🛒
Asus’s second Wi-Fi 7 purpose-built mesh system, the ZenWiFi BT10, had a rough start. From the launch in early June until recently, the hardware proved buggy. Among other things, the satellite unit couldn’t stay wirelessly connected for longer than a day or so, especially with the MLO feature turned on.
Fortunately, the latest firmware, officially released on November 6, 2024, stabilized the hardware and finally made it a viable alternative to the ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro, which is superior in both physical size and hardware specs.
Here’s the bottom line: At the suggested retailed price of around $850 for a 2-pack, the ZenWiFi B10 is an excellent buy for those with faster-than-Gigabit broadband. And if you intend to use it with wired backhauling, it’s a much better deal than the more expensive cousin. Get one today!
Dong’s note: I first published this post as a preview on August 3, 2024, and updated it to a full review on November 11, 2024, after thorough hands-on testing.
Asus ZenWiFi BT10: A straightforward tri-band mesh system that’s finally worth the wait
In case you’re curious about the model name, ZenWiFi is Asus’s original lineup of canned mesh based on its popular AiMesh approach.
The naming convention is that the B in “BT” is short for BE (Wi-Fi 7), and the T is for tri-band, as opposed to the quad-band in the BQ16 Pro. The number 10 is for the total streams the hardware has across its three bands.
So, the gist is that the BT10 is a tri-band Wi-Fi 7 mesh system with a total of 10 wireless streams among its three bands, including 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz.
With no frequency splitting like the case of the ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro, the ZenWiFi BT10 is meant to be a more straightforward Wi-Fi system, somewhat compensating for its lesser bandwidth and other hardware specs. The table below shows how it differs from the BQ16 Pro.
Hardware specifications: ZenWiFi BT10 vs. ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro
| Asus ZenWiFi BT10 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh System | Asus ZenWiFi BQ 16 Pro Wi-Fi 7 Mesh System | |
|---|---|---|
 |  | |
| Model | ZenWiFi BT10 | ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro |
| Antennas | 8 internal | 13 internal |
| Wi-Fi Bandwidth | Tri-band BE18000 | Quad-band BE30000 |
| Modulation Scheme (QAM) | 4096-QAM (all bands) | |
| 1st Band (channel width) | 2.4GHz 2×2 BE Up to 688Mbps (20/40MHz) | 2.4GHz 4×4 BE Up to 1376Mbps (20/40MHz) |
| 2nd Band (channel width) | 5GHz 4×4 BE Up to 5762Mbps (entire band) (20/40/80/160MHz) | |
| 3rd Band (channel width) | 6GHz 4×4 BE Up to 11,525Mbps (entire band) (20/40/80/160/320MHz) | 6GHz-1 4×4 BE Up to 11,525Mbps (lower channels) (20/40/80/160/320MHz) |
| 4th Band (channel width) | None | 6GHz-2 4×4 BE Up to 11,525Mbps (upper channels) (20/40/80/160/320MHz) |
| Network Standards | IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11ax, IEEE 802.11be, IPv4, IPv6 | |
| Network Features | Web User Interface Asus Mobile App with Smart Home Master | |
| Mesh Technology | AiMesh with AsusWRT 5.0 | |
| Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) | TBD (unavailable at review) | Yes (at launch) |
| Multi-Link Operation (MLO) | Yes | |
| Hardware Availability (at launch) | single router 2-pack | |
| Processing Power | 2.0GHz quad-core CPU, 2GB RAM, 256MB Flash | Undisclosed CPU, 2GB RAM, 256MB Flash |
| Multi-Gig Port | 1x 10GBASE-T WAN/LAN, 1x 10GBASE-T LAN | |
| Gigabit Port | 1x Gigabit WAN/LAN | 1x Gigabit WAN/LAN, 2x Gigabit LAN |
| USB Port | 1 x USB 3.0 | |
| Hardware Buttons | Power Switch, Reset Button | |
| Dimensions (each unit) | 7.32 x 6.26 x 2.83 in (187 x 159 x 72 mm) | 8.43 x 14.12 x 2.83 in (214 x 174.2 x 72 mm?) |
| Weight (each unit) | 1.8 lbs (.82 kg) | 2.79 lbs (1.27 kg) |
| DC Power Adapter | AC Input: 100~240 V (50~60 Hz) DC Output: 12 V with max. 3 A current | AC Input: 100~240 V (50~60 Hz) DC Output: 12 V with max. 5 A current |
| Power Consumption (per 24 hours) | ≈ 360 (router unit) ≈ 250 (satellite unit) | ≈ 530 Wh (router unit) |
| U.S. Release Date | Q3 2024 | May 26, 2024 |
| Firmware Version (at review) | 3.0.0.6.102_36758 | 3.0.0.6.102_34995 |
| Availability | Worldwide | North America |
| U.S. MSRP (check street price) | $900 (2-pack) $500 (single router) | $1300 (2-pack) $700 (single router) |
No AFC out of the box, few network ports
As shown in the table above, the BT10 has no AFC support at launch. (On this front, Asus told me that it would likely get this feature in early 2025 via firmware update, though that’s not a sure thing.) Additionally, the new hardware has only three network ports—two 10GBASE-T and one Gigabit—meaning it can handle fewer wired clients out of the box. In return, it’s noticeably more compact.
