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NBN - Are they all slow?


Guest DrSK

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The dreaded NBN is knocking and we've had a couple of time extensions as Telstra Cable customers

 

Here is my frustration and I'm not sure where to go next. Stuck with confused call centres phoning me. 

 

Telstra tech support connected us with a new modem after our cable modem blew. However a tech arrived and started connecting us to the NBN without us requesting it with the new modem. 

 

We now have both cable connected and NBN but are refusing to sign anything to complete the NBN connection we didn't ask for and are still running on cable with the new modem. 

 

This has given me a chance to test it out with the tech's help. 

 

NBN and cable both come through the same copper in the street and coax into the house. 

 

Cable runs at 120Mbps and drops to 100Mbps peak.

 

NBN runs at 90Mbps and drops to 80Mbps peak which is the top tier 100 plan. 

 

So the top tier NBN is slower running down the exact same line? And is $120 a month for their fastest but slower plan instead of $90 for faster cable. And for $90 on NBN I get 40Mbps on their 50 plan which is 1/3 of the speed of cable for the same price. 

 

Is NBN crap with all providers compared with cable? 

 

If I could somehow get all providers to connect me and line test that would be great. However requesting a connection I am told gets my cable disconnected? And I've only been able to get Telstra NBN tested as I've somehow got dual connection even through I never requested an NBN connection.

 

I've also contacted my Federal MP and they've asked NBN Co for a response to my questions on why NBN is significantly more expensive and significantly slower than cable and whether they can change their pricing. 

Edited by DrSK
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Its an absolute joke. I'm also holding on to my telstra cable for dear life. Getting the same speeds as you, consistently over 100mbps cable. Crazy that by changing to NBN my speed will slow down and cost more, go figure.

 

Do you know how much longer we have till cable will be switched off?

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38 minutes ago, wikeeboy said:

Its an absolute joke. I'm also holding on to my telstra cable for dear life. Getting the same speeds as you, consistently over 100mbps cable. Crazy that by changing to NBN my speed will slow down and cost more, go figure.

 

Do you know how much longer we have till cable will be switched off?

We'll our area has been NBN ready since 2017, June from a letter last year. The team on the phone just lie and keep saying different things. 

 

I haven't been able to talk to anyone who knows anything for about a year now. Last year I was told Telstra doesn't want customers to leave cable as they make more money from cable customers than when they shift to NBN because of NBN Co's charges, but Telstra legally is required to at least encourage people to shift to NBN. 

 

Telstra's call centres now seem to have no idea about anything and on all numbers now tell me it isn't possible for a customer or the Australian public to talk to anyone in Australia about anything. The lack of on the ground knowledge shows up regularly now. Eg when there is a fault they don't know anything, 5 hours later they still don't know or show faults on their map and then you decide to take the dog for a walk and find a tree has taken out the lines and a crew has been there all day. 

 

Repairs are also getting convoluted. A branch took out the cable to the house ripping it off the power pole. NBN Co and Telstra argued for a week about who had to fix it. NBN Co said we weren't a customer and Telstra said NBN Co owned the network. They only showed up in a hurry when I complained it was still smoking (which it wasn't). Both of them arrived within a couple of hours. I'd been using a 4GX wireless modem to run the house and business all week.

 

It's mental how my Huawei phone can get 180Mbps off of 4G and my 4GX modem 250Mbps. Yet fixed line NBN is slower than cable. Coverage at home on 4G etc unfortunately is only 40-50Mbps and a bit more costly.

 

My home business uses cloud based everything with big data files and remote data connections. Regularly opening 500MB+ files. 

Edited by DrSK
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I had to go the NBN way a few months ago (with Optus, not Telstra) and it's like stepping backwards about 20 years - it's not just slow, despite their advertised rates, but it also stops altogether quite often like it's latching-up somehow - my previous simple minimum data-rate copper system was far better than this NBN disaster - I've even turned off the Wifi facility and used cable from modem to computer but it still misfunctions. 

 

 And, it isn't getting any better!!

 

The levels of incompetence and political malfeasance is beyond belief - you couldn't do worse if you intentionally tried and we're an international laughing stock plus some of the highest rates in the world.

 

And, as DrSK said above, there's no point asking for information at all because "nobody knows anything"!

  

I would encourage you to avoid it if at all possible.

 

I have no love for the coming 5G system (aerial microwave?) and the fact it is totally untested (we're all going to be the test subjects!) but at least it'll provide a decent information delivery - maybe the expected reduction in demand for the NBN services when 5G is widely installed will allow better performance, but I doubt it.

 

If anybody would make "improve the NBN" their political platform, I'd actually vote them in!

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11 hours ago, DrSK said:

We'll our area has been NBN ready since 2017, June from a letter last year. The team on the phone just lie and keep saying different things. 

