Optus Ultra Wi-Fi Gen 2 review: Not so “Ultra” anymore

Modem-routers have the unfortunate reputation of being less impressive than their router or mesh peers. Unfortunately, modem-routers are also the best way for NBN providers to tackle the frustrating realities of the multiple technologies that connect homes to the NBN, including much maligned Fibre-to-the-Node (FTTN). For FTTN and Fibre-to-the-Building (FTTB) homes, a modem-router is the most straightforward option for getting online and sharing internet around the home.

But by being both modem and router, concessions are generally made in comparison to routers or mesh WiFi systems. And the Optus Ultra Wi-Fi Gen 2 isn't one to break that mould. It's by no means a bad modem-router – certainly not compared to the ZTE H1600, NetComm NF20MESH and TP-Link VX230v – but nor does it rise above the middling best examples like the TP-Link VX420-G2v and Telstra Smart Modem 3.

You can't buy an Optus Ultra Wi-Fi Gen 2 modem-router outright. Not even from an Optus store. Believe me, I tried. The only way to get one is either by bundling it with an Optus NBN plan or buying one second-hand. I did the latter – an untouched Optus modem that was new in the box – and I feel kind of bad in hindsight because that person likely owes Optus money.

While it costs $0 upfront to bundle an Optus Ultra Wi-Fi Gen 2 modem-router with an Optus NBN plan, there's a pro rata cost tucked away in the critical information summary. Technically, that 'free' Optus modem is $306, and users are paying a $12.75 monthly fee as part of the plan price over the next 24 months. If you leave your Optus ahead of those 24 months, expect to pay a pro rata cost. Unlike Telstra, there doesn't appear to be a way to avoid this hardware fee because you seemingly can't return the Optus modem-router.

That $306 price is comparatively high next to other modem-router models offered by competing NBN providers. The Telstra Smart Modem 3 costs $288 and the Vodafone-bundled TP-Link VX420-G2h costs $180. The TP-Link VX230v is even cheaper at around $150 from AGL, MATE, Moose NBN, Origin Broadband, SpinTel or Superloop. The ZTE H1600 from Superloop is around the same price, too; half of what you ultimately need to cover for the Optus modem-router.

It's less of a concern if you plan on sticking with Optus for two years. But given the money to be saved by provider shopping every six months, it's not ideal. Speaking of, if you’re in the market for a new NBN plan, check out the popular picks below.

I was impressed with how straightforward the Optus Ultra Wi-Fi Gen 2 modem-router was to get going, especially because I wasn't testing it as an Optus customer. My main concern was that whatever preconfigured settings applied to its intended owner would necessitate a full reset. But because Optus is an IPoE/DHCP provider – one that doesn't require username and password credentials to get online – I was connected after power cycling my NBN connection box.

That's great news for anyone shifting away from Optus to any of the following NBN providers we track:

• Amaysim
• Aussie Broadband
• Belong
• Buddy Telco
• Exetel
• Flip
• Origin Broadband
• Superloop
• Swoop Broadband
• Telstra

Unfortunately, that's not great news for a lot of other providers who still use the PPPoE protocol: one that requires a username and password to get online. This Optus WiFi modem is built for Optus customers, so it's understandable that Optus hasn't added a way to input PPPoE credentials. That would be less of a detractor if the Telstra Smart Modem 3 – also from a zero-credentials IPoE provider – didn't have a section to input such details, giving users more choices if they switch providers. Word is you can fix this Optus router oversight with custom firmware, but that's only advised for advanced users.

Where the Optus Ultra Wi-Fi Gen 2 beats the Telstra Smart Modem 3, though, is the included cables. When I bought the latter, it only came with a power cable. But the Optus NBN modem came with two colour-coded Cat 5e Ethernet cables (max 1Gbps speeds), plus a DSL cable for FTTN and FTTB homes. That's ready to connect out of the box, no matter your NBN technology. Better still was the inclusion of a QR code on a magnet that let me connect to the default WiFi with my smartphone camera.

The biggest challenge of the Optus modem setup was getting all of my old devices connected, albeit more from a convenience perspective. I typically change the WiFi username and password to the same one I use on other devices, so all of my wireless devices just connect to the networking gear I'm testing. Simple. But the Optus gen-2 modem insists on an 8–63-character password with at least one letter and one number. The security focus is admirable but the convenience factor for anyone who only uses letters or numbers for a network password is frustrating, forcing you to reconnect every wireless device you want to use.

