Help Picking an Asus router

[nusaka]

Currently I have a "RT-AC68U AC1900" (2013) and a "RT-AC66U-B1" (2014-15) in mesh. it all actually still works rather well. Thinking about upgrading to either the "RT-BE86U" or the "RT-BE92U". I have around 50 various devices on the network various iot, pcs, macs, android and iOS things. I also need coverage over a larger area.
From what I can tell there is little difference between the two, one has a faster cpu, the other supports 6Gz. I love my asus equipment, I also don't want to drop 700.00 for the zenWifi or the BE96U. Anyone have thoughts on which? Thanks in advance!

[jzchen]

If you'll need more coverage then I don't think switching from 2 routers to 1 is going to work I'm afraid.  You'll likely want 2, (at least).  So I did a little research and the most expensive of the 2 is $330.  At that price point I would recommend a ZenWiFi ET8 2-pack, which is $330 retail/before any discount price you may find.  (I also verified that it got a more recent firmware update, latest Sept '24).

You do have to be careful if you manually update firmware to download the appropriate one based on HW version.  Most people simply use the check for update option...

[SourceIT]

Upgrading to either the RT-BE86U or RT-BE92U is a great choice considering your current setup is still performing well. The RT-BE86U has a powerful CPU, making it excellent for handling multiple devices and heavy traffic, which is ideal given your 50+ devices. On the other hand, the RT-BE92U supports the 6 GHz band, which can help reduce congestion and offer faster speeds for compatible devices, making it a solid option for future-proofing your network. If you're looking to get the most out of Wi-Fi 6, especially with the increasing number of IoT devices, the RT-BE92U might be the better choice. However, if you prioritize processing power, the RT-BE86U could be more beneficial. Both will definitely provide a nice upgrade, but if budget is a concern, think about which features matter more for your specific needs.

[ChristopherPere]

Thank you so much for the information.