Asus RT-N16 2.4 GHz router review, is it worth it?

The Asus RT-N16 (RT-N16) router released in 2009. It is powered by Broadcom BCM4718A1 @ 480 MHz chipset, 128 MB of RAM and 32 MB of flash. The N300 router is compatible with IEEE 802.11b/g/n standards, and the maximum speed that you can get with RT-N16 is 300 Mbps. The router has 1 x 10/100/1000 Mbps WAN and 4 x 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN ports.

If you require more advanced features, faster speeds, or support for the latest wireless standards, you may want to consider higher-end routers in the Asus product lineup or other routers available on the market. This router features USB connectors that provide additional functionality and expand the capabilities of your network. Asus provides a range of affordable networking solutions, making them accessible to a wide range of users.

Table of contents:

• Asus RT-N16 specifications
• Asus RT-N16 pictures

Asus RT-N16 (RT-N16) specifications

Body

If you plan to move or travel frequently and need to take your router with you, the dimensions become important for portability. Smaller and more compact routers are generally easier to transport, while larger routers with external antennas or multiple ports may be bulkier and less convenient to carry. If you purchase a router online or have it shipped, the weight may affect the overall cost. Heavier routers can result in higher shipping charges, especially for international deliveries.

System

The Broadcom BCM4718A1 @ 480 MHz CPU provides processing power to handle various tasks and services within the RT-N16 router. The RT-N16 has 128 MB of RAM. Some advanced router features and software functionalities require a certain amount of RAM to operate properly. For example, routers with more RAM can support advanced security features, VPN services, or QoS (Quality of Service) prioritization more effectively.

The RT-N16 has 32 MB of flash memory. A larger flash memory allows for more storage space to accommodate future firmware upgrades. The process of upgrading the firmware on routers has become relatively simple and user-friendly over the years. The Asus provides easy-to-use interfaces and instructions to guide users through the firmware upgrade process. Alternative router operating systems often provide more customization options and advanced features compared to the default firmware provided by router manufacturers.

This router is OpenWRT compatible. OpenWrt provides extensive customization options, allowing users to modify and tailor their router's functionality to suit their specific needs. The Asus packages the RT-N16 router with 12 V / 1.25 A PSU. A good PSU is an essential component of a computer or electronic device that converts electrical power from an outlet into the appropriate voltage and current required to power the internal components of the device.

Network

The RT-N16 router offers built-in security features to protect your network and connected devices. The IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses, represented as four sets of numbers separated by periods (e.g. 192.168.0.1). The LAN ports are physical connectors on a RT-N16 router that allow you to connect devices to your local network using Ethernet cables. This router has Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports. If you have a high-speed internet plan that offers speeds of 1 Gbps or higher, gigabit Ethernet ports are essential to fully utilize the available bandwidth.

WAN ports often require specific configuration settings based on the type of internet connection provided by your ISP. The RT-N16 router supports Gigabit speed on its WAN port, that can support speeds up to 1000 Mbps. This router ensures that you can fully utilize high-speed internet connections provided by your ISP. PPTP uses the Password Authentication Protocol (PAP) or Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) for user authentication. However, the authentication process itself does not provide strong security guarantees.

Wireless

The 3 x 2 dBi, RP-SMA antennas of RT-N16 influence the quality and stability of the Wi-Fi signal. A properly positioned and well-designed antenna can minimize interference and signal degradation, leading to a more reliable and stable connection. The RT-N16 is compatible with 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks. 2.4 GHz is the most widely used frequency and in some cases may be overcrowded. The RT-N16 is a Wi-Fi 4 router, with slower data transfer speeds. This can result in slower downloads, video buffering, and reduced performance when multiple devices are connected.

The N300 refers to the maximum combined data transfer rate supported by the router across all Wi-Fi bands. The RT-N16 is capable of a maximum throughput speed of 300 Mbps. The real-world speed of a RT-N16 router is typically lower than its theoretical maximum speed. The TX power of RT-N16 can be adjusted by the user or set automatically by the router firmware. Higher TX power values indicate stronger signal transmission, which can result in a larger coverage area.

The RT-N16 router offers several security protocols: WEP, WPA, WPA2. The WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) was the first security protocol for Wi-Fi networks but is now considered weak and easily compromised. It uses a static encryption key and has known vulnerabilities, so it is no longer recommended for securing Wi-Fi networks. The WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) was introduced as an improvement over WEP and provides stronger security. If WPA3 is not available, WPA2-Personal with AES encryption is still considered secure. The Asus RT-N16 router is capable of creating a guest network. Guests connected to the guest network usually have limited access to network settings and configurations. They are typically restricted from accessing devices connected to the primary network, such as printers, network-attached storage (NAS), or other shared resources.

Connectivity

USB ports can offer additional functionality depending on the router's capabilities. The USB 2 port has a maximum theoretical data transfer rate of 480 megabits per second (Mbps), which is equivalent to 60 megabytes per second (MB/s). By connecting a USB printer to the RT-N16 router, you can make it accessible to all devices on your network. This eliminates the need for individual printer connections and allows multiple devices to use the printer simultaneously. The USB file server functionality of this router allows you to connect external storage devices, such as USB flash drives or hard drives to your network. This enables easy file sharing and access among devices connected to the network.

Administration

The default IP address of this router is 192.168.1.1. Explore the router's configuration interface to access more advanced settings such as port forwarding, DHCP settings, parental controls, firewall settings, and QoS (Quality of Service) settings. If you are unable to log in to the setup panel of your Asus router, performing a reset can be a helpful troubleshooting step. It is highly recommended to change the default password of your RT-N16 router after the initial setup. If you forget the new password in the future, you may need to perform a factory reset on the router to revert to the default settings.

The specifications above are based on the official data published by the manufacturer, but we also take user reviews into consideration. If you found an error or something lacking in the specifications above for the Asus RT-N16, then don’t hesite and signal the problem to us.

Asus RT-N16 (RT-N16) pictures

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