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ASUS RT-BE58U Review (vs. NETGEAR Nighthawk S100): Wi-Fi 7 for Those with Modest Bandwidth Needs

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The RT-BE58U is ASUS’s third dual-band Wi-Fi 7 standalone router, and the most modest out of the pack, compared to the previous RT-BE88U and RT-BE86U. However, it has enough for a home with Gigabit or slower broadband.

Here’s the bottom line: The ASUS RT-BE57U is well worth its current price tag of less than $150. While the lack of a second 2.5Gbps can be a downer, its generous feature set still makes it a formidable contender compared to similarly-priced but less feature-rich Netgear Nighthawk S100.

Living in a relatively small home with modest broadband? Consider one today! Or you can get a couple to use as a system via AiMesh, preferably via wired backhauing.

The ASUS RT BE58U router and its retail box
The ASUS RTBE58U comes with a network cable and a standard power adapter.

RT-BE58U: A bare-minimum Wi-Fi 7 router that can do a lot

The RT-BE58U is a compact router. Taking the traditional design of a typical router with four non-detachable antennas on the back, each can rotate half a sphere around. It looks like a sleeker version of the entry-level RT-AX58U Wi-Fi 6 older cousin.

Compared to the previous model, apart from the support for Wi-Fi 7, the RT-BE58U has one more thing decisively better: it now has a 2.5Gbps WAN port. Unfortunately, there’s no other Multi-Gig port. The router’s four LAN ports are all Gigabit.

Overall, the RT-BE58U has modest specs, which are the minimum required to qualify as a Wi-Fi 7 router. Comparatively, it shares the same hardware specs as the Netgear Nighthawk S100 and is very similar to the TP-Link Archer BE230. The table below shows the specs of the three.

ASUS RT-BE58U vs. NETGEAR Nighthawk RS100 vs. TP-Link Archer BE230: Hardware specficications

ASUS RT BE58UWhy the US considers banning TP-Link routers: At $99, this TP-Link Archer BE230 is by far the least expensive Wi-Fi 7 router on the market.The NETGEAR Nighthawk RS100 front
NameAsus RT-BE58U Dual-band Wi-Fi 7 RouterTP-Link Archer BE230
BE3600 Wi-Fi 7 Router
NETGEAR Nighthawk RS100 Wi-Fi 7 BE3600 Router
ModelRT-BE58UArcher BE230RS100
Wi-Fi BandwidthDual-band BE3600
2.4GHz Band
(channel width)
2×2 BE: Up to 688 Mbps
(20/40MHz)
5GHz Band
(channel width)
2×2 BE: Up to 2882Mbps
(20/40/80/160MHz)
6GHz BandNone
Stream per Band2×2
Network StandardsIEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b,
IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n,
IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11ax,
IEEE 802.11be, IPv4, IPv6
Network FeaturesWeb user interface
Asus Router mobile app
Generous free features and settings (VPN, AiProtection, Parental Control, QoS, etc.)
Web user interface
TP-Link Tether mobile app
Standard free features and settings
Web user interface
Nighthawk mobile app
Limited free features and settings
Web-Based Remote ManagementYes
(via Dynamic DNS)
No
Vendor Login Account Optional
(for the Asus router app)
Optional
(for Tether mobile app and web user interface)
Optional
(for the Nighthawk mobile app)
Premium Add-onNone
(all features free for life)
HomeShield ProNETGEAR Armor or Armor Plus
Mesh-ReadyYes
(AiMesh)
Yes
(EasyMesh)
No
Operating ModeRouter
Access Point
AiMesh node
Repeater (extender)
Media Bridge
Router
Access Point
EasyMesh node
Router
Access Point
Multi-Gig Port1x 2.5Gbps WAN1x 2.5Gbps WAN,
1x 2.5Gbps LAN
1x 2.5Gbps WAN
Gigabit Port4x LAN3x LAN4x LAN
Automated Frequency Coordination
(AFC)
N/A
Multi-Link Operation
(MLO)
YesNo
Link AggregationNo
Dual-WANYesNo
USB Port1x USB 3.0None
Dimensions9.37 x 7.6 x 2.32 in
(23.8 x 19.3 x 5.9 cm)
13.52 x 9.25 x 3.90 in
(34.34 x 23.4 x 9.9 cm)
7.2 x 4.8 x 2.6 in
(18.28 x 12.2 x 6.6 cm)
Weight1.02 lbs (461g)1.32 lbs (.6 kg)0.4 lb (380 g)
Processing Power2.0GHz quad-core CPU,
512MB Flash,
1GB DDR4 RAM
undisclosed2.0GHz quad-core CPU,
512MB Flash,
1GB DDR4 RAM
Power Intake110-240V
Firmware
(at review)
3.0.0.6.102_370901.0.3 Build 20240612
rel.13057(5553)
V1.0.1.78
Power Consumption
(per 24 hours)
≈ 200 Wh≈ 195 Wh≈ 105 Wh
US Release DateEarly 2025July 23, 2024February 2025
US Launch Price
(Compare current Prices!)
$149.99$99.99$149.99
Hardware specifications: ASUS RT-BE58U vs. NETGEAR Nighthawk RS100 vs. TP-Link Archer BE230.
ASUS RT BE58U frontASUS RT BE58U back
The front and back of the ASUS RT-BE58U dual-band Wi-Fi 7 router. Note its sole 2.5Gbps port, the permanent WAN.

