Is your old WiFi router nbn™ ready? Learn how you can quickly check.

So, the nbn™ rollout has reached your premises, you’ve applied for your new broadband service, selected your monthly Plan based on your historic usage (nicely done), chosen the fastest speed tier available and had all the nbn™ hardware installed. You’re now ready to connect, then nothing, no internet and no connection. Why?

In our experience, nine times out of ten, it’s because your old $40 router which was purchased 5 plus years ago can’t handle the faster speeds, or it’s simply not compatible.

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Avoid the frustration! Check if your router is nbn™ ready.

Here’s Ben Davis’s, SkyMesh Deployments Supervisor, short checklist:

Step 1: Check that your WiFi router is compatible with the nbn™ technology available at your premises.

Most nbn™ services require your router to have a WAN port including; Fibre to the Premises, Hybrid Fibre Coaxial, Fixed Wireless and Sky Muster™. You can check this by looking at the back of your router for a WAN port, which is yellow most of the time and labelled either ‘WAN’ or ‘Internet’. It will look like a normal internet network cable plug.

If nbn co is rolling out Fibre to the Node or Fibre to the Building to your premises, your router will require a DSL port instead of a WAN port. These routers are known as VDSL2 routers. We recommend contacting the router manufacturer to confirm that the model supports VDSL2 as some old ADSL modems may not be VDSL 2 compatible even though they have a DSL port.

Step 2: Check that your WiFi router supports your chosen nbn™ speed tier.

WiFi has advanced a lot over the last 2 years with AC WiFi routers supporting speeds up to 1300Mpbs. Most AC wireless routers will have “AC750” written on the back of them next to the model number of the router. If your router has this, it will support all of nbn co’s speed tiers.

If your router model is more than 4 years old, it is unlikely to be an AC wireless router, limiting your speeds and negatively impacting your user experience. If this is the case, we recommend investing in a new WiFi router prior to connecting to your new service.

Step 3: Does your router support VoIP?

For Fibre to the Premises customers, the existing phone copper infrastructure that your landline service currently uses is being disconnected and users are required to migrate their landline service over to VoIP. To ensure a smooth transition, you’ll need to check that your router is VoIP compatible. To do this, simply check the back for of your router for a phone port. It will look the same as the phone ports on most walls and should be labelled either ‘phone’ or ‘VoIP’.

Still not sure if your router is compatible? Just give our sales team a call on 1300 759 637.

Don’t have an old WiFi router?

You’re in luck, we’ve just completed a comprehensive review of the market and bulk purchased a great nbn™ ready WiFi router which is now available to SkyMesh customers at a fraction of the recommended retail price.

Benefits:

• Suitable for all service types (Sky Muster™ & Fixed Wireless)
• Suitable for up to two Internet voice (VoIP) services
• Simultaneous dual-band wireless to maximize throughput & performance (AC1600)
• Arrives plug-n-play for a quick and easy self-installation
• 3 year advanced repair warranty
• Supported by SkyMesh
• 4-Port Gigabit Switch
• FREE shipping

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Written by Barney Lassen

Originally from Oxford (UK), Barney's headed up the Marketing team since 2016. Outside of work, you might catch him down his local swimming pool or walking his very-good-girl, Macey.