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As mentioned in the post about when it’s time to replace a Wi-Fi router, the Asus RT-AC86U was one of the few Wi-Fi 5 routers I’ve kept in operation, even in 2024.
However, today, it’s no longer. After having had the location’s broadband upgraded to 2Gbps, it instantly became dated. So, after over five years—it was put to use right after the review—I decided to replace it with the RT-BE86U.
I’ve replaced many routers before, but this time, it proved to be such a cool experience. You’ll find out why when through this post, which is somewhat of a matchup between these two models of the same hardware design that spans three generations of Wi-Fi.
There’s not much new, but this is a worthy read in case you want to be distracted from the U.S. general election. Let’s dive in!
Asus RT-AC86U vs. Asus RT-BE86U: Three generations of Wi-Fi apart, yet so similar
First released in early 2018 as a high-end Wi-Fi 5 router, the RT-AC86U was Asus’s original model to feature the vertical I-am-a-Wi-Fi-router design, as opposed to the similar but horizontal look of the RT-AC88U. It’s a relatively compact and practical hardware box for those wanting to place their Wi-Fi router on a surface.
Additionally, the RT-AC86U was special because it was the first to get Asus’s now-popular AiMesh, which virtually all subsequent routers have supported.
When Wi-Fi 6 arrived in 2020, Asus released the RT-AX86U of the same design, which later had the RT-AX86S and RT-AX86U Pro variants, making it the RT-xx86U the company’s most crowded lineage.
And then, just last month, we had the RT-BE86U, which is the newest in the family. Apart from Wi-Fi 7, this latest comer is also unique because it doesn’t have a 6GHz band, like the case of the RT-BE96U or many other Wi-Fi 7 routers. Instead, it remains a dual-band machine like the rest of its older cousins.
The table below shows the specs of the original RT-AC86U vs. the latest RT-BE86U with the RT-AX86U in the middle to show how Wi-Fi and networking have evolved through this branch of hardware.
Asus RT-AC86U vs. RT-BE86U: Hardware specifications
| RT-AC86U | RT-AX86U | RT-BE86U | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  | |
| Wi-Fi Technology | Dual-band AC3000 | Dual-band AX5700 | Dual-band BE6800 |
| 2.4GHz Wi-Fi Specs (channel width) | 3×3 AC: Up to 750 Mbps (20/40MHz) | 3×3 AX: Up to 861 Mbps (20/40MHz) | 3×3 BE: Up to 1032Mbps (20/40MHz) |
| 5GHz Wi-Fi Specs (channel width) | 4X4 AC: Up to 2167 Mbps (20/40/80MHz) | 4X4 AX: Up to 4804 Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz) | 4×4 BE: Up to 5764Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz) |
| Backward Compatibility | 802.11a/b/g/n | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax |
| Operation Mode | Router Access Point Repeater Media Bridge | ||
| AiMesh-ready | Yes | ||
| Gigabit Port | 4x LAN 1x WAN | None | |
| Multi-Gig Port | None | 1x 2.5Gbps LAN/WAN | 1x 10Gbps WAN/LAN 1x 2.5Gbps LAN/WAN 3x 2.5Gbps LAN |
| Multi-Link Operation (MLO) | No | Yes | |
| VLAN and SDN | No | Yes | |
| Link Aggregation | Yes (LAN and WAN) | ||
| Dual-WAN | Yes | ||
| USB Port | 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0 | 2 x USB 3.0 | 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0 |
| Mobile App | Asus Router | ||
| QoS | Yes | ||
| Parental Control | Yes | ||
| Built-in Online Protection | Yes (AiProtection) | ||
| Asus Gaming Features | Yes | Yes (with Gaming port) | |
| Processing Power | 1.8GHz dual-core CPU, 256MB Flash, 512MB RAM | 1.8GHz quad-core CPU, 256MB Flash, 1GB RAM | 2.6GHz quad-core CPU, 256MB Flash, 1GB RAM |
| Dimensions (with antennas) | 9.52 x 3.93 x 12.79 in (242 x 100 x 325 mm) | ||
| Weight | 1.8 lbs (814.5 g) | ||
| Release Date (US market) | September 22, 2021 | August 11, 2020 | October 2024 |
| Firmware Version (at review) | 3.0.0.4.384.20308 | 3.0.0.4.384.9283 | 3.0.0.6.102_37022 |
| Power Input | 100 – 240V | ||
| Power Consumption (per 24 hours in real-world usage) | ≈ 210 Wh | ≈ 215 Wh | ≈ 280 Wh |
| U.S. MSRP (check current price) | $200 | $280 | $330 |
Asus RT-AC86U to Asus RT-BE86U upgrade: A straightforward process
Despite being two completely different routers in terms of hardware specs, these two routers share a lot in common. Most importantly, they can take the setting backup files of each other.
