NBN

[3oneday]

Had NBN installed last Tuesday (27th May). NBN had to come out twice on the initial install, because they buggered up the first time, then we had to wait a further week for Optus to come and finalise it. This meant that our phone and internet both came in on the same line.

That afternoon we got a message from a friend saying our phone was disconnected. It had been working when the Optus guy left. First time I rang I was on hold for 30 minutes with no answer, so I rang back the next day. Home phone is nowhere near as important as internet.

Finally got through, to be told I had to speak to the NBN section. I must say, not sure about any other providers but gee it's hard to find contact phone numbers for Optus. If anyone ever needs it, Optus NBN 1300 300 427.

Thursday this week, woke up and set the newspaper to download on my ipad, wouldn't run. Finally checked the internet connection and it is down. Called them when I got to work, they promised to call the wife and run through the normal stuff, but when they phoned she was dropping the kids to school. They promised to phone back.

When I chased them at 1pm to see when they were phoning back, they finally phoned her back. They advised that they would have to get NBN out, and that would only be between 1pm and 5pm today.

Wife had made other plans, I told her to keep them.

Is NBN faster? Not that we've noticed. The reason we wanted to try it was because the cable service we had was erratic at best, so it couldn't be worse now could it :)

Could be a looong weekend at our place, luckily I'm going away to play the Cessnock Cup :)

[Buzz]

More chance of seeing the tooth fairy than having NBN anytime soon at my place ... Geez we suck at infrastructure in this country

[WBennett]

I went with internode. 100% reliability since day dot. Cheaper than the old setup with 10x the download. We didnt have a home phone number fo a wek due to me messing up paperwork but other than that its been brilliant.

The end user experience has more to do with isp than the technology.

[Johnny Canuck]

NBN has been great for me.

There was a small hiccup with the install, but it has been fantastic since connection.

[Buzz]

I'm sure is great for those that have it, but I'm expecting to see it sometime around 2027

[goughy]

So that clearly means you still appear on their roll out lists Buzz.

Our region has recently disappeared from the list. Clikchic not happy.

[WBennett]

I'm sure is great for those that have it, but I'm expecting to see it sometime around 2027

Move to Gungahlin. Our copper network was turned off the other day.

[Mububban]

http://www.nbnco.com.au/when-do-i-get-it/rollout-map.html

My suburb is not even on the pre-planning map so it's 3mbit DSL for the foreseeable future

[MegaWatty]

http://www.nbnco.com.au/when-do-i-get-it/rollout-map.html

My suburb is not even on the pre-planning map so it's 3mbit DSL for the foreseeable future

Off to the politic thread!

[WBennett]

Is NBN faster? Not that we've noticed. The reason we wanted to try it was because the cable service we had was erratic at best, so it couldn't be worse now could it :)



What speed are you on? We are on 25/5 - and its massively quicker than our old ASDL2

[3oneday]

Dunno, I hadn't checked.

Update, they had arranged to come between 1 and 5 and turned up at 10.30am. No one was home, they may come back later :)

[BrettM]

I look across the road to a suburb with NBN but we can't because we are in a 'smart community'.

Best hope we have is Telstra Velocity.

[Grunt]

It is a dogs breakfast, my suburb will be one of the last and may not ever get real NBN as it is on a NRIM and that is one of the areas that the changes to the liberal NBN means if may not get the speeds that real NBN will get.

[MegaWatty]

It is a dogs breakfast, my suburb will be one of the last and may not ever get real NBN as it is on a NRIM and that is one of the areas that the changes to the liberal NBN means if may not get the speeds that real NBN will get.

What speeds to you really need and why?

[WBennett]

What speeds to you really need and why?

Your a Tony apologist. You won't ever get it.

[MegaWatty]

Your a Tony apologist. You won't ever get it.

I also spent my last 20 years and entire career in the computer industry so I'm a tad curious.

[Grunt]

What speeds to you really need and why?
Well due to the shit infrastucture allowed I only just get ADSL speeds now and why should I not be able to get what someone less than a KM away can get? If it rains the copper wires short out and internet drops out along with the phone line. Ohh thats right I live in Australia's largest city that should be normal.

Saw a thing in the AFR today that say less than 50% of houses able to be connected to the NBN actually are due to problems getting the house connected to the street!

[WBennett]

25/5 is great.

The family can stream 2 different youtube feeds, maintain a citrix connection or two to work and have something download in the background no problems.

My mate who is an on-line magazine publisher came over the other day. He is dealing in big images and data is seriously looking at moving to this side of town as he could work from home and lose his office.

[MegaWatty]

Well due to the shit infrastucture allowed I only just get ADSL speeds now and why should I not be able to get what someone less than a KM away can get? If it rains the copper wires short out and internet drops out along with the phone line. Ohh thats right I live in Australia's largest city that should be normal.

Saw a thing in the AFR today that say less than 50% of houses able to be connected to the NBN actually are due to problems getting the house connected to the street!

That's fair enough.

More than anything, it shits me when people say they need the speed to download a TV show in 3 minutes rather than 15.

This, Benno, is the main reason behind my questioning. Nothing political behind it mate.

[WBennett]

Saw a thing in the AFR today that say less than 50% of houses able to be connected to the NBN actually are due to problems getting the house connected to the street!

I found that hard to believe.

[3oneday]

Well, apparently we need to scatter ratsack under the house because in the space of around 10 days, a rat, cat or mouse has eaten through the wires.

Call me a cynic, but I'm calling BS on that.

[Grunt]

I found that hard to believe.

http://www.afr.com/p/technology/nbn_hits_roll_out_targets_but_fails_9NbKpityEYXeUo ChP7i78M

" (http://www.afr.com/p/technology/nbn_hits_roll_out_targets_but_fails_9NbKpityEYXeUo ChP7i78M)NBN Co’s latest rollout statistics, released Wednesday, show that 363,542 premises are counted as being passed. Only 147,000, or 40 per cent, are able to connect to the internet."

[Tank33]

Is your NBN back up yet? Maybe do a speed test and post the result for us prospective customers of NBN please. http://www.ozspeedtest.com/

As far as the speed goes, download speed of standard speed NBN is theoretically slower than that of ADSL2+. 12Mbps vs 20Mbps. (I know unless you live right next to the exchange, you will probably only achieve about 8-9Mbps on ADSL2+).

With most of the NBN plans being more expensive than ADSL2+, we are sort of forced to pay way more for slower connection with less download quota.

I didn't really want to switch but when I received a leaflet showing TPG (my current ISP) had a NBN plan with unlimited download, I got tempted so mine is scheduled for the installation on the 17th. Hopefully, everything works out ok.

I still can't believe after using so much taxpayers fund to set up something that some other countries had since 90s, they still charge you a premium for shitty connection.

[3oneday]

Your line speed is 10.66 Mbps (10655 kbps).
Your download speed is 1.3 MB/s (1332 KB/s).

