Firewalla
Firewalla Gold Pro SE
Layer-7 firewall · 10 GbE · No subscription
90
/ 100
From $729
VS
ASUS RT-BE96U wins by 2
ASUS
ASUS RT-BE96U
Wi-Fi 7 · 19 Gbps tri-band · 10G WAN
92
/ 100
From $599
Specdex verdict
ASUS RT-BE96U takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Firewalla Gold Pro SE lands at 90 and ASUS RT-BE96U at 92. That puts ASUS RT-BE96U ahead by 2 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Firewalla Gold Pro SE if…
- ✓10 GbE WAN + LAN
- ✓Best layer-7 protection without subscription
- ✓On-device Family Mode + DNS filtering
Pick ASUS RT-BE96U if…
- ✓10G WAN + 10G LAN
- ✓Tri-band 4x4 Wi-Fi 7 with 320MHz
- ✓AiMesh + AiProtection Pro included
Firewalla Gold Pro SE 90
vs 92 ASUS RT-BE96U
Score breakdown
Firewalla Gold Pro SE
90 throughput 96
range 70
features 100
ease 84
ASUS RT-BE96U
92 throughput 96
range 90
features 96
ease 78
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Firewalla Gold Pro SE | ASUS RT-BE96U |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Quad-core ARM Cortex-A76 | — |
| RAM | 8 GB | — |
| Storage | 128 GB | — |
| Ports | 10 GbE × 2 + 2.5 GbE × 4 | — |
| Concurrent connections | 500K+ | — |
| Standard | — | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) 4x4 tri-band |
| Total bandwidth | — | 19000 Mbps |
| WAN | — | 10 Gbps |
| LAN | — | 1× 10G + 4× 1G |
| USB | — | 2× USB 3.0 |
| Coverage | — | ~3500 sq ft |
Firewalla Gold Pro SE
Pros
- +10 GbE WAN + LAN
- +Best layer-7 protection without subscription
- +On-device Family Mode + DNS filtering
Cons
- −Steeper learning curve vs eero
- −No built-in Wi-Fi (need separate APs)
- −Mobile-app-centric setup
ASUS RT-BE96U
Pros
- +10G WAN + 10G LAN
- +Tri-band 4x4 Wi-Fi 7 with 320MHz
- +AiMesh + AiProtection Pro included
Cons
- −Antennas not removable
- −Pricey vs Wi-Fi 6E
- −Web UI cluttered
FAQ: Firewalla Gold Pro SE vs ASUS RT-BE96U
Which is better, Firewalla Gold Pro SE or ASUS RT-BE96U? +
ASUS RT-BE96U scores 92 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 2. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Firewalla Gold Pro SE worth the price? +
At $729, Firewalla Gold Pro SE delivers a Specdex score of 90 — strongest in features.
Is ASUS RT-BE96U worth the price? +
At $599, ASUS RT-BE96U delivers a Specdex score of 92 — strongest in throughput.
Does Firewalla Gold Pro SE or ASUS RT-BE96U last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.