Specifically, in my case, I exported the RT-AC86U’s setting to a file and then loaded it onto the RT-BE86U, and the network’s settings remain.
This universal backup and restoration make upgrading the Asus router from one model to another extremely convenient, especially for those with lots of IP reservations and port-forwarding entries.
Since both are dual-band routers, the RT-BE86U picked up the existing setting without any significant issues. Generally, if you don’t have older-than-Wi-Fi-5 clients, chances are you won’t need to tweak the new router at all.
A feasible AiMesh pair
While I only needed a single broadcaster for the location, I decided to try out AiMesh between the two, and the RT-AC86U worked without a hitch.
I first added it to the system via a wireless connection, which took just a minute and then used it for over 24 hours without any issues. Still, it’s best to use the pair via wired backhauling and keep in mind that mixing Wi-Fi standards in an AiMesh combo can be problematic.
A few major changes among many militaries
Being so far a part in terms of firmware versions—the RT-BE86U features ASUSWRT 5.0 while the RT-AC86U is stuck at the 386 build—there are some noticeable changes between the two in terms of features and management.
The RT-AC86U features four SSIDs per band, one main SSID, and three optional Guest network SSIDs, while the RT-BE86U has Guest Network Pro and manages all of its additional SSID via a new VLAN-based feature called software-defined networks (SDN).
Additionally, the RT-BE86U has much better VPN support, and its other features, including online protection (AiProtection) and Parental Controls, have also been improved.
However, the two routers share a similar web user interface with a familiar, comprehensive set of standard features. The two also share some of the Asus Router mobile apps.
That’s to say, there’s no learning curve if you move from one to another.
Huge improvement in performance
The most significant change is the improvement in performance. The RT-BE86U, apart from the support for Wi-Fi 7, is a full multi-Gigabit router. With one 10Gbps and five 2.5Gbps ports, it has many times the bandwidth of the aging cousin.
Additionally, when hosting a portable SSD, it’s currently one of the fastest on the market to work as a mini NAS server. Despite all that, the RT-BE86U didn’t use that much more power in my testing, as noted in the specs table above.
The final thoughts
Upgrading your router can be a hassle. However, if you have an Asus Wi-Fi machine and decide to stay with the same brand, the process can be relatively uneventful. (The same thing can be said about Synology and Ubiquiti‘s hardware.)
Most importantly, while faster is always better, you’ll need to wait a couple of generations or some significant changes in your networking needs to find the upgrade gratifying. That’s because if you still have sub-Gigabit broadband, chances are the 5-year-old Asus RT-AC86U still suffices today, and the RT-BE86U will make little difference.
I really appreciated this fine write-up! As it turns out, I was able to (finally) update my Fios internet to 2 gig speed, so I’m going to upgrade my AX86U to the BE86U. I always use Merlin firmware, which leads to my newbie-ish question: should I first update the BE86U to Merlin firmware before transferring the settings file from my AX86U? Or, should I transfer the settings file first, and then update to Merlin firmware? Thank you in advance for your reply!
Either way is fine, Charles! More here. Congrats on the upgrades!
