Click to go to the Chinese version
By the way, I actually purchased a WiFi 7-compatible wireless network card quite a while ago.
However, we haven’t yet acquired a WiFi 7 router.
The reason is that the WiFi 6E router I currently have, ZenWiFi Pro ET12, is already a high-end device.
Plus, since we currently have almost no devices that support WiFi 7, there’s no urgent need to upgrade.
But as various manufacturers have started releasing entry-level WiFi 7 routers,
I decided to get this router to test WiFi 7 setup in Windows 11 for everyone.
ASUS RT-BE82U WiFi 7 BE6500 Dual-Band Wireless Router
The outer packaging is nothing special; ASUS’s RT series routers currently follow this style.
The specification is BE6500. So, what’s the highlight of this wireless router for everyone?
Besides being a WiFi 7 router, it also provides five 2.5G RJ45 ports.
Yes! You can also think of it as a 2.5G switch with WiFi 7 functionality.
Before we dive in, let’s briefly talk about WiFi 7.
What’s your impression of WiFi 7, and how is it different from WiFi 6E?
802.11ax (2.4GHz): Up to 574 Mbps
802.11ax (5GHz): Up to 4804 Mbps (BE200 can reach 2402 Mbps)
But with WiFi 7:
802.11be (2.4GHz): Up to 688 Mbps
802.11be (5GHz): Up to 5764 Mbps (BE200 can reach 2882 Mbps)
Additionally, it supports Multi-Link Operation (MLO).
For a detailed explanation of this mode, see A Brief Overview of the MLO Multi-Link Operation Exclusive to WiFi 7 Routers.
ASUS has released two entry-level WiFi 7 routers with similar designs.
Besides the RT-BE82U introduced in this article, there’s also the RT-BE58U.
The difference is that the RT-BE82U has all five 2.5G LAN ports, while the RT-BE58U has only one 2.5G LAN port.
The ASUS RT-BE82U features a non-detachable antenna design with four antennas.
Its CPU is on par with previous high-end AX models.
It uses a Broadcom 2.0 GHz quad-core 64-bit processor.
All ports are located on the back of the device. The advantage of having all 2.5G LAN ports is that you don’t need to buy an additional 2.5G switch.
Fully unlocking WiFi 7’s capabilities requires several conditions.
First, if you’re still on Windows 10, please upgrade to Windows 11 24H2.
Second, whether you’re using the Intel® Wi-Fi 7 BE200, or an MTK or Qualcomm BE network card,
you must update the driver to the latest version. This is also emphasized in a reminder included in the RT-BE82U’s packaging.
Now, follow me to complete the initial setup and start enjoying the WiFi 7 network environment.
Setting up via ASUS’s mobile app is quite straightforward.
For detailed instructions, refer to here, so we won’t repeat the introduction.
But as an old-school IT person, I prefer configuring the router via PC.
Let’s take a quick review.
My biggest impression is that there’s now an authorization agreement before starting the setup.
With the increasing number of IoT devices in homes these days,
such as robot vacuums, smart lights, and network cameras,
most of these devices only support 2.4G wireless networks.
Some don’t even support WiFi 6 well, so ASUS routers thoughtfully include a small feature:
A dedicated SSID for IoT devices.
This ensures compatibility with these devices in a WiFi 7 environment without issues.
I’ve always liked ASUS’s router setup interface.
In the WiFi 7 series, the overall setup layout hasn’t changed much, so there’s no need to relearn it.
The only notable difference is the addition of Multi-Link Operation (MLO).
This setting is tucked away in the “Wireless Network” section.
To enable Multi-Link Operation (MLO), you need to set up a separate dedicated SSID.
This way, devices that support MLO, such as the iPhone 16 series or those using the BE200 wireless card like us,
can experience MLO functionality.
But don’t get too excited after setting it up.
I immediately ran into an issue: despite the BE200 card supporting WiFi 7,
the connection status in Windows 11 only showed WiFi 6.
After some investigation,
I found that in Device Manager, the Wireless Mode for the BE200 card was set to 802.11ax by default, which explains why it couldn’t reach WiFi 7.
After changing this setting, the connection immediately showed WiFi 7 status.
Once unlocked, connecting to the MLO SSID correctly displays the WiFi 7 MLO connection status.
Now, the ASUS RT-BE82U’s MLO control panel also properly displays the MLO connection status.
You might also be curious about what happens
if you add the ASUS RT-BE82U to an AiMesh system where the primary router isn’t WiFi 7.
I tested adding the ASUS RT-BE82U to the ZenWiFi Pro ET12 AiMesh system.
The conclusion is… the ASUS RT-BE82U’s WiFi 7 functionality is completely disabled.
In the ZenWiFi Pro ET12 AiMesh control panel, there are no options to enable WiFi 7.
However, I believe a future update will enable this feature, so let’s look forward to that.
Lastly, a quick note.
The ASUS RT-BE82U wireless router is a highly compelling option among current WiFi 7 routers.
Unlike other brands that may only provide one high-speed LAN port, ASUS offers WAN + LAN with a total of five high-speed 2.5G ports.
This makes it easy for users to upgrade their network in buildings with existing CAT 5E cabling.
Additionally, the SSID settings allow for a dedicated SSID for IoT devices,
a feature rarely seen in routers priced under 5000 TWD.
Overall, at this price, it’s an excellent entry-level choice for your first WiFi 7 router.
[Tutorial] How to Resolve Interference Between Your ASUS Wireless Router and Bluetooth Devices
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Originally published on fox-saying.com
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