BE98 Pro Mesh System – Constant Instability Issues, Anyone Else Experiencing This?

[ComputerSteve]

Hello everyone,
I recently upgraded my setup from the GT-AX11000 to the GT-BE98 Pro. I have four units running in a mesh system (all revision 2.0, manufactured in 2025), and honestly, it has been one of the most unreliable networking setups I’ve ever used. For something that cost me nearly $2000, I expected at least a stable experience, but I’m constantly running into problems.

Firmware & Setup​

• Main router: 3.0.0.6.102.5 (nodes are running the same).
• Tried rolling back to stock firmware 3.0.0.6.102_38984 after experimenting with Merlin – no improvement.
• Factory resets were done multiple times, both before and after firmware changes.

Network Configurations I’ve Tried​

1. Unified SSID (WiFi 7 enabled) for all radios, with a separate IoT network on Guest Network Pro:
   • IoT SSID configured with WiFi 7 disabled, WPA2 only, 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz enabled, all 6 GHz disabled.
   • Still experienced random disconnects.
2. Split SSIDs for IoT devices:
   • Separate SSIDs for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz IoT devices.
   • Same issue – devices would stay “connected” but randomly lose internet access.
3. Main network split into all radio bands:
   • Separate SSIDs for 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz-1, and 6 GHz-2.
   • Still saw random stalls, packet loss, and interruptions across all radios.

No matter which configuration I try, I keep running into the same problem: devices will suddenly stop having internet access even though they’re still showing as connected to the SSID. This is most frequent on 2.4 GHz devices, but I’ve also seen it happen on my laptop running on 5 GHz and sometimes 6 GHz.

Symptoms Observed​

• Random disconnects with “connected but no internet.”
• Noticeable packet loss.
• Frequent stalls where internet just stops working momentarily, as if the router is choking on throughput.
• Dual WAN feature seems broken – often gets stuck on the secondary WAN, requiring a manual reset.

Add-Ons Installed (via AMTM)​

• Dual WAN Failover
• AdGuardHome 1.9.3 (adblocking)
• VPNMON-R3 (monitoring my VPN client)
• VPN Routing D 3.2.2 (split routing for VPN bypass)
• Shell History & Router Date Keeper
• Entware aarch64-k3.10 release 2025.05

This is the exact same setup I had running on my GT-AX11000, and that system never gave me issues. With the BE98 Pro, though, it feels like everything is unstable.

My Concerns​

• Is this just the reality of WiFi 7 being early and unpolished?
• Could add-ons like AdGuardHome or VPN routing be conflicting in some way, even though they worked flawlessly on the older model?
• Are there known hardware issues even with rev 2.0 (2025 build) units?
• Or is this simply expected behavior for the BE98 Pro at this stage?

I’d really like to hear from others running the BE98 Pro – are you seeing the same instability and packet loss, or do you have a stable setup? If you do have it working reliably, what firmware and configuration are you running?

At this point, I feel like I’ve tried everything – from unified SSID to band splitting, guest networks to dedicated IoT SSIDs, Merlin vs stock firmware, and even wiping all add-ons. Nothing has given me a consistently stable network.


Any suggestions or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated =)

 

[junior120872]

I don't have a BE98pro, so take or leave this comment, but is there are reason why you have 4? How big is your location? Also are you wired backhaul, or wireless? I have a be96u, and 3 ET12 mesh nodes wired backhaul. A little overkill for my location/walls/etc, so I turn down the transmit power on my router to prevent devices hopping back and forth to the closest node and be96u. Are you seeing devices connecting and reconnecting a lot in the logs? Do they seem from a physical standpoint to be connecting to the closest node? Have you tried just turning one of the be98pro nodes off to see if that helps? How about channel availability? I've really had to fine tune and look at neighbor routers to find the best channel for all of my bands with a wifi analyzer.

