Telstra Smart Modem 3

A new standard in home Wi‑Fi.

Introducing Telstra Smart Modem 3. With the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology, it's our most powerful modem yet. And it's included for use with our new nbn home internet plans.

New services only. If you leave before 24 mths, return your modem or pay a $200 non-return fee.

Discover Smart Modem 3

Explore nbn plans

Telstra Smart Modem 3. Because the modem matters.

With more Wi-Fi speed to more corners of your house, it's perfect for busy homes. Here's why our new smart modem is a game changer.

Up to 2 times faster Wi-Fi speeds

Than our major home internet competitors' modems*. Watch, work and play with faster Wi-Fi.

For more people, on more devices

Wi-Fi 6 is great for when you’ve got a houseful of people using phones, tablets, laptops, gaming consoles, smart speakers and more all at once.

What's Wi-Fi 6?

Game on in more rooms

Game in your bedroom or on the back patio, with intelligent band-switching and improved Wi-Fi speeds throughout your home.

SMART MODEM GEN 3 REVIEW

Why the modem matters

Watch expert tech reviewer Elly Awesome put our new modem through its paces and see why it outperforms our major competitors' modems.

Compare our modem

FOOTAGE: We open on tech review Elly Awesome in a studio, the new Telstra Smart Modem 3 beside her.

ELLY: I want to let you in on some important info.

This little box right here is the new Telstra Smart Modem 3, and it plays a huge role in the speeds and signal strength that you get from your Wi-Fi at home.

And this is important to me because sometimes working from home doesn't always go as planned.

FOOTAGE: Elly at home at her dining room table.

ELLY: Sorry, it's really noisy.

FOOTAGE: Frypan sizzling.

ELLY: Yeah, I'll move.

FOOTAGE: mushrooms cooking in sizzling frypan, leaf blower in the garden, toaster popping, vacuuming in the house, chickens crowing in the garden, view of house under construction from Elly’s window...

ELLY: Yeah, hold...

FOOTAGE: Desperate Elly jumps into her car with her laptop.

ELLY: Sorry guys, this is the only quiet place in the house.

FOOTAGE: Elly back in the studio with the new modem.

ELLY: I legitimately rely on my internet connection to be stable, far reaching and speedy because it's just the worst when...

FOOTAGE: Elly freezes as the video buffering symbol appears on screen, then unfreezes.

ELLY: when...

FOOTAGE: Elly freezes again then unfreezes and pushes the buffering symbol off screen.

...this happens. Because here's the thing, even if you have a fast nbn connection to your home, if you have an older or cheaper modem, you may still be getting a weak Wi-Fi signal, with slower speeds around the house.

FOOTAGE: Elly picks up the modem.

ELLY: But the Telstra Smart Modem 3 is packed with the latest Wi-Fi technology, including Wi-Fi six to give you the best home Wi-Fi experience possible.

FOOTAGE: Cut to party streamers landing on the modem.

FOOTAGE: Back to Elly in the studio.

ELLY: And that is in fact what I'm using now.

FOOTAGE: Elly puts on cool black sunglasses.

ELLY: It's awesome!

FOOTAGE: Elly outside on her deck, she takes off the sunglasses.

ELLY: In fact, Telstra tested this modem against a bunch of other telco's home modems.

FOOTAGE: we see other companies’ home modems ranged on a desk.

ELLY: For this, they found a real four bedroom house,

FOOTAGE: Aerial shot approaching a sprawling rural homestead with no other homes around.

ELLY: in a remote location in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales to run speed and coverage tests.

FOOTAGE: Inside the house, an expert works at a laptop and then at a radio interference measuring device.

ELLY: And so that this was a fair test, Telstra worked with an independent third party who helped to establish the testing framework and oversaw all of the testing. The location was also checked to be free of any radio signal interference to make sure there were no irregularities in the results.

FOOTAGE: Elly back in the studio.

ELLY: So this is legit!

FOOTAGE: Aerial shot of the homestead as we zoom up from the roof.

ELLY: The modems being tested were all hooked up in this location.

FOOTAGE: A graphic floorplan of the house is overlaid onto the aerial shot and shows where the modem was placed.

ELLY: The test team then placed mobile devices all throughout the home to pick up the Wi-Fi signals as represented by these little markers.

FOOTAGE: little device markers appear all over the floorplan; at least one in every room. Then cut to the expert running a code program on his laptop.

