Our expert testers put the latest wireless and mesh routers through rigorous testing to assess performance, ease of use and power consumption, so you’ll know exactly what to expect when it’s time to upgrade your home network.
We look for dual-band and tri-band wireless routers and mesh router systems that:
Are readily available
Support the latest NBN gateways
Support the latest Wi-Fi 6, 6E and 7 standards with testing carried out with the router and an additional node unit to create a wireless mesh system.
How we test wireless routers
Our routers are tested in a typical office environment using an internal line. The busiest band is 2.4GHz, with the 5GHz and 6GHz bands being relatively free.
This environment, where there are lots of internet-capable devices such as smartphones, laptops, and smart TVs within range allows us to replicate real-world performance, where the wireless router may be installed in a house, apartment or neighbourhood with plenty of competing devices and wireless networks.
All routers are tested as close to their default configuration as possible, except in cases where the default settings would put the router at an unfair disadvantage (for example, if a router defaulted to Wi-Fi 6 out of the box, we changed it to Wi-Fi 7 to make results comparable, though we note the inappropriate default settings in the bad points). Band-steering (one single network name for all bands) is used in all tests if it’s the default setting for that router.
Our test covers three key areas:
Performance (data transfer speed/stability)
Ease of use
Parental controls
We also performance test older and new smart devices that support Internet of Things (IoT), such as smart bulbs, security cameras and robot vacuums. We conduct this test because all wireless routers have band-steering enabled, which may cause issues when trying to connect to their preferred Wi-Fi band, such as 2.4GHz.
This aspect of the test isn’t scored. Instead, we make a note in the bad points if there were any hindrances when installing and connecting IoT devices.
We conduct three performance assessments; a single-client close range test, a multi-client close range test, and single-client obstructed range test (a “client” is an internet-capable device). Each test sends four parallel streams of data for a duration of one minute and is repeated five times.
The single-client close range test uses a Wi-Fi 7 laptop to assess speed (data transfer) performance. The test sends four parallel streams of data with no obstructions (walls, doors etc), for a duration of one minute at a distance of four metres. The average speed is an indication of how fast the router can send data to one client when no other network activity is present.
The multi-client close range test assesses speed (data transfer) performance to two Wi-Fi 7 laptops at a distance of five metres. This takes place while multiple entertainment, security and IoT devices are active on the same network.
The average speed is an indication of how fast the router can send data to one client when other network activity is present. We also record whether disruptions occur in any other devices on the same network while the test is active.
The single-client obstructed range test uses a Wi-Fi 7 laptop to assess speed (data transfer) performance. The laptop is positioned 15 metres away from the router with typical housing obstructions in between. The average speed is an indication of how fast the router can send data to one client in tough network conditions.
Note: wireless routers that only have one available ethernet port are scored using only one laptop.
Assesses physical setup (placement, positioning etc), software setup, network settings and customisation, account security and the firmware update process. This process is based on included instructions where available, following the manufacturer’s recommended configuration.
We also record any issues encountered during setup, account requirements, whether an app is required and whether the default settings are suitable for the average consumer’s home network. This includes adjusting settings and features and whether these are accessible to inexperienced users.
Specific test areas are:
Physical and software setup
Admin security
Updating firmware
User interface clarity and ease of navigation
Network customisation
Guest and Internet of Things (IoT) setup and customisation
Ease of identifying devices connected to the network.
Assesses the range of parental controls, their effectiveness, ease of use when enabling and adjusting content filtering and whether parental controls are free or behind a paywall. We look for the following settings and assess their ease of use for the average user.
Manual filtering of content
Age-appropriate filtering
Scheduling internet access
Speed limiting of devices
Manually pausing internet access
Scheduling Wi-Fi on and off times
Power consumption
Based on the router being active for 10 hours and idle for 14 hours. Active power consumption is recorded with multiple clients streaming content on the network, and a Wi-Fi 7 laptop transferring data from obstructed range approximately 15m away. Annual power consumption costs are calculated at a rate of 40 cents per kilowatt hour.
How we score wireless routers
The CHOICE Expert rating is made up of:
Performance (60%)
Ease of use (25%)
Parental controls (15%)
We recommend wireless routers with a CHOICE expert rating of 75% or more.