 

[ComputerSteve]

To answer your questions:

• Why 4 nodes? – I do have a fairly large property with multiple structures, so coverage is a genuine concern. It’s not just a matter of overkill, I really do need the extra range to cover everything reliably.
• Backhaul setup – All of my nodes are wired backhaul except one in my garage, which is connected using 6 GHz wireless backhaul. So, in theory, everything should be rock solid on the backhaul side.
• Device hopping – That’s the strange part. I’m not really seeing devices bouncing back and forth between nodes in the logs. They’re staying fixed to either the main router or whichever node they’re connected to. The issue isn’t roaming – it’s that they suddenly lose internet connectivity while still showing as connected to the SSID. It’s not a coverage or proximity issue; the devices just stop passing traffic.
• Tried fewer nodes – I’ve actually tested with just one mesh node plus the main router, and unfortunately the same issues still occur. So it doesn’t seem to be a “too many nodes” or interference from overlapping coverage problem.
• Channel selection – I’ve experimented with both auto and manual channel assignments. I even went through with a WiFi analyzer to see what my neighbors are running and tried placing my networks strategically. It helped reduce some interference, but didn’t resolve the underlying instability.

So while I get where you’re coming from (and I agree with you that a lot of people overbuild their mesh setups), in this case the problems persist even with minimal nodes and careful tuning. It feels less like a placement or power issue and more like something deeper with firmware, compatibility, or stability on the BE98 Pro itself.

Have you noticed anything similar on your BE96U setup, even with wired backhaul?

 

[junior120872]

It took me quite a while to get things working properly as far as my IoT network on 2.4Ghz within the wireless professional settings. I had issues with bouncing connections between a lot of these devices that were fixed with lowering the performance of the 2.4ghz radio. Smart Connect didn't work well for my network so I only set up a 5Ghz and 6ghz network with the same SSID. I don't even have a 2.4ghz network on my main lan. My IoT is the only network that has 2.4Ghz network defined. As far as placement. I initially started with only 2 ET12's, but added a third to increase coverage to a part of my house. Once that was done everything including 6e connections were much more stable. All in all a lot of my issue resolutions came from reading this forum and experimenting with wireless professional settings. A lot of trial and error. Now I don't touch a thing in there.

 

[John Fitzgerald]

@ComputerSteve @junior120872

What are you two doing with regard to Tx power and RSSI level on main and nodes? Curious about your other tweaks, and any Apple products.

 

[degrub]

IOTs need internet access ? DNS issue ?

What were the channel widths on the old system for 2.4 and 5 GHz for IOTs ?
Set them for 20 MHz and 80 MHz , respectively, as a start.
Turn off wifi7

6GHz for wireless backhaul ? Must have clear line of sight and short distance for that to work well, i think.

 

[junior120872]

@ComputerSteve @junior120872

What are you two doing with regard to Tx power and RSSI level on main and nodes? Curious about your other tweaks, and any Apple products.

I've only adjusted power on the main router. I haven't touched the nodes.

 

[John Fitzgerald]

I've only adjusted power on the main router. I haven't touched the nodes.

I'm surprised by 2.4 Tx being on Power Saving and not Balanced for the IoT devices.

 

[junior120872]

I'm surprised by 2.4 Tx being on Power Saving and not Balanced for the IoT devices.

If I leave the router at anything higher, all my IoT devices connect to it for some reason, even though a mesh node is close to it. It was a solution for my particular network. I have 120+ devices, and this configuration helps share out the devices to the ET12 nodes.

 

[John Fitzgerald]

If I leave the router at anything higher, all my IoT devices connect to it for some reason, even though a mesh node is close to it. It was a solution for my particular network. I have 120+ devices, and this configuration helps share out the devices to the ET12 nodes.

Have you played with Beacon Interval for any power saving benefits?

 

[junior120872]

Have you played with Beacon Interval for any power saving benefits?

I have tinkered with DTIM and beacon intervals, with minimal results, so I settled with the solution I did because it seemed to solve my issues.

 

[John Fitzgerald]

I have tinkered with DTIM and beacon intervals, with minimal results, so I settled with the solution I did because it seemed to solve my issues.