If I do the Optus speed test, 10444 and 930.

It's a sagemcom router.per post trying to find out about wireless coverage.

[AndyP]

So how's NBN going for y'all? It was available in my area as of last month, but I hadn't done anything about it. I had a doorknocker from Belong try to sell me a package this afternoon and it sounded like a good deal.

I'm currently on ADSL2 with iiNet with Unlimited data for $69/month; it also has a VOIP phone number, but I don't need that anymore. I was loyal to iiNet because of their good service, but apparently that has gone down the toilet since TPG bought them out.

The Belong NBN package was $65/month at the bottom speed (12mps), which is still with a free modem if I sign up for 12 months.
Has anyone had experience with Belong? I know that they are a company of Telstra, who I never thought I would be with again. Any other good deals that you have got? Obviously I look at some comparator sites before committing also.

[backintheswing]

I stuck with iinet and got the 25/5 plan. No more buffering and no outages in about 5 months. I think it ended up being $20 a month cheaper than the ADSL service I had too.


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[goughy]

With iiNet too. Have been for about a decade I think. We're on 100/40 plan and paying $30 a month less than we were for crappy ADSL with a 300gb limit!

I'd always found the service stellar. The dude I spoke to when signing up for the NBN was fantastic. But a couple of times they haven't been of great help. One service dude was in South Africa.

[AndyP]

iiNet (TPG) have been closing down their call centres.

[Sydney Hacker]

So how's NBN going for y'all? It was available in my area as of last month, but I hadn't done anything about it. I had a doorknocker from Belong try to sell me a package this afternoon and it sounded like a good deal. I'm currently on ADSL2 with iiNet with Unlimited data for $69/month; it also has a VOIP phone number, but I don't need that anymore. I was loyal to iiNet because of their good service, but apparently that has gone down the toilet since TPG bought them out. The Belong NBN package was $65/month at the bottom speed (12mps), which is still with a free modem if I sign up for 12 months. Has anyone had experience with Belong? I know that they are a company of Telstra, who I never thought I would be with again. Any other good deals that you have got? Obviously I look at some comparator sites before committing also. TPG had some pretty good things happening, with a lot of plans in place and starting to roll them out. I would be reluctant to leave them just on the chance their service has faltered.

[Courty]

We stayed with Telstra when we switched from ADSL to NBN. The changeover was flawless, and speedtest is always within 0.5Mbps of the limit (25/5).

There's only been one 'outage', but I suspect it was more of a hardware fault with the supplied router, as once I restarted it everything worked again.

[WBennett]

Courty - do you have FTTN or FTTH?

Our speeds have sat between 23-25mbps for almost 4 years now on FTTH - only issue was a router in the garage that used to overheat in Summer.

[Courty]

Courty - do you have FTTN or FTTH?

Our speeds have sat between 23-25mbps for almost 4 years now on FTTH - only issue was a router in the garage that used to overheat in Summer.

FTTN. The cabinet was installed 3 doors down.

[Scifisicko]

Weve been on netspace/iinet ADSL2 for years and its been terrible. We are a long way from the exchange and our line quality is classified as poor. When it rains we dont have internet, when its dry we have 2-3mbps. Optus rang the other day and said if we installed cable we would get 10x speed increase. Sucked in, we had it installed, speed was 30mbps while the tech was here (at 11am) but was at 2mbps when I got home at 7. When we are not home speed is brilliant, when we are home it sucks. Cant even stream netflix without buffering. Absolute joke with no obvious solution.

[Courty]

Weve been on netspace/iinet ADSL2 for years and its been terrible. We are a long way from the exchange and our line quality is classified as poor. When it rains we dont have internet, when its dry we have 2-3mbps. Optus rang the other day and said if we installed cable we would get 10x speed increase. Sucked in, we had it installed, speed was 30mbps while the tech was here (at 11am) but was at 2mbps when I got home at 7. When we are not home speed is brilliant, when we are home it sucks. Cant even stream netflix without buffering. Absolute joke with no obvious solution.

Sounds like network congestion.

[benno_r]

Sounds like network congestion.

Isn't that going to be the real issue with the NBN? We can talk FTTH / FTTN speeds all we like, but unless backhaul is increased (I didn't think it was, but could be wrong), or we all stop watching Netflix, this issue will continue.

[goughy]

Rob's dad contacted us because he said his NBN connection is getting no where near the speed test results we do (mid 90s down, 37+ up), and he's with the speed he gets! He's getting around 23\5. Firstly we told him he has fttn where as we have fttp. Secondly we told him he only wanted to pay for a 25\5 NBN plan so he's getting near his full speed. Thirdly we told him it's not only the speed of his connection, but also the one on the other side. His huge Bridge site probably does get very congested...... Ah the fun of helping family out.

He also brought over his laptop the other day cause he couldn't change his CC details on his providers site. We asked him if he tried ringing them?

[AndyP]

I have HFC in my area, which I believe is meant to be pretty good for speed.

[coalesce]

We don't have NBN in our suburb yet, and our ADSL service has gone to shit since Adam Internet were taken over by iinet with lower line speeds and more disconnects. I get between 3-6Mbps down and bugger all up. Contention or no contention, would rather have NBN as decribed above than what we currently get.

There's a wireless provider near us that supposedly covers our area, but when I contacted them they said we'd probably need a 4m mast on the roof and a hefty installation fee to go with it. Still considering it...

[WBennett]

Isn't that going to be the real issue with the NBN? We can talk FTTH / FTTN speeds all we like, but unless backhaul is increased (I didn't think it was, but could be wrong), or we all stop watching Netflix, this issue will continue.

Backhaul was one of the first things implemented - the issue is now ISP's are cutting costs and causing issues.

The old Telstra and Optus cable that was installed in major cities has limited capacity which is getting more and more congested. I know the old TransACT cable is stuffed, and the 'NBN' that inner city types get is a poor comparison to what I get in the burbs on the 'ultimate NBN install'.

We still haven't got Netflix, but I have the shits with Foxtel pricing at the moment and are getting closer each day....

[Hard_Pan]

There's a wireless provider near us that supposedly covers our area, but when I contacted them they said we'd probably need a 4m mast on the roof and a hefty installation fee to go with it. Still considering it...My brother in law was using a wireless provider (air-something.. I can find out if you want), until he moved to Prospect recently. He said it was stable and not expensive but he was living in Mile End at the time. He said he used to get 25mbs, now with fttn at his current digs he gets around 90mbs. Lucky sod. I'm trawling on 2.8.

We're supposed to be getting NBN out my way around mid this year and I will shop around because at the moment, I'm paying for a Commodore but am using a tractor. When I complain, the provider says the roads up my way are old and decrepit and a Commodore can't use them. In any case, they go on, as long as they provide me with anything faster than a skateboard, they're in the clear as far as the service contract is concerned. :roll:

I'm sick of paying for something I will never receive so I want to sort this out with my next provider for certain.

