Standing one hour in low yat choosing between n16 and rt15u. Asked sales if n16 has multi ssid, say yes. Problem solved. rm80 diff. Allit also update latest firm ware, convenient. At home plug and play use, easy. Then found out no multi ssid, regret. And I think since currently I no do bt and ddt firmware changes, sticking with asus firmware for unifi, n16 is a overpowered and expensive. Thinking should have gotten n15u, multi ssid and latest model. However in the end n16 still had its adv, external antenna extended range, superb ventilation, supposed better throughput. Still wasted resources cuz currently I only use for browsing and its price can buy 2 n13u with spare changes. Consoling myself with its extended range, stability and impressive ventilation.

Multi SSID is useful if you have allow access of wireless to friends and external parties. If you're on 1 SSID and they're on another SSID, they would not have access to your computers. Right now, with only 1 SSID, everyone that are allowed access to my wireless can access my computer and shared files that was meant for my private network.

Anyway, right now, I have no regret getting N16 anymore coz started to use its inbuilt bittorrent features with a WD Passport 500GB external hard disk. N15U does not have inbuilt torrent. These feature is a godsend for torrenting coz I just plug in my USB hard disk, install inbuilt torrent from within router and started torrenting. Switch off my PC and leave the router and its attached hd on. Minimize lots of heat, power that resulted to having the PC switch for torrenting.

I love the default QoS. Will limit torrent to 512K upload and download automatically and allow any surfing, gaming to go smoothly as usual. Will switch off QoS at midnight to allow maximum torrenting bandwidth without surfing.

The auto off and on wireless feature in its professional wireless setting is extremely useful for me coz my router is located in my bedroom. Since usually used wired network, will auto off wireless signal at 10:30 night and auto on at 9am the next day.

Conclusion, I've read many mediocre review of N16 (those not using tomato, 3rd party firmware). Turned out those reviews are mostly dated and irrelevant anymore with the release of newly re-vamped Asus firmware version 3 onwards. Early cons of unstable firmware, not so great torrenting feature, possible overheat, weak signal, insufficient power for USB powered are all reversed using the latest Asus firmware.

Revamped bittorrent feature is still basic but good and simple enuf to use, firmware is now quite stable, performance has been enhanced, overheat is no longer an issue as there heatsink now on chip versus early reviewed version, signal is commendable and works great with auto on/off feature and my 500GB and 1TB usb powered WD Passport works without any problem for torrenting. So all is good now. Only thing missing is the 5Ghz band but will need to fork out extra RM120 for N56U for that, since I don't use wireless that much, I can live with only 2.4GHz for now.

N15U is with multi SSID is still great and abt RM80 cheaper with cool design BUT it has no inbuilt torrenting feature that I find extremely useful now since I started torrenting.

Encountered router hanging after downloading using my 500GB WD Passport. Earlier test using 1TB OK. Once it hang, connection is still there, no internet access, unable to access router. Force reboot router using power switch, torrenting go kookoo. Had to delete the entire Download Master software (asusware and download2 folders) and reinstall software and redo torrenting again. Happens quite a few times. Spend whole night troubleshooting and testing.

Using the default version 2+ download master that comes with the latest firmware 3.0.0.3.108. Finally tried using the upgrade option in the router for Download Master. Failed and hang router. Delete entire folders again.

Retry install the next day successfully. Then upgrade again after the download master install on the ext HDD. Manage to smoothly upgrade to version 3+ for download master. Managed to successfully download a couple gig of torrent without hanging anymore. Will monitor further. So I suggest for anyone who got router hang while torrenting or surfing (while torrenting).....please try upgrade the download master thru the USB APP in the router itself. The upgrade option DOES NOT affect the original firmware download master (I found out after a day research). It will only upgrade the software in your ext HDD. If delete folders and reinstall again, it will install the default firmware ver 2+ download master. The re-upgrade everytime you install on new HDD.

Scared myself earlier, since keep hanging before and after the failed upgrade, cannot even access download master anymore, tot it upgrade the download master in the firmware itself. Almost goes for the ultimate reboot....re-install te firmware again.

Turned out after many tries and a day of studies, just have to delete the entire asusware and download2 folders in the ext HDD and reinstall....it will go back to default ver2. That means upgrade never touch the firmware based download master, just the installed copy on ext HDD. Then click on upgrade option when u access USB APP (screen where you can activate samba, ftp, usb) download master again AFTER you installed download master on the ext HDD.

This post has been edited by Cavino: Apr 28 2012, 05:57 PM

I'm currently hooking WD Passport 500GB to N16 for downloading. Usually switch off N16 when not in use as I'm not a heavy torrenter. There were times when I could torrent as many and as long as I want. But a lot of times, when I hooked my hd to N16 and torrent, after a short while, the router will just hang. Although IPTV still works, all internet connection was down although it is still indicated active by the led light there. Cannot access router and the download manager will go kookoo. I have to delete the asusware and download2 directory and restore a new backup copy (I backup the original download manager after newly install) in order to make download master working again.

I'm not sure if its the firmware problem or very likely it might finally be true that the USB port lack sufficient power to power ext hdd. External HDD still works in every sense but maybe its not receiving power sufficiently causing it to hang both N16 router and HDD itself. However at times, when I connect anew and it works, it will works continously until I shut down the router, when restarted next time, it depends on luck again.

Not sure if other router range got this problem. If no, then I would suggest going for them instead of N16. RT-N13U has download feature but no gigabit at half the price of N16. Alternatively using RT-N56U with is over RM400 that trumped N16 at all aspect but still using internal antenna. The new N66U is the best of both world having everything 56U has and 3 external antenna to boot for extended range. Its very new tho...so no feedback yet. Besides it cost a bomb, over RM500-600 a piece.

Its a darn powerful CPU with tons of memory. Its overpowered actually with too much memory since I dont do alternative firmware that uses those memories. Using only a single USB port. I only suspect power problem but not sure coz it might be the firmware as well. You can try N56U since it has advantage of dual bands 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz for future proof. It looks much cooler too and more compact in size. The price still in between N16 and N66. Abt RM100 more than N16 tho...

If only I have an external powered HDD, that can try to see if it REALLY is USB powered problem or not. Overall transmission performance of wireless of N56 is higher than N16, so you pay the price for it.

This post has been edited by Cavino: May 9 2012, 11:53 AM

All the current routers from Asus from N12 to N66 can support UNIFI with whatever bandwidth you subscribed to. Fixed IP configuration can be set within any of the routers.

If you're not using the inbuilt torrent, its a durable router that is surprisingly only warm not hot when left running for a while (good heat dissipation including a heat sink).

However either its USB port (power not suffice?) or torrent software is having problem, more often than not, it will run torrent for 15 minutes or so before hanging up the entire router for me. Using a WD Passport 500GB NTFS USB powered HD. Had to chkdsk and corrected files, delete the software and reinstall before it can work again.

Once in a while, it goes thru, once it does, it will work flawlessly as long as you don't restart it. Gave up on it for now and goes back to torrent using PC when needed. Will wait for any new firmware before trying it again.

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Added on May 22, 2012, 4:23 pmYou've mentioned router working great or so.....then suddenly mention you've not replace this router with the dlink one....I tot you've replace the dlink router only you can access internet?

Anyway, since have not try N66 yet, make sure you've installed the latest firmware from Asus site. Or else just check if you have the same screen as N16 firmware .108. I believe they should be almost the same, at least the basic settings.

Refer to KLSeet site
http://klseet.com/index.php?option=com_con...=131&Itemid=116


This post has been edited by Cavino: May 22 2012, 04:23 PM