NBN attached equipment

[meltam]

With the ongoing lurch-out of the NBN, I think many consumers will be needing to replace or upgrade their existing technology to gear that will work with the NBN.

Therefore, I was wondering what the best performing NBN attached equipment is. Is it any different to ADSL attached equipment?

Areas of interest I can envisage are:-

1. Wi-Fi Modem/Routers
2. Battery backup for the above
3. Emergency phone to replace PSTN phones
4. Back-to-base monitored Fire Alarm and/or for Intruder Alarms,
   and I’m sure there is more technology that will need to be replaced that I haven’t thought of.

I know that there has been mentions of different bits and pieces in a number of threads, but it would be good to have it all in one place.

Your thoughts & recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[ScottOKeefe]

Hi Tamás, I’m hoping that equipment won’t need to be different, but my situation may be atypical.

1. I use a Fritz!box 7490 modem/router. I intend to switch it to router-only mode and use it with the NBN when we get connected

2. The 7490 is plugged into an APC Uninterruptible Power Supply

3. The 7490 has a DECT base station built in. We have a few cordless handsets around the house. I also have a VOIP handset which is cabled to the 7490 via ethernet. It also gets its power from the UPS

4. We have an alarm but it’s not the monitored type

[draughtrider]

1. Wi-Fi Modem/Routers
   I run ASUS routers with Tomato. Modem is dedicated VDSL with isp auth from Tomato. Pi-hole on a Pi3.
   A couple of Ubiquiti Nanostations NSM5’s give me ‘multi-premises’ so to speak …
   Siemens VoIP - rarely used.
2. Battery backup for the above
   No. Previously had 8RU’s of UPS and power drain was ugly … but it did keep things running for ‘a long time’.
3. Emergency phone to replace PSTN phones
   Everyone in the house has a mobile. I’m not convinced anything these days is truly redundant. I could key up on 2m or 70cm on the handheld.
4. Back-to-base monitored Fire Alarm and/or for Intruder Alarms, and I’m sure there is more technology that will need to be replaced that I haven’t thought of.
   None. I have an ‘attack cat’.

Another relevant item under point 4 is the emergency pendant phone to base personal alarms - for people who might become immobilised/etc and need assistance. A family member not so long ago had their unit replaced by one using the mobile network rather than PSTN.

Some others include some EFTPOS/ATM’s - TTY devices, Fax machines …

Aside from some area’s further out under the SkyMuster NBN, our whole town will have no old-style fixed line services after 23 February 2018 - only NBN from then …

[meltam]

Thanks Scott. I am hoping to have this thread as a point of reference where people can go to find equipment that works well with the NBN.

If your alarm is stand-alone, there is no issue, but if it’s connected to a remote location by phone wires it needs to be registered with NBN and alternate connection methods need to be sorted.

[meltam]

Good points about all the other equipment that will need to be changed. Thank you

I wonder if the replacement cost or even availability of replacements for all this equipment was ever considered when deciding to only give 18 months to move over to the NBN?

[PhilT]

As a general statement ADSL modem/routers that also support VDSL are NBN compatible, and the phone can be a VDSL capable modem/router with a VOIP port or a separate VOIP ‘box’ on the network.

[grahroll]

@meltam

if it’s connected to a remote location by phone wires it needs to be registered with NBN and alternate connection methods need to be sorted.

It doesn’t always require a new connection method. If you have FTTP you can purchase a second “VOIP” line and have the alarm system plugged into that port. The reason for registering your equipment was/is so that NBN Co can advise you about whether the system will support your equipment, if using FTTP the fitting of the backup battery, and advise you of outages that may affect you. I have Medical Alarm Equipment and have not had to register it with NBN as my RSP does not support Priority Assistance (regardless my RSP fits the battery as a standard if FTTP is used).

If you have a pendant alarm type system that uses your existing phone to dial out you can still use it with FTTN, HFC, Fixed Wifi, FTTP, FTTB, FTTC. It will however possibly be less reliable than a current PSTN phone (power outage issues). A lot of this power reliability can be somewhat averted by the use of in home power backup to the power supply sensitive equipment, for example plugging the affected unit into a UPS, using a phone that will work off it’s own power supply (some linked to in another thread) in a blackout.

Many businesses that supply equipment are changing to Mobile connected as 1. it can just be cheaper, 2. not everyone can use a second voip line, or 3. they just don’t understand the connected premises (they don’t have to worry about site inspections).

Mobile connectivity is not the magic bullet either. There are many situations where to use mobile is very difficult if not impossible. It still requires power backup, mobile coverage (which may also necessitate external antennas), space requirements, retrofitting compatibility.

I think if alternative connections (other than HFC) are used instead of FTTP, I think the customer/consumer should at least be advised the modems should be power backed up and offered advice about which phones could be used in a blackout (power outage).

Of course HFC users face a worse dilemma than many other NBN users as most of the HFC infrastructure close the the houses are not power outage resilient at all.

FTTN & FTTB nodes are now mostly standby power backed up and FTTC can easily be power backed up from the home with the DPU in the pit being already powered by the RPF (Reverse Power Feed Unit) that is installed in the house and that unit can be connected to a standby power supply (the DPU is a low power consumption unit). Wifi Towers are supposed to be Standby Power backed up and so only the home infrastructure needs to be connected to standby power. Satellite only requires the home installed equipment to be Standby Power backed up to continue to maintain communications (weather permitting).

