When comparing Asus RT-AC5300 vs Norton Core, the Slant community recommends Norton Core for most people. In the question“What are the best wireless routers?” Norton Core is ranked 8th while Asus RT-AC5300 is ranked 13th. The most important reason people chose Norton Core is:
The Core is capable of achieving maximum throughput speeds of 2.5 Gbps and can cover a home of somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 square feet. It has a powerful 1.7 GHz Dual Core processor and performance-enhancing features, such as 4x4 MU-MIMO and beamforming. 4x4 MU-MIMO means that router can handle simultaneous transmission with up to three devices and beamforming allows router to focus Wi-Fi signal specifically on a device.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Less congestion with multiple Wi-Fi bands
With the RT-AC5300 you get three separate WiFi bands, one 2.4 GHz and two 5 GHz bands. The additional 5 GHz band helps to lower congestion, because both 5 GHz bands can split the load between each other.
Pro Excellent performance
It's a device that delivers theoretical throughput speeds of up to 3.1 Gbps across both bands. It's capable of moving up to 1 Gbps in the 2.4 GHz band and 2.1 Gbps on 5 GHz bands. In real life testing at close range of 3 feet, RT-AC5300 delivers throughput of 661.6 Mbps. To maximize the router's speed it uses 1024-QAM which boosts the routers performance by 25% when compared to the more commonly used 256-QAM modulation scheme.
Pro You’ll be able to play games or stream 4K videos without a hitch
This router offers game-enhancement options such as Multi-User Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MU-MIMO), 4X4 data transmissions, and a wealth of management settings. MU-MIMO offers simultaneous rather than sequential streaming and 4x4 data transmission gives four individual streams to deliver and receive data.
Pro Supports MU-MIMO for effective network management
If you have multiple devices using a lot of traffic at the same time, the ASUS RT-AC5300 can handle all of them simultaneously without sacrificing performance.
Pro Great performance and range
The Core is capable of achieving maximum throughput speeds of 2.5 Gbps and can cover a home of somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 square feet. It has a powerful 1.7 GHz Dual Core processor and performance-enhancing features, such as 4x4 MU-MIMO and beamforming. 4x4 MU-MIMO means that router can handle simultaneous transmission with up to three devices and beamforming allows router to focus Wi-Fi signal specifically on a device.
Pro Great design
The Norton Core has a very unique design, instead of a clunky box, it's a geodesic dome. It is available in two colors, Titanium Gold or Granite Gray, so you can match the router with your interior.
Pro State of the art security for safer browsing
The Norton Core is a combination of powerful router and an antivirus . It's able to defend you from spyware, malware, viruses, hackers and any other online threats. It checks every data packet for any suspicious activity and if Core notices anything strange about it, the packet gets denied.
Pro Provides network security for Internet of Things devices
The Norton Core will protect any internet-connected smart devices that you are using at your home. So if your fridge is connected to the internet, the Norton Core will protect it from hackers.
Cons
Con Bulky design
This router is large, thanks in no small measure to its bulky antennas. Without them, it measure 9.6 x 9.6 x 2.6 inches. Including the antennas increases them to 9.6 x 11 x 6 inches.
Con Overkill for an average user
Unless you have a large house or an office with plenty of Wi-Fi devices that play games or stream media, using the Asus RT-AC5300 is overkill especially considering its price tag.