If your property has NBN, it has had a team of professionals come to install a box at some point so that you’re able to connect to Australia’s highest-speed network. But you might just be wondering — where is this connection box and how can I go and check it? Read more to find out about your NBN connection box.
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NBN offers you might like
The following table shows a selection of sponsored unlimited data Standard Plus Evening Speed (NBN 50), and Premium Evening Speed (NBN 100) plans on Canstar Blue’s database with links to referral partners. 1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $74.99) Typical evening speed of 50Mbps 1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $99.99) Typical evening speed of 90Mbps 1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $85) Typical evening speed of 50Mbps The following table shows a selection of published unlimited Standard Plus Evening Speed (NBN 50) plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost (excluding discounts), from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners. The table below shows a selection of published unlimited Premium Evening Speed (NBN 100) plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of monthly cost, from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
Unlimited
Data/month
$74.99
Cost/month
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Unlimited
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$89.99
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Unlimited
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$85.00
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Go to Site
Unlimited Standard Plus Evening Speed (NBN 50) Plans
Unlimited Premium Evening Speed (NBN 100) Plans
Where is the NBN Connection box for my house?
Typically the NBN connection box is installed near an existing telephone jack or cable connection in your home and within reach of a power point. This is because the connection box for FTTP, HFC and FTTC connections need direct power. A box is usually installed on the other side of the wall, or usually somewhere on the outside of your premises, if you’re using HFC or FTTP NBN.
The NBN box will usually go near an existing telephone jack in your house on the outside, typically at the front of the home, and should reach an existing power point if it’s a FTTP connection, as it will need direct power to run. If it’s a FTTP connection, two boxes will be installed inside, rather than just the one outside for other types of connections. Keep in mind that these things can vary depending on your property.
Can I get NBN?
If you’re able to get NBN, you should have gotten a letter in the mail from your internet service provider saying that your ADSL or ADSL2 plan is set to be cut off, and that you should make arrangements to swap over to NBN.
If by some chance you’re not sure, or if you’re looking at moving into a property where you’re not sure about the NBN connection, you should check out this tool on the NBNco website, that will allow you to check your connection by address.
If you know you’ve got NBN, congratulations! You’ve avoided the complications of getting it installed from here on out. But do you know what type of NBN connection you have?
Why should I know where the connection box is?
If you rely on your internet quite heavily, you’ll want it to be as fast as possible. Put simply, the closest you are to your connection, the faster your broadband will prove. Depending on the type of tech used to deliver your NBN, this point will be broken down further.
Identifying your NBN box
Before you go and look for your connection box, you’ve got to know what you’re looking for. Depending on your NBN technology type, the box could look entirely different from someone with a different connection. We’re going to break down the different types of NBN.
Fibre to the Node (FTTN) and Hybrid Fibre Coaxial
Fibre to the Node is the more common form of NBN being installed around the country. There are street cabinets throughout some neighbourhoods in Australia where high-speed fibre optic lines run directly to from the closest exchange. From these street cabinets, known as nodes, copper lines run directly to houses in the neighbourhood.
Hybrid Fibre Coaxial connections to the NBN follow the same principle, except instead of copper lines running between nodes and houses, existing ‘Pay TV’ network lines are used. Depending on how far you are from your neighbourhood’s node, your internet may be slower than other people on the same node.
Fibre to the Premises (FTTP)
Fibre to the Premises, also known as Fibre to the Door, is the best kind of home internet Aussies can get. Originally, FTTP was planned as the main NBN technology type, however this was changed in 2013. Fibre to the Premises can be found in some neighbourhoods around Australia, such as in Strathfield (NSW) and Coffs Harbour.
Essentially, a high-speed fibre optic line runs directly to your property from your neighbourhood’s local fibre node, which everyone in the neighbourhood is connected to.
FTTP boxes are big and connected directly to your internet modem. There’s usually two parts: an inside box and an outside box.
The outside box is usually close to street access of the property; the installers will make some effort to put the box somewhere discreet, such as around the side of the home or in a part of the front of the house that’s not too visible, but more often than not it will be right near the front of the house.
The inside box is typically somewhere close by on the inside of the house. It’s the part of the NBN that hooks directly into your phone internet connection. In premise, it’s very similar to connecting a home phone to a home phone line, except it’s for high-speed internet.
Your internet speed with this type of NBN will always be fast, no matter where you are in the apartment. The only thing we can recommend further is finding an NBN plan that offers you great value.
Fibre to the Curb (FTTC)
Fibre to the Curb is where fibre optic lines run directly from the closest exchange to the curb of streets, typically connected by a small distribution point unit (A DPU), taking the form of a node. From this point, existing copper lines used by existing phone lines are used for your connection. It’s marginally faster than Fibre to the Node.
Fibre to the Building (FTTB)
Fibre to the Building follows the same idea as Fibre to the Curb, but is used in apartment buildings. Instead of servicing a street, a fibre optic line is run directly to an apartment’s communications room where the existing technology in the building is then used to service apartments individually.
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Sign up to the right NBN plan for your home
If you’re curious about your internet connection, wanting it to be faster by being closer to a node isn’t the only thing that can bump up the speed. If you need a faster speed, it might be worth changing your plan. We know how to help you choose the right NBN plan for your lifestyle. We’ve put together a list of some of the top NBN 50 and NBN 100 plans on our database.
The following table shows a selection of published cheap NBN 100 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.
The following table shows a selection of published cheap NBN 50 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.
Images: Adam Calaitzis / Shutterstock, rawmn / Shutterstock
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