I need to select an ISP from an approved list, i was recommended to research which one was the best for my area. Are there any metrics published re: dropouts or speeds / reliability? Thanks.
How Do I Judge an ISP's Reliability in My Area?
shroomish on 30/01/2025 - 12:15
Last edited 30/01/2025 - 13:41 by 1 other user
Last edited 30/01/2025 - 13:41 by 1 other user
Comments
Its pretty much between belong (telstra owned) and superloop/exetel (telstra network). Aussie broadband is an option, but I hear bad things.
Most dropouts are caused by the type of nbn at your property and in-home Wi-Fi problems. What type of nbn do you have?
Aussie BB, Superloop and Exetel all built their own network to provide nbn services and they don't use Telstra for nbn. Superloop and Exetel only use Telstra for 4G and 5G mobile services.
Aussie BB charges a premium at RRP so I'd wait for their $20/m off promos. Apart from that there is nothing particularly bad about them.
Leaptel is another OzBargain favourite.
Aussie BB, Superloop and Exetel all built their own network to provide nbn services and they don't use Telstra for nbn
Where is your source for this? Also NBN network is owned by NBN Co., not Telstra.
I agree with the rest of the post that dropouts are caused by NBN tech type and Wi-Fi issues. But another thing to consider is CVC. If an ISP has not bought enough CVC, you will experience slow speeds due to congestion
@hmac: I don't think they are talking about the last mile (which is owned by NBNco), but rather the backhaul from the POIs (which has to be provided by the ISP, either directly by building their own network or by contracting with someone else like Telstra).
CVC is on the way out and isn't really a concern for most connections any more.
@hmac: I was referring to the ISPs backhaul network. Run a traceroute or check the ISPs looking glass and you will see the path that the connection goes.
Superloop and Aussie BB ASN peering details.
CVC isn't really a problem anymore. CVC only applies to 12, 25 and 50Mbps and CVC is being removed for those speed tiers in 2026. CVC was removed for 100Mbps and faster speed tiers in late 2023 and most ISPs have plenty of capacity.
But another thing to consider is CVC.
Not for speeds of 100Mbps or over… NBN stopped that ages ago…
No CVC on slower plans from next year too…https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nbn-co-gets-green-light-for-n…
Nothing to do with any of these networks
There is only 1 NBN network.
Hence same everywhere.The only thing that changes is the configurations and pricing of the plans and the router you use.
^HeDoesntKnow
Stop spreading misinformation and being unhelpful.
Someone called?
try and find out. most don't have locking contracts anymore.
How Do I Judge an ISP's Reliability in My Area?
Just use a Magistrate.
Do not pass go, do not collect $200
Launtel by far. Especially international
Too expensive.
For a reason…. $2k in credit from refferals. Show me any other NBN provider 1. Whod let that happen 2. Has their user control panel 3. Has 1000/400 as an option thhat i can schedule when my backups run if i didnt want it everyday. 4. Support is unlike any other
Agreed. Best one I’ve used. Also the most expensive. Currently not using due to cost but I’ll go back to them for gigabit soon once I get my new networking gear.
check which POI you would connect to, and then jump on Whirlpool and search for it (or put your POI https://members.leaptel.com.au/metrics/nbn-pois-stats
You can also check CVC graphs for your POI, e.g. for AussieBB and Superloop
https://jasongi.com/abb-cvc-archive/?selectedCvc=Acacia%20Ri…
Trial and Error by using the Discounts on OzBargain and switching all the time. However, in some cases, it isn't the provider that it is the issue, its the technology/cabling etc getting to your house.
I was with AussieBB in one house, 500m from the node via FTTN and got 100/40, no problem. Worked throughout COVID. Moved to the next town over, 700m from the node and only got 60/30 with drop outs. Ended up bailing on the NBN completely.
I've used AussieBB for multiple houses and always had a good experience.
Is your nbn FTTP upgrade ready yet?