I use DTIM of 3 and Beacon Interval of 200 for my iPhone and iPad. I don't have any issues with these setting using a ROKU. Desktop is wired and others are WiFi and not affected.
I'm in a smaller environment than both of you.
Edit: RSSI -65.

 

[ComputerSteve]

IOTs need internet access ? DNS issue ?

What were the channel widths on the old system for 2.4 and 5 GHz for IOTs ?
Set them for 20 MHz and 80 MHz , respectively, as a start.
Turn off wifi7

6GHz for wireless backhaul ? Must have clear line of sight and short distance for that to work well, i think.

Yeah, I get where you’re coming from, but I don’t think this is a basic config or channel-width issue or DNS Issue since internet works. I’ve gone through all of those steps already: 2.4 GHz set to 20 MHz, 5 GHz set to 80 MHz, tried different combinations of channels, and even disabled WiFi 7 altogether. Same exact problem every time – things will work fine for a while, then suddenly I’ll see high packet loss, or devices will just stop passing traffic while still connected.
At this point, I’m honestly leaning toward it being something with AdGuardHome or one of the add-ons. I’ve been running AdGuard 1.9.3 through AMTM, and I’ve seen quite a few people on the forums mentioning instability with it (and other add-ons) specifically on the BE98 Pro. It worked perfectly fine on my old GT-AX11000 with the exact same setup, but on the BE98 Pro it feels like everything is much more fragile.

I even tried enabling MLO, thinking maybe I could improve throughput that way, but that turned into a disaster. As soon as I enable MLO, my wireless 6 GHz backhaul node completely loses connectivity and never comes back. The only way to recover is to factory reset the node and remove it from AiMesh, then disable MLO on the main router before trying to add it back. That’s not something I’d call “experimental flakiness” either – it’s totally unusable.

For a router that’s supposed to be a flagship, premium device, this is honestly one of the buggiest experiences I’ve had with networking gear. And the kicker is that it’s not even brand new hardware anymore, so I can’t really excuse it as early launch firmware immaturity. On my GT-AX11000, everything was rock solid. On the BE98 Pro, it’s been nothing but instability no matter how I configure it.


Are you (or anyone else here) running AdGuardHome or other AMTM add-ons on the BE98 Pro? I’m wondering if maybe the instability is tied directly to how this hardware handles them..

 

[degrub]

any of this correlate to a microwave running or a motor starting ( refrigerator, dryer, washer , AC, etc)
Using DFS channels ?

disable the dual WAN feature. i don't read about many successes .

just some ideas.

 

[ComputerSteve]

any of this correlate to a microwave running or a motor starting ( refrigerator, dryer, washer , AC, etc)
Using DFS channels ?

disable the dual WAN feature. i don't read about many successes .

just some ideas.

I am not using DFS channels -- Dual wan seems to function when I use the add-on the built in dual wan seems shot.

 

[ComputerSteve]

@ComputerSteve @junior120872

What are you two doing with regard to Tx power and RSSI level on main and nodes? Curious about your other tweaks, and any Apple products.

I’ve actually gone through and tried lowering the TX power levels already, thinking maybe the issue was related to coverage overlap or devices struggling with roaming. But even with that adjustment, and with only two additional nodes active, I’m still seeing the same dropout issues. So it doesn’t seem like a power tuning or roaming problem.

The weird part is that all my client devices – an iPhone 16 Pro Max, a MacBook Pro, a MacBook Air (M1 and M3), and an iPad 10th gen – all report excellent RSSI. TX rates stay consistently very high as well, so the signal strength and link quality look perfect on paper. Yet I still get the same behavior: devices show connected, but the internet just stalls out or packet loss spikes heavily.

That’s what makes me suspicious of AdGuardHome. I’ve seen a fair bit of discussion about instability with AdGuard (and other add-ons) on the BE98 Pro, and I’m starting to think this might be part of the problem. The add-on ran flawlessly on my old GT-AX11000 with the exact same setup, but the BE98 Pro seems far less tolerant. It’s almost as if the router’s firmware or resource handling just can’t cope with these extras in the same way.

