Asus introduced few model of lower end wifi 7 products including Asus be3600 rt-be58u. How does this router perform compared to similar products on the market including Netgear rs100, and Archer be230?
In this article:
- Asus Lower end wifi 7 products
- Asus BE3600 router
- RT-BE58U vs Netgear vs Archer
- Asus RT-BE58U vs Netgear
- Asus RT-BE58U vs Archer
Asus Lower end wifi 7 products
Like other major networking brands, Asus offers a wide range of WiFi 7 products, from entry-level to high-end models, including both mesh systems and standalone routers. Demand is especially strong in the lower-end WiFi 7 segment compared to mid-range and high-end products. It’s no surprise, then, that most vendors – such as Asus, Netgear, and TP-Link – have introduced multiple affordable WiFi 7 options.
In the entry-level mesh WiFi 7 category, Asus offers the BD4 and BD5, which compete directly with TP-Link’s Deco BE23 and BE25. But, what about standalone WiFi 7 routers?
You’ll also find comparable options like the Orbi 370 series versus the Deco BE25 in this same segment. Or you may like to see comparison between Google nest vs Deco be25.
Asus BE3600 routers
For WiFi 7 routers, Asus provides several popular entry-level BE3600 models, including the RT-BE55 and RT-BE58. These routers compete closely with similar offerings from Netgear and TP-Link. So what sets the RT-BE55 and RT-BE58 apart? Let’s take a look at the comparison table below.
Both models belong to the same WiFi 7 class, delivering up to 3,600 Mbps of total dual-band bandwidth with 2×2 MU-MIMO support. The main difference lies in their connectivity options. While both have the same number of Ethernet ports, their configurations and features differ. The RT-BE58 includes a USB port that enables dual-WAN support, whereas the RT-BE55 does not.
Asus comparison table
Table 1 below shows spec comparison table between lower end Asus be3600 wifi 7 routers. BE55 doesn’t support multi-gig 2.4G LAN port, but WAN port. On the other hand, be58u allows you to choose either utilizing 2.5Gbps port for WAN or LAN connection.
Table 1 Asus rt-be55 vs be58u
| Asus | Asus RT-BE55 | Asus RT-BE58U |
| Wifi segment | Dual band be3600 Aimesh | Dual band be3600 Aimesh |
| Signal rates | 688Mbps @2.4GHz 2882 Mbps @5GHz | 688Mbps @2.4GHz 2882 Mbps @5GHz |
| Antennas | 4x External antennas | 4x External antennas |
| Ethernet Ports | 1x 2.5G WAN 4x 1G LAN | 1x 2.5G WAN/LAN 1x 1G WAN/LAN 3x 1G LAN |
| USB Port | N/A | 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 4G / 5G Auto mobile tethering Samba; Media Server; FTP server |
| Dual WAN | N/A | Yes; |
| Processor | 2.0GHz quad core processor 128 MB Flash 512 MB RAM | 2.0GHz quad core processor 256 MB Flash 1 GB RAM |
| SSIDs | 3x 2.4GHz 3x 5GHz | 3x 2.4GHz 3x 5GHz |
| Price (MSRP) | $129.99 | $149.99 |
Click the product’s link below to learn more details, see the current price and get best deals on Amazon.
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Now let’s see how this Asus be58u perform compared to similar products offered by TP-Link and Netgear.
Asus be3600 vs Netgear vs Archer
Considering the large market share in this lower end class, each vendor tries to present products with certain advantages compared to other products while keeping prices as reasonable as possible.
In this be3600 network segment, let’s take Asus rt-be58u and compare it with Netgear RS100, and TP-Link Archer BE230. Table 2 shows you spec comparison table for Asus vs Netgear, while table 3 is for Asus vs Archer.
All the three products deliver the same aggregated bandwidth up to 3600Mbps dual band, each band support 2×2 MU-MIMO. Both Asus and Archer are designed with 4x external antennas, while Netgear come designed with 2x internal antennas with high power amplifiers.
Ethernet Ports
All the three products support multi-gig internet speed up to 2.5Gbps. With Asus BE58U, you can use either 2.5G Port or 1G port as WAN connection. So if you subscribe internet up to 1Gbps, you can use 1G port as WAN connection, while the 2.5G port as LAN port.
