Technology assistance (wifi and broadband)

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jenny61_99

jenny61_99

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Afternoon all. After months and months and months of crap internet (Optus home ADSL2 broadband), it's been dropping out every ten minutes this weekend. Someone mentioned a wifi booster might fix the problem - certainly that might help reaching dead spots around the home. We've heard recently that NBN will be available in our area soon - what I'd like to know is this. Would a wifi booster help reach areas where we get significant drop out and if I'm having this problem with general wifi in the house, will that continue with NBN? Any other suggestions to rectify our connectivity? Added info - our speed on ADSL2 is often slower than dial-up. There is no hope of streaming anything on Netflix or Fletch. Can't even get them to open.

Cheers
 
jenny61_99 said:
Afternoon all. After months and months and months of crap internet (Optus home ADSL2 broadband), it's been dropping out every ten minutes this weekend. Someone mentioned a wifi booster might fix the problem - certainly that might help reaching dead spots around the home. We've heard recently that NBN will be available in our area soon - what I'd like to know is this. Would a wifi booster help reach areas where we get significant drop out and if I'm having this problem with general wifi in the house, will that continue with NBN? Any other suggestions to rectify our connectivity? Added info - our speed on ADSL2 is often slower than dial-up. There is no hope of streaming anything on Netflix or Fletch. Can't even get them to open.

Cheers
Click to expand...
well, there's a myriad of things that could be wrong but from what you've said it almost sounds more like a line issue than a wireless issue. I'd definitely hold fire on trying to boost the wifi signal until you diagnose the problem.

is the wifi connection actually cutting in and out on your devices or are they connected to your network and just having trouble using the internet?
 
jenny61_99 said:
Afternoon all. After months and months and months of crap internet (Optus home ADSL2 broadband), it's been dropping out every ten minutes this weekend. Someone mentioned a wifi booster might fix the problem - certainly that might help reaching dead spots around the home. We've heard recently that NBN will be available in our area soon - what I'd like to know is this. Would a wifi booster help reach areas where we get significant drop out and if I'm having this problem with general wifi in the house, will that continue with NBN? Any other suggestions to rectify our connectivity? Added info - our speed on ADSL2 is often slower than dial-up. There is no hope of streaming anything on Netflix or Fletch. Can't even get them to open.

Cheers
Click to expand...
We got NBN fixed wireless in our area 12 months ago and I certainly don't have that problem, works on multiple devices in every room....bloody brilliant when all we had before was dial up available here previously.
 

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DD#23 said:
well, there's a myriad of things that could be wrong but from what you've said it almost sounds more like a line issue than a wireless issue. I'd definitely hold fire on trying to boost the wifi signal until you diagnose the problem.

is the wifi connection actually cutting in and out on your devices or are they connected to your network and just having trouble using the internet?
Click to expand...
I think the wifi cuts out on the devices. We've got the Ethernet connected to my computer upstairs and everyone else (laptop, two iPads, and another computer) are connected via wifi downstairs. But also I have the issue where the whole thing drops out (Ethernet connection included).
 
jenny61_99 said:
I think the wifi cuts out on the devices. We've got the Ethernet connected to my computer upstairs and everyone else (laptop, two iPads, and another computer) are connected via wifi downstairs. But also I have the issue where the whole thing drops out (Ethernet connection included).
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well you've either got a problem with the router configuration or you've got line issues.

I had similar issues at my place, router dropping connections, horrendous speeds, etc and it was because something had nibbled away at the shielding for the phone line on the outside of the house. Got that replaced and some conduit over it and we've been as good as gold ever since (at Telstra's expense :thumbsu:)

its not really possible for me to do too much for you over the forum but I might be able to find you some sort of troubleshooting guide you can work through to isolate the problem. Just know that if your ethernet connection is dropping too a wifi booster definitely isn't going to help. Also worth noting that an NBN package would basically bypass everything that might currently be causing you issues (or in otherwords you'd be back in business), but depending on your usage habits and everything you might not need that and could probably get back to "good" ADSL2+ speed for less $$
 
DD#23 said:
well you've either got a problem with the router configuration or you've got line issues.

