If you have a Wi-Fi 7 router from ASUS or a ZenWiFi mesh system that supports this standard, you get a brand new feature: Smart Home Master. Its purpose is to simplify the process of managing your network, by allowing you to create multiple types of Wi-Fi networks that are automatically optimized for different purposes. For example, you can quickly set up a Wi-Fi network for your kids and their devices, which has built-in rules for when they can access the internet. Or you can set up a special kind of Wi-Fi that automatically routes all connected devices through a VPN service of your choosing. Read this guide to learn what ASUS Smart Home Master is, how it works, and how you can use it: What is ASUS Smart Home Master and how to access it If you own a Wi-Fi 7 router or mesh Wi-Fi system from ASUS, it’s important to know how to access Smart Home Master. To get started, log in to your ASUS router by opening a web browser on a computer connected to the network managed by your ASUS router or ZenWiFi system. Navigate to www.asusrouter.com, then enter the administrator username and password. Finally, click or tap Sign In. Log in to your ASUS router or ZenWiFi When you see the web admin interface, click or tap Network in the left sidebar. On the right, you see a list of Wi-Fi networks under Main Network, entries for creating a Guest Network, and a section named Smart Home Master, which includes several options. On the left, choose Network Let’s take a closer look at the screenshot below to understand what ASUS Smart Home Master is. This feature allows users to create Wi-Fi networks tailored to different needs with just a few clicks. It draws inspiration from previous features like the Self-Defined Network (SND) found in the company’s ExpertWiFi line of business networking devices, as well as the Guest Network Pro available on some Wi-Fi 6 routers, like the ASUS RT-AX57 Go. The goal of ASUS Smart Home Master is to allow even inexperienced users to easily set up various types of Wi-Fi networks. The options shown by Smart Home Master With Smart Home Master, you can create the following types of networks in just a few clicks: Kid’s network - create a Wi-Fi network that offers internet access at specific times and has active parental controls and filters based on the age of your children. IoT network - set up a Wi-Fi network dedicated to Internet of Things (IoT) devices to increase compatibility and security by keeping them separate from your main network. VPN Network - create a Wi-Fi network that automatically connects your devices to third-party VPN services or an ASUS site-to-site VPN service. Such a network automatically encrypts your internet traffic and protects you against outside tracking. Multi-Link Operation (MLO) - enables the Multi-Link Operation (MLO) feature on your ASUS router or ZenWiFi mesh system and creates a Wi-Fi network where devices can connect to several frequency bands simultaneously, instead of just one. This Wi-Fi can offer improved speed, lower latency, and the ability to manage more connected devices, among other benefits. Let’s take each type of Wi-Fi network one by one, and see how it’s created: How to create a safe Wi-Fi network for your children with Smart Home Master If you’re a parent, it’s a good idea to create a separate Wi-Fi for your children and set it up to offer access to the internet, using a schedule that doesn’t interfere with their homework, sleep schedule, school hours, and other priorities. You can also set parental controls that can automatically filter inappropriate content found online. To do that, log you to your ASUS router or ZenWiFi, go to Network, and click or tap the plus (+) sign next to Kid’s Network. Go to Network > Kid\'s Network A pop-up appears with some predefined settings. Type a name for the Kid’s Network, choose a password, and re-enter it. Then, decide whether you want to keep the default schedule, modify it, or disable it by turning off the WiFi Scheduling switch. Set up your Kid\'s Network and click or tap Apply If you enable AdGuard by clicking or tapping the appropriate switch, your ASUS router will block ads on the devices connected to your children’s Wi-Fi. If you want to see more configuration options, click or tap More Config. The list of settings extends, and you can select a specific WiFi Band, set up bandwidth limits, and choose whether you want to use the same subnet as the main network (and have your children’s devices see the main network). When you’re done setting things up, click or tap Apply. The advanced options available for your Kid\'s Network Then, your extendable ASUS router or ZenWiFi will spend some time creating the new Wi-Fi (thirty seconds up to a minute). During