Pros: Using the TEW-812DRU at 80-feet through multiple walls, I achieved the following rates: 13.5 Mbps with fall off to 6.5 Mbps. using a Linksys AE1000 USB adapter and a wireless-n connection. This was consistent with my Cisco E4200 rates using WPA2-PSK AES encryption. However, Windows reporting showed only one bar of signal quality where that had been two bars with the Cisco router. Overall performance with the TRENDnet router was better with more consistent data transfer. Wireless-a could be seen and connected to at this distance, but the rate was too low for any data transfer. The Cisco router wireless-a could not be seen or connected to at this distance. Another computer in a different room, using a Linksys WMP300N PCI card adapter, saw and connected to the wireless-n at 27.5 Mbps. with fall off to 13.5 Mbps. This was again consistent with the Cisco router, and again the TRENDnet actual data transfers were slightly better, despite Windows showing lower signal quality. Conclusion, the TRENDnet router maintains a better signal lock with more consistent transfer rates. Performance using the TRENDnet TEW812DRU with an AC1750 capable dual-band wireless card: Seeing the TRENDnet wireless router makes use of 80 Mhz. of bandwidth to reach stated ratings, I knew the only way to give a fair analysis of the unit would require adapters rated for such. Having already seen some improvement over the Cisco E4200 I had been using, I purchased the ASUS PCE-AC66 just to see the further improvement I knew should be present. I kept encryption the same at WPA2-PSK AES. @15-feet, the connection rate was 866.5 Mbps in Windows with all bars lit using wireless-ac and 144 Mbps. in wireless-n @40-feet, through multiple walls, the wireless-a connection was 351 Mbps. with occasional fall off to 263 Mbps. - 4 bars of signal quality in Windows. Wireless-n was 175.5 with fall off to 144 Mbps. with four bars showing in Windows. Using the Cisco E4200, I had 300 Mbps., four bars of signal, and I could not see wireless-a from it. @80-feet, through multiple walls, the wireless-ac connection was more or less constant at 263 Mbps. and 117 Mbps in wireless-n. Of course, all of these rates are relative to what exists in my home, and do not reflect what others may find in their environments.. My findings do represent a major improvement in Wi-Fi at my home using the TRENDnet TEW812DRU. The ASUS adapter card also provided significant gains using either router, but use with the TRENDnet router gave exceptional gains.

Cons: Out of habit, due to having seen new routers arrive in the past with garbled software, I visited the TRENDnet site and downloaded the router software - it was the same that came installed on my router. The re-install was easy but did not cure a menu problem I had already found with the TEW812DRU. It appears the processor has some problem switching between menu screens, which prevents quickly navigating them - even when no changes have been made. Hang-ups in the menu can be circumvented by closing the browser and opening a new one - annoying, but workable. While the TEW812DRU includes six PSK options, it does not include Enterprise level encryption. For most home users, that shouldn't present any problem, but providing Enterprise encryption shouldn't be much of a problem for TRENDnet - most other manufacturers are including it. True, stronger encryption lowers data transfer reliability over distances - but I feel it should be offered. I've used Cisco and other wireless products in my home since the first wireless-B equipment was offered to consumers. The wireless a/b/g/n Draft 2.0 E4200 system has been operating here since 2011 - acceptably but not always well, due to the constantly changing interference patterns. The interference also adversely affects cell phone reception and transmission here more often than not. My computers use a mix of a/b/g/n and b/g/n USB and PCI card wireless adapters. Adapters in use have been two Linksys WMP300N PCI cards capable of 270 Mbps in wireless-N, and two Linksys AE1000 USB adapters capable of 300 Mbps.. Since the new TRENDnet TEW-812DRU has 80 Mhz. of bandwidth in wireless-AC, and the AE1000 adapters are only capable of utilizing 40 Mhz. 300 Mbps., I had to add an ASUS PCE-AC66 rated 450/1300Mbps. to reach the higher data speeds. The OS used in each computer was Windows 8 Pro with Media Center x64 and Windows 7 Ultimate x64. The modem is a WindStream DSL wireless router model, and I keep it's Wi-Fi turned off as it has little range and I don't need the added electrical pollution. The new AC1750 wireless card was $93, and all of the few cards in this class are priced in the same neighborhood.

