Asuswrt ROG, analysis of the definitive firmware for gamers

What is Asuswrt ROG?

Asuswrt ROG is the firmware from the manufacturer ASUS that is installed only on the routers of the ASUS ROG Rapture range, that is, the top-of-the-range gaming routers from the manufacturer ASUS. Although this manufacturer has other gaming-oriented routers, those with the «ROG» label are the top of the range, with the best hardware to provide the best possible performance, and with Asuswrt ROG firmware that incorporates all the available technologies to provide the best possible gaming experience.

The main features of this firmware for ASUS routers are that it incorporates a large number of advanced configuration options, and not only oriented towards gaming, but also has services for any user, it does not have to be a gamer. The first thing that catches our attention of the Asuswrt ROG firmware is the main menu, and that is that we will be able to see in real time the network traffic that is taking place on the local network, we will be able to see both the download and the upload of data, so we will have at our disposal a global vision of how the Internet connection is being used.

Another quite interesting feature of the main menu of this firmware is that we have a graph with the average latency of our connection, although this will depend on the server we have chosen to perform this performance and stability test. Latency is one of the two most important factors for players, and the less latency we have, the better user experience we will have, because we will have immediacy when we do something in the game.

The second critical factor in an internet connection for gamers is jitter, also known as ping drift or connection latency variability. The closer this jitter is to 0, the better, this means that our Internet connection is very stable and we will not have “lags”. In the main menu of the Asuswrt ROG we also find a graph with this information, in addition, it will inform us at all times of the current jitter that we have, in case there is someone downloading the maximum from the line.

Of course, the Asuswrt ROG firmware has a large number of technologies to maximize the user experience when gaming, although many of these features are shared with the “normal” Asuswrt firmware, so depending on the router model you have, you will be able to enjoy some traffic prioritization options or others.

Now that you know what Asuswrt ROG is, we are going to explain what differences we have compared to the “normal” Asuswrt.

How is it different from normal Asuswrt?

Asuswrt and Asuswrt ROG are exactly the same firmware, both share the source code of the vast majority of configuration options. The main difference from Asuswrt ROG is that it incorporates a gamer-oriented graphical user interface, that is, a design that is a bit different. We must also take into account that in the ROG version we have a “Panel” with real-time traffic, latency, jitter, and even other information such as game radar and the possibility of configuring the ASUS Aura RGB directly from this menu.

The Asuswrt ROG version also incorporates the “WiFi Radar”, a feature that will allow us to see at a low level how the WiFi wireless network is working, although this option is only suitable for advanced users who understand what they are seeing. Of course, in the gamer-oriented firmware we are going to have each and every one of the existing technologies for prioritizing game devices or game traffic, something that the Asuswrt version does not usually incorporate, although the most important QoS options are present in both firmwares.

Generally, the manufacturer ASUS incorporates a private network for gamers in the ROG version of the firmware, this service is usually paid under subscription, and is provided by an external company. If you are interested in this type of service, only ROG Rapture routers incorporate this functionality.

Now that you know the main differences, we are going to explain what options for gamers this Asuswrt ROG firmware from the manufacturer ASUS has.

What options for gamers do you have?

ROG Rapture routers are the top of the line from ASUS for online gaming, so the firmware has a large number of options and functions to optimize gaming to the fullest. The main options for gamers are the following:

• Game port prioritization: the router has a gaming port that will have priority over the rest of the ports and devices connected via WiFi. This is the easiest way of prioritization, simply plugging the device in here will work fine.
• ROG device prioritization: All ASUS ROG PCs are prioritized by default, to provide the best user experience. This also affects smartphones, and we can activate the “Boost” option from the ASUS Router app for mobile devices.
• Game Boost: ASUS uses in this case a QoS of different types, using different technologies for the prioritization of game packets.
  • Adaptive QoS: It is the most recommended QoS, it allows us to prioritize game packages, streaming, web browsing, learning from home, work from home or customize the order of priority.
  • traditional QoS: it is the usual QoS that we find in most routers, it is necessary to carry out a somewhat more advanced configuration than the previous one.
  • bandwidth limiter: We can limit the download and/or upload speed of a specific device.
  • QoS GeForce NOW: Allows you to apply a QoS to this type of compatible devices.
• Game server throttling: This consists of a virtual private network for gamers, it is a subscription service, depending on the router model we will have one service or another.

As you can see, we have a large number of technologies for prioritizing game traffic, in addition, we also have other very interesting options for players:

• Open NAT: It is an almost automatic port opening system, we simply have to choose the game we want to use, the platform to use (PC or console) and then choose the device where we are going to play. The ports will be opened from here thanks to the built-in game database, we will not have to manually open the ports.
• game radar: It allows us to see where the different servers of various games incorporated in the firmware database are located, it is also capable of measuring the latency to each game server, to know in advance which one we should connect to in order not to have problems.
• FusionVPN: allows us to configure a VPN client in the router, to go to the Internet with certain devices via VPN or directly. This allows us to perform a kind of “split-vpn” separating the different devices, some that go through the VPN (computers, smart TV, etc.) and others through the operator (game devices)

Of course, the rest of the features and functions like AiProtection Pro, guest WiFi networks, OpenVPN and IPsec VPN servers, Instant Guard VPN, firewall settings and all USB services are also available.

At RedesZone we have made a complete 1-hour video where we explain all the parts of the Asuswrt ROG firmware that we have in the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 router: