ASUS released its latest offering in the market, which we will discuss in our ASUS TUF Gaming AX4200 Router Review. The product provides fast and stable wireless/wired connections even in dense environments. Plus, it will benefit all your gadgets, from laptops, and gaming consoles, to all the IoTs in your home.
If the TUF Gaming AX4200 piqued your interest, continue reading our ASUS TUF Gaming AX4200 Router Review. Here, you can learn more about its design, functions, features, specifications, and how well it performs.
Let us start unboxing to see what ASUS included for us.
ASUS TUF Gaming AX4200 Router Packaging
Before we look deeper into the product, let us check its packaging in this ASUS TUF Gaming AX4200 Router Review.
When our package arrived, we saw how different it looked from its predecessors. The dimensions of the box are 435x235x75mm, and its surface/front area displays plenty of details.
Here, you will find the company branding, the unit name, an image of it, and its main features. The latter includes WiFi 6, wireless network compatibility, and AiProtection and AiMesh technology support. Additionally, it notes the presence of a 2.5G Ethernet port.
On its rear, the box displays samples of network port setups, AiMesh technology benefits, and optimised gaming experience details. There are also some details regarding WiFi 6 performance.
Inside the box, the TUF Gaming AX4200 ships with extra accessories, and these are the following:
- Power adapter
- Quick Start Guide
- RJ-45 cable
- Warranty card
ASUS TUF Gaming AX4200 Router Review – Design and Functionality
We thoroughly inspected the product to discuss its design and functions in our ASUS TUF Gaming AX4200 Router Review. And physically, you can mistake the TUF Gaming AX4200 for the AX3000 V2.
Both routers feature a predatory silhouette with sliced forms that give off a futuristic vehicle look. Its body uses a sturdy matte black plastic, and the case measures 265x175x60mm, weighing 547g.
The top cover of the TUF Gaming AX4200 features a triangular-shaped protrusion. Here, you will find a TUF Gaming logo, while the sides of the triangle serve as openings/air ducts. As a result, hot air freely moves out to prevent the router from heating up.
Also, the router has four antennas that are 190mm long and linked to the chassis via hinges. The latter offers adequate freedom, but you cannot entirely detach these from the chassis.
Two of the antennas provide WiFi in the 5GHz band. Two radios use a single antenna, while the other is for its 2.4GHz frequency.
In front, you will find ventilation grilles, while above these are eight LED lights for the following:
- Power
- Wireless Network Activity in 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands
- Four LAN ports
- WAN 2.5G Ethernet
When you look at the side edges, these emphasise the wedge-shaped profile of the router. But other than ventilation grilles, these do not have any other functional elements.
ASUS TUF Gaming AX4200 Router Rear Panel and Bottom
The difference between the TUF Gaming AX4200 and its predecessor is in its rear panel. Specifically, the current product still has the same ports and controls, but ASUS changed their location.
Other than the antennas, the back of the router features a WPS key. In addition, it has a place for one USB 3.2 Gen1 port and a reset button to reset the firmware settings.
Moreover, this section features four LAN 10|100|1000 BaseT ports. Then, you will also find a single WAN 10|100|1000|2500 BaseT connection. Both are RJ45 ports featuring rugged metal cases for more durability and reliability.
Though it would be better if the 2.5G Ethernet interface could function with LAN clients, you can still set up Link Aggregation for LAN1 and LAN2. Additionally, you can find connectors for an external DC source and a power button on the network ports.
The bottom of the router has a nearly-solid ventilation grille. These include holes for wall mounting and four little rubber feet. A large plastic sticker with service details is near the back panel.
Internally, there is a sizable heatsink for maintaining the temperature of this router.
Key Features of the ASUS TUF Gaming AX4200 Router
Before purchasing, it is best to see if the product will work efficiently for your needs. To help figure out if the router is ideal for you, we made a quick list of its features.
Here, you can see if all the elements it offers will help improve your internet connection, speed, range, etc. So, continue reading this review to learn more about the TUF Gaming AX4200.
