The ZenWiFi BN12 is now shipping, a tri-band mesh router that ASUS calls the world's first WiFi 8 mesh system, built on the 802.11bn generation. ASUS lists it in one-, two- and three-node packs.
ASUS says the router was first shown at Computex and treats reliability as the point of the new generation, not peak speed. It names new modulation and coding rates, Unequal Modulation, Non-Primary Channel Access and Multi-Access Point Coordination among the WiFi 8 features, and says the generation brings steadier throughput at mid and long range and firmer links to low-power smart-home devices.
The 19Gbps headline is a sum of three bands. ASUS rates the 6GHz band at up to 11,529 Mbps. The 5GHz band adds 5,764 Mbps. The 2.4GHz band's 1,376 Mbps brings the total to 18,669 Mbps, under the BN19000 class label.
The 240MHz channel width may be unavailable on the 5GHz band in Europe and Australia because of regulatory limits, ASUS notes. Each band runs 4x4, and the hardware is a 2.6GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM and 256MB of flash, behind eight internal antennas.
On the wired side, BN12 has two 10G Ethernet ports and three 2.5G ports, with one of each able to serve as the WAN port, plus a USB 3.2 Gen1 port. ASUS says the 10G pair doubles as wired backhaul between nodes, and the product page rates one node for up to 3,500 square feet and a two-pack for up to 7,000. USB 4G and 5G tethering can serve as a backup internet connection.
On the software side, Adaptive QoE reprioritizes traffic as conditions change, where traditional QoS relies on fixed classes, and WiFi Insight scans for WiFi and non-WiFi interference and keeps a 24-hour history log. The router also includes AiProtection, Safe Browsing, Triple DNS Guard and parental controls, with WireGuard and OpenVPN among the VPN client and server options.
ASUS has not announced a price for the ZenWiFi BN12 and says it may not be available in all markets. The BN12 supports AiMesh, which lets compatible ASUS routers work together as one network.
