What's better GT-BE98 or the GT-BE19000 ?

[Ragesus]

Hey guys, which one would you recommend—the GT-BE98 or the GT-BE19000?

Both models look almost identical on ASUS's website, except the GT-BE98 has an extra 5GHz band. I'm also curious about RMerlin's take—will he support the GT-BE98 (non-Pro) or the GT-BE19000? That could be a deciding factor for me.

What I need is stability, solid performance, and future-proof features—kind of like how my AX88U has been a perfect balance since I got it back in 2019. So, the big question is: GT-BE98 (non-Pro) or GT-BE19000?

 

[Unisoft]

GT-BE98 in my view. GNUTON build only for BE98, unless you are in an area where the BE98 PRO is sold and that's covered by Merlin. GNUTON uses Merlin build source anyway and just does the tweaks that may be specific for BE98 and builds the images (AFAIK).

 

[jzchen]

This is (GT-BE98) BE24000 vs BE19000 if I'm not mistaken. I also vote for the GT-BE98...

 

[Ragesus]

Hey guys, thanks a ton for your replies! I went with the 98, and with the latest Gnuton firmware release (https://github.com/gnuton/asuswrt-merlin.ng/releases), it’s turning out to be an awesome device — I’m really happy with it Once again, big thanks for your input!

 

[Unisoft]

Hey guys, thanks a ton for your replies! I went with the 98, and with the latest Gnuton firmware release (https://github.com/gnuton/asuswrt-merlin.ng/releases), it’s turning out to be an awesome device — I’m really happy with it Once again, big thanks for your input!

Production release for BE98 released today over at GNUTON's github. Now on par with Merlin's for BE98 PRO.

 

[AlexFC]

Any chance Gnuton might add support for the BE19000?
I believe the hardware is basically identical, except for the part covering the second 5GHz band.
I might give it a try and look though the code, but will definitely need some help.

 

[Ragesus]

Here's my take on this. Merlin and Gnuton have backed themselves into a corner by supporting so many devices with their firmware forks. I doubt they can take on new models without sacrificing their current firmware development pace, so the 19000 series likely won't be supported.

Regarding hardware compatibility—just like the 98 and 98 share the same platform, the 19000 and 98 are essentially identical. You could try flashing the 98 firmware onto the 19000, but the internal model check will probably block it. I wouldn’t recommend modifying nvram.nvm just to bypass that.

The most practical solution is to stick with the stock firmware and install Entware and AMTM on top of it. You might lose access to some UI elements (like the Tools section), but they’re not critical.

My advice? If Merlin/Gnuton never release a 19000-compatible version, just set up **Entware** yourself to expand functionality.