Wi-Fi 7’s Multi-Link Operation (MLO) has two modes.
Simultaneous Transmit and Receive uses multiple radio circuits at once; Enhanced Multi-Link Single Radio uses one circuit to monitor available frequencies and switch to the best option.
In February 2026, Rtings reported that none of the Wi-Fi 7 routers it tested supported the full multi-radio mode—a useful distinction when evaluating what MLO support means in practice.
Older routers automatically change frequencies to find a better connection. If they choose a frequency with a lot of traffic, your speed may drop. Your connection may also become unstable during the change. MLO is designed to mitigate such problems, but it doesn't work the same way on all routers.
The two modes of operation of MLO
MLO can operate in two ways. The first uses more than one wireless circuit in the router to connect to different frequencies simultaneously. The second uses a single circuit, monitors the available frequencies, and switches to the best option, without some of the interruptions that regular switching can cause.
In a February 2026 report, Rtings reported that none of the Wi-Fi 7 routers it tested supported the first mode, which uses more wireless circuits.
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Which devices can use it?
Devices connected to a Wi-Fi 6 access point cannot take advantage of Wi-Fi 7 or MLO. The same applies to phones, laptops, and network cards that do not support Wi-Fi 7. If there are incompatible devices on the network, enabling MLO may cause instability.
When to activate MLO
If your Wi-Fi 7 router is part of a network with older equipment or you don't have a device that supports Wi-Fi 7, it's best to leave MLO disabled. If your entire network and device support Wi-Fi 7, you can try connecting with MLO enabled and disabled and compare the results.
On UniFi and eero routers, the setting is in their respective apps. On Linksys, it's on the router's web-based settings page. Most routers have MLO disabled by default, while some ASUS routers have it enabled. Check the setting on your device.
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