Extremely Fast WiFi 6 – 4X Capacity that is Two Times Faster
Having WiFi 6 offers faster wireless speeds with BSS colouring, OFDMA, and MU-MIMO technologies. It also enhances network efficiency, so all devices receive adequate WiFi bandwidth.
WiFi 6 is ideal for busy networks with many WiFi devices, including Smartphones, laptops, or Smart home devices. The feature lets you enjoy up to 4200 Mbps, plus 34x network efficiency with 160MHz channels and OFDMA.
Multi-Gigabit Wired Speeds
The router can unlock internet bandwidth of up to 2Gbps via a 2Gbps port. It can also make this possible by aggregating two individual 1Gbps internet services via LAN1 and LAN2 ports.
Convenient Port Forwarding in Three Steps
The Open NAT allows quicker and more convenient port forwarding, eliminating challenging and frustrating manual configurations.
Support for ASUS AiMesh
While gathering information on its features for this ASUS TUF Gaming AX4200 Router Review, we saw it supports ASUS AiMesh. This feature allows you to create a seamless, flexible whole-home mesh network via the TUF Gaming AX4200.
AiMesh links numerous compatible ASUS routers to establish an entire home mesh WiFi network. Furthermore, you can mix various AiMesh-compatible routers while adding new ones anytime to optimise coverage since it is a scalable and flexible technology.
Remember that all devices in the AiMesh network can access every feature of the primary router. These include AiProtection commercial-grade security, gaming features, etc.
A Single Router for All Game Genres
The TUF Gaming AX4200 offers a variety of features for different game genres.
Continuous Gameplay and VPN
The VPN Infusion allows you to run a standard internet connection and VPN simultaneously. It means even if other users need a VPN, you can still take advantage of max gaming speeds.
Commercial-Grade Home Security
When you have numerous linked devices, having home network security is vital. It is even more so when you have gadgets without antivirus assistance like IoTs. Fortunately, the TUF Gaming AX4200 has free lifetime AiProtectionPro, which includes advanced parental controls and the current WPA3 security protocol.
The router will protect each device you use so you can observe everything on the network via its mobile app.
Get Optimised Privacy with the ASUS TUF Gaming AX4200 Router, Anywhere
With the router and the Instant Guard, you will receive single-click safe internet access from anywhere. Fortunately, it is all made possible because of the encrypted data-tunnelling VPN technology.
Moreover, the TUF Gaming AX4200 lets you take your home network anywhere. So you can say farewell to the usual VPNs.
Tested Efficiency, Durability, and Stable Operation
This router has a solid, durable build and went through verified testing to guarantee stable and reliable operation. As a result, the TUF Gaming AX4200 delivers top-notch WiFi performance, while its heatsink design and vent location offers optimised stability. Additionally, its metal port protectors and fixed antennas improve physical durability.
Switch Modes for an Easy Life
No matter the activities, optimise them via different modes to boost and optimise the tasks at hand!
Specifications
The router has plenty of specifications you need to know about before buying the router. So, we will share these details in our ASUS TUF Gaming AX4200 Router Review. To make it easier to scan through it, here is a list of the TUF Gaming AX4200 product specs.
Knowing these details is essential to guarantee that it provides for your needs.
- Antenna: Four external antennas
- Processor: 2.0 GHz quad-core processor
- Transmit: 2.4 GHz 2×2
- Receive: 5GHz 3×3
- Ports:
- RJ45 port for 2.5 Gigabits BaseT for WAN
- USB 3.2 Gen 1×1 port
- Four RJ45 ports for Gigabits BaseT for LAN
- Memory:
- 256MB Flash
- 512MB RAM
- Power Supply
- AC Input: 100V~240V (50~60Hz)
- DC Output: 12V with max. 2.5A current
- Operating Frequency: 2.4GHz / 5GHz
- Product Weight: 547.4g
Hands-on with the ASUS TUF Gaming AX4200 Router
This part of our ASUS TUF Gaming AX4200 Router Review is where we will share our experience with the product. We put it through a few tests for a couple of weeks to see how well it performs.
But before looking into its performance, we will discuss its ASUSWRT 4.0 firmware.
