Asus RT-AX53U vs TP-Link ER605

Hardware Questions and Recommendations
1

I'm choosing between:

Asus RT-AX53U asus.com OpenWrt
and
TP-Link ER605 omadanetworks.com OpenWrt

Both devices cost the same. I don’t need WiFi. I only need one USB port and one Ethernet port.

According to OpenWRT’s specs, both devices use the MediaTek MT7621AT chip and have 128MB flash and 256MB RAM.

Pros of Asus RT-AX53U:

  • I already have this device, and it works perfectly with OpenWRT;
  • Even though I don’t need WiFi, it's an extra feature at the same price.

Pros of TP-Link ER605:

  • Metal case (not a big deal, I don’t plan to play football with my router);
  • Fewer components/moving parts, so maybe more reliable? (Not sure if that’s how it works);
  • Officially, it's marketed as a "business-class" router.

I’m leaning towards the Asus RT-AX53U, since I already have experience with it. But does the TP-Link ER605 have any hidden advantages that I might be missing?

2

Look for mikrotik hex or ubiquiti edgerouter or nanopi

3

I live in a rural area where most networking devices are either unavailable or difficult to get. That’s why I’m choosing between these two models, as they are the only ones I can easily buy.

4

605 has one more network port if you need it

5

The er605 is more compact and doesn't have four antennas that you don't need, so if you wanted to rack mount the er605 is the best option.

If you wanted a WiFi management SSID in case you ever lock yourself out of your OpenWrt device, choose the AX53U.

The AX53U has WiFi firmware and packages loaded which is unnecessary and takes up space.

What speed is your internet connection?

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6

I use a USB LTE dongle for internet access, and my speed is relatively low (probably around 20–50 Mbps, depending on network conditions). It would be a great advantage if the router could cut power to the USB port to reset the modem in case it freezes, but I assume neither of these devices support that feature.

7 
usbreset

should do what is required, and if not you might need to rebuild the firmware.

2 Likes