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This post includes the top five best Wi-Fi 7 mesh systems you can confidently bring home today.
If you’re new to Wi-Fi 7, it’s the latest and most encompassing revision of the popular wireless alternative to network cables—the first that features all three popular Wi-Fi bands, including 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz. It’s a game-changer compared to Wi-Fi 6E and previous standards, though not necessarily a replacement.
All Wi-Fi 7 solutions will work well with most existing clients—as long as they are not too old. That said, if you have some cash burning in your wallet and an aging mesh Wi-Fi system that’s been struggling, I’d say give one of these Wi-Fi 7 alternatives a go today.
Dong’s note: I first published this frequently-revised post on February 24, 2024, and last updated it on November 13, 2024, to keep the list current.
Top five best Wi-Fi 7 mesh systems of 2024: The battle-tested list
You need at least one supported client and a broadcaster to enjoy the new Wi-Fi standard.
On the client side, most flagship phones released in the second part of 2023 and newer, such as the One Plus 11 5G or the Pixel 8 Pro, support the new standard—Apple’s latest iPhone 16 also does. Most new computers in 2024 and later will likely include a built-in Wi-Fi 7 adapter. For those that don’t, there are hardware upgrade options where you can buy the chip and install it yourself.
On the broadcasting side, this list of the top five best Wi-Fi 7 mesh systems comes into play for those living in a large home.
Only need a single router? Pick the router unit of any system below, or check out this list of the top five best Wi-Fi 7 routers instead.
This best-Wi-Fi-7-mesh-systems list is sorted in recommendation order, with the most recommended on top—the numbers are their ranking. I’ll also mention the alternative when applicable.
Top 5 best Wi-Fi 7 mesh systems
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| Name | Asus ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro’s Rating | Asus ZenWiFi BT10’s Ratings | Netgear Orbi 770 Series (RBE773)’s Rating | TP-Link Deco BE85’s Rating | Linksys Velop Pro 7’s Rating |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
1. Asus ZenWiF BQ16 Pro
Released over half a year after the TP-Link Deco BE85 below, the Asus ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro is the first canned system that has all the flavors of Wi-Fi 7 right out of the box. As a result, it’s the most potent hardware with excellent coverage and bandwidth.
Alternatively, you can also consider the lesser and less expensive version, the ZenWiFi BT10—make sure you update its firmware to the latest right way.
Asus ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro's Rating
Pros
Top quad-band Wi-Fi 7 specs with all features to deliver best-to-date real-world performance both in throughputs and coverage; two 10Gbps Multi-Gig ports
The latest 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
Cons
Comparatively expensive; numerous settings require a lengthy restart to apply; buggy (at launch)
Only two Multi-Gig ports
Not wall-mount-ready
2. Asus ZenWiFi BT10
The ZenWiFi BT10 is purposely the lesser version of the BQ16 Pro above, but in many cases, especially if you have wired backhauling, it’s a much better alternative.
The 2-pack mesh system first became available in mid-2024 but had a rough start due to faulty firmware and the fact Wi-Fi 7 was still new. It wasn’t until early November 2024 that it became an excellent option.
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
3. Netgear Orbi 770 series
The Orbi 770 series is Netgear’s latest and most special Orbi set today, thanks to the fact it no longer has a dedicated backhaul band like the rest of Netgear’s tri-band and quad-band hardware.
Addtionally, at less than $1000 for a 3-pack, this Orbi 770 series costs less than half its alternative, the 970 series, while delivering a similar experience in real-world usage.
Netgear Orbi 770 Series (RBE773)'s Rating
Pros
Straightforward tri-band without permanent dedicated backhaul; excellent performance for the specs; all Multi-Gig ports
Multi-Gigigabit wired backhauling support; fast wireless backhaul link
Aesthetically pleasant design; runs cool and quiet; comparatively low power consumption
Cons
No 10Gbps ports; limited Wi-Fi options; 6GHz band not user-customizable; no AFC
No web-based Remote Management,
Thin on free networking features; advanced features require the Orbi mobile app and subscriptions; no USB port
4. TP-Link Deco BE85
The TP-Link Deco BE85 is the first Wi-Fi 7 canned mesh system. It has a ton of Multi-Gig ports plus the support for SFP+. While on paper, the tri-band Deco BE85 seems inferior to the quad-band Deco BE95, in real-life usage, it’s a more sensible solution.
Alternatively, you should also consider the Deco BE63, which is inferior hardware but will likely deliver a very similar real-world experience.
