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The ZenWiFi BT8 is Asus's third Wi-Fi 7 mesh system after the BQ16 Pro and the BT10. As the number suggests, its performance grade is progressively lower.
The most telling is the lack of 10Gbps support. Instead of two 10GbE Multi-Gig ports, the new system features two entry-level 2.5GbE ports. In return, it's a lot more affordable, with a 3-pack costing the same as the 2-pack of the BT10.
Here's the bottom line: If you're happy with the 2.5Gbps ceiling bandwidth, which is plenty fast for most homes, the ZenWiFi BT8 is an excellent alternative to its more expensive cousins, well worth the $900 price tag for a 3-packโthe street price will vary, and there will be 2-pack and single unit options that cost less accordingly.
In fact, if you have a large home and can run a couple of network cables for backhauling, it's decidedly the best deal out of the currently three Wi-Fi 7 ZenWiFi options.
Dong's note: I first published this piece on November 22, 2024, as a preview and updated it on December 5, 2024, to a full review after thorough hands-on testing.
Asus ZenWiFi BT8: A stripped-down version of the BT10
The new Zen WiFi BT8 shares the same hardware design as the BT10. The two look identical from all angles until you look at their ports, where the former has one more but only features 2.5Gbps Multi-Gig. The latest mesh system is the first in the new family (and among Asus's Wi-Fi 7 hardware) that doesn't have 10Gbps ports. While that's a bit disappointing, 2.5Gbps is plenty fast, and this is still a traditional tri-band Wi-Fi 7 broadcaster and not dual-band like the case of the BD4 or the TP-Link Deco BE25.
The table below shows how it differs from the other two Wi-Fi 7 ZenWiFi options.
Hardware specifications: ZenWiFi BT8 vs. ZenWiFi BT10 vs. ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro
| Asus ZenWiFi BT8 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh System | Asus ZenWiFi BT10 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh System | Asus ZenWiFi BQ 16 Pro Wi-Fi 7 Mesh System | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  | |
| Model | ZenWiFi BT8 | ZenWiFi BT10 | ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro |
| Antennas | 7 internal | 8 internal | 13 internal |
| Wi-Fi Bandwidth | Tri-band BE14000 | Tri-band BE18000 | Quad-band BE30000 |
| Modulation Scheme (QAM) | 4096-QAM (all bands) | ||
| 1st Band (channel width) | 2.4GHz 2x2 BE Up to 688Mbps (20/40MHz) | 2.4GHz 4x4 BE Up to 1376Mbps (20/40MHz) | |
| 2nd Band (channel width) | 5GHz 3x3 BE Up to 4323Mbps (entire band) (20/40/80/160MHz) | 5GHz 4x4 BE Up to 5762Mbps (entire band) (20/40/80/160MHz) | |
| 3rd Band (channel width) | 6GHz 3x3 BE Up to 8643Mbps (entire band) (20/40/80/160/320MHz) | 6GHz 4x4 BE Up to 11,525Mbps (entire band) (20/40/80/160/320MHz) | 6GHz-1 4x4 BE (lower) Up to 11,525Mbps (lower channels) (20/40/80/160/320MHz) |
| 4th Band (channel width) | None | 6GHz-2 4x4 BE (upper) 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 and subsequently) | 3-pack 2-pack | 2-pack single router | |
| Processing Power | Undisclosed CPU, RAM 1GB, Flash 128MB | 2.0GHz quad-core CPU, 2GB RAM, 256MB Flash | Undisclosed CPU, 2GB RAM, 256MB Flash |
| Multi-Gig Port | 1x 2.5GBASE-T WAN/LAN, 1x 2.5GBASE-T LAN, | 1x 10GBASE-T WAN/LAN, 1x 10GBASE-T LAN | |
| Gigabit Port | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 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) | โ 270 Wh (router unit) โ 225 Wh (satellite unit) | โ 360 Wh (router unit) โ 250 Wh (satellite unit) | โ 530 Wh (router unit) |
| U.S. Release Date | Q3 2024 | May 26, 2024 | |
| Availability | Worldwide | North America | |
| U.S. MSRP (check street price) | $900 (3-pack) | $900 (2-pack) $500 (single router) | $1300 (2-pack) $700 (single router) |
A familiar ZenWiFi mesh
As shown in the table, other than the port grade, the other main difference between the ZenWiFi BT8 and the BT10 is the fact the former uses three-stream (3x3) Wi-Fi specs instead of the top-tier 4x4. It has fewer streams. Considering its ports, though, that makes sense since the speed is limited to 2.5Gbps anyway.
