A few months ago I upgraded my router at home to the ASUS RT-BE88U featuring Wi-Fi 7. It’s an impressive router with many advanced features including AiMesh, parental controls, and free security protection. Despite having Wi-Fi 7 capability I was still having intermittent wifi issues upstairs in my home where my office and media room are located. I had been using the TP-Link RE500X extender but it wouldn’t support ASUS AiMesh so it was like having 2 wifi networks in the house. I would literally have to switch my wifi connection back and forth on my laptop and tablet moving between upstairs and downstairs. So I got really excited when I saw the ASUS RP-BE58 Wi-Fi 7 AiMesh extender on Amazon. And after I got it installed I was blown away by the performance improvement.
- Blazing-fast WiFi 7 tech boosts throughput up to 7200Mbps with Multi-Link Operation and 4096-QAM.
- Bolster your wired network capacity up to 34G with one cutting-edge 10G SFP+ port and one standard 10G WAN/LAN port.
- Establish always-on internet through AI WAN detection, versatile WAN configuration options, and a convenient USB port ready for 4G LTE and 5G Mobile tethering.
- WiFi 7 Standard – WiFi 7 (802.11be) dual-band range extender boosts speeds up to 3600 Mbps, with 4096-QAM increasing a single frequency band’s transmission speed by 1.2 times.
- Multi-link Operation – Link to multiple bands at the same time to ensure stable internet connections and efficient data transfers.
- Works Perfectly with Any WiFi Router — RP-BE58 expands coverage by being compatible with virtually all WiFi routers, modems, and cable routers on the market.
Wi-Fi7 Benefits and Features
Wi-Fi 7 is the latest wireless networking technology standard and operates under the official name IEEE 802.11be Extremely High Throughput (EHT). Wi-Fi 7 represents the next generation wireless standard after Wi-Fi 6 and 6E and provides unmatched speed, enhanced reliability, and performance for modern digital applications.
Key Features
- Wi-Fi 7 operates across three available frequency bands which include 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz and 6 GHz to create more communication space for devices and decrease network congestion. Note: RT-BE88U is only a dual-band router.
- MLO enables devices to establish simultaneous connections across multiple bands which creates backup communication paths that enhance both network speed and reliability through performance adjustments based on current network conditions.
- Wi-Fi 7 technology operates at theoretical speeds of 46 Gbps which enables users to achieve quick data transfer rates.
- The standard enables advanced Channel Management through its implementation of various channels and its complex traffic management systems which optimize spectrum efficiency.
Primary Benefits
- Users achieve better performance through faster data transfer rates and lower latency and enhanced network efficiency which creates a more responsive and smooth user experience for daily operations.
- Wi-Fi 7 provides enhanced performance which allows for quick data transfer speeds that support both 8K video streaming and virtual reality and gaming immersion.
- The new technology enables Wi-Fi 7 to support numerous devices at once without speed loss which makes it suitable for homes with many users and smart homes with multiple IoT devices and enterprise networks that experience high traffic.
- Wi-Fi 7 provides an essential base for managing increasing digital data requirements and Internet of Things (IoT) expansion which will support our connectivity requirements in the upcoming years.
ASUS RT-BE88U Router Features
The RT-BE88U is a beast of a router delivering dual-band Wi-Fi 7 technology which enables speeds of up to 7,200 megabits per second. The multilink operation of routers allows devices to connect to multiple bands at once which provides uninterrupted 8K video streaming and online gaming with no lag. The router operates at 4,096-QAM speeds to deliver 20% faster data transfer than Wi-Fi 6 and OFDMA optimizes bandwidth distribution and universal beamforming optimizes signal power delivery for complex multi-device network management. It runs with a 2.6 GHz quad-core processor and 2 GB of RAM and dual 10-gigabit ports and a USB 3.2 Gen1 slot for both wireless and wired performance at 34 Gbps total capacity.
