Test your speed on a Sydney server, then find out why it's slow and whether your plan is actually delivering what you pay for.
Slow NBN almost always traces to one of six causes, and each has a different fix. The most common is busy-hour congestion — the ACCC's Measuring Broadband Australia program tracks typical evening speeds during the 7–11pm peak, when shared network load drags real speeds below the advertised figure. The other five: a plan tier too low for your household, damaged or old in-home wiring, using Wi-Fi where a wired connection would be faster, an ageing modem, and your underlying connection technology (FTTN and HFC deliver less than FTTP). Identify which one is yours before you complain to your provider or pay for an upgrade.
Speeds drop 7–11pm when the shared network is loaded. The ACCC benchmarks this as 'typical evening speed'.
Your NBN tier (25/50/100/250/1000) may be below what your household actually needs.
Wi-Fi loses speed over distance and walls; a wired connection often restores the full result.
FTTN and HFC deliver less than FTTP, and an old modem can cap your line below its potential.
Your plan is underdelivering if your typical evening speed sits well below the tier you pay for. The ACCC's Measuring Broadband Australia report (2026) publishes typical busy-hour (7–11pm) speeds by tier, measured across real Australian households — the benchmark to hold your provider to. Run the speed test above during the evening peak, note your download figure, and compare it to your contracted tier. A one-off slow result during a busy period is normal; a consistent gap across several evenings is the signal that your plan, technology, or provider is the problem — and grounds to raise it with your RSP. This site flags underperformance so you can act; it does not lodge complaints on your behalf. For the tier-by-tier expected figures, see the typical evening speed benchmark.
NBN speed tiers describe the maximum download you can buy, but the speed you actually get depends on your connection technology. NBN 12 is legacy and being phased out; verify the current tier list against NBN Co at the time of reading. FTTP and HFC can support the highest tiers, while FTTN speeds are limited by the copper distance from your node. Match your real result to the realistic range for your technology before assuming your provider is at fault.
Basic tier — light browsing and one or two streams.
The common household tier for a family with multiple streams.
Multiple 4K streams, gaming and large households.
Ultra-fast tiers — available mainly on FTTP and some HFC.
Work through these fixes in order — the free ones first — before you pay for anything. Most slow-NBN complaints resolve at step one or two.
Plug a device directly into the modem and re-test to rule out Wi-Fi loss.
Compare an off-peak result with a 7–11pm result to isolate busy-hour congestion.
Match your evening result against your contracted tier and your technology's realistic range.
A consistent evening gap versus the ACCC typical evening speed is grounds to complain to your provider.
If your technology can support more and your household needs it, a tier upgrade may be the fix.
The rules on this page follow the official requirements published by ACCC Measuring Broadband Australia; NBN Co. Always confirm current rules and fees with the authority before you book.