Hi all, Have purchased a new house. Now have FTTN NBN. Previously had FTTP, easy, connect router to box in garage. Enjoy. New place, just to make things interesting, has iiNet (ex TransACT) VDSL2 ports in the wall. I assume the old owner had using iiNet’s non NBN network previously. I’m using a NetGear Nighthawk R7000 - Does FTTN require a seperate modem or does the router do everything? - I can’t locate any form of phone socket. There’s one random non iiNet branded RJ45 (not RJ12) in one bedroom, but it’s nowhere near a power outlet. Is there a way of checking what it’s connected to? Does the NBN borrow iiNet copper? They talked about coexistence when I was signing up with my ISP Does an initial FTTN connection require a sparky to run a line to the street? I can’t for the life of me find a normal phone socket anywhere. Talking to my ISP has resulted in an endless loop of “your address has FTTN NBN!” - that wasn’t the question, but thanks like there was a doubt...
Needs a modem in front of your R7000, Draytek 130 or Netgear DM200 in bridge are basic ones. Likely that port, FTTN is to the first (or only) port in the house. Coexistence is regarding adsl2+ vs nbn, once adsl2+ is ditched it is ment to improve nbn sync speeds.
Do you have service poles in the street or out the back??? Or any boxes on the sides of the house to locate where the incoming service should be run too.. Any 8p8c "RJ45's" in any room? (usually near a main TV)
Get under the house and look for a cable with black plastic insulation which will be the old Telstra copper wire cable running from the pillar to your house that serviced the old style phone and adsl2 before FTTN NBN was connected. The cable should connect into an old style phone RJ12 socket somewhere unless someone removed it. My house has FTTN NBN and the cable from the street connected into a RJ12 phone socket just inside the front door and another in the living room and another in a bedroom connected in series. I removed the useless socket just inside the front door and covered up the hole and joined the two cables with a connector leaving me with a RJ12 phone socket in the living room & one in my bedroom. I ran a phone cable from my bedroom phone socket to the modem that TPG supplied for FTTN NBN and a VOIP phone.
No - iiNet operates its own VDSL network in Canberra, completely separate to NBN. Plans are better value than NBN too: https://www.iinet.net.au/internet-product/broadband/vdsl2/plans If you can get it, you should think about it...
That explains why the RJ45 socket is there. The cable from the pillar to the house should still be lying somewhere under the house so it could be connected to an RJ12 phone socket if he doesn't want to use iiNet's VDSL network.
Yup. iiNet haven’t been the best ISP for my parents so avoiding them, but the NBN were shit for my last place so... sigh... Wish I had a normal phone to test but yknow. This is the only cable under the house: It leads to here: That’s the socket in the living room where a TV would be. This is the other socket (in one of the non master bedrooms, i had an electrically qualified mate pull it out) I figured out the reason why this wall plate is in a random bedroom - it’s directly under this: The NightHawk is advertised as “NBN Ready”, I suppose that doesn’t necessarily mean “VDSL2” ready and it needs a modem...
I am unfamiliar with how grapevine ran their system, but a street dropper like that seems consistent. I suppose it is feasible that your house never had a copper lead in, but it would be odd. Regarding a Modem, you can just buy a crappy old telstra one off guntree for $30 and bridge it in front of your router, they work great. I wouldn't worry too much about your connection, NBN will work it out eventually.
The black cable in the first photo would be the original Telstra copper line cable from the pillar to your house. It's been joined with the blue cable which appears to be a cat 5 or 6 cable which connects to the RJ45 sockets. If you don't want to use iiNet you could try removing the RJ45 plate and installing an RJ12 plate or you could keep the iiNet RJ45 plate and use one of the unused pair of wires from the black cable to install another cable connected to an RJ12 socket plate so you have a choice between iiNet VDSL and FTTN NBN.
What's your NBN service class? (Check here: https://www.aussiebroadband.com.au/nbn-poi/) If it's SC10, then NBN will run a new lead-in (some brand-spanking new copper). With the announcement that NBNCo will be running a LFN out in most FTTN areas, it might be worth staying with iiNet until NBNCo have run the LFN out, and then see if NBNCo run a new fibre lead-in...
oh, I should have mentioned that the random socket in the random bedroom doesn’t run under the house, the cable runs up the wall to the outside, I assume that’s the Telstra one
The black Telstra copper cable from the pillar usually comes into the house underground from the street. If you decide to go with the NBN option someone will need to come out & install an RJ12 plate connected to the cable that goes back to the pillar in the room where you want to use your computer. You'll probably have to pay for this. I have two RJ12 plates so I can use my computer in the lounge room or my bedroom.
Tips for new players to southern Canberra: When TransACT was installed, they moved the existing Telstra line to the second port on the iiNet faceplate. Port 1: iiNet. Port 2: FTTN NBN. It’s all RJ45, no RJ12’s. Sorted now
if you haven't got a modem yet, Broadcom ones work best if you aren't super close to the Node (i.e. exceeding 100/40 by a fair margin). The TG799 or TG789 is a good pick that's cheap and performs well in bridge mode.