ASUS ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Wi-Fi 7 quad-band router with gaming at its heart (network review)

20/03/2024
By Ray Shaw
In Reviews

If looks could kill, then the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Wi-Fi 7 router is a master assassin. It is the biggest, boldest, baddest, most aggressive, and colourful eight-antenna demigod of gaming routers.

Of course, looks are not everything – performance is the key. The ASUS ROG Rapture GT-BE98 B E25000 does not disappoint, but neither does the TP-Link Archer BE800 Wi-Fi 7 Tri-Band BE19000 or Netgear RS700S Wi-Fi 7 BE19000 tri-band router. Why? Because all must conform to Australia’s Wi-Fi 7 certification standards. The difference is its interface and focus on gaming.

ASUS also makes a GT-BE98 Pro BE30000 quad-band version (for the USA and markets with the full 6GHz bandwidth split into two). Warning: most reviews are for this model and do not apply to the Australian model.

ASUS also makes a non-gaming version, RT-BE96 BE19000 (with only one 5Ghz band), with the same internals but a consumer-focused interface. This is not currently sold in Australia.

Consumer Advice: Don’t buy grey market – it likely won’t work here

Because Australia only has 500Mhz of the 12000MHz 6GHz Wi-Fi 7 band (42% and one 320Mhz band instead of two or three), its firmware and Wi-Fi transmission strengths differ. There is a lot more power and bandwidth that could be unlocked if ACMA ever approves it.

You can quickly tell if the router has an R-NZ C-Tick on the external box and the sticker under it. Wikipedia has the approved country bands (look at 6Ghz).

ASUS can update Australian firmware if the ACMA ever releases more 6GHz bandwidth.

Read: Wi-Fi 7 BE – what it means to you.

Australian Review: ASUS ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Wi-Fi 7 router

Website	Product Page PDF Manual
Price	$1499
From	ASUS Online and reputable computer specialists.
Warranty	3-year ACL
Made in	China
About	Asustek Computer is a Taiwanese company that produces motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, PDAs, computer monitors, notebook computers, servers, networking products, mobile phones, computer cases, computer components, and computer cooling systems.
More	CyberShack ASUS news and reviews

We use Fail (below expectations), Passable (meets low expectations), Pass (meets expectations), Pass+ (near Exceed but not class-leading) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. You can click on most images for an enlargement.

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-BE98 BE2500 Base Specs

2.4GHz 4 x 4, 20/40MHz up to 1367Mbps (AX devices limited to 1148 but typically 233Mbps)
5GHz 4 x 4, 20/40/80/160MHz up to 5764Mbps (AX devices limited to 2402 but typically 1201)
5GHz 2 – as above
6GHz 4 x 4 20/40/80/160/320Mhz up to 11529Mpbs (limited by ACMA to 4800Mbps). BE Devices are limited to 5765Mbps, but depending on MLO and other factors, that may be 4800Mpbs in Australia.
8 antenna, 8 Tx and 8 Rx streams
Wi-Fi 7 features OFDMA, Beamforming, 4096QAM, Multi-Link, Multi-RU. MLO.
10Gbps Ethernet WAN (internet) or LAN
2.5Gbps WAN (internet) or LAN
10Gbps LAN
3 x 2.5Gbps LAN
1Gbps LAN
USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 5Gbps and 4g/5G dongle or smart phone failover support
USB-A 2.0 (480Mbps)
Power: 19.5V/3.33/65W power brick
350.41 x 350.41 x 220.6mm x 2kg including antenna height
OS: ASUSWRT 4.0 (Linux)
Desktop placement
Processor: Not specified. 2.6Ghz probably Broadcom BCM4916 with two 4×4 BCM6726 (2.4/5GHz) and 1 x BCM67263 (6Ghz) radio chips (See here). It is also used in the Netgear RS700S Wi-Fi 7 BE19000 tri-band router
Storage/RAM: 256MB FLASH and 2GB DDR4 RAM

First Impression – WOW, if you like that sort of thing – Exceed

With the caveat that, as a non-gamer, I much prefer more austere and elegant routers, this is certainly designed for the in-your-face gamer. It is ASUS’s take on a big, black, menacing, upside-down spider!

It is best to say that it has copious gaming OS features, programmable Aura RGB light, 10Gbps ports, and AiMesh expansion compatibility, and those mean looks.

