This is an excellent dual band router, very fast and very reliable. I've been using a regular Asus RT AC68P for over 1yr with no downtime or other issues. I wanted to get this to replace an existing 2.4Ghz router that I was using to extend my network to cover a deadspot.
First, the refurb unit I received looks like new. It was in perfect condition and came with the manual, an ethernet cable and a charger in a plain box. The only difference I could see from my AC68P was the T-Mobile branding on the front.
The first thing I did after unpacking was to swap over the firmware to Asus stock following instructions from bayareatechpros (search for ac1900-to-ac68u).
I then upgraded to the latest Merlin WRT firmware, first by upgrading to Asus stock 378.xxx, then to Merlin 380.xxx. The intermediate step is necessary because of a change in how Asus has structured the internal partition tables.
I now have the router running on the latest Merlin firmware as a Asus RT AC68U. The last thing was to put it into Access Point mode so that I could connect it to my existing network as an extender.
The whole process was somewhat time consuming but saved around $100 so was worth it. Another thing to keep in mind that Asus is currently beta testing its new AiMesh tech on a few of their models which will be rolled out to these ones in the near future. When that happens, these T-Mobile refurbs will be the absolute cheapest way to get a proper wifi mesh network with the next cheapest that I could find being more than $100 per node. On top of that you get all the powerful router tech that's already available.
Bottom line - I think this is the best deal out there for a dual band router at the moment bar none. To get a more powerful device, you'd need to spend more than 2x the money and would likely see no improvement in your network speeds.
This refurbished router looks like new, I installed the latest version of the merlin firmware and it works perfectly.
It came in a brown cardboard box with 1 set of antennas, network cable, user manual and power adapter.
It has immense functions, although it is a little difficult to install the stock firmware of Asus or a modified one like merlin, tomato or others, it is totally worth it, for functionality and security, I followed the tutorial of "bayareatechpros" "Flashing TM-AC1900 to RT-AC68U"
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UPDATE - May 2018
For those who have experienced a "forced downgrade" to the AC-1900 firmware after attempting to flash the latest ASUS RT-AC68U firmware onto their AC-1900 (from either the April or May 2018 firmware upgrades on the ASUS website), there is a workaround/fix. It is rather complicated and will take some time as it involves the use of an exploit within the Web GUI to downgrade the firmware. If you follow instructions, however, you will be able to re-flash the firmware of your choice back onto the router. Search Google for more information.
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What an awesome price for this ASUS router considering it runs about $140 or more everywhere else. First and foremost, ignore the T-Mobile badge on the router. I highly doubt this router is actually refurbished...it looks brand new, never-used. T-Mobile likely had an overstock of these and sold them back to Amazon. What you get is a neutered T-Mobile version of the ASUS RT-AC68U router...it's neutered because of the preinstalled T-Mobile firmware. This product is actually a rebadged ASUS RT-AC68U, exact same hardware. Search Google for AC-1900 and you'll find instructions on how to reflash this router to the latest stock ASUS firmware...it's a multi-step process and you may want to have a tech-savvy helper do this for you. After installing the ASUS RT-AC68U firmware, install a custom firmware such as the Merlin firmware for the RT-AC68U which will allow you to overclock the router. Once the new firmware is on there, this router is ready to rock. It has a powerful Wifi radio with plenty of range to fill a 2500-3000 sq. ft. house with full signal throughout. Excellent router for an excellent price. Ignore the T-Mobile badge, it simply has T-Mobile firmware on it which can be replaced with a stock or custom firmware if you can follow directions properly.
Same as the Asus RT-AC68U for 1/3 the price. Very nice router. Mine came and looked like it was brand new, with plastic wrap still on parts of it. One word of caution. If you plan to install a different firmware on the router, be ready for a couple hours of work. The latest T-Mobile router ships with a firmware that will not allow other firmware upgrades and it has locked out Telnet. The process to get it all unlocked and switched to a different firmware is very involved. So if you want to use it as is or if you are willing to put in a couple hours of work to change the firmware, then this is a great router and value!
Purchased one of these to replace another router that died after reading several reviews.
Condition - The router arrived in a nice box. The power supply looked brand new with the protective plastic on it. The router itself was in like-new condition with no external blemishes. The antennas came in a bag and looked new as well. It came with an instruction manual and a slip of paper from Amazon about "certified refurbished." Overall, cosmetically it looks like a brand new router.
Operation - The router came up with the first time setup out of the box. It had the T-Mobile firmware on it and appeared to be a somewhat recent version as the ssh terminal capability was missing.
