ASUS Wireless Product Model Name Convention

Here we try to explain the nameing convention of ASUS wireless product families:


  • Old naming
    • WL - [model] [protocol] [post-fix]
      • WL-500gP (P = premium)
      • WL-520gC (C = cost-down)

  • New naming
    • RT - [protocol] [model] [post-fix] : Routers
      • RT-G32
      • RT-N16
      • RT-AC66
    • RP - [protocol] [model] : Repeaters
      • RP-N53
      • RP-AC52
    • EA - [protocol] [model] : Extenders
      • EA-N66
    • DSL - [protocol] [model] : xDSL Modem
      • DSL-N10
      • DSL-AC68R


How to configure ASUS DDNS service with ASUSWRT

How to configure ASUS DDNS with ASUSWRT firmware
DDNS (Dynamic Domain Name System) is a service that allows clients to access a specific network device through a registered domain name. This is especially useful when the target network device has a dynamic public IP address.
All ASUS wireless router is embedded with ASUS DDNS service, and new models in these years come with ASUSWRT firmware. The steps to configure DDNS service remain pretty much the same: 

1. From your Mac or PC, point your browser to e.g. 192.168.1.1, login to the ASUS wireless router and enter the configuration page.
2. Click [WAN] on the first level menu (on the left-hand side):


3. Click [DDNS] on the second level menu (on the top).


4. Click 'Yes' to 'Enable the DDNS Client'.


5. Leave the 'Server' as 'WWW.ASUS.COM'.

6. Enter a 'Host Name' for your wireless router, e.g. if you enter 'alice', you should be able to access your router with 'alice.asuscomm.com'.


7. Click [Apply] to save your configuration and it's done. Wait for a few hours for the hostname to propagate through DNS system.
Please note that in order for ASUS DDNS service to work correctly, you need to let it get an public IP address. If your wireless router sit behind any other gateway or firewall, it may get a private IP (192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x or 172.16.x.x) in this case and the DDNS service will not work.

Online demo site: http://ec2-54-202-251-7.us-west-2.compute.amazonaws.com:8080/Advanced_ASUSDDNS_Content.asp

What is ASUSWRT?

About Asuswrt:

Asuswrt is a unified firmware developed by Asus for use in their recent routers. The firmware was originally based on Tomato-RT/Tomato-USB, but has since seen many changes. Asus started using this new firmware with their recent routers like the RT-N66U, but they also started moving other routers to this new firmware, like the DSL-N55 or the RT-N56.
Being mostly based on GPL code, almost all the source code and all necessary build tools is available from their website. There are a few proprietary components that are closed source (like the wireless drivers from Broadcom/Ralink). In these cases, Asus includes binary-only versions of these files. In the end, their GPL release includes everything needed to completely recompile a working firmware, with the exact same features as found in their firmware releases.
Video Tutorial: 
One big advantage of Asus going with a unified firmware is that they have one single code base for all their supported routers. That way, bugfixes for one device can automatically be applied to all other supported devices. Same when they start adding new features (such as AiCloud), it's easier for them to support multiple routers at the same time with these news features. And finally, it means that support for a router does not die the minute a newer router replaces it on the market. The RT-N16 still gets updated as frequently as the RT-N66U, for instance (as they share very similar hardware).

[c|net] RT-AC87U Awarded Best Wireless Router of 2015

The hefty price aside, the Asus AC2400 RT-AC87U is the most complete 802.11ac router to date, capable of satisfying all your home networking needs.

The Good The Asus AC2400 RT-AC87U Dual-band Wireless Gigabit Router has superfast Wi-Fi speed and an extremely long range. The router has the the ability to keep viruses and malware from entering your home network, monitor Internet traffic in real time, and many other helpful features.
The Bad The router is expensive, and you need compatible Wi-Fi devices to benefit from its fast performance. The USB 3.0 port is awkwardly placed and the interface doesn't include client names in the IP reservation list.
The Bottom Line The hefty price aside, the Asus AC2400 RT-AC87U is the most complete 802.11ac router to date, capable of satisfying all your home networking needs.