The Asus RT-BE88U ($349.99) is essentially the most inexpensive Wi-Fi 7 router we’ve examined to this point, but it surely sacrifices just a few key options discovered on costlier Wi-Fi 7 routers, equivalent to a 6GHz radio band and 320MHz channel transmissions. It’s a dual-band router that’s loaded with networking ports, together with at least six multi-gig ports, and it comes with Asus’ AIProtection software program, which provides community safety and parental management instruments. The RT-BE88U additionally performs nicely, reaching robust outcomes on our throughput and sign energy assessments. It is a sensible choice for those who require quite a few I/O connections and may dwell with out 6GHz Wi-Fi, however you’ll get higher all-around efficiency and two 6GHz bands with its costlier Editors’ Selection-winning sibling, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Professional.Design: The Outdated-College Router LookThe RT-BE88U has a matte black end and a beveled angular prime with a textured grill and a shiny gold Asus badge. The router makes use of 4 adjustable, detachable antennas and sports activities a number of small LED exercise indicators alongside the entrance edge for WAN, LAN, USB, energy, and each radio bands.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
At 2.3 by 11.8 by 7.4 inches (HWD), the two.3-pound RT-BE88U shouldn’t be practically as massive and heavy because the 4.1-pound Asus RT-BE96U (8.6 by 13.7 by 13.7 inches), but it surely nonetheless manages to supply extra I/O ports. Round again are a 10GbE WAN/LAN port, a 10GbE SFP+ port for fiber-optic WAN connections, a 2.5GbE WAN/LAN port, three 2.5GbE LAN ports (certainly one of which is a devoted gaming port), and 4 1GbE LAN ports. Right here, you’ll additionally discover a USB 3.2 port, an influence jack and change, a reset button, and a Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) button.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
The RT-BE88U is a dual-band router that operates on the two.4GHz and 5GHz radio bands. It has the excellence of being the one Wi-Fi 7 router we’ve examined (to this point) that doesn’t provide a 6GHz radio band. Nevertheless, it does help most different Wi-Fi 7 applied sciences, together with Orthogonal Frequency Division A number of Entry (OFDMA), Beamforming, Multi-Hyperlink Operation (MLO), 4096 QAM, WPA3 encryption, and MU-MIMO information streaming. This router helps 160MHz channel transmissions, however in contrast to the Asus Rapture GT-BE98 Professional and the Asus RT-BE96U routers, it doesn’t help 320MHz channels.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
Powering the RT-BE88U is a quad-core CPU working at 2.6GHz, 2GB of RAM, and 256MB of flash reminiscence. As a BE7200 router, it may well hit most information charges of as much as 1,376Mbps on the two.4GHz band and as much as 5,764Mbps on the 5GHz band, for a complete of roughly 7,200Mbps. It’s additionally an AIMesh gadget, which implies it may be used as a mesh router or a node in a whole-home mesh community if supplemented by different Asus AIMesh gadgets.You’ll be able to set up and handle the RT-BE88U utilizing an internet console or with the identical Asus Router cell app used to manage the RT-BE96U and Rapture GT-BE98 Professional routers. The net console provides extra superior settings, however the cell app enables you to handle the router utilizing your telephone. If you open the app, you’ll see the Dwelling display, which shows the LAN IP and High quality of Service (QoS) icon up prime, with bandwidth-priority presets for gaming, streaming, working from dwelling, studying from dwelling, internet browsing, and file transfers.
(Credit score: Asus)
A big circle within the heart of the display shows real-time visitors graphs, community band names, CPU and RAM utilization, and what number of shoppers are presently related to the router. Faucet the arrows on both aspect of the circle to scroll by means of the assorted screens.Under the information circle are buttons for Web Standing, AiMesh Wi-Fi System, and Cell Recreation Mode. The Web Standing button takes you again to the above-mentioned display, whereas the AiMesh Wi-Fi System button permits you to add nodes to a mesh community and optimize the system. If you faucet the Recreation Mode button, you’ll open a display the place you possibly can view ping and packet loss statistics and optimize your cell gadget for on-line gaming.On the backside of the display are 5 operate buttons. The Dwelling button returns you to the Dwelling display from wherever you might be within the app, and the Gadgets button takes you to a display the place you’ll see an inventory of every related consumer. You’ll be able to view the consumer’s IP and MAC addresses, restrict its bandwidth, and assign it to a household profile. The Perception button enables you to view safety threats, share Wi-Fi settings, allow distant entry, and seek for mesh nodes. To entry parental management settings, faucet the Household button. Right here, you possibly can create profiles, assign age-based internet filters, and create entry schedules.Use the Settings button to configure visitor networking, run community diagnostics, block entry to consumer gadgets, allow native file sharing (Samba) for USB drives, and configure Wi-Fi, LAN, WAN, and VPN settings. You can even replace the router’s firmware, hyperlink the router to your Alexa and Google accounts, and verify your web add and obtain speeds.Testing the RT-BE88U: Speedy Throughput, Slower File TransfersWhether you utilize the online console or the cell app, putting in the RT-BE88U is fast and straightforward. I used the cell app, which was already downloaded from a earlier overview, tapped “Arrange a brand new community” on the opening display, and chosen Asus Wi-Fi routers on the following display. I used my telephone to scan the QR code on the underside of the router, and it was recognized instantly. I tapped “Get Began” and adopted the directions to create a community title and password for the Wi-Fi 7 community and for the IoT community. Subsequent, I created an area login account and waited one other 60 seconds or so for the app to use the settings and arrange the brand new community. I disabled Sensible Join in order that I might be capable to take a look at each radio bands, checked that my firmware was updated, and the set up was completed.The RT-BE88U delivered speedy throughput in our efficiency assessments, particularly on the two.4GHz assessments. Its rating of 178Mbps on the shut proximity take a look at was sooner than the Asus RT-BE96U (150Mbps), the Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Professional (148Mbps), and the TP-Hyperlink Archer BE800 (175Mbps). On the 30-foot take a look at, the RT-BE88U scored 90Mbps, additionally a first-place end.
