nbn HFC Noob Query - What Needs to Be Upgraded?

donny donny on 06/07/2023 - 18:18
Last edited 06/07/2023 - 18:49 by 1 other user

Hey all,

i am an NBN and computing noob in general.

Currently on 25/10 NBN plan with say "provider A" in Melbourne Eastern Suburb.

my circumstances:
*1 household member is working fulltime from home with constant Ms Team
* the other household (me) is working parttime from home with occasional Ms Team
* we both have to access remote server with Citrix Receiver
* when i test the speed, I typically getting 6-10Mbps download and this is surely not enough
* i have tried to reset the modem multiple times as well as calling the support centre but it usually improves to 15-18mbps download for about a few hours and then back to the usual 6-10 mbps.
* i use a dinosour-era wifi router, NETGEAR N150 WNR1000 v3
* not a gamer, doesnt have smart TV, no smart device of whatsoever, only watch youtube and netflix.

my question is - what needs to be upgraded?
* is it my modem? if so, what should i look for in purchasing a modem?
* is it my internet provider?
* is it the speed? if so, should i stick with the current provider and opt for 50/20 plan? will this means upgrading my typical speed from 6-10 to 12-20 (also a crappy speed)?

Thank you!

Internet Broadband HFC nbn Wireless Router

Comments

  • scrimshaw on 06/07/2023 - 18:21
    +2

    Your router is quite vintage (and near old enough to enrol in University) and will definitely need an upgrade, but you can get better answers if you let us know what NBN tech you're using (e.g FTTN, FTTC or FTTP) and what provider you're with. Sometimes the issue is with the ISP itself.

    • donny donny on 06/07/2023 - 18:26

      i am with Tangerine. their customer service is so far so good and my mate with similar router set up, plan and provider is getting a much better speed than i do.

      is this area problem? :D

      as to my NBN tech, i just checked it on the NBN website and it comes up with the below. unsure of what that means really. i gotta do more learning on this one.

      Technology used in your connection
      Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) has been used in your connection to the broadband access network.

      • Twix on 06/07/2023 - 18:36

        The nbn NTD box for HFC is a cable modem and this doesn't change.

        Get rid of the Netgear N150 WNR1000 v3 and purchase a new router. How much do you want to spend?

        If that still doesn't help Tangerine may have congestion problems and changing ISP can fix this. 50/20 speed would be better.

        • donny donny on 06/07/2023 - 19:19

          Any suggestions on what the budget i should set? i think i purchased my router for around $150 back in the days. factoring inflation - say it's now costing around $250 or $300 for an upgrade?

          • Twix on 06/07/2023 - 19:30

            @donny donny: Pickup a used Telstra smart modem gen 2 and use that as a router. Costs less than $50.

            Asus RT-AX82U V2 AX5400 Dual Band Gigabit Wi-Fi 6 Router $249 + Del ($0 C&C/ in-Store) @ JB Hi-Fi
            TP-Link Archer AX55 AX3000 Dual Band Gigabit Wi-Fi 6 Router $198.05 Delivered @ Amazon AU

            • donny donny on 06/07/2023 - 21:49

              @Twix: Thanks Twix!

              what are the advantages of the above compared with the entry level router like the below?
              TP Link ARCHER AX10 AX1500 WiFi 6 Router Black —> $127 at office works
              or
              NETGEAR 4-Stream AX1800 WiFi 6 Router —> $178 at Office works

  • kipps on 06/07/2023 - 18:26

    Are you using wifi?

    • donny donny on 06/07/2023 - 18:28

      hmm… i dont have any other cables connected to my laptop other than power, speaker and mouse so i would assume that i am using wifi..

      the netgear device i mention above i think is the wifi router if i recalled it properly

      • scrimshaw on 06/07/2023 - 18:32
        +1

        Speed tests should be done with wired connections so that you are not getting bottlenecked by slow Wi-Fi speeds.

        Imagine your ISP as your water supplier. They have a big water pipe flowing into your NBN cable modem. That cable modem is connected with yet another big pipe to your router with fast Ethernet. If you want to test how fast the water is flowing from your ISP then you need to also connect a wired cable from your router to your PC before starting the speed test.

        The Wifi connection between router and PC is going to be much slower: because 2.4ghz signals are very prone to interference (which is the main reason you want a newer router, that has faster Wifi protocols — Wifi 6 in particular).

