Best Home NBN Providers in Australia for 2023

scotty on 14/02/2023 - 12:44

Moderators at OzBargain are now running yearly polls to decide the best products in popular categories that get asked repeatedly in the forum. Our aim is to have a central thread where users can vote on the items, suggest options and also change their vote throughout the year. For more information on how these polls work, or if you want to suggest a new poll that isn't covered already, please refer to our announcement thread here.

Question

What's the NBN provider of choice for OzBargainers in 2023?

There are many factors when considering your home broadband provider. For example,

  1. Price (obviously the number one considerations on OzBargain)
  2. Reliability
  3. Real speed vs advertised speed
  4. Customer service
  5. New signup promotions
  6. etc

When all things combined, what would be your NBN provider of choice? Help the other OzBargainers out by voting up your preference and telling us why.

We have not done a nbn related poll in the past so to get this poll started, I am taking some of the top providers from the nbn deals posted in the past year. However feel free to use the Suggestion box to add more poll options.

How do I suggest products/providers to What Should I Buy polls?

If you have a product that you would like to suggest for the poll (that is currently not in the Poll Options), you'll need to make a top-level comment (i.e. not replying someone else's comment) and type in the “Suggestions” text box just above your comment:

Do try to make a sensible suggestion and include a brief argument as to why you made this recommendation.

Poll Options expired

This is part of What Should I Buy poll for 2023. Check out other recommendations from the OzBargain community.
Internet Broadband nbn What Should I Buy

Comments

  • MantistobogganMD on 14/02/2023 - 13:03
    Suggested Belong

    I moved from Aussie to More and then to Belong
    and just by switching i got an extra 9-10mps on the same plan with Belong

    there were quick to connect and i've been really happy with the service when i needed help setting up my BYO Modem

    • geekcohen on 14/02/2023 - 14:04

      I was previously with Belong. Moved away because they didn't provide the 100/40 plan in the area I was moving too. I found that pretty ordinary…..

      This was about 4 years ago. It might've changed.

      • itshammer on 21/03/2023 - 06:56

        I dumped Telstra for the same reason.

        They got rid of 100/40 and I got rid of them.

        So stupid of them, I'd have kept them and paid extra to have 4g back up, but nope, they had a plan to cut down to 20 products in total by 2020 and instead of keeping the good wfh plan, they scraped it

        • syousef on 30/09/2023 - 01:09

          Me too. I was with Bigpond 1998-2021.

  • Twix on 14/02/2023 - 13:06
    +1
    Suggested TPG Telecom Group (Including Internode and iiNet)

    Suggestion.

    • AlienC on 15/02/2023 - 04:09

      Been on TPG for a while now. No issues here they have been helpful so far all the way.

  • Twix on 14/02/2023 - 13:06
    Suggested Optus

    Suggestion 2.

  • Twix on 14/02/2023 - 13:10

    Do try to make a sensible suggestion (e.g making sure it's an actual transaction account) and include a brief argument as to why you would recommend the product, including what it's benefits are and current interest rate if possible.

    Remove the transaction account example and current interest rate.

    • scotty on 14/02/2023 - 13:25
      +1

      Thanks. Those are from standard boilerplate text that got added to all What Should I Buy polls, copied and pasted from previous polls.

  • Sergeant Salami on 14/02/2023 - 13:11
    +2

    Aussie Broadband by far. You pay a small premium for amazing in app tools and Aussie tech support. I've only ever had to call them once to ask to opt out of CGNAT other than that, everything can be done via the app.

    • Dsiee on 20/08/2023 - 09:01

      What are the in app tools you are referring to?

      • twig on 30/09/2023 - 20:01

        Stuff you can use to self diagnose internet problems from the ISP side.

        It's nested somewhere in the online account options, but I remember using it to restart something on their side to see if it fixed an issue with my internet

        The only company I know of that gives you those sort of tools.

  • Clear on 14/02/2023 - 14:31
    +2

    Australia Post Broadband

    TIL. Do you have to pay extra for Express speeds that don't deliver?

  • Khaosprinz on 14/02/2023 - 14:40

    From previous discussions about NBN speeds/latency would it be possible to consider location as well. It sounds like there can be a significant difference between e.g. Sydney, Melbourne vs rest of the country.

  • memez on 14/02/2023 - 15:24
    +29

    I posted this on another thread but it's relevant here.

    i have been on all providers, as a network engineer specialising in internet.

