If you have a Wi-Fi problem but not much cash to fix it, we can recommend some lower-cost fixes that may not break the bank.
By far the most questions this past month have been about Crappy NBN Modem – here are a few better ones. We try to help, but several things have become evident.
Modem, Routers and Mesh are still confusing
Let’s clarify some terminology related to NBN connections.
FTTN: Fibre to the Node uses Telstra’s dodgy old copper telephone wires from a neighbourhood node to a phone point in the home. NBN is valiantly trying to replace these by 2030 because it has no responsibility for speed or reliability if FTTP is available.
FTTP: Fibre to the Premises uses optical fibre to deliver internet and is terminated with an Ethernet RJ45 point in an NTD (Network Termination Device). This is usually in a room closest to the existing Telstra copper termination box outside the home. The problem is that this is often the worst place to have a router.
HFC: Hybrid Fibre Coaxial delivers using the old Telstra/Foxtel/Optus coaxial cable and is terminated in an Arris Box that converts the cable to Ethernet.
Wi-Fi transmission distance: Regardless of the device you use, Wi-Fi transmission distances are fixed by law so as not to interfere with your neighbour’s Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi 2.4/5/6GHz bands are about 15/10/5 metres or 180/80/20m2 in a circle around the device. Some have 3D antennas (more streams) that can cover floor to ceiling, and cheapies are more of a 2D in a slice of a circle. Every time the signal passes through a wall, door, cupboard, ceiling or floor, it roughly halves. Every extra metre it transmits, its signal strength also degrades.
Modem/router: These are for FTTN and convert the RJ11 phone port signal to the Internet. They usually have an Ethernet WAN port as well and can be used for FTTP and HFC. These are what we affectionately call crappy NBN modems, but there are a few that are better than the rest.
Router: Takes an RJ45 Ethernet signal from the NTD or Arris box and provides Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
Mesh Router uses the router and satellite routers to transmit the same SSID (name) and allow seamless roaming throughout the home. The satellites must have front/backhaul with the router. This is done over Ethernet (best) or dedicated Wi-Fi (limited to the signal strength the satellite receives).
Expanders, Telstra Smart Wi-Fi Booster or SuperBoost Wi-Fi boosters (that do not work and are a scam). The facts are that nothing can amplify or boost a Wi-Fi signal. At best, these take the garbage signal they receive and retransmit it a few extra metres.
Landline: If you need a landline over NBN, it requires an ATA (Analogue Telephone Adapter), which may be part of your modem/router or can be attached to an Ethernet port on a router. A simple ATA costs <$100 for the Grandstream HT802 2-Port FXS ATA VoIP Adapter.
Powerline: An easy way to use power points as Ethernet points. Alternatively, Ethernet cabled points can cost about $200.
Wrong place
The existing modem/router/gateway is usually in the absolute wrong place to cover the whole home. If your router is at a home’s extremity, read Fix Wi-Fi blackspots fast and often at no cost.
You can get better coverage for free just by moving the modem/router. If moving it seems too hard because of cables, read our Powerline Ethernet-over-Power option later.
Wi-Fi transmission distance is fixed by law so as not to venture too far outside the home. The key is placement, as you can see in the image above.
To eliminate black spots in the left image, at least a 2-pack mesh router and a satellite near the stairwell would be needed. If you have a video doorbell and external security cameras, a 3-pack with a satellite at the front door would be required.
If your house is two levels, you will need a satellite at the top of the stairwell.
All well and good, but money is hard to come by
Joe and Jane Average don’t expect to spend big bucks to fix this. While you can spend $3000 on the top-of-the-range TP-Link Deco BE85 Wi-Fi 7 BE22000 tri-band mesh router or $4000 on the Netgear Orbi 970 RBR973S Wi-Fi 7 Quad-band BE27000 mesh router, I can say that there are very few alternatives under $1000 that can cover the whole home.
These all assume that you either have an NTD/Arris Box Ethernet termination or an RJ11 FTTN termination.
All our solutions are Wi-Fi 6 AX (good), Wi-Fi 6E AXE (better), or Wi-Fi 7 BE (best). The less you spend, the fewer devices you can attach.
Prices and models are as of 9/6/25 and exclude promotional or runouts. They are also for Australian-certified devices that use different Wi-Fi 5 and 6 GHz bands. Routers purchased from overseas sources are illegal, and you can be fined for using them.
D-Link
These are rock-solid, offering Wi-Fi 6 AX6000 or AX3000 speeds
- Aquilla Pro AI M30 AX3000 dual band 2.5/5GHz 574/2402Mbps. 2-pack $$299.95 and 3-pack $399.95. D-Link Aquila Pro M30 AI Wi-Fi 6 AX3000 mesh router
- Aquila Pro AI M60 AX6000 dual band 2.4/5GHz 1200/4800Mbps. 2-pack $479.95 and 3-pack $649.95, D-Link M60 AX6000 Aquila Pro AI mesh – a very cost-effective solution
We have seen these for considerably less, so shop around. The Pro is easy to set up and offer excellent reliability. The Con is that they are entry-level, and if you are using Wi-Fi backhaul, it limits the available bandwidth.
D-Link is about to launch its Wi-Fi 7 range (it skipped 6E), and we will keep you informed of its progress.