While the limited number of ports is never good, if you’re willing to invest in a 10Gbps switch, there’s no difference between it and the more expensive BQ16 Pro, which also has only two 10Gbps per unit. And even without a switch, the hardware has enough ports for 10Gbps wired backhaul via daisy-chaining.
Despite having one 6GHz band fewer, with Wi-Fi 7’s MLO feature, the ZenWiFi BT10’s wireless backhaul link is slated to be comparable to that of the BQ16 Pro and was indeed the case in my testing, as you’ll note in the performance section below.
However, without AFC, the BT10’s 6GHz is decidedly shorter. That said, in a fully wireless setup, this system will be able to cover less space. For this reason, it’s best to consider it if you have a wired home.
Presynced hardware
As mentioned, the 2-pack ZenWiFi BT10 includes two identical routers. You can use either as the primary unit, and the other will work as the satellite.
Still, out of the box, one of them has a label that reads “Hi! I’m the Main unit.” to indicate that it should be used as the router. That’s only for the sake of convenience.
In my testing, the two units are pre-synced. Once I’ve set up the router unit, the other automatically becomes part of the AiMesh system when plugged into the power. If you get a third unit, however, you’ll need to add it manually the way you do any other AiMesh-ready broadcaster.
Common AsusWRT 5.0 features
Running AsusWRT 5.0 firmware, the ZenWiFi BT10 is similar to any other hardware powered by the same firmware version, especially the ZenWiFi BQ16.
AsusWRT has so far gone through five major versions, including:
- AsusWRT 1.0: Available in pre-Wi-Fi 4 routers. It’s the initial AsusWRT firmware with the 3.0.0.4 kernel.
- AsusWRT 2.0: Available with Wi-Fi 4 hardware and added support for USB storage.
- AsusWRT 3.0: Available in Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 hardware and added the support for AiMesh starting with firmware build 3.0.0.4.384.xxx.
- AsusWRT 4.0: This version is available primarily in Wi-Fi 6 and 6E hardware, starting with firmware build 3.0.0.04.386.xxx. It added multiple levels of gaming and security. AsusWRT 4.0 is the final version with the 3.0.0.4 kernel.
- AsusWRT 5.0: This version was first available in late 2023 in Asus’s latest hardware, such as the new ExpertWiFi family and Wi-Fi 7 hardware. It uses the new 3.0.0.6 kernel. Among other improvements, it supports self-defined networks (SDNs), advanced VPNs, Gaming networks, and more.
The self-defined network (SDN) feature in AsusWRT 5.0 allows users to create multiple virtual SSIDs that fit different scenarios, such as office space, Guest Wi-Fi, IoT, etc. This feature has different names:
- SDN in Asus’s new ExpertWiFi business hardware.
- Guest Network Pro in its ROG gaming and high-end RT models.
- Smart Home Master in the Wi-Fi 7 ZenWiFi lineup.
Specifically, it has multiple virtual SSIDs via the “Smart Home Master” feature and a robust wireless backhaul via the MLO-based “SmartHaul” feature. (As mentioned, MLO only works well with the latest firmware mentioned above.)
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 to be not part of the primary subnet, a virtual SSID will be a VLAN that’s entirely separate from the main network and can cause issues for those who are unaware.
Unless you’re fluent in handling VLANs, 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.
Other than that, the BT10 has the shared core features available in all hardware that uses the same firmware. Here’s a short list of what you can expect from it:
- Safe Browsing with DNS filters via specific servers.
- Useful Parental Controls and advanced VPN feature set, which includes VPN Fusion and Instant Guard.
- Advanced QoS and online protection (via AiProtection) to keep your network and devices safe.
- Flexible port management with support for Dual-WAN, Link Aggregation, and USB cellular tethering.
- Robust network-attached storage when hosting a USB external drive.
