Asus RT-BE86U vs TP-Link Deco BE25

The TP-Link Deco BE25 wins on price as the cheaper way into Wi-Fi 7 mesh, and owner ratings are essentially tied between the two. The Asus RT-BE86U is the stronger choice if you want its 10G port, WireGuard VPN and a longer warranty in a single router.

The Asus RT-BE86U is a standalone router with a 10G port and AsusWRT's deep controls, while the TP-Link Deco BE25 is an entry-level mesh system with two 2.5G ports per unit that you expand by adding nodes rather than upgrading a single box.

No, neither does. Both are dual-band Wi-Fi 7 products using only the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. Buyers who want 6 GHz would need to look at a tri-band model on either side.

The Asus RT-BE86U, with a 10G port among its five ports and a USB port for network storage over FTP or Samba. The TP-Link Deco BE25 offers just two 2.5G ports per unit and no USB port, so it has no network storage option.

Buy the TP-Link Deco BE25 for the cheapest path into Wi-Fi 7 mesh with easy node-by-node expansion. Buy the Asus RT-BE86U if you want a 10G port, WireGuard VPN and Asus's deeper configuration options in one router.