 

I haven't been able to talk to anyone who knows anything for about a year now. Last year I was told Telstra doesn't want customers to leave cable as they make more money from cable customers than when they shift to NBN because of NBN Co's charges, but Telstra legally is required to at least encourage people to shift to NBN. 

 

 

I work in the industry, have abroad knowledge of whats going on and do cut a lot of businesses over to the NBN

 

And I can't get a straight answer out of anyone. 

 

We have equipment still running on Telstra copper in areas that have had NBN for years (5+?) and no clue of when they will pull the pin. 

 

We are starting to remove DSLAMS from areas, but that's a money saving process, not because we are being forced to. 

 

It's got a fair bit to do with the NBN still can't provide the services to businesses that the RSP/ISP need to supply existing services so the existing infrastructure has to stay until they work it all out 

 

Yes, it a cluster 

 

Edited by Hytram
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Since my first problem with NBN its been fine. FTTC was in the 90/35's. Now I've got a short in my house cable and I'm now using 5G. Same speed wireless.

You guys were very lucky getting the Uncapped cable. Before NBN, I was getting ADSL speeds of 6/.7 .

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21 minutes ago, Wimbo said:

Since my first problem with NBN its been fine. FTTC was in the 90/35's. Now I've got a short in my house cable and I'm now using 5G. Same speed wireless.

You guys were very lucky getting the Uncapped cable. Before NBN, I was getting ADSL speeds of 6/.7 .

Mine used to be capped until I set my business up at home and complained. Others told me the same, complain and they remove the cap. 

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Except when they cut you off in error and cannot reconnect.

Then cannot connect you to NBN .........

 

I was without land based internet for almost 6 months, had to go with 4G, Telstra wanted $80 for 100Gb per month, I went with Optus at $80 for 500Gb per month.

Edited by Batty
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46 minutes ago, Batty said:

Except when they cut you off in error and cannot reconnect.

Then cannot connect you to NBN .........

 

I was without land based internet for almost 6 months, had to go with 4G, Telstra wanted $80 for 100Gb per month, I went with Optus at $80 for 500Gb per month.

My brother moved into a place oakleigh,  had cable that worked and was told to move to NBN...  well the horror stories began, service drops out for days were you couldnt get connection and a 4G/3G of a mobile device was required.  Knew that Optus was trialing 5G in the area and when to an Optus store and lied about an address to get a Optus 5G modem....  speed ATM is nowhere near what it should with 5G but at least it’s getting him by.

Edited by Addicted to music
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Many factor at play, there is a time window for you to switch over to NBN, once that time is up your services will be disconnected. Some providers claim that you will need to pay to get connected to the NBN after this period. 
 

Price: depends on how you negotiate with the providers. For us we ended up cheaper on NBN for a fasterish service. Was paying $90 on cable with 115/5. Now paying $89 for 100/40. 
 

Speed: for us able to maintain 97 off peak and 89 peak. There is a small drop in the number but not noticeable. The upload speed increase makes then response better. Upload speed also makes a difference in the experience. Overall, the connection is more stable and faster response. 
 

For now your cable connection will give you a much better dl speed with Speedtest etc. it is smoother and less peak time bandwidth fight as most people in your area have switched to NBN. There are less users and traffic in the Telstra’s equipments. Same road but you are on the Telstra bus with less people and less stops. Other are on the NBN bus with crowding and more stops. 
 

Hang on to the cable connection as long as you can but be sure to switch over before the cut off period. 
 

Negotiate a better deal with Telstra. You hear many horror stories with NBN switch over. My Optus cable to NBN went well, my father’s Telstra to NBN didn’t, maybe that is why we got a discounted plan at the end. Took longer and few hiccup along the way as he has a complex line. Nothing a  little proactive prodding couldn’t fix.  There are many many more where things are done right and has gone smoothly. Hopefully, NBN has got rid of the cowboy installers. 
 

Good luck. 

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Since moving to Aussie Broadband , i have had not one problem and they are by far the best for speed , no peak time slow down , they actually actively monitor their exchanges for congestion and upgrade them if needed.

Applied in the morning and was churned across by the afternoon.

I have FTTP.

I'm on a 100/40 plan and everytime i do a speed check regardless of time it's always 95mbps down and 38mbps up. 

They always give you plenty of notice for planned maintenance or down time (most times after midnight)

I have been recommending them to everyone since changing as i too was very frustrated with with all my previous providers peak time slow down or just slow speeds.

Very happy with their service , only downside is cost , they are not the cheapest but i'm happy to pay for the great service.  

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36 minutes ago, DavidH71 said:

Since moving to Aussie Broadband , i have had not one problem and they are by far the best for speed , no peak time slow down , they actually actively monitor their exchanges for congestion and upgrade them if needed.