I had similar issues at my place, router dropping connections, horrendous speeds, etc and it was because something had nibbled away at the shielding for the phone line on the outside of the house. Got that replaced and some conduit over it and we've been as good as gold ever since (at Telstra's expense :thumbsu:)

its not really possible for me to do too much for you over the forum but I might be able to find you some sort of troubleshooting guide you can work through to isolate the problem. Just know that if your ethernet connection is dropping too a wifi booster definitely isn't going to help. Also worth noting that an NBN package would basically bypass everything that might currently be causing you issues (or in otherwords you'd be back in business), but depending on your usage habits and everything you might not need that and could probably get back to "good" ADSL2+ speed for less $$
Click to expand...
My only concern that the NBN will still be using their shitty lines seeing as they aren't doing fibre optic to the house anymore.
 
jenny61_99 said:
My only concern that the NBN will still be using their shitty lines seeing as they aren't doing fibre optic to the house anymore.
Click to expand...
yeah absolutely if you're not getting fibre to your house
 
jenny61_99 said:
Afternoon all. After months and months and months of crap internet (Optus home ADSL2 broadband), it's been dropping out every ten minutes this weekend. Someone mentioned a wifi booster might fix the problem - certainly that might help reaching dead spots around the home. We've heard recently that NBN will be available in our area soon - what I'd like to know is this. Would a wifi booster help reach areas where we get significant drop out and if I'm having this problem with general wifi in the house, will that continue with NBN? Any other suggestions to rectify our connectivity? Added info - our speed on ADSL2 is often slower than dial-up. There is no hope of streaming anything on Netflix or Fletch. Can't even get them to open.

Cheers
Click to expand...

There are two potential issues with your connection.
  1. You are having an issue with Wi-Fi
  2. You are having an issue with your ADSL2 broadband
It's pretty easy to determine which one it is. If you have access to an Ethernet cable, plug it in to your router (and the other end into a PC) and see if you are still experiencing dropouts. Alternatively, get a laptop and place it as close as possible to the router on Wi-Fi, and see if you are still getting drop outs. Just to be sure, check two devices; if both have the same issue, it's likely a fault with the router and/or connection.

If the drop outs go away on Ethernet or when you are very close to the router on Wi-Fi, it's a Wi-Fi issue.

You could still experience drop outs on Wi-Fi even if you are very close to your router due to interference or a crap router, but this is unlikely.

A Wi-Fi booster only solves one problem, and it probably won't be relevant to you. What it does is extend the range of your router's access point, allowing you to get better Wi-Fi coverage and speeds further from your router. The Wi-Fi booster will only solve your drop outs if you don't get drop outs when you are very close to the router; in other words, if your problem is range related. It won't solve any other issues (note: Wi-Fi spectrum interference can also cause drop-outs in densely populated areas).

What is more likely is you have a rubbish ADSL connection. You can check how fast your router is receiving the internet by entering your routers settings and looking for 'sync speed' and 'attenuation'. If you find them, post them here, otherwise don't trouble yourself if you've never entered the settings page. If these values are poor, the most likely explanation is your physical copper connection from the internet exchange to your house is long (ADSL speeds are heavily affected by the distance to the exchange) or poor quality (the cables degrade over time).

If you have an issue with Wi-Fi and not your ADSL connection, these issues will continue on the NBN (although they will provide you with a new router so that may solve it). However I think it's unlikely that it's a Wi-Fi issue.

Have you had crap internet since you connected it, or just recently? If it's the latter, it's probably fixable to a certain extent. If it's the former, you probably won't be able to do anything.
 
Scorpus said:
There are two potential issues with your connection.
  1. You are having an issue with Wi-Fi
  2. You are having an issue with your ADSL2 broadband
It's pretty easy to determine which one it is. If you have access to an Ethernet cable, plug it in to your router (and the other end into a PC) and see if you are still experiencing dropouts. Alternatively, get a laptop and place it as close as possible to the router on Wi-Fi, and see if you are still getting drop outs. Just to be sure, check two devices; if both have the same issue, it's likely a fault with the router and/or connection.

If the drop outs go away on Ethernet or when you are very close to the router on Wi-Fi, it's a Wi-Fi issue.

You could still experience drop outs on Wi-Fi even if you are very close to your router due to interference or a crap router, but this is unlikely.

A Wi-Fi booster only solves one problem, and it probably won't be relevant to you. What it does is extend the range of your router's access point, allowing you to get better Wi-Fi coverage and speeds further from your router. The Wi-Fi booster will only solve your drop outs if you don't get drop outs when you are very close to the router; in other words, if your problem is range related. It won't solve any other issues (note: Wi-Fi spectrum interference can also cause drop-outs in densely populated areas).

What is more likely is you have a rubbish ADSL connection. You can check how fast your router is receiving the internet by entering your routers settings and looking for 'sync speed' and 'attenuation'. If you find them, post them here, otherwise don't trouble yourself if you've never entered the settings page. If these values are poor, the most likely explanation is your physical copper connection from the internet exchange to your house is long (ADSL speeds are heavily affected by the distance to the exchange) or poor quality (the cables degrade over time).

If you have an issue with Wi-Fi and not your ADSL connection, these issues will continue on the NBN (although they will provide you with a new router so that may solve it). However I think it's unlikely that it's a Wi-Fi issue.