Modding - The router is simple to modify using guides found online to turn it back into an AC68U. Contrary to the leading positive review, a fix has been found for updating to the latest version. Please be aware that if you do not perform this fix FIRST before upgrading your modded router to the latest AC68U firmware, it will be crippled into a position that is difficult to recover from. The fix has you deleting some files that identify the router as a T-Mobile version to prevent the newer versions of the firmware from triggering the cripple code. If you trigger the cripple code, there are steps out there to recover as of the date of this review. All modding is done at your own risk.
Performance - I have no complaints. Even using the T-Mobile firmware, sub $50 is a heck of a deal for this router if you're looking for something solid and cheap.
Feature Product
- 2. Dual-band with the latest 802.11ac 3x3 technology for combined speeds of up to 1900 Mbps
- 3. 1 GHz Dual-core CPU enables smart multitasking by dedicating separate lanes for Wifi and USB data
- 4. Efortless router setup with the ASUSWRT web-based interface, you can Monitor and manage your network with ease from your mobile device using the intuitive ASUS Router App,
- 5. Prodcut Comaptibilty: This Product is locked to the T-Mobile GSM network. It will NOT work with ANY OTHER carrier besides T-Mobile.
Description
This is in Certified Refurbished. It is 100% functional and in near perfect cosmetic condition with the possibility of a few light hair marks. This item will NOT come in its original packaging but will include a certified cable and UL approved power adapter. Headsets, SIM card and manual are NOT included. This is locked to the T-Mobile GSM network. It will not work with ANY OTHER carrier besides T-Mobile.
I was looking to get a high-performing wireless router for a while and after doing a lot of research I stopped at T-Mobile AC1900, because it's based on the super successful Asus RT-AC68U router.
It's still possible to find a brand-new TM AC1900 available to purchase online, but there are definitely a lot more offers for used or refurbished units. I decided to go with the refurbished router from Mobile Dist and fulfilled by Amazon for $59.99.
The packaging was great, easy to open and put the unit together. All the parts were wrapped in plastic, no sign of former use. Everything looked brand new and worked perfectly fine after quick installation.
This was a perfect deal on this fantastic router!
Nice router for the money. It will take some work to update this to use Merlin firmware but you don't have to.
Be sure to press the reset button for 10 seonds when you get the router. Its not reset to factory defaults out of the box.
This is not a RT-AC68U its a RT-AC68P. Which means its has two 1000mhz cpus (not 800mhz) and its wifi cpus are faster than the U model.
This means if you change it from Tmobile to asus firmware be sure to select the RT68P V2 for the bin file download.
Was able to get it to Merlin firmware 384.5 (its on 384.9 now). I tried a update to a new version and it did not take. I'm not sure it can go any higher. Anyone know?
Use this guide to update the firmware to asus. I did not need to change my computers IP to static so skip that step to save time.
its on bayareatechpros
This is the best consumer grade router I've ever used. It is so rock solid, and I have had absolutely zero issues with multiple of these routers over the past three years. I even opened this one up and removed the thermal pads to be replaced with Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste, just to keep the heat dissipation working smoothly. I also install Asuswrt-Merlin on all these routers, and it is just super stable.
The only reason I ever have to reboot is for firmware updates / settings changes. Aside from that, it hums along like a champ all the time. I've never had connection issues with any devices, and the speeds are incredible, especially for local network transfers (i.e. MacBook Pro to NAS, etc). Obviously internet speed is limited by your ISP, but local network transfers go at just about full speed on 5GHz, and that makes moving files around a breeze.
I get this router for all my friends who need a better home WiFi setup, and for all of them, it's essentially a "set it and forget it" process. If you're on the fence about buying this, ABSOLUTELY DO IT!
Amazing deal. I got two of these and flashed the firmware to ASUS RT-AC68U. Now it's a fully functional AC68U with the latest firmware and AiMesh capability. I got the third one and did the same thing without any problems. Here is how you can do the same:
Google "ac1900-to-ac68u" , select first serch result and follow directions (steps 1-23)
Also, run the code on the same page under title "Code for fixing MD5 partition so you can update to latest firmware".
Download the latest frimware from the manufacturer.
After this you'll have a RT-AC68U with the latest firmware and AiMesh capability. I hope it helps.
Great Buy, tried the RT-AC86U , software sucks for now, they changed the subnet to 50 on the AC86U, replaced the AC86U with the TM-AC1900 they run at clkfreq 1000,800 no problem... I still go back to the RT-AC68Us software is Merlin or John's fork the 382.xx seems OK 380 code base or V28Ex, is fantasist .... The buyer shipped and had the TM-AC1900 within two days, they were refurbished and looked NEW...
TM-AC1900 = RT-AC68U best damn bang for the buck..........
Loaded the new code base Merlin's 384-4-beta3 and John's fork V31E6 on them I have 10 of these, fixing to give two to a friend as a happy!
Have purchased 9 nof these and had no problem converting them.....
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