ASUS’ latest WiFi 7 enabled ZenWiFi BT8 is a premium mesh networking system designed to deliver fast WiFi 7 signal to every corner of your home. Like all previous ASUS ZenWiFi systems, it offers excellent performance with plenty of features without any subscription, including AiProtection Pro commercial grade protection and the AdaptiveQoS feature.
For this review, I will be testing the ZenWiFi BT8 twin pack which ASUS claims can support up to 5900 sq. ft. if it’s a landed property. It operates on three bands including the uncongested 6GHz frequency to deliver a massive total system speed of WiFi 7 BE14000, which is more than double the bandwidth of its ZenWiFi XT8 predecessor.
The ZenWiFi BT8 inherits its design language from the flagship ZenWiFi BQ16, offering a similar aesthetic in a slightly more compact footprint. A key feature of this design is its seven internal antennas, which are cleverly integrated within the enclosure. This results in a clean and unobtrusive look. Paired with a modern matte white finish, the ZenWiFi BT8 is designed to blend seamlessly with most home decor.
ASUS ZenWiFi BT8
A
Tubi Rating
pros
- Excellent WiFi 7 performance with fast and stable 6 GHz mesh backhaul
- AiProtection Pro security and parental control are included, all subscription-free
- Strong hardware with Mediatek chipset, 2.5G ports, and top-tier USB speed
cons
- Premium pricing puts it above entry-level WiFi 7 mesh options
- Lacks some advanced roaming features like 802.11r fast roaming
Hardware and Specs
| WiFi 2.4Ghz | Wi-Fi 7 up to 688Mbps (40Mhz 2×2) |
| WiFi 5Ghz | Wi-Fi 7 up to 4323Mbps (160Mhz 3×3) |
| WiFi 6Ghz | Wi-Fi 7 up to 8643Mbps (320Mhz 3×3) |
| CPU | Mediatek MT7988 1.8Ghz Triple-Core ARM A73 |
| RAM | 1GB RAM |
| Ethernet Ports | 1x 2.5G WAN + 1x 2.5G LAN + 2x Gigabit LAN |
| USB | 1x USB 3.0 port |
As the successor to the ZenWiFi XT8, the new ZenWiFi BT8 features a significant internal hardware upgrade. While its 1.8GHz CPU clock speed seems like a marginal increase, the real story lies in the architecture. The BT8 uses a much newer ARM Cortex-A73 core, which delivers performance that is roughly 2-3 times faster than the older Cortex-A7 core in the XT8. This is complemented by an upgrade to 1GB of RAM allowing it to support more connected WiFi devices.
A significant connectivity upgrade on the ZenWiFi BT8 is the inclusion of a 2.5G LAN port in addition to its 2.5G WAN port. This would allow the router to support up to a 2Gbps Internet connection on both wireless and wired connection. The router also retains the USB 3.0 port for network file sharing via an external HDD/SSD or for connecting a 4G/5G dongle as a backup internet source.
ZenWiFi BT8 WiFi Performance Test
I’ll be testing the ZenWiFi BT8 both as a standalone router and as a twin-pack mesh system. Even on its own, the ZenWiFi BT8 delivers impressive performance, making it an excellent tri-band router that even outperforms ASUS’s own RT-BE92U.
Short Range WiFi 7 MLO
The ZenWiFi BT8 delivers excellent MLO performance, achieving stable results with our Intel BE200-equipped laptop while also showing strong compatibility with the Mediatek WiFi 7 chipset.
Long Range 2.4GHz WiFi 6
The ZenWiFi BT8’s 2.4GHz performance is slower, which is expected. Mesh systems are primarily designed to deliver strong, high-speed coverage over 5GHz throughout the home.
Short Range 5GHz WiFi 7
In short-range 5 GHz testing, the ZenWiFi BT8 achieved around 1.5 Gbps when paired with a ROG Phone, a solid result for everyday high-speed use.
Long Range 5GHz WiFi 7
In long-distance testing, the ZenWiFi BT8 maintained a usable speed of 379 Mbps, outperforming the TUF-BE6500 despite its clean design with no visible antennas.
Short Range 6GHz WiFi 7
The ZenWiFi BT8 also delivers solid performance on the 6GHz WiFi band with download speeds exceeding 2Gbps in our short-distance testing.