Have you had crap internet since you connected it, or just recently? If it's the latter, it's probably fixable to a certain extent. If it's the former, you probably won't be able to do anything.
Click to expand...
You seem to be up to speed on all the modern technology....I was reading an article that linked to this page below on the upcoming Telstra 5G plans...

Does this mean the NBN we are part the way through installing is already being superseded?


https://exchange.telstra.com.au/2016/08/03/preparing-for-the-arrival-of-5g/
 
Bicks said:
You seem to be up to speed on all the modern technology....I was reading an article that linked to this page below on the upcoming Telstra 5G plans...

Does this mean the NBN we are part the way through installing is already being superseded?


https://exchange.telstra.com.au/2016/08/03/preparing-for-the-arrival-of-5g/
Click to expand...

The NBN is a complicated network that uses multiple technologies. 5G is a wireless technology that will supersede 4G LTE, which is currently being used across NBN wireless deployments. So in a sense, all NBN Fixed Wireless services will be superseded by 5G technology around the 2018-2020 mark. This is pretty typical, though, of the speed of development in wireless technologies (plus LTE will have been around for roughly 10 years by the time 5G is ready).

NBN Fixed Line services are already partially superseded. Anyone not on a fibre to the home connection is using an outdated fixed line technology – HFC (cable) is one example, as is fibre to the node, and anything that uses copper wiring – but fibre to the home is still the leading fixed line technology and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future.
 

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Scorpus said:
The NBN is a complicated network that uses multiple technologies. 5G is a wireless technology that will supersede 4G LTE, which is currently being used across NBN wireless deployments. So in a sense, all NBN Fixed Wireless services will be superseded by 5G technology around the 2018-2020 mark. This is pretty typical, though, of the speed of development in wireless technologies (plus LTE will have been around for roughly 10 years by the time 5G is ready).

NBN Fixed Line services are already partially superseded. Anyone not on a fibre to the home connection is using an outdated fixed line technology – HFC (cable) is one example, as is fibre to the node, and anything that uses copper wiring – but fibre to the home is still the leading fixed line technology and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future.
Click to expand...
I'm have been on NBN fixed wireless here in rural Victoria for over 6 months and have found the speeds and reliability first class, will the NBN fixed wireless transfer to 5G eventually too?
 
Scorpus said:
NBN Fixed Line services are already partially superseded. Anyone not on a fibre to the home connection is using an outdated fixed line technology – HFC (cable) is one example, as is fibre to the node, and anything that uses copper wiring – but fibre to the home is still the leading fixed line technology and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future.
Click to expand...
Can you explain this more .....i currently have a copper line and Foxtel cable ...my Internet service is with Optus, so i assume that service is being provided on the copper line ?

What do you mean fibre and what are my options ..Dr Scorpus ;)
 
Wayne's-World said:
Can you explain this more .....i currently have a copper line and Foxtel cable ...my Internet service is with Optus, so i assume that service is being provided on the copper line ?

What do you mean fibre and what are my options ..Dr Scorpus ;)
Click to expand...

Fiber is fiber optic cable. It uses light to transmit data through a glass tube (essentially). Copper is just a metal cable like you'll find in pretty much any cable in existence right now, USB cables, HDMI cables, etc.

Cable in Australia is provided through HFC, which stands for Hybrid Fibre Coaxial. HFC is basically a network of fibre cables to distribution points in the neighborhood (typically nodes for every few streets) and then copper coaxial cable from the node to your house. If you're on cable, you're on HFC, which means part of your network is on copper wiring.

Copper cabling is much slower than fibre because signals in copper cables degrade more quickly over long distances. HFC uses shortish copper cables so you can still get reasonable speeds (100 to 1000 Mb/s in most cases), whereas ADSL uses copper for the entire journey from internet exchange to your house. With ADSL, this journey could easily be 2+ km of copper, which will result in very slow speeds for modern internet.

Copper is an old technology because, for the most part, we have hit physical limits with how fast we can push data through the metal. Fibre has been around for years: it's much faster because it doesn't have as many limitations on speeds/distances, but fibre cables are more expensive to produce, and many areas don't have fibre, which makes it expensive to deploy.

The NBN was originally a full-fibre model, meaning the entire journey from internet exchange to your house was fibre, leading to the best speeds. The Liberal government changed this because rolling out fibre to every house is really expensive, so now they are only rolling out fibre part of the way, or using older technologies like HFC.

If you have NBN in your area, this will always be the best option, even if it's not fibre to your home. NBN always uses the best technology available in your area, so there's no reason not to be on the NBN (and usually you're forced anyway). The next best option is cable through Optus/Telstra/others as HFC is still a good technology. It's not as fast as fibre or as future proof, but you can get good speeds. (I'm on cable in case you're wondering). Then there's ADSL, which is by far the worst technology. Speeds vary by how far you are from the exchange, and speeds on ADSL are universally worse than on cable, and orders of magnitude worse than fibre.