TP-Link Deco BE85's Rating
Pros
Four Multi-Gig ports, including two 10Gbps, one of which supports RJ45/SFP+ combo; multi-Gigabit wired backhauling out of the box
Wi-Fi 7 support, backward compatible with existing clients; excellent overall real-world performances
Easy to use
Cons
The performances of the 2.4GHz band and 10Gbps ports could be better
Vendor-connected mobile app required; HomeShield Pro costs extra
Internal fan; runs a bit hot
5. Linksys Velop Pro 7
The Linksys Velop Pro 7 is somewhat subdued. It has the lowest hardware specs and minimum support for Multi-Gig. In return, it’s among the best-looking Wi-Fi 7 solutions and will easily pass that often painful “spouse approval” requirement.
Linksys Velop Pro 7's Rating
Pros
Aesthetically pleasant design; Wi-Fi 7-ready
Reliable performance
Both the web user interface and mobile app can work without linking to Linksys; optional vendor-assisted management
Run cool and quiet; low power consumption
Cons
Expensive (at launch) for the modest hardware
Comparatively slow performance; limited range; mobile app coercion
Only one Multi-Gig port per hardware unit; no USB port; no multi-Gigabit wired backhauling, Dual-WAN, or Link Aggregation
No setting backup and restore
The final thoughts
Ratified on the first working day of 2024, Wi-Fi 7 is still in its early stages today. Likely, it’ll take the new standard until mid or even late 2025 to have all of its specs hashed out and ratified around the world.
Of the five above, the Asus ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro is the only one that has all of Wi-Fi 7’s features, including the impactful AFC. The rest are rumored to eventually have them all turned on via firmware updates, though that remains to be seen.
Still, thanks to significantly increased bandwidth, Wi-Fi 7 is excellent even when a system needs to be used in a fully wireless setup. Additionally, with the official release of Windows 11 24H2, the MLO feature is now fully supported on the client side.
That said, with some luck and good wiring, a Wi-Fi 7 mesh system will give you the maximum coverage you need and the real-world multi-Gigabit experience you’ve always wanted.
hello! my router is almost exactly 6 years old and beginning to flake out so I have been researching routers and reading your reviews. currently I have the netgear xr500 as router with an ex7000 range extender down stairs that i use really just for a voip phone for work. after talking things over with my wife we decided to try a different brand so we got the asus gt-be98 pro. Will be here in a few days. my main question for now is will I be able to continue using the ex7000 range extender just for my void phone downstairs? I read some articles on it earlier today and it says it will work with any router. I don’t think it is aimesh like the asus hardware are though? can this cause problems for me if it does work? we have lots of smart TVs, videogame consoles, newest Samsung phones, etc so I’m hoping this new router will perform better than the xr500 that is beginning to fail. I could always buy an asus range extender if i jabe to but wasn’t wanting to spend the extra money if I don’t have to. 🙂
An extender will generally work with any router, Jason. However, the GT-BE98 Pro is a Wi-Fi 7 and that comes with inherent backword compatibility issue. That said, you’ll need to turn off MLO and use the Auto settings for the 5GHz band. There’s a chance you won’t need to use the extener, however, since the new rotuer is far superior to to your current one, so, try that first.
Good luck!
hi Dong,
Nice to read a review that I trust isn’t paid for by the company whose system is listed everywhere but here as number 1!
I have a house with 3 floors and a 24×60 footprint. currently we use a unifi system. but it’s old now. and we just put a bedroom over the garage. Thing is, our house is a high efficiency home with 14 inch insulation and 3 pane windows. WiFi is very weak outside the house. I’m wondering if the TP link tri band 7 will have enough umph to make it out to the garage. We have Ethernet all over the house and the distance from an Ethernet port inside the house is about 25 feet to where I would plug in the mesh unit in the garage apartment. but it has to get through some thick walls and metal siding on the garage side. Speed in our house seems fine but I want to make sure we can get a strong enough signal out there without having to run cable underground.
No system can help, more on range here, unless you run a cable outside and use an outdoor AP, Chad.
Hi Dong,
Do you have any idea why there appear to be so many reports of disconnect problems with the ZenWIFI BQ16? (on Reddit, but also Amazon) Does it work best with Smart Connect turned on?
I’ve been using a set since the review with no issues. For now, it’s best to use it with Smart Connect (and MLO) turned off—you can’t have MLO wihtout Smart Connect. Chances are we’ll have to wait till early 2025 to have MLO sorted out via firmware etc. For now, don’t tinker too much with the objective of getting “the best” performance, leave the most of the Wi-Fi settings at default other than turnning MLO off.
Wi-Fi 7 is still in early stages. Don’t set your expectation based on the hype and clickbait content. Keep that in mind.
Why should Smart Connect be off?
So you can manage the MLO feature. Besides, Smart Connect doesn’t work as you hope it does anyway.
Until now, I’ve been using the Asus GT-AX6000 and now have switched to the ZenWIFI BQ16. A couple of questions:
1. Is it okay to export the settings from the GT-AX6000 and import them into the BQ16? I have a lot of devices labeled via MAC address and would prefer not to have to do that again. Also parental controls set up. I realize that the hardware is vastly different, though.