Long Range 6GHz WiFi 7
As expected, 6GHz performance drops off at longer distances, delivering slower speeds than 5GHz. This is due to the weaker signal penetration of the 6GHz band compared to 5GHz.
ZenWiFi BT8 AiMesh
The ZenWiFi BT8 uses ASUS’s proprietary AiMesh protocol which is faster and more capable than the EasyMesh standard. A key advantage here is its use of Multi-Link Operation (MLO) for the mesh backhaul, which combines the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands into a single high-speed, resilient connection. This results in faster speed and stability across the entire mesh system.
A common misconception is that ZenWiFi systems require an existing router to work. In reality, all ASUS ZenWiFi products, including the ZenWiFi BT8, are fully capable, high-performance standalone routers designed to completely replace your current router, not just extend its signal.
For the best performance, you should connect the main ZenWiFi BT8 unit directly to your ISP’s fiber modem. This simplifies your network setup, improves overall performance, and helps eliminate potential speed bottlenecks. Then, all remaining ZenWiFi units will act as the mesh node, working together with the main unit to extend the WiFi coverage.
ZenWiFi BT8 Mesh Features
Wired Backhaul: Yes ✅
AP Mode Mesh: Yes ✅
802.11r Fast Roaming: No ❌
802.11k/v Roaming: Yes ✅
Client Binding: Yes ✅
Signal Source Selection: Yes ✅
Guest WiFi on Node: Yes ✅
App Management: Yes ✅
ZenWiFi BT8 USB Performance Test
Samba File Sharing
USB performance on the ZenWiFi BT8 is outstanding, delivering the fastest write speeds we’ve recorded on an ASUS router to date. This impressive result is largely thanks to its powerful CPU, which ensures efficient data handling and minimal bottlenecks.
TUF-BE6500 USB Features
Samba Server: Yes ✅
FTP Server: Yes ✅
DLNA Server: Yes ✅
Time Machine: Yes ✅
Printer Server: Yes ✅
Firmware and Features
ASUSWRT delivers far more customization and advanced functionality than most consumer-grade routers. Many of these advanced settings are accessible only through the ASUSWRT web interface, which can be intimidating to less technical users. For everyday management, the ASUS Router app offers a simpler, more intuitive experience.
A standout addition to ASUS’s WiFi 7 ZenWiFi lineup is the Smart Home Master feature. It creates a dedicated, isolated WiFi network for smart home devices, keeping them separate from your main network. This is particularly valuable since many IoT devices don’t receive regular security updates, and isolation prevents them from becoming an attack path to your personal devices.
Smart Home Master also enables you to set up a child-focused WiFi network with parental controls like content filtering and time scheduling applied to all connected devices. This network-level enforcement makes it much harder for kids to bypass restrictions. The updated AiMesh system extends these features across all ZenWiFi mesh nodes.
AiProtection Pro
ASUS’s robust AiProtection Pro security and parental control suite is included on this router without any additional subscription or fees.
Network Security
AiProtection Pro adds multiple layers of cybersecurity defense, from malware and phishing site blocking to an intrusion prevention system that helps safeguard connected devices. In testing, the filter successfully blocked known malicious websites, demonstrating its effectiveness.
Parental Control
Parents will appreciate the built-in content filters that block sites by category, along with an activity dashboard showing top-visited websites. Usage time scheduling is also included by default. Unlike competing systems from Eero and Netgear that require paid subscriptions for similar features, ASUS provides these at no additional charge.
Additional Features
WireGuard VPN: Yes ✅
VPN Device Selection: Yes ✅
DNS over TLS (DoT): Yes ✅
DNS over HTTPS (DoH): No ❌
Printer Sharing: Yes ✅
EasyMesh: No ❌
Dual WAN: Yes ✅
VLAN Guest WiFi: Yes ✅
Repeater Mode: Yes ✅
Access Point Mode: Yes ✅
Closing Thoughts
The ZenWiFi BT8 shows how far ASUS has refined its ZenWiFi lineup. Its combination of WiFi 7 technology, tri-band 6GHz configuration and MLO backhaul delivers the kind of stability and throughput that sets it apart from older WiFi 6 models. Add in premium hardware, excellent USB performance, and a full suite of features like AiProtection Pro at no extra cost, and the BT8 becomes an easy recommendation for anyone seeking a future-proof, high-performance mesh system.