 vs 4
  • Less capable NAS services
    Built-in NAS services
    none
    â–¼ Worse than 58% of models
    This router includes none NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access.
    none vs SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access
  • Limited firmware updates
    Firmware upgrade method
    Web UI, Automatic
    â–² Better than 35% of models
    This router supports the firmware update methods Web UI, Automatic, while the average router supports Web UI, App, Automatic.
    Web UI, Automatic vs Web UI, App, Automatic
  • No dynamic routing
    Dynamic routing
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 52% of models
    This router does not support dynamic routing, while the average router does. 52.3% of routers support dynamic routing.
  • 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
  • 1 fewer USB ports
    N. of USB ports
    0
    â–¼ Worse than 61% of models
    Market range: <0 – >5
    This router has fewer USB ports than the average router (0 vs 1). The average router has 1 USB ports.
    0 vs 1
  • 4.8% worse value for money
    Mercusys AC12 has worse value for money than the average router (7.46 vs 7.8).
    7.46 vs 7.82
  • 2.1% lower user score
    User score
    7.8/ 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
    Mercusys AC12
    the average router
    â–² Better than 81% of models
    Mercusys AC12 has a lower user score than the average router (7.83 vs 8.000).
    7.83 vs 8
  • 25.3% narrower wireless coverage
    Wireless coverage
    139 m²
    â–¼ Worse than 65% of models
    Market range: <100 m² – >400 m²
    This router has narrower wireless coverage than the average router (139 m² vs 186 m²). The average router offers wireless coverage of 186 m².
    139 m² vs 186 m²
  • 1 fewer spatial streams
    N. of spatial streams
    2
    â–¼ Worse than 50% of models
    Market range: <0 – >10
    This router has fewer spatial streams than the average router (2 vs 3). The average router has 3 spatial streams.
    2 vs 3
  • 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.
  • 18.6% slower Wi-Fi speed
    Wi-Fi speed
    1,200 Mbps
    â–¼ Worse than 52% of models
    Market range: <0 Mbps – >6k Mbps
    This router has a lower Wi-Fi speed than the average router (1200 Mbps vs 1475 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1475 Mbps.
    1,200 Mbps vs 1,475 Mbps
  • No DoS protection
    DoS protection
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 87% of models
    This router does not support DoS protection, while the average router does. 87.3% of routers support DoS protection.
  • No SPI intrusion protection
    SPI intrusion protection
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 94% of models
    This router does not support SPI intrusion protection, while the average router does. 93.9% of routers support SPI intrusion protection.
  • Weaker Wi-Fi security
    Wi-Fi security protocols
    WPA2, WPA
    â–¼ Worse than 81% of models
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA2, WPA, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS.
    WPA2, WPA vs WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS
  • No dynamic routing
    Dynamic routing
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 52% of models
    This router does not support dynamic routing, while the average router does. 52.3% of routers support dynamic routing.
  • 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
  • 1 fewer LAN ports
    N. of LAN ports
    3
    â–¼ Worse than 77% of models
    Market range: <0 – >5
    This router has fewer LAN ports than the average router (3 vs 4). The average router has 4 LAN ports.
    3 vs 4
  • 1 fewer USB ports
    N. of USB ports
    0
    â–¼ Worse than 61% of models
    Market range: <0 – >5
    This router has fewer USB ports than the average router (0 vs 1). The average router has 1 USB ports.
    0 vs 1
  • Less capable NAS services
    Built-in NAS services
    none
    â–¼ Worse than 58% of models
    This router includes none NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access.
    none vs SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access
  • Limited firmware updates
    Firmware upgrade method
    Web UI, Automatic
    â–² Better than 35% of models
    This router supports the firmware update methods Web UI, Automatic, while the average router supports Web UI, App, Automatic.
    Web UI, Automatic vs Web UI, App, Automatic
  • No DLNA support
    DLNA support
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 54% of models
    This router does not support DLNA, while the average router does. 54% of routers support DLNA.
  • 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 Mercusys AC12 and other routers

No results found

Third-party reviews

United Kingdom
amazon
4.0
433 Reviews
amazon
4.2
130 Reviews
amazon
3.8
29 Reviews

(Reviews last updated: May 2026)

What customers like about Mercusys AC12?

  • Excellent value for money, often cited as one of the most affordable dual-band options
  • Simple and quick setup process via an intuitive web interface
  • Good performance on the 5GHz band, suitable for HD streaming and gaming
  • Four high-gain antennas provide decent coverage for small to medium homes
  • Support for guest networks and parental controls

What customers dislike about Mercusys AC12?

  • LAN and WAN ports are limited to 100Mbps, which caps wired and wireless throughput for high-speed fiber connections
  • Reports of inconsistent signal strength and connectivity drops in some units
  • Lack of advanced features like USB ports or DLNA server support
  • Limited number of devices can be managed under parental control filters (approx. 10)
  • Mixed reviews regarding the stability of the 2.4GHz band over long distances

Video reviews

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

Compare Mercusys AC12 with other routers

1Product to compare no. 1
VS
2Product to compare no. 2
VS
3Product to compare no. 3 (optional)