Oz Speed Helper
Is your internet actually slow, or is it just your WiFi?
Troubleshooting Wizard
What's happening with your Internet?
To help you fix it, we first need to know what's wrong.
The Power Cycle
Quick Reminder: The NBN Box (NTD) is the device where the NBN line enters your home. Refer to the Jargon Buster if unsure!
Have you turned your NBN box (NTD) and your Router off at the wall for 60 seconds?
Step 2: The Isolation Test
Can you plug a laptop directly into your Router (or NBN box) using an Ethernet Cable? Does the speed improve?
Step 3: Timing
Is the slowness happening only during "Peak Hours" (7pm - 11pm)?
WiFi Deadzones
Is the internet only slow in one particular area of the house (e.g. the back bedroom)?
Checking the NBN Box
Look at your NBN connection box (NTD). Is the Optical (or Online/Link) light solid Green?
Dropout Pattern
Does it drop out when you use a specific appliance (like a microwave) or device, or is it completely random?
Weather Patterns
Does the connection only drop out (or get very slow) when it's raining or recently rained?
The Golden Rule
Electronics get "tired." Restarting clears the cache and re-establishes a clean handshake with the NBN exchange.
Diagnosis: WiFi Range Issue
The Cause
WiFi signals struggle to pass through brick walls, mirrors, or thick timber. Your device is simply too far from the router.
The Fix
Move your router to a central location. If you can't move it, look into a Mesh WiFi system which creates a "web" of signal across the house.
Diagnosis: Interference or Hardware Limit
The Cause
Other devices (microwaves, baby monitors) or neighboring WiFi networks are crowding the signal across the whole house.
The Fix
Try switching your devices to the 5GHz band. If the modem is old, it may simply lack the processing power for modern NBN speeds.
Diagnosis: Network Congestion
This is likely an ISP issue. They may not have enough capacity for your area.
Diagnosis: Potential Line Fault
Hardware failure or physical line issue. Contact your provider.
Diagnosis: NTD Fault or Outage
A Red or Off light on your NBN box usually means the fiber line is broken or there is an outage in your area.
Check the NBN Outage Map first.
Diagnosis: Internal Wiring Issue
Random dropouts (especially on FTTN/B) are often caused by old phone sockets or "star wiring" inside your house.
Consider hiring a private technician to bypass old sockets or move your router to the "first" socket in the house.
Diagnosis: Water in the Line
This is a classic NBN "pit" issue. Water enters the underground connections or your internal conduit and degrades the copper signal.
How to fix it:
This is an NBN Co hardware fault. You cannot fix this yourself.
- Contact your ISP (e.g. Aussie Broadband)
- Explicitly tell them "The service only drops out during rain"
- Ask them to request a "Joint Inspection" or a technician to check the street pit
WiFi vs. Internet: The "Pipe" Analogy
- The Internet: This is the main water pipe coming from the street to your house. If the pipe is narrow, you get less water.
- The WiFi: This is the garden hose connected to that pipe. If the hose has a kink or is too long, the water slows down - even if the main pipe is huge.
"My WiFi is slow..."
90% of support calls are actually WiFi interference or range issues, not NBN network faults. If the wizard above didn't help, check these analogies.
Still struggling with slow Internet?
Sometimes the issue is your provider. Switch to Aussie Broadband for a more reliable connection.
Check Your Plan
Don't expect NBN 100 speeds on an NBN 25 plan. Check your latest bill.
2.4GHz vs 5GHz
5GHz is fast but short range. 2.4GHz is slow but reaches further.
Old Hardware
Modems older than 4 years often bottleneck modern NBN speeds.
Typical Internet Issues & Solutions
Why is my internet slower when it rains?
If you are on FTTN or FTTC, your connection uses old copper phone lines. Moisture can seep into degraded copper joints or pits in the street, causing signal interference or "noise," which slows down your sync speed.
My NBN box has a red "Optical" or "Sync" light. What do I do?
A red light usually means the physical connection to the NBN exchange is broken. Check that the cable from the wall to your NBN box is secure. If it is, there may be a network outage or a line fault. Contact your RSP (like Aussie Broadband) to lodge a fault.
What is a "Dropout" and why does it happen?
A dropout is when your NBN box loses its connection to the network briefly. This can be caused by internal wiring issues (like old phone sockets), a faulty power adapter, or external factors like congestion or line noise.
I pay for 100Mbps but only get 40Mbps on WiFi. Is it broken?
Not necessarily. WiFi overhead and interference (from walls or other devices) can significantly reduce speeds. Try testing with an Ethernet cable plugged directly into the router. If you get 90+ Mbps via cable, your NBN is fine - you just need a better WiFi setup or a Mesh system.