- Dirt-cheap asking price
- Plug and play (for most homes)
- Tackles common internet tasks
- Weak WiFi coverage
- No app; web portal tinkering discouraged
- Ongoing support concerns
While still viable, it feels like the age of WiFi 6 routers is slowly coming to an end. But for anyone who doesn't feel the futureproofed pull of WiFi 7, there's money to be saved by opting for WiFi 6 networking gear. And it doesn't get any cheaper than the NetComm CF40MESH router, which is available for under $50 at retail or for $0 from certain NBN providers. As you might expect with that bargain price point, there are some chunky compromises you'll have to stomach if you want to get the most out of the CF40MESH.
If you're in the market for an NBN plan today, here are the most popular picks from our database.
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#1
|
Dodo
FTTP, HFC
Editor's Pick
nbn500 Unlimited Plan
$62.99/mth
Min. cost $62.99
|
|
#2
|
SpinTel
All Fixed Line nbn®
Home Starter 25/10
$41/mth
Min. cost $41
|
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#3
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Tangerine Telecom
FTTP, HFC
Speedy Max NBN 500/50
$59.90/mth
Min. cost $59.90
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|
#4
|
Superloop
FTTP, HFC
Family Max nbn500/50
$74/mth
Min. cost $74
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#5
|
amaysim
FTTP, HFC
NBN500
$50/mth
Min. cost $50
|
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#6
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TPG
FTTP, HFC
nbn Home Fast Unlimited Plan
$74.99/mth
Min. cost $74.99
Link not supplied
|
|
#7
|
Flip
All Fixed Line nbn®
Editor's Pick
Unlimited Premium nbn25
$48/mth
Min. cost $48
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#8
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iiNet
FTTP, HFC
nbn500 Liimitless
$69.99/mth
+ $10 Upfront
Min. cost $79.99
Link not supplied
|
|
#9
|
Exetel
FTTP, HFC
One Plan 500/50
$80/mth
Min. cost $80
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#10
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Belong
FTTP, HFC
NBN Fast – Unlimited
$59/mth
Min. cost $59
|
Home networking equipment is tested in a first-floor apartment with thick WiFi-interfering walls using an FTTC NBN 100/20 connection. The networking device is deliberately placed at one end of the apartment (instead of a central location) to test wireless range and penetration. Basic speed tests are performed at multiple locations inside and outside the apartment, first with a Synology RT6600ax router and then with the networking device being reviewed for comparative results. Everyday, internet tests are also performed with relevant results mentioned for streaming, web browsing, online gaming, video and voice calls, as well as downloading large files and transferring them across devices on the local network.
What we like about the NetComm CF40MESH
We consider any router under $150 to be a cheap purchase. So when you realise that the NetComm CF40MESH retails for $50, it's impossible to find a cheaper WiFi 6 router alternative. Believe me, I looked. At the time of editing this review, the CF40MESH was an optional router add-on for More and Tangerine NBN plans. While those NBN providers list the CF40MESH's $49.90 RRP, both were offering it as a $0 add-on, which is a very tempting proposition.
If you're with a zero-credentials NBN provider (IPoE/DHCP) – one that doesn't need a username and password to connect to the internet – you can feasibly be online with the CF40MESH in a few minutes. My FTTC connection box takes around two minutes to power cycle. Even factoring in that downtime, I was online with the CF40MESH in under five minutes. For context, I consider anything under 10 minutes as a fast setup, and that excludes the connection box power cycle time.
While there isn't a companion app, most users should be able to plug and play to get connected. It helps that the CF40MESH comes with a red-tipped Ethernet cable, which is colour-matched with the red WAN (internet) port. The other end goes into your NBN connection box – or modem-router's internet port if you're using one in bridge mode – and then you're off to the online races. Finding somewhere to place the CF40MESH shouldn't be an issue, either, thanks to a compact design.
