Help Center

Troubleshooting Your nbn®

I Am Experiencing Drop Outs What Do I Do?

Updated 8 months ago

There are a variety of connections types available for nbn® and this means that the nature of dropouts can vary from service to service as well. Refer to the below if you’re unsure of your connection type as you will find them listed separately.

If you are experiencing WiFi dropouts, it doesn't matter what type of nbn you have, as the troubleshooting is the same for all NBN types.

WiFi Dropouts 

If you have devices connected over WiFi (Wireless) and they are dropping out, the first step is to check your signal level and make sure you are well within your modems WiFi range.

Settings

WiFi signal can be affected by a variety of factors such as distance from the modem, structural interference (Brick, metal, etc) and device interference (Cordless phones, smart TV’s, etc). It’s important to check the signal strength as the first step and if needed, try moving closer to the modem or checking for devices that may be interfering with the signal.

If the signal looks ok, it’s time to look at the modem itself. See the modem status light troubleshooting guide for further information regards to the states of the WiFi light and if you’re seeing the WiFi light turning off completely during dropouts, it may indicate that the modem itself is faulty. Remember that when in use, it will flash and that’s ok. If you’re seeing a full loss of the WiFi light during dropouts or have to keep pressing the WiFi button on the modem to get it working, best to contact us via Live Chat or by giving us a call.

Now we’ll cover dropouts that can occur with each type of nbn®. Make sure to keep a copy of the modem status light guide open, there will also be links to the respective guide for each connection so that you have a reference for other status lights.

https://help.southernphone.com.au/hc/en-us/articles/115012109148-Modem-Status-Lights-Troubleshooting-Guide

FTTP (Fibre To The Premises)

Table

An FTTP connection will always feature an nbn Co NTD on the wall. The most common dropouts will often result in a loss or change of status lights on the nbn Co NTD or the WAN light on the Netcomm modem. This will generally be full loss of the WAN light, or the Optical light on the nbn Co NTD turning red. If doable, you should test an alternate ethernet cable between the WAN port on the Netcomm and the UNI-D port on the nbn Co NTD and monitor for further drops. After that, it’s time to get in contact with us to troubleshoot further. Make sure you have a Laptop or Desktop PC handy, as we’ll often have to test a direct connection to the nbn Co NTD to determine the issue.

FW (Fixed Wireless)

Router Diagram

An FW connection will always feature an nbn Co NTD on the wall. The most common dropouts will often result in a loss or change of status lights on the nbn Co NTD or the WAN light on the Netcomm modem. This will generally be a full loss of the WAN light or a loss of one or several lights on the nbn Co NTD. Like FTTP, you’ll want to test an alternate Ethernet cable between the WAN port on the Netcomm and the UNI-D port on the nbn Co NTD, then monitor for further drops. If however, your nbn Co NTD is alternating between red and amber status lights, or the ODU light is turning red, best to get in touch with us to troubleshoot further. As before, you’ll want to make sure you have a Laptop or Desktop PC handy in case a direct connection test is needed.

HFC (Hybrid Fibre Coaxial)

Router

POWER

Off

Connection Box has no power.

Green

Connection Box has power.

DOWNSTREAM

Off

Connection Box has no power.

Green

Successful downstream connection.

Flashing

Searching for downstream connection. If ONLINE light is on, firmware upgrade in progress.

UPSTREAM

Off

Still searching for downstream connection, or Connection Box has no power.

Green

Successful downstream connection.

Flashing

Downstream connection found; searching for an upstream connection. If ONLINE light is on, firmware upgrade in progress.

 ONLINE

Off

Connection Box is offline or has no power.

Green

Connection Box is online and browsing should be possible.

Flashing

Downstream and upstream connection found; retrieving setup information from NBN.

 

HFC will always feature an nbn Co NTD inside the premises, connected to the cable socket. The most common dropouts will often result in a loss or change of status lights on the nbn Co NTD or the WAN light on the Netcomm modem. This will generally be a full loss of the WAN light or a loss of one of the lights on the nbn Co NTD. You’ll want to test an alternate Ethernet cable between the WAN port on the Netcomm and the UNI-D port on the nbn Co NTD, then monitor for further drops. If you’re noticing the NTD losing lights such as POWER or ONLINE during a dropout, it’s time to get in contact with us so that we can investigate it further.

FTTN (Fibre To The Node)

FTTN as a service is similar to ADSL, so the most common dropouts you’ll find will be a loss of DSL Sync. This is most easily identified by the DSL light flashing or turning off during drops and during these drops, you will lose the Internet light as well. For FTTN, it’s important to make sure that your Modem is connected directly to the phone socket on the wall with a single lead, which means no splitters, filters or alternate hardware sharing the same socket. Please also make sure to test an alternate phone lead and monitor for further dropouts.