The single 2.5Gbps port pain

As shown in the table, the RT-BE58U, as well as the Nighthawk S100, has only one 2.5Gbps. As a result, you won’t be able to get a real 2.5Gbps wired connection from it. And if you want to use two units to form a Wi-Fi system, there’s no way to have a multi-Gigabit wired backhaul connection.

That said, the RT-BE58U is better than the RT-AX58U because it can handle a Gigabit broadband without losing any bits due to overhead. After that, it’s very much a Gigabit router.

As a dual-band router, the RT-BE58U has no 6GHz band, which is not a big deal in regions where this band is not available or only partially adopted. However, both of its bands have modest entry-level specs, resulting in less wireless bandwidth than many top-tier Wi-Fi 6 or even Wi-Fi 5 routers.

The adoption of the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi around the world

The 6GHz band has a total width of 1200 MHz, ranging from 5.925 MHz to 7.125 MHz, and is divided into 59 channels of 20 MHz each. These channels are grouped to create “sub-bands,” which also vary from one region to another.

In the U.S., the FCC has designated four sub-bands across the entire 6GHz spectrum, including UNII-5, UNII-6, UNII-7, and UNII-8, for Wi-Fi use, though portions of the band may be reserved for other applications.

The E.U. Commission allows only the UNII-5 equivalent part of the frequency for Wi-Fi use, which is 480 MHz in width from 5925 MHz to 6425 MHz. Some other parts of the world are somewhere in between, with the UNII-5 portion adopted and the rest being considered. In the rest, this band may not even be available for Wi-Fi at all.

Generally, Wi-Fi 6E needs a 160MHz channel to deliver the best performance, and Wi-Fi 7 requires double that, 320MHz. Due to spectrum availability and other reasons, real-world hardware tends to use narrower channels in most cases.

Overall, the use of the 6GHz frequency is complicated and is the main reason a Wi-Fi broadcaster made for one region might not work in another.

6GHz band adoption around the world
The current 6GHz band adoption around the world, according to the Wi-Fi Alliance.

The table below shows its current adoption worldwide. The “Considering” portion is generally slated to be finalized eventually, though that varies from one region to another.

