it wont work and it wont pass , people are getting pissed off about it , even those in the industry
1 Like
Get the right modem for peak NBN performance
A study released by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) today highlights the impact modems can have on the performance of internet services delivered over the National Broadband Network (NBN).
âThis ACMA-commissioned study considered how modems may affect a consumerâs experience of their NBN-based service. It looked at performance when connecting directly to the NBN as well as Wi-Fi performance,â said ACMA Chair Nerida OâLoughlin.
âAll modems except one in the study performed strongly when directly connected to NBN. However, the Wi-Fi performance of the modems tested ranged from mediocre to excellent.â
Most consumers connect to the NBN using a modem supplied by their telco, others may choose to buy a modem from a retailer.
The ACMA commissioned Enex Pty Ltd to test 43 modems used for fibre to the node and fibre to the building connectionsâincluding modems supplied by telcos and modems for sale at retail electronic stores. Testing took place in December 2018 and January 2019.
The study found that Wi-Fi performance can be seriously affected by interference, obstacles and the frequency that it operates onâeither the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band. The study showed that the 5 GHz band provided superior coverage.
The study also tested the performance of these modems in what might be both typical and more challenging circumstances inside a consumerâs home. This included testing through walls, at long distances and in the presence of interference in cabling and from common household devices.
âTelcos and modem suppliers need to provide good advice to consumers about the features and performance of individual modems, especially Wi-Fi performance. Consumers should also ask their telco about the performance they can expect from the modem supplied to deliver their service,â said Ms OâLoughlin.
To assist consumers, the ACMA has published advice for consumers on how to improve the Wi-Fi performance of their modem.
The modem study is part of a package of measures introduced by the ACMA to improve the experience consumers have when migrating to services delivered over the NBN.
3 Likes
My experience is that 2.4 GHz provides wider coverage while 5 GHz has smaller coverage but is faster.
2 Likes
1 Like
and not all devices has the capability of being able to recognize 5ghz bands . i just turned on the 5gbz band on my modem only my phone and my tv recognize the 5 GHz . my pc and my play station didnât
and i know with the archer vr1600v modems we dont get the full speed of 100 mbs unless we connect via ethernet then its only 92.5 mbs . as i said eariler i tries turning on the 5ghz but not all of my devices are capable of running it or even finding it
Thatâs why your Archer router is able to fall back to 2.4 GHz for older devices.
1 Like
You will never achieve 100mbps, unlike Telstra HFC which was overprovisioned so that youâd be able to get up to 120Mbps. NBN is not.
When I first got NBN I could get 102Mb/s a couple of times. The node for my place is about 5 houses away (counting one as a cul-de-sac) so not far for the line length. My maximum attainable speed according to the modem is about 133Mb/s. Iâm looking for a new ISP though, was with MyNetFone but they sold to Southern a couple of months ago and Iâve had more dropouts and slow periods than I ever did with MNF and they completely stuffed my parentâs phone connections - on and off for the last couple of months.
As for technical speeds, wired connections will always be faster and more secure than wireless connections. With the wireless side, 2.4GHz will be more compatible as itâs been around longer, the coverage will be superior but the speed will be less. Depending on which version 802.11a was only 1-2Mb/s but that was years ago in the nineties, most devices will be 802.11b/g/n which is a maximum speed of anywhere from 54Mb/s to up to 300Mb/s (?) - some say 600.
802.11ac is the standard on 5GHz networks - not to be confused with 5G from Telstra and the phone carriers - 5GHz is the frequency for wireless, 5G is the fifth generation of mobile network. Two entirely different things which many people on the Telstra pages get confused with.
5GHz signals have a lot more bandwidth to play with for their signals - just like FM radio has so much more space between the carriers than AM radio did. This allows for speeds to be much faster and more channels to be available but by being at a higher frequency, coverage is less and penetration through walls and other objects is less so thereâs always trade offs. Also, device compatability is lower.
Compared to most wired network cards and cables these days which will run internally at 1000Mb/s (gigabit) or in corporate networks 10Gb/s or higher.
Some ISPâs will offer gigabit services on the NBN currently for those lucky enough to have fibre.
5 Likes
Great post.
802.11ax (also known as WiFi 6) is the successor to 802.11ac and is due to be deployed later this year. It should be faster and more stable than ac but I donât think most of us will see the same level of improvement in ax compared to going from 802.11n to ac.
I say that partly in that I can get 93 Mbps on the NBN over WiFi now anywhere in my apartment, which I doubt will improve using ax, but I can imagine users with more devices in bigger houses may be able see some improvements.
Gettiing phones or tablets that can use the new ax standard may take a while too.
2 Likes
1 Like
What an appalling report; no mention of FttP being ditched when the LNP came to power promising to cut costs (& suggesting there was no need for an âover-engineeredâ NBN), nor of the fact that although Netflix hadnât appeared here yet streaming video was a thing & well known to be coming.
It appears the ABC budget cuts are really hitting hard. 
1 Like
I am due for NBN FTTC early 2020. My current copper phone line was strung by Telstra from pole to neighbourâs tree, then to my house. NOT very professional by any standard & it will come down when the next substantial branch falls.
What chance & how would I get NBN Co to run the copper from street pole to maybe private pole in my property, to my house?
1 Like
Probably by ensuring the tree comes falling down while the NBN vans are coming around?
As an aside, that made me check my address again, my FTTC rollout has moved yet again from Sep-Dec 2019 over into Jan-Mar 2020.
1 Like
Talking to someone at a Telstra re-seller last week, was advised to avoid connecting to the NBN. The current broadband connection consistently delivers over 100 Mbps that the NBN canât match.
2 Likes
Be careful with Telstra re-sellers, they are on commission & often push whatever they are getting the best commission on at the time.
If you are unable to verify the re-sellers claims, check with your nearest actual Telstra shop to double check as they are not on commission and will usually offer more factual information.
I cannot get any where near those speeds from any provider/source/method where I live even though a re-seller made similar claims to me.
1 Like
That was a speed test I did myself when I made the post. I was talking to them about something different and NBN came up in the convo.
Sounds like a cable speed?
1 Like
Certainly does. I canât think of any other consumer provider who offers 100mb+ speedsâŚ
Itâs possible to get 150 and 250mbps NBN through some providers if you are on FTTP but itâs not widespread.
1 Like