So while I’ve tested all the usual suspects – channel widths, transmit power, band steering, SSID splits, even disabling WiFi 7 – the issue keeps showing up. Honestly, with how stable my old AX11000 was under the same conditions, I’m leaning toward the BE98 Pro itself (or its firmware) being the weak link here.

Has anyone else here tried running AdGuardHome or other AMTM add-ons on the BE98 Pro and seen similar instability? I’m wondering if this is where the root of the problem lies.

 

[jzchen]

You connect the AC brick directly to the wall, surge protector, or UPS? USB 3.0 device? I am getting similar issue with my OnePlus Open at times, even connected to the mix of routers I have running, including RT-AX5400 and RT-AC68U. RSSI excellent, but rate is dismal....

Connected to GT-AXE16000 in same room line of sight.

 

[ComputerSteve]

You connect the AC brick directly to the wall, surge protector, or UPS? USB 3.0 device? I am getting similar issue with my OnePlus Open at times, even connected to the mix of routers I have running, including RT-AX5400 and RT-AC68U. RSSI excellent, but rate is dismal....

Connected to GT-AXE16000 in same room line of sight.
View attachment 67964View attachment 67965

I’m using the AC adapter that came with the unit, which is the 12V model. From what I understand, all of the revision 2.0 units manufactured in 2025 ship with the 12V adapter instead of the older 19V one.

Interestingly, one of my earlier units (also labeled revision 2.0 but manufactured in 2024) did ship with a 19V adapter. That unit eventually had to be replaced by Asus, and the replacement – like the others I have now – came with the 12V power supply.

 

[adwlogin]

Hello everyone,
I recently upgraded my setup from the GT-AX11000 to the GT-BE98 Pro. I have four units running in a mesh system (all revision 2.0, manufactured in 2025), and honestly, it has been one of the most unreliable networking setups I’ve ever used. For something that cost me nearly $2000, I expected at least a stable experience, but I’m constantly running into problems.

Firmware & Setup​

• Main router: 3.0.0.6.102.5 (nodes are running the same).
• Tried rolling back to stock firmware 3.0.0.6.102_38984 after experimenting with Merlin – no improvement.
• Factory resets were done multiple times, both before and after firmware changes.

Network Configurations I’ve Tried​

1. Unified SSID (WiFi 7 enabled) for all radios, with a separate IoT network on Guest Network Pro:
   • IoT SSID configured with WiFi 7 disabled, WPA2 only, 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz enabled, all 6 GHz disabled.
   • Still experienced random disconnects.
2. Split SSIDs for IoT devices:
   • Separate SSIDs for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz IoT devices.
   • Same issue – devices would stay “connected” but randomly lose internet access.
3. Main network split into all radio bands:
   • Separate SSIDs for 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz-1, and 6 GHz-2.
   • Still saw random stalls, packet loss, and interruptions across all radios.

No matter which configuration I try, I keep running into the same problem: devices will suddenly stop having internet access even though they’re still showing as connected to the SSID. This is most frequent on 2.4 GHz devices, but I’ve also seen it happen on my laptop running on 5 GHz and sometimes 6 GHz.

Symptoms Observed​

• Random disconnects with “connected but no internet.”
• Noticeable packet loss.
• Frequent stalls where internet just stops working momentarily, as if the router is choking on throughput.
• Dual WAN feature seems broken – often gets stuck on the secondary WAN, requiring a manual reset.

Add-Ons Installed (via AMTM)​

• Dual WAN Failover
• AdGuardHome 1.9.3 (adblocking)
• VPNMON-R3 (monitoring my VPN client)
• VPN Routing D 3.2.2 (split routing for VPN bypass)
• Shell History & Router Date Keeper
• Entware aarch64-k3.10 release 2025.05

This is the exact same setup I had running on my GT-AX11000, and that system never gave me issues. With the BE98 Pro, though, it feels like everything is unstable.

