NBN Discussion

[Brissy1]

Not necessarily, you could still use adaptors: ethernet <> coax ------- coax <> ethernet.
Run ethernet from one of the router LAN ports to a coax adaptor (Ethernet port), disconnect the coax from the splitter and connect it to the adaptor (Coax port) instead, and use the existing coax to get upstairs, then do the reverse on the second adaptor plugged in to the old Pay TV wall plate. Only trick is to get access to the splitter and second outlet cable. Same approach as powerline adaptors, but using coax instead.

View attachment 264479

Rough diagrams I threw together:

View attachment 264484


View attachment 264485

The location of the splitter depends on how the installer configured the wiring and may be slightly different to my diagrams.

Hey now that's Really promising. I didn't know of the existence of those adaptors

 

[TheRealTMA]

Interesting, it would be fun if the meter didn't act as an RF filter...free internet from the unit next door

There have been some efforts in putting internet down normal power lines. e.g.

Broadband over power lines (BPL) - How it works

A simple explanation of how you can get broadband through your power outlet.

www.explainthatstuff.com

Whatever happened to Broadband over Power Line?

It looked like a meeting of technologies that promised much in principle, but the marriage of high-speed data and mains electricity supply has proved to be a challenge too far for the engineers hoping to channel broadband over power lines.

eandt.theiet.org

 

[RAM]

I'm moving into my new home in Sydney soon, the new home has existing nbn of course (1 box). The cable comes in from the street to the box on the outside wall and then 2 cables come out.
One to the ground floor where the nbn box is and another to the 1st floor...was this for 2 different nbn accounts do you think? I don't want to pay for 2 accounts (it's just a home not home/business) but very much doubt I'd get wifi upstairs (where obviously I'd like it too) from the downstairs nbn/optus outlet.

Anyone know if I can use the the 2nd cable for internet upstairs? From the 1 account?

Depending on what hardware (aka what company your account will be with) then the wifi should not be an issue. Bog standard Optus equipment performing exceedingly well for us - SAGEcom 20cm high rectangular block.

In our case - every internal wall is double brick down stairs. In one case there are 3 x double brick walls between the modem & recipient - no speed issue at all including high def Zoom work meetings while two other locations streaming video that are each 2 x double brick walls away.

Unless the floor/ceiling is solid concrete with much rebar - then upstairs unlikely to be any issue.

BTW: this is on a 50 plan.

As for wifi issues - when I check 'available networks' on my US $149 'Black Friday' 2016 laptop - there are always at least 9 other wifi networks showing from adjacent houses & across the (4 lane road). Signal strength for all but 2 of the normal 9 is 80 to 100%.

So it would seem that, at least in our case, the wifi issues may be more to do with what hardware is supplied rather than the house construction.

 

[Buzzard]

I'm going to open up the outside box this afternoon, because I think there is a splitter in there.
The link from 33kft states that powerline extenders can/might work on different circuits. No idea how.

Mine works on different circuits, 2 storey premises.

 

[Brissy1]

3 way splitter outside, one of which goes to the internal nbn. Which I'll be connecting to optus, after which I don't know what will be coming out of the other 2.
I'll post feedback in due course, but miss brissy1 is doing 1st year uni exams (and uni is closed, study and exams from home) so we're not moving for a few weeks. Can't risk internet issues. I've learnt a lot already.

 

[Quickstatus]

HFC carries multiple services. TV is one such as Foxtel Cable TV. TV and NBN signals use different frequency bands within HFC. The splitter just splits the signal into 2 or in your case 3 equal signals - each carrying all frequencies. The NBN modem (so called NBN connection box) recognises the NBN signals only.

If you are not using the other splitter cables for Foxtel TV -( in fact the middle orange one is labelled Foxtel I think - it carries the same signals though), they are then redundant but it gives you an easy Ethernet cable path.
It would be easy enough to use those redundant cable as a pull cable to pull Ethernet cable from the outside box to the all the rooms the splitter cable currently goes. A licences cabler can do that

Once done connect WiFi access points to each Ethernet cable - such as the Netgear Orbi

I believe from various readings I’ve gone about this that It is actually possible to connect an NBN HFC modem to each of the splitter cable and get full speed on each (though that depends on the signal quality). However, only NBN provides these modems. I don’t know if it is possible if you manage to “acquire” a second NBN modem for free.

