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It's actually AC2600 according to Norton's website, but I understand your point. Keep in mind that the theoretical speeds of AC2500 and AC3100 are far beyond what any devices currently support, and likely will support for many years. It is better to help future-proof your network by having it support speeds faster than your devices are capable of, but what is the difference between 500 horsepower and 700 horsepower if the speed limit is only 50 MPH? The ASUS RT-AC88U AC3100 ($269.99) router with Trend Micro is a competing product for the Norton Core, but the regular ASUS AC3100 ($245.99) is not as it does not include network security (AiProtection). The network security features of those two routers is what makes this new technology safer, by scanning the incoming and outgoing traffic on your network and looking for malicious attacks. Infected systems on your network will be making unwanted connections to remote servers, which these network security features can detect and block. This can prevent the spread of viruses and malware, and prevent your devices for being used in DDoS attacks and other things that are bad for you and the internet. Antivirus platforms only protect the devices that they run on (so no iPads or iPhones), but the Norton Core and ASUS routers with AiProtection protect ALL devices on your network by detecting, preventing, and blocking malicious network traffic.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.Simply put, these are two very different devices. The ASUS AC3100 does not offer the same features. For one, it has basic TREND antivirus and some content control. It does not learn your home devices (think Nest thermostat, Dlink cameras, fridges, TV's and many other IoT devices). The performance of the AC3100 drops considerably when you enable the TREND security features by the way...do your homework as you say. The AC3100, while a high performance router, doesn't offer any real home security capabilities besides the included basic antivirus and content control. Additionally, the AC3100 does not include licenses for other device protection like the Norton Core does with it's subscription. With Core you get additional protection for Notebooks, Desktops and Laptops, Mobile devices, etc. as part of the subscription.
I would recommend:
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