My Concerns​

• Is this just the reality of WiFi 7 being early and unpolished?
• Could add-ons like AdGuardHome or VPN routing be conflicting in some way, even though they worked flawlessly on the older model?
• Are there known hardware issues even with rev 2.0 (2025 build) units?
• Or is this simply expected behavior for the BE98 Pro at this stage?

I’d really like to hear from others running the BE98 Pro – are you seeing the same instability and packet loss, or do you have a stable setup? If you do have it working reliably, what firmware and configuration are you running?

At this point, I feel like I’ve tried everything – from unified SSID to band splitting, guest networks to dedicated IoT SSIDs, Merlin vs stock firmware, and even wiping all add-ons. Nothing has given me a consistently stable network.


Any suggestions or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated =)

I am having the same issues as you. But I don't have AdGuardHome and I don't use MESH. I bought this router in January. It is V2 hardware. I'm currently running 3006.102.5 of Merlin. When I first got the router, I flashed it with 3006.102.2 (and did a Hard Reset). One of the unusual things I first noticed was how long it took to boot compared to my AX88U. Once it had booted and all the lights were on and flashing, I still couldn't get to the internet. It ends up it takes another 3-4 minutes before WiFi comes back and almost as long for the ethernet to become active.I can get to the router UI before that. As I started configuring the BE98 and added a guest network, it disabled my 2.4MHz. I reset the router again and configured without a guest network. Many of my 2.4MHz devices wouldn't connect. I believe that version of the firmware didn't allow for WPA/WPA2, only WPA2/WPA3. A newer version of the firmware was out and I believe that version allowed for WPA/WPA2. I was having issues with the 2.4MHz connections "dropping". Actually they were more or less freezing or stuttering. Nothing in the log showed any issues with the devices that were having problems. Due to some mild complaining from my family, I found the 5MHz was having the same problems. I was using/testing the 6MHz band. I had noticed some of the same problems when watching Youtube but dismissed them since this was a faster band, but had less range. I also only watch Youtube sporadically. I came to find out that my daughter who was working from home, had a lot of issues (freezing, stuttering, and "Drop Outs") while using Zoom for work. The logs showed no issues with her device. About that time, Merlin released 3006.102.4 (I think) which updated and hopefully fixed some of the 2.4 issues ASUS apparently had. Unfortunately that version didn't help. I did not do a reset after that upgrade. I will rant about these resets at the end! I started researching on the internet, I used ChatGPT, I used Perplexity...The Ai did turn up some interesting setting changes that I hadn't found before. BTW, the devices that were having issues were Apple...Mac Books, iPhones, and iPads. None of the devices were old. 2 of the iPhones were iPhone 16's, one was a 15, the Mac Book Pro was the current model. My iPhone had the latest updates. Unfortunately, my desktop PC is ethernet attached. My PC Laptop never experienced the problem, however it's not used heavily at home. All the other devices (2.MHz) are cameras, lights, etc. Since the logs didn't show issues with devices when they were having problems, I had no idea whether they could be having problems as well.