ELLY: A script was then run on this laptop to test the speed and signal strength of all of the devices,

FOOTAGE: Elly back in the studio.

essentially running a speed test just like this one.

FOOTAGE: We see a Telstra Speed test on the Telstra website running a real-time check of some location’s download and upload speeds, then updating to a results screen.

ELLY: One of the most interesting finds from these tests, in my opinion, is seen on these heat maps.

FOOTAGE: Over the same aerial shot of the homestead, we see graphics of 3 floorplans appear, and from left to right they are ‘filled’ with the colour-coded speed results for three competitors’ home modems, Green is fast, yellow is slower and red is slowest.

The Aussie Broadband modem shows about 3 quarters of the home green, and the rest yellow to red.

The Vodafone modem shows a bit over 3 quarters green and the rest yellow and red.

The Telstra Smart Modem 3 shows almost every bit of the home green.

ELLY: Basically, green equals fast WiFi speeds in that part of the house and yellow and red represents slower Wi-Fi speeds.

And as you can see by the amount of green in some of these heat maps, the Telstra Smart Modem 3 outperformed all of these competitors, especially in the furthest part of the house.

FOOTAGE: Elly back in the studio.

ELLY: In fact, with four devices connected and running at the same time, in four different parts of the home, the Telstra Smart Modem 3 was significantly faster,

FOOTAGE: Back to aerial shot with the single floorplan overlaid; the modem icon pulses, and then 4 devices appear in separate areas of the floorplan and receive the modem’s signal clearly and strongly.

ELLY: and in some cases two times faster than the other modems included in the test.

FOOTAGE: A 3D bar graph of this comparative test appears. The results animate on to the graph, showing the Telstra Smart Modem 3 with a much higher bar that the competitors’ modems.

FOOTAGE: Cut back to Elly in her house.

ELLY: Comparatively, some modems Wi-Fi signals really struggle to go through walls, bend around corners, or pass through household appliances such as fridges and TVs, which really limits the areas of the house that can get a good Wi-Fi signal.

FOOTAGE: Elly talking to camera selfie-style, her house interior stretching back into the distance

ELLY: This is why people at the opposite end of the house with their door closed, or on a different level, might not get very good Wi-Fi... Oh, is that you? I'm sorry.

FOOTAGE: The Expert at his laptop as an animated swirl that represent the Wi-Fi signal comes out of the black modem next to him, and snakes off through the whole house.

ELLY: On the other hand, the Telstra Smart Modem 3 has the ability to send a strong, high speed Wi-Fi signal to more corners of the home.

FOOTAGE: Elly hugs the modem and gets teary.

ELLY: Thank you.

FOOTAGE: Elly back in the house.

ELLY: And here, at my home, with the Telstra Smart modem 3, my Wi-Fi is so strong that I thinkt even reaches outside too. I'm a little bit suss because my neighbour a few weeks ago asked to borrow my Wi-Fi password and now she's always binge-watching cooking videos right outside my window.

FOOTAGE: Cut to a fox terrier in reading glasses perched at a laptop.

ELLY: I can see you, Judy!

FOOTAGE: Elly back in her house.

ELLY: The thing is, modems are designed to support the technology of their time. So, the modem you got way back when is unlikely to be able to truly support insanely fast nbn speeds.

And you guessed it. On the other hand, the Telstra Smart Modem 3 is built for the now.

How's that? Well, this modem has Wi-Fi 6 technology, which means it can accommodate more devices on a single Wi-Fi network than earlier Wi-Fi standards.

And think about how many devices you actually have connected in your house, especially with kids and teens at home. I'm talking laptops, computers, tablets, phones, smart speakers, smart lighting, and the list goes on.

We all need this kind of technology. And what's cool is, unlike other internet providers modems the Telstra Smart Modem 3 can intelligently switch your devices between Wi-Fi bands to achieve the best possible Wi-Fi speeds and connections on any device, all throughout your home. And that is sure to keep everybody happy.

FOOTAGE: Elly back in the studio.

ELLY: It has improved energy efficiency too, and it was designed with the environment in mind.

FOOTAGE: Cut to the modem on a desk, with the super: ‘85% recycled plastics’, then another super replaces that: ‘100% recycled materials’.

ELLY: The modem enclosure is made up of 85% recycled plastics and the modems packaging is made of 100% recycled materials.

FOOTAGE: Elly at her home desk.

