ASUS RT-N13U Wireless Router and Print Server Review


[ad#review1070-top]As the price of home networking equipment falls, manufacturers are looking to include features which separate their product from the rest of the pack. Many routers include at least one USB port these days because of this. This USB port is generally used for either a printer or some kind of storage device, such as an external hard drive or flash drive. The ASUS RT-N13U is one such device. It unifies 802.11n wireless with a 10/100 switch and a lone USB port, which ASUS thinks your all-in-one printer would love. ThinkComputers reviews the ASUS RT-N13U wireless router.

Features and Specifications

Standards IEEE802.11n, IEEE802.11g, IEEE802.11b, IEEE802.11d, IEEE802.3, IEEE802.3u, IEEE802.1X, WPA, WMM, IPv4
WAN Ports 1 x RJ45 for 10/100 BaseT
Support Ethernet and 802.3 with max. bit rate 10/100 Mbps and auto cross-over function(MDI-X)
LAN Ports 4 x RJ45 for 10/100 BaseT
Support Ethernet and 802.3 with max. bit rate 10/100 Mbps and auto cross-over function(MDI-X)
USB port 1 x USB 2.0
Reset Button Push for above 5 seconds to restore factory settings
EZS button Yes (WPS)
Management
  • Internet connection type: Automatic IP ,Static IP, PPPoE(MPPE supported), PPTP, L2TP
  • Dual Link support
  • WAN Bridge support
  • Multicast Proxy support
  • Multicast Rate Setting support
Firewall NAT and SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) Firewall:

  • enable/disable WAN ping
  • allow access from WAN
  • log of accepted and dropped

Filtering:

  • Single Port and Port Range
  • URL based
  • MAC Address
Operating Frequency 2.4 – 2.5 Ghz
Modulation 802.11n:
BPSK / QPSK / 16QAM / 64QAM

802.11g:
ODFM @ 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54Mbps

802.11b:
DBPSK @ 1Mbps
DQPSK @ 2Mbps
CCK @ 5.5 / 11Mbps

Data Rate 802.11n Draft 2.0: up to 300Mbps
802.11g: 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54Mbps
802.11b: 1, 2, 5.5, 11Mbps
Operation Channel 11 for N.America, 14 Japan, 13 Europe(ETSI)
Antenna 2 x internal antenna
Antenna Gain in 3 dBi
Range outdoor (LOS, Light-Of-Sight) 200 m at 802.11n* *The range may vary by different environment
Output Power 15.5 ~16.5dBm(n mode)
15.5 ~16.5dBm(g mode)
Receive Sensitivity(10MHz BW) -74~ -75dBm @54Mbps
-89~ -92dBm @11Mbps
-91~ -95dBm @ 1Mbps
Encryption 64/128-bit WEP
WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK,
WPA-Enterprise, WPA2-Enterprise, Radius with 802.1x
Authentication MAC address, 802.1x
DC Power Adapter AC Input: 100V~240V(50~60HZ);
DC Output: 12V with max. 1 A current

Packaging
The ASUS RT-N13U wireless router comes in a box decorated with the ASUS logo and mantra “Rock Solid, Heart Touching” prominently displayed on the primary surfaces. A picture of the device adorns the front, along with almost an overload of text describing the all-in-one printer management capability of the device.

The rear of the box shows an explanation of how the R13N-U can permit multiple users to use the same all-in-one printer sans wires, and sans configuration changes. The rear also touts a new router interface. Oh, tell me, sweet lords of usability, can it be true that ASUS has finally ditched the antiquated, Web 1.0-looking purple, green, and yellow abomination?


ASUS RT-N13U Wireless Router and Print Server Review ASUS RT-N13U Wireless Router and Print Server Review

Inside the box is the router, a CD, some manuals, the power cord, and an Ethernet cable.


ASUS RT-N13U Wireless Router and Print Server Review ASUS RT-N13U Wireless Router and Print Server Review

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36 comments
  1. This router is quite exceptional, it allows you to network your printer. Most routers do not have that function, but you can network it through windows, which does not work if that main computer is not online.