    Let me break it down for you.

    ABB - Built own network and partner with premium blend of upstream providers in the US, Asia, Europe which means usually shortest route which equals to less latency = fast internet.

    Launtel, Leaptel - Use GSL (Global Secure Layer) which is in my opinion premium if not on par with Aussie Broadband very much same routes but cheaper, (im currently on leaptel)

    Exetel, Superloop, Myrepublic - Is almost like the try hard provider, built their own network however internationally they are a bit of mixed bag with premium and not so premium providers, US routing is usually through New Zealand via Vocus International backbone, but connectivity to asia is great.

    Uniti Wireless, TPG, and the rest - Use Vocus Backbone which is fine locally in australia but international routing is horrible you will get streaming issues if you stream something that is not cached in Sydney.

    Conclusion, Leaptel is the best in terms of price vs customer service and speed, Aussie Broadband comes second IMO due to price, and Launtel although i would choose Leaptel over them. Exetel would be on my radar as well and will be good for most people.

    Also to note it's important that the provider you go with has a point of presence in the state you're in unlike Unit Wireless for example if you're in Brisbane and your trying to view netflix, instead it will go to BNE, SYD, BNE because they don't have a point of presence in BNE.

    • Morien on 14/02/2023 - 16:49
      +1

      That was a really informative post. Thank you!

    • kipps on 14/02/2023 - 21:41
      +1

      What about Telstra? Their routing is good; no apparent CVC issues; the included 4G failover is of value; and their reliability is good too. Downsides are their deplorably bad customer service and price. On the upside I've never had to call them.

      Your comments about Superloop/ABB international routing are interesting. There's heaps of reports on Whirlpool that Asia connectivity for ABB is poor & beaten by Superloop.

      • memez on 14/02/2023 - 21:55

        Telstra is good but in the end you get what you get with them as it's a big company, but its solid, however the best value for money smaller companies are a bit better.

        Cannot comment on ABB in Asia tooo much but Superloop is still solid, all depends on how much you want to pay

    • boomramada on 16/02/2023 - 12:54
      +1

      Well, usually when you pay more you get a better service and some of these high end services work better for gamers or streamers.
      But at the end of the day, this is Ozb, its all about value for money based on personal usage.

      I believe people in this forum like to brag about their ABB and Superloop connection. but realistically biggest market share with Telstra, TPG and Optus. And hardly any votes for any of them and this shows how this kind of polls not doing the justice.

      Perhaps ABB and Superloop marketing strategy works with communities like Ozb and Whirlpool with sign up bonuses.

      • dan0909 on 29/03/2023 - 22:07

        The people vocal about good ISPs usually know about their speed, feel the latency (gaming etc) and some technical bits. They can tell the difference when using the internet. On the other hand majority of people dont care or understand the internals- for them as long as their youtube or streaming works, its's all the same.

    • SuspiciouslySquishyG on 21/03/2023 - 19:02

      Thanks for the detailed post. I’m currently on FTTN technology and with Optus and their supplied modem. After reading your post, I want switch to Leaptel. Do you know if the Optus supplied modem will work with Leaptel? On the Leaptel website, when I choose BYO modem, it says there will be limited support provided in helping me configure my modem. What kinda configuration am I looking at? Is it just a plug and play or does it require a lot of configuration when switching providers? :(

      Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    • AusNugz on 03/04/2023 - 21:44

      TPG, Exetel, SL or MyRepublic (no longer in business) does not use Vocus.

  • boomramada on 14/02/2023 - 18:37
    +1

    How do you pick the best, without been on all of them? This be like Ozb favourite provider, and the answer would be Aussie Broadband. Dont need a poll for that 😉

    • memez on 14/02/2023 - 20:14

      Well all the providers that use the same upstream providers are usually the same they're either VISP's or resellers of Vocus either in a layer2 situation some go the a step further and are a layer3 provider meaning they use their own hardware but the transit is still the same. I have been on Aussie BB and it pretty much the same as Leaptel or Launtel

      • Chaddy on 17/02/2023 - 17:59
        +1

        Its the other way around, Layer 2 providers have their own networks and hardware where as Layer 3 providers just resell someone elses network.
        Layer 1 / Tier 1 providers own Fibre in the ground and have carrier licenses. Also not many providers use Vocus at all most have moved away due to poor service and outages. Vocus is one of the only tier 1 providers that peers so that is why a lot of providers list them as they show up through peering but very few have direct relationships with them.