Wi-Fi bands vs. channels vs. stream
Wi-Fi uses three frequency bands, including 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz. The width of each band is measured in MHzโthe wider the band, the more MHz it has.
The 6GHz band is the widest of the three and has 1200MHz in total width, ranging from 5.925GHz to 7.125GHz. Depending on the local regulations, only a portion or portions of this entire spectrum is available for Wi-Fi applications.
In real-world usage, each band is divided into multiple portions, called channels, of different widths. Depending on the Wi-Fi standards and hardware, a channel can be 20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, 160MHz, or 320MHz wide. The wider a channel is, the more bandwidth it has. Depending on the channel width, the number of channels in each Wi-Fi band varies, but there can be only so many.
The 6GHz band has enough space for three 320MHz channels or seven 160MHz channels.
Data moves in one channel of a particular band at a time, using streams, often dual-stream (2x2), three-stream (3x3), or quad-stream (4x4). The more streams, the more data can travel at a time. Thanks to the ultra-high bandwidth per stream, Wi-Fi 6 and later tend to have only 2x2 clients.
Here's a crude analogy:
If a Wi-Fi band is a freeway, channels are lanes, and streams are vehicles (bicycles vs. cars vs. buses). On the same road, you can put multiple adjacent standard lanes (20MHz) into a larger one (40MHz, 80MHz, or higher) to accommodate oversized vehicles (higher number of streams) that carry more goods (data) per trip (connection).
A Wi-Fi connection generally occurs on a single channel (lane) of a single band (road) at a time. The actual data transmission is always that of the lowest denominatorโa bicycle can carry just one person at a relatively slow speed, even when used on a super-wide lane of an open freeway.
Other than that, you can expect the ZenWiFi BT8 to be similar to, if not the same, the rest of the family in terms of hardware configurations, network settings, and features. Specifically:
- MLO is there, but AFC is TBD: The hardware comes with MLO out of the box. In fact, by default, it'll use an MLO link as the wireless backhaul, a.k.a. "Smart Haul". On the other hand, the AFC feature is said to be added later via firmware updates, which remains to be seen. Asus didn't confirm with me one way or the other on this front.
- Pre-synced hardware: When you get a pack, the identical hardware units are pre-synced. As a result, all you need to do is pick one unit to set up as the primary router, and the rest will be part of the system when plugged in.
- AsusWRT 5.0 firmware and core features:
- Multiple SSIDs via the "Smart Home Master" feature, including the support for MLO, Guest Wi-Fi, and IoT via virtual SSIDs.
- 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.
- 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.
- Robust network-attached storage when hosting a USB external drive.
The gist is that if you've used an Asus router before, the new ZenWiFi BT8 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.
After that, in terms of performance, the new mesh system likely has the same Wi-Fi coverage as that of the ZenWiFi BT10 but with lower real-world rates, which are limited by the 2.5Gbps ports. And this port grade also determines its top broadband speed. So, you should consider it only if you have Internet that's slower than 2.5Gbps.
Asus ZenWiFi BT8: Overall excellent performance with some quirks
I tested the ZenWiFi BT8 for over a week and was generally happy with it. The initial firmware proved to be reliable enough, though it did come with some quirks, which has become somewhat of a "tradition" among Asus's Wi-Fi hardware.
A bit of buggy firmware, finicky MLO, and slow network storage speed
The most noticeable is the fact that the interface sometimes showed that the Internet connection was disconnected, though it was not. Secondly, in a fully wireless setup, the satellite's MLO SSID often randomly switched the bonded link to use a 2.4GHz + 6GHz combo (instead of the combo of all three bands or 5GHz + 6GHz), causing the connection speed to reduce significantly. This might have been because the MLO feature was not yet new and not fully hashed out.