[BenM]

Backhaul was one of the first things implemented - the issue is now ISP's are cutting costs and causing issues.

The old Telstra and Optus cable that was installed in major cities has limited capacity which is getting more and more congested. I know the old TransACT cable is stuffed, and the 'NBN' that inner city types get is a poor comparison to what I get in the burbs on the 'ultimate NBN install'.

We still haven't got Netflix, but I have the shits with Foxtel pricing at the moment and are getting closer each day....

The problem is the NBNCo CVC costs are so high that to actually provide services cost effectively ISPs are kinda forced to scrimp on backhaul which is one of the reasons congestion is such an issue.

Ironically Telstra are one of the few providers doing a decent job of managing backhaul, probably because they have the economy of scale to make it more cost effective. My FTTN connection has been humming along at max speed all the time since I got it a few weeks ago - though I am only on the 25mbps plan at the moment, I can't justify the extra $30 a month to get 'up to 100mbps' - which in my case would be about 80mbps, judging by the sync speed the router is getting.....

[Courty]

The problem is the NBNCo CVC costs are so high that to actually provide services cost effectively ISPs are kinda forced to scrimp on backhaul which is one of the reasons congestion is such an issue.

Ironically Telstra are one of the few providers doing a decent job of managing backhaul, probably because they have the economy of scale to make it more cost effective. My FTTN connection has been humming along at max speed all the time since I got it a few weeks ago - though I am only on the 25mbps plan at the moment, I can't justify the extra $30 a month to get 'up to 100mbps' - which in my case would be about 80mbps, judging by the sync speed the router is getting.....

Thanks Ben, that's a far better worded technical explanation than I could provide, but conveys the understanding that I have of the issue, and is also why I chose to stay with Telstra.

[BenM]

Thanks Ben, that's a far better worded technical explanation than I could provide, but conveys the understanding that I have of the issue, and is also why I chose to stay with Telstra.

Yeah - I hate Telstra but switched my ADSL to them about a year ago (after 10 years or so with Internode) because Internode had gone downhill since the TPG takeover (for various reasons), they did a few things that pissed me off enough to leave, and quite frankly there is really not many better options in the market now than the big T. Honestly, their prices (while not the cheapest) are actually not that uncompetitive compared to how they were a few years ago. I definitely haven't seen any reason to change, and the ADSL to FTTN switch went pretty much seamlessly.

The town where I work goes live for FTTN next week so I'm already starting the process to get an application in here too - our ADSL is pretty ordinary so it's going to make a massive difference to us. We will then look at upgrading to FTTP, while it will likely cost a bit, I think there will be definite ROI in it for us.

Anyway, on the business model side of things... I think the root cause is they want NBNCo to be profitable so they can sell it off in a few years time. Once the entire country is rolled out perhaps the CVC costs will come down, perhaps not... but I think in the long run we are likely to see higher internet costs as a result of the hodge podge they've created. Which sucks.

Governments should not run businesses. They are shithouse at it.

[LeftyHoges]

Nodes are finally popping up all over the place at home, I'm so happy!!!! One is getting installed (work started yesterday!) 213m away from my place (rangefinder verified), so I'll at least have the choice of which speed connection to undertake. All meant to go live here by the end of April.

[goughy]

Finally, a good use for a range finder!

[BenM]

Nodes are finally popping up all over the place at home, I'm so happy!!!! One is getting installed (work started yesterday!) 213m away from my place (rangefinder verified), so I'll at least have the choice of which speed connection to undertake. All meant to go live here by the end of April.

Just bear in mind your cable run will go from your house to the pillar then to the node, so depending where the pillar is it could be a little or a lot more than 213m. Normally the node is fairly close to the pillar though, mine at home is only maybe 10 or 12 metres, but the node is actually closer to the house to the cable would go past it then back again - the one here at work is probably closer to 30-40m difference but thankfully the pillar is closer so it will be pretty much as the crow flies.

At my place I think the cable run is around 240m and the standard Telstra modem (POS that it is, but you don't have any choice if you want to use their VoIP) syncs around 80mbps down and 38mbps up if that gives you an idea.

[backintheswing]

FTTP here. They had to get a water blaster/vac in to do the trenching.


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[LeftyHoges]

Just bear in mind your cable run will go from your house to the pillar then to the node, so depending where the pillar is it could be a little or a lot more than 213m. Normally the node is fairly close to the pillar though, mine at home is only maybe 10 or 12 metres, but the node is actually closer to the house to the cable would go past it then back again - the one here at work is probably closer to 30-40m difference but thankfully the pillar is closer so it will be pretty much as the crow flies.

At my place I think the cable run is around 240m and the standard Telstra modem (POS that it is, but you don't have any choice if you want to use their VoIP) syncs around 80mbps down and 38mbps up if that gives you an idea.
Is that what the second thing they dig is? Every time I see them working on a node within a few meters they've dug something else, but I haven't paid any attention to what it is. I'm usually just too excited about the big green box!

Not gonna bother with VoIP, so can safely use my Netgear D6400 modem (I think!!!)

[BenM]

Is that what the second thing they dig is? Every time I see them working on a node within a few meters they've dug something else, but I haven't paid any attention to what it is. I'm usually just too excited about the big green box!

Not gonna bother with VoIP, so can safely use my Netgear D6400 modem (I think!!!)

Power, probably. The one here is trenched between the pillar and the node (in one direction - for the copper) and between the node and a power pole for a connection to overhead power (might be different if your power is underground).

The pillar is usually already there although they might replace it with a bigger one, they did with ours.

[3Puttpete]

What do these pillars and nodes look like?

On another note, why do you pricks who live in woop woop have this years before I do and I'm 5km from the gpo in the 3rd biggest city in the country?

[BenM]

What do these pillars and nodes look like?On another note, why do you pricks who live in woop woop have this years before I do and I'm 5km from the gpo in the 3rd biggest city in the country?

Here's my local node as it was being built: https://www.dropbox.com/s/4fgxbc933pxy2wg/Photo 14-08-2016%2C 9 20 43 AM.jpg?dl=0

And here's the (old) pillar: https://www.dropbox.com/s/fmae20r9lzlwpuv/Photo 24-07-2016%2C 8 30 22 AM.jpg?dl=0

The pillar has been replaced with a taller one now.....

As for why we got it, just lucky I guess. But not as lucky as those who got FTTP - my old workplace had it 4 or so years ago, so we've been waiting a while as it is.... but it's definitely pot luck.

Edit: mucking about, trying to get embedding to work, then realised photos are pretty big and that would suck anyway....

[WBennett]

On another note, why do you pricks who live in woop woop have this years before I do and I'm 5km from the gpo in the 3rd biggest city in the country?

We were lucky - the suburb across the road from my place had 0 broadband due to Telstra rolling out experimental aluminium phone lines in 1995 as a low cost option. Downside - ADSL didn't work.