        You can only upgrade the router, the Hybrid Fibre Coaxial "modem" given to you is not really replaceable and there's no alternative to it.

        • donny donny on 06/07/2023 - 19:23

          this make a lot of sense thank you!

          i tried to connect to the internet via cable but it failed to get any signals.

          keep saying no NDS or something along this line. reset the modem, reset the laptop, disconnect and reconnected all cables to the same outcome.

          that said, i notice that the speed in my office room is what causing 6-10 mbps. if i sit on the same room with the router, i am getting circa 15-20 mbps!!

          safe to deduce that the culprit is my modem?

          • rumblytangara on 06/07/2023 - 20:05
            +1

            @donny donny: Scrimshaw has nailed it.

            To add:

            I'm not sure which thing you are calling a 'modem'.

            You probably have a white box from NBN, which could be called a 'modem' or an 'NTU' or 'NBN box'. This is not the problem.

            The problem is the router, the Netgear 150 which is archaic and slow. It's using a slow protocol and running on a frequency band shared by lots of other things (e.g. microwave ovens) so is prone to interference.

            Buuut. You are also on a 25/10 plan. From my own measurements, Zoom calls or casual internet gaming chews up about 5Mbps… so 2 people on video Teams sessions and you've hit your max theoretical upload. Teams will adjust quality a bit when it runs out of bandwidth, but it's just not a good situation.

            Personally, I think that the NBN asymmetric internet plans are a load of shite that the telcos sell to a helpless market. 2 people on Teams video calls, I'd be looking at a 20Mbps upload plan.

            But just get a decent router first, see if that helps enough.

            And yes, speed tests through wifi just test how good/bad your wifi network is. They are not a reliable test of your internet speed (with some caveats).

            • donny donny on 06/07/2023 - 22:46

              @rumblytangara: you are right, i was referring to router :)

              after reading though all the comments, i surely need a new router.

              any specs to look for on a new modem?
              would something basic like the below would works just fine?
              TP Link ARCHER AX10 AX1500 WiFi 6 Router Black —> $127 at office works
              NETGEAR 4-Stream AX1800 WiFi 6 Router —> $178 at Office works

              cheers

  • gakko on 06/07/2023 - 19:06
    +1

    I'd
    1. Download wifi analyser on your phone. See if your wifi channels are crowded (by neighbours wifi). If you can set a wifi channel on your router (google how to) then change it to an unused one instead of the default roaming. Its a common problem imo that wifi bands get crowded.
    2. failing that, New router
    3. If still bad, new ISP (aussie broadband)
    4. If still bad, start raising inquiries with ISP. (aussie bb are very helpful)

    • donny donny on 06/07/2023 - 22:47

      thank you, i tried this but given up half way as i am worried that i might messed up my router settings, risking the internet connnection altogether :D

      • gakko on 07/07/2023 - 09:15

        No worries. If you look on the app and your wifi network is overlappting other wifi networks then it is indicative that it could be screwing with your wifi speed. So it's still good to have a look. Using cable instead of wifi would bypass the problem if its that.

  • solidussnake on 06/07/2023 - 19:09
    +1

    Upgrade to 50/20 and buy a new router

    • donny donny on 06/07/2023 - 22:48

      this surely be the plan now :)

  • CodeXD on 06/07/2023 - 19:51
    +1

    Most ISPs will even give you a router if you go on 12 months plan with them.

    25Mbps is not enough for 2 people wfh.

    • rumblytangara on 06/07/2023 - 20:07
      +2

      25Mbps down is fine. It's the 10Mbps up that's probably the issue. And the shit wifi router.

    • jv on 06/07/2023 - 23:36

      25Mbps is not enough for 2 people wfh.

      It is for Citrix…

      • rumblytangara on 07/07/2023 - 09:46

        TBF they both use Teams… I am guessing the OP means VC.

        But 25Mbps down is still fine for that.

        • jv on 07/07/2023 - 09:47

          Maybe they are using Teams on Citrix ?

          • rumblytangara on 07/07/2023 - 09:49

            @jv: I'd like to see Citrix on Teams.

            MS would probably try to make that somehow. Everything on Teams is so shite.

            • donny donny on 07/07/2023 - 12:12

              @rumblytangara: using citrix to access the employer's server and we usually use teams for video calls. approx 15 hours per week for the both of us

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join