Asus’ flagship complete home Wi-Fi system, the ZenWiFi BQ16 Professional, just isn’t solely one of many best-performing Wi-Fi 7 mesh techniques we have examined, but in addition one of many extra feature-rich techniques to hit PC Labs. Along with twin 10Gbps Ethernet ports, three 1GbE ports, two speedy 6GHz radio bands, and a multifunction USB port that permits 4G and 5G cell tethering, the BQ16 Professional comes with free community safety and parental management software program and a utility that makes it simple to create a number of networks. At $1,099.99 for a two-pack, it would not come low-cost, but it surely’s not as costly because the Netgear Orbi RBE973S ($1,699.99 for a two-pack). The BQ16 Professional’s stellar efficiency and sturdy function set earn it an Editors’ Alternative award for high-end Wi-Fi 7 mesh community kits.
Design: Three-Node Protection With Solely Two Nodes
Asus despatched us the ZenWiFi BQ16 Professional two-pack, which presents 8,000 sq. ft of protection. By means of comparability, the Orbi 770 three-pack presents the identical protection for $999.99 and the TP-Link Deco BE85 three-pack offers 9,600 sq. ft of protection for $1,499.99. If your home is not that massive, you’ll be able to decide up a single ZenWiFi BQ16 Professional node, which covers 4,000 sq. ft, for $699.99.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
The nodes have a white end and stand 8.4 inches excessive, 6.8 inches broad, and a pair of.8 inches deep. Though they appear an identical, one of many pair is marked as the principle router node. An LED indicator on the entrance backside edge blinks inexperienced throughout startup, glows stable inexperienced throughout optimization, and is stable blue when prepared for setup. It exhibits stable white when every thing is working appropriately, and stable purple when the router has misplaced its web connection.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
The rear panel, which comprises a big grille for air flow, is dwelling to the entire Asus node’s ports, together with a 10GbE WAN/LAN port, a 1GbE WAN/LAN port, a 10GbE LAN port, and two 1GbE LAN ports. A pair of two.5GbE ports as a substitute of the 1GbE ports can be extra applicable for a mesh system on this value vary. You will additionally discover a USB 3.0 port for connecting an exterior drive or for 4G LTE/5G cell tethering. Merely plug in your Wi-Fi-hotspot-enabled cellphone to keep up an always-on web connection if you’re experiencing an web outage.
The BQ16 Professional makes use of a 2.6GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, and 256MB of flash reminiscence. It is a BE3000 system that has 12 inside antennas for knowledge charges of as much as 1,376Mbps on the two.4GHz band, as much as 5,764Mbps on the 5GHz band, and as much as 11,529Mbps on every of the 2 6GHz bands. One of many 6GHz bands is for wi-fi backhaul, or you should utilize a LAN port for wired backhaul. Supported Wi-Fi 7 applied sciences embrace Multi-Hyperlink Operation (MLO), computerized band switching, Orthogonal Frequency-Division A number of Entry (OFDMA) knowledge transmissions, 4×4 MU-MIMO streaming, direct-to-client beamforming, WPA3 encryption, 4K-QAM, and 320MHz channel width.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
The BQ16 Professional comes with free parental management and community safety software program powered by Pattern Micro. The primary app allows you to create person profiles and handle web exercise with age-based internet filters, and the second offers safety scans to guard in opposition to phishing and different malicious assaults. It additionally presents Immediate Guard one-touch VPN safety and Secure Looking DNS filters. Moreover, Asus’ Good Dwelling Grasp device means that you can create separate Children, IoT, and VPN sub-networks.
You possibly can handle and set up the BQ16 Professional utilizing the net console or the Asus cell app. The net console presents extra superior firewall and IPv6 settings and allows you to view system logs, however the app is extra handy because it allows you to handle issues utilizing your cellphone. It opens to a house display with a community map and a panel that shows the LAN IP tackle. The house display additionally comprises a button that permits you to prioritize bandwidth for particular functions resembling gaming, internet browsing, media streaming, and file transfers. Beneath the map are buttons for optimizing the system, including new nodes, viewing real-time site visitors charts, and viewing related shopper info.
(Credit score: Asus)
On the backside of the display are Dwelling, Gadgets, Perception, Household, and Settings buttons. The primary returns you to the house display, whereas the Gadgets button opens a display the place you’ll be able to view community node and shopper info, together with add and obtain speeds, IP and MAC addresses, sign high quality, and complete entry time. Faucet the Perception button to allow a distant connection to the community and to view safety insights such because the variety of blocked web sites and contaminated units.