ELLY: And as a bonus, there's a feature called Smart Fix, which takes the hassle out of your internet connection as the modem is able to monitor your internet performance intelligently, recognise if there are any faults, and if so, even resolve some faults remotely without you having to do anything. Mind blown!

FOOTAGE: Elly uses her hands to show us how her mind just blew, then she falls back in her chair. CUT to the modem in a room.

ELLY: And by the way, this modem is included for you to use with any Telstra home internet plan.

FOOTAGE: Back to Elly in the studio with the modem by her side.

ELLY: But the takeaway from all of this: your modem makes a difference.

And for those who want improved Wi-Fi speeds throughout your home, you'll want to check out the Telstra Smart Modem 3.

We compared modems

How we tested

We used a real 4-bedroom home to compare the Wi-Fi speeds and coverage of Telstra Smart Modem 3 with our major competitors' modems. Here’s how they performed. Green shows the fastest speeds, yellow slower and orange the slowest speeds.

How we tested

250 Mbps or more

50 to 250 Mbps or more

Less than 50 Mbps

In same room

1-3 rooms away

3+ rooms away

Modem

Test points

Smart Modem Gen 3

Telstra

Key test points	Speed	Coverage
Test point 1	776 Mbps	In same room as modem
Test point 2	569 Mbps	1-3 rooms away from modem
Test point 3	63 Mbps	3 + rooms away from modem

Netcomm NF18Mesh

Aussie Broadband WiFi Modem

Key test points	Speed	Coverage
Test point 1	475 Mbps	In same room as modem
Test point 2	166 Mbps	1-3 rooms away from modem
Test point 3	No coverage	3 + rooms away from modem

5366 LTE

Optus Ultra WiFi Modem

Key test points Speed Coverage
Test point 1 588 Mbps In same room as modem
Test point 2 491 Mbps 1-3 rooms away from modem
Test point 3 36 Mbps 3 + rooms away from modem
Netcomm NL1902

Vodafone Wi-Fi Hub 2.0

Key test points Speed Coverage
Test point 1 431 Mbps In same room as modem
Test point 2 271 Mbps 1-3 rooms away from modem
Test point 3 No coverage 3 + rooms away from modem
TP Link Archer VR1600V

iiNet / TPG WiFi Modem

Key test points Speed Coverage
Test point 1 523 Mbps In same room as modem
Test point 2 241 Mbps 1-3 rooms away from modem
Test point 3 2 Mbps 3 + rooms away from modem

Why all Wi-Fi is not the same.

Your modem plays a huge part in the Wi-Fi performance you get at home. Here’s six ways the Telstra Smart Modem 3 delivers Australia’s best home Wi-Fi experience.

Speed

Enjoy faster Wi-Fi speeds, on more devices with the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology. The Wi-Fi speeds of our Smart Modem 3 are on average 60% faster than those of our previous modem.

Comparison testing performed November 2021.
Strength

The Smart Modem 3 is our most powerful modem yet. Its next-generation tech gives you a stronger Wi-Fi signal in more corners of the home.
Smart

The Smart Modem 3 has a built-in 4G SIM, so if there is an outage, it can switch to our 4G mobile network in minutes.

4G coverage required. 4G speeds capped at 25/5Mbps. Actual speeds may be lower.
Support

Our modem’s SmartFix feature can automatically detect and resolve internet connection issues remotely, without you having to do a thing.
Sustainability

The Smart Modem 3 is more eco-friendly. It’s made with more than 80% recycled plastics and its packaging is 100% recyclable.
Security

The Wi-Fi 6 technology in our Smart Modem 3 delivers major security enhancements to help keep your information secure online. Automatic software updates also help to ensure security protocols are kept up-to-date.

Wi-Fi 6. It's the new black.

Wi-Fi 6 technology accommodates many more devices at greater speeds on a single Wi-Fi network. It's the next big thing in Wi-Fi. Smart modem 3 is already Wi-Fi 6 certified, so you'll enjoy:

up to 4 times more Wi-Fi capacity
up to 12 devices streaming at once
up to 40% faster Wi-Fi speeds
longer battery life for your connected devices

Read Smart Modem 3 specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

It’s our latest smart Wi-Fi modem for use with our home internet plans.

Telstra Smart Modem Gen 3 comes with Wi-Fi 6 technology, which delivers more Wi-Fi speed, on more devices, in more corners of your home.