Thanks for your reply, Dong! So, after having upgraded from 1gig to 2 gig Fios service, I made the switch today from the AX86U to the BE86U and transferring settings from the AX to the BE was as easy as you described. Then I updated the BE firmware to Merlin’s latest. All good, until I ran wifi speed tests (using speedtest.net) on my four devices using the 5Ghz channel, 3 of which support WiFi 6, plus my iPhone 16 Pro supporting Wifi 7. All WiFi speeds on these devices with the BE86U were virtually identical to the WiFi speeds I had recorded from AX86U before switching it out. I didn’t see any of the performance boosts noted in the charts above, and I tested my devices in the same room with the router, just several feet away, and then again in another room about 40 feet away. Speeds in the more distant room were slower, of course, but still virtually identical to the AX router. With a 2 gig internet connection, my WiFi 6 devices within 10 feet of the router had wifi speeds of 800-850 Mbps. The iPhone 16 Pro that supports Wifi 7 was at about 950-990 Mbps. In the room about 40 feet away, I was losing about a third of those speeds, which seemed normal. Now I’m wondering if carrying over settings from the AX86U might be slowing down performance with the BE86U, and that starting from scratch with factory settings, and individually reconnecting all devices might give me a different result. Any thoughts, Dong?
Tame your expectations, Charles! There are a few things:
First, all of the devices you mentioned can be the bottlenecks. Here’s how I do the Wi-Fi testing. You need to make sure you get the correct broadband speed, too.
Second, the speed of Wi-Fi 7 is on the 6GHz. More here.
Third, make sure you adjust the QoS if you use it.
Forth, this post is *not* about upgrading from the RT-AX86U. Wi-Fi 6 is the best right now and going above 1Gbps can be a challenge to experience. But the RT-BE86U is faster when used with Wi-Fi 7 clients.
Finally: make sure you adjust the settings, then make a new backup and reload it on the new router after porting the settings of the old router over.
The point is pay attention to the little details. You should get Gig+ from the new router on the 5GHz band when connecting using Wi-Fi 7 with the widest channel at a good distance within a line of sight.
Thank you! I will dive into all these links! I guess my takeaway–which may have been mistaken?–from the WiFi performance chart above that compares xx86U routers was that the BE86U showed significant performance gains vs the others for AC and AX, too, not just (obviously) BE. So while I wasn’t looking for the specific speeds you posted, I was expecting to see real improvement vs speeds with the AX86U and that hasn’t been the case so far. Well, you’ve given me some good homework to do, so I’ll start reading!
I’ve now had a few weeks of 2 gig service and the BE86U. And Dong–you were right! It would have been absolutely fine to stick with WiFi 6! I had high expectations when I bought a 2.5G ethernet to USB-C adapter to hardwire my M1 iMac to the BE86U. (The iMac’s own ethernet connection is limited to gigabit speed.) I then ran Speedtest.net and consistently got 2 gig speeds and even more, both download and upload, which has been the case every time I’ve tested. But I have to say that the internet seems no faster than it did at gigabit speed. Perhaps it is, but not enough that I experience it as faster. The only device I currently have that supports Wifi 7 is my iPhone 16 Pro, but I’ve since learned that Apple’s implementation of Wifi 7 only supports up to the 80MHz channels, not 160MHz. Speedtest records about gigabit Wifi speeds on my iPhone if I’m in the same room and line of sight with the router, and reduced speeds if I’m elsewhere in my apartment. So overall, everything is “fine,” and I’m definitely getting the speed that I’m paying for–but everything also feels about the same as it did before the 2 gig upgrade.
Thanks for sharing the experience, Charles!
I have had an AX86U since 2020, nothing wrong but just getting older. Most of my devices are wifi 6, so this will definitely be my next device. I have a 500 down/up fiber account, advice on if I should just keep this in my wish list or should I go ahead at any point to get it? Probably around 35 total devices on both the 2.4/5ghz/wired network all together.
I would say keep using the current one for now, Johnny. The RT-BE86U won’t hurt but chances are it doesn’t make much of a diffrence consisdering your broadband speed.
Got it! I’ll just put it as my next purchase if/when the ax86u breaks down or whenever my devices start migrating towards wifi7.
Yeap, or when you have Gigabit or faster Internet. More here.
Hi Dong,
Reading some of your excellent reviews about the RT-BE86U and the RT-AX86U Pro.
What would be the ‘best’ upgrade for a RT-AC86U in your opinion, looking at 5G coverage and future proof features/hardware?
Right now I’m leaning towards the BE86U because of the 10Gbps/2.5Gbps ports, and higher clocked CPU (2.6GHz vs 2GHz). Which would be great for any future fiber upgrade toward 2.5/10Gbps!