- A comprehensive set of network settings and features managed via the web user interface or the (optional) Asus Router mobile app that requires no login account or subscription.
The gist is that if you’ve used an Asus router before, the new ZenWiFi BT10 will be right up your alley. In fact, you can even load the setting backup files of most existing Asus routers onto it, making it an easy upgrade.
Asus ZenWiFi BT10: Excellent Wi-Fi and wired performance, disappointing NAS speeds
As mentioned, it took me a few rounds of testing with the ZenWiFi BT10. Initially, with the pre-loaded pre-released firmware, the hardware was extremely buggy.
The subsequent three releases improved things a bit, but the system still couldn’t have a stable wireless backhaul via MLO. It wasn’t until version 3.0.0.6.102_36758 that things worked as intended. And with it, the 2-pack mesh proved to be a formidable contender.
As noted in the first chart above, at 40 feet (13 m) apart, the two units had excellent sustained wireless backhaul bandwidth (via MLO) of almost 5Gbps in my testing, rivaling that of the BQ16 Pro. (Still, they can have 10Gbps backhaul when linked to each other via a network cable.)
In terms of range, the BT10’s signals were behind that of the BQ16 Pro, especially on the 6GHz band, which is expected considering the lack of AFC.
It’s impossible to put Wi-Fi coverage in number, and your mileage will vary, but generally, you can expect a single unit of the BT10 to cover around 2000 ft2 (186 m2) of space. Two units in a wireless setup will increase the coverage by about 75%, and if you have wired backhauling, which is recommended, you can double the coverage or even slightly more, depending on the hardware arrangement.
With the latest firmware, the ZenWiFi BT10 also passed my 3-day stress test without any disconnection. Without an internal fan, the hardware ran completely silent yet remained cool to the touch.
Still, it’s far from perfect. I connected a portable SSD to the router unit’s USB port (which is shown as “USB 3.2” within the web user interface), and via a 10GBASE-T connection, the sustained speeds were quite dismal, the slowest I’ve seen in Wi-Fi 7 routers, as shown in the charts above.
If you’re serious about network storage, it’s best to think of a dedicated NAS server in this case.
Asus ZenWiFi BT10's Ratings
Pros
Tri-band Wi-Fi 7 with two 10Gbps ports and excellent performance
AsusWRT 5.0 has lots of customizations and free-for-life high-end features (VPN, Parental Controls, Online Protection, Dual-WAN, Link Aggregation, Smart Home Master, etc.).
Robust web user interface and helpful optional mobile app; easy-to-blend-in design
Comparatively compact with no internal fan; runs cool and quiet
Cons
Only three network ports; buggy at launch; range could be better
No AFC (at launch); not wall-mount-ready
Conclusion
If you had rushed to get the ZenWiFi BT10 right when it was first released, you’d likely have been disappointed. In hindsight, Asus shouldn’t have made the ZenWiFi BT10 available before its well-developed firmware version 3.0.0.6.102_36758.
But that’s generally the case with the company’s Wi-Fi products. The networking vendor told me it’d soon release newer firmware updates to improve the hardware further. Hopefully, one will add the AFC support.
That said, if you get ZenWiFi BT 10 today, you’ll be happy with what it has to offer. Considering the comparatively friendly cost, it’s a much better alternative to the more expensive ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro. That’s especially true if you intend to use it with wired backhauling, which you should.
Really nice review.
I got myself three of the BT10s and they’re working great with wireless backhaul (not optimal, but I can’t run cables between them atm).
Has anyone found a way to wall mount them yet?
Seen a few 3D printed wallmount for the BQ16, but none for the BT8 / BT10. Only thing I’m missing really.
You can mount anything on anything, Sebastian. But something like this will work out great. Good luck!
Great article as usual Dong. QQ…I have many 2.4 Ghz cameras. Would you go with the BT10 over the ET12 Pro? My only concern re: the BT10 is the lower number of 2.4 streams.
Thank again!
Jonathan
Either is fine, Jonathan. How things work out depends on what you mean by “many”.
Thanks, Dong. Approximately 20+ camaeras with half of them outside. Altogether, I currently have ~70 devices in total separating out 5 and 2.4 SSIDs.
The BT10 was only $120 more than the ET12 set (both sets of 2). So basically wanting your opinion on the value of the newer feature set of the BT10 versus the additional antennas and 2 streams for 2.4 that comes with the ET12.
BTW, I am currently utilizing the Orbi Pro 6 set up which does not seem to handle the cameras well.
Thanks again!