So they got upgraded and my street and four others got it at the same time.

There are a heap of examples in Gungahlin of FTTH, and a street away they haven't been upgraded running off abysmal ADSL2 if they are lucky.



Ash - new trenching for you? We were lucky with underground phone and electricity - install took less than 2 hours with negligible impact.

[backintheswing]

We were lucky - the suburb across the road from my place had 0 broadband due to Telstra rolling out experimental aluminium phone lines in 1995 as a low cost option. Downside - ADSL didn't work.

So they got upgraded and my street and four others got it at the same time.

There are a heap of examples in Gungahlin of FTTH, and a street away they haven't been upgraded running off abysmal ADSL2 if they are lucky.



Ash - new trenching for you? We were lucky with underground phone and electricity - install took less than 2 hours with negligible impact.

Yeah had to be a trench as the existing phone line was buried in the ground and power comes in overhead. Water blasting left about a 50mm trench, just wide enough for the conduit. Had a fibre termination unit installed on the outside of the house and an Ethernet mode inside.


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[3Puttpete]

Cheers

[LeftyHoges]

Here's my local node as it was being built: https://www.dropbox.com/s/4fgxbc933pxy2wg/Photo 14-08-2016%2C 9 20 43 AM.jpg?dl=0

And here's the (old) pillar: https://www.dropbox.com/s/fmae20r9lzlwpuv/Photo 24-07-2016%2C 8 30 22 AM.jpg?dl=0

The pillar has been replaced with a taller one now.....

As for why we got it, just lucky I guess. But not as lucky as those who got FTTP - my old workplace had it 4 or so years ago, so we've been waiting a while as it is.... but it's definitely pot luck.

Edit: mucking about, trying to get embedding to work, then realised photos are pretty big and that would suck anyway....
Ah, so that's a pillar!

Ours is directly across the road from the Node. So probably 214m again, just on my side of the street.

[Grunt]

Getting FTTN here and from what i can gather the node will be over 300m away. Live in one of the great suburbs in Sydney where rims were install exchange is 5km away and has about 5000 houses between it and my place. Supposed to be upgraded by June.

[LarryLong]

I signed up for the NBN a couple of weeks ago. The ISP seems to have stuffed up my application and as far as I can tell it is because their database won't hold my street name - Ocean Throughway - and the NBN corp database does, and they both have to match. I reckon I'll be waiting at least a couple of months for them to sort that one out.

[graham_w]

Just bear in mind your cable run will go from your house to the pillar then to the node, so depending where the pillar is it could be a little or a lot more than 213m. Normally the node is fairly close to the pillar though, mine at home is only maybe 10 or 12 metres, but the node is actually closer to the house to the cable would go past it then back again - the one here at work is probably closer to 30-40m difference but thankfully the pillar is closer so it will be pretty much as the crow flies.At my place I think the cable run is around 240m and the standard Telstra modem (POS that it is, but you don't have any choice if you want to use their VoIP) syncs around 80mbps down and 38mbps up if that gives you an idea. Also bear in mind that sometimes the shortest and most obvious route to a node is not "always" going to be where your cable goes. Mostly it will, but there are some exceptions to the rule.

Internal cabling can be a big killer of speed on VDSL also, where having multiple sockets in a house worked fine under ADSL, with VDSL you need to have someone who knows what they are doing remove all of the extra sockets and make your VDSL socket operate off the first socket.

You also may see a speed boost after the 18 month period where ADSL and VDSL services are operating together and the ADSL is switched off and the VDSL is turned up fully.

[BenM]

Also bear in mind that sometimes the shortest and most obvious route to a node is not "always" going to be where your cable goes. Mostly it will, but there are some exceptions to the rule.

Internal cabling can be a big killer of speed on VDSL also, where having multiple sockets in a house worked fine under ADSL, with VDSL you need to have someone who knows what they are doing remove all of the extra sockets and make your VDSL socket operate off the first socket.

You also may see a speed boost after the 18 month period where ADSL and VDSL services are operating together and the ADSL is switched off and the VDSL is turned up fully.

Yep - all true. I am lucky at home in that my ADSL has always operated off the first socket (or close to it, anyway) - my server cabinet is under the house behind a cupboard, so I have a socket right where the leadin comes into the house (for testing purposes) and we jumpered straight from that to the server cabinet a few metres away. Can't really get much better - at work, the MDF is in the server room so we'll have maybe 2-3 metres of internal cabling and that's it.

I was under the impression that the speed limitation on co-existence was something like 12mpbs, so I don't think I am affected by that at all since I'm getting the full 25mbps I'm paying for.

[LeftyHoges]

So our installation is FTTN.

Can't decide if I should try for the 100/40, or just settle for the 50/25.

[BenM]

My recommendation would be to see what the sync speeds are like first before deciding (or at least, start with 50/25) - the actual speed upgrade is just a programming change so can be done very quickly and easily.

[goughy]

There's a 50\25 option? Didn't know that. Thought it was just 25\5 then the jump to 100.

[LeftyHoges]

My recommendation would be to see what the sync speeds are like first before deciding (or at least, start with 50/25) - the actual speed upgrade is just a programming change so can be done very quickly and easily.
Good call bud. Probably best to start with the lower stuff first anyway I guess. Easier to go up in contract then down.

[goughy]

We're with iiNet and have been having issues with Xbox downloads. Xbox Live is freezone with iiNet. Downloads have been stalling or going at a crawl. Currently been nearly 4 hours to get 6% of Kyan's Overwatch update. And a test on his Xbox says it's getting 25/90 speed. Been looking online and it seems this issue is affecting many who have their internet through TPG companies.

So maybe we need to look at changing provider. iiNet hasn't been the same since TPG bought them.

Anyone else with unlimited plans worth a gander?

[grandmasterb]

We're with iiNet and have been having issues with Xbox downloads. Xbox Live is freezone with iiNet. Downloads have been stalling or going at a crawl. Currently been nearly 4 hours to get 6% of Kyan's Overwatch update. And a test on his Xbox says it's getting 25/90 speed. Been looking online and it seems this issue is affecting many who have their internet through TPG companies.

So maybe we need to look at changing provider. iiNet hasn't been the same since TPG bought them.

Anyone else with unlimited plans worth a gander?

I've been a loyal Internode customer for 10 years and always recommended them to family & friends as IMO they were the ISP to go with. That was until iinet/TPG got involved and now they've been nothing but a nightmare.

They clearly don't have the bandwidth available to provide to all their customers which is where the speed limitations are coming from Australia wide. Everytime we ring due to slow speed or connectivity issues it's always the same speal from Tech support. At times I get better 4G speeds than I do with our 25/5 NBN FTTH connection :roll:

I'm in the process of looking at alternative ISP's so keen to see what plans others are on also.

[PeteyD]

I think you might find the issue is with the NBN and not the individual providers. Could be wrong though.

