ASUS ZenWiFi BQ16 Quad-band WiFi 7 Mesh with dual 5GHz bands, 25 Gbps, 8000 sq.ft (2pk), Dual 10G Ports, Security & Parental Control Included, Smart Home Master SSIDs, 4G & 5G Mobile Tethering, 2 Pack

After years of testing high-end routers and networking gear for both home and professional use, I can confidently say that the BQ16 Wi-Fi 7 router is a breakthrough product. It not only outperformed my trusted ASUS GT-AX6000 but also did so in real-world scenarios that matter most: multi-wall coverage, wireless backhaul performance, and consistent VPN handling. Bought in January 2025 and now running the latest firmware as of March 2025, this device is nothing short of exceptional.The setup was straightforward and impressively fast. Using the BQ16 app, available on both Android and iOS, I had the entire mesh system up and running in under 10 minutes. The app walked me through every step intuitively, from placing nodes to optimising channels. Firmware updates were applied seamlessly during the setup, and the app has since been reliable for monitoring traffic, toggling features like QoS, and managing connected devices.In my household, I tested the router with a combination of devices: a MacBook Pro M1 (2021), a Dell XPS 15 (2023), iPad Air 5th Gen, iPhone 15 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Pixel 7, and several IoT smart devices like a Philips Hue Bridge and Google Nest Hubs. The BQ16 handled all connections effortlessly.Coverage was nothing short of jaw-dropping. My house is a detached, two-floor brick home with thick internal walls, and traditionally, getting reliable signal in the attic and back garden has been a challenge. I used a two-unit BQ16 setup with wireless backhaul, and the secondary unit was placed in a room three walls away from the main router. Despite the challenging layout, I was able to connect my main workstation via Ethernet to the backhaul unit, which in turn used Wi-Fi 7 to communicate with the primary router. The result? Full gigabit speeds, zero lag, and not a single drop during extended work sessions, video editing, or remote desktop usage.What sets this system apart is how well it handles WireGuard VPNs. On my GT-AX6000, enabling WireGuard would cut my 940 Mbps fibre connection nearly in half, hovering around 400-450 Mbps regardless of which server I used. With the BQ16, I enabled WireGuard client mode through the web interface, linked it to my favourite secure VPN provider, and tested it across multiple endpoints. The difference was astounding: I consistently achieved 880-930 Mbps while connected to VPN servers across Europe. The performance hit was minimal and within expected ranges, making this router ideal for security-focused users or remote workers who rely on encrypted connections.During tests, I ran speed benchmarks on every floor, including areas previously plagued by dead zones. My iPhone 15 Pro showed 920 Mbps download in the living room (main router location), 850 Mbps in the kitchen, and 700 Mbps in the attic. Even the garden office, situated 12 metres away through two brick walls, received a solid 450 Mbps. Streaming 4K content, cloud backups, and Zoom calls all worked concurrently without bottlenecks.Apple and Android devices seamlessly roamed between nodes with no noticeable handoff delays. My MacBook Pro performed flawlessly with sustained download speeds and no interruptions, even while moving between floors. Similarly, the Dell XPS laptop never struggled with latency, even when gaming on a 240Hz monitor connected to a dock via the backhaul LAN.The router's default settings were excellent out of the box, but I delved deeper to explore more advanced configuration options. Manual channel selection, beamforming tweaks, and VPN kill-switch integration were all present. More importantly, despite pushing every setting to its limit, I encountered zero crashes or instability. The BQ16 remained rock solid under stress testing.I researched potential issues mentioned by other users, such as rare backhaul connection drops or app pairing bugs. I discovered these can usually be resolved by disabling DFS scanning during initial setup, ensuring the same firmware version across both nodes, and restarting both units post-synchronisation. Once that was done, I never had to touch it again. I can safely say this is one of the few mesh systems where 'set it and forget it' truly applies.File transfers between local devices, such as moving raw photo folders from my MacBook to a NAS, were also extremely fast. The internal QoS prioritised Zoom and Teams calls perfectly, even while large downloads were running in the background.The 6GHz band, typically the bottleneck in Wi-Fi 6E routers due to lack of client support or interference, is well utilised here. My Pixel 7 and Galaxy S22 Ultra both leveraged Wi-Fi 7, and the connection was crisp, responsive, and consistently fast. I saw no disconnections or signal drops, even during extended gaming or streaming sessions.When it comes to the 2.5GHz band, I was particularly surprised by how well the BQ16 performed compared to the GT-AX6000. While 2.5GHz is usually slower and more congested due to device load and interference, the BQ16 managed to maintain more stable throughput and better range. In areas like the garage and utility room—where the GT-AX6000 would drop to sub-50 Mbps or disconnect entirely—the BQ16 kept a consistent 120-150 Mbps with lower ping jitter. This makes it perfect for low-priority smart devices that need reliable background access.On the 5GHz band, which is typically where premium routers shine, the BQ16 delivered far more consistent speeds across distance and barriers. With the GT-AX6000, I would often see a noticeable speed decline once I crossed two internal walls. The BQ16, however, retained high throughput even three rooms away, achieving over 900 Mbps on my iPhone 15 Pro in the furthest bedroom. Its beamforming and signal shaping seem better optimised, with devices showing less fluctuation in speed tests over time. This consistency translated into smoother 4K streaming, cloud file access, and stable low-latency gaming.I also appreciate how slim the units are and how silent they remain. There's no noisy fan, and the heat management appears to be passive yet effective. Even after extended operation in an enclosed media unit, the chassis was barely warm.To wrap it up, the BQ16 is an elite performer. It is rare to find a router that not only matches premium models on specs but actually beats them in real-world usability, especially with VPN usage and multi-wall mesh configurations. If you're coming from a high-end Wi-Fi 6 or 6E model like the GT-AX6000 and are considering the leap to Wi-Fi 7, this router will make that transition feel long overdue. Whether you're a remote worker, a gamer, or a demanding home user with dozens of devices, the BQ16 delivers on every front with confidence and consistency.

