Asus RT-BE96U review

Summary

If the only thing that matters to you is obtaining the best possible networking speed out of your Wi-Fi router, you should not walk but rather sprint to a shop and get the RT-BE96U from Asus. With a high-performance band operating at 6 GHz, ultra-wide data channels operating at 320 MHz, and the most recent 802.11be tunings for fast-lane Wi-Fi, this tri-band router is among the fastest that are currently available. Taking everything into consideration, this classic Wi-Fi router is among the quickest we’ve encountered, and its range should be sufficient to cover a house of a size that is considered modest.

A fantastic array of ports is included in the RT-BE96U. These ports include a 10Gbps input for users who are data-hungry as well as a pair of USB ports that allow users to share two disks among themselves that are connected to the network. In addition to providing additional protections and the capability to function as either a VPN client or server, it is a security winner that has the potential to save your bacon in the future. Additionally, in contrast to some of the other companies on the market, Asus’s AiProtection will not cost you a single dime throughout the duration of this router’s lifetime.

Asus RT-BE96U review

The Asus RT-BE96U is worth purchasing even if you have to eat ramen meals since it costs $700, which is beyond the financial range of the majority of people. However, if you are looking for maximum speed, it is worth it. When you read our evaluation of the Asus RT-BE96U, you will be able to determine whether or not this is the greatest Wi-Fi router for you, as well as one of the top Wi-Fi 7 routers that you can purchase right now.

A look at the Asus RT-BE96U, including its price and availability

Among the classic routers that are currently on the market, the Asus RT-BE96U is one of the most costly options available. Not only is it comparable to the Netgear Nighthawk RS700S, which costs $700, but it is also $100 more expensive than the high-flying TP-Link Archer BE800, which comes with a revolutionary data screen. It has the capacity to cover up to 5,400 square feet. The application may be purchased from a wide range of retail establishments as well as online retailers.

A review of the Asus RT-BE96U: Layout: Design Configuration

Taking a lesson from the coat rack school of router design, the RT-BE96U, which is all black, is equipped with eight antennas that are housed outside. On the other hand, they cannot be removed or readily changed, and they are amplified so that they may broadcast and receive the strongest signal possible. Additionally, they can be rotated and inclined.

Beware; the RT-BE96U is rather large, measuring 13.8 inches by 13.8 inches by 3.0 inches. Additionally, the height of the device is increased by 5.6 inches when the antennae are raised vertically. The router never reached a temperature that was higher than 104.3 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the testing process because it has huge heat sinks on the interior and cooling vents on both the top and the bottom.

A subtle, creative “Wi-Fi 7” artwork with what seems to be circuits and arrowheads is included on the RT-BE96U, despite the fact that it does not have the info panel that is seen on the TP-Link Archer BE800. All of this is for show, but on a more practical level, the eight LEDs on the router display the current activity on the 2.4, 5, and 6GHz bands, as well as whether or not the WPS feature is activated, which allows for the rapid addition of devices. It is possible to turn off the light by pressing a button on the front of the router or by using the app.

Broadcom’s BCM 6726/67263 chips are used on the inside of the triband router in order to establish an 802.11be network. Additionally, the router is equipped with 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) and Multi-Link Operations (MLO). It is equipped with 256MB of flash storage for its firmware and settings, as well as 2GB of RAM and a 2.6GHz quad-core CPU. Additionally, it is capable of tapping into 320 MHz data channels, which allows it to achieve peak performance.

It is possible for the router to transport data at speeds of up to 1,376 and 5,764 megabits per second (Mbps) across the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, respectively, and up to 11,529 Mbps over a 6GHz connection. It is also capable of moving data over 12 distinct streams. Its BE19000 rating is comparable to the specification of the Archer BE800, despite the fact that the RT-BE96U has the potential to provide a higher-end bandwidth in the 6GHz band.

In spite of the fact that the BE800 has an SPF+ fiber connection, its data architecture is multi-gigabit through and through, and it offers an option between a WAN input of 1 or 10 gigabits per second. In spite of this, the RT-BE96U provides a single downstream Ethernet connection with a speed of 10 Mbps in addition to three dedicated ports with a speed of 1 Mbps.

In terms of USB ports, Asus is the market leader, offering both USB 2.0 (to ensure compatibility) and USB 3.1 Gen 1 (to provide the highest possible speed) connections. These devices not only have the capability of making the contents of data drives accessible over the network, but they also have the capability of serving as an alternative WAN input from a mobile phone or tablet in the event that the main broadband connection fails. It is necessary to have the most recent firmware update.

The Asus app, in contrast to others, not only displays the current status but also indicates which ports are connected and how active they are. There are nine distinct protocols that may be used with the RT-BE96U, which allows it to function as either a VPN server or client. As an additional feature, the RT-BE96U can function as a conventional Wi-Fi router or as a component of a mesh network that utilizes Asus’s AiMesh protocol. Nevertheless, in order to complete the mesh landscape, you will want more Asus devices.