It also has advanced security and other features, making it our most powerful and intelligent home Wi-Fi modem yet.

Smart Modem Gen 3 is replacing Telstra Smart Modem Gen 2, which does not have Wi-Fi 6 technology.
The Wi-Fi speeds of the new Telstra Smart Modem Gen 3 are on average 60% faster than the Wi-Fi speeds of our previous Telstra Smart Modem Gen 2.

The Wi-Fi speeds are also up to 2 times faster than the Wi-Fi speeds of our major home internet competitors’ modems – based on independently supervised testing conducted in November 2021.
Wi-Fi 6 modems are backwards compatible with Wi-Fi 5 and older Wi-Fi devices in your home.

You may not experience the same level of Wi-Fi speeds and coverage on those non-Wi-Fi 6 connected devices as you will with your Wi-Fi 6 certified devices.

Many new smart devices are moving to Wi-Fi 6 certification.
Yes, connecting Telstra Smart Modem Gen 3 is so easy you can do it yourself in around half an hour.

Once you’ve decided on the best spot in your home for the smart modem, you just need to plug it into power and into your nbn connection box.

Then you can start connecting your devices via the Wi-Fi 6 signal

You’ll find an easy quick start guide with step-by-step instructions included in the modem pack.
If your home is like most Australian households today, you’re probably got multiple devices running at once with people streaming, gaming, browsing and working from one end of the house to the other.

You may even have a few appliances connected. All on the one Wi-Fi signal.

The Telstra Smart Modem 3 was specifically developed for today’s homes, to handle the huge demands we’re all putting on our Wi-Fi connections.

Our latest modem uses Wi-Fi 6 technology to accommodate many more devices, at greater Wi-Fi speeds, than our previous modem. In fact it’s on average 60% faster than our previous Smart Modem Gen 2.*

It also delivers greater reach to more corners of your home.

Whether or not you have a houseful of heavy users or you just want a strong connection from one end of the home to the other, Telstra Smart Modem 3 is your best choice.

Telstra Smart Modem Gen 3 is included for use with our new nbn plans

Comparison testing performed November 2021
Find the best fit: do a little research to find the provider that meets your needs. Do you want a budget connection, super fast speeds or more reliable home Wi-Fi?

Compare the inclusions: not all providers include things like unlimited data, no connection fees and a new smart modem. (Telstra ticks all three).

Consider whether you need a home phone line: although many of us don’t need one, it can be good to have the option. Telstra nbn plans include a fixed phone line as standard, so it’s there if you need it.

Existing Telstra internet customers

If you’re on an eligible Telstra plan you can upgrade to the Telstra Smart Modem 3 for $9 extra per month over 24 months (min cost $216).

There are two ways to upgrade:
Message us now
or
Visit your nearest Telstra Store

You can also try these tips to improve your home Wi-FI
Yes, existing Telstra internet customers can buy the Smart Modem 3 for a one-off price of $216.

To buy the modem outright:
Message us now
or
Visit your nearest Telstra Store

Unfortunately, existing Telstra internet customers can’t purchase the new Telstra Smart Modem outright, on our website or app.
The Telstra Smart Modem 3 has all the features of Telstra Smart Modem 2 - including the built-in 4G SIM for outages.

What’s new is the next-generation Wi-Fi 6 technology, which basically allows for many more devices at greater Wi-Fi speeds on the one Wi-Fi network.

Here are the key differences between Smart Modem 2 and Smart Modem 3 with Wi-Fi 6:

Smart Modem 3 has on average 60% faster Wi-FI speeds than Smart Modem 2.

Smart Modem 3 has a stronger Wi-Fi signal that pushes further into your home than the Smart Modem 2.

Smart Modem 3 performs better when there are multiple devices connected and running at the same time. This includes phones, tablets, laptops, smart TVs, gaming consoles, smart speakers and other IoT devices.

Smart Modem 3 is one of the first modems to offer Wi-Fi 6 to Australian internet customers. Find out how Smart Modem 3 compares to our major competitors’ modems

Important: An nbn service can never go faster than the maximum line speed available at your premises, so for FTTN/B/C customers we will confirm your maximum attainable speed after connection and let you know if your line is not able to achieve the maximum speed of your plan.

The nbn™ tier figures represent wholesale maximum network speeds during off-peak periods. The nbn™ tier figures and ‘typical busy period speeds’ are not measures of customers’ actual in-premises speeds, which may be slower. Not all customers receive these speeds. In some cases, the nbn™ tier figures and the typical busy period speeds are similar.

