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To find out whether your NBN service is slow or your home Wi-Fi is the bottleneck, compare a wired Ethernet speed test with Wi-Fi tests, using the same device and testing at more than one time of day. Check those results against the typical evening speed advertised for your specific plan—not just the plan’s headline tier—then give repeated wired-test results to your retail provider if they remain low.
Check what speed your plan actually promises
Start with your provider’s plan page or your account details. Write down the plan name, its advertised typical evening download speed and upload speed, and any data or usage conditions. Also confirm whether your service is fixed line, fixed wireless or satellite; the access technology affects what performance comparisons are relevant.
For NBN plans, the advertised typical evening speed is a more useful household comparison than a tier’s theoretical maximum. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) defines the busy evening period as 7 pm to 11 pm and says providers should advertise typical speeds during that period. The figure is intended to help customers compare plans; it is not a guarantee that every household will receive that speed at every moment.
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| ACCC plan label | Minimum expected download-speed level described by the label |
|---|---|
| Basic Evening Speed | Under 15 Mbps |
| Standard | At least 15 Mbps |
| Standard Plus | At least 30 Mbps |
| Premium | At least 60 Mbps |
These labels describe different minimum expected download levels in the ACCC guidance. For your comparison, use the actual speed your provider advertises for your plan and check its current terms. Do not assume that a plan’s label or a network tier’s maximum is a household-specific speed commitment.
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Run a test that separates Wi-Fi from the NBN service
A speed test over Wi-Fi measures the combined effect of the broadband connection, router, wireless signal, device and current household activity. A slow Wi-Fi result by itself cannot show which part is responsible. An Ethernet test from a computer to the router gives you a useful comparison because it removes the wireless link from that test.
- Prepare the household. If practical, pause video streaming, large downloads, cloud backups and other heavy internet use. Note anything you cannot pause, as it may affect the result.
- Connect a computer to the router by Ethernet. Use a suitable Ethernet cable and make sure both ends are firmly connected. This cable helps you measure the connection; it does not increase your plan speed.
- Run and record a wired test. Note the date, time, download speed, upload speed and latency shown. Record the device and that it was connected by Ethernet. Keep the test result or screenshot if useful.
- Test Wi-Fi on the same device near the router. Stand within about one metre, with a clear path to the router, and record the result. Using the same device helps make the wired and wireless comparison more meaningful.
- Repeat over Wi-Fi in the places where you notice slowdowns. Record the room or location with each result. A strong result near the router but a poor one in a distant room points to a different problem from a low wired result.
- Repeat at different times. Test once outside the evening busy period and again between 7 pm and 11 pm. A short series across different times, and preferably more than one evening if the slowdown is recurring, is more informative than a single result.
Keep the results together rather than comparing isolated screenshots. For each test, include the connection method, location, time, device, download, upload and latency. Other devices using the connection, the device’s capabilities and changing network conditions can all affect a result.
Read the pattern in your results
Compare wired and Wi-Fi results with one another first, then compare the wired results with the advertised typical evening speed for your plan. The pattern helps decide whether to work on home Wi-Fi or ask the provider to investigate the service.
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- Ethernet is near the plan’s advertised figure, but Wi-Fi is much slower: investigate the router’s location, obstacles, interference and the capabilities of both the router and device. A substantial wired-to-wireless difference suggests that the home Wi-Fi link may be limiting the experience.
- Wi-Fi works near the router but is poor in certain rooms: the results fit a coverage or obstruction problem. Test a more central router location and compare the affected rooms again before considering additional equipment.
- Ethernet and Wi-Fi are both low: verify the plan figure and access technology, check the equipment and cables, and repeat the wired test. If wired results remain low, contact your retail provider to investigate the service.
- Only one device is slow: test another device. Device age and specifications can affect wireless performance, so one device’s result is not enough to conclude that the NBN service itself is faulty.
- Results are mainly poor in the evening: compare them with the advertised busy-period speed and check whether the pattern repeats on multiple evenings. Time of day is useful evidence, but it does not by itself identify a cause.
Do not treat a population average as a pass-or-fail threshold for your connection. The ACCC’s performance figures describe monitored services across a group; they cannot tell you what is happening on a particular household’s line.
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If the wired result is much better than Wi-Fi, start with changes that cost nothing. NBN guidance identifies router placement, signal obstruction, interference, concurrent device use and router features among factors that can affect the experience. Make one change at a time and repeat tests in the same locations so you can tell whether it helped.
Improve router placement
Place the router in a central, elevated position, away from obstructions and sources of interference where practical. A router tucked into a cabinet or placed at one edge of a home may give some rooms a weaker signal. After moving it, retest near the router and in the rooms where the connection was poor.
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Restart equipment and inspect cables
Restart the NBN connection box and router in sequence: switch off or disconnect the router, restart the NBN connection box, allow it to reconnect, then restart the router. Check that cables are secure and intact. After the equipment has reconnected, repeat the wired and Wi-Fi tests and record the new results.
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Check whether the issue follows a room, band or device
If the signal is good in one part of the home and weak in another, the layout, distance or obstacles may be affecting coverage. Where the router and device allow it, comparing available Wi-Fi bands may help; different bands can behave differently with distance and obstructions. If only one device performs poorly, compare another device in the same place before changing the router.
Choose extra equipment only for a diagnosed Wi-Fi problem
A router replacement is worth considering only if the existing router appears to be a limitation—for example, if Ethernet performance is satisfactory but wireless results are poor across devices or locations after setup checks. Before buying, verify compatibility with your access technology and provider, as well as the ports and wired and wireless capabilities you need.
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A mesh Wi-Fi system is a possible response to a room-to-room coverage gap, not a fix for an Ethernet result that is already low. If you suspect an internal cabling issue, ask your provider or a qualified cabler for advice. No particular router or mesh model is established as suitable for every NBN service or home layout.
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If repeated Ethernet tests remain below the typical evening speed advertised for your plan, contact the retail provider that supplies your service. NBN is the wholesaler, while the retail provider manages the customer’s service and is the practical first contact for a speed or service complaint.
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- your plan name and the provider’s advertised typical evening download speed;
- your access technology, if you know it;
- the dates and times of the tests, including whether they were during the evening busy period;
- the wired and Wi-Fi download and upload results, latency shown, device and test location; and
- what you already tried, such as pausing heavy use, restarting equipment, checking cables or changing router placement.
Ask the provider to check service performance, plan provisioning, faults and equipment compatibility. The wired results are especially useful because they help distinguish a service issue from a Wi-Fi coverage problem. Keep the log and any provider responses in case you need to follow up.
If you are dissatisfied with the provider’s response, ACMA consumer guidance directs customers to contact the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. Start with the provider so it has the opportunity to address the issue.
What Australian speed figures can—and cannot—tell you
The ACCC’s 2026 summary of Measuring Broadband Australia results reports that fixed-line NBN households received, on average, 99.4% of their plan download speed during the peak evening period. This is a monitored population average, not a promise for each fixed-line service or a threshold that proves an individual connection is working correctly.
The same ACCC page reports fixed wireless services received, on average, 89.7% of plan download speed across all hours and 83.8% during busy hours. Average fixed wireless upload performance was 70.1% of plan across all hours and 63.7% during busy hours. These figures apply to fixed wireless and should not be combined with the fixed-line result or used to diagnose a particular household.
The latest report described on the ACCC data page uses measurements collected in March 2026. The ACCC says its Measuring Broadband Australia program concluded in June 2026. It also cautions that sample composition can vary and that monthly data should not be directly compared with quarterly reports. Treat these statistics as broad context; your plan, access technology and repeated tests determine the useful next step for your service.
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