Yeah, but I've got a private PtP connection 400/400 with like 6 to 9ms ping for about $90 a month. I could go NBN, but to get 1000/400 is about $250 a month.
What is a private PtP connection?
That's pretty good. Leaptel 1000/400 $165/m for 12 months is about as cheap as it gets. Do you need the 400Mbps upload?
@Twix: Not really, but it is bloody fantastic. Had it when I was working for someone else and had NAS + phone system from home. But its great to have even now. NVR Backup, Syncing, Uploading Large Web Files, Video calls with no problems.
My Ubiquiti Dream Machine in the last 24 hours recorded a max upload of 90mbps at one moment with network traffic.
@Twix: Aussie has been excellent to me for a few years, but that price was a little hard to go past so I moved from Aussie to try Leaptel. The service has been mostly excellent, I had a few connection dropouts but a call to their helpdesk did something which appears to have resolved the issue and it's been good since.
Do I need 400mbps uplink… no. Is it nice when I use it… yes!
50mbps uplink was enough the vast majority of the time, but I was craving just a little bit more everytime I uploaded large files/videos etc.NBN is upgrading speeds in September 2025 at which point the 1000/50 offering should move to 1000/100, which might be enough to entice me off the 1000/400 connection, especially when the promo prices end because at full price I don't know that I could justify (what is already pretty unjustifiable!!)
…BUT!!… prices are also slated to come down too:
https://www.nbnco.com.au/corporate-information/media-centre/…This post has a nice table:
https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nbn-co-to-permanently-cut-pri…If that table still holds that should see a nice further reduction in the cost of high speed fibre plans.
what speeds UP/DOWN do you actually require ???
400 UP … for residential use == rarely needed (even for WFH / video calling can get by on far less).
unless business case.But you really didn't state that in OP … only when ppl started digging.
if TRULY for business use … then should be comparing against business plans - NOT residential plans.@simplystu: Do I need 400/400? Probably not. I probably only need 250/100. I WFH and run an SMB from home. But when I can have 400/400 for $90 a month and not be held to the NBN, that is better in my view. If I ever have an outage (which is rare and Starlink failsover anyway), I just call the owner (I have his mobile) and can get something straight away.
I always compare against business plans because they are often better than residential. Me and my household requirements are not "I want to stream netflix and check my emails".
@geekcohen: Who's provider?? Local small bus.? What backhaul are they using? And most importantly, whose network routes your traffic to Aus based CDN's or out to their backhaul?
Genuinely curious because in the sub 10k customer segment, its near impossible to break even with NBN and more so without
I need 400once a month, so i switch for 24hrs, it cota me $2 extra, and my backups are done nice & quick and i can boost my Linux ISO seed ratio for the remainder
@parad0x: Local Business called Gigawave Communications. I believe they use TPG for most of their backhaul and routes out of a DC in Melbourne.
I got a special deal, my RRP for my speed is $235 INC GST. This was the price for the first two years of the agreement and was paid by the company I was working for and hosting the NAS for.
After the agreement and I finished with the other business, I spoke to the guy and we did a deal. We give each other work, so it works both ways.
My backups for my NVR are very quick and nice.
It is all via 60Ghz PtP links. I think I am about 3-4 link hops before it hits Fibre in the centre of town. Ping is like 8ms.
@geekcohen: Aaaaha! Makes a whole lotta sense now. I've heard that name before though, I'm almost certain… Maybe it's a Ubiquiti product or something like that. Had a look at the STEEP prices. You sure about your RRP? Site lists start 100Mb @ $176. I've never looked, but is NBN Satellite more expensive than Fibre? I'd ne going Starlink (With a VPN npw Elon has raised his power exponentially once again) if i wanted speed OR daa
.