  2. This router is quite exceptional, it allows you to network your printer. Most routers do not have that function, but you can network it through windows, which does not work if that main computer is not online.

  3. Turning any printer into a “wireless” printer is definately cool. I have a cheap printer that I keep on a media rack in my livingroom and I'd love to be able to plug it directly in the D-Link AP I have on the other side of the room instead of keeping a coiled USB cord on the top of it.

  4. Turning any printer into a “wireless” printer is definately cool. I have a cheap printer that I keep on a media rack in my livingroom and I'd love to be able to plug it directly in the D-Link AP I have on the other side of the room instead of keeping a coiled USB cord on the top of it.

  5. Yea wireless N is great. i get the internet speed of my isp directly, no losses. Only if my internet speed was faster, so i could utilize the full potential of N.

  6. Yea wireless N is great. i get the internet speed of my isp directly, no losses. Only if my internet speed was faster, so i could utilize the full potential of N.

  7. Yea wireless N is great. i get the internet speed of my isp directly, no losses. Only if my internet speed was faster, so i could utilize the full potential of N.

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  9. is there an antenna that can be added to this unit to boost the signal. wireless or cable because the coverage is not good.

  10. RT-N13U Wireless Router / Print Server
    print server works with long delay and only for very small documents (i.e. Windows Print Test Page)
    I purchased this router because of its claim to operate as a Print Server. I have spent at least 6 hours trying to get my HP CP1215 Laser Color printer to work with your router print server USB connection. As I said there is a long (5 min) delay before it will print anything and then it will only print small text documents.
    I thought I would take a chance on your RT-N13U router because I have been in IT for 13 years and thought ASUS was a name to be trusted. This Print Server does NOT work!
    To claim that this router includes print server functionality is simply a misrepresentation of the truth; or as most would say, “A lie”.
    Shame on you ASUS!

  11. This isn’t a review — this is a press release posting! What is the control panel like? What did your speed tests show? And LOS stands for LINE of SIGHT (just a typo I’m sure).

  12. sadly, i just discovered the same thing. Good router, reasonable price, but the print capability is a joke.

  13. I have never been happy with vertical routers/cable modems, etc. The cables are always heavier than the devices and continually torque them over, sending surrounding items flying. The only way to prevent this is to wedge them between heavier items, like between books in a bookcase, but then where do you route the cables? Also, I suspect the books would seriously attenuate the signal in almost every direction. Give me a design that lays flat and stays flat, wherever you want to put it.

  14. i purchased a new asus rt-n13u and i used it as an access point (AP). it is possible that the download master will run for this set-up?
    i tried many times but there is no network connection. please help me in order to run this download master.
    thank you.

  15. The Print Server was very troublesome to setup and use. Documents would remian in the print queue – finally gave up using this as a print server.

    Otherwise this is a great, reliable and high performance device

  16. The Print Server was very troublesome to setup and use. Documents would remian in the print queue – finally gave up using this as a print server.

    Otherwise this is a great, reliable and high performance device

  17. This router just plain sucks… While it has great download speeds, the printer server barely works and the upload speed is terrible. I was running an old linksys G type router and wanted to upgrade to a better range. The range is better on the asus but the upload speed (important to gamers) ran at about 1.5 while my old g router ran uploads at about 5.0. This is not a gamers router.

  18. I purchased the router and initially had the same problem with the printer, but found that despite my printer, an epson 730 inkjet, being a dinosaur it works fine and yes it does take aout 5 seconds to load, but I have printed documents with pie chart and diagonal charts easily,now if that is still simple text documents the yes it does that. As for printer problem remedy, well use window 7and windows xp and have management to make it work perfectly on both. In all it appears to be the router I thought it would be, with a printer port and multifunctional. Yes you give up about 2/5 of your speed when on wireless but that is something I am beginning to look into.

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