Test the connection over Ethernet before blaming the NBN service. If a wired test is close to your plan’s advertised typical evening speed but Wi-Fi is much slower, focus on your router, device or home coverage. If repeated wired tests are also low, record the results and ask your retail provider to investigate.
Start by checking what your plan actually promises
Look up your plan in your provider’s account or on its current plan page. Note the plan name, advertised typical evening download speed, upload speed and any data or usage conditions. Also confirm whether your connection is fixed-line, fixed wireless or satellite. Those details matter when you compare results or ask for help.
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A plan’s headline tier or theoretical maximum is not necessarily the speed your household should expect at every moment. In Australia, providers are expected to advertise typical speeds during the busy evening period, defined by the ACCC as 7 pm to 11 pm. Compare your tests with the figure advertised for your specific plan, not a speed shown for a different plan or a maximum associated with an NBN tier.
The ACCC’s speed labels indicate different minimum expected download levels: Basic Evening Speed is under 15 Mbps; Standard is at least 15 Mbps; Standard Plus is at least 30 Mbps; and Premium is at least 60 Mbps. These labels help describe plan performance, but the provider’s advertised figure and current terms are the relevant comparison for your service. Upload speed is a separate measure and should not be confused with download speed.
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Separate a Wi-Fi problem from a broadband problem
A speed test over Wi-Fi measures both the broadband service reaching your router and the wireless connection between the router and your device. A weak result therefore does not, by itself, establish that the NBN service is slow. nbn identifies factors including distance from the router, walls and other obstructions, interference, router position and features, the device being used, other household activity, and busy-period congestion.
The most useful first comparison is between Ethernet and Wi-Fi using the same computer, where possible. Ethernet bypasses the home’s wireless link. If the wired result is close to the plan’s advertised typical evening speed while Wi-Fi is markedly slower, investigate the home Wi-Fi setup. If both are low, the service, plan provisioning, equipment or other connection conditions need further checking.
A plain Ethernet cable is useful for this diagnosis if your computer and router have compatible ports. It does not increase the speed included in your plan; it lets you test the connection without Wi-Fi as an intervening factor. If you do not have a computer or compatible ports, test with the best available device and treat the result as less conclusive about whether the broadband service itself is responsible.
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Run a controlled set of speed tests
- Prepare the connection. Pause video streaming, large downloads, cloud backups and other heavy internet use in the home if practical. Keep the test device and method consistent. Other devices using the connection can affect a result.
- Test over Ethernet. Connect a computer to the Wi-Fi router with an Ethernet cable and run a speed test. Record the date and time, download speed, upload speed and latency displayed by the test. Note the plan name and connection type if known.
- Test Wi-Fi beside the router. Disconnect the cable and test on the same device over Wi-Fi, roughly one metre from the router with a clear path between them. Record the result. This provides a near-router wireless comparison, not a measure of every room in the home.
- Test the affected rooms. Repeat the Wi-Fi test where you notice slowdowns. Keep the device and test method the same where possible, and note the room or location for each result.
- Repeat at different times. Run the tests once during the 7 pm–11 pm busy period and at another time of day. Repeat over more than one evening if the slowdown appears mainly at peak times. A short series is more informative than one isolated result.
Record whether each test was wired or wireless, the device used, its location, the time, and the results. The practical value of a log is that it lets you see a pattern and gives your provider more than a single screenshot to assess. One test can be affected by temporary household activity, device capability or changing network conditions.
Read the pattern before changing equipment
Wired speed is close to plan expectations, but Wi-Fi is slow
This points first to the wireless connection in your home rather than proving a fault with the NBN service. Check router placement, obstacles, interference and the Wi-Fi capability of the test device. Try the placement checks below, then rerun the same near-router and room tests. If only one device is slow, compare it with a second device before drawing a conclusion about the router or service.
