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The FCC granted ASUS conditional approval for named router product families, exempting them from the agency’s Covered List through March 6, 2028. ASUS says it submitted a required plan and is working with manufacturing partners, but the public material cited here does not disclose the plan’s contents or explain which commitments supported approval.
What the FCC approved
The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau issued a notice recording “Conditional Approval” for ASUS Computer International. The notice lists the RT Router, ROG GT, ROG Strix GS, TUF Gaming, ExpertWiFi, ZenWiFi Mesh, 5G MiFi, repeater, and wireless access point families. It sets March 6, 2028 as the approval’s termination date. Read the FCC notice, DA 26-957.
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This is not a blanket permanent approval for every ASUS networking product. The FCC notice names product families and gives an end date; it does not, in the material available here, establish the status of every future model.
How ASUS says it obtained the exemption
The broader regulatory context began in March 2026, when the FCC added foreign-produced consumer routers to its Covered List. The FCC announcement described a route to conditional approval by the Department of War or the Department of Homeland Security. See the FCC announcement.
#1 Best Overall
- New-Gen WiFi Standard – WiFi 6(802.11ax) standard supporting MU-MIMO and OFDMA technology for better efficiency and throughput.Antenna : External antenna x 4. Processor : Dual-core (4 VPE). Power Supply : AC Input : 110V~240V(50~60Hz), DC Output : 12 V with max. 1.5A current.
- Ultra-fast WiFi Speed – RT-AX1800S supports 1024-QAM for dramatically faster wireless connections
- Increase Capacity and Efficiency – Supporting not only MU-MIMO but also OFDMA technique to efficiently allocate channels, communicate with multiple devices simultaneously
- 5 Gigabit ports – One Gigabit WAN port and four Gigabit LAN ports, 10X faster than 100–Base T Ethernet.
- Commercial-grade Security Anywhere – Protect your home network with AiProtection Classic, powered by Trend Micro. And when away from home, ASUS Instant Guard gives you a one-click secure VPN.
ASUS spokesperson JJ Guerrero told The Verge that ASUS “has submitted the required plan to the FCC and is working with trusted manufacturing partners to support our future networking product portfolio in the U.S.” That statement indicates ASUS submitted a plan and described work with partners; it does not reveal the plan’s terms. The Verge report.
What the public record does not explain
The sources cited here do not disclose the submitted plan’s specific contents or identify the precise security or supply-chain conditions tied to the approval. They also do not name particular manufacturing sites or establish whether a specific audit or test was required.
Rank #2
- Ultrafast WiFi 7 – WiFi 7 (802.11be) dual-band extendable router boosts speed up to 6500 Mbps, with 4096-QAM increasing a single frequency band’s transmission speed by 1.2 times
- Five 2.5GbE Ports – 2.5GbE ports prioritize traffic, optimizing wired internet connectivity for maximum performance
- Hassle-free AiMesh Extendable Network – AiMesh extendable routers enable whole home seamless roaming with rich, advanced features
- Multi-link Operation – Link to multiple bands at the same time to ensure stable internet connections and efficient data transfers
- Commercial-Grade Network Security – AiProtection Pro powered by Trend Micro, plus a one-tap security scan and Safe Browsing
That distinction matters: the FCC notice documents conditional approval, but it is not a public account of the detailed basis for the decision. The available material does not support describing the action as a public security certification of each router, or as proof of a particular manufacturing arrangement.
What ASUS has told existing customers
In a corporate statement dated March 25, 2026, ASUS said the FCC action would not affect existing ASUS router users, software updates, or customer support. The company also said, “We are confident in the integrity of our supply chain and the security of our networking products.” These are ASUS’s assurances, not independent findings. Read ASUS’s statement.
Rank #3
- Beyond-fast WiFi 7 (802.11be) with new 320MHz channels in the 6 GHz band and 4096-QAM significantly increases network capacity and throughput, with speeds of up to 30 Gbps
- Multi-link Operation links to multiple bands at the same time to ensure stable internet connections and efficient data transfers
- Cutting-edge external dual-feeding antennas boost coverage by providing high efficiency and significantly enhanced signal strength
- Maximized wired connectivity and flexibility with dual 10G ports and quad 2.5G ports
- Triple-Level Game Acceleration - The GT-BE98 Pro boosts your PC gaming traffic every step of the way, from your PC gaming port all the way to the game server.
In an FAQ dated April 24, 2026, ASUS said products already available in the U.S. market were not affected at that time and that future products would be assessed against current regulatory requirements. That is a time-specific company statement, not a guarantee about later policy or current inventory. Read ASUS’s regulatory FAQ.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What buyers should take from the decision
The exemption is a regulatory status, not a product recommendation or a guarantee about present availability. The notice covers listed ASUS families until its stated termination date; customers considering a particular model should check that model’s current U.S. availability and regulatory status rather than assume the family-level notice answers every future case.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- New-Gen WiFi Standard - Supporting 802.11ax WiFi standard for better efficiency and throughput.
- Ultra-fast WiFi Speed - RT-AX3000S supports 1024-QAM for dramatically faster wireless connections. With a total networking speed of about 3000Mbps — 574 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 2402 Mbps on the 5GHz band.
- Increase Capacity and Efficiency - Supporting not only MU-MIMO but also OFDMA technique to efficiently allocate channels, communicating with multiple devices simultaneously
- Easy Extendable Network - Enjoy seamless roaming with rich, advanced features by adding any AiMesh-compatible router.
Rank #4
- Blazing-fast WiFi 7 tech boosts throughput up to 7200Mbps with Multi-Link Operation and 4096-QAM.
- Bolster your wired network capacity up to 34G with one cutting-edge 10G SFP+ port and one standard 10G WAN/LAN port.
- Establish always-on internet through AI WAN detection, versatile WAN configuration options, and a convenient USB port ready for 4G LTE and 5G Mobile tethering.
- Unleash demanding WiFi 7 and 10G network applications with a powerhouse quad-core 2.6GHz 64-bit CPU.
- Easily establish up to five SSIDs with Guest Network Pro for easy IoT device setup and management, instant VPN connections, and convenient parental controls.
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