The security and parental control features stand out on the RT-BE88U. The ASUS AI Protection Pro suite is a subscription-free security service that includes malicious site blocking and two-way intrusion prevention and infected device isolation. Additionally it offers protection with WPA3 encryption and DNS over TLS. The parental controls are extensive allowing users to create specific profiles for content filtering and time management and activity monitoring with alerts and detailed reports.
ASUS RT-BE88U Parental Controls
The ASUS RT-BE88U router includes extensive Parental Control features which let parents monitor and manage their children’s internet usage. These tools provide families with a safer digital space at home and can be controlled from the ASUS mobile app when outside the home.
Key Features
- Content Blocking – Block inappropriate websites and online content that you don’t want your children to access.
- Time Scheduling – Establish particular time slots which determine when your children should or should not access the internet.
- Kid-Safe Preset – allows users to select from pre-set content filtering options automatically blocking content based on age recommendations
- Customizable Settings – Adjust the controls to fit your family’s specific needs
Site Blocking Confusion
Family roles allows blocking content by age range. However, blocking specific websites was a little confusing in my experience. For example I added specific urls to the block list but they didn’t get blocked until I added a device to a family profile and then tried to visit the site from that device. I was expecting the site to be blocked across all devices but that seems to not be the case.
ASUS RT-BE88U Gaming Features
This router offers impressive features specifically for gaming. It includes OpenNAT functionality with game profiles that can be configured through the admin interface to automatically optimize network settings for specific games and prevent connection issues during online gaming. Its user-friendly interface makes it simple for both tech-savvy gamers and beginners to set up and manage these gaming features, while providing all the advanced networking tools serious gamers need.
Gaming Software Feature
- Dedicated Gaming Port: Plug in your gaming device to automatically prioritize its traffic for faster, smoother gameplay without any setup.
- OpenNAT with customizable game profiles through admin interface
- Adaptive QoS: Automatically prioritizes game data packets over other traffic for lower ping and fewer lost connections.
- User-friendly interface accessible to both beginners and advanced users
ASUS RT-BE88U Installation
The RT-BE88U installation is pretty straightforward and is relatively simple and easy-to-understand. Fortunately you can install the router using either the built-in administrator web interface or the ASUS mobile phone app available on iOS and Android. Users can configure their network in just three steps: naming the network, setting a password, and selecting the internet connection type. Remote management enables real-time monitoring and effortless firmware updates from any location which adds convenience to the system.
RP-BE58 Wi-Fi 7 Extender Setup
The RP-BE58 extender enables simple connection to ASUS AiMesh establishing a unified network that eliminates the requirement to switch between different signals when extending coverage. In my experience the easiest way to setup the RP-BE58 extender is to connect it via network cable to one of the ports on back of the RT-BE88U router. Once connected you just use the mobile app to add an AiMesh node.
Wi-Fi 7 Performance Boost
Once the new AiMesh node is setup you’ll see it on the AiMesh map on the mobile app and admin website. Before installing the ASUS Wi-Fi 7 extender, I ran a speedtest from my computer upstairs while connected the TP-Link RE500X extender. Next swapped it out for RP-BE58 extender and then switched my laptop wifi connection to the AiMesh network and ran the speedtest a 2nd time. I was blown away from the results. My download speeds using RP-BE58 Wi-Fi 7 extender with AiMesh literally doubled. Boom!
In Summary
Over the years I was a loyal user of the Gryphon AX family of routers but with the advent of Wi-Fi 7 I really wanted to take advantage of the performance improvements. I chose the ASUS RT-BE88U router with it’s impressive hardware specs, AiMesh capability, subscription free security features, and of course Wi-Fi7. Despite being an awesome router I was still having wifi challenges due to my office and media room being in the complete opposite corner of my home from where the router was located. This minor hiccup was remedied by installing the ASUS RP-BE58 Wi-Fi 7 AiMesh extender and the results were impressive -doubling my download speeds upstairs. Thanks for reading!
