ASUS makes some of the best premium routers in the market, and their latest addition is the ASUS RT-BE88U WiFi 7 router. We got a chance to review the new ASUS RT-BE88U, and here are our thoughts about the new router.
Design
The new ASUS RT-BE88U shares a similar design of the previous AX88U and the AX88U Pro, two highly capable WiFi 6 routers in the ASUS router line-up. While the product dimensions are the same as before (300x188x60.5mm), the device weighs 1060g, which is a tad bit heavier than the AX88U Pro model. The styling of the chassis is almost the same as previous AX88U series routers. You can see that the front-facing grills are also the same.
The design on the sides is also the same as the AX88U series routers. Two of the four antennas are placed on either side of the router. As you can see, the antennas have the gold accents, once again borrowed from the previous models.
The top-front side of the RT-BE88U router features the LED indicators for power, 5GHz, 2.4GHz, USB, LAN, 10G+, Ethernet, and more. The indicator turns red if there is an issue or no connectivity, and turns white when there is a good connection.
While the top-facing vent design is the same, the reversed ASUS triangular branding plate is in gold color on the RT-BE88U. On the contrary, the AX88U Pro does not have the gold plated branding plate, and instead, uses an gold-plated ASUS logo. These are just minor design changes to distinguish between these router models.
One of the best features of the BE88U is the number of ports and connectivity options on the rear side, and its a treat for those who need to setup multiple LAN connections. There are a total of eight RJ45 connections on the rear middle panel, and this includes one 2.5 Gigabits BaseT for WAN/LAN1, three LAN connections for 2.5G connections, and four other LAN connections with support for 10/100/1000Mbps connections. The rear side also features connections for the remaining two antennas.
The right end on the rear panel also has a USB 3.0 port, along with a power connector and a Reset button. The left end of the rear panel comes with a WPS button, the main WAN/LAN connector, and a SFP+ connector (both with support for 10G connections). While the router shows that the USB uses the 3.0 standard connection, ASUS mentions on their website that it’s a USB 3.2 Gen1 port.
We should also point out that the ASUS BE88U’s external antenna configurations are 2.4GHz 4×4 and 5GHz 4×4. As a part of the router package, you would get the BE88U router, four external antennas, a RJ-45 cable, a power adaptor, a quick start guide, and a warranty card.
Features
While the design characteristics of the new BE88U are similar to the predecessor models, the internal hardware performance has been upgraded. For starters, the 2.6GHz quad-core processor that powers the router is complimented with 256MB of flash memory and a whopping 2GB of RAM. On the contrary, the AX88U Pro only features a total of 1GB of RAM. This means that the new BE88U should be able to handle more loads when it comes to active clients and NAS data transfers without noticeable bottlenecks.
ASUS mentions that the router is capable of speeds up to 1376 Mbps when using the 2.4GHz network, and up to 5764 Mbps when using the 5GHz speeds. The WiFi standard used here is the latest 802.11be. The device also uses features such as OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access), Beamforming (standard-based and universal), 20/40/80/160 MHz modes bandwidth, and 4096-QAM high data rate to enhance the performance.
The BE88U uses the same familiar dashboard, similar to the ones used on other ASUS routers. Setting up the router is relatively easy, can can be done quickly from the ASUS Router application. You can separate the 2.4GHz and 5GHz connections or have them joined as a single WiFi connection.
Most of the features of the router is the same as other high-end ASUS routers, especially the Trend Micro-powered Ai Protection Pro, that offers blocking of malicious sites, the two-way intrusion prevention, infected device protection, and more.
ASUS also offers firmware and security updates for most of its routers, and the BE88U is no different here. Users will also be able to enable features such as WPA3 Personal, WPA2 Personal, WPA Personal, WPA Enterprise, WPA2 Enterprise, WPA3 Enterprise, Open System & OWE to enhance the WiFi security.
You can customize your firewall settings to increase the security, such as protection from DoS attacks.
Some of the newly polished interfaces such as the client list are also implemented on the ASUS BE88U router.
Other notable features include Open NAT, to customize and open required ports for gaming, Traffic Analyzer, QoS. Amazon Alexa, and more.
While the BE88U is a highly capable router, my internet connection at home tops about 350 Mbps speeds. That said, I did run the Speedtest and Fast by Netflix internet speed tests, and got a speed result of about 320 Mbps in average. We also received similar wireless speed performances. The range of router was decent, as you would expect from any other ASUS WiFi routers. I stay in a two bedroom apartment, and the router’s signals were able to reach out almost the entire flat.
Verdict
The new ASUS RT-BE88U impressed us with its performance and features, and is perfect for those looking to upgrade their home router to the latest standards. While the stylish design of the router is the same as previous models, its a WiFi 7 based dual band router that offers higher speeds up to 1376+5764 Mbps (both 2.4GHz and 5GHz speeds) The router also comes with four external antennas with 4×4 configurations for both the bands.
The router houses a 2.6GHz quad-core processor, along with 256GB flash memory and 2GB of RAM. The router also features most of ASUS best security features such as Ai Protection Pro and firewall with DoS protection. Other features such as QoS, Open NAT, and many more, helps to customize the router for better performance. The device also allows for ASUS Ai Mesh, that helps to expand the WiFi network with other compatible WiFi routers.