If you’re losing the Internet light but keeping solid DSL during dropouts then it’s best to contact us to troubleshoot further as the issue may be modem or network related.

Satellite (Sky Muster)

Router Diagram

Satellite services will always feature an nbn Co NTD inside the premises. The most common dropouts will often result in a loss or change of status lights on the nbn Co NTD or the WAN light on the Netcomm modem. If during a dropout you notice that the status light ring on the nbn Co NTD is changing colour or turning off, it’s best to get in contact with us asap via Live Chat or call. If the light ring looks ok, but you’re losing the WAN light on the Netcomm modem, make sure to test an alternate ethernet cable between the modem and the nbn Co NTD and monitor for further dropouts. With Satellite, it’s important to remember that a blue light indicates a connection, regardless of flashing or pulsing that may occur during usage.

Speed Issues nbn®

Updated a year ago

If you are currently experiencing slow speeds we recommend completing the following troubleshooting.

 

  1. Complete a Power Cycle

 

To complete a Power Cycle all you have to do is turn off the equipment (modem) at the wall for 5 minutes and then turn it all back on again.

 

This just helps refresh the connection and gives it a kickstart.

If this doesn’t work, please try the below troubleshooting.

 

 

  1. Complete an Isolation Test

 

To complete an Isolation Test you need to remove all equipment from the phone sockets within your premises. This includes all phones, modems, faxes, splitters and filters.

You will need to leave the equipment disconnected from the sockets for a period of 15 minutes. Then, plug your modem directly into the main phone socket and re-test the Internet Connection

 

Try using the internet and see if it is back up to normal speed, if it is, there could be an issue with the splitter or even the phone line.

 

If this doesn’t increase your speed, please leave the modem in isolation and complete the below.

 

  1. Complete a Speed Test

 

To complete a speed test please connect your Modem directly to your computer with an Ethernet Cable. 

Please click on the below link once your equipment is connected as per the instructions. 

www.speedtest.net

Please complete and keep the results of 3 speed tests at least 2 hours apart and email screenshots of your results to speed@southernphone.net.au

Fibre To The Node (FTTN)

Updated 3 years ago

Fibre to the Node is the only connection not to feature an nbn™ Co NTD inside the premises. 

Instead, your connection up to the premises will be kept on the copper network while outside the premises, you are connected to an optical fibre pillar. 

This means that your modem should connect directly to the primary phone socket within the household and into the DSL socket on the back of the modem. 

Please find attached below an FTTN Modem Set Up Guide and also a Modem Status Light Guide for more information on how to troubleshoot.

How To Change A Wi-Fi Password On A Netcomm Modem

Updated 3 years ago

To change your Wi-fi password, you just need to follow the below steps.

To start, you will need to connect an ethernet cable from your modem directly into your computer.

1. Open up an internet page and in the web address bar type in: 192.168.20.1

2. Login using admin for Username/Password

3. Select Wireless, then click on Security

4. Type in your preferred password (min. 8 characters long) in the WPA/WAPI passphrase box

5. Press apply/save and test your password

How do I check my eligibility for nbn™ Satellite?

Updated 3 years ago

To find out if you're eligible to get a Satellite service, simply visit https://www.southernphone.com.au/Broadband-Services/nbn enter the full address for your home or business. If your address is eligible for nbn™ Satellite, you may sign up to a Southern Phone nbn™ Satellite plan through our website, or give our Sales Team a call on 13 14 64.

A Fixed Wireless Connection

Updated 3 years ago

A Fibre To The Premises (FTTP) Connection

Updated 3 years ago

Fibre to the Premises will generally feature two NBN Co boxes mounted on the wall. 

The first step in troubleshooting will involve removing the front cover from the Network Termination Device (NTD) as pictured below.  Removing the front cover is done by lifting the two tabs at the bottom of the box, the cover will lift outward and up.

Internet Box

Once the front cover is removed, you’ll be able to see the status lights at the top of the NTD as well as the connection ports at the bottom for your phone and modem.

 

Diagram of WiFi Modem

Correct connection of your hardware can vary based on your previous connection history however most services will make use of the UNI-V1 port for your home phone handset and the UNI-D1 port for your modem.  There are corresponding lights for these ports at the top of the NTD and that’s where you can begin identifying the issue.

Table on Status Lights

If your connection and status lights all look ok, it’s time to look at your modem.

Southern Phone provides the Netcomm NF10WV for connection across the entire range of NBN services and below, you’ll find a full guide of the status lights and their response, just click on the attachment.

We have also attached below a Modem Set-Up Guide for FTTP Connections below to assist you in setting up your modem.