 

[Lynda2475]

don’t know if it is possible if you manage to “acquire” a second NBN modem for free.

It is not, nbn hfc modems (the ntd) need to be linked to a specific address (node and port) in nbn systems to work. When people take these with them when they move instead of leaving at the premises they are set up to work with, they become useless. As a policy nbn do not do these config changes for "stolen" ntds, the modem remains property of nbn.

 

[prozac]

Is not the issue with powerline extenders that they need to be on the same circuit? If the OP wants a connection to a different floor, then most likely the circuits are different?

The technology guy on 2gb, Charlie Brown (Life & Technology), reckons the new powerline products will work across separate circuits. I think he was recommending the TPLink product. You can find him on 2gb or subscribe to his technology blog atlifeandtechnologynewsletter (at) cbnmedia.com.au.

 

[Buzzard]

I use this Netgear unit, works a treat.

 

[prozac]

I use this Netgear unit, works a treat.

Can you plug your smart TV into the receiving end of that? Will be needing this or a mesh solution soon in a huge home.

 

[Buzzard]

Can you plug your smart TV into the receiving end of that? Will be needing this or a mesh solution soon in a huge home.

I'm not sure about the TV, I connect my PC to it. Our main TV is connected directly to the modem.

 

[Guvner]

Can you plug your smart TV into the receiving end of that? Will be needing this or a mesh solution soon in a huge home.

The "receiving end" is just an ethernet port like any other ethernet port. You can connect whatever device you want to it that also has an ethernet port. You can connect a hub to it if you want, and then connect however many ethernet based devices the hub can manage. Or connect a Wi-Fi Access Point (AP) to the "receiving end" and connect as many Wi-Fi devices the AP can support.

This one has both an ethernet port and Wi-Fi output so you wouldn't need a separate AP device.


The unit on the left connects to your modem/router via ethernet cable, then plug in to 240v wall socket. The unit on the right can be placed wherever you need it (best if on same electrical circuit). The yellow port is for an ethernet connection, and/or you can use the Wi-Fi capability which acts as an extension to your current Wi-Fi network or can create one if you don't have one already.

Having said all that, I have a double brick, double story house with 15 or so devices connected at any one time (~12 via Wi-Fi and 3 via Ethernet) and I use a mesh system rather than powerline adaptors or distributed cabling. Works very well.

 

[NM]

I have flooded my home with four Aruba Instant-On wireless access points. I have an AP12 providing main coverage downstairs including office and living areas, with two AP11D to provide additional WiFi cover and wired ports in two "lounge" areas for things like Fetch TV, Apple TV, Smart TV etc. And an AP11 upstairs to cover the betdrooms.

While the Aruba Instant-On APs are all mesh capable, I have them all Cat-6a wired back to an Aruba 1930-8P POE switch for power and connection. Primary work computer and NAS are Cat-6a connected to the switch. Everything else, including video/security is all WiFi.

And I threw away (well, its in the storage cupboard) the Optus vDSL modem and run a Cisco 1117-4p router. Router, switch and Synology NAS all running from a UPS. The Cisco router is also capable of supporting FTTP when we finally get upgraded from FTTN.

Probably a little overkill for a home network, but it works well, with great coverage throughout a fairly large two-story home. I am sure I could use the mesh capability between downstairs AP12 and upstairs AP11 if I wanted, but it was fairly simple to run the Cat-6a cable to the upstairs ceiling for the AP to be mounted in the hallway right between 4 bedrooms (the other bedrooms still get very strong signal even though a few more meters away and through bathroom/en-suite.

 

[SYD]

The "receiving end" is just an ethernet port like any other ethernet port. You can connect whatever device you want to it that also has an ethernet port. You can connect a hub to it if you want, and then connect however many ethernet based devices the hub can manage. Or connect a Wi-Fi Access Point (AP) to the "receiving end" and connect as many Wi-Fi devices the AP can support.

