Category: Technologies · Last updated 28 Sept 2026
Do I need a Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 7 modem for my nbn connection?
Whether newer Wi-Fi standards make a real difference on your nbn plan.
Newer Wi-Fi standards handle lots of connected devices better and offer faster speeds around your home. Whether you need one depends on your plan speed and household.
The Wi-Fi standards
- Wi-Fi 5 - fine for plans up to around 100Mbps and smaller households.
- Wi-Fi 6 - handles many devices at once much better, and suits most plans up to 1000Mbps.
- Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 - add the 6GHz band for the fastest speeds within a room or two of the router. Wi-Fi 7 also lets devices use more than one band at once.
When a newer modem makes a difference
On our faster plans - Fast Fibre, Super Fast, Ultra Fast and Hyper Fast - an older Wi-Fi 5 modem will often limit the speeds you see over Wi-Fi, especially with lots of devices online. For Hyper Fast, you'll also need a modem with a 2.5Gbps (or faster) WAN port to get more than about 1000Mbps.
When it makes little difference
On Basic, Standard or Fast plans, or in smaller households with only a few devices, your plan speed is usually the limit rather than your Wi-Fi.
Where you put your modem often matters more than the Wi-Fi standard - see our guides on where to place your modem and on 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz Wi-Fi.
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