“What internet should I get?” is the most common question on local Facebook groups. The answers are usually terrible — people recommending whatever they personally use, without knowing anything about your situation. Here’s how I actually figure it out for customers in Geelong, and how you can do it yourself.
Your real internet experience comes down to your address tech, ISP capacity at your POI, your equipment, your WiFi environment, and your actual usage. Most people only think about price.
Don’t ask Facebook groups. Ask your address. The address is where every honest answer starts.
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, equipment, and usage patterns are all different from yours. Their experience might be the opposite of what you’ll get.
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, HFC, FTTN, FTTC, Fixed Wireless, or Satellite? This determines your maximum possible speed.
Your ISP’s capacity in your area
CVC bandwidth at your POI. A great ISP in Melbourne might be congested in Geelong.
Your equipment
ISP-provided router? Old modem? PPPoE vs IPoE? This can halve your speeds.
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 tower
If 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 areas (Armstrong Creek, Mount Duneed, Warralily, Lara, Charlemont, parts of Curlewis and Leopold): always check BOTH opticomm.com.au AND the NBN address checker — they’re different networks with different RSPs, and in this corridor it’s worth comparing both.
- 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 a mesh WiFi system — ideally with the units wired together using ethernet instead of talking to each other wirelessly. Faster, more reliable, and far more useful than upgrading your NBN plan. Paying for gigabit internet when your WiFi maxes out at 100 Mbps is throwing money away.
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 (~$50–60/mo) |
| 1–2 people, standard streaming | NBN 50 (~$65–80/mo) |
| Family, multiple streams, some gaming | NBN 100 (~$80–100/mo, now typically 100/20) |
| Heavy users, 4K streaming, fast downloads | NBN 250+ (~$90–120/mo) |
| Work from home with large file transfers | NBN 500 or 1000 |
| Serious gamers, content creators | NBN 1000 (post-September 2025 default top tier on FTTP/HFC) |
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. Equally, since the September 2025 NBN speed boosts, the value of NBN 100 and NBN 1000 has improved a lot — they’re worth a look if you have FTTP or HFC.
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 were rolled out with OptiComm private fibre, and OptiComm is still the primary network across most of these addresses. NBN FTTP has also been deployed in many parts of these suburbs since, so before you sign up to a plan, check both opticomm.com.au AND the NBN address checker — the ISP shortlist is different on each network, and what’s available depends on the specific lot.
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. I recommend verifying information with official sources before making decisions. See the full content disclaimer.
Common questions
What's the most useful first step in diagnosing what internet I should get?+
Always start with the NBN address checker. Whatever technology is at your address (FTTP, HFC, FTTC, FTTN, Fixed Wireless) sets a hard ceiling on the speeds you can buy, regardless of which provider you go with.
How do I know if I have a WiFi problem or an internet problem?+
Plug a laptop into your router with an ethernet cable and run a speed test. If wired speeds match what you're paying for, the internet is fine — anything slow on WiFi is a coverage or interference problem inside your home. If wired is also slow, it's the connection itself.
Do comparison sites like Finder and WhistleOut show every NBN provider?+
No. They show providers who pay them affiliate commissions. Smaller, genuinely-good providers like Launtel, Leaptel and IT'S FUBAR are often missing or buried because they don't pay for placement.
How do I check if my ISP is congested in my area?+
Aussie Broadband publishes real-time CVC graphs per POI at aussiebroadband.com.au/cvc-graphs/ — find your POI (e.g. Geelong) and check whether it's green. Other ISPs don't publish this, but the Aussie graph is a good baseline. Whirlpool forum threads for your suburb are the next best signal.
After September 2025, are the NBN speed tiers still the same?+
The names are similar but the speeds got better. NBN 100 is now typically 100/20 Mbps as the default upload, and a new NBN 1000 (~1000/50) tier is widely available on FTTP and HFC. Most providers passed the boost on automatically — check your invoice.
Should I get NBN 1000 if my provider offers it?+
Only if you genuinely need it — large household, content creator, frequent big downloads, or simultaneous 4K + work-from-home. For a single person or couple, NBN 100 is plenty and you'll never notice the difference except in your bank account.
Serving Geelong, Surf Coast, and Bellarine Peninsula.
Why Oh WiFi · 0489 998 445 · hello@whyohwifi.com.au