Of course, ADSL is cheaper than cable, which is why many people are on ADSL. Also, cable was only rolled out in metro areas of capital cities (some exceptions), and isn't available for everyone, particularly those in rural areas. Unfortunately some people are limited to just ADSL for their homes, and this sucks, because ADSL sucks
 
Scorpus said:
Fiber is fiber optic cable. It uses light to transmit data through a glass tube (essentially). Copper is just a metal cable like you'll find in pretty much any cable in existence right now, USB cables, HDMI cables, etc.

Cable in Australia is provided through HFC, which stands for Hybrid Fibre Coaxial. HFC is basically a network of fibre cables to distribution points in the neighborhood (typically nodes for every few streets) and then copper coaxial cable from the node to your house. If you're on cable, you're on HFC, which means part of your network is on copper wiring.

Copper cabling is much slower than fibre because signals in copper cables degrade more quickly over long distances. HFC uses shortish copper cables so you can still get reasonable speeds (100 to 1000 Mb/s in most cases), whereas ADSL uses copper for the entire journey from internet exchange to your house. With ADSL, this journey could easily be 2+ km of copper, which will result in very slow speeds for modern internet.

Copper is an old technology because, for the most part, we have hit physical limits with how fast we can push data through the metal. Fibre has been around for years: it's much faster because it doesn't have as many limitations on speeds/distances, but fibre cables are more expensive to produce, and many areas don't have fibre, which makes it expensive to deploy.

The NBN was originally a full-fibre model, meaning the entire journey from internet exchange to your house was fibre, leading to the best speeds. The Liberal government changed this because rolling out fibre to every house is really expensive, so now they are only rolling out fibre part of the way, or using older technologies like HFC.

If you have NBN in your area, this will always be the best option, even if it's not fibre to your home. NBN always uses the best technology available in your area, so there's no reason not to be on the NBN (and usually you're forced anyway). The next best option is cable through Optus/Telstra/others as HFC is still a good technology. It's not as fast as fibre or as future proof, but you can get good speeds. (I'm on cable in case you're wondering). Then there's ADSL, which is by far the worst technology. Speeds vary by how far you are from the exchange, and speeds on ADSL are universally worse than on cable, and orders of magnitude worse than fibre.

Of course, ADSL is cheaper than cable, which is why many people are on ADSL. Also, cable was only rolled out in metro areas of capital cities (some exceptions), and isn't available for everyone, particularly those in rural areas. Unfortunately some people are limited to just ADSL for their homes, and this sucks, because ADSL sucks
Click to expand...
I had to read this 6 times to understand completely, but now i do & many thanks for tahing the time to explain

BTW i have ADSL .....but i'm close to an exchange, speeds up to midnight are average, but early mornings are excellent ....at this stage the speeds are not frustrating me or preventing me from doing what i want?

Again thanks ;)
 
Wayne's-World said:
Yep, getting only a 5-6 mbp off the VPN out of Sydney, on an ADSL2 .....whereas getting 12-13 mbp out of Singapore?
Click to expand...
what's the question?

to elaborate on Scorpus' explanation the Sydney server is either not as good as the Singapore one, or its about the same but gets hammered by far more users.

for what its worth the undersea link from Sydney to the US (where most of the internet lives) is much faster than the one that goes via Singapore and Japan. So in other words the VPN's servers are the likely bottleneck.
 
DD#23 said:
what's the question?

to elaborate on Scorpus' explanation the Sydney server is either not as good as the Singapore one, or its about the same but gets hammered by far more users.

for what its worth the undersea link from Sydney to the US (where most of the internet lives) is much faster than the one that goes via Singapore and Japan. So in other words the VPN's servers are the likely bottleneck.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that ...are there likely to be quicker country servers than Singapore?
 
Wayne's-World said:
Thanks for that ...are there likely to be quicker country servers than Singapore?
Click to expand...
depends what the options are and what you're using the VPN for (some people don't like to use American end points, or Australian either for that matter).

most reliable way to find the fastest would be trial and error. I'd probably expect a server in the US to be faster than the Singapore one, but how fast is your connection without the VPN anyway?
 
DD#23 said:
depends what the options are and what you're using the VPN for (some people don't like to use American end points, or Australian either for that matter).

most reliable way to find the fastest would be trial and error. I'd probably expect a server in the US to be faster than the Singapore one, but how fast is your connection without the VPN anyway?
Click to expand...
It's about half speed .....my VPN is Hungary based, as i've avoided USA based VPN companies

Guess it's a bit of trial and error
 
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