Let’s face it – the NBN is a mixed bag at best. If you’re lucky enough to have Fibre to the Premises (FTTP), you’re probably enjoying super fast internet, assuming you can get a data point to where the NBN installed your modem.
But what about the majority of people who are stuck with outdated copper to deliver their NBN services?
For Fibre to the Node (FTTN), some Fibre to the Building (FTTB) and even Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) installations, your internal copper wiring could be affecting your speed performance. How you ask? In the good old days many homes were set up with multiple phone sockets, this let you have a wired phone in more than one location.
If your home has this kind of set up it could well be affecting your NBN or ADSL connection. The ‘dead legs’ in that system can degrade the signal attenuation used by ADSL and as a result reduce your overall speeds. There is a simply solution however, just cut off the dead legs.
Now let’s be very clear here, randomly cutting telephone wires in your house may not be 100% advisable unless you’re a cabler: if you cut the wrong wire and you’ll be having no internet, cut something that’s not a telephone wire and you may be having a quick trip to a hospital.
PSA: DON’T cut wires yourself, pay a cabler or electrician to do it for you. It won’t cost much, and it saves you from accidentally getting wired up.
For my recent install I was able to boost my speeds from my 100/50 NBN FTTN installation from 37/16 to 47/20 (on a set of average Google speeds tests). While 40/20 is still crap for a 100/50 plan any increase is appreciated. To achieve this, all the technician had to do was cut the “3 way split” in my roof. After that ….. an immediate speed boost.
Unfortunately, for people in apartment buildings and the like on FTTB style installations, your access to your cabling may be varied. This could mean that your cabling is affecting your speeds and you’re powerless to fix it, sorry. That’s a good topic for the next strata meeting!
Another trick you can try to improve your overall speed is to rewire your main line in from the connection box on your house to your modem point. This requires pulling new cable though your walls/ceiling/floor/ who know where, and isn’t completely simple. However, if your internal wiring isn’t in good condition or has multiple splits and joins, replacing it with nice good quality copper may give you a few extra mb/s.
While we all can lament the failed botch job that is the NBN rollout (there’s no undoing the travesty that is our national disgrace), this simple trick could improve your speeds. Let us know if this worked for you, and remember to use a professional.
