ASUS ZenWiFi BT10 Review

After reviewing the ASUS ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro, testing the cheaper BT10 system seemed a little pointless, given that the only real difference between the two systems is the number of radios they have: four in the BQ16 Pro and three in the BT10. But what’s a review without a few benchmarks, right?

First, the 6 GHz benchmarks are on par with what I tested with the BQ16 Pro and NETGEAR Orbi 970 systems. All three tested slightly lower than what I can squeeze out of a standalone Wi-Fi 7 router, but mesh systems are designed to dodge corners, not blast Wi-Fi into the next county.

Next, looking at the 5 GHz tests, the only callout is that the BT10 and BQ16 Pro delivered slightly faster speeds in my bedroom than the Orbi 970. The signals must pass through extensive ceramic tile, steel, wood, and drywall to reach the satellite unit, so I’m surprised the results aren’t lower.

Finally, the BT10 clearly outperformed the Orbi 970 in my 2.4 GHz benchmarks. With the latter system, it’s unclear if an oversight—such as not forcing a 40 MHz channel width—affected the results.

Turning to the wireless backhaul, the results are hard to decipher. I ran multiple tests on the BT10 in hopes of matching the top speeds I recorded with the BQ16 Pro, but something tells me I was striving for the unachievable. The BQ16 Pro has a second 6 GHz radio, and the BT10 doesn’t, so I can only assume the BQ16 Pro took advantage of the two 6 GHz radios to achieve a faster backhaul throughput.

Still, the BT10’s backhaul is the most symmetrical among Wi-Fi 7 mesh systems I’ve tested. Opt for Ethernet to prevent the backhaul from interfering with your Wi-Fi devices—the top wired speed is around 9.4Gbps.

ASUS crams loads of free features into its latest Wi-Fi 7 products, while the competition wants you to pay for subscriptions. Here’s what you get for the price:

• Mesh networking (AiMesh only)
• Free security powered by Trend Micro (AiProtection)
• Free profile-based parental controls
• USB-based media streaming and sharing
• USB-based printer sharing
• USB-based 4G/5G tethering
• Free VPN tools (server, client, and a mobile-based connection)
• Multiple SSIDs (I created at least five)
• Cloud-based file sharing (AiCloud 2.0)
• Dual WAN connectivity with failover and load balancing support
• Five-year warranty

One of the major callouts here is the system’s ability to support two internet connections simultaneously. Usually, you’ll see this feature in business access points, but I’m seeing a growing trend of offering it on residential products too. So, if your primary internet goes out, the secondary one kicks in. Or, you can balance the load between the two connections.

What the BT10 could do better

• One interface to manage it all
• EasyMesh support

Technically, you can access the web interface using a mobile or desktop browser, but it’s designed for power users, whereas the app is not. Having one interface with all the settings is ideal.

As for EasyMesh, ASUS says its AiMesh technology is only offered for the best compatibility. EasyMesh would allow you to pair this system with any off-brand system and router that supports it.

The ZenWiFi BT10 has a great design for the money. It packs things like 10Gbps wired connectivity, link aggregation (if you’re using the 1Gbps WAN port), and 5G internet backup support via the USB port. The stream count allows up to five Wi-Fi devices to download simultaneously at full speed. Alternatively, if ten Wi-Fi devices are connected, each downloads at half of their maximum possible speed.

I wish every router and mesh system had a setup like the one I experienced with the ZenWiFi BT10. The process was stupid simple: Connect to the router unit (it’s marked as such), cycle through the satellite placement instructions, set the network name and password, and update the firmware. Boom, there you go—you’re online and streaming cat videos in minutes (guilty). No weird settings to figure out. No security Q&A to complete.

The good news with the BT10 is that you’re not restricted to a single app to manage your home network, unlike other mesh systems. Many mesh systems I’ve tested use simplified apps, preventing you from changing Wi-Fi channels and similar settings. If a mesh system offers a web interface, it typically displays only essential information about the system.

The bad news with the BT10 is that you must use both its web interface and app to fully control your home network. For example, the app can’t change Wi-Fi channels, adjust channel widths, or toggle link aggregation. But unlike the web UI, the app lets you create profiles, assign devices, and set content filters.

Having a single interface to cover every setting would be ideal, but that is unlikely since the web UI targets power users, and apps focus on average users. Both excel in their roles, so there are no major complaints.