Jonathan
Hi Dong – What is your preference based on the below? Thanks!
Approximately 20+ camaeras with half of them outside. Altogether, I currently have ~70 devices in total separating out 5 and 2.4 SSIDs.
The BT10 was only $120 more than the ET12 set (both sets of 2). So basically wanting your opinion on the value of the newer feature set of the BT10 versus the additional antennas and 2 streams for 2.4 that comes with the ET12.
BTW, I am currently utilizing the Orbi Pro 6 set up which does not seem to handle the cameras well.
If you have lots of 2.4GHz devices, Jonathan, no new hardware will help. You should get separate access points and segment them for different groups of these clients. More here. Good luck!
i can confirm that the latest version is far better. though still not perfect (remote connection doesnt work).
also, a UI bug, cannot find this 4k QAM (only 1024 under the pro settings).
Remote connection does work – I’ve been using it, even on the older firmware.
One bug that has finally been fixed is the ability to split the bands out into separate SSIDs of the same name (‘Main Network’) 👍
Thanks for the feedback, Peter and dannyk.
I went for it with trepidation, given your comments.
What I’m most worried about is the ability for the 6 GHz to penetrate a couple wooden walls to reach about 20 feet.
Hello Jayden – here is my own experience of this. Whilst attending a video call on my laptop (connected on the 6Ghz band) the wifi signal strength was an indicated -72dB. This was approximately 20 > 22 feet from the BT10 node, through one (thin) partition wall and one brick wall. My connection speed tested at just under 400Mbps, which is clearly absolutely fine for video conferencing. Also to note, was that my laptop ‘chose’ the 6Ghz band, rather than the 5Ghz band (the signal strength of which I didn’t measure). Hope that helps.
Hello Peter, thanks for the feedback. Yes, I went ahead and got one and set it up – and found that the 6 GHz is reaching my farthest locations at approx -73 dB as well. Quite usable. It was a bit gnarly to separate out the bands, and set up the multiple Wireguard clients – but I’m stable and happy with it now. The 5 GHz band is additionally doing AiMesh quite well with my other older Asus ware with 160 MHz – so I really have redundant bands as a nice surprise!
Hello Dong, Thanks for the updated review with a firmware that makes the BT10 usable.
Couple quick rough-idea questions: With a single BT10 as router, would the 6 GHz range without AFC be able to sustain > 1.5 – 2 Gbps bandwidth with a 6 GHz client (M3 Macbook Air) through 3 wooden walls at a distance of less than 15 feet ? If yes, I plan to try the BT10 – otherwise, I will try the BQ16 Pro’s single unit.
And do you believe the BT10 actually has hardware capable of AFC ? That would give credence to Asus’ claim of enabling firmware with AFC in early 2025 (!)
I generally don’t count on the 6GHz, especially at those speeds, with walls, Jayden. Even with AFC, the frequency is just too high to penetrate objects well. But of course that depends. By the way, Macs’ Wi-Fi is often at the low end so, you might not get that even at a close range with a line of sight.
I can’t tell on the availability of AFC and will take the vendor’s word for it, for now. We’ll see.
I own this bt10. and even standing 20ft away, with my phone towards the router, i got 950mbit (internet speedtest), when i turned 180 degrees, that my body block the router, i got substantial decrease, for about 50 mbit. it’s not scientific by any means, but its much more sensitive than the 5ghz band
Hi Dong,
I recently upgraded to the BQ16 Pro, but am not finding the AFC setting you mention in the review in the router app. Please advise.
I didn’t mention any AFC setting, Joe. Did you actually read the review?
Hi Dong, I’ve seen you mention in another post that the GT-BE98 Pro isn’t ready for wireless backhaul as the main router with 2 BQ16 Pros as the satellites. What would happen if I were to use this combination? I also saw your comment in this post saying the GT-BE98 pro doesn’t have MLO or AFC. I have the GT-BE98 pro and in the asus app, it shows that MLO is turned on. How can I tell if it actually has MLO or not? Will you make a post about the GT-BE98 pro once MLO AFC is actually out?
The 98 Pro has MLO now. I’ve been using 98 Pro + BQ16 combo but via wired backhauling and I turned MLO off. You definitely do not want to use the 98 Pro + BT10 combo in a wireless setup since they have different number of bands. More here.
AFC only makes the 6GHz band have the same range as the 5GHz, generally I don’t update a review because of new firmware. But this depends.
Thanks for the information. So if Ethernet backhaul isn’t possible for me, would a GT-BE98 Pro as the main router with 2 BQ16 Pros as AI Nodes with wireless backhaul work with decent performance? I currently use an AX11000 Pro as the ai node and would like to upgrade.
