"What internet should I get?" is the most common question on local Facebook groups. The answers are usually terrible — people recommending whatever they use, without knowing anything about your situation. Here's how to actually figure it out yourself.
Your neighbour loves Telstra. Your workmate swears by Aussie Broadband. Your cousin says TPG is fine. None of this is relevant to you. Their address, technology, POI Point of Interconnect Physical location where NBN hands off your traffic to your ISP. Australia has 121 POIs, and your provider's capacity at YOUR POI determines your experience.POI
Why comparison sites don’t list everyone
Here’s something most people don’t realise: Finder, WhistleOut, and similar comparison sites don’t show all providers. They show providers who pay to be listed.
How "Comparison" Sites Actually Work
What you assume
An unbiased list of all available NBN providers, ranked by value.
What actually happens
A curated list of providers who pay commissions, ranked by what earns the site the most money.
Small providers like Launtel, Leaptel, and IT’S FUBAR often don’t appear — or get buried on page 3 — because they don’t pay for prominent placement. The “Editor’s Choice” badge? That’s usually the highest-commission provider, not the best value.
For years, Whirlpool ran an independent Broadband Choice comparison tool — genuinely unbiased, community-driven. It was retired because the market grew too complex to maintain without commercial backing. Now there's no truly independent comparison tool left. You're on your own... which is why I wrote this guide.
The five factors that actually matter
Your internet experience depends on five things — and most people only think about one (price).
Technology at your address
FTTP Fibre to the Premises The fastest NBN technology — fibre optic cable runs directly to your home. Capable of speeds up to 1000 Mbps or more. Hybrid Fibre Coaxial NBN delivered via the old pay TV cable network. Fibre to the street, then coaxial cable to your home. Fibre to the Node Fibre runs to a street cabinet, then old copper phone lines to your home. Speed depends on distance from the node. Fibre to the Curb Fibre runs to a pit near your house, then short copper to your home. Better than FTTN due to shorter copper distance.FTTP
HFC
FTTN
FTTC
Your ISP's capacity in your area
CVC Connectivity Virtual Circuit The bandwidth your ISP buys from NBN at each POI — a shared pool for all their customers. More CVC = less congestion at peak times. Internet Service Provider The company you pay for internet access — like Telstra, Aussie Broadband, or TPG. They buy access from NBN and provide it to you.CVC
ISP
Your equipment
ISP-provided router A device that shares your internet connection between multiple devices and creates your WiFi network. Often combined with a modem in one box. A device that connects to the NBN network and translates the signal into something your devices can use. Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet An older connection method requiring username/password login. Uses more router resources than the newer IPoE method. IP over Ethernet The newer, simpler connection method. No login required — just plug in and go. More efficient than PPPoE.router
modem
PPPoE
IPoE
Your WiFi environment
Brick walls, interference, distance from router. Often the real bottleneck.
Your actual usage
Solo Netflix watcher? Family of gamers working from home? Needs differ wildly.
Let’s walk through each one.
Step 1: Check what technology is at your address
This is non-negotiable. Start here.
Do This Now
- Go to nbnco.com.au/check-your-address
- Enter your exact address
- Note the technology type shown
What the technology means for you
FTTP (Fibre to the Premises)
Best case. Fibre all the way to your home. Speeds up to 1000 Mbps (or 2000 Mbps on new tiers). Reliable, future-proof.
You won the NBN lotteryHFC (Hybrid Fibre Coaxial)
Cable TV infrastructure. Speeds up to 1000 Mbps. Generally reliable, though shared with neighbours.
Solid optionFTTC (Fibre to the Curb)
Fibre to a pit in the street, short copper run to your house. Up to 100 Mbps typical, depends on copper quality.
Decent, check for upgradesFTTN (Fibre to the Node)
Fibre to a street cabinet, then old copper phone lines. Speeds depend heavily on distance from the node. Can be 25-100 Mbps — or worse.
Your mileage will varyFixed Wireless
Radio signal to your home. Recent upgrades improved speeds (up to 400 Mbps in some areas), but weather and congestion can affect performance.
Check your specific towerIf you have FTTN, your speed depends on how far you are from the node. Under 400m? You might get full speed. Over 800m? You might struggle to hit 50 Mbps. Ask neighbours or check Whirlpool for reports from your street.
Not on NBN? Check these
- OptiComm
OptiComm
A private fibre network competitor to NBN in some new housing estates. Uses different providers and plans than NBN — often faster and more reliable.
Full definition → areas (Armstrong Creek, Mount Duneed, Warralily): Different network, different providers. Check opticomm.com.au for available RSPsRSPs
Retail Service Providers
Companies that sell internet access to consumers. On OptiComm networks, these are like ISPs on NBN — the company you actually pay.
Full definition → . - iiNet Cable (parts of Geelong): Legacy cable network, not NBN. Contact iiNet directly.
- 5G Home Internet: Telstra, Optus, and Spintel offer fixed wireless 5G as an alternative to NBN in some areas.
Step 2: Find your POI and check capacity
Your Point of Interconnect (POI) is where NBN hands off traffic to your ISP. Each ISP buys bandwidth (CVC) at each POI. A provider might be great at one POI and congested at another.
Do This Now
- Go to Aussie Broadband's CVC Graphs
- Find your POI (for Geelong area, it's "Geelong")
- Check the graph — is it mostly green (good) or hitting yellow/red during peak hours?
Note: This only shows Aussie Broadband's capacity. Other ISPs don't publish this data, but it gives you a baseline.