I bought 3xBT10 and got them set up and working reasonably quickly. Unfortunately the firmware auto updated overnight and I woke up to the main router stuck in a reboot loop. So begins a nightmare of trying to get the things factory reset and re-set up - lack of documentation, no way to see whats going on other than poorly documented flashing LED colors. No response from ASUS support. Eventually I got it working again however I (stupidly) then enabled 'AI protection' feature in the webUI and to my horror the primary router again entered a reboot loop. This time in spite of countless attempts to factory reset, reinstall through recovery mode, ... I was only able to get 2 of the 3 nodes back running (even this took hours). Googling finds others who have encountered the same reboot loop issues. A week later, still unable to get all three nodes working, no response from Asus support I've finally returned the product. If you choose to buy these I hope your experience is better than mine, I shall surely never get Asus kit again!

I have three of these that form my AiMesh network at home. WiFi 7 is great but still not that common so it's more about futureproofing at this stage than anything else. Being able to separate devices like IoT onto their own VLAN is perfect from a security point of view and so easy to do. I love the way the Asus front end has evolved over the years making these routers so easy to understand and configure. Even if you are a novice you can simply plug them in and go and enjoy great coverage around your house. Unless of course, you live in a castle! I have hard wired mine with Cat6a cable so that my network has a true 10Gbe backhaul. It makes copying files from my NAS and performing backups a breeze.

Speed and stability are very good, not required to reset nor restart after one moth.Setting interface is not difficult to use, I am not en expert on networking but a few steps for security are necessary and its easy to complete those steps.Wireless covering is good enough for me. Rebuilding or improving satellite connection is faster than my old Netgear 752, usually in 1 minute or less.The biggest connection issue I faced was my Brother aio printer, which could not connect to any password-protected SSID. Hence I opened the 2.4Ghz network but protecting the 2.4Ghz network with white access list, to take my printer to internet.

Just got the BQ16 set up and running today, and boy am I impressed. Upgrading from an older XT8 system.Initial setup was pretty painless, but make sure you power up both nodes (make sure they’re in the same room, a few metres apart) before you get going. Forgetting to do that means that the app doesn’t set everything up in one go, and you’ll have to add the node later. I found this to be a very painful process, especially given the main router had upgraded its own firmware, but not that of the satellite.After a small bit of messing around, everything was up and running! Coverage is excellent, and speeds that finally make full use of the Gigabit Internet access I pay through the nose for. About 829mbps, run on an iPhone 16 Pro, 1 room away from the router.Love the IoT network functionality, and the ability to create other Wireless networks if you need it. There’s even Alexa integration if you want to turn Guest Wifi on and off by voice.Mobile app is excellent, and allows you full control of the device without needing to log in to the somewhat complex Web UI. If you’re a power user, you’ll still probably want to use the Web UI.So far, the mesh is very stable and I am super happy. Previous Asus mesh systems have been known to be a little unstable through the first few firmware iterations, but everything seems to be fine so far.Definitely recommend