A method for selecting a relay station in a power line network, and a station are provided in order to reduce a quantity of maintenance packets and reduce occupied bandwidth resources. The method includes receiving, by a first station, a maintenance packet from each second station, where each second station sends the maintenance packet using a preset transmit power, and a difference between a maximum transmit power supported by each second station and the preset transmit power is not less than a power required to compensate for asymmetry between the first station and each second station, determining, by the first station, a success rate of the maintenance packet from each second station, and selecting, by the first station from multiple second stations, a station as a relay station of the first station according to the success rate.
