ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro WiFi 7 Gaming Router - Quad-Band, 30Gbps, Mesh

Too Long Don't Wish to Read - The quad-band ASUS ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro (hereafter noted as the "98 Pro") (released in March of 2024) takes the underwear of other Wifi 7 flagship routers and pulls them up over their heads and then slaps em silly. Although initially buggy with incomplete functions, … new motherboard versions (Hardware Version 3.0 {also known as 1.2a}, released in February of 2025) combined with firmware updates (38984 {August, 2025}, 39112 {October, 2025}, 39260 {March, 2026}, 39262 {May, 2026}, and 39386 {August, 2026}) have slowly transformed this router from a three-star device into the more mature product that was promised by ASUS back in early 2024. The GT-BE98 Pro has been a five star product since about March of 2025. The long version - Few people are going to be able to afford the quad-band GT-BE98 Pro, ... much less set it up correctly, ... but for those who can, this router can perform some fairly rare functions while using the very latest standards. Initial versions (models sold until November of 2024) of the BE98 came with the slightly buggy Hardware Version 1.0 motherboard and suffered from a few half-baked functions in the firmware. In many ways, those initial 98 Pro's were inferior to the prior ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 and GT-AXE11000 routers, especially when it came to Wifi 6 and 6E clients. As of February, 2025, ASUS is currently on their third motherboard revision (Hardware Version 3.0 {also known as 1.2a}) and updated the firmware on August 11th, 2026 to 3.0.0.6.102_39386 (for United States owners). This latest board version and past several firmware versions have hammered out most of the bugs, nags, and missing features that plagued most of 2024 and early 2025. Let’s look at some of the current features: Build Quality – Although the initial motherboards had some small bugs (these router boards are noted as "Hardware Version 1.0" on the underside of the router and were released in March 2024), some problems were ironed out with Hardware Version 2.0 (which were released in November, 2024) (these boards are also noted as 1.1). The 98 Pro finally reached a more mature state in February of 2025 with the release of the Hardware Version 3.0 boards (1.2a). Firmware updates will work on all the boards, so no worries about needing separate versions. Due to the 2.6 GHz quad-core processor and the amount of clients it can handle, heat release is paramount to the 98 Pro's design. Mine, sitting about two feet off the ground (see pic) in an open space gets slightly warm but never hot (the CPU typically runs at about 42 deg C). Also, … the eight antennae feature two internal dipole elements each and need to be extended (per the user manual) for the best throughput. The 98 Pro also features separate amplifiers for each radio chain (and this is what helps it to saturate a large home for example). The 98 Pro also features two 10G ports and four 2.5G ports on the back, … in short, you are covered for the latest fiber optic speeds up to 10G. (The more technically inclined here may wonder how does a 2.6 GHz CPU process 10 Gbit/sec of incoming data. The answer in part is that the router uses ASIC {Application Specific Integrated Circuits} for forwarding combined with packet processing offload. {electrical engineer here, ... you're in good hands}) Finally, the 98 Pro is covered in LEDs and Aura lighting, which can all be controlled through the web interface. The styling is, ... well, ... let's call the design, ... spiderbot. Some will love it and some will hate it. I don't mind the styling but I wish they had removed the stickers from the clear window portion and expanded that area with more heatsinks for the CPU. Overall, the build quality is exactly what you would expect from such a high-end router. Please be aware that this router is sold as the GT-BE98 without the "Pro" designation in Canada and Europe due to those countries' respective regulations concerning the 6 GHz bands (other than that, the two routers are identical). Initial Setup – A new owner has the option to either use ASUS’s smartphone Router app (which I don’t recommend due to security concerns) or the far better web interface (usually reached by typing 192.168.50.1 into your address bar). The start up procedure will ask the owner a bunch of simple questions to set up your password, Smart Connect and/or separate SSIDs, mesh networking, and so on. It only takes a few minutes but works well. The one thing I do not like is that you cannot setup the router until you have internet access. The 98 Pro really needs the ability to be accessed for troubleshooting even if the internet is down (id est, ... particularly when the internet is down). Firmware Features – In short, the 98 Pro is stacked with just about every possible feature a home user could want or need. Smart Connect is configured stock and works very well for those who don’t want separate SSIDs. The 98 Pro will support up to 32 separate networks (and SSIDs) for those that need it. I, myself, have my 98 Pro set up with a separate SSID for each band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz (1), and 6 GHz (2)) along with a separate network for guests (aptly named, "Alien_Anal_Probe_for_Guests") and a separate network for IoT devices (security cams, etc ...). The 98 Pro also supports Multiple-Link Operation (MLO) networks which combine the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands together, which also works well as of November, 2024. Since March of 2024, there have been about fourteen firmware updates for the 98 Pro, but I do wish that they would release firmware updates about once a month though to keep everything fully current. Protection - The 98 Pro also offers the usual firewall services (iPv4, iPv6, etc ...), NAT, etc … tools but also offers Trend Micro’s AI Protection free of subscription fees. While it won’t stop everything, the service is a nice extra add-on for a home user. ASUS also offers ADGuard DNS through its firmware under the parental controls section (also a free subscription although you have to sign up for it). I have been testing it and so far have found it does indeed cut down on sites that try to blind you with 40 ads popping up. The downside