If you must go wireless, go with all BQ16 Pro units, Joey. Wi-Fi 7 is still new and mixing hardware can be a pain.
Very true. I had a single-pack BT10 as a satellite unit via 10gig wired backhaul a couple of months ago, with the GT-BE98 as my main router. It simply would not register on the AIMesh network no matter what I tried. Had to send it back in the end, so I’ll just have to wait until Asus start producing wifi 7 APs similar to their RP-AX58 (which, incidentally, will only connect to the AIMesh network at 287mbps via wired backhaul)
Mixing hardware is a nightmare
Hi Dong,
Thanks for your insightful articles and reviews.
I currently have a pair of asus XT8 and looking to buy a pair of BT10s so am thinking to incorporate the old XT8s with the BT10s to cover the house (3500sq ft over 2 floors) and near surroundings outdoors.
I’m planning to have a wired backhaul in the following config:
Router —- BT10 —- Switch — BT10
— XT8
— XT8
Does this layout make sense or I’m messing it up?
cheers
Rob
I haven’t tested the BT10, Robert, waiting for better firmware. In your diagram, the Router should be the first BT10, otherwise, you’ll have to use it in the AP mode or have a double NAT setup. Other than that, mixing hardware of different standard can be hit or miss, but since you have wired bakchauling, it should work. Good luck!
Thanks for your reply Dong. Agreed on the router.
I naively thought you can through AIMesh hardware together and they will seamlessly work. Just read your article on AIMesh and it makes sense.
https://dongknows.com/asus-aimesh-overview/
In hindsight it’s a bit silly to expect a hardware combination from different wifi generations and specs to just work!
Any idea on when the new firmware might be landing? Still haven’t pulled the trigger on the BT10s so might hold back till then.
cheers
Sure, Robert. I don’t work for Asus but I suspect there will be multiple firmware releases for its Wi-Fi 7 hardware before the year ends. The MLO and AFC features are hard to work out, especially considering the 6GHz band is regulated vastly different around the world. Wi-Fi 7 has been complicated this year across all vendors.
Thanks for the preview Dong – I’ve just found a pair of these on Amazon and navigated here to see your opinion as always – hope to a see full review when you get hands on 🙂
I was on 2 x XT8s but one of them recently failed (constant red blinking light – after what I think was a power surge during a storm). I’ve now got a spare (ISP provided) Eero standing in as a second node.
Really my patched set up still works with no real world issues in a 4 bedroom 3,000sqft apartment (with wired backhaul)… But my cable ISP has just announced they’re rolling out 2.5Gbps internet as an upgrade to my 1Gbps connection and now I need 2 x multigig ports on a single main router (which the XT8 doesn’t have) to feed back to my 10Gbps switch, so even my wired NAS will be able to download at full internet speed.
I don’t have any Wifi7 clients yet but I’m thinking it might be wise to future proof my set up now both with Wifi7 for when I buy new devices and 10Gbps ports in case my ISP rolls out further speed upgrades (plus my remaining XT8 unit should play nice as another ‘AIMesh’ node with the 2 BT10s)
Noted, Mick. You should turn off MLO in your case, or configure the SSIDs accordingly, and things likely will work well, with the latest firmware etc. Good luck!
Hey there. I’m a big fan of your content and you are the reason I purchased 3 ZENWIFI PRO XT12 nodes for my home. I have a lot of connected devices and this system has been performing wonderfully.
Thank you again for the analysis which led to my purchases.
Quick question as I’m always looking to upgrade. 🤓
Is the BE30000 WIFI 7 an improvement over the XT12 system?
Any thoughts on upgrading to the BE30000(if budget was not a variable) ?
Thanks in advance even if you do not have time to respond! Maybe you have done a comparison that I could not find.
Cheers.
Not really, Banks, since that depends. More in this post. Generally, Wi-Fi 6 is the best standard to use right now.
Understood. Thank you for the link. I will read it in the near future.
Thanks again for your promote response and advice.
Sincerely.
I purchased the BT10 two-pack and am facing two issues, unsure if it’s the system or my setup:
1. My house is wired (but originates in the basement), but after fixing a faulty Ethernet cable, the wireless backhaul is still stronger than wired. Could this be a device issue or something I’m doing wrong?
2. My network crashes more than once a day, which didn’t happen with the RT-BE96U.
Both wireless setups have similar speeds (~1150 Mbps on my WiFi 7 devices with only a 1 gig plan), but the RT-BE96U was more reliable, though with less range, which makes me prefer the BT10. Should I expect firmware improvements (AFC en route), get a replacement, or return the BT10 and stick with the BE96U?
