ASUS Announces RT-AC52U Dual-Band Wireless Router

ASUS today announced RT-AC52U, an extremely affordable AC750 dual-band router that uses 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology to deliver super-fast data-transfer speeds of up to 733Mbit/s.

RT-AC52U provides simultaneous Wi-Fi connections via both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands and includes a specially-designed antenna that extends the wireless signal by up to 150% compared to competing routers. The new router includes a multipurpose USB port that allows users to connect and share a printer, hard disk drive or 3G/4G (HSPA+) data connection. It can even be used to charge mobile gadgets such as smartphones and tablets — a brilliant little convenience.

RT-AC52U also supports ASUS AiCloud, an exclusive tool that enables easy file synchronization, sharing and streaming.

Simultaneous dual-band connectivity, high-power transmission and sleek design

RT-AC52U’s three antennas are built in to the router for ultra-sleek looks, and they work simultaneously on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands — doubling the wireless possibilities and more than doubling performance potential.

RT-AC52U is able to transmit and receive data at up to 300Mbit/s on the 2.4GHz band and up to 433Mbit/s on the 5GHz range — simultaneously. The 733Mbit/s combined bandwidth is a huge benefit because users can rely on the 2.4GHz band for daily tasks such as web surfing and email and enjoy fast, smooth and buffer-free online gaming and HD content-streaming on the less-congested 5GHz frequency — and all without a trace of lag.

ASUS engineers have also fitted RT-AC52U with a powerful amplifier for extended indoor and outdoor range. Compared to competing 802.11ac routers, RT-AC52U increases the wireless signal by up to 150% — extending the router’s range to all corners of the typical home and well into the garden.

Built-in multipurpose USB port for servers, sharing and synchronization

RT-AC52U is much more than just a router, thanks to its built-in USB port. Simply by plugging in a USB hard disk drive, RT-AC52U becomes a file server — and one that extends into the cloud via ASUS AiCloud technology. Alternatively, users can attach a USB printer to RT-AC52U to create a print server — great for sharing one device with several users.

The USB port also accommodates 3G/4G mobile broadband dongles, so users can have two broadband (WAN) connections on one router — helping to balance network traffic and providing an effective backup (failover mode) to ensure uninterrupted internet access. The port can even be used for powering gadgets such as smartphones and tablets, so RT-AC52U doubles up as a handy charging station.

Sync, share and stream on demand with ASUS AiCloud

RT-AC52U includes support for ASUS AiCloud, an exclusive application that turns the router into a powerful personal cloud server. Files stored on the network, on attached USB storage devices or on ASUS WebStorage can be effortlessly synchronized using the ASUS Smart Sync feature. They can also be shared with friends, colleagues and family members simply by sending a link via email, text message or popular social-networking apps. Users can access their data via the AiCloud web interface or the free AiCloud app for Android and iOS devices — so they can sync, share and stream content anywhere.

AiCloud also features a new router-to-router synchronization mode that automatically synchronizes USB-connected storage on other compatible ASUS routers, for easy sharing of large files with family and friends.

Simple setup and great flexibility with ASUSWRT

Setting up RT-AC52U is extremely simple with the easy-to-use ASUSWRT dashboard. This makes it simple to configure the advanced networking features, such as quality-of-service (QoS) prioritization — so users can monitor and control the bandwidth usage on each of the four available Ethernet (LAN) connections. Other great ASUSWRT features include parental controls, dual WAN management, network mapping and printer sharing.

RT-AC52U even includes an easy-to-configure VPN server, configured via ASUSWRT, so users can set up private, secure remote access to their home network.