A new wireless modem router is on the way for Telstra internet customers, and it’s bringing support for WiFi 7 and a slightly faster backup connection, too.
You can use pretty much any router with any NBN connection, but too often than not, people use what’s been provided to them. That’s the norm for many a home in Australia, which may just go with the flow because they don’t know any better.
Depending on how many devices you have, that may lead to eventual problems, especially if you’ve been given a low-end wireless router meant for a small amount of connections and you need more bandwidth. Clearly, that’s where a bigger and more impressive wireless router comes in.
If you’re a Telstra subscriber, your hardware might be a little different. While Telstra does tend to offer modem routers for its subscribers, they also tend to be a little more bespoke, with a custom device made specifically for Telstra.
A few years ago, it was the Smart Modem 3. Before that, the Smart Modem 2. It’s been some time since we saw an update, but this week, Telstra has announced the fourth coming of its router, as it updates the WiFi 6 Smart Modem 3 to the more modern Smart Modem 4 with WiFi 7 onboard.
Alongside the latest WiFi standard (WiFi 7), Telstra is also including a bit of AI, possibly because everything has AI in it these days. For the Smart Modem 4, Telstra’s “SmartFix” AI aims to be proactive in how it detects issues, dealing with them accordingly.
In terms of how this AI works, Telstra told Pickr that the technology uses a number of data points across customer, network and devices to determine the appropriate path for remedy. Essentially, it means Telstra’s SmartFix aims to actually fix your problem without really needing to bother you, with the tech evolving since it was introduced back in the second-generation Smart Modem.
The company also notes the Smart Modem 4 retains its compatibility with the EasyMesh standard, a part of mesh networking we don’t see mentioned very often, and that it remains compatible with Telstra’s previous Smart Booster mesh networking additions, though will reduce the network technology back to WiFi 6 when used with them. Smart Boosters were originally WiFi 6 devices, and while WiFi 7 is backwards compatible with WiFi 6, you won’t find the extra bandwidth or speed of WiFi 7 when used with WiFi 6 devices.
As for how much bandwidth that could be, Telstra wouldn’t say. WiFi 7’s 802.11be standard ranges between 5.8 and 23Gbps of bandwidth depending on the hardware.
Most of what we see typically runs between 5 and 11Gbps, but keeps three bands in the setup: 2.4GHz (for the slower devices, and often the kids), 5GHz (for devices that need speed), and 6GHz (newer devices that support it).
Telstra’s Smart Modem 4 only includes 2.4 and 5GHz bands, with the company noting that its customers on average have 12 connected devices, explaining the limitation, though also said it has a select number of 6GHz-supported devices available, just not in the Smart Modem range.
Support for 5G is also included, though only for a backup connection if or when the NBN goes down. When that moment happens, Telstra’s backup 5G connection provides something, even if it’s capped at 25Mbps down and 1Mbps up. Hardly real 5G speeds.
One thing that is worth noting is the price: the Telstra Smart Modem 4 is set for $240 in Australia, and won’t be given to current customers as part of their plan. However, new Telstra customers will see the Smart Modem as part of their plan, but may need to give it back if they leave before two years is up.