The new router will be replacing the AC86U which is centered in my house (concreet/brick walls and ceilings). At all building levels and in my garden surrounding the house, the AC86U was able to give good enough coverage.
The old AC86U will be transformed to a wired mesh node for my addict, to get better coverage there.
I also looked at the RT-AX88U Pro as a replacement. Will the 4×4 MIMO on the 2.4 band make a huge difference compared to the 3×3 MIMO for the RT-BE86U and AX86U Pro routers?
The RT-AX88U Pro does not have a 10Gbps port, but has 2x 2.5Gbps ports. The RT-AX86U Pro does only have 1x 2.5Gbps port (so a future internal LAN upgrade towards 2.5/10Gbps will not benefit from this router). The RT-BE86U is the best choice here I think.
Regards,
C.
Go with either BE88u or AX88U Pro, but use the AC86U in the AP mode, mixing standard is not a good idea in an AiMesh setup. Good luck!
AP mode is a good suggestion! I will go for the BE86U 🙂
I read the reply to quick. Why advising the BE88U and AX88U pro, and not the BE86U ?
I meant the BE86U (but the BE88U is fine, too). I was just getting mixed up in the fingers why typing. Crazy names.
Could you review ASUS RT-BE92U vs Asus RT-BE86U? Both of them are newly released WIFI 7 routers.
The RT-BE86U has already been reviewed. The RT-BE92U is a tri-band router and is not comparable to dual-band hardware. Reviews take time and resources. If you want to make a request, here’s the donation page. 🙂
What wifi mode did you use for 2.4 GHz speed testing of each router?
There’s no mode. I generally test the 2.4GHz using the broadcater’s latest supported clients (Wi-Fi 7) and then clients of older stsandards (Wi-Fi 4 and Wi-Fi 6), then use whichever the highest number for the official score. In most cases, there’s little or no diffeernce between devices on diffrence stanards for this band. More on testing here.
You included AC vs AX vs BE for 5 GHz. It was very interesting to see the reduced 5 GHz AC speeds with each newer variant of the 86U series. Since there are many IOT devices that only work for 2.4 GHz N, and people often put such devices a significant distances from their wifi router, it seems to me that showing 2.4 GHz N wifi performance is important to include so people can get a better feel for whether a new router is going to have issues with connecting to a distant 2.4 GHz N device.
Yes, that’s normal, due to backward-compatibility. It’s not possible to use N device for testing since some of them is simply NOT supported. If you want to keep legacy clients, get an access point of the same standard. Or stay with Wi-Fi 6. Don’t get the latest if you want to stay with the oldest.
Excellent review Dong! Thank you.
I’ve read your reviews for both the BE88U (June 2024) and the BE86U (October 2024). I know the BE86U scored better overall in your tests, but I also recall you noting that this may have been due to the newer firmware vs the BE88U.
I’m curious why, in your particular situation, you chose the BE86U. You wrote about the ease of transition from your old router, and I’m guessing this had a lot to do with it.
Thanks again for all these reviews and tutorials. I’ve learned a lot 🙂
Yeap, in those 6 months, there were a lot of changes in Wi-Fi 7 support, both I firmware and firmware driver, Chris. Both are great routers in their own rights.
Hi. How does this compare to the – ASUS – RT-BE92U BE9700 Tri-Band. A lot of devices now have Wifi 6E. So would this be a better or slower one using wifi 6E.
Thanks Dong!
I haven’t tested the RT-BE92U, but it’s likely similar to the RT-BE96U. Just not as fast.
Dong,
Do you force channel bandwidth during testing? Any differences in channel bandwidth settings when under test when changing wi-fi standards or frequencies? Based on your previous comments about DFS, I would guess that you test 5Ghz at 80Mhz. However, I know it’s not safe to assume. Thanks!
Here’s how I do my testing, Justin.
Great article. I still have a couple of AC86U used in mesh around the house, and resisted the AX86U for a couple of years.
Now that I have 3GB broadband, the move to a BE86U seems timely!
I noticed a small typo in your specs table. It says the RT-BE86U came out in 2022, when it should say 2024. Thanks.
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