Wi-Fi works near the router but not in certain rooms
A large difference between the near-router result and results in particular rooms is consistent with a coverage or obstruction problem. The signal can weaken with distance and may be affected by walls or other obstacles. Try improving the router’s position first. If the layout still leaves a coverage gap, consider whether a different Wi-Fi arrangement is suitable for the home; a mesh system is a possible coverage option, not a remedy for a low wired result.
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Wired and wireless results are both low
Check that you are comparing with the correct plan and its typical evening speed, confirm the connection technology, and check the cables and equipment. Repeat the wired test at another time. If wired results remain low, contact your retail provider to investigate service performance, plan provisioning, faults and equipment compatibility.
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Test a second device in the same location. Device age and specifications can affect Wi-Fi performance, so one slow phone or computer does not establish that the NBN line or router is faulty. If the second device performs differently, include both device types in your notes when deciding what to check next.
The slowdown is mainly in the evening
Compare evening results with the plan’s advertised busy-period speed and repeat the test on several evenings. The ACCC’s evening-speed guidance is specifically about the busy period, 7 pm to 11 pm. Network demand, provider network design, access technology and your home setup can all be relevant, so timing alone does not identify the cause.
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Try the low-cost setup checks first
- Restart the connection equipment in sequence. Reboot the NBN connection box first, then the router. Allow equipment to restart before testing again. The precise lights and restart times vary by device, so use its instructions rather than assuming one universal sequence or status pattern.
- Inspect cables and connections. Check that cables are firmly connected and visibly intact. If you have another compatible cable, compare results after replacing a cable that appears damaged or unreliable.
- Improve router placement. Put the router in a central, elevated position where practical, rather than tucked behind furniture or placed near likely sources of interference. Keep a clear path to the areas where you use Wi-Fi most.
- Repeat the same tests. Use the same device, locations and test method as before. Comparing like with like helps show whether a change made a difference.
Do these checks before buying a router, mesh system or other equipment. If replacement seems warranted, first establish that the existing device is a likely bottleneck. Check compatibility with your access technology and provider, as well as ports and wired and wireless capabilities. If location tests point to a coverage gap, mesh may be relevant; it will not fix low Ethernet speeds caused by a service-side issue.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Use public performance figures as context, not a fault threshold
The ACCC’s 2026 Measuring Broadband Australia data page reports that Australian fixed-line NBN households achieved an average of 99.4% of plan download speed during the peak evening period. For fixed wireless services, it reports average download performance of 89.7% of plan 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.
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These are averages across monitored services, not guarantees for an individual household or pass/fail limits for a fault. The fixed-line and fixed-wireless results describe different access technologies and should not be merged or applied as an individual diagnosis. The ACCC says its latest report on that data page uses measurements collected in March 2026 and that the Measuring Broadband Australia program concluded in June 2026. It also cautions that sample composition can vary and monthly data should not be compared directly with quarterly reports.
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Contact your retail provider with evidence
In Australia, nbn is the wholesale network operator; the retail provider manages your service and is the practical first contact for a speed concern. Give the provider your plan name and a concise log showing dates, times, wired or Wi-Fi method, test device, locations and download, upload and latency results. Include the access technology if you know it, and explain whether the problem is constant, limited to particular rooms or mostly in the evening.
Ask the provider to check service performance, plan provisioning, faults and equipment compatibility. If your tests were only over Wi-Fi, say so: that distinction helps the provider understand what the results can and cannot establish. If the provider’s response does not resolve your concern, ACMA’s consumer guidance directs customers with speed issues to contact their telco first and points to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman if they are dissatisfied with the response.
What the results can—and cannot—tell you
A controlled Ethernet comparison can narrow the problem, but it cannot independently identify every cause. Low wired results are a reason to seek investigation, not proof of a particular network fault. Likewise, a strong wired result alongside weak Wi-Fi points toward the home wireless link but does not identify which device, obstruction or interference source is responsible.
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Keep the diagnosis tied to your own plan, connection type and repeated measurements. Population averages can provide context, but they do not explain an individual household’s result. A clear record of what you tested, how you tested it and when it happened is the most useful basis for deciding whether to adjust Wi-Fi or ask your provider to investigate the service.
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