On the 5GHz shut proximity take a look at, the RT-BE88U’s rating of 1,661Mbps was sooner than the RT-BE96U (1,548Mbps) however not as quick because the GT-BE98 Professional (1,828Mbps) or the TP-Hyperlink Archer BE800 (1,880Mbps). On the 30-foot take a look at, the RT-BE88U garnered 808Mbps, a great rating however not so good as the RT-BE96U (906Mbps), the GT-BE98 Professional (911Mbps), or the Archer BE800 (978Mbps).The RT-BE88U didn’t fare as nicely on our file switch assessments, wherein we measure learn and write speeds by shifting a 1.5GB folder containing photographs, video, music, and workplace doc information backwards and forwards between a USB 3.0 drive and our desktop PC (each of that are related to the router). It scored 33MBps on each the write and the learn assessments in contrast with the RT-BE96U, which scored 82MBps on the write take a look at and 83MBps on the learn take a look at. The GT-BE98 Professional scored 89MBps on each assessments, and the Archer BE800 scored 102MBps on the write take a look at and 109MBps on the learn take a look at.
To check Wi-Fi sign energy, we use Ekahau’s Sidekick 2 Wi-Fi diagnostic gadget and the Ekahau Survey cell app to generate warmth maps that present the router’s 2.4GHz and 5GHz sign energy all through our take a look at dwelling. (Be aware: Ekahau is owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag.com’s dad or mum firm. For extra, examine our ethics coverage within the Editorial Mission Assertion.) The white circle on the map represents the router’s location, and the colours characterize sign energy, with darker greens representing the strongest sign, yellows representing a weaker sign, and grays representing a really weak or nonexistent sign.
2.4GHz Wi-Fi protection warmth map for the Asus RT-BE88U (Credit score: Ekahau)
5GHz Wi-Fi protection warmth map for the Asus RT-BE88U (Credit score: Ekahau)
As illustrated on the maps, the RT-BE88U did a great job of broadcasting robust Wi-Fi indicators all through a lot of the dwelling, however sign energy on each frequencies turned weaker close to the again (kitchen) door.Verdict: Wired Excellence, However Combined Wi-Fi 7 SupportWith the Asus RT-BE88U, you get quick throughput speeds, robust sign energy, and a boatload of high-speed wired connections. What you don’t get is a 6GHz radio band and the huge 320MHz channel transmissions that you just get with each different Wi-Fi 7 router we’ve examined. For those who don’t have any 6GHz consumer gadgets and aren’t planning so as to add one anytime quickly, the RT-BE88U is a strong worth, but it surely doesn’t provide the efficiency and future-proofing that comes with our Editors’ Selection decide for Wi-Fi 7 routers, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Professional.
Professionals
Glorious throughput efficiency
Many multi-gig ports, together with a 10GbE SFP+ port
Can be utilized as a mesh node
Free parental management and community safety software program
View
Extra
Cons
Doesn’t help 6GHz information transmissions
Doesn’t help 320MHz channel bandwidth
Middling file switch efficiency
The Backside Line
The Asus RT-BE88U is a dual-band router that makes use of Wi-Fi 7 expertise and an distinctive complement of high-speed wired ports to ship speedy web, however its lack of a 6GHz radio band and 320MHz channel help could discourage early adopters.
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About John R. Delaney
Contributing Editor
I’ve been working with computer systems for ages, beginning with a multi-year stint in buying for a serious IBM reseller in New York Metropolis earlier than ultimately touchdown at PCMag (again when it was nonetheless in print as PC Journal). I spent greater than 14 years on workers, most not too long ago because the director of operations for PC Labs, earlier than hitting the freelance circuit as a contributing editor.
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