Asus ROG Rapture GT-BN98 router review
Asus launches the ROG Rapture GT-BN98, its first Wi-Fi 8 router, offering improved reliability and range over long distances compared to Wi-Fi 7 models, despite lower peak speeds.
Asus has released the ROG Rapture GT-BN98, the company’s first Wi-Fi 8 router, following its earlier Wi-Fi 7 model that surpassed 3,000 Mbps. The new device shares the same hardware as its predecessor but introduces Wi-Fi 8 features designed to enhance signal reliability and performance at mid-to-long range. Wi-Fi 8 is not expected to be officially ratified until late 2028, but early routers are already available despite the absence of compatible client devices.
The GT-BN98 includes multiple wired ports: one 10 Gbps WAN/LAN, one 2.5 Gbps WAN/LAN, one 10 Gbps LAN, three 2.5 Gbps LAN, and USB 3.2 Gen 1 and USB 2.0 ports. It also features a quad-core CPU with an NPU, parental controls, edge security, game acceleration, Docker, Portainer, AiQoS, multi-SSID, and support for Alexa and Google voice assistants. These features aim to improve performance in crowded networks and high-interference environments.
Testing in a Sydney weatherboard cottage compared the GT-BN98 to the TP-Link Deco BE85 Wi-Fi 7 mesh and the ROG Rapture GT-BE19000AI Wi-Fi 7 router. Up close, the GT-BN98 achieved 1,788 Mbps, trailing the BE19000AI’s 3,052 Mbps and the Deco’s 2,500 Mbps. At two rooms away, it dropped to 894 Mbps, outperforming Wi-Fi 7 rivals which struggled to exceed 500 Mbps.
In the garden, the GT-BN98 recorded 120 Mbps, significantly better than the BE19000AI’s 12 Mbps but below the Deco’s 280 Mbps with a third node. Under network load with 4K streaming, the GT-BN98 maintained 1,647 Mbps up close, 695 Mbps two rooms away, and 120 Mbps outside, demonstrating minimal performance drop-off compared to the Wi-Fi 7 mesh.