RT-BE86U details from ASUS rep at Computex Taipei (POSSIBLE NEWS SCOOP)

[RSengine]

POSSIBLE NEWS SCOOP - RT-BE86U details from ASUS rep at Computex Taipei

I went to Computex Taipei today and talked with an Asus rep there next to the Asus routers. Correct me if I am mistaken but I believe this is a news scoop because I couldn't find confirmed details of the RT-BE86U on any other site or thread. Here are the details the rep told me for the RT-BE86U. No model of it was shown on the floor and there are no spec sheets or flyers because apparently Asus is still working on it, so consider this entirely word of mouth.

RT-BE86U details
- It will have a Wi-Fi bandwidth (theoretical) of 6800 Mbps (i.e. a BE6800 class router)
- Will be tri-band (i.e. will have 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz) (NOTE - see edit below about possible lack of 6GHz)
- Slated to be launched in August 2024 or September 2024
- Likely will have 3 or 4 externally visible antennas
- Will have a Broadcom CPU (should be good news for Asuswrt-Merlin firmware fans including me)
- Ports will likely be 10GbE WAN, 4x 2.5Gbe LAN
- Pricing is unconfirmed but rep said to expect it to be in the ballpark of the AX86U (launch price presumably)
- Note that the rep said some details might change but the rep said it's definitely coming this year. Maybe the model number might be slightly different at launch. Who knows. I specifically asked if "the BE86U" is coming and those are the details the rep gave me

That's all I could get on the RT-BE86U. Seems to be very similar to the RT-BE92U, but with a lower theoretical throughput speed and possibly one fewer external antenna.

The models on the floor were the TUF-BE3600, RT-BE58U, RT-BE92U (BE9700 tri-band router), and RT-BE88U (BE7200 dual-band router). These 4 are likely to launch in the second half of 2024 Details for these can be found on plenty of other sites.

Personally, I am intrigued. I hope this is the worthy successor to the AX86U that a lot of us have been waiting for.

-------------------------------------------

Edit 7/14/2024 - a recent FCC filing (https://www.snbforums.com/threads/r...-taipei-possible-news-scoop.90473/post-917560) shows apparently this model will not have 6GHz. If this is indeed the case, I apologize for the incorrect information.

 

[RMerlin]

While no guarantee that all of these will make it out to market, here is the list of Wifi 7 models currently known within the firmware code:

        MODELID(MODEL_GTBE98),\
        MODELID(MODEL_RTBE96U),\
        MODELID(MODEL_GTBE98_PRO),\
        MODELID(MODEL_BT12),\
        MODELID(MODEL_BQ16),\
        MODELID(MODEL_GTBE96),\
        MODELID(MODEL_BQ16_PRO),\
        MODELID(MODEL_RTBE88U),\
        MODELID(MODEL_RTBE86U),\
        MODELID(MODEL_RTBE58U),\
        MODELID(MODEL_GTBE19000),\
        MODELID(MODEL_BT10),\
        MODELID(MODEL_RTBE92U),\
        MODELID(MODEL_RTBE95U),\

 

[cookies]

Is it just me or are the model names more confusing now than on previous generations? The BE88U lacks a 6GHz band which is not reflected in the model name. The BE92U has three bands (and a higher model number) but only 2x2. If OP is right and the BE86U has 6GHz, and hopefully full 4x4, then that would be great, and it would fit with the config of predecessors like AX86U, but the model naming is now very confusing to customers.

 

[L&LD]

Welcome to the forums @cookies.

There is no law that says manufacturers should follow a logical/simple naming scheme.

On the contrary.

Buy beware (always).

To me, what this means is to get as much information as possible before purchase.

Have some idea of what performance you expect (much easier when you have a working example to compare it against).

Buy, test, evaluate, and decide if what you actually get is anywhere close to what you want to pay for it.

If it is worth it (vs. your previous setup), then sell your old equipment when you're comfortable doing so.

If it isn't worth it, then return for a refund.

Notice that in the scenarios above, model names only play an incidental part (and that part is not dependant on the name).