TP-Link
TP-Link Deco is a family of mesh routers that you can often mix and match. They offer many speeds, from Wi-Fi 6 AX1500 to Wi-Fi BE22000, and dual and tri-band.
Good Wi-Fi 6 and easiest to set up
The Deco PX50 is a 3-pack of AX3000 routers and mesh satellites that use built-in G.hn Powerline for backhaul. Simply plug these into 240V power points around the home, connect one to the NTD, set up via the Deco app, and you are done. It can be seen for about $500 at Bunnings, Officeworks, etc. TP-Link Deco PX-50 Mesh/Powerline Wi-Fi 6 AX3000 – the perfect 10
Pro: AX3000 (2.4/5Ghz 574/2402Mbps), is fine because it doesn’t use Wi-Fi backhaul.
Con: Wi-Fi 6 is entry-level these days, so there may not be much future proofing.
Better Mesh Wi-Fi 6E:
Deco XE75 (there is a pro version, too) is a tri-band, 4-stream AXE5400 (2.4/5/6GHz 574/2402/2402) that uses a dedicated Wi-Fi backhaul to free the 2.4/6GHz bands to offer AXE 3000 available bandwidth. The router needs an NTD Ethernet connection. You can also use Ethernet backhaul between the satellites and the router, and free up the 5GHz band. Seen for $499 (3-pack) at Bunnings. TP-Link Deco XE75 Wi-Fi 6E AXE5400 Tri-band Mesh router
Deco XE200 is a tri-band, 8-stream, AXE11000 (2.4/5/6GHz 1148/4804/4804Mbps) that uses either Wi-Fi or Ethernet backhaul. It has more room for IoT devices. Seen for <$600 for a 3-pack at Amazon AU.
Best Mesh
Wi-Fi 7 has speeds from BE3600 to BE22000. It is also different to Wi-Fi 6 and 6E as it has more ‘go-fast’ technology.
BE25 is an entry-level dual-band, 4-stream, BE5000 (2.4/5GHz 688/4324Mbps – not 6GHz band) that intelligently uses part of the 5GHz band or Ethernet for backhaul. It is perfect for smaller homes with fewer users and supports 4K streaming. Seen for $468 for a 3-pack at Harvey Norman. Review soon.
BE65 Pro is a mid-range, tri-band, 6-stream, BE11000 (2.4/5/6GHz 688/4324/5765Mbps) that intelligently uses Wi-Fi or Ethernet backhaul. It is for bigger homes, more users and more devices. Seen for $869 for a 3-pack at Bing Lee.
Expensive but excellent Mesh
Deco BE85 is a top-of-the-range Tri-band, 12-stream, BE22000 (2.4/5/6GHz 1376/8674/11530Mbps) router that can support hundreds of IoT devices, multiple 4K streaming, gaming and power users. Seen for $2397 for a 3-pack at Officeworks. TP-Link Deco BE85 Wi-Fi 7 BE22000 tri-band mesh router – If you feel the need for massive, distributed speed
Other brands
ASUS has a range of ZenWiFi Wi-Fi 7 mesh routers ranging from dual-band BE3600 to BE25000.
We have reviewed the ASUS ZenWiFi BT10 – value BE18000 Tri-band mesh router and found it excellent.
- BT8, Tri-band, BE14000 seen for $799 for a 2-pack at Officeworks
- BT10, Tri-band BE18000 seen for $1600 for a 2-pack
- BQ16 tri-band BE25000 seen for $2200 for a 2-pack
ASUS also sells via computer stores, but check that you get the AU-approved model.
Netgear
Netgear has the Orbi range, but these are at premium prices and not for everyone. The entry-level Orbi 770 Tri-band Wi-Fi 7 is $1499 for a 3-pack, and the top-of-the-range Orbi 970 Quad band is $3999 for a 3-pack. Read Netgear Orbi 970 RBR973S Wi-Fi 7 Quad-band BE27000 mesh router
Powerline: Ethernet over Power
Very simply, place one Powerline adapter in a 240V power point to inject full-duplex (both ways) Ethernet from your router into the power lines. Up to 16 more (not advisable) can be placed around the home to act like an Ethernet cable over power lines.
To be clear, one to inject and one per Ethernet port you need. You could use it for 4K streaming to a TV.
D-Link and TP-Link have Powerline adapters. I recommend the AV 2000-speed TP-Link TL-PA9020P Kit, which is $198 at Harvey Norman.
D-Link has an AV1000 D-Link DHP-P601AV Ethernet at your power point.
Note: If you use this to take Ethernet from the NTD to your main router, you cannot use more for the home network. Powerline only supports one network, either the NTD extension or the Home network.
- NTD>Powerline1>to<Powerline2>Router – OK
- NTD>Powerline1>to<Powerline2>Router>Powerline3>Satellite – NO
- NTD>Ethernet>Router>Powerline1><Powerline2>Satelite2 and Powerline3>Satellite3 – OK
CyberShack’s view: Fixing a Wi-Fi problem can be as simple as placing it in the right location
First step: Move your modem/router to the centre of the home. If you don’t have Ethernet, a pair of Powerline adapters can facilitate that.
Second step: Look at Mesh for whole-of-home coverage, which starts at $500. Again, use Powerline adapters if you cannot place the satellites in the right location. But I stress that the more you spend, the faster it gets and the more users and devices it can support.
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