Even if you're with an NBN provider that still uses a username and password to get online (PPPoE), the main menu options in the browser-based web portal make for straightforward navigation. Use the router login details on the bottom of the CF40MESH to access the web portal, then click on 'Basic Setup' in the left-hand menu. The 'PPPoE' radial option is selected by default, now you just need to punch in your username and password to get online.
Other menu options that may be useful to everyday users are logical enough, meaning you're only a few more clicks away from changing your WiFi SSID and password. If you're like me, you may want to change the device IP address, which is logically under 'Network Setting' and 'LAN'. Helpfully, changing the router's IP address also intuitively updates the DHCP address range. Any saved changes should only take around 30 seconds to apply, and any potential downtime during that process shouldn't impact Ethernet-connected devices.
I measured low latency inside and outside my home in the spots where there was WiFi coverage. With a CFS40 CloudMesh Satellite connected to boost WiFi coverage, speeds and latency were great for the 5GHz wireless band. If you want to boost that 5GHz band coverage, you can add more CFS40 satellites. I was able to find a CFS40 for $60, which is pricier than the router, but still not cost-prohibitive compared to cheap networking gear.
In terms of everyday internet tasks, I didn't have any major issues. More importantly, despite my initial misgivings, I didn't have any reliability issues with the CF40MESH, meaning consistent uptime and decent performance, particularly for priority devices inside the 5GHz coverage.
Routers, modem-routers and mesh WiFi systems are compatible with most NBN connections, including FTTP, HFC, FTTC, Fixed Wireless and Sky Muster satellite. All of these NBN technologies use respective network termination devices (NTDs), which is a fancy term for “connection box” or “modem”. If you live in an FTTB or FTTN home, you’ll need a modem-router to get online. You can still connect a router or mesh WiFi system to a modem-router, but the modem-router first needs to be in bridge mode so it can then connect to a router or mesh WiFi system.
What we dislike about the NetComm CF40MESH
When a router costs $50, there are going to be at least some compromises. And the first ones come from the basics. It's a shame there isn't a USB port, and all of the Ethernet ports are relegated to 1Gbps speeds. That wouldn't be the end of the world if the max attainable WiFi speeds of the NetComm CF40MESH were fast. As it stands, they're reportedly stuck at 1.8Gbps.
While that's, admittedly, enough for most NBN plans, the majority of that max theoretical wireless speeds come from the 5GHz band. Without an extender satellite, the CF40MESH has impractically restrictive 5GHz coverage. During my tests, the 5GHz wireless band was only available in the same room as the router, and even then, signal strength had a noticeable dip after a few metres.
Effectively, you're forced to buy at least one satellite extender to more practically extend the 5GHz coverage around the home. Even with a satellite, the CF40MESH is still prone to shift to the slower 2.4GHz band, which, at best, gave me 86% of my NBN 100 plan's download speeds. At worst, extender download speeds dropped to 32% inside my apartment. Without the satellite extender, most of my home was reliant on 2.4GHz, and even then, I was getting disconnected in the study.
A sub-$110 combined price for CF40MESH and CFS40 satellite is still a competitive price, but connecting the CFS40 is unnecessarily painful. The included documentation suggested the satellite could automatically sniff out the CF40MESH, which didn't work in my tests. Nor did the method that uses the WiFi Protected Setup (WPS) buttons, even after multiple attempts. What worked in the end was connecting the included satellite Ethernet cable to one of the spare LAN ports on the CF40MESH for initial configuration, then shifting the satellite to the desired spot in my apartment as a WiFi mesh extender.
While backhaul Ethernet is reportedly supported, the included satellite cable is impractically small, so you'll have to bring your own. Even if you BYO long Ethernet cable, you're dealing with a potential trip hazard, and the Ethernet ports don't properly hold cables. Every other bit of networking gear I've tested has had the secure snap when an Ethernet cable is connected, but both CF40MESH and CFS40 didn't securely snap in. That's for internet and LAN ports, which meant online connectivity was at the mercy of my cable-obsessed cat.