[BenM]

Nope, generally it's backhaul/contention issues which are the ISPs issue.

My Telstra connection is great.

[Hard_Pan]

We got 25/5 NBN connected the other day. Unsure what to expect. Our 'so called' ADL2+ only got us 280kbs download. We're with iprimus and sticking with them we are now getting 23mbs (just checked again as I was typing this), around lunchtime and after midnight through to 12mbs late afternoons/evenings. Really not that bad i think considering what we had for the same bucks. A golfing mate up the road went for the 50/30 plan with Aussie Broadband and claims he get 45mbs or thereabouts.

[PeteyD]

Nope, generally it's backhaul/contention issues which are the ISPs issue.

My Telstra connection is great.

Excellent. If they ever replace our old exchange with one that works I might get some decent internet service.

[Courty]

Nope, generally it's backhaul/contention issues which are the ISPs issue.

My Telstra connection is great.

This rings true.

My Telstra connection also sits on the theoretical max (25/5), whereas neighbours on TPG were allowed to break contract as their connection speeds dropped below their old ADSL performance.

[Hard_Pan]

Just checked again.

45556

Nice. :)

[AndyP]

We had the same issue with the Overwatch update, Goughy. IiNet ADSL for us.

[goughy]

Did you actually get the update down? It's been on here since about 8 this morning and at 20%. iinet have actually come back that they do have a problem. There's chatter on whirlpool about it, but have been twittering with them about it. It's not just Overwatch, but anything we try on the xbox one is slow. He's got 7 games wanting to update. Good timing, right before school hols.

Just out of interest sake, I installed 5 games on his 360, all downloads, and they took about an hour or so. So for us it seems it's just the xbox one. Network test on it says I'm getting 97mbs down and 25mbs up. But the download floats between 4mbs and 200kbs then disappears.

iinet's service hasn't been that great since the take over. We've cancelled services that they still haven't processed...... been with them over a decade and it never used to be like this.

[goughy]

Big changes this morning. I left it on last night to continue downloading but it still turned itself off. But the last 3 hours it was on it was downloading at twice the amount, even 4 times once. Turned it back on this morning and in the first half hour it's downloaded 7gb, and on screen it seems to be going at about 60+mb/s. So big difference........... thankfully the day before school hols start and his pre-arranged sleepover here with his mate who is also an Overwatch geek.

[BayBum]

LAN party !

I was going to mention NAT settings but it sounds like you have it sorted 🙂

[grandmasterb]

Big changes this morning. I left it on last night to continue downloading but it still turned itself off. But the last 3 hours it was on it was downloading at twice the amount, even 4 times once. Turned it back on this morning and in the first half hour it's downloaded 7gb, and on screen it seems to be going at about 60+mb/s. So big difference........... thankfully the day before school hols start and his pre-arranged sleepover here with his mate who is also an Overwatch geek.

Glad you've had some luck goughy, I'm calling every other day at the moment because of bandwidth issues as my wife works from home and currently is using her Iphone as a "hot spot" so she can work. Time to pull the plug I think, like you we've been loyal Node customers for 10+ years but the last 12 months have been terrible!!!

[AndyP]

What does loyalty to a brand/company mean now anyway? It is not like loyalty is shown in return. New customers always get better deals than existing.

[benno_r]

I am a long term Internode customer, and was always happy to pay the small premium for the "always fast" service they offered (I assume due to excellent in-house backhaul and a small customer base).

I would say in the iiNet/TPG buyout this backhaul is now being utilised for these brands as well, and I now suffer the typical peak period slow downs.

We get NBN early next year, and as much as I hate to say it will probably return to the Telstra fold for that.

[BayBum]

Aussie broadband and my republic both have good reps. Check them out, if you don't want to go the Telstra route.

[grandmasterb]

Aussie broadband and my republic both have good reps. Check them out, if you don't want to go the Telstra route.

I signed up with MR yesterday so will see how we get on with them and if the speeds they are offering are "real" or just PR hype to get customers.

[LeftyHoges]

I'm with Aussie Broadband. Fairly happy so far. Speeds are a bit up and down, but installs are still happening at the moment, so hoping it'll settle over the next 3 months or so.

[AndyP]

Did you all get your NBN modems from your ISPs? Or source your own?

I'm having a look at this site for some price comparisons.
https://lifehacker.whistleout.com.au

MyRepublic's prices are very good, but there are some bad reports about them, with some waiting for a long time to be connected, and being without internet. It's a little scary, although it may not affect me if I am coming from ADSL?

[LeftyHoges]

Did you all get your NBN modems from your ISPs? Or source your own?

I'm having a look at this site for some price comparisons.
https://lifehacker.whistleout.com.au

MyRepublic's prices are very good, but there are some bad reports about them, with some waiting for a long time to be connected, and being without internet. It's a little scary, although it may not affect me if I am coming from ADSL?
Bought my own. Most modems from ISPs suck arse.

I have 2 spare now though.

[AndyP]

Can you recommend a model?

BTW Aussie Broadband are getting good wraps for service and transparency.

[LeftyHoges]

Can you recommend a model?

BTW Aussie Broadband are getting good wraps for service and transparency.
Can't recommend Aussie highly enough. Plus they have their own DSLAMs so less congestion fighting with the big boys.

As for a model, it really depends on exactly what you want to run on your network.

First step I do is count the number of devices that'll be running on it. Then you figure out what those devices are going to be doing. If it's relatively low, and all they're doing is running basic internet and the like then you can get away with a cheapie.

When you're starting to do true home networking, with storage drives and media servers etc it pays to go bigger.

Also, depends on your speed / plan you're going to run. Cheaper modems will do a 25/5 no problems, but may struggle consistently with a 100/40.

Last but not least, go for a modem with a Broadcom chipset. Don't dick around with anything else.

My preferred manufacturers for networking are Netgear, Billion, Draytek and the one I've just bought is a TP-Link, which I'm very happy with so far (but I'd want to be for $430 smackas).

[AndyP]

Based on the Aussie Broadband plans, I'd get the 50/20 plan due to the 500GB (100GB doesn't cut it), not the speed as much yet. The main thing using the modem would be whatever is running the video streaming, whether Netflix or locally stored videos, plus the Xbox One for my sons' gaming. The rest is web browsing on phones or PCs, but I guess that includes the kids always being on bloody youtube. So I guess there can be plenty of video going through the modem/router/switch. No wonder our speed struggles at times....

Thanks for the tips, Lefty, and taking time out from yelling at the umpires.

[LeftyHoges]

Based on the Aussie Broadband plans, I'd get the 50/20 plan due to the 500GB (100GB doesn't cut it), not the speed as much yet. The main thing using the modem would be whatever is running the video streaming, whether Netflix or locally stored videos, plus the Xbox One for my sons' gaming. The rest is web browsing on phones or PCs, but I guess that includes the kids always being on bloody youtube. So I guess there can be plenty of video going through the modem/router/switch. No wonder our speed struggles at times....