this time, your main Wi-Fi will not be available. TIP: After creating the Wi-Fi for your children, read this guide on how to set up Parental Controls on an ASUS router. How to create an IoT Network with Smart Home Master If you have IoT devices like sensors, surveillance cameras, doorbells, alarms, and vacuum cleaners, it’s a good idea to create a separate Wi-Fi for them to enhance compatibility and security. With Smart Home Master, you can do this in a few clicks: simply log in to your ASUS router, go to Network, and choose IoT Network. Go to Network > IoT Network Type a name and password for the IoT network and click or tap Apply. Setting up the Wi-Fi name and password for IoT devices If you want to access more advanced configuration options, I offer more details in this guide: How to set up the Wi-Fi on your ASUS router for IoT devices. How to create a Wi-Fi with automatic VPN connectivity using Smart Home Master One of the coolest abilities of ASUS Smart Home Master is creating a Wi-Fi network that automatically routes all connected devices to a VPN service that you set. It can be a third-party VPN service like Surfshark, NordVPN, or CyberGhost, or any VPN service that uses protocols such as WireGuard, OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP. To create such a network, in the web admin interface of your ASUS router or ZenWiFi, select Network, and then click or tap VPN Network. Go to Network > VPN Network Type a name for your Wi-Fi and a password, enable the VPN switch, select a VPN Client profile, and a VPN Server. Then, click or tap Apply. You should first customize VPN Fusion IMPORTANT: Before creating a Wi-Fi for VPN, you must set up the VPN Fusion feature on your ASUS router or ZenWiFi. This task is relatively complex and takes some time, so I will get back to you in the next couple of weeks with a complete, step-by-step guide, and then update this article with a link. How to create a Wi-Fi with MLO turned on using Smart Home Master Multi-Link Operation (MLO) is a key feature of the Wi-Fi 7 standard. It allows devices to connect to a network using several frequency bands simultaneously, instead of just one. To create a Wi-Fi network with MLO, log in to your ASUS router or ZenWiFi, go to Network, and click or tap Mult-Link Operation (MLO). Go to Network > Mult-Link Operation (MLO) Type the name of the network you want to create, enter a password for it, and click or tap Apply. Setting up the Wi-Fi name and password If you want more configuration options, you can click or tap More Config. The options shown are presented in this guide: Enabling Multi-Link Operation (MLO) on ASUS routers: Here’s what happens! Read it and see how to configure MLO in detail, including an analysis of the speed improvement you can get when using this feature. How to remove Wi-Fi networks created with Smart Home Master All the Wi-Fi networks you create using ASUS Smart Home Master are displayed in the Guest Network list when you access the Network section in the web admin interface. You can click or tap their name to change their settings, disable them by clicking or tapping the switch next to them, etc. Select the Wi-Fi you want to edit If you no longer need a Wi-Fi network, select it in the Guest Network list, and then click or tap the Delete icon (it looks like a trash can) in the top right corner of the network’s properties. Select the Wi-Fi and click or tap Delete Confirm your choice by pressing Delete, and then wait up to a minute for your ASUS router or ZenWiFi to remove the selected Wi-Fi. Click or tap Delete one more time Which ASUS routers and ZenWiFi systems have Smart Home Master? ASUS has decided to make their Smart Home Master feature exclusive to the company’s line-up of Wi-Fi 7 extendable routers and ZenWiFi mesh systems. At the time of writing, it was available for the following models: ASUS RT-BE58U, ASUS RT-BE92U, ASUS TUF-BE3600, ASUS TUF-BE6500, ASUS ZenWiFi BD4 Outdoor, ASUS ZenWiFi BQ16, ASUS ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro, ASUS ZenWiFi BT10, ASUS ZenWiFi BT6, and ASUS ZenWiFi BT8. The list will grow larger as the company releases new Wi-Fi 7 networking equipment. If you have a Wi-Fi 7 router or ZenWiFi mesh system, and you can’t find it in this list, please check this article; it will be updated by ASUS to include all the latest models that include Smart Home Master. What do you think about ASUS Smart Home Master? Now that you know what ASUS Smart Home Master can do for you, and how it works, I’m curious to know what you think. Do you like this feature? Does it make the process of managing your network easier? Comment using the options below and share your thoughts. I’m looking forward to reading them.🙂