Perhaps the most important thing is the number of Ethernet ports—seven in total, with two supporting 10Gb WAN or LAN (20Gb aggregation coming). This is an excellent device for distributing 2.5Gb or faster Ethernet LAN.

Placement – critical

It is big—350 mm square and 220mm high—and the antenna and thermal design (no fans) mean it must be placed on a desktop or bookshelf—not wall-mounted. The eight antennae are non-detachable and can be angled up to 45°.

Remember that standard Wi-Fi transmits a signal in a circle around the router. To get the best signal for Wi-Fi 6E and 7, place it in the centre and preferably line-of-sight of most user devices. The worst places are:

In a far corner of a home or garage
Against an external wall (half the signal is wasted outside)
In a cupboard or under the stairs
On a floor away from where the primary users are.

Why? Wi-Fi 6E and 7 use the 6GHz band with a maximum effective transmission distance of about 7-8 metres line-of-sight. Each time the signal passes through walls, floors, windows, cupboards, etc., it effectively halves the transmission strength.

Read: Fix Wi-Fi blackspots fast and often at no cost.

Setup – Pass if you accept defaults

Setup is either via the ASUS Router app or via the Web interface. The App does not require an account, but certain functions are limited unless you bind the app to a social media account. That has privacy implications.

We won’t go through the setup as there are so many options in the 160-page manual. The router will detect if it needs a firmware update. The defaults are fine; if you are a gamer, you will know what other features to enable.

Hint: If you use the same SSID and passwords as your old router, all devices will reconnect (with a power off/on at worst).

Default SSID names are (these can be renamed the Wi-Fi section of the setup).

2.4G Wi-Fi Name (SSID): ASUS_XX_2G
5G-1 Wi-Fi Name (SSID): ASUS_XX_5G-1
5G-2 Wi-Fi Name (SSID): ASUS_XX_5G-2
6G Wi-Fi Name (SSID): ASUS_XX_6G

Hint: This router connects via the RJ-45 Ethernet Port and directly connects to NBN FTTP or HFC Cable boxes. If you have FTTN or other connections using a phone cable, you need a VDSL Modem/gateway and connect by RJ-45 to its LAN port. If possible, disable the gateway Wi-Fi.

Screenshots of the router operating system are at the end of the review. Where an item appears in a red box, it is to access a sub-menu (not shown). Full details are in the manual link.

Coverage – Pass+

2.4GHz range (before -dBm is unusable) 30m or 2800m2
5GHz range 10-15m or 700m2
6GHz range 7-10m or 150m2
Wi-Fi congestion 2.4/5GHz – the router does not appear to have significant AI to adjust channels to lesser-used ones. TP-Link has a self-healing function that handles this better.

The coverage areas are pretty similar to other Wi-Fi 7 routers. The problem is that most homes are not round. The typical modern home is about 30m long x 15m wide, or 450m2. A lot of Wi-Fi coverage is wasted and ends up leaking outside.

Connections – Pass+

ASUS makes no claims about the number of devices that can be connected, and we cannot test that claim. However, as it uses the same processor as the Netgear RS700S, we can make similar assumptions of 100-200.

We attached 55 devices, and it performed flawlessly. Like all router reviews, we recommend connecting bandwidth hogs like TVs and video streamers via Ethernet cable to leave Wi-Fi less congested.

Guest Network – Exceed

It has innovative options, including a business template to set up a free customer Wi-Fi.

Create a Guest Portal for free Wi-Fi at a business.
Guest Network with timer, bandwidth limiter and band selection.
Kids Network (content and block network scheduling).
IoT Network – WPA off, 2.4GHz only.
VPN Network.

Voice Assist – Pass

Alexa or Google can control this. Commands are limited to:

Enable/disable/schedule guest network.
Pause/resume internet.
Enable/disable game mode
Enable/disable media streaming
WPS
Reboot

AiProtection and more (not tested) – Pass if you need them

AiProtection, Traffic Analyser, Apps Analyser, QoS/Game boot/Game IPS, and Web history are subject to Trend Micro End User Licence Agreement.

Family Members (not tested) – Pass

Settings for preschool, school-age, teen, and adult users to create profiles.

Gaming – Exceed

Windows 11 Wi-Fi 7 (support coming 24H2 update)

Missing

MLO aggregates two or more Wi-Fi bands into a single SSID. It is available now on Android Wi-Fi 7 devices.
Automatic Frequency Coordination – checks the 6GHz database to avoid conflict with other devices. If there is no conflict, it can increase transmit power.