Thanks for the tips, Lefty, and taking time out from yelling at the umpires.
I still had a **** tonne of time to do that, don't worry.

Are you FTTN, or FTTP?

[AndyP]

I still had a **** tonne of time to do that, don't worry.

Are you FTTN, or FTTP?
HFC.

[goughy]

Interesting advice lefty. Have the iiNet supplied modem, and am often rebooting it, and some devices lose it every now and then. Our tv would lose connection and we were always having to reconnect the wifi, so I run it via Ethernet now. But we've got 2 or 3 Bob modems here. I think the current one is a tg789.....

We have 40/100 on fttp. Have a desktop and media PC, Xbox one, tv and amp all connected via Ethernet. Then about 10 to 15 devices via wifi, at various times. Lotsa Netflix and streaming usage. Gets rebooted a fair bit.

[Courty]

FWIW, I have the standard router supplied by Telstra (re-badged, I think it may be a Netcomm). I haven't any issues or dropouts on my 25/5 connection.

[BenM]

FWIW, I have the standard router supplied by Telstra (re-badged, I think it may be a Netcomm). I haven't any issues or dropouts on my 25/5 connection.

As do I, though mine is the Sagem F@st - the GUI is pretty yuck IMHO - flashy, but slow and fairly lacking in features. It has been rock solid though on my FTTN connection though - and if you plan on using Telstra’s VoIP service you are virtually locked into using their router as they don’t publish the settings. Some people put another router behind it if they want to use something specific but I haven’t bothered - that’s too much extra unnecessary complication at home.

I literally just (like, late Thursday) got a new FTTN service lit up at work too. Did some interesting experiments with sync speeds; the standard Telstra router (a rebadged Netgear) synced at about 97/38, but I can’t/won’t use it because I can’t bridge it to our firewall. Tried a Draytek I had stashed away, it synced at 87/35. Did some research and general consensus (on Whirlpool) seems to be that Broadcom chipsets tend to sync at better speeds than others - so went and bought a Netgear D7000 which syncs at around 92/39. Fairly happy with that given we are maybe 350-400m from the node if I’m not mistaken.

Anyway if you’re on HFC I can’t really make any router recommendations but this might help some other poor sods on FTTN like we are :)

[AndyP]

So HFC needs its own sort of modem? FFS!

[grandmasterb]

I've run the Fritzbox via Internode with no problems for the past 3+ years but have purchased the Myrepublic supplied router to use this time so will see how it goes. I got an email this morning to say the router should be delivered by Aus Post so will have a play around tonight and see if I can get it all working...

[AndyP]

So HFC needs its own sort of modem? FFS!
I've got myself more educated on what is needed for HFC NBN now. NBNCo actually provides the modem inside of the house, and I need to interface to this via ethernet with my own router. Whirlpool members listed the following three models, with the ASUS seeming to be the most popular:
- ASUS RT-AC68U Dual Band Wireless AC1900 Router
- Netgear Nighthawk R7000
- TP-Link Archer C9

They are all $190+, but I'll make that decision once I've committed to an ISP.

[LeftyHoges]

I've got myself more educated on what is needed for HFC NBN now. NBNCo actually provides the modem inside of the house, and I need to interface to this via ethernet with my own router. Whirlpool members listed the following three models, with the ASUS seeming to be the most popular:
- ASUS RT-AC68U Dual Band Wireless AC1900 Router
- Netgear Nighthawk R7000
- TP-Link Archer C9

They are all $190+, but I'll make that decision once I've committed to an ISP.
I actually have a Netgear D6400 AC1900 Wi-Fi modem router that I'd be happy to let go for $130 posted if you wish Andy. I'm 99% confident it would work for you, it just doesn't work with FTTN connections as far as I'm aware. Good unit, only 12 months old.

I also have a Netgear Extender to go with it, if you have a large home and / or rooms with bad coverage. Practically new, 4 months old. Could do the lot for $210 posted.

As an aside, if you want one of those you listed, the Asus unit gets rave reviews.

[AndyP]

I actually have a Netgear D6400 AC1900 Wi-Fi modem router that I'd be happy to let go for $130 posted if you wish Andy. I'm 99% confident it would work for you, it just doesn't work with FTTN connections as far as I'm aware. Good unit, only 12 months old.

I also have a Netgear Extender to go with it, if you have a large home and / or rooms with bad coverage. Practically new, 4 months old. Could do the lot for $210 posted.

As an aside, if you want one of those you listed, the Asus unit gets rave reviews.
While it is not considered NBN compatible, my understanding is that it doesn't matter for me. I would be using it as a wireless router only, and not using its modem functionality. If that is the case, I could probably use the iiNet BoB that I have, but I don't want to do that, as it has been around for a fair while.

Actually, it is confirmed by Netgear for HFC compatability: https://kb.netgear.com/30439/What-is-an-NBN-network-and-is-my-NETGEAR-DSL-modem-router-compatible

I'm definitely interested in the modem router, but I am unsure what the ASUS, etc wireless routers gain me over your router. Give me a chance to look into it.

As for the extender, it is hard to know if I will need it. The current router is in the study, which is central to the house, and while I have trouble with it while in my ensuite, I have the opportunity to place the NBN modem, with router, somewhere different, which might improve things in the main areas (but stuff them up at the other end, which isn't really used much). Plus a new router might be enough to improve things anyway. So, the extender is probably something that isn't really needed...yet.

Thanks.

[AndyP]

Things escalated quickly, and I am now signed up with Aussie Broadband getting the first month for free, and double data for the first 6 months. For the first month, I have gone with 100/40 speed, since it is free, but I will drop back to 25/5 after that and assess whether I need to bump up to 50/20. I get 500GB per month, which should be fine, since we have been averaging around 300GB so far this year. I have an installation appointment next Monday.

[graham_w]

I'm considering Aussie Broadband as well. They are talking about publicly showing their POI bandwidth usage on a website in the coming months, which will show that they are committed to keeping their CVC usage (the connection from NBN to them) below 80% utilisation.

[grandmasterb]

Things escalated quickly, and I am now signed up with Aussie Broadband getting the first month for free, and double data for the first 6 months. For the first month, I have gone with 100/40 speed, since it is free, but I will drop back to 25/5 after that and assess whether I need to bump up to 50/20. I get 500GB per month, which should be fine, since we have been averaging around 300GB so far this year. I have an installation appointment next Monday.

I did the same thing with Myreplublic last week but opted for the no lock in contract to start with. If it doesn't work out I'll more than likely switch to Aussie as well as they seem to be getting great reviews & customer service feedback.

[AndyP]

I'm not locked in either. It is a month by month deal with the first month being a trial. I'll have some overlap with my ADSL connection, as well.