I meant backhaul to the internet - outside Australia. I don't know how big yje CDN's in Australia are, but i believe Google is one of the biggest. I worked about 18mths for an IT company that had a home service divison, a helpdesk call/ticket service, onsite service, as well as Hosting & ISP related services, in an 8-10 Rack micro DC, which was glass fronted woth RGB lighting and it was a;ways used to reel customers in when he showed off his toys and flashing network ports! They also had another business (diffferent name, same people) who laid ALOT of dark fibre throughout the semi industrial estate they're located and beyond. We were able to, in theory, provide businesses with the CBD DC experience, with non of the perks.
We had numerous businesses data on premise, so hosting sub. (virtual of course), then a sub. for the GigLAN link to integrate it, another sub for internet access (there was no contention ratio, just contention lol)… And you can't have any of this without the two essential services: a "Firewall" and associated sub that their link traversed regardless of whether they paid, but of course - no pay no cutomisation but they were all Fortinet Virtual Fortigates which is licensed as a feature not per seat, and Helpdesk support subscriptions!
They made ALOT of money (and invested, one man small business (~10 staff) running large amounts of dark fibre wouldnt have been cheap), because there were very little internet options in the area. due to it being relatively newly established. Too old to be NBN provisioned at build, and too new to have DSL options i believe either. So these industria; companies paid exhorbitent amount of money for each subscription.
I remember the day we had been given a good deal to a 500Mb onramp via Goggle's CDN (over 10years ago), it was a big deal at the time), pending a hardware upgrade on our end. But i've probably still got the Ookla screenshot from that day ~ 380down/320up. Even leading up to this we had 70% of customers on 100Mb links, i oneday learned out our Cisco guru was instructed toprovision less, and allow a short burst period upto 100Mb - Thus if tested, would likely show full speed, but in actual fact it was far less!Sorry, i've no idea why a had to share that. I think you triggered the small internet provider and knowing the owner. In my personal experience, that's personally not a good thing however the person the customers see is different to the person/people i've known in similar positions. They all appear moderate to high level on the Asbergers scale, which makes them non-personable, which is conveyed as sheer narcissism at times, and others having ansolutely no idea whats going on, but allocates resources to deal with it. It was in house secret. coming from the wife, that you dont let him visit customers unannounced or without an escort etc. It always resulted in promises that couldnt be kept, and whilst he could drop the bomb and walk out of the room, the rest of the company had to clean up. (I'm speaking of two specific businesses i worked for, that were self founded, sued each other - one being much further in the hole because of it, but pride was worth it all!
The other has grown exponentially. He hired a very experienced employee, who also became "The Boss" and banned him from handling certain aspects, he basically became a salersman. The business was split, support offshored, and the route that i took the first steps with back then, is now one of the biggestservices in demand, and i've seen the profit margins on those jobs… Id earn my annual salary in 2-3wks worth of jobs.
It was my dream job, ioved it, but after a lifetime of bad work habits, landing you dream gig after sprinting up the totem pole, is exhausting to the point where sleep is an obstacle, other poorer coping mechanisms are found, but at the end of the day you just fall into a pit at some point!! I would know, i've been down here for over a decade, it's my home now. Its unfortunate the internet is so full of hateful interactions. I've yet to converse with an AI but i dont know where to start (and not end uplearning a redundant outdated methoddology that i can't ever use again.
Sorry man, it just became a chain of the next thing linked to the last thing i said so that deemed it must ve relevant, next thing, life story
I always use budget ISPs, never had a problem. Tangerine/More is good for me and I mostly use those. Currently on Southern Phone with a promo though. I always use BYO routers. I think if you have FTTN/FTTB etc, you will have dropouts, I have only used FTTC & HFC so no issues at all.
Launtel publish metrics for their POIs, but not many other ISPs do.
Leaptel and AussieBroadband do too I believe
https://members.leaptel.com.au/metrics/nbn-pois-stats
https://jasongi.com/abb-cvc-archive/?selectedCvc=Acacia%20Ri…
@I Smell Pennies might help in this.