To create person profiles, faucet the Household button. Right here, you’ll be able to assign age-based internet filters, choose which units every member makes use of, create entry schedules, and block particular web site classes. The Settings button opens a display the place you’ll be able to entry WAN, LAN, Wi-Fi, QoS, AiProtection, and Parental Management settings. Right here, you can too configure Immediate Guard VPN settings, join the router to your Alexa or Google accounts, and configure notifications resembling when a firmware replace is out there or when a brand new machine has joined the community.
Testing the ZenWiFi BQ16 Professional: Astonishing Throughput Pace
Putting in and configuring the BQ16 Professional system is fast and straightforward. If that is your first Asus mesh system, you will must obtain the app and create an account, however I already had the Asus cell software program put in on my cellphone. I related the router node to my modem utilizing the previous’s 10GbE WAN port, related my desktop PC to the router’s 10GbE LAN port, and power-cycled my modem.
As soon as the modem was reset I powered up the router and the satellite tv for pc node and waited a minute for each LEDs to show stable blue. I tapped the + icon within the prime proper nook of the app, then tapped Set Up A New Community and ZenWiFi Collection. I then chosen the BQ16 Professional from the listing and used my cellphone’s digicam to scan the QR code on the entrance of the router node. After just a few seconds, the router was recognized, so I tapped Get Began, created a community identify and password, after which an admin identify and password. After a number of minutes, the settings have been saved and the brand new community was created and optimized. I relocated the satellite tv for pc node to my front room and was prepared for testing.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
The BQ16 Professional turned in class-leading scores in our mixed throughput efficiency assessments. The router node’s rating of two,917Mbps within the shut proximity check was the quickest we have seen from any mesh system to this point. The Netgear Orbi 970 router scored 2,209Mbps on this check, whereas the Eero Max 7 router scored 2,149Mbps and the TP-Link Deco BE63 router scored 2,288Mbps.
At a distance of 30 ft, the BQ16 Professional router garnered 855Mbps, beating the Eero Max 7 (770Mbps) and the Deco BE63 (780Mbps) however not the Orbi 970 router (916Mbps).
The BQ16 Professional satellite tv for pc node delivered an unimaginable 2,229Mbps within the shut proximity check, blowing previous the Orbi 970 (1,470Mbps), the Eero Max 7 (1,795Mbps), and the Deco BE63 node (1,922Mbps). Within the 30-foot check, the BQ16 Professional node as soon as once more led with a throughput of 1,133Mbps. The Orbi 970 node managed 1,040Mbps, the Eero Max 7 node scored 1,062Mbps, and the Deco BE63 node scored 999Mbps.
To check wi-fi sign energy, we use an Ekahau Sidekick diagnostic machine and the corporate’s Survey software program to generate a warmth map that shows Wi-Fi sign energy all through our check dwelling. (Observe: Ekahau is owned by PCMag’s mum or dad firm, Ziff Davis.) The circles on the warmth map symbolize the router and node areas, and the colours symbolize sign energy: Darkish inexperienced represents the strongest sign, lighter yellow signifies a weaker sign, and grey represents a really weak or no measurable sign.
(Credit score: Ekahau)
As proven on the map, the BQ16 Professional did a wonderful job of delivering a fairly robust mixed Wi-Fi sign to all corners of the home. (You possibly can zoom in to see the sq. footage of the assorted rooms coated.)
Verdict: Wi-Fi 7 That is Definitely worth the Expense
Blazing throughput, broad sign protection, and two 6GHz radio bands are all good causes to decide on the Asus ZenWiFi BQ16 Professional in your subsequent whole-home Wi-Fi community. It makes use of the entire newest Wi-Fi 7 applied sciences and is provided with twin 10GbE networking ports in addition to a USB port that helps cell tethering to make sure your community is all the time related to the web.
Granted, $1,099.99 for a two-piece system is dear, however these two nodes present simply as a lot protection as some three-piece techniques. We might favor to see a pair of two.5GbE LAN ports as a substitute of the 2 1GbE ports, however that is a minor gripe and would not stop the BQ16 Professional from incomes an Editors’ Alternative award for Wi-Fi 7 mesh techniques.
Execs
View
Extra
Cons
The Backside Line
The Asus ZenWiFi BQ16 Professional is a dear, highly effective Wi-Fi 7 mesh system brimming with high-end options, together with two 6GHz radio bands and two 10GbE networking ports.
Like What You are Studying?
This text could comprise promoting, offers, or affiliate hyperlinks.
By clicking the button, you verify you might be 16+ and comply with our
Terms of Use and
Privacy Policy.
You could unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
About John R. Delaney
Contributing Editor