Applied in the morning and was churned across by the afternoon.

I have FTTP.

I'm on a 100/40 plan and everytime i do a speed check regardless of time it's always 95mbps down and 38mbps up. 

They always give you plenty of notice for planned maintenance or down time (most times after midnight)

I have been recommending them to everyone since changing as i too was very frustrated with with all my previous providers peak time slow down or just slow speeds.

Very happy with their service , only downside is cost , they are not the cheapest but i'm happy to pay for the great service.  

I've been with Aussie Broadband since mid Feb. I've had the same experience too, I couldn't recommend them highly enough

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19 minutes ago, rantan said:

No drama here.

I am on an ABB 50/20 plan and am getting 47/19 right now, but I am sure it is suburb/area dependent.

Exact same case here.

Our service is connected via FTTC.

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2 hours ago, metal beat said:

 

 Talk about 1st world problems. 

 

  I have no NBN and my ADSL speeds are less than 10, below 5 most of the time  - that is when it works.

Unfortunately I couldn't run my business through that. Not even close. 

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15 hours ago, metal beat said:

 

 Talk about 1st world problems. 

 

  I have no NBN and my ADSL speeds are less than 10, below 5 most of the time  - that is when it works.

That's what I had until I got the NBN a while back, it seems to get slower each week - I work permanently from home so I am well aware of my internet speed. Still, that was faster than what I got with NBN after the first week (0/0). All fixed now and it is >90/38 most times of the day with Aussie Broadband on FTTC. 

 

FTTN - all bets are off, you will be dragged down into the mire by all your neighbours working from home. Then when they close the schools you'll want the ADSL reconnected.

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46 minutes ago, vagabond said:

That's what I had until I got the NBN a while back, it seems to get slower each week - I work permanently from home so I am well aware of my internet speed. Still, that was faster than what I got with NBN after the first week (0/0). All fixed now and it is >90/38 most times of the day with Aussie Broadband on FTTC. 

 

FTTN - all bets are off, you will be dragged down into the mire by all your neighbours working from home. Then when they close the schools you'll want the ADSL reconnected.

 

If I ever get NBN, it will apparently be Fibre to the Curb (FTTC).   supposedly April, but it has slipped several times.

 

I look forward to that day or year when it happens:)

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3 minutes ago, metal beat said:

 

If I ever get NBN, it will apparently be Fibre to the Curb (FTTC).   supposedly April, but it has slipped several times.

 

I look forward to that day or year when it happens:)

One would have thought that God's Country, would have been a priority.

The NBN needs a public flogging for such tardiness ?

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5 minutes ago, rantan said:

One would have thought that God's Country, would have been a priority.

The NBN needs a public flogging for such tardiness ?

 

One thing I have realised living in God's country for many years is because its a safe Liberal seat, both sides of politics don't give a fkuuk and take us for granted because they will never lose or win the seat depending on the side of the fence.

 

  Manly is a little different with independent Liberal's getting voted in and the political $$ follow.     Its a great system -  not. 

Edited by metal beat
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Safe LNP seat here too and NBN was finally connected two weeks ago.  Prior to that all that was available was ADSL >2 mb/s and many neighbours gave up and used wireless. Being 5.5km from the exchange was a problem.  Ftr, we are only 17km from the CBD of Sydney. 

 

We now have NBN over the old Optus HFC, so coax to the house. I could have used Optus in the past but the connection cost was about $8000 - to run a cable from the street to the house, so naturally I didn't. 

 

Anyway, so far so good.  I haven't noticed any serious interruptions and speed is within 10% of gazetted. 

 

My only gripe was the installation quality, which is third world stuff. RG6 coax cable is routed through a hole they drilled into the side of the house through bricks and plaster.  There's no cable grommet or sleeving etc. and the modem is at the opposite end of the house to where I actually need it. 

 

 

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On 14/03/2020 at 11:55 PM, HdB said:

 

I have no love for the coming 5G system (aerial microwave?) and the fact it is totally untested (we're all going to be the test subjects!) but at least it'll provide a decent information delivery - maybe the expected reduction in demand for the NBN services when 5G is widely installed will allow better performance, but I doubt it.

 

If anybody would make "improve the NBN" their political platform, I'd actually vote them in!

 

The future will be a combination of technologies working together, which will be made possible when core elements are eventually integrated.  Don't worry too much about NBN. It will make a big loss but over time it will gradually evolve into a FTTP/C network in all areas where it's most needed.  5G will help enormously, especially fixed wireless when it competes in the NBN space and provides higher speeds into the suburbs. The integrated cores will make it possible to have multiple data sessions on different delivery platforms, so your NBN modem will allow data to be sourced from 5G on a needs basis to make sure that your guaranteed rate is always met. 

 

 

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