The ASUSWRT 4.0 uses the Wireguard VPN server, which provides better upload and download speeds. Plus, it features the new Fusion VPN that enables connecting to remote VPN servers, including the Wireguard protocol.
Fusion VPN lets you choose which WiFi or wired clients go to the internet through the configured VPN. So, it only allows specific local network clients to access the internet via VPN. And the rest goes through the regular connections.
This firmware also has other services and options like AiProtection Pro. It includes guest WiFi networks, bidirectional IPs, adaptive QoS, parental controls, and Open NAT. Additionally, it has standard configuration options for WiFi, WAN, LAN, firewalls, etc.
Solid hardware is nothing without excellent firmware, so ASUS incorporated many relevant features for the ASUSWRT 4.0. Below are more details about these elements:
ASUS keeps your network safe as you browse the internet using diverse functions and features for security and management. The firmware has numerous security settings you can take advantage of, including:
- Safe browsing: Filtering explicit content from search results and blocking unwanted content for all users.
- Notifications for new connecting devices: You can group new devices for convenient management while preventing unknown devices from accessing your network.
- Automatic firmware update: The TUF Gaming AX4200 is a highly secure router that updates the firmware regularly to ensure privacy.
- Login captcha: Login captchas boost your login security to prevent cyber attacks.
- Instant Guard 2.0: Instant Guard builds an encrypted VPN service between your device, the TUF Gaming AX4200, and the public hotspot.
- DNS over TLs: DNS over TLs offers additional functions, allowing you to control more information.
- Security scan: One-click scanning protects your WiFi environment from rampant cyber threats and attacks.
VPN Fusion allows you to build a VPN connection for network devices like game consoles or Smart TVs. Plus, it is a convenient feature since it does not require installing the VPN client software.
With this feature, the TUF Gaming AX4200 allows running VPN and the standard internet connection simultaneously. As a result, it can provide maximum speeds, even while others are using VPNs.
VPN Fusion works with the WireGuard VPN client or server. That means it can meet most demands and scenarios.
Parental Control
The state-of-the-art parental controls of ASUS allow you to keep your kids safe when using the internet.
Keep them safe every time they explore the internet with the top-notch parental controls from AiProtection. The latter puts together all the management functions you need. Plus, its intuitive layout makes it convenient to view/apply security settings to every device of each family member.
- Kid-safe preset: Custom preset profile automatically sets filters for inappropriate content. It also manages multiple devices and different uses.
- Schedule Block Time: Schedule specific time frames for blocking internet access of connected devices. This feature will help you reserve valuable family time and make children practice responsible behaviour.
- Content Filter: With the integrated advanced DPI engine from Trend Micro, you can filter website URLs and internet packets. As a result, it filters content viewed in web browsers and mobile apps.
- Reward: Easy profile management allows you to reward your children with additional internet access time. It will also encourage and improve family relationships.
- Flexible Settings: The ASUSWRT 4.0 offers two access modes, which you can toggle between.
ASUS TUF Gaming AX4200 Router Review Summary
The TUF Gaming AX4200 is an excellent dual-band WiFi 6 gaming router from ASUS. This budget-friendly router offers outstanding range and high network speeds, making it perfect for gaming.
The TUF Gaming AX4200 offers many impressive features. For example, it has a LAN port that instantly prioritises bandwidth for gaming PCs and consoles for seamless gameplay. Plus, it supports link aggregation to increase network speeds.
Aside from fast performance, it has many optimisation tools that reduce latency and boost bandwidth while playing games. Everything was accessible via the router firmware, thanks to its user-friendly interface.
While testing the product for our ASUS TUF Gaming AX4200 Router Review, we had an enjoyable user experience. It improved our network speeds and bandwidth, resulting in seamless gaming and media streaming. Overall, we highly recommend the TUF Gaming AX4200 to anyone who wants an affordable and efficient WiFi6 router.
If you would like to get your hands on this fantastic router, it is an exclusive model for Umart online and MSY in Australia:
Asus TUF-AX4200 WiFi Gaming Router – Umart.com.au
Asus TUF-AX4200 WiFi Gaming Router – msy.com.au
