Joined on 02/22/06
Howto - home network setup
Pros: E-Z Installation: plug in unit 1 near router. ethernet cable from router to unit 1. plug in unit 2. ethernet cable from unit 2 to device (tv, pc, 4 or 8 port switch, wi-fi router in access point mode) Screamin' Fast: We have 78mbps down / 5 up at the router plugged into the cable-modem. Downstairs, on a different circuit in the electric panel, I get 26 down / 3.2 up with a 4ms ping to the upstairs router. Low-latency is great for gaming.
Cons: Big - It very nearly prevents me from plugging in my power-strip in the upper socket (It's in far enough to make contact). There is no pass-through socket. No extra ports (built-in switch) on the units.
Overall Review: Most homes should have three or four of these units (2 in the starter kit). Plug unit 1 near the main router. Plug additional units at each network-enabled television/game console, and at each desk where PC gaming, video watching, and downloading/file-sharing are done. Install 4-port switches at these locations with an ethernet cable hanging from them (cheap!). Plug another AC-#### Wi-Fi router in the other side or floor of the house set to access point mode to provide better signal coverage for phones and laptops on-the-move. Use Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector (free) to check signal strength and channels in your home. Manually set 2.4GHz wi-fi routers to 11,6, and 1 (don't put the same channel near another router with same channel) http://www.extremetech.com/computing/179344-how-to-boost-your-wifi-speed-by-choosing-the-right-channel Replace old routers; AC-1750's are $75.
Good purchase. Fastest available at the moment. Drivers support needs improvement.
Pros: AC1900. My d/l speed bumped up to 57mbps on the 5GHz (it says it's 351mbps in the adapter utility), up from 24mbps with my AC1200 USB (tested via speedtest.net). I can now see the 5GHz channel through two exterior walls and 80 feet of parking lot.<br>Low-profile adapter included.<br>Option to use magnetic based antenna stand or screw antennae into card.
Cons: Driver support sucks. The latest versions of the driver software (12/11/2015) don't include the handy utility, just a modification of the latest Broadcom driver. You have to install the package in a program folder and it extracts the drivers to there for all windows versions. After that, for a cleaner windows only setup, copy the drivers for your windows version to wherever you keep your drivers (user\install\drivers\asus pce-ac68), uninstall the software, go to device manager and uninstall the device and delete the drivers, reboot, and then go back to device manager and point it to your drivers folder.<br><br>If you want to use the utility program (which i do), you have to use a driver version a few versions ago. The utility program doesn't include the "beamforming" option in advanced. There is no indication whether this feature is applied automagically. The utility should perform periodic signal strength surveys and display this in the tray so you can remove the Windows wi-fi icon and use this one instead. But it doesn't.
It sucks
Pros: cheap
Cons: Even with aux power plugged into a second USB port, not enough power to charge my headphones (even if only load). Takes two USB ports on your PC. Has no intelligent charging ports for fast-charging devices like cell phones. I can't give zero eggs.
Overall Review: Don't be fooled by the picture. It's a 5v DC in that comes from plugging into a second USB port on your motherboard, not an external power supply. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT.
Great product - Failure rate extremely high.
Pros: easy to use. cheap.
Cons: failure rate is extremely high - read reviews. This one was factory refurb and lasted 2 1/2 months before failure. Screen is purple and scrambled. Good thing I bought the extended warranty from a third party.
There are better headsets for the $$$.
Pros: Programmable G-keys let you push-to-talk while away from computer. Charges while in-use Red LED on mic boom indicates muted Virtual surround sound is good (but there's free virtual surround for all headphones from RAZER) Sound quality is passable (with some EQ tweaks)
Cons: HEAVY! Because it's so heavy it needs more padding in top band. What's there won't last. Earphones swivel so you can't pick them up without it flopping around like a fish in your hands. They're so heavy it feels like you'll break them by picking them up by the earphones. Poor reliability - my first set went bonkers and wouldn't charge. Many people had this problem on forums. Software virtual surround screws up on some mono sources like TeamSpeak (Mumble positional audio only comes out of right earphone). Mic input is a bit low (it won't distort but it may be too quiet) - some software will auto-set your mic to max input (i.e. Skype)
Overall Review: I own Plantronics 995 for seven years now. Still works but batt needs to be replaced and I have to tear it apart to do it. It doesn't charge while in-use and has no programmable buttons for ptt so it's not good enough for me. Find another headset that has PTT buttons, charges in-use, LED on mic boom, mutes on boom up, doesn't have swivel earphones, and weighs less.
Lousy aftermarket support
Pros: tri-SLI, Triple channel RAM, easy overclocking, auto-resets to defaults after failed overclocking attempt
Cons: First: The drivers that came on CD and the drivers on the web site never worked for the X-Fi sound. The Creative Labs software said it couldn't find a supported chip. Asus support said I could RMA the board back. Okay, big disappointment but I'm not taking a working motherboard out of my best PC to replace on-board sound. They probably knew that was a problem with a whole bunch of version 1.xx owners. I bought an aftermarket Sound Blaster Extreme. Second: Huge!!! Can't use a >2TB HD for your Windows 7 operating system. Windows 7 64 bit has no problem formatting my 3TB drive as GPT partition but you can't boot from it because they never added UEFI to the BIOS. It could have and should have been done, but the didn't. I'm sure it was to drive people to upgrade to their newer Rampage IV boards. I paid a whole lot of money for this high-end board and it should have received better aftermarket support. Their were other boards at the time of my purchase that had UEFI but I didn't know to look for it and had been an Asus Fan-boy for 20 years. NO MORE! Gigabyte, here I come!!!
Overall Review: I've owned Asus products since the early 90's when they were an up and coming generic like Samsung used to be as well. I think my P2B-N with an overclocked Celeron is still running in a relatives garage. Their quality and support has dwindled over the decades and I have had the last straw.