Overall Review: My home is a 4500 square foot ranch style with 1/2-inch sheet rock walls separating rooms and a brick exterior. Two massive brick fireplaces also block signal inside the home. No other structures are within 300 feet of my home. That suggests a near perfect Wi-Fi environment inside, but it's far from the case. I have two Panasonic phone systems, one running at 5.8 GHz. and the other at 2.4 GHz.. There is a microwave oven, and fluorescent overhead lighting in two rooms with a mix of LED and incandescent in the rest of the house. An advanced video security system, four DirecTv HD units, and large monitors also reside here. UHF remotes are all around along with cell phones. I also have all the other large metal electrical appliances many other folks have. The area is home to numerous TV, radio, and public safety transmitters (digital and analog) within a three mile radius - and they often produce harmonic frequency generations outside their allocated frequencies. There are also public Wi-Fi utilities. At my computers, I can see no less than six residential wireless routers in addition to mine - not to mention the "hidden" ones. This all means any Wi-Fi system in my home has a lot of interference to deal with, and over the years this has required added measures to stabilize my wireless Wi-Fi equipment operation - such as a high gain professional 1 meter dipole antenna in my attic that has been unused since my purchase of a Cisco E4200 in 2011. I haven't bothered to use the antenna or its repeater anymore as all my computers will connect to my Cisco wireless router network averaging between 13.5 Mbps and 300 Mbps - depending on the proximity to the router and any varying electrical pollution. What I found was an easily set up router in the TEW812DRU. The router actually appears to provide better performance if you create a network using it, and this is very easy to do in Windows without using the router menus. You will need the PIN found in the router menus. Not to worry, the PIN is not static after a router reset - it changes each time you use the factory reset button accessed through the bottom of the router. The network connection also appears much more solid than using wireless-n or wireless-ac alone. I was provided this TEW812DRU free of charge for an honest review - and I'm happy to say, after a week of testing and use, it is a product I can and will recommend to others. I'm also pleased to have been chosen to review what I have found to be a good product. I will continue using it in preference to my Cisco E4200 - and I'll be upgrading the adapters in the future. I'll also be interested in seeing what TRENDnet has to offer when they release their own AC1750 dual band adapters. 2017 UPDATE from 2013 - This unit still performs well, but other newer models in the neighborhood are now compromising my signal at times. I've upgraded to the ASUS RT-AC3100 to improve my footprint with a stronger signal.

Pros: This is an update to my previous review here. When I first assembled this board, I really liked it. It ran flawlessly for one and a half months or so - staying powered on 24/7 after break-in at an APC UPS (used ASUS Al nap mode when not at the station). The whole system always ran cool and there was never a hint of any problem. It ran so well, I never updated the BIOS. I purchased this motherboard from NewEgg, and the "Egg" was great as always - had the board delivered very quickly.

Cons: Then came last week when Vista X64 asked for an update requiring a re-start. The system gave no beeps, and would not show a post screen as it powered back on. I checked every installed component with my other ASUS motherboards, and there was no problem with any of the components. I was hoping it was the old AM2 AMD Athlon64 3800 processor I had used, as I was about to buy a new Phenom II quad from the "Egg" to replace it. My M4A78-E would power up my SATA ASUS optical drive, WD SATA hard drive, and all fans, but no USB port had power - or would read a memory flash stick, or a keyboard. I exhausted every motherboard recovery procedure and had no results - which is sad, as I really liked this motherboard and had considered buying more of them. Everyone should be aware this same issue is occuring with many others who were well pleased with the initial performance of this motherboard. You can find the issue on the Internet. My motherboard is revision 1.01G with BIOS 0711

Overall Review: I contacted ASUS support by the phone number in the user manual and was given an RMA - had no problem what-so-ever getting an RMA number. But, I must now pack and ship the motherboard back for replacement, and I have no idea how long replacement will take. At this point, I really don't want another M4A78-E. With others failing in the same way, I expect the replacement will also.

