14 DAY TRIAL // is a Wi-Fi router released in the autumn of 2011 that now sees a pretty big price drop, so, in theory, it is a good non-gigabit router with 5Gzh capabilities.
The problem is that the 5Ghz Wi-Fi component is mounted on the USB bus and it seems to be failing very often. I've found reports of this problem dating back to 2012 on different discussion forums.
Asus has tried to fix the issue, but with no luck yet. With the latest official firmware (3.0.0.4.374.4561), the 5 Ghz SSID is disappearing on moderate traffic and only a router reboot can temporarily fix the problem. There are no issues with the 2.4 Ghz SSID, though.
There are two hardware revisions (unofficial) of this router. The new one is called Asus RT-N53 A1 and is NOT distinguishable directly. Let's say that, if you buy a new RT-N53, it will be A1, supported by 2 ports of the Tomato firmware: Shibby and Victek.
We also have a guide on how to install Tomato Firmware on Asus RT-N53 in case you want to give it a try.
Sadly, even after a lot of troubles installing Tomato (Asus Emergency mode), the problems are still there on moderate traffic, with a little twist: the 5 Ghz is still visible, but you cannot use it (no traffic).
So, I would recommend that you go for an Asus RT-N56u with Padavan firmware, if you want a great router and 5Ghz Wi-Fi to go with it.
