So, the long awaited NBN is being released ……in your street! “Finally!” you think to yourself, “Internet that will blow my hair back when I open up my laptop!” But, how do you get from here (knowing it’s available) to there (hair loss from super fast Internet)?
Alternatively, what if you have now connected to the NBN but are still having speed issues? Around 60,000 new homes and businesses are getting access to the broadband network each week, according to NBN chief customer officer John Simon.
So what are the best steps to take, from the top?
Find a good provider:
Firstly, make sure that it is, in fact, being released to your home or business’ address by checking your mailbox regularly for an NBN announcement letter, or alternatively, you can go to the NBN website nbnco.com.au and type in your address. Once you have established that the NBN is now available to your address, you need to contact your preferred ISP (Internet service provider) company.
There is not a great deal of difference between them as they are all on a pretty level playing field. ‘NBN Co’ now owns the equipment serving the internet to your building and they are simply reselling the Internet service to the Internet service providers, If you’re already dealing with an isp company for your existing ADSL or Internet service and are happy with them, then there’s probably no real need to change. For example, if you’re already with iiNet, call them. If you’re already with Telstra, then call them.
Choose your plan:
Now you will need to choose your plan. The NBN network comes with a choice of speeds – NBN 12, NBN 25, NBN 50 and NBN 100. Your phone and internet service provider will offer plans based around these speeds. For example, households with the most basic internet usage may wish to consider a retail plan based on NBN 12.
Please note that the NBN 12 speed is not considered a fast broadband plan and may be similar to what you would experience on ADSL.
The NBN 25 package is probably not enough for a family of four internet users. We would advise that you look at a package based around the NBN 50 speed at least.
If you are going to have more than four people using the Internet at the same time or if you’re going to have multiple TVs streaming 4K content (high video resolution), we would recommend the NBN 100 speed service. If your work requires you to upload fast, this is also the one for you.
Activate your NBN:
Once you have ordered the NBN service plan from your chosen ISP company, you will be sent a new NBN router. You will also receive a service visit from one of their technicians to come and activate your NBN service at your address and install your new router.
Possible post-connection issues:
If, after connecting to the NBN, you’re still having problems with your existing equipment or you’re not experiencing the speeds that you were hoping for, then you could be experiencing one of the several different issues.
1) Wireless signal isn’t strong enough in certain areas in the building: Additional routers may need to be installed to give you maximum coverage in the building. Alternatively, the nbn modem may need to be re-positioned within the building. A professional will be able to come in and test your signal strength in each of the rooms to determine the best solution for optimum coverage throughout the building.
2) The wireless speed is being significantly reduced due to other wireless interferences: With so many new wireless modems being installed now, yours may be conflicting with your neighbour’s WiFi signal. You can have multiple neighbours all clamouring for the same wireless position which can result in poor Internet speeds. If you are experiencing this, you’ll need to change your router’s wireless frequency. This can be a little tricky to do and so, again, you may need to call in a professional to do this for you.
3) Wireless is just not enough for some of the devices in the building: Some devices prefer having a cable connected directly to the router as the wireless capability for the devices can be lacking. In this case running a cable from the router to the device (such as a TV) can resolve performance issues. You will need to call a qualified and licensed cabler (like Signal Fox) to run the correct cables throughout the house, behind the walls of the building.
So hopefully, yours is a very positive nbn experience and you find minimal issues with it all. But if you do have some issues after you have done your trouble shooting, know that most issues are pretty straight forward and that there are plenty of reputable and up to date businesses around on the Sunshine Coast to help out and offer advice.
If you find yourself having issues with your ISP not providing the speeds (or close to) that they promised within the agreed plan that you’ve signed up for, then that’s a whole other issue and one that is being watched closely by the ACCC. We’ll be following up with another article dedicated mainly to this issue, soon…