CountryAdopted Spectrum
United States5925-7125 MHz
(entire band including UNII5, UNII-6, UNII-7, and UNII-8)
Albania5945-6425 MHz (UNII-5)
Andorra5945-6425 MHz
Argentina5925-7125 MHz
Australia5925-6425 MHz
Austria5945-6425 MHz
Azerbaijan5925-6425 MHz
Bahrain5925-6425 MHz
Bangladesh5925-6425 MHz
Belarus5945-6425 MHz
5945-6425 MHz
Belgium5945-6425 MHz
Bosnia and Herzegovina5945-6425 MHz
Brazil5925-7125 MHz
Bulgaria5945-6425 MHz
Burkina Faso5945-6425 MHz
Canada5925-7125 MHz
Chile5925-6425 MHz
Colombia5925-7125 MHz
Costa Rica5925-7125 MHz
Croatia5945-6425 MHz
Cyprus5945-6425 MHz
Czech Republic5945-6425 MHz
Denmark5945-6425 MHz
Dominican Republic5925-7125 MHz
Egypt5925-6425 MHz
El Salvador5925-7125 MHz
Estonia5945-6425 MHz
European Union5945-6425 MHz
Faroe Islands5945-6425 MHz
Finland5945-6425 MHz
France5945-6425 MHz
Georgia5945-6425 MHz
Germany5945-6425 MHz
Gibraltar5945-6425 MHz
Greece5945-6425 MHz
Guatemala5925-7125 MHz
Honduras5925-7125 MHz
Hong Kong5925-6425 MHz
Hungary5925-6425 MHz
Iceland5945-6425 MHz
India5945-6425 MHz
Ireland5945-6425 MHz
6425-7125 MHz
Isle of Man5945-6425 MHz
Italy5945-6425 MHz
Japan5925-6425 MHz
6425-7125 MHz
Jordan5925-6425 MHz
Kazakhstan5925-7125 MHz
Kenya5925-6425 MHz
Latvia5925-6425 MHz
Liechtenstein5945-6425 MHz
Lithuania5945-6425 MHz
Luxembourg5945-6425 MHz
Macao5945-6425 MHz
Macedonia5945-6425 MHz
Malaysia5925-6425 MHz
Malta5925-6425 MHz
Mauritius5925-6425 MHz
Mexico5925-6425 MHz
Moldova5925-6425 MHz
Monaco5945-6425 MHz
Montenegro5945-6425 MHz
Morocco5925-6425 MHz
Namibia5925-6425 MHz
Netherlands5945-6425 MHz
6425-7125 MHz
New Zealand5925-6425 MHz
Norway5945-6425 MHz
Pakistan5945-6425 MHz
Paraguay5925-6425 MHz
Peru5925-7125 MHz
Philippines5925-7125 MHz
Poland5925-7125 MHz
Portugal5945-6425 MHz
6425-7125 MHz
Qatar5925-6425 MHz
Romania5925-6425 MHz
Russian Federation5925-6425 MHz
San Marino5925-6425 MHz
Saudi Arabia5925-7125 MHz
Singapore5925-6425 MHz
Slovakia5925-6425 MHz
Slovenia5925-6425 MHz
South Africa5925-6425 MHz
South Korea5925-7125 MHz
Spain5945-6425 MHz
Sweden5945-6425 MHz
Switzerland5945-6425 MHz
Thailand5925-6425 MHz
Togo5925-6425 MHz
Tunisia5925-6425 MHz
Turkey5925-6425 MHz
Ukraine5925-6425 MHz
United Arab Emirates5925-6425 MHz
United Kingdom5945-6425 MHz
Holy See (Vatican City State)5945-6425 MHz
Vietnam5945-6425 MHz
Countries with 6GHz band for Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7.

The familiar feature set of ASUS’s RT series

Other than the hardware specs, like previous models, the new ASUS RT-BE58U is simply another variant within ASUS’s RT series that runs the latest ASUSWRT 5.0 firmware, though it has nuanced differences due to its modest specs.

Specifically, you can expect the following:

  • The router features dual-WAN—you can turn one of its LAN ports or the USB port into the second WAN port. This USB port can host a cellular Internet source, such as a modem or a phone. However, there’s no Link Aggregation.
  • Universal backup restoration: You can load the backup file of almost any other ASUS router onto the RT-BE58U. I tried it with a couple of dual-band models that worked out as intended. This makes upgrading from one router to another a quick job.
  • Robust web user interface with optional ASUS Router mobile app. You can set up the router the way you do any standard router via its default IP address, which is 192.168.50.1.
  • AiMesh support. The RT-BE58U works best with wired backhauling. In this case, it’s an excellent satellite note for other dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers from Asus since you’ll get a 2.5Gbps wired backhaul link out of its WAN port.
  • Built-in Parental Controls and online protection (AiProtection) plus other traffic-related features, including a robust QoS engine.
  • USB-based features (cellular tethering, network storage, media streaming server, etc.)
  • The new router supports advanced VPN, including WireGuard and Instant Guard.
  • Tons of useful network/Wi-Fi settings, tools, and other features, including web-based remote management via Dynamic DNS.

The point is that if you’ve used a router with a standard local web user interface before, you’ll find the RT-BE58U a familiar experience. Like usual, the router is best set up and managed via its rich web user interface.

ASUS RT BE58U AiProtection featureASUS RT BE58U QoS feature
The ASUS RT-B58U has a robust standard web user interface with valuable features, including free online protection and QoS. All are free for the life of the router.

ASUS routers and your privacy

By default, all ASUS routers don’t require users to use a vendor-connected or third-party login account or provide personal information to the vendor to work.

