22/02/2022
[Part 2] Welcome back to the second part in our NBN Tech Tips series. Continuing on from last post where we showed you how you can work out what NBN Connection Technology is used at your address, this time around, we’ll go into a little information about each of the most common Connection Types.
The most common and therefore most commonly criticised is FTTN or Fibre to the Node. This uses the old telephone line technology and with this comes its own inherited pros and cons. You can, in absolute optimal conditions, get great speeds on FTTN, however, both the cabling in your home and the cabling out in the street can contribute to poor connection quality.
With this type of connection, you connect using a Router with a DSL Modem that allows your router to connect to the phone outlet where NBN has been connected.
Standing light years ahead of FTTN is FTTP or Fibre to the Premises. This is the Holy Grail of internet connections. With some internet providers offering up to 1gbps, that’s 1000mpbs or 10 times what the highest advertised speeds are capable of. Unfortunately, this is the most expensive to connect and not so coincidentally is the least common type of connection. In a perfect world, this is what we would all have.
FTTP has a Fibre Modem or NTD where the fibre optic cables connect and a normal network cable can be connected. This network cable would connect to your router.
Right in between FTTN and FTTP stands a strong option in HFC or Hybrid Coaxial Fibre. This Connection Technology uses coax cables like your old Foxtel or Telstra Cable cables to connect you. The reliability and speeds possible with HFC are much closer to FTTP but isn’t quite as fast. Due to how common Telstra, Foxtel and Optus cable services have been in the past, many households have access to HFC, and in my opinion this is a far better Connection Type to FTTN.
HFC like FTTP has a Cable Modem or NTD which your Router connects to using a standard network cable.
Lastly, if you’re in a regional area, or one where a cable connection is not possible, NBN may offer one of their Fixed Wireless or Muster Satellite services. These use wireless point-to-point or satellite connections to connect you. These are often much slower services and can be much less reliable due to the challenges with wireless internet over such vast distances. Like FTTP and HFC, these connection types will have a Wireless Modem or NDT you connect your own Router to, often with additional hardware mounted on the exterior of your building.
Thanks for keeping up with my posts. I hope this has given you some more clarity on NBN and the different connection types. Please feel free to leave your comment with any feedback or questions you have and keep an eye out for our next series on Windows 11 and if you should upgrade.
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