2. I used the GT-AX6000 in a mesh network with an RP-AX56 via wired backhaul. I remember your comments about the problems when using Mesh network with different devices. Should I disconnect the AX56?
1. Yes, but as you’ve noticed, not everything will be ported over, and you’ll also have to configure the BQ16’s additional band and features. I haven’t tried this upgrade route, so I don’t know if it’s even possible in all seanarios or at all.
2. Yes, and also remove any unnecessary settings first. The less complicated the better.
Ultimately, there’s only one way to find out and it doesn’t hurt to try. Good luck!
Hi Dong,
I’m back with some more questions about the ZenWifi BQ16 Pro. I really appreciate your help.
1. The 6GHz-2 band is mainly for wireless backhaul in a Mesh network, isn’t it? If so, can I merge the 6GHz-1 and 6GHz-2 bands?
2. More questions about Smart Connect. There doesn’t appear to be an explicit switch to turn it on or off on the BQ 16 Pro (and I couldn’t find mention of it in the detailed manual). So is it enabled automatically whenever there are two networks with identical names?
3. Here’s my problem with not using Smart Connect: I could put all of my IOT devices on 2.4 GHz network, but some devices, such as HomePods and AppleTVs would have to be on the same network as my iPhones and computers. Not having one network for all devices just seems very complicated. Am I wrong?
Read the review and follow this link on how to deal with MLO, Odysseu. You’ll find all the answers to your questions.
Hi Dong!
After reading the great stuff on your site i am going to go with teh ZenXd5. I had a question.
Since i only get 20mbps speed (line of sight no fiber or cable available in the area) Should i connect the ZenXD5 to VPN to my other house that has good network and try going out to the internet from there. Also set up the ZenXD5 such that all the request from guest and streaming needs go through VPN?
VPN only makes your connectition worse, Sam. More here. Everything that comes from outside into your home has to physically go though your (slow) broadband connection anyway, got it? The only way you can make your Internet faster is get faster broadband somehow. Until then, NOTHING will improve your connection speed.
Oh boy! Thank you for that information. Ok so i am going to stick with the ZenXD5 and then hopefully use the QoS feature to prioritize traffic to my laptop so i can work from home before streaming anything. This is one of the reason why the ZenXd5 is better than eero 6 because you cannot do anything like this on eero (this is after reading all your good post)
The eero will also use your broadband to send information (collected from your home network) to eero. For such a modest connection you have, the eero is an absolutely worst choice. But it’s the worst choice for anyone and everyone anyway.
Anyhow, QoS might help, but 20Mbps is not much to work with. Keep that in mind.
Thank you again Dong!
Nobody gives this kind of advise to people who dont know tech. God bless for all that you do. I will use your link to buy.
Also i will reach out again when i upgrade my home network. Cancelling cable from Comcast and going with just internet from At&t.
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Hi Dong,
Very happy after changing to Ubiquiti UCG-Max and 3 Pro 7 wall mesh. Our phones note the difference and within our LAN the NVR (plus Reolink cameras) and our Synology 1552 has settled down well.
Excellent! Looks like you’re having a great setup there! Thanks for sharing, Vernon!
Hi Dong!
Thank you so much for all the knowledge. I just bought a house in the mountains. I get internet through line of site tower. The ISP came and installed the router in my bedroom. I get only about 20MBPS speed. I want to install a mesh system. Is there anyway any of the mesh routers will boost the ISP signal and transmit speeds better than 20MBPS?
Thanks
Sam
No mesh system can make your Internet (to your home) faster, Sam—if it was only that easy! If you have super-fast broadband, a good mesh will help, but considering your current speed, you’ll still get 20Mbps at most no matter what system you use.
Thank you so much for your quick reply. Makes sense. In this case if i have to deal with 20 Mbps speeds but want wifi access to the rest of the house, you recommend going with TP-Link Deco BE 11000 (just saw it in Costco for $400 hence asking) or any other ones you recommended above.
Thank you again!
Sam
For that speed, I’d recommend something cheaper, the Asus ZenWiFi XD5, for example is a good fit. Wi-Fi 6 is the best fit for your need. But it’s up to you. Here are our top-5-best lists.
I generally don’t give recommendation for a specific situation.
Thank you very much Dong!
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Hi Dong!
After reading the great stuff on your site i am going to go with teh ZenXd5. I had a question.
Since i only get 20mbps speed (line of sight no fiber or cable available in the area) Should i connect the ZenXD5 to VPN to my other house that has good network and try going out to the internet from there. Also set up the ZenXD5 such that all the request from guest and streaming needs go through VPN?
Dong,
Thanks for the great work you are doing here. This is an invaluable site for information.
