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ADSL / ADSL 2+ More Information

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ADSL 2+?

ADSL 2+ is a high speed broadband service which can deliver up to 20 Mbit download speeds. It will allow users to stream real time video and media, and utilise Voice Over Internet Telephony, all without the inherent problems previously experienced and slow broadband speeds.

2+ represents the biggest leap forward in the internet since its inception and enables unparalleled speed and data transmission.

Can I get ADSL anywhere?

ADSL broadband is available through Aussie Broadband on enabled exchanges in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania. Your line must be compatible with ADSL for it to be enabled.

Click here for a complete list of Aussie Broadband enabled exchanges.

How do I know if my line is compatible?

You can find out by calling our office on 1300 880 905. We will run a quick test on your phone line to confirm whether it is compatible. Most lines are, but some newer estates and properties out of town may have problems. Once the check is run, we will be able to give you a definite yes or no answer.

What is the difference between ADSL 2+ and traditional broadband?

Traditional broadband services have generally only been able to provide maximum connection speeds of around 1500k / 256k. With an ADSL 2+ service, users will obtain up to 20,000k (20 Mbit) connection speeds, which is up to 16 times faster than the speeds currently available.

Do I have to bundle my home phone and broadband?

By bundling your home phone and broadband you will get the best possible deal. You are not required to bundle your home phone and broadband service on our premium exchanges. On our extended reach exchanges you are required to bundle your home phone and broadband service.

How can I get Super Fast ADSL 2+?

You need to live within 4-5 kms of an enabled exchange and be able to receive normal ADSL services. You will also need to have an ADSL 2+ compatible modem to receive the increased speeds.

Which exchanges are currently ADSL 2+ enabled?

Check our Exchange Coverage.

Will I get 20 Mbit download speeds?

ADSL2+ plans provide the best possible performance that we can provide on standard telephone lines. Many factors can vary the speed of your connection; these include length of copper line; number and types of services sharing cable; electrical interference; configuration of cable and/or wiring; and capacity of uplink.

Your actual achieved speed will be a minimum of 1500k and a maximum of 20,000k. Your actual speed will be somewhere in the middle of that range, in accordance with the various factors, above.

This table shows the expected speeds based on line distance from the phone exchange. These can vary based on the age, quality and joints in the copper wire that feeds your house.

Distance Line Sync Speed
0.9Km 20Mb
1.3Km 20Mb
1.7Km 20Mb
1.8Km 18Mb
2.2Km 16Mb
2.4Km 14Mb
2.6Km 12Mb
2.9Km 10Mb
3.2Km 8Mb
3.5Km 6Mb
4.1Km 4Mb
5.0Km 2Mb

Speeds may also vary over time. As changes occur in the copper network between the exchange and your house, your speeds may increase or decrease.

What are some of the things that may stop me receiving the service, or slower than expected speeds?

Factors such as line distance and technology blockers can prevent you from getting the ADSL 2+ service or cause lower than expected speeds. These include the quality of the copper wire in the ground, and your distance from the exchange.

What are technology blockers?

There are a number of things that may prevent you from getting an ADSL 2+ service. Some of these include:

  • Transmission loss too high (too far from the exchange);
  • Incompatible line – RIM (Means you are connected to a local concentrator;)
  • Incompatible line – Pair Gain (Means the line is shared or split); and
  • Miscellaneous reasons (e.g. phone number / address mismatch).

These blockers affect only a minority of customers. Once an application is received and processed, we can advise if you will be affected. If we are unable to connect your service, you will not be liable for any charges.

Can I do anything to improve my line speed?

Unfortunately, you cannot control the quality of the copper feeding your house, however, there are some things that you can do to improve line sync speed. Most of these tips also relate to standard ADSL, however, at high speeds their effects are amplified.

Make sure ALL phones, faxes, answering machines & alarm systems are fitted with good quality line filters. Aussie Broadband recommends the C10 Filters.

Make sure you have good house wiring and, preferably, have a licensed cabler install a central splitter and a direct socket for your ADSL modem. This removes the need to have plug in filters on your other devices. If you have a ‘back to base’ alarm system, this option is mandatory.

Ensure that you don’t have any devices connected to your phone line; some common ones people forget are answering machines, fax machines, Austar boxes and alarm systems. All of these devices require a central splitter, or filters.

Ensure that your ADSL modem/router is fast enough. Some cheaper models do not have the CPU power to deal with ADSL2+ speeds.

Do I need an ADSL2+ modem to get the faster speeds?

Yes and no. Your standard ADSL modem will support speeds up to 8000k, which is still much faster than speeds available currently, however, if you want to access the full 20,000k speeds you will need to upgrade your modem to an ADSL2+ compliant model.

Why purchase an Aussie Broadband modem/router?

Aussie Broadband supplied hardware comes pre-configured to work with the connection and has been tested and approved for our network. Aussie Broadband supports the hardware and handles the warranty should the equipment fail.

What sort of download speeds should I expect?

Your download speeds will be governed by your line sync speed and the site that you are downloading from.

For example, if your modem is synced at 14 Mbit/s, and the site you are downloading from has the available bandwidth, you should see around 13.5 Mbit/s when taking into account packet overhead. In your web browser, this would show as 1.687 MBytes per second. A typical 1500K connection sees 160 Kbytes per second in the web browser.

Speed is governed by your sync speed and the bandwidth available at the site you are downloading from. As the internet is a series of interlinked networks, bottlenecks at any point can affect the speed. Unfortunately, this is beyond our control, however, we do take steps to ensure that we use good quality upstream providers to maximize speed.

Why isn’t Aussie Broadband installing a DSLAM in my exchange now?

Installing DSLAMs into Telstra exchanges is an incredibly difficult, expensive and time consuming process. Each exchange requires about 4-6 months work to complete.

We previously installed DSLAMs into exchanges where we had existing customer demand, and towns where we had access to our high speed Microwave backbone to get your internet data back to our main Melbourne hubs.

Please watch our exchange list page, where we will update the status of our exchange builds.

Does Aussie Broadband have any unmetered content?

Aussie Broadband provides full speed access to their mirror servers for ADSL2+ customers. Downloads from these mirrors will be unmetered and at full speed, provided your connection is not shaped for exceeding your download limits.

Access to our games servers is also unmetered.

For more information, please phone Aussie Broadband on 1300 880 905.

What are the peak & off-peak times?

Peak and offpeak times can vary depending on the plan your on but, in most cases, the peak period is between 8:00AM and midnight and the offpeak period is from midnight to 8:00AM. Shaping will only occur once you've exceeded the allocated data amount for a particuilar time period. For example, if you use all of your off-peak data, your connection will only be shaped during that period. Full speed will be restored once you've reached your peak period.

What sort of computer do I need?

Services provided by Aussie Broadband are compatible with most Windows, Unix and MacOSX based systems. Some of the operating systems we support are Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and MacOSX just to name a few. It is also a requirement that your computer has a network card; most newer systems already have these preinstalled.

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