This is something that as the NBN/RSP contracts to connect your home should be advising you of and helping you get recommendations and or giving you recommendations to alleviate any issues.

Your connected equipment will determine the size of the backup power unit/s you require and if you are not sure it is best to get the advice of a professional who is familiar with power usage requirements.

[meltam]

thank you for your detailed and useful response @grahroll .

[grahroll]

Here is the link I referred to in the post above about phones that come with Blackout operability:

NBN installation and the elderly

Telstra at this time with still have responsibility for Priority Assistance (which really only says that a fault will be repaired within 24 hours), it is no guarantee that service will be uninterrupted even on a PSTN service. Optus are currently pulling out of their PA type system. From the NBN Co site (https://www.nbnco.com.au/learn-about-the-nbn/what-happens-in-a-power-blackout/priority-assistance.html) "Telstra is required by the Australian Government to offer priority assistance services t…

The examples are at the bottom end of the post.

[wj.ca]

We have had a problem with our Telstra Fixed Wireless.5 days ago was the last email I could download.4 days ago I tried rebooting NBN unit,Telstra modem and computer but no emails.3 days ago I tried Telstra auto fault finding on their website, it frooze up in a loop ,was useless, got onto Chat with support, after hours of no luck I was told it was escalated.I found out I could hotspot my tablet to my mobile and check emails so this indicated problem with NBN or Modem. I got back onto Telstra Chat to pass this on, Yesterday tried again on Chat on my mobile after finding we have no email,internet and home phone anymore. I also pointed out we have a MediAlert for my 90yrs old motherinlaw, all on their records,after more supposed tests I was told it was escalated again and will be 2 to 5 days. I pointed out I will be 250kms away at work leaving my wife with only a mobile phone, no internet access and MediAlert for her Mum. So far I’m not impressed.

[PhilT]

@wj.ca

I was told it was escalated again and will be 2 to 5 days.

All the RSPs have the same problem. While they each have their own servers they rely on the NBN infrastructure for the connection from the customers modem to those servers, Whenever there is a problem with that infrastructure all they can do is lodge a fault ticket to the NBN and wait.

Once after a localised power failure my VOIP would not register but I was otherwise ‘on the internet’. AussieBB support did their thing and discovered I was not connected to their network - the NBN tables got corrupted and I had a random connection to some unknown RSP. Step 1 was rebooting again, and then nothing internet.

That fully charged mobile came in handy but all AussieBB could do was report the problem to NBN who fixed it in a few hours. The usual ‘script’ is for the RSP to book a service call to NBN but all my faults were fixed well before those bookings, that were thus automatically cancelled.

Re the Medialert, as with alarm systems you might check some that use mobile service (assuming there is reliable mobile service at your location) because the NBN does not support life support communications beyond priority responses, whatever that means in practice.

‘It will be fixed as soon as possible.’ always makes me laugh because nothing is ever fixed before it is possible to do so, whether it be minutes, hours, months, or years.

[wj.ca]

Thanks for info,I suspect our problem is Telstra Modem as tech couldn’t log into it to reset or our settings are lost back up the chain somewhere. Also our telstra modem is supposed to switch to mobile 4g network when NBN down. Testra will get keener soon when they email me our monthly bill which I can’t see to pay, Ergon also email their bill so hope power isn’t turned off,cheers

[PhilT]

@wj.ca

Testra will get keener soon when they email me our monthly bill which I can’t see to pay,

Careful there. Legally you cannot just decline payment for no service for faults or they could make you a delinquent account. One has to pay the bill and then seek compensation. If they have not booked an NBN tech they should have based on your OP; because of related costs for that (on Telstra’s dollar) I would have thought they would drop ship a preconfigured modem first.

[wj.ca]

Hi Phil T, I was being tongue in cheek as saying goes,I pay my bills but difficult if they insist on email only then can’t fix it, hurts more as I’m a Telstra shareholder too. A new Modem could fix issue but they haven’t said what problem is yet,just escalated twice to team 2 I think and Network Team, I haven’t heard from them yet but I get the impression they expect you to sit in front of computer until they call, they forget people work, retired people normally rely on grandkids to help with tech. I hope they send survey after problem sorted,I’ll mention the 24hr fixing time!!

[grahroll]

Remember to mention you expect the CSG payment if the time goes outside the stipulated timeframes.

[wj.ca]

Fixed after 7 days but wasn’t told.I rang my wife to see what happened to my surprise phone worked, wife also found email and internet both working, no one came to our house so assume problem was with NBN side of things,great communication company, my Telstra phone app still says working on problem

[PhilT]

@wj.ca

my Telstra phone app still says working on problem

My NBN problems (AussieBB) are usually resolved 4 to 6 hours before it is formally fixed with notifications sent, be they via app or email or text.

[grahroll]

At least a positive outcome in that you are again able to be in contact with the World. The failure to have them communicate the fix seems to be a recurring issue on the part of NBN Co.

[syncretic]

@grahroll

The failure to have them communicate the fix seems to be a recurring issue on the part of NBN Co.

Is it? I thought that they steadfastly refused to talk to customers and it was up to the retailer to pass messages both ways - which is part of the problem.

[grahroll]

I’m with ABB and if it is an internal issue, they are very quick to notify of outages and resolutions, The NBN are a very closed door though, often even to the retailers. This ends up with customers laying the fault at the RSPs feet when it is just a lack of communication from NBN Co. and poor resolution timeframes. Much of this is why I argue that the nbn™ should have a CSG type reimbursement system.