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What You Need to Know About NBN Installation

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There’s a high chance you can sign up for an NBN plan if you live in a big city, regional town, or remote location. However, if you’re the first person to sign up for an NBN plan at your address, there’s an installation process to follow.

Here is everything you need to know about preparing for your NBN installation and the day of your installation.

Before your NBN installation day, here are some things to consider

Owners of their own homes have an easier time installing an NBN, and renters of apartments should consult their strata prior to installation. A landlord’s permission is required if you rent your home. The placement of internal and external NBN devices in, on, or outside your home is critical, whether you own or rent.

In case your preferred installation location is inappropriate, the private NBN technician will suggest an alternative location on installation day. It is ideal to choose a place that is easy to access, has adequate ventilation, is easy to access a PowerPoint, and isn’t exposed to extreme temperatures. 

In addition, if you use medical alarm systems or other copper-based systems, you should contact the provider of those products or services for information on NBN compatibility.

Organizing your NBN installation

You simply need to select a plan from an NBN provider that you want, then order that plan. Any installation of NBN equipment will then be handled in consultation with your NBN provider.

In addition to letting you know what you need to get connected with, your provider will also speak to NBN Co on your behalf regarding NBN installation. Check with your NBN provider for an estimated installation wait time and preferred installation dates. Keep an eye out for text messages with information about installation timeframes and requirements if an NBN technician is required to visit your home for installation. NBN cabling contractors will call you when they are nearby on installation day. You will also need to make sure someone 18 or older is at home for the appointment.

Below is a daily updated list of popular NBN plans.

What is the cost of NBN installation?

NBN equipment installations are typically free. Non-standard installations may incur an installation fee, but your provider should inform you of that if it applies. The only ongoing cost for NBN at your home is the monthly plan fee.

Types of NBN connections

The type of NBN technology that connects your home varies based on which one you choose:

  • FTTP (Fibre-to-the-Premises)
  • HFC (Hybrid Fibre Coaxial)
  • FTTC (Fibre-to-the-Curb)
  • FTTB (Fibre-to-the-Basement)
  • FTTN (Fibre-to-the-Node)
  • Wireless and Fixed
  • Satellite Sky Muster

Installation of FTTP

Installation of NBN equipment may take up to eight hours, depending on its complexity. A cable is run from the NBN utility box outside your home to the NBN connection box inside your house. For backup juice during a power outage, the NBN connection box can be connected to a Power Supply with Optional Battery Backup (please discuss this with your provider prior to installation). In order to share the internet around your home, you’ll need to connect a router to your NBN connection box via Ethernet cable. Discuss equipment options with your provider.

Check out the daily updated list below for NBN 1000 plans with no compromise on download speeds.

Installation of HFC

Installing a standard HFC can take up to two hours, but more complex installations may take up to eight hours. An NBN technician will install an NBN utility box outside your home, then run a coaxial cable inside your home that connects to an NBN connection box. If you don’t have pay TV service, the coaxial cable will run directly from the cable outlet inside your home to the NBN connection box. Coaxial cable from a pay TV box will be run to a splitter, and separate cables will be connected to the pay TV box and the NBN connection box.

To share the internet connection around your home, you’ll need to connect a router to the NBN connection box using an Ethernet cable. Ask your provider about router options: specifically, whether they provide them or if you have to purchase them yourself. If you are interested in self-installation, please contact your provider.

Generally, HFC homes can sign up for NBN 250 plans, while some can sign up for NBN 1000 plans. For an idea of what’s popular, check out the list of NBN 250 plans below.

Installation of FTTC

To find out if you are eligible for self-installation of your FTTC, contact your provider. In the same way, as ADSL did back then, FTTC uses a telephone cable to connect to a telephone socket to get you online, so it is one of the fastest. In order to share the internet throughout your home, the telephone cable connects to an NBN connection box. This box needs to be connected to a router via an Ethernet cable. Installation takes less than 15 minutes. For FTTC, you don’t need a line filter, unlike ADSL.

Check out the NBN 100 plans below for an idea of what’s hot in our comparison engine for FTTC plans.

Incorporating FTTx and FTTN into the network

FTTB and FTTN installations are grouped together because their equipment is identical. The installation time is similar to that of FTTC. In order to connect, you will need a VDSL2-compatible modem router, which may be provided by your provider or you may have to acquire it yourself. You should not use any line filters between the modem router and the wall socket. It’s connected to a telephone wall socket by a telephone cable.

NBN 100 plans are available for FTTB plans, but only NBN 50 and NBN 25 plans will be available for FTTN homes. FTTN homes are not able to sign up for NBN 100 plans. The most popular speed tier is NBN 50, so check out our comparison engine below to see what’s hot.

Installation of satellite and wireless communication systems

Sky Muster and Fixed Wireless satellite installation costs are similar to those of FTTB and FTTN, with both taking two to four hours to complete. For Fixed Wireless, an antenna is installed outside, whereas, for NBN satellite installations, an external dish is installed. After that, it’s the same thing. The cable runs from the outdoor device to an outlet in the home, where it plugs into the NBN connection box. NBN connection boxes need to be connected to routers using Ethernet cables to allow you to share that internet in your home.