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After months of waiting for the wireless driver updates, I finally got to test the long-promised MLO feature on some budget-friendly access points like the Zyxel NWA130BE and Ubiquiti U7 Pro, as well as on some ASUS routers like the RT-BE88U and TUF-BE3600. I admit I was skeptical about the performance on cheaper devices, but the results surprised me—at least with some models.
The RT-BE88U impressed me with its large variety of ports, including a robust selection of ports (2.5GbE, 10Gbps, and an SFP+ slot), enhanced RAM, and a powerful CPU. It handles demanding applications like VPNs well, but its MLO performance showed mixed results. Near the router, using MLO (I aggregated 5GHz and 2.4GHz radios), it delivered improved throughput, but the gains diminished with distance. Latency was a major downside, with bufferbloat averaging 250ms—far from ideal.
The TUF-BE3600, however, was a letdown. It lacks the 6GHz band, only includes a single 2.5GbE port, and its MLO performance failed to justify its steep price. Throughput and latency were underwhelming, and at long ranges, the MLO network often disappeared altogether.
My takeaway? Don’t buy an ASUS router solely for MLO. Better options exist in the same price range, offering superior performance and stability. While the RT-BE88U’s additional features may justify its price, the TUF-BE3600 falls short. Check out the full article for detailed benchmarks and insights.
Can anyone recommend a router with solid MLO performance that justifies its price point, particularly for long-range usage?
@ZacharyPerez Just go with the U7 Pro or the Zyxel NWA130BE if MLO is important to you.
Given the mixed results of MLO performance on these ASUS routers, I’m curious about the Ubiquiti U7 Pro and Zyxel NWA130BE mentioned in the post. How do they compare in terms of MLO performance, and do they offer any additional features that make them worth the price for long-range usage?
@JacquelineChambers Both these two APs perform better and I do suggest you go with a dedicated AP + switch + gateway instead of the 3 in one router, but it’s a question of budget and whether you actually need such a system. Do you have a small home network? If yes, then it’s probably going to be overkill, otherwise, the sky is the limit.
How does the MLO performance of the RT-BE88U hold up in a household with multiple devices connected, especially during peak usage hours?
How’s the MLO performance on the RT-BE88U when you’re gaming and streaming in 4K simultaneously? Any lag or buffering issues you’ve encountered?
How does the MLO performance of the ASUS RT-BE88U compare when you’re in a different room or on a different floor from the router?
@Emily87 I did run some tests with 4K streaming and uncapped downloading which you can check out in the full article. It really depends on the used bandwidth, but just for a couple of clients, the BE88U should do fine.
@TeresaSimmons I did run the MLO tests near the router, at about 30 feet (9 meters) and 70 feet (21 meters). It should be enough to get an idea about what to expect.
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