SMTP: Email Server Settings

Updated 3 years ago

If you have one of our Southern Phone email addresses, you can find the Email Server settings below.

 

Account Type is IMAP 

Incoming server
· imap.us-east.atmailcloud.com
· SSL - Port: 993 for IMAP

Outgoing server
· smtp.us-east.atmailcloud.com
· SSL - Port: 465 for IMAP

Please Note: The SMTP Email Server Settings are for existing Southern Phone email addresses, unfortunately, we do not offer new email services.

If your service is working via our webmail platform but not your third party application you will need to contact the third party application provider.

Fibre To The Premises - NTD

Updated 3 years ago

Power Cycle – Modem

 If you are experiencing issues with your Internet, we recommend completing a Power Cycle of the equipment. 

 All you have to do is turn off the equipment (modem) at the wall for 5 minutes and then turn it all back on again.

This just helps refresh the connection and gives it a kickstart.

If you have an FTTP NBN Connection and are experiencing internet issues, we recommend you try the following troubleshooting steps, as they are the most common fixes for Internet issues.

Reboot NTD (NBN FTTP)

If you have FTTP NBN and are experiencing issues with your Internet we recommend completing a reboot of the NTD Unit. To do this please follow the below steps:

 

  1. Turn off the power at the powerpoint your NBN Power Supply Unit is plugged into.
  2. After the electrical outlet has been turned off, unplug the power cable from the power socket at the bottom of your NBN box (not from the larger Power Supply Unit - you'll find this cable can't be removed.
  3. Wait 1-2 minutes, and then plug the power cable back into the NBN box

If you are still experiencing Internet Issues you will need to get in contact with us.

Modem Settings for your Fibre to the Premise (FTTP) Connection

Updated 3 years ago

If you have purchased or received a Modem from Southern Phone, we will have pre-configured your modem for you. 

Unless otherwise advised, you should not need to reconfigure your modem on a regular basis but sometimes, if there is an outage or if the modem has been reset, you may need to complete a reconfiguration. 

If you are configuring or reconfiguring the modem yourself, you will need to enter some personalised settings for your connection. 

Below are the relevant settings that you may need when you reconfigure your Modem.

Please note that these settings are relevant only for FTTP connections. If you have another type of connection, such as ADSL or Fibre to the Node (FTTN), you will find the correct article here.

 

Country: Australia

WAN Type: ethwan

Protocol: PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE)

ISP: AAPT or Other

Username: This can be found on your Welcome Letter 

Password: This can also be found on your Welcome Letter

 

If you're having trouble getting the Internet to work after you have reconfigured your modem, please refer to the troubleshooting guides available or chat with us via our Live Chat service. 

Wi-Fi And WPS Troubleshooting On The Modem

Updated 3 years ago

Below is a picture of our Netcomm NF10WV VDSL/ADSL N300 Modem detailing the Wi-Fi and WPS buttons. The most common issue with Wi-Fi not working is that someone has accidentally turned Wi-Fi off at the modem. We recommend double checking that Wi-Fi is turned on at the modem before looking into other possibilities that could be causing no Wi-Fi.

Side of a WiFi Modem

WiFi – This button switches the WiFi capabilities of the Modem on and off.  Check the above info for the corresponding status light, you’ll normally want to leave this on at all times.  If the WiFi light is off, test this button first to make sure it hasn’t been switched off manually.

WPS – This button switches on WPS authentication which is a temporary method of WiFi connection that removes the security from your network for a set period of time.  We generally don’t recommend using this due to the security concerns however some older devices may only support WPS connection.

Southern Phone Internet Outage Policy

Updated 3 years ago

What compensation is offered for outages?

Sometimes your service experiences an outage or stops working.  Southern Phone’s internet outage policy applies to unplanned outages and faults where services have been disrupted for at least three days from the time of first contact in regard to the fault. Faults lasting for an extended time may also qualify for ongoing compensation.  Some outages, such as those caused by nbn™ scheduled maintenance or faults within a customer’s premises, are beyond our control. We do not offer compensation for these, but we will do our best to troubleshoot these. All services need maintenance from time to time to ensure they are operating at optimal levels. We try to keep these maintenance windows brief and during the overnight hours. However, sometimes maintenance during daylight hours is required for the health and safety of the technicians attending the site. We will minimise downtime when this occurs.

Please contact our Customer Service Team on 13 14 64 for all requests. Compensation will not be added until we have achieved a resolution and your service restored. We do this so we can calculate the proper compensation amount for the total disruption time. There may be a few cases involving longstanding faults where compensation is applied intermittently.  We provide compensation for the cost of the loss of our services only, not for third party alternatives (such as dongle or mobile hot-spot usage).