        • memez on 18/02/2023 - 22:29

          yep

  • cycleri3 on 15/02/2023 - 08:19

    Any providers that still offer public ip address for free? These are getting rare.

    • Joshminey on 15/02/2023 - 13:52

      Exetel offer CGNAT by default but you can opt out for a free static IP

    • boomramada on 19/02/2023 - 10:41

      iinet does

  • spychiatrist on 17/02/2023 - 15:57

    Anyone knows which of these providers have a POI/ POP in Perth/ WA? Making a switch. Exetel has a high ping and occasional dropouts, Netflix struggles sometimes and gaming lags.

    • lightfoot on 17/02/2023 - 17:19

      I thought Exetel is under Superloop meaning they should be under the same network?

      • Chaddy on 17/02/2023 - 17:50

        Yeah they are part of Superloop and they have a Pop in all the major capitals.

        • Spendmore on 05/03/2023 - 15:56

          Ill be avoiding exetel if they are superloop then.

    • IamMe23 on 13/01/2024 - 12:48

      What kind of NBN connection do you have? We're in Perth also on HFC and looking for a new provider.

  • Chaddy on 17/02/2023 - 17:48

    Just in terms of getting a free static IP, for that you need to buy a business plan, typically these come with a static IP that you can route mail servers to etc, or use to setup private connectivity to cloud services etc.
    The IPs you get from residential providers aren't static, they are Sticky IPs meaning that they don't change as offten but they can still change and you generally can't run servers off your home connection.
    Though for things like game servers I always recommend using specialist gaming providers as they have arrangements with providers for DDoS protection etc.

  • SuspiciouslySquishyG on 18/02/2023 - 13:03

    Can we use an Optus modem with Aussie broadband FTTN connection?
    I’m seriously fed up if Optus and the speeds are horrendous

  • zrmx on 20/02/2023 - 20:25

    Voted Exetel due to it now is part of Superloop for network. There are promos every now and then that place it's pricing on par with Superloop's own promos. Static IP available without extra cost.

    Main reason for vote is its free Speed Boost days. 5 days per month, so by the end of the fifth month, you pretty much get a free speed upgrade for the last month before churning out. Also handy for the days that you need a higher speed tier for larger data transfers.

    While the 30 days notice is bit of a pain, but that wouldn't really be much of a hurdle for an ozbargainer.

    • Spendmore on 05/03/2023 - 15:56

      Superloop tech support is non existent, read the google reviews.

  • postform on 22/02/2023 - 19:18

    Hey guys I've used to love superloop - however it seems their customer service is now absolute dosht.

    Anyone else still recommend them? They aren't the same company, that I signed up to 2 years ago, where I got Australian based customer service.

    • Spending2Much on 25/02/2023 - 12:11

      And they've put their prices up, so, looking for the next best deal now the honeymoon period is over and the initial discount is deleted.

      • Fybre on 27/02/2023 - 13:04

        give them a call, they may extend the initial discount for you. They did for me.

  • Assclown on 27/02/2023 - 23:43

    Since getting shafted from Myrepublic, after the transfer my service with Superloop has been solid. In saying this, MyRepublic was also solid for a few months after I connected and then they started drop outs. Let's hope Superloop isn't the same.

    • Spendmore on 05/03/2023 - 15:54

      Superloop has been terrible for me since the changeover, drop outs daily and low speeds. The tech support is the worst (yes worse than optus) that i have used.
      I will be finding a new isp now.

  • Homr on 07/03/2023 - 17:56
    +1

    I vote for Aussie Broadband

    My parents use Aussie Broadband and I use Superloop at my home

    Both are 100/20, my parents are on FTTN and I'm on FTTB

    My parents gets 105Mbps while I max out at 90Mbps

    My parents downloads at full speeds from mega.nz while mine crawls at 1Mb/s for some reason.

  • mojadu on 16/03/2023 - 12:53
    +1

    I'll throw my hat in the ring for Launtel. Their customer service is absolutely top notch and their price cannot be beat. In saying that, I am on legacy pricing of like $2 per day for 50/20 unlimited. No idea what it is now for someone just signing up. I just researched Leaptel based on this post and found I'd be paying $20 extra per month for them.