At long last, the tablet incorporates the most recent version of Asus’s AiProtection, which places an emphasis on information security. Not only does it include the parental controls that are anticipated, but it also operates at the router level to block internet advertisements, viruses, and anything that is deemed undesirable. It is based on antivirus software developed by Trend Micro. The finest feature is that it may prevent harmful websites from being accessed and dangerous code from being accessed by the network and its clients. An infected system may be isolated by AiProtection in the case of a break-in, therefore minimizing the amount of harm that occurs.

When it comes to keeping its Armor software up to date, Netgear costs upwards of $100 each year; however, upgrading the Asus AiProtection is included in the maintenance fee. However, it does not have Armor’s client-level security software as available.

Comparison of the Asus RT-BE96U’s Performance

My house, which is 3,500 square feet in size and is 100 years old, was nearly completely covered with wireless data thanks to the Asus RT-BE96U, with the exception of a few locations closer to the perimeter. Using networking benchmark software from Keysight IxChariot to simulate ten users with high data consumption, iPerf3 to simulate twenty users, and the Wi-Fi 7-powered Acer Swift Edge 16 laptop, it was one of the quickest routers I’ve ever seen.

When the router and the system were in close proximity to one another, the RT-BE96U could transmit data at a rate of 2.685 gigabits per second (Gbps) utilizing IxChariot. This was reflected in the 3.702Gbps result that I obtained from the iPerf3 benchmark, which established the RT-BE96U as the current throughput champion among conventional routers. It surpassed the 3.364 GB and 2.531 GB that the TP-Link BE800 achieved on the same tests.

Using settings that were more realistic, such as positioning the test equipment 15 feet away from the router, produced results that were just as thrilling. The RT-BE96U was able to move 1.948 GHz across its 6 GHz band while using the IxChariot networking benchmark. Despite the fact that both of them were second best behind Netgear’s Orbi RBE973 mesh router, which set the pace at 2.002 Gbps, this is only ahead of the Archer BE800, which managed to achieve 1.824 Gbps. In either case, the throughput is around 2 gigabits per second, and there are no wires involved.

The RT-BE96U had a 5GHz edge at 50 feet, which is the distance at which the best performance of the 6GHz band had already petered out. It achieved a throughput of 392.7 Mbps, making it the best performance, although it was only just ahead of the Wi-Fi 6E-based Linksys Atlas Max 6E, which achieved 382.2 Mbps. At 335.6 Mbps, the Archer BE800 ended up in third place.

Having said that, the RT-BE96U started to reach its full Wi-Fi potential at a distance of 75 feet. Data was sent at a rate of up to 402.1 Mbps, which is a marginal improvement above the throughput reading for 50 feet. This is a significant increase in comparison to the 91.5Mbps that the Archer BE800 offers and the 50.6Mbps that the Atlas Max 6E offers.

There was a range of 105 feet for the router, and it was capable of moving 31.4 Mbps at a distance of 90 feet. Although it may not seem like much, this Wi-Fi 7 router is superior to others on the market as well.

Its throughput was nothing short of amazing, coming in at 1.810 gigabits per second, even though the router and the test system were separated by a room that was 25 feet long and a wall. At a distance of 15 feet across an open room, it traveled at 1.948 gigabits per second, which is just slightly lower than that. As a result, the RT-BE96U is the best option for those who live in houses that have a large number of rooms.
Over the course of a month, I used the RT-BE96U for a variety of purposes, including streaming 4K video and gaming, as well as doing routine duties such as reading online news and email. Along the way, the router was able to pass the saturation test by transferring data to a MacBook Air that was playing the BBC World Service radio feed, a ThinkPad T470 that was playing YouTube videos, a OnePlus 11 phone that was playing online music, and an HP Envy desktop that was moving data onto and off of a networked RAID server.

Neither the audio nor the video streams were affected by any glitches, freeze-ups, or other irregularities while they were being played without error.

Due to the absence of a power-saving idle mode, the RT-BE96U used 20.1 watts of electricity while data was being sent back and forth. If you pay the national average of 15 cents per kilowatt hour of power, it should cost a little more than $24 to run over the course of the year if it is left on continuously. Compared to the TP-Link Archer BE800, which costs $29 per year, this indicates a little reduction in cost.

Setup and evaluation of the Asus RT-BE96U

There are two options available to users when installing the Asus RT-BE96U: they may use the built-in web server and interface of the router, or they can use the app for mobile devices, which comes in versions for both iOS and Android. In order to get started, I had to first remove the three pieces of plastic that were covering the eight antennas on the RT-BE96U and then connect everything in. I opened the Quick Internet Setup (QIS) panels on my ThinkPad T470 by entering “router.asus.com” into the URL field of the browser. This brought up the displays for the router.