Equipment used for wireless router testing
Our desktop PC servers are based on the following configuration:
Custom tower build
Motherboard: ASUS ProArt X870E-CREATOR with 10Gbps Ethernet port
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9900X CPU
RAM: 32GB DDR5
Storage: Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1TB SSD (M.2 2280)
Operating system: Windows 11 Pro
Our laptop clients are based on the following configuration:
For wireless mesh routers, the following tests make up the total performance score.
Speed at close range test: we transfer our data from the NAS to the client over a line-of-sight distance of four metres (considered a best-case scenario). The main node of the mesh kit resides in the lounge room where the NBN connection is fed, and the client sits four metres away.
Speed at long range test: we transfer our data from the NAS to the client over a non-line-of-sight distance of 10m. The main node resides in one room where the NBN connection is fed, and the client sits 10m away in another room with brick walls and windows as obstacles to the signal.
A baseline test is conducted from the client to the main mesh kit’s node, and then we switch on the extending node to note the difference in performance. The tester ensures the laptop is restarted and reconnected to the network after the mesh unit has been enabled to make sure a connection is made to the extending node.
Speed at extended range test: we transfer data from a NAS device to the client over a line-of-sight distance of 40m. For products that only support smart switching or band steering, we must force the client adapter to use the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands manually when connecting to these products. If there’s an improvement in performance with this setting, we use this figure for the 5GHz test, as we want to make sure we’re assessing the router’s best capable performance.
We also conduct a test with a mesh node placed halfway between the main node and the client, in order to see if there’s a boost in performance when the mesh kit is working as intended. This is the figure that’s used for assessment in the long-distance test.
Initial set-up: how easy it is to set up each mesh kit using the supplied instructions
Extender node set-up: the process for setting up each node (and how easy it is)
Firmware update: whether this needs to be done manually or is automatic once you’ve set up the kit
Changing settings: how easy it is to access and change settings, such as wireless network names
Smart device installation: how easy it is to add and set up smart devices on the network.
Power consumption
We measure idle consumption only (24 hours). We repeat the process for the extending nodes, making sure that the main node is powered on to establish the mesh network, and add the figures.
How we score wireless mesh router kits
The CHOICE Expert rating is made up of:
Performance (60%)
Ease of use (40%)
We recommend wireless routers with a CHOICE expert rating of 75% or more.
Equipment used for wireless mesh kit testing
We use a laptop that has a built-in Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz adapter, which is compatible with newer wireless routers and mesh kits that feature 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6). This is to cater for the latest generation of routers and mesh systems supporting these new standards.
For all dual-band tests, data is transferred from a NAS device plugged in to each router via Gigabit ethernet, configured to work within its IP distance with a multi-gigabyte data transfer carried out multiple times to another laptop. For tri-band routers, we add a second laptop with the same Intel adapter to perform two 5GHz transfers simultaneously. For wireless mesh kits, the NAS is plugged into an available ethernet port on the main node (the one that’s connected to the router).
We score wireless routers based on the total throughput achieved across the 2.4GHz and the 5GHz bands in three different tests: short distance, long distance and wall penetration. For example, if a router gets 10MBps (megabytes per second) on its 2.4GHz band, and 50MBps on its 5GHz band in the same test, then its total throughput of 60MBps is scored. If a router has two 5GHz bands (a tri-band router), then the throughput also takes into account the second 5GHz band.
For wireless routers or mesh kits in the wireless routers test that do not allow for the separation of bands, we assess performance by forcing 2.4GHz and 5GHz in the client adapter, but we also assess default performance, and we use the default performance for the 5GHz score if it’s faster.
Elias Plastiras tests a range of technology in the CHOICE computer lab, from laptops to smart home innovations and interconnected devices.
Prior to CHOICE, Elias spent 17 years working for Australian PC World, testing and writing about PCs and other small business gear. Elias tested almost everything in the PC realm, from 56K modems to network printers, as well as more mainstream consumer gear such as media players and PVRs.
Elias enjoys testing products in a rigorous fashion, to highlight the good and the bad for the benefit of the consumer. LinkedIn
Elias Plastiras tests a range of technology in the CHOICE computer lab, from laptops to smart home innovations and interconnected devices.
Prior to CHOICE, Elias spent 17 years working for Australian PC World, testing and writing about PCs and other small business gear. Elias tested almost everything in the PC realm, from 56K modems to network printers, as well as more mainstream consumer gear such as media players and PVRs.
Elias enjoys testing products in a rigorous fashion, to highlight the good and the bad for the benefit of the consumer. LinkedIn
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