is that the free ADGuard only protects against so many ads per month (and of course, they then want you to go to their site and sign up for one of their paid versions). The 98 Pro also supports fairly extensive Parental Controls. If you have little ones in the house and don't want them headed to websites that rhyme with "hub," it is fairly easy to set that up with this router. Gaming Features - True to its Republic of Gamers (ROG) moniker, the 98 Pro provides several services to help out online gamers. The Game Booster page offers three levels of Quality of Service (QOS) adjustments and there are separate settings for managing ping to well known game servers (Call of Duty, War Thunder, Arma, Eve Online, etc ….). The end user also has numerous customizable options for tailoring any game connection to their liking and there is even the ability for the router to recognize other ROG devices (like motherboards). I use the Game Booster features for DCS World online flight simming combat and have brought my average ping down from about 14 milliseconds to about 12 milliseconds for the two preferred servers I enjoy playing on. Nothing Earth shattering, ... but any boost I can get is welcome. I will say that I think ASUS ROG routers in general do a better job of ping optimization than any other brand currently on the market. WiFi 7 – The IEEE introduced Wifi 7, also known as 802.11be back in January of 2024. From a technical standpoint, Wifi 7 offers MLO, MIMO, Flexible Channel, and MRU improvements to Wifi 6 and 6E standards. The Wifi Alliance states that Wifi 7 allows up to 23 Gbits per second but that is purely theoretical. In the real-world, Wifi 7 using the 98 Pro will realistically reach around 4 Gbit/sec (with 2x2, 320 MHz) while the prior Wifi 6E (with 2x2, 160 MHz) reaches about 1.7 Gbit/sec. The 98 Pro can also utilize 8x8 connections at 320 Hz but I have yet to see any clients on the market offered with that hardware. While the Wifi Alliance promises Wifi 7 speeds out to 98 feet indoors, realistically you are looking at more like 15 to 25 feet, … so you need to be in the same room with no walls blocking the signal. Truth be told, … Wifi 7 is really a bit of a short range gimmick. That said, does the 98 Pro fulfill Wifi 7 speeds? … Yes, as of November, 2024, it can indeed reach these speeds as long as the client is less than 25 feet from the router. As of Hardware Version 3.0 (1.2a) (starting mid-Feb, 2025) and the latest firmware versions (38984 {August}, 39112 {October}, 39260 {March, 2026}, 39262 {May, 2026}, and 39386 {August, 2026}) .. excellent. My Pixel 10 Pro XL and my wife's iPhone 17 Pro Max both work excellently (both have sadly been handicapped with only 2x2, 160 MHz MIMO configurations {hardware limitation of their Wifi chips}) although only within the same room and only out to about 8 meters or so. Testing some file transfers (with iperf 3), I was able to reach speeds of 2000 Mbps from 3 feet away and 1700 Mbps from 15 feet away, ... smoking fast! Am I ever going to need file transfers that fast? …. Not really, … but it is nice to have. Wifi 6 and 6E – As noted previously, … initially the 98 Pro performed poorly compared to dedicated Wifi 6E routers like the GT-AXE16000. Much of these problems were ironed out (finally) from Nov to Jan of 2025. The 98 Pro now delivers full Wifi 6 and 6E throughput if the client supports those standards. I use a Meta Quest Pro VR headset (which uses Wifi 6E at 2x2 MIMO, 160 MHz but not Wifi 7) in wireless mode to fly virtual aircraft in MSFS 2024/2020, DCS World, and IL2 (I have my first 6 GHz band setup exclusively for the Quest Pro headset so there is no interference). I have tested the Quest Pro with numerous routers and the 98 Pro now exceeds the GT-AXE11000 as the best router I have ever used for connecting the headset, If I connect by way of the Meta Air Link protocol, I often reach speeds of 225 Mbps using the H.265 (HEVC) codec. With Steam VR Link which also uses H.265, I often reach speeds of 250 Mbps with less error rates. If I use the alternative Virtual Desktop and the H.264 codec, I often reach speeds of about 1300 Mbps from three meters. My dream of flying in high fidelity and with all settings maxed in DCS World without a Meta Quest Link cable has finally been realized. Wifi 5 and 2.4 GHz - So far, excellent. The 98 Pro has the highest speeds I have ever seen on the 5 GHz band at roughly 1100 Mbps (from 25 feet) (upstairs and through three walls I am getting roughly 740 Mbps). (To measure this correctly, you need to do so with iperf 3 and professional packet transfer tools. You can't measure this with Speedtest or Wifi Analyzer.) With the 2.4 GHz band, I am getting excellent penetration throughout the house (about 129 Mbps at three meters and 23 Mbps at 30 meters) and all of my 23 IoT devices can connect without problems or delays, even cameras 95 feet away on my back fence. Network Attached Storage - The 98 Pro features one 3.2 USB port and one 2.0 USB port. I have my 2TB Samsung T9 SSD attached to the USB 3.2 port and am getting file transfer speeds around 1750 Mbps! I did briefly try out ASUS's AICloud feature but it seemed half-baked and more of a security risk, so I turned that feature off. I have never tried their Samba setup, so can't comment there. Custom Firmware - The 98 Pro is compatible with the WRT Merlin custom firmware releases which give the router some additional features not found in the stock firmware. It is also nice to be able to use this firmware if you find a feature in the stock firmware is not working as well as you wished. Sadly, the 98 Pro cannot use DD-WRT custom firmware at this point in time. Conclusion – Anytime the IEEE releases a new Wifi standard, it is always going to take a few years for real-world products to actually fully implement those standards. The 98 Pro is no different. When the 98 Pro was first released in March of 2024, it was somewhat buggy and had numerous small issues with both Wifi 7 and 6E connectivity. In short, … it was a three star router. It reached a four star router level around Dec of 2024. Now that there have been two motherboard changes and several firmware releases, the 98 Pro is indeed reaching true Wifi 7 speeds and has fixed most of the small bugs and 6E connectivity issues that plagued it in 2024 and early 2025. Overall, it is now a five star product.

