NBN FTTB Bridge Tap Removed But Still Get Slow Internet Speeds

In the realm of telecommunications, particularly internet services, troubleshooting is an art as much as it is a science. A recent YouTube video chronicled the challenging journey of an Aussie Broadband customer facing constant dropouts and speed issues. The case study below dives deep into the complexities involved in diagnosing and resolving the customer’s ongoing issues.

The Background

Location and Customer Profile

The customer is located in Breakfast Point and subscribes to Aussie Broadband’s fibre-to-the-basement service. For about a year, the customer has been grappling with persistent service dropouts and unsatisfactory internet speeds.

Previous Intervention Attempts

• NBN Technicians: Four different technicians were dispatched over the course of a year.
• Electrician: An electrician was also sent to check the wiring.
• Building Management: Even the building management chipped in by sending out a “Sparky” (electrician).

The Diagnosis

Initial Observations

• The customer had four sockets, one of which had a bridge tap— a well-known culprit for service disruptions.
• Despite the removal of the bridge tap, issues with speed and packet loss persisted.

Technical Exploration

The technician moved down to the MDF (Main Distribution Frame) room, disconnecting the customer’s pair from the block to run some tests. Here are some key observations:

• Tone Test: An abnormal tone was detected when the pair was connected to the NBN. This abnormality rectified itself upon disconnection.
• Packet Loss: Even when directly connected to the NBN network, packet loss was still evident.
• Speed Test: The customer was on a 100 Mbps download and 50 Mbps upload plan. However, tests only showed speeds around 76 Mbps download and 12 Mbps upload.

Recommendations

Given the complexity of the issue and the failure of standard interventions, the technician recommended:

1. Level Two Technician: A more skilled technician should be dispatched for advanced troubleshooting.
2. Reimbursement: Due to unsuccessful attempts by previous technicians, Aussie Broadband should consider reimbursing the customer for the cost of this advanced diagnostic service.

Final Tests and Observations

After making adjustments, another speed test was run, yielding a download speed of 65.15 Mbps and an upload speed of 15.96 Mbps. While better, these results were still not up to the promised speeds of 100/50 Mbps.

Conclusion and Next Steps

The case study reveals some critical insights into the challenges and nuances involved in troubleshooting internet connectivity issues. It’s evident that advanced skills and specialised tools are often required to dig deep into such problems. As a next step, Aussie Broadband should take the recommendations seriously, as the issue clearly lies within their purview of responsibility.