 

[cookies]

Thanks! Yeah, true the models didn't make all that much sense before either, and now we have even more variables. I've set up quite a few routers for people, and some are considering upgrades right at the moment where these new models are coming out. Most of them have been AC86U and AX86U, so continuing with the BE86U is tempting if Asus puts out a similarly solid model. Maximum reliability and support is my primary concern, and I prefer going with 'popular' models because of that. My plan now I think is to play the waiting game for as long as I can considering the specs (and pricing) on BE routers so far have not been optimal.

 

[L&LD]

For home use and most ISP plans (many of them much below 3Gbps), BE routers are not a good match or a good value today.

When Gen 2 or later BE routers show up, and internal LAN or ISP speeds start to become more readily available, that will change.

Right now, the RT-AX88U Pro is riding the peak/value wave.

 

[Qbcd]

Surprised that it would be the same price as the AX86U, considering it's tri-band and has 4x 2.5Gbe LAN and (dual?) 10GbE WAN. Seems unbelievable.

 

[RSengine]

Surprised that it would be the same price as the AX86U, considering it's tri-band and has 4x 2.5Gbe LAN and (dual?) 10GbE WAN. Seems unbelievable.

I think the rep meant the launch price of AX86U. Right now AX86U is roughly $200 USD on Amazon, but during initial release it launched at about $300. So the ballpark would be around $300 presumably at launch price.

And of course take it with a grain of salt. The rep said the pricing is not confirmed at all and it's all still being worked on.

Also, dongknowstech says "RT-BE92U: This is a BE9700 router, somewhat of a replacement for the RT-AX92U, though it shares the same design as the RT-AX86U. Cost: $329." https://dongknows.com/asus-wi-fi-7-hardware-expanded-significantly/

This effectively puts a ceiling on the price of the BE86U because the BE92U is the technically superior model.

 

[Sander_H]

Surprised that it would be the same price as the AX86U, considering it's tri-band and has 4x 2.5Gbe LAN and (dual?) 10GbE WAN. Seems unbelievable.

Tri-band does not mean 3 radio’s. Pretty sure it will have 2 radio’s with one switchable between 5 and 6 ghz. I think the reason for the long wait is all about the costs. It is great that WiFi is getting faster and better, but … the costs are getting ridiculously high compared to cabling. AX was already pushing it, but BE is again another level.

 

[deathnite]

RT-BE86U is mentioned on the following Asus website. https://www.asus.com/support/faq/1051375/

The price in EU might be around €350? I see it already listed on 2 websites for €344 and €357 (no stock).

 

[RMerlin]

RT-BE86U is mentioned on the following Asus website. https://www.asus.com/support/faq/1051375/

The price in EU might be around €350? I see it already listed on 2 websites for €344 and €357 (no stock).

It's expected to launch at the end of the month, so any announced price might very well be a temporary placeholder.

 

[deathnite]

I'm looking for a new router, since at the moment I'm using AC86U.
AX86U Pro launched on Amazon Germany towards the end of 2022 for €300 and 1 year later you could find it on deal for €186. Now, 2 years later the normal price is €189, but I saw it go down to €170 on some stores.
If BE86U will launch at €350, it's basically double the current price of AX86U Pro in EU, but is it going to be worth the difference?

 

[fruitcornbread]

According to FCC, it is a dual-band router (2.4 GHz & 5GHz). This should be the correct FCC ID as the other documents and label reference RT-BE86U or RT-BE6800.

FCC ID MSQ-RTBE7D00 BE6800 Dual-band WiFi Router by ASUSTeK Computer Inc

FCC ID application submitted by ASUSTeK Computer Inc for BE6800 Dual-band WiFi Router for FCC ID MSQ-RTBE7D00. Approved Frequencies, User Manuals, Photos, and Wireless Reports.

fccid.io

 

[Qbcd]

I image searched the router and found these recent images on a Chinese website:

https://www.chiphell.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=2619679

Not a big fan of the aesthetic tbh, but it's ok. It's like they took the AX86U and made everything a little worse looks-wise. But this is subjective.

Still 3 external antennas and 1 internal. Don't get this honestly, why not 4 external. Not enough space or something? It would be nice if they were all the same. Also, still one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0 ports. Is this for compatibility? USB 3.0 has been out for 15 years, can we get dual 3.0 ports at this point for a $350 router?