Router Test Port Speeds (Cat 6a) – Pass+

Using Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra(Wi-Fi 7 2×2) and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio (Wi-Fi 6E 2×2)

10GGbps WAN—As we only have 100/20Mbps NBN, we cannot test this fully, but we understand that only a Fibre connection can reach above 8Gbps.
10Gbps LAN – sustained 6000-6500Mbps (about the same as Netgear RS7000S and a little faster than TP-Link BE-85).
2.5Gbps LAN – 2400Mbps.
1Gbps LAN – 1000Mbps.
USB- A 3.2 Gen 1 – sustained read 150-200MBps.

Router Speed and connection tests 5 and 6GHz (Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra/Internet speeds NBN 100/20)

(L) is the 6GHz, and (R) is the 5GHz download/upload internet speeds. This shows that 6GHz drops quickly as you move further away. The 5m (two walls and built-in cupboards) and 10m LOS (line-of-sight) are similar and demonstrate how 6GHz is more affected by walls.

The router gives maximum download/upload speeds out to 10m on 6G and 5G.

6G signal strengths become unusable at 5m through walls where 5G are fine.

6G Rx receive (from the router) is as expected, but 5G performs so much better.

TYx Speeds to the router are as expected, but again, 5G has more reach.

At present, we can only test with a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Wi-Fi 7 2×2 phone, and that reflects the issue – there is a lack of Wi-Fi 6E and 7 devices, and these really only achieve good speeds with line of sight and closer to the router.

Power – heavy user

It consumes 20-22 watts when idle and increases to 30+W under load. There is no sleep mode. This is typical of Wi-Fi 7 routers.

Heat – Pass

It uses passive cooling with heatsinks rather than fans. Place it on a surface that will not be affected by heat.

AiMesh (Not tested)

Selected ASUS routers are AiMesh compatible. That means it can join two or more routers via Ethernet or 5GHz Wi-Fi backhaul (best with Tri-band 2.4Ghz/5Ghz 1 and 5GHz 2 bands and between 5-10m from the main router). This offers a single SSID and password for seamless roaming.

This will AiMesh with other ASUS Wi-Fi 6 AX, 6E AXE, and 7 BE routers. You can also use a Wi-Fi 5 5Ghz, but it will not be very fast.

Should I buy Wi-Fi 7?

Don’t rush out if you have a Wi-Fi 6 or 6E router. These will likely last you until Wi-Fi 8 comes out in late 2025/early 2026, and who knows what magic that will bring.

If you have Wi-Fi 5 AC or earlier or your ISP-supplied current router is not up to speed, then for $1499, this will give superb Wi-Fi speeds and carry big loads. Of course, you will still have the same NBN speed, but the Wi-Fi 7 router will manage that far more effectively.

CyberShack’s view – ASUS ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Wi-Fi 7 quad-band router is for gamers

As tech-savvy, we knew what to expect—four bands, heaps of signal power, and a focus on gaming. However, it would be total overkill for consumers like Joe and Jan Average, who would be happy with a Wi-Fi 6 AX or 6E AXE router or mesh.

It is undoubtedly an excellent gaming router, ticking every box and then some.

We have a few concerns—none merit a markdown score in any area. It does not appear to switch bands quickly to less congested ones, something TP-Link does.

We had some variables in the speed test results. It was not as much of a problem, but you could tell it was not quite getting the download throughput—again, that righted itself fairly quickly.

ASUS is pretty good at updating the firmware to fix issues, and to be fair, this is a new router.

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Wi-Fi 7 quad-band router ratings

Features: 90 – One of the most fully featured gaming-focused operating systems, which allows you to do almost anything another Wi-Fi 7 router can do.
Performance: 90 – Superb performance as expected from a high-end router
Value: 90 – Gamers won’t worry about price, but there are lower-cost Wi-Fi 7 routers offering similar performance.
Ease of Use: 90 – Gamers will love it. However, it is a comprehensive app with too many choices for Joe and Jane Average.
Design: 90 – Gamers will love it. However, it is too polarising for Joe and Jane Average who don’t need such a statement in their loungeroom.

Web interface screenshots – click to enlarge and use the browser back arrow to return to the review.