I upgraded my NBN – why isn’t my speed any better?

We hear this a lot from small businesses and home offices lately.

You’ve upgraded your NBN plan, maybe even received a free speed upgrade, but when you run a speed test, the results don’t look much different to before. So what’s going on?

The short answer is: your internet connection may be faster, but your equipment or Wi‑Fi setup might not be able to use it.

Let’s break it down.

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NBN speed upgrades – what’s changed?

As part of recent NBN upgrades, many residential and small business customers on Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) and Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC / cable) connections have been upgraded to much faster speeds at no extra cost.

Typical speed tiers now include:

• NBN 50 – up to 50 Mbps download
• NBN 100 → now boosted to ~500 Mbps (on FTTP & HFC)
• NBN 250 → boosted to ~750 Mbps
• NBN 1000 – up to 1 Gbps
• NBN 2000 – up to 2 Gbps (FTTP only)

On paper, that’s a massive jump. But there’s a catch.

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Why older equipment was “good enough” before

When NBN speeds were under 100 Mbps, many offices and homes were running:

• Older routers
• Older network switches
• Devices with 100 Mbps Ethernet ports

This wasn’t a problem at the time because the internet itself was the bottleneck.

Now that NBN plans deliver 500 Mbps, 750 Mbps or more, that same equipment becomes the limiting factor.

The most common mistake we see

An older router or network switch that only supports 100 Mbps.

No matter how fast your NBN plan is:

• A 100 Mbps router or switch = maximum of ~95 Mbps
• Everything beyond that speed is effectively wasted

✅ To fully use higher‑speed NBN plans, all networking gear must support gigabit (1000 Mbps)
That includes:

• The modem/router
• Any switches
• The Ethernet ports on desktop computers

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Wired vs Wi‑Fi: why cables still matter

To truly see the benefit of faster NBN plans, a wired Ethernet connection is best.

• Wired gigabit Ethernet can deliver 900+ Mbps
• Wi‑Fi is always slower and more variable

That doesn’t mean Wi‑Fi is bad—but it does have limits.

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What speeds should you expect on Wi‑Fi?

Best‑case Wi‑Fi (Wi‑Fi 6 / 802.11ax)

To get the best possible Wi‑Fi speeds, you need:

• A Wi‑Fi 6 router or access point
• A Wi‑Fi 6 laptop or desktop
• Strong signal strength

Typical real‑world results:

Distance from router	Signal strength	Typical speeds
Same room	~‑40 dBm	~600–800 Mbps
1 room away	~‑60 dBm	~300–500 Mbps
2 rooms away	~‑75 to ‑80 dBm	~50–150 Mbps

Even with excellent equipment, Wi‑Fi speed drops quickly as signal strength falls or walls get in the way.

Average modern Wi‑Fi (still very common)

With a reasonably modern router and laptop (Wi‑Fi 5 or entry‑level Wi‑Fi 6), more typical results are:

• Same room: 300–500 Mbps
• One room away: 150–300 Mbps
• Two rooms away: 50–100 Mbps

This is normally the reason people say:

“I upgraded to a 500 Mbps plan but I only get 80 or 100 Mbps on Wi‑Fi.”

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The best fix for remote rooms

If parts of your office or house are far from the modem, boosting Wi‑Fi power rarely works well.

✅ Best practice:
Install a separate Wi‑Fi access point closer to where people work and run a network cable back to the modem or switch.

This gives you:

• Strong signal near users
• Faster and more reliable Wi‑Fi
• Far fewer dropouts and complaints

This approach is far better than extenders or “boosters”.

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How to test your internet speed properly

Quick tests

• Speedtest.net
• Fast.com

Run these in a web browser for a quick check.

More accurate testing (recommended)

On high‑speed connections, browsers can become the limiting factor.

✅ For best results on Windows:

• Install the Speedtest app for Windows
• Test on a wired connection
• Close other apps and downloads

This gives much more accurate results on 500 Mbps and higher plans.

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What about slow speeds in the evening?

Evening slowdowns (typically 7pm–11pm) are common and not caused by anything in your office or home.

Possible causes:

• Congestion on your ISP’s network
• Congestion within the NBN during peak usage

Some providers invest heavily in capacity to maintain good evening speeds.
Lower‑cost providers may struggle during peak times.

If speeds are consistently poor only in the evenings, equipment upgrades won’t fix it—you may need to change providers.

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Need help diagnosing slow internet or Wi‑Fi?

At Excelero IT Solutions, we regularly help small businesses:

• Identify equipment bottlenecks
• Upgrade routers, switches, and Wi‑Fi correctly
• Improve Wi‑Fi coverage across offices and home workspaces
• Perform full Wi‑Fi audits and speed diagnostics

If your upgraded NBN isn’t delivering the speed you expected, we can help you get the most out of it.

📩 Contact Excelero IT Solutions to book a Wi‑Fi audit or consultation.

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Related reading

• Understanding Internet Speeds in Australia – A Guide for Small Businesses
• Upgrading to Fibre: How NBN and the Government Are Improving Internet Access
• Five Reasons for Slow Wi‑Fi (and What To Do About Them)
• Wi‑Fi Technology Explained: 2.4GHz vs 5GHz and Modern Standards