Additionally, also in a fully wireless backhaul setupโwhere the hardware units of the mesh system connect via Wi-FiโI noted:
- In a star topology (recommended), the backhaul link was always an MLO. However:
- In daisy-chain topology, the backhaul connection between the second satellite unit and the first always used a single band, whichever was applicable considering the distance.
This phenomenon might just be how MLO works. After all, the BT8 is the first 3-pack Wi-Fi 7 ZenWiFi I've tested. Still, this reinforces the notion that when you use a mesh system in a fully wireless setup, it's best to place the satellite units around the primary router.
Finally, when hosting a portable SSD, the ZenWiFi BT8 had terrible network storage performance in my trial, even worse than that of the BT10, with the real-word writing speed averaging around 20MB/s and the reading less than 80MB/s. It's the slowest among all Wi-Fi 7 hardware with network storage features I've tested. So, if you're serious about network storage, get a real NAS server.
Reliable and fast Wi-Fi and wired performance
As an entry-level Multi-Gig Wi-Fi router, though, the ZenWiFi BT8 proved to be quite excellent. Its real-world wired and wireless backhaul performance was generally the maxed-out speed of the 2.5Gbps ports, among the fastest in the similarly-specced crowd.
The Wi-Fi performance was excellent, too. The router unit (or the satellite in a wired backhauling setup) consistently delivered high Gig+ sustained rates and even passed the 2Gbps threshold in some tests. The satellite unit did well, too, even in a fully wireless setup.
In terms of coverage, the ZenWiFi BT8 was similar to the BT10. However, considering the lack of 10Gbps ports, which lowers the wireless backhaul bandwidth, it doesn't have the same range in a fully wireless setup. While it's impossible to put Wi-Fi coverage in number, and your mileage will vary, you can expect a single unit of the BT10 to cover around 1800 ft2 (167 m2) of space, with a second unit adding about 60% more.
The 3-pack ZenWiFi BT8 passed my 3-day stress test without disconnection, proving to be reliable. The hardware has no internal fan and remains completely silent. It also produced very little heat, with the chassis feeling slightly warm to the touch even after a prolonged operation.
Asus ZenWiFi BT8's Rating
Pros
Tri-band Wi-Fi 7; two 2.5Gbps ports per unit; excellent overall 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; entry-level Multi-Gig grade; terrible NAS performance when hosting an external USB drive
Not wall-mount-ready; slightly buggy interface and MLO
Conclusion
Unlike the case of the ZenWiFi BT10, which was buggy at launch, the ZenWiFi BT8 proved to be reliable even with the initial firmware and worked without major issues right out of the box. Still, it's safe to say it's currently not at its best and won't be so until future firmware updates.
Most importantly, this new mesh is not earth-shattering. It's Asus's more affordable full-band option for those who don't need 10Gbps wired grades. Generally, if you only care for Gigabit or Gig+ bandwidth, this new mesh system is right up your alley, especially if you have wired your home with a few network cables. If so, consider a set today!
If you want something even less expensive, the ZenWiFi BD4 will give you Wi-Fi 7 at a fraction of the cost.
Hello,
can you confirm that I can set a dedicated VID under IPTV settings (necessary for my internet connection to the fiber modem)? Thanks.
I can’t since I don’t have the same broadband plan, Florian.
Dear Dong Ngo,
thank you for the review.
I want to connect the BT8 to my internet modem via PPPoE.
Can Vlan Tag on the WAN port? I need a dedicated WAN VLAN TAG in order to function the internet connection.
Thanks for a short reply.
BR,
Florian
All Asus routers support VLAN Tagging, but I’ve never had the need for this feature or used it, Florian.
BT8 has :
2.5G WAN x 1
2.5G LAN x 1
1G LAN x 2
as stated at Asus official web, 1 more 1G LAN than BT10
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