I've recently installed 3006.102.5. I did a full hard system reset. I installed 3006.102.5 again and did a hard system reset.
I went through and reconfigured everything cold turkey.
There are a couple of things I should also mention. Every release of the firmware has less and less options. The amount of configuration is drastically less than that of the AX88U, especially on 2.4MHg. Through the past 8-9 months I think I have pretty much tried most every combination of settings that there there is. I always do a reboot of the router and I always "Forget" the Networks on my iPhone. Sometimes I even reset the iPhone network. After installing, hard resetting, and reconfiguring the BE98, the 2.4MHz is worse than ever. I think I may have found a combination of settings that, so far, have made the 5MHz band stable. BTW, the one thing I haven't adjusted much is the Tx Power. I tried adjusting it 2 or 3 times and anytime it wasn't set to Performance, the connections were really terrible.
I've been a Merlin user through 4 different routers and have learned a lot from this forum. Several days ago, when I thought I have exhausted all possible avenues, I was going to post this very question to the group. But I realized that I have a $600+ boat anchor that has not only cost me a lot of money, but a lot of time and headaches. From what I've read, ASUS customer support leaves a lot to be desired and at times are just plain underhanded (Read Steve at Gamers Nexus reports about ASUS). I also see many ASUS router users and reviewers complain about Apple devices having issues. I don't think I've ever read about other vendors having issues with Apple. So I'm going to bite the bullet and switch (I will miss Merlin's firmware!). Several of my friends who are in networking swear by Ubiquiti, so I think I'll take a second mortgage out on the house and go that route. The best thing about banging you head on a wall is that it feels better when you stop!
Begin rant...I've used ASUS routers for a long time so I don't know any different. I can't believe the resets, hard resets, and manual reconfiguring of a router every time there is a firmware update. And ASUS not only has the Reset...they have the Hard Reset! Is this just a carry over from the old days and people are afraid to just update and use the router, or is this an ASUS (and maybe other manufacturers) reality? I wouldn't mind the Resets if ASUS provided a source/text file of settings that could be read back in to alleviate the manual configuration. Or even a "Print the Configuration" button. It's terrible that in this day of Ai solving all our problems, that ASUS can't come up with something other that "Hard Reset and key in everything again". I will admit that with the thinning of the number of settings, it makes reconfiguring a little easier. I have a fairly simple setup, but it still took me over 90 minutes to re enter everything. I have about 80 DHCP entries I have to key in. I've even made a spreadsheet that I can copy and paste from, but it still takes forever, and 4 tylenols to get rid of the headache.
Done with rant!
I'm sure you've tried the same settings I have, but if you're interested I can screen shot mine. I'm just not in a position to do it right now.
So, for the TLDR...I have the same issues as you, I didn't have them on my AX88U, I don't have AdGuardHome and I don't use MESH. I've wasted a ton of time trying different settings. 2.4MHz remains a big problem but I might have fixed 5GHz. I haven't used 6MHz enough to make a decision yet. Re the 6MHz bands, I mostly replicated my 5MHz setting to 6MHz-1 and 6MHz-2.