Pros: This video card averages 34 C temps in most use with my fans running quietly, and is a huge improvement over the old ASUS EAH4870 DK TOP/HTD/512MD5/A it replaced. Not only were the temperatures significantly lowered, but the power draw was also lowered. Another plus was the software which works in Windows 10. The old ASUS Radeon card software had no support to run in Windows 10 - only a working card driver. My old ANTEC tower case fans get to run far quieter now unless doing extreme overclocks now of the AMD Phenom II 955 CPU and GPU, and the card is running nicely on the old ASUS M4A79XTD EVO motherboard. With the cooler card temps, the CPU easily overclocks to 4.1 GHz. now on fan cooling. The PSU is also running cooler as it no longer has to feed the two six pin connectors the old power hungry card required. I also purchased an inexpensive short eight pin adapter from Newegg - for the single eight pin connector on the new GPU. The adapter made this a simple quick install. The GeForce software allows full 1080P to 4K picture resolutions with horizontal and vertical sizing - very useful with a great GUI with great help information. The GPU Tweak software utility is also very useful. I did find the included Online and intrusive Gamer software a waste of time, and I promptly deleted it.

Cons: I had to bear through multiple delays that offered no tracking for determining an actual delivery by UPS Ground. In part, this was due to the current Newegg order processing system as well. Very dissatisfied with having three separate expected delivery dates expire before actually receiving my order.

Overall Review: If you can bear through the current irritating and sloppy Newegg delivery hassles, this is a worthwhile video card purchase at a decent price. It should also satisfy the average person who enjoys an occasional good gaming experience. I found it to be a cost effective improvement to my old 2009 computer build, and a card I would definitely use on a new build. Something to remember is, while ASUS makes good products, the AMD graphics cards offer limited year driver support that is often glitchy. I have old ASUS GeForce cards in use from 2007 that still offer great support with no problems on new Windows software. None of my ASUS GeForce video cards have ever been a problem other than they just can't keep up with the improvements in the newer ones.

Pros: This is the second refurbished RT AC3100 I've purchased from New Egg. This one just happened to be "Open Box". Both were complete in their boxes and had no defects. Both RT AC3100 routers were the easiest I've ever set up in years. I configured one as a default AP for my gateway. I configured the last as a wireless "Media Bridge" or my home entertainment center. The software blows DD-WRT software completely away in simplicity, and provides strong transfer rates over large areas - despite a wireless router rich neighborhood environment that was causing huge interference issues.

Cons: None found

Overall Review: Successful Twice 06/03/2017 I'll reconfigure one RT AC3100 for a repeater, keeping the other as a media bridge, and add a RT AC5300 if the neighbors start drowning my home network again. The added beauty of having two RT AC3100 routers is they will work perfectly with the RT AC5300, and each will output a rate almost as well as a single RT AC3100 does alone when used in conjunction with the RT AC5300 - since the RT AC5300 has a much higher output rate with its three bands. UPDATE 7/26/2017: I purchased a refurbished open box RT AC5300 to go along with my two refurbished RT AC3100s. The refurbished AC5300 arrived with a non-working 2.4 GHz radio. But, it did allow me to see how well its two 5 GHz radios worked with my AC3100s. I returned the refurbished AC5300 and purchased a brand new AC5300. The factory fresh RT AC5300 works perfectly - supplying strong signals to each of my AC3100s (configured as media bridge/wireless repeaters). Reported signal rates stay at 1950 mbps. on each AC3100 media bridge - using a separate 5 GHz band to each AC3100. The 2.4 GHz band on this RT AC5300 also works perfectly. I couldn't be more pleased - with all three units working seamlessly together. I now have blanket wireless coverage in my home that is no longer affected by the numerous over-boosted wireless router signals being broadcast in my neighborhood - two of the over boosted signals were coming from 1/8 mile away, with none of the others within 400 feet of my house. Problem solved once and for all. UPDATE 8/4/2020: Both of my ASUS RT AC3100 routers are still configured to wireless media bridge and are still working perfectly with my ASUS RT AC5300. I have multiple smart TVs now that wirelessly connect to both RT AC3100 "media bridges". Viewing Internet TV on my 4K Samsung smart TVs is never a problem until my cable company is working on a problem at their end. I have never had to reboot or so much as make a single settings change to either RT AC3100 or the RT AC5300 they connect to. It just doesn't get any better than this.

