I saw your post on Reddit. You won't get much input here from users. There are only 3-4 of us here(besides the moderators).
With that said, most problems are related to signal and not hardware. AFAIK all DOCSIS 3.1 modems support up to 1Gbps(hyperthetically) while actual speed maxes around 940Mbps because of overhead. You can squeak out a bit more by getting a D3.1 modem with a 2.5Gbps ethernet port like the S33, but that won't help a signal issue. See here for a full list.
Can you post your signal levels? See here.
As for your router, that model is EoL as per here, so even if just for security reasons, probably a good idea to replace. I have the RT-AX86u and love it. They have a Pro model though which is better and I think the same price now. The gl-inet FLint 2 router is also a good choice. You won't get gigabit over wifi though unless you invest in a Wifi 6e or above and you have devices that support it.
Thanks, I figured Reddit probably has more activity. I would like to get 900+ since that should be possible when including the overhead. I am guessing that the 1173 Mbps number listed by Cox is by using a 2.5GB cable modem on the gigablast plan. Which for the sake of future proofing (again), I might consider that route since my desktop supports it. Though I would need to upgrade my switches to 2.5GB as well.
My signals look great with an SNR of 43-45.5 across the 32 QAM channels. And 40-42 for the OFDM channels. The RT-AC68U is still great and Asus still keeps updating it for security. My last firmware update was Nov 2024. But yes, it's old. I plan to upgrade to another Asus router as I really like the firmware, free VPN, free DDNS, and other controls/monitoring. Though I would prefer a separate router and access points. The Asus Ai Mesh doesn't work great with this model so I currently only use 1. Maybe the new Asus Ai Mesh actually works great. lol.
I would love to get the ASUS RT-BE92U BE9700 since it has a 10G and 2.5G WAN, plus 2.5G LAN ports. Under $300, so I might go that route. I could do that since my main desktop goes straight to the router switch and the rest of the house can get 2.5GB switches later. lol. As for wifi devices, I just want to hit the 600 range which a new Wifi router should solve. :)
And thanks for suggesting another brand. I will check out the Flint 2 for prices and specs. And to see if they have a firmware emulator like other brands do.
Well if Asus lists the model as EoL, I don't think they plan to update the firmware anymore. Last update was a month ago and it didn't have any security patches or bug fixes or anything like that, and I think that will be the last update.
If you want to stay with Asus, the RT-BE92u is probably great. Haven't heard too much about it to be honest, bad or good. Main thing I notice is it has 1 10Gb WAN port and 4 2.5Gb LAN ports. Why do you need a switch? Have more then 4 wired devices?
If you are going to buy it, but ASAP. With the new tariffs on chips that routers use, I think prices will go up. Not meant as political, just a warning from one Asus user to another. If you want a separate router and AP, look into Unifi. That is the way to go if you have the ability to run ethernet to backhaul the AP and set up a controller to improve roaming. More expensive and complex to set up though. Unifi also has a site/app to help you decide what hardware you need and where it should be placed.
My 2nd RT-AC68U was used for mesh with a wired 1GBE backhaul, but the automatic roaming was terrible. And some non-roaming wireless would switch from the Asus that was only 10 ft away for the one that was 50ft away and more walls in the way. I had to start blacklisting some devices from the unit that was the farthest from them. But that was only an option for non-roaming devices. It was not a good working mesh at all for 2.4 or 5 ghz. So I finally moved the primary RT-AC68U to the center of the house and removed the mesh. I really like the interface and what I get included without subscription from Asus. So I probably won't jump to a separate router & AP anytime soon.
Here is most but not all of my home setup. I try to have everything wired as much as possible. And I need more UPS units since I shifted things around. This isn't the ideal wiring that I would have done, but the previous owner had a mess of ethernet routing in the walls and attic and this was the best I could do without ripping it all out and starting over. Which I am tempted to do. I personally would have done a single star topology with the attic wiring.
One day I will probably redo some of the previous owner's work to at least remove the switch in the closet. They were cheap on wire instead of pulling multiple long home runs.
Legend: Blue connections represent in-wall ethernet.
