setting up my new asus rt-ax86u, the web page at router.asus.com won't load. what am i doing wrong?

You're likely not connected to the router's network, or the modem setup isn't complete. Let's go step-by-step.

1. First, prepare your modem. Unplug its power cable. If it has a battery backup, remove that too.
2. Connect your modem to the router's WAN (Internet) port using the bundled network cable.
3. Now, power on your modem and wait for its connection lights to stabilize.
4. Plug your router into power and turn it on with the Power button.
5. For a wired setup, connect your computer to a LAN port (1-4) on the router with a network cable. The web GUI should auto-launch when you open a browser. If it doesn't, manually enter http://router.asus.com in the address bar.
6. For wireless setup, connect your device to the default network. The SSID is on the label on the back of the router, formatted as ASUS_XX. Then try http://router.asus.com again.

IF THAT DIDN'T WORK: Clear your browser's cache or try a different browser. Ensure you're not connected to a VPN. If using DSL, you will need the username and password from your ISP to complete the router configuration.