Without a companion app – the documentation suggests one used to be supported, but it's no longer available on Apple or Google Stores – any configuration and tinkering has to be done via a browser-based web portal. That's not so bad for basic tweaks, but if you want to tinker with anything more advanced, you'll want to be familiar with networking jargon. There isn't any guidance or tool tips, which effectively means network tweaking is discouraged.
That's okay for most users, but it doesn't help that Quality of Service (QoS) is disabled by default. To enable it, you'll find it buried at the bottom of the 'Advanced Setup' menu, wherein your only practical option for using it is setting it to 'Auto Marking(-2)'. Behold, more networking jargon. Admittedly, this auto QoS setting did preserve video quality while streaming on one device and otherwise downloading at full speed on another. Frustratingly, it didn't do the same thing for my online gaming tests while downloading at unrestricted speeds, which meant a noticeably laggy experience that wasn't there when I wasn't otherwise downloading at max clip. In its best form, QoS will handle this invisibly in the background; it's not like online gaming actually needs a lot of bandwidth.
More concerning, though, is how firmware updates are handled. There isn't any option for automated updates, so you'll have to do it the old way: sourcing firmware from the NetComm support site, downloading it, extracting it, then uploading it via the web portal. While manageable, it's concerning that the latest firmware version was dated early 2024. The one before that – which was preinstalled on the CF40MESH I tested – was dated 2023. The CF40MESH doesn't feel like the kind of router that's going to receive regular firmware updates, which creates potential security concerns moving forward.
NetComm CF40MESH – Final Thoughts
The NetComm CF40MESH has a bargain price that is, in many ways, too good to be true. While you can get decent performance out of it by adding a CFS40 satellite (or two), each additional satellite adds to the overall cost, lowering the value. If you live in a larger or interference-prone home where you'll need at least two satellites, you're better off considering alternatives, like the incredibly performative TP-Link HX510.
We consider several factors when reviewing networking equipment, including:
- Type: Router, modem-router or mesh WiFi system. Supported NBN technologies and plan speeds.
- Design: Size, weight and standing options. Internal or external antennae. Available ports, WiFi version, and single, dual or triband wireless.
- Setup: Plug-and-play configurations vs laborious setup. Companion apps and guided setups are a plus.
- Performance: Ethernet and WiFi speed tests for downloads, uploads and latency. Real-time latency test for online gaming, VoIP and/or video calls. Plus, everyday use like downloading, uploading, browsing and streaming.
- Versatility: Band steering (single SSID), quality of service and other features. Ease of configuration, plus mesh expansion.
These are the most popular NBN 50 plans with WhistleOut users this week:
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#1
|
Dodo
All Fixed Line nbn®
Editor's Pick
nbn50 Unlimited Plan
$57.99/mth
Min. cost $57.99
|
|
#2
|
amaysim
All Fixed Line nbn®
NBN50
$45/mth
Min. cost $45
|
|
#3
|
Tangerine Telecom
All Fixed Line nbn®
Value Plus NBN 50/20
$64.90/mth
Min. cost $64.90
|
|
#4
|
TPG
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn50 Unlimited Plan
$69.99/mth
Min. cost $69.99
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Aussie Broadband
All Fixed Line nbn®
Value nbn - Unlimited
$70/mth
Min. cost $70
Link not supplied
|
|
#6
|
Superloop
All Fixed Line nbn®
Extra-value nbn50/20
$69/mth
Min. cost $69
|
|
#7
|
iiNet
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn50 Liimitless
$69.99/mth
+ $10 Upfront
Min. cost $79.99
Link not supplied
|
|
#8
|
Belong
All Fixed Line nbn®
NBN Standard Plus – Unlimited
$55/mth
Min. cost $55
|
|
#9
|
Kogan Internet
All Fixed Line nbn®
Silver Unlimited
$69.90/mth
Min. cost $69.90
|
|
#10
|
Flip
All Fixed Line nbn®
Unlimited Family nbn50
$68/mth
Min. cost $68
|
Nathan Lawrence
Freelance Contributor
Find a better internet plan
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