Asus ZenWiFi BT10: Two-minute evaluation

Again within the olden days of Wi-Fi 5, it was Asus’ ZenWiFi ‘mega mesh’ wi-fi routers that led the world. Whereas common mesh methods merely dribbled efficiency throughout quite a few community nodes (like many nonetheless do), the ZenWiFi nodes innovatively used secondary 5GHz channels (plus, the nascent 6GHz channel) as quick backhaul to keep up peak efficiency at a distance. These days, such benefits are constructed into the Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 requirements, so the place does that go away a Wi-Fi 7 model within the type of the ZenWiFi BT10? Let’s discover out.

The 2 smart-looking nodes appear equivalent, however observe the discreet sticker denoting one because the grasp. Failing to note this will likely result in hair being torn out, swearing for half an hour, decrying the powers that be and questioning why the dang factor gained’t join whenever you’ve clearly finished the whole lot proper, repeatedly checked the password and #$@&%! drat. In any other case, the setup course of is easy by way of the telephone app.

The app gives the standard monitoring and administration settings on the primary display, and instantly asks if you wish to reset the default password and arrange a separate IoT community. You possibly can assign gadgets to folks, restrict bandwidth, block them or assign them QoS optimizations for gaming, streaming or WFH. An ‘Perception’ tab gives recommendations for safety and optimization. The Household tab allows you to set content material filtering and on/off schedules (and, in contrast to some rivals, these settings are free).

Different options embrace Asus’ (Development Micro-powered) AiProtection, which scans and protects your community in addition to all of the gadgets on it. The same old networking instruments can be found, together with Google Assistant voice management. In the end, it’s well-featured and really intuitive. My most important concern is that the QoS controls have a characteristic that tracks the web sites utilized by everybody on the community. That raises some critical privateness points.

Wired connections are the identical on each nodes: there’s Gigabit WAN/LAN, 10G Ethernet WAN/LAN, and 10G Ethernet LAN. All of the ports are colour coded however that could possibly be complicated to some customers. There’s additionally a USB 3.0 port, which can be utilized for file sharing and media serving.

So how does it carry out? On paper, the ZenWiFi BT10 is a tri-band router with 18,000 Mbps price of throughput. Notice, you may select to order the 6GHz channel for backhaul, however leaving it at ‘Auto’ noticed higher outcomes. I examined it by downloading video information from a Synology NAS to an HP OmniBook Extremely Flip 14 at shut vary, two rooms away (by the second node, on the entrance of the home) and 15 meters away within the again backyard. It scored 1,661 Mbps, 614 Mbps and 370 Mbps, respectively, which is a wonderful end result.

All in all, the Asus ZenWiFi BT10 is a really interesting package deal that appears good, provides heaps of intuitive and helpful options, plus quick efficiency besides. Then there’s the worth… Two nodes value an eye-watering $900 / £779 / AU$2,799. Nonetheless, for those who want high-end performance and velocity, it’s onerous to beat.

Asus ZenWiFi BT10 evaluation: Worth and availability

• How a lot does it value? $900 / £779 / AU$2,799
• When is it obtainable? Now
• The place are you able to get it? Accessible within the US, UK, and Australia

Asus has a plethora of Wi-Fi 7 routers, however (like different distributors) it’s pushing the costly premium fashions out first. I noticed lots of its finances Wi-Fi 7 routers on the Computex 2024 commerce present and people will supply related options at decrease value, however there’s no signal of them showing in most markets, not less than not on the time of publication.

Till then, we’re caught with inflated worth tags. It prices $900 within the US, £779 within the UK and AU$2,799 in Australia. For some motive, Aussies appear to be getting significantly onerous finished by on this case. Most areas promote single nodes, however just a few, it appears, promote the three-node equipment.

A tempting various is the Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98. Whereas it’s not a mesh system, the highly effective gaming behemoth can single-handedly rival the speeds, efficiency and options of the BT10, however at a less expensive worth. As with most present Asus routers, older fashions or low cost ones can be utilized as nodes because of Asus’ AiMesh know-how – a probably inexpensive approach of increasing the community into lifeless zones. Nevertheless, it’s fairly a confronting machine and never everybody will need what appears like an enormous robotic spider of their house.

• Worth rating: 4 / 5

Asus ZenWiFi BT10 evaluation: Specs

Asus ZenWiFi BT10 evaluation: Design

• Modern sufficient for a trendy house
• Easy to arrange
• App (and web-based firmware) are responsive, highly effective and intuitive

The bodily design of the ZenWiFi BT10 isn’t removed from its predecessor, the ZenWiFi AX XT8. The grilles on the sides are extra refined, however each will fortunately match into a trendy house or workplace higher than most available on the market.

Setting it up is easy, because of the mature, intuitive and well-featured app. Simply observe that, regardless of the similarities, there’s a sticker on the first node and you must connect with that, as utilizing the secondary node gained’t work.

Whereas there are lots of options accessible inside the app, Asus has these and plenty of extra superior choices accessible by way of an online browser, and each interfaces are intuitive and responsive to make use of.