  • ECE on 16/03/2023 - 16:34

    Exetel 50/20 500GB $54.99

    • memez on 21/03/2023 - 19:37

      plus transaction fees

    • BuyNow Think Later on 14/04/2023 - 09:26

      Cannot find it on their site. Is it grandfathered?

  • fifoo on 08/05/2023 - 16:51
    +1
    Suggested Future Broadband

    Future Broadband. I have three connections with them. Static routed setup included in the base price, rock solid service and excellent support.

  • jeolefmo on 25/05/2023 - 08:18

    I'm voting for Origin Broadband, purely because phone wait time is short, and you will always speak to an Australian.

  • girafficlight on 27/05/2023 - 23:28
    +1

    Superloop is good until you have an issue and have to deal with their customer service. I had to go to the ombudsman in order to get a issue sorted it was so bad, it's just not worth it looking back

    • billadm on 22/07/2023 - 21:12
      +1

      I made too many complaints to the TIO: TPG, Internode, Aussie Broadband, their customer support is third world level.
      Changed to Future Broadband, I forgot what is the TIO.

  • boretentsu on 15/07/2023 - 09:21

    Would be interesting if you could create a poll list with downvotes instead 🤔

  • billadm on 22/07/2023 - 21:09
    +1

    Future broadband should get a higher score, business grade service and support, of course it's a bit more expensive but compare the prices with Telstra and Optus.
    Connect and play, no need to talk to Manila, no need to learn English Indian, no BS.
    Aussie Broadband used to push their "no BS" marketing card but they are really BS.

  • dmb0312 on 10/08/2023 - 20:07

    We bought a house a few weeks back. i think they may have had NBN but didn't leave anything behind. It was a deceased estate so think family just cleared everything out.

    Do I need to contact NBN first or straight to a provider?

    Is it best to get a modem from a provider or BYO? We're probably going for a 100/20 plan initially.

    thanks

    • ginger-gin on 10/08/2023 - 22:56

      Just my 2 cents from your input, what nbn technology is at your area? You can check your address by inputing to any carriers platforms (spintel, aussieBB, Superloop etc)
      If FTTN, apparently there will only the phone port.
      If others, could be the previous owners didn’t install nbn at all, just contact the provider, they will advise you further.
      Figure out the tech first then we talk about the modem or router later

  • Craig6 on 21/08/2023 - 06:54

    I have "Flip" fttp. Their call centre is in Sydney and they've been great.

  • iuselect on 05/09/2023 - 12:03
    +1

    I was previously with superloop, service was fairly solid in the 2 years I was on them, however their customer service was a bit of a stressful experience. my billing cycle ended on the 1st of the month, so I made sure to churn my service to another provider on the 29th, which went through fine and everything changed over on the day. I've been with superloop prior to this years ago and churning away was no issue (re: billing and end date).

    The next month I got a bill from superloop (covering the next month), then the money was debited. Upon calling them, the rep first said "you churned the service within the new billing period so you are charged the full month fee", then I disputed this saying that was incorrect, which then they spent 20minutes trying to tell me that it was my fault I didn't contact them to cancel the service (even though they should be receiving a churn loss notification). Even telling them "look at my last connection time and check when the service was lost on NBN's side, they kept trying to re-enforce the bill would stand. Eventually with asking to escalate this, they decided to refund me. The whole situation took 45minutes on the phone and was far more stressful than it should have been. I always thought their customer service was based in Australia, but looking at whirlpool threads, it looks to have been moved overseas.

    I'm currently with Leaptel now, so far it's ok. I've not needed to contact their customer service yet though. The online portal looks like it's from the 90's though.

  • halfnhalf71 on 14/09/2023 - 09:55
    -1
    Suggested Mate Communicate

    I have been with them in a unit in Brunswick East and a house in Sunbury.
    I don't want to jinx it but i think over the 8 years i've been with them i can only remember 2 very short outages.
    Both places i was on a 50/25 and i have run speed tests a few times over the years and remember being surprised that I sometimes had speeds in excess of 50! Right now, it's 9:48am on a Thursday (so not peak) but i'm getting 43.61/20.56.
    I pay $69.90/mnth but we have a mobile plan as well so they give you a $10/mnth discount for bundling so it's $59.90.
    As an FYI for the mobile, they use the Telstra network and you can bank unused data.
    Sadly, we're moving to an Opticomm estate which Mate doesn't service so will be looking here for some recommendations!

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