Find out more about speeds on the nbn network with Telstra.

nbn™ New Development Charge: In areas serviced by nbn co, Telstra may be required to connect services onto the nbn network. If you’re in a new development and not already connected to the nbn network, nbn co may charge $300 to connect your premises to the nbn network. If applicable, we will bill that charge to you. Once you are connected to nbn fibre, you won’t be able to move to our copper network. Extra charges may apply for non-standard or professional install of Telstra or nbn co equipment and for premises in new developments.

Telstra Smart Modem 3™: 4G Mobile backup is available to premises in 4G coverage areas. Check coverage at telstra.com/coverage. Your mobile backup connection is capped at 25Mbps for downloads and 5Mbps for uploads. Actual speeds may be lower due to local conditions and content accessed.

Medical security alarms, lift phones and fire indicator panels: If you have a medical alarm, lift phone or fire indicator panel, you need to register these services with nbn co by calling 1800 227 300. Medical alarms can also be registered online at nbn.com.au/medicalregister. It’s important to understand that registering these services won’t prevent them from being disconnected when moving to the nbn network. As well as registering, you must also contact your medical alarm, lift phone or fire indicator panel provider to arrange the transfer of these services to the nbn network

nbn™, nbn co and other nbn™ logos and brands are trademarks of nbn co limited and used under licence.

Need help?

Support

Find the answers on our nbn and internet support pages.

Go to support

Send us a message

Have a question or want our help to complete an order?

Message us

Find a store

Find your nearest Telstra Store or Wi-Fi hotspot.

Find a store

Speed

Enjoy faster speeds, on more devices with the latest Wi-fi 6 technology. The Wi-Fi speed of our Smart Modem 3 is on average 60% faster than our previous modem.

Strength

The Smart Modem 3 is our most powerful modem yet. It’s next-generation tech gives you a stronger Wi-Fi signal in more corners of the home.

Smart

The Smart Modem 3 has a built-in 4G SIM, so if there is an outage, it can switch to our 4G mobile network in minutes.

Support

Our modem’s SmartFix feature can automatically detect and resolve internet connection issues remotely, without you having to do a thing.

Sustainability

The Smart Modem 3 is more eco-friendly. It’s made with more than 80% recycled plastics and its packaging is 100% recyclable.

Security

The Wi-Fi 6 technology in our Smart Modem 3 delivers major security enhancements to help keep your information secure online. Automatic software updates also help to ensure security protocols are kept up-to-date.

Product Specifications

Wi-Fi	802.11ax Dual Band Concurrent Wi-Fi 4x4 2.4ghz, 4x4 5ghz
LTE-Backup	Yes – Voice & Data
Voice	2x FXS ports
Capability	Bandsteering Automatic Channel Selection WPS Wi-Fi Dr enabled
Ports	1 x USB 2.0 1 x Gigabit WAN 4 x Gigabit LAN
Security	WPA3
Mesh	Compatible with Smart Wi-Fi Booster 3

Visit our Smart Modem 3 page

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Telstra Smart Modem 3

A new standard in home Wi‑Fi.

Telstra Smart Modem 3. Because the modem matters.

Up to 2 times faster Wi-Fi speeds

For more people, on more devices

Game on in more rooms

SMART MODEM GEN 3 REVIEW

Why the modem matters

Video transcript

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Smart Modem Gen 3

Netcomm NF18Mesh

5366 LTE

Netcomm NL1902

TP Link Archer VR1600V

Nbn home internet plans

Get the Smart Modem 3 with an nbn plan now.

Why all Wi-Fi is not the same.

Speed

Strength

Smart

Support

Sustainability

Security

Wi-Fi 6. It's the new black.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Telstra Smart Modem Gen 3?

How much faster is Telstra Smart Modem 3?

Is Wi-Fi 6 technology compatible with my home devices?

Is setting up a Telstra Smart Modem easy?

What do the lights on the Telstra Smart Modem mean?

Which is the best Telstra modem for my house?

What’s the price of the new Telstra modem?

These tips will make choosing your new provider even easier.

Existing Telstra internet customers

How can I upgrade to the new Smart Modem 3?

Can I buy the Smart Modem 3 outright?

How does Smart Modem 3 compare with Smart Modem 2?

Things you need to know

Need help?

Support

We compared modems