However, when you turn on their specific features that require scanning the hardware’s traffic, such as gaming, traffic monitoring, AIProtection, parental control, etc., or manually bind the hardware to a login account for convenient remote management, that would translate into potential privacy risks.

Here’s the Taiwanese hardware vendor’s Privacy Policy.

Privacy and security are a matter of degree, and data collection varies from one company to another.

Flexible Wi-Fi settings

The RT-BE58U features MLO—the 5GHz and 2.4GHz into a single link for supported clients—and has many options in terms of virtual SSIDs (called “Networks”) and the configuration of each. Specifically, you can create a primary SSID for each band, or combine them into a single (MLO) SSID. After that, you can make up to virtual SSIDs for different purposes, such as Guest Wi-Fi, IoT, or a separate MLO SSID.

ASUS RT BE58U VPN featureASUS RT BE58U Networks
The ASUS RT-BE58U has advanced VPN options and comes with lots of customization for its Wi-Fi networks.

It’s worth noting, though, that apart from the Guest Wi-Fi, which you want to have isolated from the main network, you should make the rest of the virtual SSIDs as part of the main subnet to have them work as intended.

Tip

ASUS’s self-defined networks (SDNs), a.k.a. virtual SSIDs, can be set to be part of the same subnet as the primary network, which might or might not be the default option when you first create them. If picked not to be part of the primary subnet, a virtual SSID will belong to a different subnet separated from the main network, which can cause local connection issues for those who are unaware.

Picking the same subnet for an ASUS virtual SSID (SDN)
Generally, it’s best to use the same subnet for a virtual SSID in an ASUS router.

Unless you’re fluent in handling multiple subnets, it’s best to use these SSIDs with the same subnet as the main network. To change the subnet, you might need to delete the SSID and recreate it.

The ASUS RT BE58U being tested
The ASUS RT-BE58U is being tested.

ASUS RT-B58U: Excellent performance for the specs, modest range

Considering the modest specs, I didn’t expect the RT-BE58U to wow anyone, and it performed as intended in my testing. Due to the lack of a 2.5Gbps LAN port, I tested its Wi-Fi performance via the WAN port to avoid performance limitations due to Gigabit speeds. Generally, the router’s 5GHz band can deliver Gig+ at a reasonable distance.

ASUS RT BE58U Close Range Wi Fi Read PerformanceASUS RT BE58U Long Range Wi Fi Read Performance
The RT-BE58U’s Wi-Fi performance compared to other dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers.

As shown on the charts above, the RT-BE58U generally outperformed the NETGEAR counterpart at close range. Farther out, it was less impressive.

Range is always tricky to figure out. If you live in a home of around 1500 ft, you can generally expect this router to blanket it all when placed at the center. However, some claimed to have it handle a house of 2500 ft(232 m2). So your mileage will vary depending on the layout of your place. As mentioned, you can always get another unit to extend the coverage thanks to AiMesh.

The RT-BE58U did well as a mini NAS server when hosting a portable SSD via its USB 3.0 port. In fact, it proved to be the fastest one among Gigabit routers—there was no way to measure its performance other than via a Gigabit connection. (If you want to know how this router fares against others including those with Multi-Gig LAN ports, check out this post.)

ASUS RT BE58U NAS Read PerformanceASUS RT BE58U NAS Write Performance
The ASUS RT-BE58U’s network storage performance when hosting a USB portable SSD compared to other routers without Multi-Gig LAN ports.

Other than that, the RT-BE58U passed my 3-day stress test without any disconnection and completely silent during operation—it has no internal fan. The router also remained cool to the touch even during heavy operation, which is always a good thing.

ASUS RT-BE58U's Rating

8.1 out of 10
ASUS RT-BE58U router
Performance
8 out of 10
Features
8.5 out of 10
Design and Setup
8 out of 10
Value
8 out of 10

Pros

Wi-Fi 7 with MLO and 2.5Gbps WAN port

Reliable performance with Gigabit-class NAS performance when hosting a portable drive

Generous feature set that's free for life

Universal setting backup and restoration; compact and fanless design

Cons

No 2nd Multi-Gig port, modest specs

Not wall-mount-ready

Conclusion

Among the current entry-level dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers, the RT-BE58U is the most feature-rich, which compensates for its lack of a second 2.5Gbps port and makes it a decidedly better investment than the Netgear Nighthawk S100. That said, get one (or two for a Wi-Fi system) today! If you want a better port with fewer features, the TP-Link Archer BE230 is also worth consideration among the three.

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