Wi-Fi 7 MLO Explained: Should You Turn It On?

Multi-Link Operation (MLO) is the Wi-Fi 7 feature that lets a device connect to your router over more than one band at once, for example 5 GHz and 6 GHz together, instead of being stuck on one. It only works when both the router and the device support it, and PCWorld reports that most MLO devices use a mode that hops between bands rather than combining them. So expect a steadier connection more than a faster one. Turn MLO on if your router offers it and your main devices are Wi-Fi 7; turn it off, or move older gear to a separate network, if devices start failing to connect.

This explainer draws on the Wi-Fi Alliance, router makers’ support pages, Apple’s and Microsoft’s device documentation, and independent coverage. We have not measured MLO ourselves.

What is MLO?

Before Wi-Fi 7, a phone or laptop joined one band at a time. It could move from 5 GHz to 2.4 GHz as you walked away from the router, but it couldn’t use both. When the Wi-Fi Alliance launched Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 in January 2024, it said MLO “allows a device to transmit and receive simultaneously on more than one link.” It gave two ways that can help: combining bands or channels for more capacity, and sending a time-sensitive packet on whichever link is free soonest.

eero’s version of the same idea: MLO “enables your Wi-Fi 7 devices to simultaneously send or receive data across multiple wifi frequency bands and channels.” eero also notes that MLO isn’t tied to 6 GHz, so a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 router can use it across 2.4 and 5 GHz.

The two MLO modes you’ll see

Router settings and spec sheets mention modes with unfriendly names. ASUS’s MLO FAQ names the two that matter:

• STR (Simultaneous Transmit and Receive). ASUS says devices in this mode “manage multiple Wi-Fi connections on different channels or frequencies simultaneously.” Because bands are used at once, this is the mode that can add capacity.
• eMLSR (enhanced Multi-Link Single Radio). ASUS says this mode focuses on optimizing how multi-link connections are set up and recovered, which helps when conditions change quickly. Dong Knows Tech describes it as letting a device switch dynamically among the available bands.

ASUS says its routers support both, but “it will base on client devices supported modes.” In other words, your phone or laptop decides. Independent reviewer Dong Ngo of Dong Knows Tech reports that common Wi-Fi 7 laptop cards such as Intel’s BE200 use eMLSR and that this mode “does not increase data rates.” PCWorld likewise says Windows PCs usually support only the single-radio variant. ASUS notes that most phones that do support STR currently pair the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.

What you need for MLO to work

Not sure whether your router or devices are Wi-Fi 7 at all? Our Wi-Fi 6E vs. Wi-Fi 7 guide explains what to look for on the box.

What turning on MLO can break

The most common side effect is security, not speed.

• Older devices may drop off. eero says that when 6 GHz is present and MLO is on, WPA3 is enabled by default on the MLO bands, and that this affects other bands on the network too. Devices that don’t support WPA3 “may have difficulty connecting.” ASUS uses GCMP-256 encryption for its MLO networks and warns that it may be incompatible with some legacy devices. Our WPA2 vs. WPA3 guide explains the difference.
• Mixed mesh systems. eero recommends turning MLO off if your network mixes Wi-Fi 7 and older eero units. ASUS says that with MLO on, an AiMesh node that doesn’t support MLO won’t broadcast 6 GHz.
• A network restart. eero says enabling MLO reboots the whole network, which takes about two minutes.
• Battery and power. eero notes that using more and wider channels at once may use more energy, and that some phones use fewer bands to save power, which could limit their maximum throughput.

eero also says plainly that MLO “is still being developed and tested” and that behavior varies by device maker.

Does MLO help mesh backhaul?

It can, with limits. Some mesh systems use MLO on the link between units, not just to your devices. ASUS says that in an AiMesh system only the first node can use MLO backhaul, and only with the same router model. Dong Knows Tech reports that MLO backhaul generally needs units of the same model and a star layout, where each satellite connects straight to the main router; in a daisy chain, the second hop doesn’t get it. If you can run a cable, a wired link is still simpler and more predictable; see our guide to wired vs. wireless backhaul.

What MLO won’t do

MLO works between your router and your devices. It can’t make your internet plan faster: eero says it won’t increase your ISP speed and can only help the network use the throughput your provider delivers. Independent testing has also tempered expectations. RTINGS.com summarizes its own MLO testing, in a research article last updated February 18, 2026, as revealing “shallow implementations and marketing that oversells the hardware.”

Should you turn MLO on?

How to turn MLO on or off

• eero: in the eero app, go to Settings > Advanced networking > Wireless > Multi-link operation. eero lists app version 6.50 and recent firmware as requirements.
• ASUS: in the web interface or ASUS Router app, open Network > Main network profile > Advanced Settings and turn on Multi-Link Operation (MLO). ASUS also lets you create a separate MLO network, which keeps older devices on your main network untouched.

Bottom line

MLO is one of Wi-Fi 7’s headline features, but it only pays off when both ends support it. PCWorld reports that most MLO devices today use the band-switching mode rather than combining bands. If your devices are Wi-Fi 7, turn it on and watch for anything that drops off. If you rely on older gear, leaving it off, or giving MLO its own network, costs you little.

Sources and verification