• Design rating: 5 / 5

Asus ZenWiFi BT10 evaluation: Options

• Safety and Parental controls are included (with out subscription)
• Has nearly each client networking characteristic underneath the solar
• 10G Ethernet LAN and WAN ports

The Asus router app has been round for a while now and it’s properly laid out, intuitive and packed filled with options. The opening display shows a wi-fi community map and gives a button to manually run a wireless-optimization cycle. There’s a real-time visitors monitor, CPU and RAM monitor, and an at-a-glance show of what kind of gadgets are linked wirelessly and by way of cables.

The second tab breaks down which gadgets are linked together with their IP addresses and the assets they’re utilizing. You possibly can simply block them or assign them to relations to offer parental controls. There’s additionally the power to configure Asus’ AiMesh characteristic which helps you to do issues like flip the LEDs off, prioritize the 6GHz channel for backhaul or consumer connection, and see particulars just like the IP tackle, MAC tackle and firmware model. The Perception tab provides sensible suggestions relating to utilizing safe connections, intrusion prevention and organising household teams.

The built-in community safety is known as Asus AiProtection and it’s powered by Development Micro. Along with offering community safety assessments, it provides malicious website blocking, two-way intrusion prevention and contaminated machine isolation. It additionally powers the parental controls and (mercifully) doesn’t require a separate premium subscription – in contrast to different rivals.

The Household tab enables you to add folks and their gadgets to customizable and preset teams. This will present internet filtering that’s appropriate for various youngsters’s age teams (plus adults), organising each on-line and offline schedules for every day of the week. Once more, I’m more than happy to see Asus present these options with out asking for a subscription payment.

The ultimate tab provides entry to different normal router options, together with QoS and VPN. Whereas the evaluation options that include this are helpful, I’m involved concerning the web site historical past logging, which allows folks to spy on the web exercise of everybody on the community. You may also arrange a USB port as a SAMBA media server or FTP file server, and there’s the power so as to add Alexa and Google Assistant integration.

Accessing the firmware by way of an online browser gives entry to all the above together with features like including Twin WAN, 3G / 4G LTE USB WAN, Port Forwarding, Port Triggering, DMZ, DDNS, IPTV, computerized BitTorrent downloading, VPN administration; Apple Time Machine compatibility, Shared Folder Privileges, amongst different high-level, network-admin options. Simply observe that many of those can be found on Asus’ lesser routers, so don’t splash out on an costly mannequin simply because one catches your eye.

Bodily, every node has Gigabit WAN, 10G Ethernet LAN, and 10G Ethernet WAN/LAN community ports, plus a USB-A 3.0 connection. It’s additionally price mentioning Asus’ AiMesh characteristic which may use most present (and plenty of older), low cost and premium Asus routers as nodes to additional prolong a community.

• Options: 5 / 5

Asus ZenWiFi BT10 evaluation: Efficiency

• Tri-band Wi-Fi 7 for blistering real-world velocity
• Among the best performers at lengthy vary
• 10G Ethernet for quick wired connections

The tri-band (2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz) router guarantees 18,000 Mbps of theoretical efficiency, however that solely exists in lab situations and positively can’t be achieved in the true world the place each community’s state of affairs will likely be completely different. It’s doable to order the 6GHz channel for backhaul solely, however leaving it set to ‘Auto’ noticed higher outcomes.

I ran my assessments, which included downloading massive video information from a Synology NAS (with a wired, 10G Ethernet port) linked to the router, to a Wi-Fi 7-equipped HP OmniBook Extremely Flip 14 laptop computer at three completely different ranges.

Up shut, it managed 1,661 Mbps, which I’ve solely seen overwhelmed by Netgear’s Nighthawk 7 RS700S Wi-Fi router. Two rooms away, on the entrance of my single-story house (by the second node), it managed 614 Mbps. Whereas that’s a major drop, it’s nonetheless spectacular, though different premium routers and mesh methods is usually a bit quicker. Extra impressively, the BT10 managed 370 Mbps, 15 meters away, exterior the house within the backyard. Solely top-tier three-node mesh methods have rivaled that (and never all do).

Briefly, it’s very quick certainly, and I fortunately edited 4K video on my laptop computer from throughout the community with no points in any respect.

• Efficiency: 5 / 5

Do you have to purchase the Asus ZenWiFi BT10?

Purchase it if…

Do not buy it if…

Additionally contemplate

Should you’re undecided about investing within the Asus ZenWiFi BT10 router, I’ve in contrast its specs with three options which may swimsuit you higher.

How I examined the Asus ZenWiFi BT10

• I examined it in typical house use
• I examined it at quick, medium and lengthy vary
• I examined each the wired and wi-fi connections

We delight ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing course of, providing up long-term consideration to the merchandise we evaluation and ensuring our evaluations are up to date and maintained – no matter when a tool was launched, for those who can nonetheless purchase it, it is on our radar.

Learn extra about how we check

• First reviewed in February 2025