Eero owner looking to go with TP-LINK
Though you rate the TP-LINK BE85 slightly higher than the BE95, has the latter overcome its limitations via firmware updates since your initial review? I am in the mindset that if I buy the BE95, I am paying more and getting a better, more powerful mesh system. I did read some Amazon reviews where Ring cameras were not working with the BE85 which is another reason I am looking at the BE95.
I have a rather large multi-level home and square foot coverage is essential. I am already running it with 5 second-gen Eero units (5G) and there are dead spots. So, I am hoping the more powerful 3-pack of the BE95 covers the entire home.
Ronald,
The issue with backward compatibility is true in all Wi-Fi 7 broadcasters—more here. Those that work well out of the box without you having to tinker generally function *not* as a Wi-Fi 7 harware, like the case of the eero 7 Max. If you truely care about both coverage *and* compatiblity *and* can’t run network cables to link the broadcaters (which seems like your cacase,) go with a Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 system with UNII4, you’ll see the list in this post on the 5.9GHz band.
The BE95 is not better than the BE85 and the two are similar. Until Wi-Fi 7 is fully hashed out, likely by late 2025, if you want things to just work, it’s best to get Wi-Fi 6.
Asus, TP-Link, and Netgear are all taking an average of 4+ months between firmware updates; some of the. Netgear models you’ve recommended haven’t had updates in more than a 9 months.
Why don’t you include frequency of firmware updates in your reviews? For those of us who are security minded, the long periods between updates mean months with potentially vulnerable networks.
That’s because frequent security updates often mean it’s a “bad” product, Richard. Security updates are like recalls in cars. Would you pick a car brand because it has frequent recalls? Don’t buy the information provided by security clickbait and misinformation out there. More here.
Security updates aren’t the only things included in firmware updates; bug fixes are arguably just as, if not more, important than security updates. When any networking company goes 5+ months without even basic bug patching, then I have questions about their product quality and support.
Why should anyone get a router whose manufacturer doesn’t try to make it work properly? That’s why mentioning which vendors even do basic firmware bug fixing should be part of the product review.
Consumer Reports and other reviewers include it.
I believe I’m the only one who includes the firmware version in each Wi-Fi review, Richard, at least most of them. I also wrote about firmware of different vendor in great details, such as this post on Asus’s firmware or this one on Netgear Orbi, or this one on Linksys‘s.
Your point taken but the low frequency of firmware updates doesn’t necessarily means the vendor doesn’t try to make the hardware work properly (since it could be that it’s already so well-thought-out from the beginning that there’s no update needed) but the high frequency often (though not always) means it’s a bad product (because it’s not well made to begin with.) I would be very concerned using a router that *requires* firm updates regularly. At the very least, the updates themselves are a nuisance.
In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t model my work after CR or any other “review” website. And I believe using firmware update frequency, which should be case by case, as a barometer for quality is misleading and foolish. If a vendor makes you believe it’s good simply because it provides frequent firmware updates, you’ve been gaslighted.
Love all the Reviews and good explanations.
I want to replace my old Ruckus R310 system for a new house.
So WiFi 7 will be a must and it must be quiet so no fan.
For what i can get out off all the reviews the Netgear Orbi 970/3 is the only fanless design that keeps quiet and cool.
I am going to use it for IOT, HomeUse ( lots of ipads and iphones ) and Work WiFi network.
2 of 3 units are getting cable ( Cat7 ) to it and one must go over the backhaul.
Do u have any advice for me.?
The ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro or the upcoming BT10 is your best option, Michel. Make sure you actually read the reviews. Good luck!
Thank Dong Ngo, Will read the spec’s of the ZenWifi BT16 and BQ10. What would you choose from the 2 ?
They are BQ16 and BT10—I might have made the same typos. I haven’t tested the latter (it’s not yet available) but the former is great. There’s no rush though, you might want to wait for the firmware to get better. In any case, I have them all. 🙂
Hi,
I’ve been reading about the new Xiaomi BE7000 wifi 7 router, and its incredible price of less than 150$ USD. I see it sold on aliexpress and have considered it on my next trip to China. Granted it lacks the 6ghz band due to China not allowing that bandwidth, but it may open that up later. I would love to see how you review it, it has a few very interesting features like NFC setup and etc. If it performs better than all Wifi 6 and say bottom of the barrel Wifi 7 competitor, it’ll still be a steal. Appreciate if you would test one.
Thanks
Adrian
I only review hardware available in the US where the brand you mentioned is banned, likely for good reasons. Don’t buy something just because it’s cheap.
Hello,
What about Asus ZenWiFi BT10?
It seems it’s a new product the Tri-band version of BQ16?
https://www.asus.com/networking-iot-servers/whole-home-mesh-wifi-system/zenwifi-wifi-systems/asus-zenwifi-bt10/
Yeap, Paul, it’s a less expensive variant.
Hi, in this group, is the TP-Link Deco BE85 the best just in wifi or wired? Thanks
Yes, all things considered, for now. 🙂