WiFi routers and mesh networks

We test router performance under real-world conditions in our lab in Wellington.

Recognising that few consumers know how to tweak router settings for optimal performance, we set up each router using default settings where possible. We assess the ease of set up, customisation and use.

We also look at the basic security features of the router – for example, the quality of its default WiFi password and data encryption options.

To measure WiFi performance, each router is connected to a dedicated high-speed internet link. For mesh-capable routers, we also plug in a second mesh access point to recreate a likely in-home setup.

We then measure:

• how fast and consistent the product is at routing internet traffic to devices like laptops and phones
• how evenly the router distributes bandwidth to several devices all trying to access the internet at once.

Devices are placed at different distances from the router, through walls and around corners to assess the router’s performance in a variety of conditions.