First Wi-Fi 8 router tested

Asus has released the ROG Rapture GT-BN98 Pro, a quad-band Wi-Fi 8 gaming router. The standard is not yet finalized, so the router will be updated as certification approaches.

Testing required two routers

To test Wi-Fi 8 benefits, the reviewer connected two Asus ROG Rapture GT-BN98 Pro routers together, since Wi-Fi 8 compatible devices are not yet available in the real world.

Impressive performance out of the box

After a couple of weeks of testing, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-BN98 Pro proved reliable from launch, unlike early Wi-Fi 7 Asus systems which needed several firmware updates to reach stability.

Enormous size with eight antennas

The router is around fourteen inches square and nine inches tall with permanently affixed adjustable antennas. It resembles a giant dead mecha spider and does not fit comfortably in usual router spots.

Thermal design keeps it cool

Multiple heatsinks and airflow channels allow the router to operate at top performance reliably without a noisy fan. It remained silent and cool to the touch throughout a month of testing.

Generous array of ports

The router includes a ten gigabit per second WAN/LAN, a ten gigabit per second LAN, four two point five gigabit per second ports, one one gigabit per second LAN, USB three point two Gen one…

Powerful internal specifications

Inside is Broadcom's BCM six seven one eight Wi-Fi chip with a two point six gigahertz quad-core processor, two hundred fifty six megabytes of Flash memory, and two gigabytes of DDR four RAM.

Real-world speeds exceed expectations

The router delivered up to three gigabits per second in the same room, around one gigabit per second through a wall, and three hundred fifty megabits per second at the bottom of a thick-walled garden.

Faster than Wi-Fi 7 predecessor

Compared to the tri-band Wi-Fi seven Asus RT-BE96U, the GT-BN98 Pro proved slightly faster at all distances and longer-range across every band, with an extra six gigahertz band for wireless backhaul.

Gaming features prioritize stability

Wi-Fi eight aims to improve stability and reliability with features that compensate for interference and reduce latency. The router recognizes gaming devices and streams, giving them priority automatically.

No subscription required

Asus eschews the subscription model, offering robust security software, parental controls, VPN support, and a year of NordVPN service included with the router at no extra cost.

Worth buying now for gamers

At nine hundred dollars, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-BN98 Pro is an expensive early adopter purchase.

“if gaming is the thing in your home and you have the money, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-BN98 Pro is worth buying, even now.”