Victorian POIs
| POI | Serves |
|---|---|
| Melbourne City | CBD, Inner suburbs |
| Cheltenham | Bayside, Kingston |
| Sunshine | Western suburbs |
| Geelong | Greater Geelong, Surf Coast, Bellarine |
| Ballarat | Ballarat region |
| Bendigo | Bendigo region |
If Aussie Broadband shows green at your POI, they’re a safe bet. For other providers, search Whirlpool: “[provider] [your POI]” to see user reports.
Step 3: Assess your equipment
This is where most people go wrong. Your router matters. A lot.
Red Flags
- ISP-provided router — Often the cheapest hardware they could bulk-buy
- Router older than 3-4 years — Missing WiFi 6, likely slower processors
- PPPoE connection — Adds CPU overhead, some routers struggle with it at high speeds
- Router in a cupboard or corner — Physical location affects WiFi dramatically
Quick Test
Connect a laptop or computer directly to your modem/router with an ethernet cable. Run a speed test. If wired speeds are good but WiFi is slow, your problem is the router or WiFi environment — not your ISP.
Step 4: Consider your WiFi environment
Even with perfect NBN and a great ISP, your WiFi can be terrible.
What Kills WiFi
If your house is large, multi-storey, or has thick walls, you probably need mesh WiFi A WiFi system with multiple units spread around your home that work together as one network. Devices automatically connect to the strongest unit as you move around. Connecting mesh WiFi units with ethernet cables instead of wireless. Much faster and more reliable than wireless mesh, but requires cabling. Megabits per second A measure of internet speed — how much data can transfer each second. 100 Mbps is fast enough for most households.mesh WiFi
ethernet backhaul
Mbps
Step 5: Match speed to usage
More speed isn’t always better. Here’s what you actually need:
Speed Tier Guide
| Usage | Recommended Tier |
|---|---|
| Light user (email, web, light streaming) | NBN 25 ($45-55/mo) |
| 1-2 people, standard streaming | NBN 50 ($60-75/mo) |
| Family, multiple streams, some gaming | NBN 100 ($80-100/mo) |
| Heavy users, 4K streaming, fast downloads | NBN 250+ ($90-120/mo) |
| Work from home with large file transfers | NBN 500+ |
| Serious gamers, content creators | NBN 1000 |
If you're a single person or couple not doing much video calling or gaming, NBN 25 might be perfectly fine — and it's the cheapest tier. Don't let salespeople upsell you to gigabit when you don't need it.
Local knowledge: Geelong-area specifics
If you’re in the Geelong, Surf Coast, or Bellarine region, here’s what you should know:
The Geelong POI
Most of Greater Geelong connects through the Geelong POI. ISP capacity here varies — some providers are well-provisioned, others get congested during evening peak (7-11pm).
OptiComm Estates
Armstrong Creek, Mount Duneed, Warralily, and other newer estates often use OptiComm instead of NBN. This is actually good — OptiComm is generally faster and more reliable. But you need an OptiComm-compatible provider.
Local Providers Worth Knowing
IT'S FUBAR
Geelong-based ISP run by a husband-and-wife team. Own infrastructure in NextDC M1 (not just reselling). Can do on-site troubleshooting locally — they'll actually come to your house.
Their NBN 25/10 at $50.90/month (ongoing, no honeymoon pricing) has developed a cult following on OzBargain and Whirlpool. Perfect for light users who want honest pricing without the bait-and-switch of "first 6 months only" deals.
Small operation, so not the cheapest on high-speed tiers, but genuinely local support from people who know what they're doing.
The research checklist
Before you sign up with anyone:
When to get professional help
Sometimes DIY research isn’t enough. Consider getting help if:
- You’re not sure if the problem is NBN, ISP, or WiFi
- You’ve switched providers and it’s still slow
- Your house has unusual construction (thick walls, metal framing)
- You work from home and can’t afford to guess wrong
- You just want someone to tell you what to do without an agenda
Comparison sites take commissions. Big ISPs have sales quotas. Random Facebook commenters have egos and opinions that outstrip their knowledge. Finding someone who will actually diagnose your situation — without trying to sell you something — is surprisingly difficult.
Get an honest assessment
I’m Karl from Why Oh WiFi. I don’t take commissions from ISPs. I don’t get kickbacks for recommendations. I’m just a local technician who’s tired of watching people waste money on the wrong plans or blame their ISP for WiFi problems.
Internet Diagnosis Session
- Check your NBN technology and realistic speed potential
- Review your ISP's capacity at your POI
- Test wired vs WiFi to identify the real bottleneck
- Assess your home's WiFi environment
- Match recommendations to your actual usage
- No sales pitch — just honest, evidence-based advice
or call 0489 998 445
Related reading
- The Best NBN Providers in Australia (No Ads, No Sponsorship) — Unbiased provider recommendations
- Does Your NBN Provider Actually Matter? — Technical deep-dive into POI, CVC, and why ISP choice matters
- How to Switch NBN Providers — It’s easier than you think
Resources
- NBN Address Checker — Check what technology is at your address
- Aussie Broadband CVC Graphs — Real-time capacity data
- Whirlpool Broadband Forums — Community experiences by area
- OptiComm Provider List — RSPs for OptiComm estates
- ACCC Measuring Broadband Australia — Independent speed testing
This guide is for general educational purposes. Your situation may differ. We recommend verifying information with official sources before making decisions. See our full content disclaimer.
Serving Geelong, Surf Coast, and Bellarine Peninsula.
Why Oh WiFi · 0489 998 445 · hello@whyohwifi.com.au