I purchased the ASUS ROG GT-BE98 Pro to replace an older ASUS router and upgrade my home network to Wi-Fi 7. After using it extensively, I can confidently say it has exceeded my expectations. Setup was straightforward, and the web interface is intuitive while still offering an incredible number of advanced networking features. Whether you're looking for a simple plug-and-play experience or want to customize your network, this router provides the flexibility to do both. One of my favorite aspects is the extensive feature set. Built-in VPN server support, Dynamic DNS, advanced security options, quality of service, and numerous customization settings allowed me to configure my home network exactly the way I wanted. I also appreciate the security features that help identify potential vulnerabilities and make it easy to keep the network protected. Performance has been outstanding. Wi-Fi coverage throughout my home has been excellent, all of my devices maintain reliable connections, and I have not experienced any unexpected reboots, crashes, or Wi-Fi disconnects since installing it. Everything has been stable and dependable. I've owned several ASUS networking products over the years, and this router continues that positive experience. While it offers so many advanced features that new users may need a little time to explore everything it can do, the interface is well organized and makes learning those features straightforward. Overall, this is an excellent premium Wi-Fi 7 router. If you're looking for outstanding performance, strong security, excellent coverage, and the flexibility to customize your network, I highly recommend the ASUS ROG GT-BE98 Pro.

This router is powerful and fast. I can get over 5 GBPS from my Pixel 9 phone at a distance where my last Asus WiFi 5 router would get only 20 MBPS. This does use multiple frequencies. Thus, the fixed antenna provide excellent coverage. The UI makes it easy to add an IoT signal for those older devices you have. My computer with WiFi 7 can get 2.8 GBPS on the 6 GHz signal alone at the same distance of my phone. The interface is essentially the same as the old Asus routers, and that is a good thing. There are some things you should know. First, it is big. And I mean big big big big. I had no idea it was that large. Second, the default UI has a color scheme that is hard to read. You should install the Merlin firmware as soon as you set it up. That returns to easier to read old Asus UI color scheme. And the Merlin firmware includes features not found on the stock firmware. Finally, setting up mesh WiFi is a bit of pain. If you have the money, this is a good router. However, don't pay over $600 for it. Wait for it to go on sale.