I haven’t rested the BT10, Colin.
1. Something is wrong with your wiring.
2. Likely something is wrong with the way you set things up. More in this post.
Still, likely better firmware will only help.
Thanks, Dong. I had reviewed this. I followed your order and process. I redid the RJ45 connector again and will see if it helps.
What is your take on the inconsistent connection compared to the BE96U? Would this be related to the firmware specifically?
My wife is even complaining about it not being available at times.
I don’t know, Colin, since it depends on how you set it up and configure it. Try turning MLO off and separating the bands, etc. as I mentioned in the review of the BQ16 Pro.
Okay, thanks. I will play around with it some more. I appreciate your responses. Based on what you are saying, I will stick with the BT10 and see if I can continue to get it improved.
Hi Dong, I think I may have found the issue. Could you let me know if this makes sense?
I installed a new unmanaged switch with 2.5G ports, added a 2.5G Ethernet MoCA adapter (goCOAX) and connected it to the AiMesh node.
The BT10 node has two WAN ports:
– 1G WAN
– 10G WAN/LAN
– And one additional 10G LAN port.
I have two BT-10s and one ET8. The ET8 is wired to the 2.5G WAN port without any problems. When connecting the BT10 router to the modem, I used the 10G WAN/LAN port.
However, for the AiMesh node (BT10), the uplink options only shows a 1G Backhaul Connection Priority, not the 10G WAN/LAN port. I’ve been trying to connect through the 10G port because my wireless backhaul was reaching over 1Gbps, despite only having a 1Gbps plan.
Could this be why the wired backhaul is less efficient than wireless?
That means the MoCA to the BT10 is 1Gbps. If so, and likely, it makes sense. Gigabit is not faster than Wi-Fi 7 (especially with MLO). MoCA is finicky and hard to predict, or you’re using Gigabit adapters (not 2.5Gbps). So, if you can’t run cables or change the MoCA adapters, use wireless back-hauling for the BT10 More in this post.
I’m using a 2.5 gbps moca adapter. https://a.co/d/XDsTIu
goCoax MoCA 2.5 Adapter with 2.5GbE Ethernet Port. MoCA 2.5. 1x 2.5GbE Port. Provide 2.5Gbps Bandwidth with existing coaxial Cables. White(Single, MA2500D)
The only wan port that works on the mesh node for the BT10 seems to be the 1G port. When I attempt the 10G wan/lan port it will not connect. So if that is the case, wireless backhaul is the way to go?
You *can* use the 10Gbps port on the BT10 satellite for the uplink, Colin. Manage it in the AiMesh section of the router unit’s *web* user interface. Do that first then switch the port.
I have it plugged in. Shows “great” in app but yellow on the router itself. I will stick with it until it fails. It hasn’t crashed from when I tried previously so hopefully it works now.
Hey Colin
I cannot get backhaul to work on other ports than the 1gb either.
The menu in the software also only gives the 1g WAN option besides 5g WIFI and 6g WIFI.
Seems the model is limited 1gb backhaul.
Thanks, Lars. So I just decided to program it to Ethernet only backhaul. Started off in the 1G port then moved it to the 10G port. It’s working but the light shows weak signal. However, I’m still getting over my max speed when testing on my wifi 7 device wirelessly.
Once I stopped touching and refined the wired back haul I have not really had any downtimes. No more complaints from the wife, yet.
I returned my other BE96U as I’m getting better range with this one. But I’m hopeful a firmware update will make this better soon.
Looks like new firmware came out yesterday to help with the 10G Ethernet backhaul. I’m going to give it a try when I’m back home. https://www.asus.com/us/networking-iot-servers/whole-home-mesh-wifi-system/zenwifi-wifi-systems/asus-zenwifi-bt10/helpdesk_bios?model2Name=ASUS-ZenWiFi-BT10
That’s good news! I generally don’t use Asus stuff after a few rounds of firmware updates. 🙂
Having just purchased a 3-pack of these BT10 devices, I can confirm that 10Gb ethernet backhaul works absolutely fine with the latest firmware – in fact, it’s been rock solid across the board so far, which is nice considering the Asus don’t always have a smooth product launch (I was one of the first to purchase an XT12, and that definitely had issues at launch!). I’ve not yet tried all of the features, but curious thing is that you don’t appear to have the ability to create three separate networks all with the SAME SSID, as in previous routers. You have the ability to create a ‘main’ network and add one or more network bands to it, or all three, and Asus then imposes ‘Smart Connect’ which it’s not possible to turn off (as far as I can see)… Personally, I don’t like ‘Smart Connect’ as I’ve had issues with it in the past. No idea is the BQ16 exhibits the same behaviour.
