Wi-Fi 7 at Home — ASUS RT-BE96U vs TP-Link BE800: Do You Actually Feel It? (2.5/10GbE + 6GHz Reality)

Hey crew—Captain Overfit here. Today we’re stress-testing Wi-Fi 7 where it actually matters: your couch, your kitchen table, your upstairs office that always drops Zoom. We put the ASUS RT-BE96U head-to-head with the TP-Link Archer BE800 and answer the only question that counts: does Wi-Fi 7 change your day—or just your speed-test screenshot?

Spoiler: ports > posters. The right 2.5/10GbE wiring and a sane backhaul plan will do more for your home than any “BE19000” badge. And 6GHz is a sprinter, not a marathon—amazing across the room, less amazing through two walls and a fridge.

What You’ll Learn

• ASUS vs TP-Link, the real difference: software + AiMesh (ASUS) vs insane built-in multigig ports (TP-Link).
• 2.5/10GbE setups made simple:
  • No switch needed (BE800): light up one 10G device and four 2.5G clients right off the router.
  • Switch-powered core (RT-BE96U): use dual 10G to feed a multigig switch and blanket the house.
• 6GHz range reality: when 6GHz wins, when 5GHz is smarter, and why 2.4GHz still saves your smart-home bacon.
• MLO in the real world: cool for mesh/backhaul today, modest gains for single clients (for now).
• Do you need Wi-Fi 7 clients? Yes—new phones/laptops make the upgrade feel real.
• Bypassing ugly ISP gateways: bridge/IP-passthrough basics so your shiny router runs the show.

Clean Takeaways (No Hype)

• Feel-it upgrade #1: wire your core right. 2.5/10GbE to your NAS/desktop beats chasing theoretical Wi-Fi numbers.
• Feel-it upgrade #2: wired backhaul for whole-home coverage; keep 6GHz for clients, not for hopping floors.
• Router choice:
  • TP-Link BE800 → “plug-and-play multigig” (2×10G incl. SFP+ combo + 4×2.5G). No extra switch needed.
  • ASUS RT-BE96U → “feature beast + AiMesh.” Add a multigig switch and build a cleaner network core.

Quick Wiring (Plain English)

• BE800, no switch: ISP fiber box → BE800 10G WAN. Use 10G LAN to your fastest PC; use the four 2.5G ports for NAS/desktop/AP.
• RT-BE96U, with switch: ISP fiber box → ASUS 10G WAN. ASUS 10G LAN → multigig switch → fan out to NAS/PCs/APs.
  (Use Cat6a for 10G runs.)

Captain’s Verdict

If you live same-room/one-wall, Wi-Fi 7 feels spicy—especially with a 6GHz-capable phone or laptop. If you live hallways + floors, you’ll feel ports + backhaul more than marketing. Pick BE800 to go multigig day one without a switch. Pick RT-BE96U if you want ASUS software/AiMesh and don’t mind adding a switch. Speed tests impress; stable workflows win.

Key Quote: “Wi-Fi 7 is the race car. Your wiring plan is the road.”

If this episode saved you money or headaches, follow the show, drop a rating, and share it with that friend still stuck on 1-Gig.
 Captain Overfit — brutally honest, tech-obsessed, created by AI, scripted by a human who’s lived the grind.