RT-BE88U: Power Consumption

[demux]

Hi all,

With increasing energy prices, I figured it'd be a good idea to check out the power usage of the Asus RT-BE88U router running firmware version 3.0.0.6.102.33921.

To get the numbers, I grabbed my Brennenstuhl PM 231 Power Meter and plugged it into a 220V/230 outlet. I tested the router in various connectivity scenarios to determine its power consumption under different conditions with the delivered 19v power supply.

First, I set up a baseline by turning off everything connected to the router and unplugging all the ports on the device itself.

Now, here are the power consumption results for you to calculate your annual energy costs based on your specific setup and number of connected Ethernet ports:

Device / Connectivity	Consumption
RT-BE88U, Bare Metal	7.4 Watt
10G SFP+ Module, AON, Flexoptix BiDi LR	0.9 Watt
1G SFP Module, AON, TP-Link TL-SM321B	0.5 Watt
10G Ethernet Port (at 2.5G Negotiated)	0.6 Watt
2.5G Ethernet Port	0.6 Watt
1G Ethernet Port	0.3 Watt
USB 3 Port	0.8 Watt
WiFi, 2.4 GHz	1.7 Watt
WiFi, 5 GHz	1.7 Watt

I can push my fiber connection to full download speed (currently 2.5G only) without stressing the RT-BE88U's CPU at all. The quad-core processor barely shows any load, it eats network packages like cookies! Adding only approx. 0.1 Watt under load.

I'm quite happy with the Asus RT-BE88U's power efficiency. I no longer need that Media Bridge Converter I used to connect to my old RT-AC68U. That router is officially retired now!

 

[igor469]

Very interesting measurements.
I want to add. If you power it with 12 v (for example UPS ) instead of 19 v, then the power consumption is reduced by another 20-30% (approximately)

 

[Tech9]

I want to add. If you power it with 12 v (for example UPS ) instead of 19 v, then the power consumption is reduced by another 20-30% (approximately)

This in incorrect. The power consumption will stay the same. The VRMs inside will draw more current from the 12V source to compensate for the input voltage drop. The router is not a light bulb.

 

[tiddlywink]

..

 

[igor469]

This in incorrect. The power consumption will stay the same. The VRMs inside will draw more current from the 12V source to compensate for the input voltage drop. The router is not a light bulb.

This is what the measurements showed.
19v - 10-12 watt,
12v - 6-8 watt.
5 GHz - off, 2.4 GHz - min

 

[Tech9]

If you are measuring before the power supply - part of this difference is coming from the power supply itself. Different ones may have different efficiency.

 

[igor469]

If you are measuring before the power supply - part of this difference is coming from the power supply itself. Different ones may have different efficiency.

Agreed. This is a standard BE88U (19v) power supply. I estimate it to be 1-2 watts.

 

[demux]

Of course, I was using the standard delivered 19v power supply for my consumption tests. I added the 220V/230V note specifically, as people in the US with 110V power outlet might get slightly different results.

I brushed up my initial scribbling a bit, hopefully this is more clear now.

 

[Tech9]

Low power device, few watts more or less won't make a big difference anyway.

 

[cipo80]

I've 10G symmetric fiber (AON) delivered by SFP+ ONT , this model will be perfect to replace my Fritz 5590 capped at 2.5G.
Power consumption seems to be incredibly low, @demux only +0.5W using the SFP port, but with which module ? DAC cable, SFP or SFP+ gbic??
It's on my Amazon (Italy) cart at 335€, if I push the buy button for sure my wife killing me

 

[demux]

I've 10G symmetric fiber delivered by SFP+ ONT (active fiber), this model will be perfect to replace my Fritz 5590 capped at 2.5G.
Power consumption seems to be incredibly low, @demux only +0.5W using the SFP port, but with which module ? DAC cable, SFP or SFP+ gbic??
It's on my Amazon (Italy) cart at 335€, if I push the buy button for sure my wife killing me

Im currently in the process of updating my fiber to 10G AON. I'll let know about the power consumption of the SFP+ module when I have that info ready, if it matters for your decision.

 

[cipo80]

Im currently in the process of updating my fiber to 10G AON. I'll let know about the power consumption of the SFP+ module when I have that info ready, if it matters for your decision.

Yes, thank you, I'm curious about it, but are you on GPON (more hungry) or AON? Because in the first post you wrote GPON.
Anyway I want to try the 88U, it's a great 10G router at the right price IMHO, also if you try to build your own router the price is higher.
In the future, when new Wi-Fi standards coming, we can keep the 88U and use it as a standalone router attaching APs on 2.5 or 10G port.
I'll wait for the Amazon prime days (8-9 October) to try save some € then I'll post my power measurements.

 

[tiddlywink]

..

 

[demux]

Yes, thank you, I'm curious about it, but are you on GPON (more hungry) or AON? Because in the first post you wrote GPON.

You're correct; I double-checked, I was not up to speed with my ISP's topology developments. My connected PoP is AON with Point-to-Point (P2P) for both 1G and 10G connections.

I've updated the table with more details on the SFP and SFP+ modules I've tested with the Asus RT-BE88U router. The 10G Flexoptix module works great and doesn't consume much extra power. In my opinion, these are excellent results for a 10G WAN setup. You might want to check the power consumption when using the 10G Ethernet port at its native speeds. Right now, I only have a 2.5G Endpoint available.