I do internet speed tests right after initial configuration to gauge speed potential, not just overall but also relative to wired and wireless performance in different parts of my apartment. While the front part of my apartment typically never has WiFi issues, the back part has issues with any networking equipment that can’t penetrate thick walls. Before testing, I was concerned that the WiFi interference spots in my apartment would be a challenge for the Optus Ultra Wi-Fi Gen 2 modem-router.

All of my modem-router internet speed tests are conducted with an ExetelNBN 100/20FTTC apartment connection, using Ethernet for the first test then a Google Pixel 7 Pro for the WiFi tests (via WiFi 6). The Optus Ultra Wi-Fi Gen 2 tests below were done in the afternoon. Lower numbers are best for latency (measured in milliseconds), while larger numbers are better for download and upload speeds (both measured in megabits-per-second). Use the top line of results in the tables as an idea of best-case speeds at that time of day, then every line below as comparative. Signal strength according to Google is ranked from best to worst as excellent, good, fair and poor.

As a base comparison, here are the results I recorded when I was testing the Telstra Smart Modem 3.

And here are the internet speed test results for the Optus Ultra Wi-Fi Gen 2.

The key takeaway from my Optus Ultra Wi-Fi Gen 2 tests is how quickly it jumps from the faster, shorter-range 5GHz wireless band to the slower, longer-range 2.4GHz band. When I tested the Telstra Smart Modem 3, it only resorted to 2.4GHz inside my apartment in the tricky-to-reach study (a common WiFi trap). But the Optus Ultra Wi-Fi Gen 2 only used the 5GHz band for two of my tests, both in the same room as the modem-router.

Thankfully, the 2.4GHz performance is decent, offering speeds up to 78.2Mbps, which is fast compared to other devices I've tested. That said, 2.4GHz typically maxes out at 100Mbps as a best-case scenario, so Optus users with NBN 250 plans and NBN 1000 plans plans may not be getting desired speeds if they're not inside the conservative 5GHz wireless footprint.

More positively, the Optus Ultra Wi-Fi Gen 2 didn't register any failed results, not even at the notoriously tricky-to-reach garage test spot that's caught out other WiFi 6 routers and modem-routers. Latency, too, was mostly single digits, and the double-digit results weren't anything you'd notice in real-time sensitive online tasks like online gaming or video calls.

As with the modem-routers from Telstra and Vodafone, the best versatility comes from being a customer with the company providing the networking equipment. For Optus NBN customers, that means 4G backup, the potential for a home phone line, monitoring via the Optus app, as well as straightforward customer support if something goes awry.

Non-Optus customers still have access to some versatility. For starters, if you want a larger 5GHz wireless network, consider buying one (or more) Optus Ultra WiFi Gen 2 boosters. There's also a USB 3.0 port on the back of the Optus Ultra WiFi modem, which can be used to connect a hard drive for ad hoc network storage. The other versatility is via the web portal; the Optus modem login details are on the bottom of the modem-router. I was impressed by the logical layout and information of the web portal that encouraged tinkering, but disappointed by the lack of at least one critical modern networking feature: Quality of Service (QoS).

QoS is the kind of feature that every router, modem-router or mesh WiFi system should have nowadays, automating the task of finite bandwidth allocation to priority tasks like video calls, online gaming and streaming whenever devices are otherwise trying to download files at full speed. That's a big oversight for a modem-router whose main convenience should be as a set-and-forget device. In fairness, video buffering was rarer than a noticeable dip in quality if any of my devices were trying to download at unthrottled speeds.

For everyday online tasks, though, I didn't have any issues. The Optus Ultra Wi-Fi Gen 2 modem-router didn't skip a beat for web browsing, social media, downloading and uploading files, streaming to multiple devices, robot vacuuming, video calls, and online gaming. Unlike other modem-routers I've tested, there weren't any issues with uptime, either, so you shouldn't expect to be constantly restarting to preserve connection reliability.

If you're an Optus NBN customer who's stuck around for at least two years, you've got a decent modem-router that can travel with you. Technically. You'll still need to find the right provider to keep using the Optus Ultra Wi-Fi Gen 2 modem-router. And if you stick with Optus, there's decent versatility for a modem-router that's easy to set up and reliable for basically every internet task. That said, it's a shame Optus launched its second-gen modem-router so late in the WiFi 6 life cycle that it already feels outdated, particularly with NBN 2000 just around the corner.