Good Luck!

 

[ComputerSteve]

I am having the same issues as you. But I don't have AdGuardHome and I don't use MESH. I bought this router in January. It is V2 hardware. I'm currently running 3006.102.5 of Merlin. When I first got the router, I flashed it with 3006.102.2 (and did a Hard Reset). One of the unusual things I first noticed was how long it took to boot compared to my AX88U. Once it had booted and all the lights were on and flashing, I still couldn't get to the internet. It ends up it takes another 3-4 minutes before WiFi comes back and almost as long for the ethernet to become active.I can get to the router UI before that. As I started configuring the BE98 and added a guest network, it disabled my 2.4MHz. I reset the router again and configured without a guest network. Many of my 2.4MHz devices wouldn't connect. I believe that version of the firmware didn't allow for WPA/WPA2, only WPA2/WPA3. A newer version of the firmware was out and I believe that version allowed for WPA/WPA2. I was having issues with the 2.4MHz connections "dropping". Actually they were more or less freezing or stuttering. Nothing in the log showed any issues with the devices that were having problems. Due to some mild complaining from my family, I found the 5MHz was having the same problems. I was using/testing the 6MHz band. I had noticed some of the same problems when watching Youtube but dismissed them since this was a faster band, but had less range. I also only watch Youtube sporadically. I came to find out that my daughter who was working from home, had a lot of issues (freezing, stuttering, and "Drop Outs") while using Zoom for work. The logs showed no issues with her device. About that time, Merlin released 3006.102.4 (I think) which updated and hopefully fixed some of the 2.4 issues ASUS apparently had. Unfortunately that version didn't help. I did not do a reset after that upgrade. I will rant about these resets at the end! I started researching on the internet, I used ChatGPT, I used Perplexity...The Ai did turn up some interesting setting changes that I hadn't found before. BTW, the devices that were having issues were Apple...Mac Books, iPhones, and iPads. None of the devices were old. 2 of the iPhones were iPhone 16's, one was a 15, the Mac Book Pro was the current model. My iPhone had the latest updates. Unfortunately, my desktop PC is ethernet attached. My PC Laptop never experienced the problem, however it's not used heavily at home. All the other devices (2.MHz) are cameras, lights, etc. Since the logs didn't show issues with devices when they were having problems, I had no idea whether they could be having problems as well.
I've recently installed 3006.102.5. I did a full hard system reset. I installed 3006.102.5 again and did a hard system reset.
I went through and reconfigured everything cold turkey.
There are a couple of things I should also mention. Every release of the firmware has less and less options. The amount of configuration is drastically less than that of the AX88U, especially on 2.4MHg. Through the past 8-9 months I think I have pretty much tried most every combination of settings that there there is. I always do a reboot of the router and I always "Forget" the Networks on my iPhone. Sometimes I even reset the iPhone network. After installing, hard resetting, and reconfiguring the BE98, the 2.4MHz is worse than ever. I think I may have found a combination of settings that, so far, have made the 5MHz band stable. BTW, the one thing I haven't adjusted much is the Tx Power. I tried adjusting it 2 or 3 times and anytime it wasn't set to Performance, the connections were really terrible.
I've been a Merlin user through 4 different routers and have learned a lot from this forum. Several days ago, when I thought I have exhausted all possible avenues, I was going to post this very question to the group. But I realized that I have a $600+ boat anchor that has not only cost me a lot of money, but a lot of time and headaches. From what I've read, ASUS customer support leaves a lot to be desired and at times are just plain underhanded (Read Steve at Gamers Nexus reports about ASUS). I also see many ASUS router users and reviewers complain about Apple devices having issues. I don't think I've ever read about other vendors having issues with Apple. So I'm going to bite the bullet and switch (I will miss Merlin's firmware!). Several of my friends who are in networking swear by Ubiquiti, so I think I'll take a second mortgage out on the house and go that route. The best thing about banging you head on a wall is that it feels better when you stop!
Begin rant...I've used ASUS routers for a long time so I don't know any different. I can't believe the resets, hard resets, and manual reconfiguring of a router every time there is a firmware update. And ASUS not only has the Reset...they have the Hard Reset! Is this just a carry over from the old days and people are afraid to just update and use the router, or is this an ASUS (and maybe other manufacturers) reality? I wouldn't mind the Resets if ASUS provided a source/text file of settings that could be read back in to alleviate the manual configuration. Or even a "Print the Configuration" button. It's terrible that in this day of Ai solving all our problems, that ASUS can't come up with something other that "Hard Reset and key in everything again". I will admit that with the thinning of the number of settings, it makes reconfiguring a little easier. I have a fairly simple setup, but it still took me over 90 minutes to re enter everything. I have about 80 DHCP entries I have to key in. I've even made a spreadsheet that I can copy and paste from, but it still takes forever, and 4 tylenols to get rid of the headache.
Done with rant!
I'm sure you've tried the same settings I have, but if you're interested I can screen shot mine. I'm just not in a position to do it right now.
So, for the TLDR...I have the same issues as you, I didn't have them on my AX88U, I don't have AdGuardHome and I don't use MESH. I've wasted a ton of time trying different settings. 2.4MHz remains a big problem but I might have fixed 5GHz. I haven't used 6MHz enough to make a decision yet. Re the 6MHz bands, I mostly replicated my 5MHz setting to 6MHz-1 and 6MHz-2.

Good Luck!

I ended up replacing all my BE98 Pros with GT-AXE16000s, and the difference is night and day. With the AXE16000 I’m getting the same level of reliability I used to have on the GT-AX11000, which really confirms for me that the BE98 Pro itself is the problem. Unfortunately it’s still very unstable and has too many unresolved issues. I can’t recommend it right now. If you’re seeing the same kinds of problems, I hope ASUS eventually irons them out, but as of now it’s just not a reliable router.