We recommend systems in this test that score 75% or more overall.

The CHOICE Expert Rating, the overall score that determines which products we recommend, is made up of the performance score (60%) and ease of use score (40%).

This score is made up of speed at close range (30%) and speed at long range (20%) and speed at extended range (50%).

This score is made up of initial set up (40%), extender/node set up (20%), access to settings (15%), the firmware update process (15%) and smart device installation (10%).

An assessment of privacy-related considerations in setting up and configuring the mesh router. This does not contribute to the CHOICE Expert Rating.

Data throughput speed from the origin location (at the router) measured in megabytes per second (MBps). 

Data throughput speed from the origin location (at the router) measured in megabits per second (Mbps). 

Data throughput speed from the first node of the extended mesh network, measured in megabytes per second (MBps).

Data throughput speed from the first node of the extended mesh network, measured in megabits per second (MBps).

Price includes all components needed to create a mesh/extended network.

Yearly running cost is power consumption calculated at 40 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) with the system on standby 24hrs/day (network activity will increase cost).

Is it possible to use a 2.4GHz-only network (rather than an amalgamated 2.4 and 5GHz network) in order to install IoT (internet of things) devices?

Maximum theoretical speed of the chipset in the device, measured in megabytes per second (MBps) for the 2.4GHz band and the 5GHz band.

Maximum theoretical speed of the chipset in the device, measured in megabits per second (Mbps) for the 2.4GHz band and the 5GHz band.

The main router uses three wireless bands one 2.4GHz and two 5GHz bands.

A complete system is provided in the box.

If a complete system doesn't come in the box, what extra products are required to create a mesh/extended network?

What products we used to create a mesh/extended network for testing.

Additional nodes may be added to extend the mesh network.

The mesh has a single SSID (Service Set Identifier) network name to enable seamless roaming across its various zones without manually changing networks.

Whether a separate device is required to connect to the internet. This could be a modem (often supplied by service providers for a fee), NBN equipment, or proprietary network terminating device (NTD), among other things.

The wireless 802.11 standards that the unit supports 802.11ax (or Wi-Fi 6) is the latest and fastest standard and 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) is more common. These also support (802.11n, or Wi-Fi 4) and other previous standards for compatibility with various client devices.

What types of parental controls are included for restricting unwanted content or controlling usage?

The level of encryption standard supported by the devices where WPA3 is the highest.

Whether the device has MU-MIMO (multi-user, multiple input, multiple output) antenna technology to support multiple users accessing the network at the same time.

The total number of available ethernet ports for connecting wired ethernet devices. This excludes the WAN port, which is used to plug in your existing modem or modem/router.

Whether the unit has a physical power switch on the device.

The type of indicators on the unit and what they show.

The number of USB ports included for connecting external USB devices. USB ports may be used for physically attaching storage drives or printers for sharing on the network, but it depends on the model, so check the manual, packaging, or product website to confirm for your particular model.