Pros: Update: December 15, 2018 It has now been well over a year and I haven't needed to touch my RT-AC5300 a single time - or the two AC-3100 wireless media bridges I connected to it. Spectrum has my current Internet speeds at 200 MBs. and the ASUS routers manage the levels perfectly. The only times I don't have perfect Internet service is only when their is a power outage or Spectrum has their service down. Overall, my Spectrum service is very reliable. But, My ASUS system is always flawless. I even use video calling on my Verizon cellphone while connected to the ASUS router system. The ASUS system is a great reliable one I expect will last many years. I also have new Samsung media TVs connected to the wireless system. Everything works flawlessly. Previous review follows: Strong signal levels Works well with multiple simultaneous wireless connections Has two 5 GHz bands Nice GUI and great GUI feature set for performance tuning and monitoring Works excellent with my two RT-AC3100 wireless routers configured to Media Bridge/wireless repeaters. Doesn't drop any connections Only reboots after power outages - no annoying connection drop-outs Works for me - perfectly with only minor tweaks

Cons: Takes 60-120 seconds for a complete reboot.

Overall Review: In my neighborhood, I was getting flooded by more than ten over-boosted wireless routers from as far as 1/8 mile away. They had destroyed the wireless computer connections I always had in several of the bed rooms in my home, and my garage, and made all my wireless connections unreliable. I had been running reliable wireless 5 GHz signals since 2009 using a TRENDnet TEW-812DRU. That unit simply became overwhelmed by the amount of pollution the neighbors created. Otherwise, it was still operating perfectly. I couldn't stream Internet movies due to a limited DSL connection. That changed also, when I switched to Spectrum Cable - averaging 69-75 Mbps download speeds from their optical feeds. I have better phone, Internet, and TV than ever before - for about $100 less each month. This has already more than paid for my new wireless routers. I installed the RT-AC5300 in the central location the TEW-812DRU had always been placed. Signal was restored to my bedrooms, but still beaten back some by the neighborhood pollution bullies. then I set one RT-AC3100 Media Bridge in one bedroom and connected it to the 5GHz-1 band. Instantly, I had enough bandwidth to stream movies again. I placed the other RT-AC3100 in my den, adjoining the garage. This Media Bridge serves my entertainment center and the garage, and I connected it to the 5GHz-2 band. Again, I found I had achieved high bandwidth signal levels capable of streaming movies in these locations. The GUI on each wireless router confirmed the new levels. Which means, not only did the new "punji stake" system punch through, but my system is also now ready for when I install new smart TVs in the place of my older flat panel sets. As it stands now, I'm able to stream Internet movies to each 32" monitor attached to my wireless computers. I left the 2.4 band turned on at the RT-AC5300 just to stab the "airwave bullies/hogs", in my neighborhood, in their feet. I had always kept this band off, using the TEW-812DRU, as it travels farther (5GHz stays within the home). I'm satisfied my "punji stake" RT-AC5300 is giving them a dose of what they deserve at 2.4 GHz.

Pros: Not only reads Blue Ray, but writes them. Installed an ISO Windows 10 Pro copy very quickly to a new Samsung SSD drive.

Cons: Had to install an old OEM ASUS provided software disc, and load Power DVD from it, before it would read a Blue Ray disc - since the included software is only for burning and Windows 10 does not support reading Blue Ray. Odd That ASUS no longer includes the reader software in the provided BD Suite that comes with this drive.

Overall Review: Lucked up , and received a free Blue Ray disc to burn with it. Don't know what I'll burn to the new Blue Ray disc. So far, the drive works great. At least I still had the Power DVD software that came with the previous ASUS Blu Ray drive I replaced. Otherwise, I would have been out more dollars for Brue Ray reader software.