This router works great, replacing my older ASUS GT-AXE16000. The added band is nice. It was very easy to setup, updating the firmware before proceeding with the setup, all guided by the ASUS app. I get a little download speeds over a wired connection, and typical wifi speed tests are getting 1.1 GB / sec from various test servers at different distances. For example from CLT to Duke University, I get the same speeds as from a test server only 7 miles away. So far I'm very impressed. The (2) 6Ghz bands are connecting well at a signal strength of -38 RSSI, which is better than my older ASUS GT-AXE16000 tri-band router. I plan on resetting my older ASUS router to factory defaults and making it part of my AI Mesh setup, easily guided by the ASUS app. One thing to note, is that is a large router, about the same as my GT-AXE16000. So, for now I am happy with consistent speeds and no dropped connections. The router is easy to navigate and change the settings if desired, and drill deeper into advanced settings if desired. I recommend this router if you have a Gig or higher internet connection.

Update: This router has been a nightmare to setup. The first day I spent the entire night trying to get it to work with my network. I’ve also ended up having to reset it to factory defaults several times. Yesterday, the network just took a dump. I removed into my PC just to test it in the afternoon and the speed was fine. But when I got home, it was behaving erratic. Only random functions worked every time the router was restarted. For example: modem showed internet access but the router couldn’t communicate with it. At another moment the router stated there was internet but when doing a Speedtest or browsing a site, there was no connection. Seems that several issues have gone bad: router, modem, and ISP. I was up until 1:30 am with Xfinity trying to figure out the problem. I AGAIN reset the router to factory and then restored the settings. It finally works but my download is under a gig and uploads are crawling at 5 Mbit max. Another danger to screw up your network is having Asus automatically update your firmware, because something happened a couple of days ago and it took down my router (issue was confirmed by Asus support). ————————————————————————- It’s great so far. It’s fast and it has many fast NIC ports. I did try using the NIC teaming feature but it didn’t make any difference at all. This is the first Asus router I’ve had that the internal speed tester matches the one done on the webpage. Previously, I had been using the RT-AC5300 but that one always showed an internet speed way lower that on Speedtest.net . Just like most routers, WiFi-7 performance diminishes with short distances, especially in a townhouse so it’s not unexpected. The admin menu is as confusing as the previous one but slightly more. Features like AI Disk are clunkier than the AC5300 . No matter what I do, I can’t get the USB connected drives on the router to show up in Windows 11 unless I use it without requiring a password (I don’t know if this is an issue with the router or Windows 11. And generally, a lot of the features in the menu are not self explanatory and others are because of the similarity with the older router. Compatibility with wireless devices is also clunky. For example, when I do a Speedtest with my iPad Air, half of the time it’ll do the download test fine but show an error on the upload stating there’s no internet. Then I half to repeat the test again and then it works fine. The iPad is in the same room as the router by the way. In the video you’ll see how long it takes for the Speedtest to start the upload measurement as before this router, it would only take a second. It has the insignia RGB lights which you can turn off, change their brightness and even the pattern. You can do it from the web interface or the Asus app. On the Asus app I can easily access my password protected USB drives but not on the desktop, go figure. The app isn’t consistent when connecting.

This router is amazing. I have very thick walls in my house, and this router gives me amazing wifi connection throughout my entire house, including the 2nd floor areas. This router was rather expensive and worth every penny. My computer man told me to buy it, he uses the same one in his house. That was good enough for me! And, he was absolutely right about the strength of the wifi connection.

First day with this expensive piece of hardware: unpacked it, connected everything, launched the setup wizard in the app, finished the installation, and boom — done. Or so I thought. The Wi-Fi worked for about 2 minutes, then completely dropped the internet connection. After a reboot, the same thing happened: 2 minutes of internet, then nothing. I spent a couple of frustrating hours troubleshooting. I even asked ChatGPT, which suggested disabling various features, but that didn't help. Eventually, I found a Reddit post explaining that this is a known issue with older firmware. After updating the firmware, boom — everything started working perfectly. Now the router is rock solid. The speeds are insane, basically the same as a wired connection. I can stream games from my RTX 5090 gaming PC to my Steam Deck without issues, and the range is impressive. I can even stream games outside in the yard. Overall, I'm happy with it now, but I have to give a thumbs down to the marketing/support team. Shipping units with outdated firmware and providing no clear information about this issue or how to update the firmware creates a terrible first impression. As for the hardware itself, the router looks like a giant plastic crab. It's huge, takes up a lot of space, and judging by the weight, most of the inside seems empty. It definitely looks funny sitting on a shelf. On the bright side, the RGB LEDs will probably make kids happy. 😀 Rating: 4/5 — excellent performance once updated, but the out-of-box experience needs serious improvement.