[grandmasterb]

Not off to a good start with MR so far. After receiving an email & sms notification yesterday to say my account was now live and to plug the router in for set up as its all ready to go it turn out it wasn't ready to go and that was after waiting on hold for nearly an hour to speak to someone :roll:

[AndyP]

Singapore call centre?

[grandmasterb]

Singapore call centre?

They say it's an Australian call centre but you knows!!!

[goughy]

Australians manning the phones, no wonder it took an hour!

[AndyP]

The discussion with the installer on where the internal NBN box is going to be installed might be interesting. The external NBN utility box got installed on the outside of our ensuite. They will want to get in and out as quick as possible, and put it somewhere that is easy for them, and on the same wall. I can't decide where I want it to go, but perhaps near the main TV, rather than in the study would be a good spot.

[grandmasterb]

The discussion with the installer on where the internal NBN box is going to be installed might be interesting. The external NBN utility box got installed on the outside of our ensuite. They will want to get in and out as quick as possible, and put it somewhere that is easy for them, and on the same wall. I can't decide where I want it to go, but perhaps near the main TV, rather than in the study would be a good spot.

"Majority" of the installers are pretty good and will accomodate within reason when it comes to installing the NTD. Our couldn't be further away from the JB and after the initial conversation with the installers when they arrived they were more than happy to run the cable to where we required/wanted it in the house and terminate the NTD.

[goughy]

Our internal box is on the furthest diagonal wall from where the external box is. That's where we wanted it! You're spose to be able to have it where ever you want. While the install may have been booked by the company you're getting your supply through, in the end they are just nbn co used installers. I think the one guy has done most of our neighbourhood. I've seen his van around a few times.

[AndyP]

There is discussion about it on Whirlpool. They don't have to put it exactly where you want it. It needs to be within 40m of the external point, within 1.5m of a power point. There is something about it being on the same wall, but it is not compulsory.

How did you guys decide where to put yours?

[goughy]

Ours is where Rob's main desktop is in our family room, where we had the previous ADSL modem. We get wifi through the whole house from there plus justa barely in my work shed..... barely.

[grandmasterb]

There is discussion about it on Whirlpool. They don't have to put it exactly where you want it. It needs to be within 40m of the external point, within 1.5m of a power point. There is something about it being on the same wall, but it is not compulsory.

How did you guys decide where to put yours?

Wife works from home so it made sense to have the NTD mounted in her office so she could connect via ethernet cable due to the large size files she up/downloads frequently. Her office is roughly in the center of the house and wifi has never been a problem for signal so hopefully it stays that way or even improves with the 5.0Ghz that Myrepublic offer.

[grandmasterb]

All up and running and so far not bad, but a few "gremlins" to iron out with speed issues etc

Anyone have any recommendations for a new Voip phone as I have to buy one tomorrow?

[AndyP]

I've never got a VOIP phone for home. When using VOIP, I used the normal phone connected to the modem/router (iinet BoB). I also have a Linksys Voice Gateway that I've never really had to use.

Would this Cisco device do the job? It's cheap, and I have it in a commercial system at work.
https://www.mwave.com.au/product/cisco-spa112-2-port-phone-adapter-aa38598?gclid=CI7d7Z_i8dQCFR0EKgodl64OlQ

[goughy]

We just use a normal everyday Panasonic phone, nothing special about it.

[grandmasterb]

I've never got a VOIP phone for home. When using VOIP, I used the normal phone connected to the modem/router (iinet BoB). I also have a Linksys Voice Gateway that I've never really had to use.

Would this Cisco device do the job? It's cheap, and I have it in a commercial system at work.
https://www.mwave.com.au/product/cisco-spa112-2-port-phone-adapter-aa38598?gclid=CI7d7Z_i8dQCFR0EKgodl64OlQ


We just use a normal everyday Panasonic phone, nothing special about it.

The better half is going to buy something today. It's her office and she is the only one that uses the home phone so as long as she's happy with it *touch wood* then I shouldn't have any problems...

I must say, so far I'm bloody impressed with MR's speeds now I've got our ports set etc

Internode's speed of late compared to MR is like going back 15 years on dial up!!!

[AndyP]

The discussion with the installer on where the internal NBN box is going to be installed might be interesting. The external NBN utility box got installed on the outside of our ensuite. They will want to get in and out as quick as possible, and put it somewhere that is easy for them, and on the same wall. I can't decide where I want it to go, but perhaps near the main TV, rather than in the study would be a good spot.


"Majority" of the installers are pretty good and will accomodate within reason when it comes to installing the NTD. Our couldn't be further away from the JB and after the initial conversation with the installers when they arrived they were more than happy to run the cable to where we required/wanted it in the house and terminate the NTD.
My installers just left. I told the guy where I wanted it, on an internal wall behind the TV, but he tried to ignore that and said that they would usually put it on the outside wall. He was quite cagey in their wording of where they would put it, "suggesting" that the wall plate should go in the corner of the lounge, and then run the coaxial cable along the carpet. I told him this seemed messy for what was a permanent installation, but he wouldn't commit to my suggestion. He then re-iterated his suggestion, and said those were my options, and I could choose, but since he had only supplied one option, I asked him to repeat my options and he only listed his corner spot.

I said fine, as what I had read about getting my right to get it installed on an internal wall was ambiguous. However, I quickly called Aussie Broadband (who answered within a couple of minutes BTW), and they confirmed that I could have the point installed wherever I wanted, and if I didn't like it, then I didn't have to sign off on it. I made a point of having this conversation near the installer while he was in "his corner", then let him know when I was off the phone. The point got installed behind the TV without any further discussion.

I'm sure this trick of theirs works on most people, so I'm glad I educated myself about it.

[AndyP]

It's all up and running now. 90mps+ when it is off peak, and over 30mps+ in the evenings during peak. We haven't given it a flogging yet though, by having Netflix running and the kids on Youtube, to see how it goes.

Today, I also ended my 9 year ADSL contract with iiNet, and released our landline phone number that we'd had for around 20 years.

[WBennett]

... and released our landline phone number that we'd had for around 20 years.

This is the debate we are having at home. The only people who ring the landline are my grandmothers and our parents.

[AndyP]

Actually, it wasn't even a landline number anymore, but we carried the number across to VOIP many years ago. Inbound calls got turned off a few years ago, because it was only marketing companies calling, but I left it there just in case it was needed for outbound. The 13yo has a mobile now, so it is only the 10yo without a phone, which might be a risk when he is home alone, but he can call via his iPad if the internet is going.

[goughy]

Yeah, once Kyan got a phone we were happy to get rid of our home phone. We kept the free phone line through the nbn, which I use for the shop, but I don't make any outgoing calls on it - those I leave for my mobile.

[Daves]

The NBN has only just arrived out here on the Bayside. Telstra emailed us to tell us our existing package (Fast Cable Internet, Home Phone, Foxtel and Telstra TV) was compatible with the NBN. So we pre-ordered. The NBN Connector and Telstra Smart Modem arrived last week. I then started getting hounded by a Telstra Call Centre Operative about installing. The hounding was bad enough, but he was calling around 7pm in the evening. After a couple of calls I told him to go away and I would install in my own good time.