And as I suspected, it doesn't have dual 10G ports at this price. It just has one 10G and four 2.5G. So again, repeating the flaw of the AX86U where you have a 2.5G port but can't get 2.5G out. Here you have a 10G WAN, but can't get 10G out, you have to split it. I'd rather they did dual 10G and the rest 1G and maybe add $20-30 to the price, but let me actually get 10G out. Or lower the price and just do all 2.5G. But this is stupid, doing only a one-of. They didn't learn from last time it seems.

And kind of weird to give us a 10G WAN, but not support 6 GHz/320 MHz, especially at this price. So you won't get much more wireless speed out of this one compared to the AX86U.

Otherwise, it'll probably be quite similar to the AX86U. A little disappointing honestly, I'll stick with my AX89X...

 

[cookies]

The ports look like 'decent' improvement to me, if it raises the floor from 1G to 2.5G at least compared to the AX86*.

The SoC and memory specs from that Chinese link suggests its the same hardware as the other Asus Wifi7 routers. Which should be good for future firmware support and longevity, as long as its powerful enough for the features.

Yeah, the lack of 6GHz is disappointing, the way hardware has gone up in price in the last 5 years or so it feels like a bummer to pay a much higher price for these somewhat lacking routers than the previous *68*/*86*/*88* models which had full feature sets.

Also, I really hope they haven't lowered the streams capability from 4x4 this time...

 

[fruitcornbread]

If I read the FCC report correctly, then RT-BE86U should be:
2.4GHz 3x3
5GHz 4x4

 

[Qbcd]

The ports look like 'decent' improvement to me, if it raises the floor from 1G to 2.5G at least compared to the AX86*.

The SoC and memory specs from that Chinese link suggests its the same hardware as the other Asus Wifi7 routers. Which should be good for future firmware support and longevity, as long as its powerful enough for the features.

Yeah, the lack of 6GHz is disappointing, the way hardware has gone up in price in the last 5 years or so it feels like a bummer to pay a much higher price for these somewhat lacking routers than the previous *68*/*86*/*88* models which had full feature sets.

Also, I really hope they haven't lowered the streams capability from 4x4 this time...

Well 2.5G is certainly better than 1G, but anyone who pays for 3G+ speeds is going to want to access that on a single device. Imagine paying for 10G internet and settling for 2.5G on any one device, that's madness. You would never get this router for that. So the 10G is mostly pointless, just make it 2.5G and give us 6 GHz instead for the same price. The specs are just not well balanced imo. And the USB 2.0 triggers me too, I don't know why, it's a minor thing, but cmon. Maybe they'll release a Pro version with 6 GHz and/or dual 10G.

Sorry for the rant. Unless you have 2 gig internet, I really don't see a good reason to switch from the AX86U at this point.

 

[dfunked]

Yeah, the single 2.5Gb port on the AX86U has always puzzled me, and now they've gone and repeated the mistake.
Either put at least two of the max speed ports in, or just don't bother at all.

 

[Qbcd]

By the way, there is a way to get a second 2.5G port on the AX86U by using a USB 3.0 dongle. Far from an elegant solution, but it works. Search this forum and you'll find the thread where someone did it. So if you're looking at the BE86U vs. the AX86U mainly for the 2.5G ports, you may not need to upgrade. Honestly, the lack of 6 GHz and lack of a second 10G port make this barely an upgrade from the AX86U. Maybe if the price difference was less than $60 it would make sense, but at $150-200, definitely not.

Sorry I'm repeating myself.

 

[RSengine]

According to FCC, it is a dual-band router (2.4 GHz & 5GHz). This should be the correct FCC ID as the other documents and label reference RT-BE86U or RT-BE6800.

FCC ID MSQ-RTBE7D00 BE6800 Dual-band WiFi Router by ASUSTeK Computer Inc

FCC ID application submitted by ASUSTeK Computer Inc for BE6800 Dual-band WiFi Router for FCC ID MSQ-RTBE7D00. Approved Frequencies, User Manuals, Photos, and Wireless Reports.

fccid.io

If this indeed turns out to be the case, I am quite disappointed by the lack of 6GHz, and I apologize that my information was incorrect

I think I will be looking at the BE92U instead as a potential upgrade in the distant future