You can, Peter. You just have to turn off MLO first which you should turn off considering your wired back hauling. I mentioned that often, including in the review of the BQ16.
Thanks, Dong. I have indeed turned MLO off, but what I’ve tried to do is create multiple networks with the same SSID. That is, have a 2.4G, 5G and 6G separate networks but with the same SSID. If you try and create a new network with the same SSID you get an ‘already exists’ message. So your only option is to create one SSID but assign multiple bands, in which case the ‘Smart Connect’ comes into play (as an example, I’d like my phone to connect to the 2.4G band in the back garden because I know there is signal there, but instead it would rather drop the 5G or 6G network in favour of LTE). This is different behaviour to my previous XT12 mesh. Yes, you can create a network for each band, but the SSID must be different for each.. I can see the Smart Connect rule set in the Network Tools section, but there’s no option to turn it off.. I guess splitting out the networks in this way could be considered counter-intuitive in the context of MLO (even though it’s turned off), so I guess that’s why they’ve done it..
You can’t do that with the virtual SSIDs (the SDN), Peter, that’s often the case with *all* broadcasters, including the XT12 where it’s known as the Guest WiFi. You *can* however, use the same network name for the *main* SSID of each band when you turned Smart Connect off. Try it!
The gist of it is that each band’s SSIDs have to be unique but only within that particular band. That’s like you can have multiple names (alias) but they have to be different (else it’s pointless). But you and your friend can share the same set of alias because you’re two diffent persons.
Thanks, Dong. I think that’s the problem – ‘when you turn Smart Connect off’. I cannot find anywhere in the settings that allows me to do that. Maybe I’ll have another look today, it’s probably staring me in the face! 🙂
Thanks for all the great reviews and insights – really valuable for a newbie trying to learn 🙂
I just bought 2 BT10 and they are doing great (only wifi 6/6e devices at this time).
Am I misunderstanding the buildin IoT-network? When I put my devices on it, they can still ping my main network. If so I guess the IoT-network doesn’t really help with security, as a compromised device can reach beyond it’s own network.
I assume I do something wrong 🙂 Or do I need to go to something like Ubiquiti to make real separated VLANs?
You are, Lars, and in a lot of things it seems. The IoT is mostly for segmenting your network to avoid the fact smart devices can hammer your network. Also IoT and security is a bit of a myth and often you need to have them as part of your main network. In any case, as mentioned, you can use the Smart Home Master feature of the Asus to create virtual SSIDs with the same affect as Wi-Fi VLANs. The isolation is an option for all of them.
Thanks for the links – that helped.
Any chance you have a review of the BT10 coming soon? Haven’t been able to find any other test/reviews besides your preview.
It’ll likely be reviewed eventually. 🙂
Is there any reason why the BT10 supports 6000 sqft and the BQ16PRO supports 8000sqft? Is the range shorter for some reason? Thanks
Where did you get those numbers from? You can’t take what the vendor says as truth and then plan you life based on that. More on range in this post.
Thanks – that was a good link.
Perhaps what I’m really asking is whether there is any reason to think the range of these two routers won’t be the same in identical circumstances?
Their range is likely identical since they are both high-end broadcasters of the same standard. More here.
If you’re wondering if the extra band of the GT makes it more enticing, that’s generally not the case. More on dual-band vs. tri-band in this post.
Great review. Even though this is the ZenWifi BT10 review, it convinced me to get the BQ16 and BE98. Talk about upsell!
Asus are on to something here with Wifi7. Will run the BE98 as main and 2 BQ16’s as satellites!
Cheers
Hi Dong, thanks again for the great and detailed review! I currently have a dual Asus AX86U setup, with a symmetrical 3Gbit fiber connection. I want to mostly upgrade my system to take advantage of multigig, get better switching capacity (running high bandwidth on multiple devices at the same time) and increase the speed of my wired network. Because of that, I’m looking at multigig solutions and came across this one. It’s almost perfect to me, except that I’d have to buy 2 additional switches to take advantage of multigig (upstairs and downstairs for my wired desktop and also my wired NAS capable of 2.5 Gbit), and I’m not too keen on that as I have limited space in my multifloor condo. In that case, would you recommend I go with the TP-Link Deco BE95 instead, or would you suggest I wait for another Asus product? How about going the way of Ubiquiti/Omada?
