As someone who doesn’t have a fixed work office, quick, reliable, and high-speed internet availability is a must in my time-critical field.  I was excited when ASUS’s new RT-BE58 Go Travel Router landed on my desk. ASUS has long been known for its superior chip technology in its router range. In the case of the ASUS RT-BE58 Go Travel Router, a 2.0 GHz quad-core CPU, coupled with feature-rich software and a mobile application, completes the package.

The ASUS RT-BE58 Go Travel Router gives the portable router market an upgrade with the Dual Band WiFi 7 capabilities and Tri-mode connectivity for those of us that are always on the go, and mixes in mobile tethering on the 4G/5G network, which is the important part for me, so let’s see how this little pocket rocket stacks up.

Opening the box, you are greeted with three plug adapters for your router, which is handy if you are travelling overseas, as you won’t need to buy any adapters. What’s striking at first glance is the size of this router. Coming in at 9.9 cm x 11cm x 3.6cm and only weighs 0.2kg. These dimensions change once the two compact antennas on the side are folded up, a feature I feel many portable routers are missing these days, and that’s needed to get through to those “dead spots” in large brick buildings I visit regularly for work. A nice touch as well is that a second sticker is provided on the router with all the passwords to keep in a safe space in case of wear and tear on the bottom of the router, as it is portable.

The router is a standard, stylish white matte colour with ASUS’s logo on top. Unfortunately, it won’t stay this colour for long in my laptop bag as it’s the survival of the fittest in there! I feel a darker or black version would have been a better option for something that is portable and meant to move around a lot.

The front of the router has one RGB LED, vents on the front and the side, and, once the antennas are up, this compact unit gets great ventilation, as well as small rubber feet to lift the router off the ground. Working left to right on the rear of the router, you have the LAN port (1 GBE) and the WAN port (2.5 GBE) if you are hardwiring the router.

Impressive speeds for something so compact. Reset button, no explanation needed. Type C port for charging and connecting, and finally a USB 3 port, which can be used for 4G or 5G tethering. The single-button multifunction button on the side can be configured via ASUS software for various functions, giving you one-touch access if you wish to switch between modes.

There are currently five modes you can choose from to run this router in.

1. Wireless router mode (default).
2. Access Portal (AP) Mode – Router acts as a bridge, useful for extending the range of your existing WiFi network and meshing with ASUS AiMesh system
3. Repeater Mode – Similar to the above, the router will connect to an existing network and repeat the signal into dead zones within the network.
4. Media Bridge – Converting the routers into a wireless client, allowing connection to the main WiFi and providing ethernet access to nearby devices.
5. Public WIFI – WISP – Connecting to public WiFi to act as an internet source while creating a private and secure local network for your devices.

Tethering from my iPhone to my surprise was extremely easy; it was plug-and-play, no complex setup, just plug into the Type-C port, and I was up and going. That’s the strength of this pocket rocket: Tri-Mode connectivity, giving you the flexibility for work or home. Once you set up the button on the side as well, you can switch between all the above modes with a single push. Once I finish my rounds at work, I head home and connect to my VPN network, which the ASUS RT-BE58 Go Travel Router fully supports out of the box.

With the ASUS RT-BE58 Go Travel Router, you can lock into WISP mode with the triple-level protection and create a private network for your devices while using public WiFi. Using ASUS’s trusted, time-tested AiProtection in partnership with Trend Micro, you can browse knowing you are safe, and that the system is monitoring any threats and connections that we all know too well are lurking on public WiFi networks.

The only downside is that the router has to restart every time you join a new network, which can take 1-2 minutes, nothing major, just more of an inconvenience, but this is more than made up for with the promised 20% faster network processing compared to its competition.

Another handy feature when travelling is the option to connect the router to an in-room WiFi source, which I can appreciate, having kids. Negating the need to set up multiple media devices. Pushing out 3600 Mbps over dual bands, the router easily keeps up with multiple devices accessing the bandwidth, far from the 150 devices it’s advertised as handling. Admittedly, it only uses the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, leaving out the faster 6 GHz band.

The software that comes with the ASUS RT-BE58 Go Travel Router also has a neat scheduling system for access, so I can control when and how long the internet stays on, which, as a parent, is a must. There are also parental controls so I can restrict access to content that isn’t meant to be seen, so as a parent, it ticks all the boxes. Another handy option is when I  have guests over to the house, I can set up a guest portal so they don’t have access to the main WiFi or the home VPN.

I have been impressed by the ASUS RT-BE58 Go Travel Router’s size and features, built into its stylish, compact design. It has found a niche in the travel router market and gone all in. With its Tri-Mode connectivity and multi-function customisation button, you can switch from work to play in seconds. The price point is sharp and provides great value for money. If you travel a lot for work, use public WiFi, or just want to boost your home mesh setup, the ASUS RT-BE58 Go Travel Router can do that and more, giving you bang for your buck. When buying ASUS, you know you are getting the culmination of years of experience and expertise, and this product is an extension of that.

Technical Specifications

Product Segment

• BE3600 ultimate BE performance : 688+2882 Mbps

WiFi Data Rate

• WiFi 7 (802.11be) (2.4GHz): up to 688 Mbps
• WiFi 7 (802.11be) (5GHz): up to 2882 Mbps

Antenna

• Enternal Antenna x 2

Transmit / Receive

• 2.4GHz 2×2
• 5GHz 2×2
• Processor
• 2.0 GHz Quad-core

Memory

• DDR4 RAM 1GB；Flash 256MB

Operating Frequency

• 2.4 GHz
• 5 GHz

Operating Mode

• Wireless Router Mode
• AiMesh Node Mode
• Range Extender Mode
• Access Point Mode
• Media Bridge Mode
• Repeater Mode
• Public WiFi Mode (WISP)

I/O Ports

• 2.5Gbps WAN X 1
• 1Gbps LAN X 1
• USB-A for mobile tethering X 1
• USB-C for power X 1

Power Supply

• 12V/2A, 9V/2A

Package Content

• RT-BE58 Go
• 1M RJ-45 Cable
• Power Adapter
• Quick Start Guide
• Warranty Card

Product Weight (g)

• 232g

Product Dimensions

• 99 X 111 X 36mm

Written by: Mike Bridge