Is your home internet setup holding you back from a faster, more reliable experience? A few quick tweaks can help fine tune your setup - and help you enjoy the full potential of your connection.
Imagine you’ve just bought a brand-new car. It’s built for performance, but to keep it running smoothly, you need to take care of it. That means regular servicing, careful driving and the occasional performance check.
It's the same for your home internet. We're committed to delivering fast and reliable internet, but to keep it performing at its best there are some things you can do to help create a great experience.
This checklist brings you simple, practical tips to help you optimise your in-home setup and get the most from your home internet connection.
For terminology used in this article, jump to Definitions.
It's a good idea to understand your current internet performance with a speed test.
Modems don’t last forever. If yours is more than 3 years old, it might not support the latest Wi-Fi standards or speeds. You can check whether it is providing you with the best performance by following our internet troubleshooting tips. Alternatively, you can ask us whether upgrading to a newer model might help unlock better performance, even if you’ve recently upgraded your internet plan.
Your choice of modem or router, and how you set it up within your premises, could limit you from utilising the maximum speeds of your broadband plan. For older modems, you will need a Cat5e or higher ethernet cable connecting your nbn box to your modem to achieve the speeds of a high speed plan (where the download speeds are over 100Mbps).
Discover Telstra Smart Modem 4
Internet plans evolve. If you’ve been on the same plan for years, you might be missing out on faster speeds or better value. This is especially important if your household's internet usage has changed.
Read more on beautiful home internet
Placement matters because a good setup can significantly improve your Wi-Fi coverage and speed.
Older devices may not support newer Wi-Fi standards like Wi-Fi 6, which can limit your speeds, regardless of your internet plan. Check if your devices are up to date, especially if you’re noticing slow speeds on just one or two of them.
If you have chosen your own modem, we are unlikely to know its specifications or capabilities. As a result, we won’t be able confirm whether your modem is able to support the full speed of your selected plan. You can check whether your modem is compatible with your chosen plan by:
Using a modem that does not meet the necessary specifications may result in reduced speeds or connectivity issues. For older modems, you will need a Cat5e or higher ethernet cable connecting your nbn box to your modem to achieve the speeds of a high speed plan (where the download speeds are over 100Mbps).
Modern modems often broadcast two Wi-Fi bands: 2.4GHz and 5GHz. The 2.4GHz band has a longer range but slower speeds, while 5GHz is faster but works best at shorter distances. To get the fastest speeds possible, perform a speed test on your device across both bands and see which one is faster.
Our Telstra Smart Modem 4 automatically optimises which band your device connects to so you always get the strongest signal.
Loose, damaged or outdated cables can cause dropouts or slow speeds. Make sure your modem is connected with the right cables (like an Ethernet cable for nbn connections) and that everything is plugged in securely.
You will need a Cat5e or higher ethernet cable connecting your nbn box to your modem to achieve the speeds of a high speed plan (where the download speeds are over 100Mbps). You can check this by looking at the small text written on the cable itself.
Streaming, gaming, or scrolling? That’s a lot of data, so fast download speeds matter. Most plans handle everyday use with ease, but for HD streaming or if you have multiple users in your house online at the same time, speed can be more important.
If you're currently on a Premium, Ultimate or Ultrafast nbn plan with FTTP (fibre to the premise) or HFC (hybrid fibre coaxial), your plan has now been automatically upgraded to faster wholesale speeds. And not just a bit faster - our Premium plan has been accelerated to deliver five times faster wholesale download speeds.
If you're currently on another type of home internet plan or technology type (like fibre to the curb or node) and you're an eligible customer, you may be able to upgrade both your plan and technology to experience truly beautiful home internet.
Speeds experienced may be lower due to factors including in-home setup and wiring.
Here’s the equipment we recommend for faster connectivity at home.