This one has both an ethernet port and Wi-Fi output so you wouldn't need a separate AP device.
View attachment 264521

The unit on the left connects to your modem/router via ethernet cable, then plug in to 240v wall socket. The unit on the right can be placed wherever you need it (best if on same electrical circuit). The yellow port is for an ethernet connection, and/or you can use the Wi-Fi capability which acts as an extension to your current Wi-Fi network or can create one if you don't have one already.

Having said all that, I have a double brick, double story house with 15 or so devices connected at any one time (~12 via Wi-Fi and 3 via Ethernet) and I use a mesh system rather than powerline adaptors or distributed cabling. Works very well.

That’s what I have (PL/PLW1000). 1000 for Gigabyte connection (in theory) and W for the wifi bit. Works fine in a multi story terrace. Main modem/router on ground floor. The PLW1000 on 1st floor in my home office (with plenty of wifi signal to the top floor). It also has an Ethernet port on the side that my desktop is plugged into.

My set has a 2x PL1000 plugins. The second one provides internet to some legacy, non-wifi devices.

I did find that I couldn’t connect across circuits. There were some GPOs that just didn’t work.

 

[Quickstatus]

As a policy nbn do not do these config changes for "stolen" ntds, the modem remains property of nbn

Stolen?. Lol

No but NBN have appeared to supply free HFC modem for an address that already is supposed to have a HFC modem - not as a replacement but a second one. I don’t have direct knowledge of that so can’t be sure.
But it will be associated with a second internet account - separate to the original one.

hfc modems (the ntd) need to be linked to a specific address (node and port) in nbn systems to work

Yes and no. My sister lent her HFC modem to a friend a few streets down from her and it worked for the friend.

We suspect the HFC modem MAC address is linked to the CMTS.

 

[Lynda2475]

Stolen?

Yep if you remove an NTD (in the case of HFC the nbn issued modem) from the premises where nbn installed it, it is considered stolen in their systems, and unable to be re-used. The NTDs (FTT, HFC, FTTC, Fixed Wireless and Satellite) are the property of the nbn, they are considered part of the network, they do not belong to the tenant.

When idiots take these NTDs with them when they move, all they do is cause the next tenant/owner the expense of paying for the replacement.

They generally cant use it at their new home and ends up in landfill.

The exception is FTTn (which is being phased out) where there is no NTD.

We suspect the HFC modem MAC address is linked to the CMTS.

It combination of CMTS and node. Lucky coincidence that in the same segment but will be being misreported in nbn systems. Likely to randomly stop working if there are more virtual or physical node splits as part of the performance audits in progress.

 

[Quickstatus]

Yep if you remove an NTD

Stolen is not the only way to get access to a free HFC modem …..

Likely to randomly stop working

Whatever, apparently it is still working since June 2020. If it stops working just get another one.z

all they do is cause the next tenant/owner the expense of paying for the replacement.

No, replacements are free.
Sister’s friend had issues getting a replacement from NBN (due to modem giving up the ghost) and gave up waiting.

 

[Lynda2475]

No, replacements are free

No, only if faulty and installed by the nbn. Self install for hfc was trialled but withdrawn.

Giving away an asset you dont own is stealing, despite what you may want to be true.

 

[Quickstatus]

Giving away an asset you dont own is stealing

somehow I don’t think NBN will care, especially when they can’t supply sister’s friend with one in a reasonable amount of time after they were told their HFC modem required replacement. This was around the time when HFC modems were in very short supply last year.
NBN did not want the HFC modem back after sister got FTTP at her place after knock down and rebuild - . In essence it was abandoned.

No, only if faulty and installed by the nbn

As I said replacements are free. Additionally, If a new resident moves into a HFC premises where a HFC service was provided in the past but the HFC modem is missing - guess what, the cost to the new resident is a big fat $0
And I also understand that NBN has also provided free 2nd modems though I have not been able to directly verify

 

[Quickstatus]

No, only if faulty and installed by the nbn

As I said replacements are free