Asus RT-BE86U vs Asus RT-BE90U

The Asus RT-BE90U on balance, costing a little less with a slightly better owner rating and adding a 6 GHz radio for a 9.4 Gbps combined rating. The Asus RT-BE86U wins if you need its 10 Gbps WAN and LAN ports.

Only the Asus RT-BE90U, with a 5764 Mbps 6 GHz radio on top of its 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. The Asus RT-BE86U is dual-band, so Wi-Fi 7 clients there share the 5 GHz band with everything else.

The Asus RT-BE86U, with a 10 Gbps WAN port and a 10 Gbps LAN port plus four 2.5G jacks. The Asus RT-BE90U tops out at 2.5 Gbps, which caps what a multi-gig internet plan or a fast NAS can deliver.

The Asus RT-BE90U, rated at 9.4 Gbps combined against 6.8 Gbps, thanks to that extra 6 GHz radio. In practice the benefit depends on having Wi-Fi 7 or Wi-Fi 6E devices that can use the band.

Yes. Both the Asus RT-BE86U and the Asus RT-BE90U support AiMesh, so either can be paired with other compatible Asus units to extend coverage later.

Anyone with a multi-gig internet connection or a 10 Gbps wired device such as a NAS, who values wired throughput over having a dedicated 6 GHz band.

Buyers with modern Wi-Fi 7 or 6E devices who want the cleaner 6 GHz band and the higher wireless ceiling, and whose internet service and wired gear are happy at 2.5 Gbps.