ASUS' New Outdoor Wi-Fi 7 Router Offers Everything but Tri-Band

ASUS is preparing to motorboat the ZenWiFi BD4 Outdoor, a dual-band mesh Wi-Fi 7 router designed to widen your existing wireless net strategy beyond the home. It appears to beryllium a coagulated enactment for those who ain a ample spot and are already invested (or are consenting to invest) successful the ZenWiFi ecosystem.

The ZenWiFi BD4 Outdoor supports speeds up to 3,600Mbps and features a scope of 2,530 feet. Of course, since it's a Wi-Fi 7 router, it besides provides Multi-Link Operation (MLO) stability, and it's compatible with existing ASUS AiMesh-capable routers for whole-home, multi-node Wi-Fi connectivity.

And similar different ZenWIFI routers, the BD4 Outdoor features built-in enactment for OpenVPN and WireGuard VPN services for afloat web encryption. You tin besides acceptable up 3 abstracted SSIDs done ASUS' Smart Home Master diagnostic to amended negociate IoT devices, specified arsenic astute bulbs oregon cameras.

Really, the lone happening that's missing is 6GHz connectivity—this is simply a elemental dual-band router with 5GHz and 2.4GHz antennas. Though, to beryllium fair, the BD4 Outdoor router is intended for ample outdoor spaces that are improbable to acquisition terrible wireless congestion. The 6GHz set mightiness beryllium unnecessary successful this context.

As acold arsenic durability is concerned, the BD4 Outdoor appears to beryllium rather resilient. It's IP65-certified for particulate and h2o resistance, it features integrated surge protection, and it has an operating somesthesia scope from -22 to 140 Fahrenheit (or -30 to 60 Celsius).

Just cognize that installation whitethorn necessitate a spot of elbow grease. You'll request to equine the router to a wall, tree, oregon rod (unless you're putting it successful a store oregon shed, of course), and tally powerfulness to it implicit an A/C adapter oregon PoE+ cable. The A/C adapter makes consciousness successful situations wherever you don't request a wired net connection—this is simply a mesh router, aft all—while PoE+ makes consciousness for those who prioritize velocity oregon request to instal the router extracurricular of their home's mesh Wi-Fi range.

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As a speedy broadside note, I'd similar to constituent retired that the ZenWiFi BD4 Outdoor has a reasonably large, blocky design. Other options, similar the eero Outdoor 7, are a spot slimmer and whitethorn look amended erstwhile mounted connected a wall, though the BD4 Outdoor's quality to basal up connected a level aboveground whitethorn entreaty to radical who privation to spot the router successful a store oregon shed (as good arsenic those who would similar the enactment to repurpose this router for indoor usage successful the future).

Unfortunately, the ZenWiFi BD4 Outdoor is not disposable for acquisition successful North America astatine the clip of publication. Pricing is besides a mystery, though New Zealand retailer PBTech is presently selling a ZenWiFi BD4 Outdoor two-pack for $547 AUD, which shakes retired to astir $353 USD (I expect U.S. pricing to autumn person to $300, arsenic the indoor version of this two-pack is lone $230 MSRP, but I could beryllium wrong).

Source: ASUS