I posted a review about this a while back, but I need to rewrite it in case some of you guys run into this issue. I bought a used one a while back and started noticing a nagging issue: after several hours of little or no traffic (e.g., in the morning), this thing would lose internet connection and essentially "lock up". Rebooting it would bring it back. Believing I had gotten a bad router, I swapped it out. This time I paid a little more money and requested a news one. To my surprise, the new router had EXACTLY THE SAME ISSUE! Clearly this is no coincidence. Either the firmware is buggy or something else is going on. After several days of exchanging emails with Asus and getting nowhere, I decided to chat with their tech support. I explained the issue and suggested the maybe the new firmware might be buggy. He suggested using an older version and gave me the download link, BUT he also suggested I do the following first: 1) Turn the router off using the power switch in the back. 2) Press and hold the "WPS" button and turn the router on. 3) Continue holding down the "WPS" button until the power light turns off. 4) Turn the power switch off and back on again. The router will restart. 3 days on and not one crash yet. Also: this procedure will wipe your settings. Be sure to back them up to a file and import the when the router comes back. If the backed up files ends in "*.cfg.crdownload", rename it to just "*.cfg" or it will not import. I suggest Amazon perform this procedure on the router I returned before reselling it. May it's the reason the first customer returned it in the first place.

Lo tengo como router principal de una red mesh y puedo confirmar que este producto es excelente, la calidad de la señal del wifi, el numero de bandas, el rendimiento con muchos aparatos tanto por cable como inalambricos. Sin mencionar que su nivel de configuración es altisimo, ademas visualmente es muy bonito y moderno, vale lo que cuesta.

Le meilleur investissement réseau pour une maison très connectée J'ai fait l'acquisition du ASUS ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro pour remplacer la borne fournie par mon fournisseur d'accès (Telus) et régler des problèmes de saturation réseau. Le routeur est branché directement sur le boîtier fibre (ONT) via le port haute vitesse. Le résultat dépasse toutes mes attentes. Voici mon retour d'expérience après installation : 🚀 Performances et vitesses réelles Vitesse sans fil impressionnante : En Wi-Fi, j'obtiens des records de vitesse allant jusqu'à 1 115 Mbps en téléchargement et 1 714 Mbps en téléversement ! Lors des tests de charge maximale sur la ligne, le routeur monte à plus de 3 100 Mbps. Latence au minimum absolu : Pour le jeu en ligne, c'est le jour et la nuit. Les outils de mesure affichent 1 ms de latence entre mes appareils et le routeur, et seulement 7 ms au total vers Internet, avec une note de réactivité et de fiabilité parfaites (100 %). 📡 Gestion de la charge (40+ appareils) Chez moi, le réseau gère plus de 40 équipements en simultané (objets connectés domotiques 2.4 GHz, PC de jeu filaires, télévisions 4K, consoles et cellulaires). Là où les bornes classiques saturent et créent des déconnexions, le processeur Quad-Core de 2.6 GHz du GT-BE98 Pro gère tout en arrière-plan sans chauffer et sans le moindre ralentissement. Le Smart Connect regroupe les bandes efficacement, et les fonctions Wi-Fi 7 (MLO) apportent une stabilité imbattable aux appareils compatibles. 🔥 Les vrais plus du produit : Ports 10G & 2.5G dédiés : Le port 10G Gaming accorde une priorité matérielle automatique au PC ou à la console branchée dessus. Interface ASUSWRT complète : Les menus sont ultra-complets (QoS adaptatif pour donner la priorité au jeu ou au streaming, sécurité AiProtection Pro gratuite à vie, création de sous-réseaux isolés via Guest Network Pro). Refroidissement passif efficace : L'appareil dissipe très bien la chaleur naturellement (maintenu autour de 55-57 °C chez moi), ce qui garantit une excellente durée de vie. 💡 Verdict : Certes, c'est un investissement haut de gamme, mais il vaut chaque dollar dépensé si vous voulez exploiter à 100 % votre connexion fibre optique, éliminer le lag en jeu et offrir un réseau en béton armé à toute la maison. Recommandé à 100 % !

Five stars - blazing fast, powerful, and packed with next-level gaming features for unbeatable performance.

INSANE

Setup was seamless( switching from AC5300 through the app). My settings migrated without any hassle. Connectivity & coverage is excellent and stable across all 3floors down to the farthest part of my back garden. It is quite pricey but it’s worth the purchase.