Thanks in advance.
Most high-end systems are limited at 2.5Gbps (unless you’re willing to spend more on switches), Andrew. Considering you’re using teh RT-AX86U, I’d recommend holding up for this one or anohter Asus set.
Thanks Dong!
The one I had my eye on was also the BQ16 Pro, but it only has 2 10Gbit ports and 2 1Gbit ports so if I backhaul the 2, I’d max out at 1Gbit. I’d be happy with a 2.5Gbit network but I’d need switches for it just as I would for 10Gbit.
Do you think I’d get better wired speeds with the BQ16 Pro than what I have right now without adding switches? I feel like I’m bottlenecking with switching capacity with my dual AX86U (merlin software, mesh connected via wired 2.5Gbit backhaul) as on wired connections I vary between 500-600mbit down when a few devices are running, whereas I’m at ~900mbit when there is low load.
Not if you daisy-chain them, Andrew. But yes, you’ll need a switch to have the flexibility. It makes no differnce using a switch or not as long as you pick the desired speed grade (10Gbps in this case).
I am torn between the Asus BQ16 Pro and the Asus GT-BE98 Pro.
My use case is that one of either unit will PROBABLY be enough, but that a mesh setup would be appreciated if a second unit proves necessary. I am not a networking or WiFi expert, but I can usually figure out the basics of the various devices.
A single unit of the BQ16 Pro would cost less than a single unit of the GT-BE98, but it seems that single BQ16 Pro units are not yet available. (Only 2-packs, at this point.)
Is either one now more fully “settled in” with fully working firmware and all features now working?
Thank you!!
The BQ16 Pro is more settled in, Ferris. The GT-BE98 Pro still doesn’t have AFC yet though it likely will by the end of the year per Asus. I’d recommend the QB16 Pro considering its compact size. In any case, eitehr will work great as a single router or a mesh member.
Thank you, so much, Dong!! Greatly Appreciated!
👍
Hi Dong, hello again! I get myself the duo BQ16 package. You said below regarding NAS on rounter: “The router unit had sustained write and read speeds of around 130 MB/s and 175 MB/s, respectively. At these rates, the ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro can pass for casual network storage needs”
My only need for NAS is to download and store videos for my Apple TV, and Asus’ Download master and SMB server can do the job. I have a 2TB 2.5′ drive plugged in right now but storage’s running short. I’m considering getting say 5TB ones or maybe even >10TB 3.5 drives. My concern is that I heard the bigger drive requires more power for router to scan and process and therefore take a big toll on the router. However, BQ16 is strong with the processor and 2GB ram, I’m wondering if you know what’s the biggest drive it can handle? I’m plugging it into my non-main router and the only device using that wifi is my/my wife’s cell phones so I’m not so concerned about losing speed over wifi. (well, I use 6GHz for my VR headset as well but more often I use it in the living room using main router’s wifi)
Best
Brian
I’ve always used portable SSDs for the testing, Brian. The largest one I have is a 4TB and it worked with this router. And if a router can handle 4TB, it generally has no restrictions in storage space it can address. What you should care about is the power delivery of the USB port which is always limited. More in this port.
Thanks Dong. What about say a 4-bay 3.5′ external disk array with separate power supply? Would that be deal breaking?
I haven’t tried more than a dual-bay but I’d imagine that should be fine, Brian. You just need to setup your array on a computer first. Generally, as long as the RAID box readily works as an external NTFS volume when you plug it into any computer, it’ll work with the router. Good luck!
Cheers Dong!
With regard to AFC and MLO “SmartHaul” with Wi-Fi 7, is an Ethernet backhaul still a better option?
Yes, Jim. Nothing can be the good old cable, and in fact, Wi-Fi 7 reinforces the relevance of it. More here.
With the BT10 getting AFC later this year. Is the two pack a better option than the BE96U and ET12 combo if using wiring backhaul? It would be less cost than the setup I was thinking.
That’s a possibility but I haven’t tested it yet.
I’m torn between getting an Asus or TP-Link wifi 6e or 7 mesh router. The TP-Link models are a better value than Asus. But I’ve read that TP-Link will stop updating a router firmware after a couple of years then that will be an issue for me. Which company provides firmware updates for a longer period of time?
I’ve had my current Netgear Orbi mesh system for 6.5 years so I’m expecting to keep the replacement for at least 5 years.
I’d not worry about firmware updates, Sam. More here. But I’d take Asus over TP-Link in general, sometimes things are cheap for a reason.