Netgear RS100 only comes with 2.5G port as WAN connection, while the other four Ethernet ports are 1G for LAN connection. On the other hand, TP-Link Archer BE230 is embedded with twin 2.5G Ethernet ports for WAN and LAN connection each.
In terms of Ethernet ports, Archer BE230 is more advantage than Asus be3600 and Netgear RS100.
Dual WAN port
One thing that makes Asus BE58U set apart with the other two rivals is the dual WAN support. You can connect WAN port to the cable modem such as Arris S33 or Netgear CM2000 cable modem (if you subscribe cable Internet) for primary internet connection, and you can use USB port for Dongle 4G/5G connection for secondary mobile Internet. When the primary Internet is down, the system will fail over to the secondary internet in ‘Fail over scenario’. You can also use the load balance scenario with two internet source.
Netgear RS100 and Archer BE230 don’t support dual WAN. Netgear RS100 doesn’t come with USB port, but Archer does. However, Archer be230 with USB port doesn’t support 4G/5G dongle.
See also GL-Inet Flint 3 and Asus BE92U , middle range wifi7 routers that support dual WAN either ‘failover’ or load balance’.
Comparison table Asus vs Netgear
Table 2 Asus be3600 vs Netgear
| Asus | Asus RT-BE58U | Netgear RS100 |
| Wifi segment | Dual band be3600 Aimesh | Dual band BE3600 |
| Signal rates | 688Mbps @2.4GHz 2882 Mbps @5GHz | 688Mbps @2.4GHz 2882 Mbps @5GHz |
| Antennas | 4x External antennas | 2x high-performance internal antennas and high-power amplifiers |
| Ethernet Ports | 1x 2.5G WAN/LAN 1x 1G WAN/LAN 3x 1G LAN | 1x 2.5 Gbps internet port 4x 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports |
| USB Port | 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 4G / 5G Auto mobile tethering Samba; Media Server; FTP server | N/A |
| Dual WAN | Yes; | N/A |
| Processor | 2.0GHz quad core processor 256 MB Flash 1 GB RAM | Powerful quad-core 2.0 GHz processor |
| SSIDs | 3x 2.4GHz 3x 5GHz | 1x SSID each band |
| Price (MSRP) | $149.99 | $149.99 |
There is no price gap between Asus be3600 and Netgear RS100 (MSRP). However, prices are always dropped over time. Click the link below to see the current price and get best deal on Amazon.
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Comparison table Asus vs Archer
Table 3 below is spec comparison table for Asus and Archer in this low end category. Both introduce competing features. If you require multi-Gig internet speed up to 2Gbps, and high speed multi-gig 2.5Gbps LAN connection such as to high speed NAS, TP-Link Archer BE3600 offers better value. However, if you require internet speed under 1Gbps and dual WAN support, Asus BE58u is more advantages.
Table 3 Asus BE3600 vs Archer
| Asus | Asus RT-BE58U | TP-Link Archer BE230 |
| Wifi segment | Dual band be3600 Aimesh | Dual band be3600 Easy-Mesh compatible routers / Extender |
| Signal rates | 688Mbps @2.4GHz 2882 Mbps @5GHz | 688Mbps @2.4GHz 2882 Mbps @5GHz |
| Antennas | 4x External antennas | 4x External antennas |
| Ethernet Ports | 1x 2.5G WAN/LAN 1x 1G WAN/LAN 3x 1G LAN | 1x 2.5G WAN 1x 2.5G LAN 3x 1G LAN |
| USB Port | 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 4G / 5G Auto mobile tethering Samba; Media Server; FTP server | 1x USB 3.0 FTP Server; Media Server; Samba Server |
| Dual WAN | Yes; | N/A |
| Processor | 2.0GHz quad core processor 256 MB Flash 1 GB RAM | Quad core processor, no detail |
| SSIDs | 3x 2.4GHz 3x 5GHz | 1x 2.4GHx 1x 5GHz |
| Price (MSRP) | $149.99 | $119.99 |
The price gap between the two products is not too large. Click the product’s link t to see current price and get best deal on Amazon.
Click here to SHOP Archer BE230 on Amazon (#Ad)
Related products
For middle range wifi7 routers, you may like to see Asus RT-BE96U vs Archer vs Netgear. A comparison between the recent wifi7 router and previous wifi 6e product, see which one is better value.
For small home, see this legacy Asus XP4 powerline mesh wifi6, a mesh wifi 6 product with powerline backhaul using electrical wiring in place.