After that, I added a name and an administrator password for the router, as well as providing network names for the 2.4/5 and 6GHz networks. To the license, I gave my consent.
In a total of ten minutes, everything was up and running after a speedy restart with no more interruptions. In hindsight, the most challenging aspect was the process of unwrapping the antennae.

Review of the Asus RT-BE96U System Configuration

During the process of configuring the RT-BE96U, I was able to make modifications, adjust the settings, and investigate the many choices available on the router by using either the application or a browser that was connected to it. The app’s home screen displays a multitude of information at a glance, including the IP address, the network map, and whether or not the app is currently online.

There is a choice between six predetermined lifestyle options that may prioritize the flow of data for a variety of activities, ranging from gaming to learning from home. Currently, active data traffic may be shown on the main screen.

You may see the status of the AiProtection security software and the devices that are connected to the network by clicking on the links that are located at the bottom of the screen. While this is going on, the Insight area is where you may configure remote access and make use of the HTTPS protocol, which is more secure.

Simply tapping will allow you to see the features that are hidden behind the scenes, such as the parental controls and the capability of the router to block sites that are harmful or offensive.

Settings are the most important part of the router. The ability to construct an AiMesh network or perform diagnostics was accessible to me with only a click below the surface. Several other quality-of-service options, in addition to a bandwidth limiter, are available.

In addition, there is a back door located at the hamburger emblem with three lines in the top left corner. The ability to utilize an Asus account, modify the theme of the application, and contact the support team of the corporation are all attainable via this path.

The use of a linked browser, on the other hand, is the strategy that I believe to be the most comprehensive setup approach. Using a magnification level of 67% on an HD screen, its primary screen is simple to see. It displays the current Internet status, the IP address, and a link that allows the user to view what is connected. The most recent firmware version is shown at the top, along with options to log out of the router or launch a reboot session.

An extensive number of configuration options, such as modifying the Guest network settings, may be found along the left side of the screen. Additionally, there is information on the QOS system, the USB port, and access to a SAMBA media server.

My ability to activate and deactivate the security elements was made possible via the Ai-Protection connection. There is also a network scan that provides options to strengthen the security of the local area network (LAN), such as changing my password and disabling the WPS rapid set-up sequence functionality.

In addition to being a traffic analyzer, the router also has a shortcut for configuring port forwarding and has the capability to enhance mobile gaming using applications designed for Android and iOS devices.

Not surprisingly, the Virtual Private Network (VPN) area is where I was able to configure the router to function as a server for a Virtual Private Network (VPN), using protocols such as PPTP, OpenVPN, IPSec VPN, or WireGuard VPN. It is able to function as a client for Instant Guard.

TP-Link’s coverage is comparable to that of the RT-BE96U, which comes with a warranty that lasts for two years and offers lifelong product support. It is much superior than the one-year guarantee and ninety days of service offered by Netgear. The cost of similar coverage is at least one hundred dollars.

The handbook for the RTY-BE96U is high-quality and contains a great deal of information; however, it does not provide the router’s default Wi-Fi password. Underneath, it is written on a QR code, which might make it easier to access the internet.

Review of the Asus RT-BE96U: Conclusions

The Asus RT-BE96U is the new top gun for conventional Wi-Fi routers. It has all of the most recent advancements in Wi-Fi technology, maximum speeds that are close to 2 gigabits per second, and a range that is likely to cover the majority of houses completely. The capability to function as a virtual private network (VPN) client or server, in addition to the additional defensive layers provided by the Asus AiProtection security software, ensures secure operation. In conclusion, not only does it have high-speed networking inputs and outputs, but it is also the only router that has two USB ports, making it simple to connect data drives to the network across the network.

Despite the fact that it costs $700, the RT-BE96U is well worth the investment for those who have a need for speed. There has never been a better moment to update your home network to the most recent and cutting-edge Wi-Fi standard than now, in light of the anticipated influx of Wi-Fi 7 products that are going to be released on the market.

Asus RT-BE96U review: ASUS RT-BE96U: SPECS

Wi-Fi Spec: BE19000 (802.11be)
Number of Antennas/Removable: 8/No
Ports: one 10Gbps and one 1Gbps WAN, one 10Gbps and three 1Gbps LAN, two USB 3.0
Processor/Memory/Storage: Quad-core 2.6GHz/2GB/256MB
Wi-Fi chip: Broadcom BCM 6726/67263
Peak 802.11ac performance: 1.948 GB/s (at 15 feet)
Range: 105 feet
Size: 13.8 x 13.8 x 3.0 inches
Estimated Annual Electricity Cost: $24.10