My IT nerd Daughter was over on Sunday, so we did the install then. As we discovered, the NBN is FTTC to our street. The NBN Connector hijacks the Copper Cable Phone line to connect you. So we lost our fixed line phone connections (2). The Optic Cable into the house is no longer used?? As we paid for both of these line installs when we first moved in, I am pretty pissed about the Hijack. Foxtel is still coming in via Optic Cable, but I don't know how long that will last.

The Speed is way down on the Fast Cable connection we had. The best we are getting now is 47 Mbps vs 80+ previously. But the 47 Mbps isn't consistent, if drops to less than half that at times (29 Mbps just now) and regularly sessions out for a few minutes. Video streaming quality is now not good. I have had videos freeze for minutes, seen the audio turned off, presumable to save bandwidth?? My wife watch lots of streamed TV and basically have all but given up trying to watch now as the streaming is inconsistent.

We tried to go back to the old connection on Sunday, as soon as we saw the problems. That lasted only a few hours till I presume the Servers updated and the old connection no longer worked! Anyone want a perfectly good cable modem!

We went to local Telstra Retail outlet and were basically told tough titties! Telstra doesn't care and isn't going to fixed it. And we would have to buy new digital phone(s) to connect to the Modem if we wanted our phones working again. I had a hold my wife back, she was going to kill the prick!

I have lodged a complaint with Telstra, which took a couple of goes because the online compliant system is shite. I told them I wanted their reply etc in writing via email. First I got an SMS which I initially ignored. A few days later with no further contact I rang the number in the SMS and told them again I wanted to correspond via email. So I then get a phone call!! FFS. I am now awaiting the email, but I am not holding my breathe.

[PeteyD]

I was persistant with the buggers and our connection has been fixed up. It took a number of visits from NBN co and a number of calls to get stuff set on the line. It has been good for a while now. Waiting for the next drop out.

[3Puttpete]

The NBN has only just arrived out here on the Bayside. Telstra emailed us to tell us our existing package (Fast Cable Internet, Home Phone, Foxtel and Telstra TV) was compatible with the NBN. So we pre-ordered. The NBN Connector and Telstra Smart Modem arrived last week. I then started getting hounded by a Telstra Call Centre Operative about installing. The hounding was bad enough, but he was calling around 7pm in the evening. After a couple of calls I told him to go away and I would install in my own good time.

My IT nerd Daughter was over on Sunday, so we did the install then. As we discovered, the NBN is FTTC to our street. The NBN Connector hijacks the Copper Cable Phone line to connect you. So we lost our fixed line phone connections (2). The Optic Cable into the house is no longer used?? As we paid for both of these line installs when we first moved in, I am pretty pissed about the Hijack. Foxtel is still coming in via Optic Cable, but I don't know how long that will last.

The Speed is way down on the Fast Cable connection we had. The best we are getting now is 47 Mbps vs 80+ previously. But the 47 Mbps isn't consistent, if drops to less than half that at times (29 Mbps just now) and regularly sessions out for a few minutes. Video streaming quality is now not good. I have had videos freeze for minutes, seen the audio turned off, presumable to save bandwidth?? My wife watch lots of streamed TV and basically have all but given up trying to watch now as the streaming is inconsistent.

We tried to go back to the old connection on Sunday, as soon as we saw the problems. That lasted only a few hours till I presume the Servers updated and the old connection no longer worked! Anyone want a perfectly good cable modem!

We went to local Telstra Retail outlet and were basically told tough titties! Telstra doesn't care and isn't going to fixed it. And we would have to buy new digital phone(s) to connect to the Modem if we wanted our phones working again. I had a hold my wife back, she was going to kill the prick!

I have lodged a complaint with Telstra, which took a couple of goes because the online compliant system is shite. I told them I wanted their reply etc in writing via email. First I got an SMS which I initially ignored. A few days later with no further contact I rang the number in the SMS and told them again I wanted to correspond via email. So I then get a phone call!! FFS. I am now awaiting the email, but I am not holding my breathe.

What’s the complaint? It’s new and you don’t like it?

[markTHEblake]

Dave, you sure you got a Fibre optic cable before? If you had HFC instead then the NBN should have used that, but your house looks too new to have HFC, they stopped installing that 20 years ago.

[Daves]

What’s the complaint? It’s new and you don’t like it?

What besides the fact it doesn't work like is supposed too? That we don't now have a service we are paying for (as part of a bundle)? Or that it isn't remotely comparable to what we had and is way short of the speeds they quote on their website? Or something I didn't mention, the Smart Modem doesn't work, or at least the 4G back up part of it is non functional.


Dave, you sure you got a Fibre optic cable before? If you had HFC instead then the NBN should have used that, but your house looks too new to have HFC, they stopped installing that 20 years ago.

Definitely Optic Cable. The house was built in '89 and we bought it at the end of '96 i.e. 23 years ago when we got the Cable and Foxtel connected.

[markTHEblake]

Then thats definitely HFC cable, Telstra and Optus ceased rolling that out about 98-99, and there was never any other kind to residential.
Its probably too late but you should complain why they didnt use it. It makes no sense that they didnt because HFC is the 2nd best NBN connection type available. Definitely keep mentioning its HFC, if you call it optic they might think you mean its FTTP ( Fibre to the Premises) which is the best connection there is and then you got nothing to complain about.

[goughy]

I feel very lucky. Our internet went to shit when Netflix started, then one day I saw green cable being rolled out through the neighbourhood. I went and had a chat to one of the guys and asked him if this was fttp, which it was. He told me he doesn't know who lives out here, but a few weeks earlier we weren't getting fttp then it suddenly changed. He figures there's someone important.

[Daves]

Then thats definitely HFC cable, Telstra and Optus ceased rolling that out about 98-99, and there was never any other kind to residential.
Its probably too late but you should complain why they didnt use it. It makes no sense that they didnt because HFC is the 2nd best NBN connection type available. Definitely keep mentioning its HFC, if you call it optic they might think you mean its FTTP ( Fibre to the Premises) which is the best connection there is and then you got nothing to complain about.

Yep, it looks like the NBN has short changed us as well. The entire estate (1000 blocks) is HFC and it looks like the NBN has installed FTTC rather than FTTP. As an early adopter I am probably one of the first to find this out.

[goughy]

Who would think a govt would take a good idea and turn it to shit?

[Daves]

Who would think a govt would take a good idea and turn it to shit?

It gets even more devious, it would seem. We live in a large estate that is equipped with Fibre Optic Internet, as it was built with it when it was developed. The longer establishing neighbouring residences in Cleveland itself only have Copper and ADSL connections. It appears that the NBN Rollout Co has installed HFC in Old Cleveland and FTTC in our Estate. Now that is a F U Moment right there!