Telstra nbn Dropping Out? (Diagnose & Solve FAST)

Is Telstra nbn dropping out now and then? No worries, and keep reading the quick solutions!

If your Telstra broadband service is dropping out, the problem is not necessarily with the nbn since your modem is also involved.

First, you must identify whether you’re experiencing the outages on a Wi-Fi connection or a hardwired computer connected to the modem, thus nbn.

Whenever your Telstra nbn is dropping out, the troubleshooting involves; electrical circulation, preventing overheating, checking for outages and resetting your nbn box.

Let’s find out why your nbn is dropping so frequently!

Why is Telstra nbn Dropping Out Every 20 Minutes?

The Telstra nbn may drop every few minutes for many reasons, including the power connection, the connection to the modem and the performance of the nbn.

So, we’ve prepared a quick list containing all of them at your disposal to review before troubleshooting.

Here’s what can cause your nbn box to drop connection frequently:

Your nbn box’s power supply fluctuates.
The nbn box is overheating and restarting.
The internet dropout is from your modem.
There is a loose Ethernet cable connection.

This doesn’t sound like much, but there are many factors involved.

Keep reading to unwrap them!

How to Fix When My Telstra nbn Dropping Out?

The solutions are easy as long as you follow them chronologically!

1. Check Your nbn Box LED Indicator

The first step to understanding why the Telstra nbn box is dropping out so frequently is to check whether there are any light indicators.

So based on whether you use HFC, FFTP or FW, check what the lights on your nbn box tell you.

Telstra nbn HFC Light Indications
Link	US	DS	Online	Power	Meaning
ON	ON	ON	ON	ON	Your nbn connection box is working correctly.
ON	Flash	Flash	OFF	ON	The nbn box is not connected to the nbn network.
ON	Flash	Flash	ON	ON	Your nbn box is upgrading the firmware version.
OFF	OFF	OFF	OFF	OFF	There is no power to the nbn connection box.

Telstra nbn FTTP Light Indications
Uni-1 to Uni-D4	⚫OFF	No activated Ethernet devices are connected to the port.
	🟡Yellow(solid)	An active device was detected, working on up to 1 gigabit.
	🟡Yellow(flashing)	The data activity on the network is up to 1 gigabit.
	🟢Green(solid)	An active device is detected working on up to 100 megabits.
	🟢Green(flashing)	The data activity on the network is up to 100 megabits.
UPDATE	⚫OFF	The status is regular, and no action is required.
	🔴Red(solid)	The nbn box has failed to download the update.
	🟢Green(flashing)	The nbn box is currently downloading an update.

Telstra nbn FW Light Indications
Signal	🔴Red(solid)	The signal strength is weak, but there is no fault.
	🟠Amber(solid)	The signal is medium and currently working.
	🟢Green(solid)	The signal strength is high, no action is required.
Status	🟢Green(flashing)	The operation of the device is entirely normal.
	🟢Green(solid)	The nbn box is currently in test mode.
	🟠Amber(flashing)	The device is currently turning on/installing.
	🔴Red(solid)	There is a system fault with the nbn box.

Pro Tip: When your internet drops, go quickly and check whether the power light on your nbn box is “OFF” since your device may be restarting.

2. Perform an Isolation Speed Test

We recommend performing an isolation test showing the internet consistency from the nbn box to exclude most of the possibilities at once.

The dropping issue may be from the Telstra modem, so you can justify this by connecting your computer directly to the nbn and then testing.

Here’s an easy step-by-step guide:

First, unplug the Ethernet cable from the back of your mode.
The other end must be plugged into the nbn’s “UNI-D1” port.
Plug the modem’s end of the cable to your computer directly.
Open a browser and go to the Telstra Internet Speed Test.

If you see unusual speeds or dropouts, your nbn box is not performing well.

If this is the case, at least you now know that the issue comes from the nbn and not the modem. So, keep reading!

Note: This step only applies to Telstra nbn FTTP connection!

3. Check for nbn Service Outages

Another quick step to determine whether the problem is with your nbn box or a global issue is going on is to check for nbn service outages.

You can use the Telstra Outage Identifier or go to the nbn Network Status and input your address to check for location-based outages.

If it turns out that your area is in an nbn outage, your internet will continue to drop or entirely disappear until the problem has been resolved.

Tip: Service outages shouldn’t last longer than a few hours!

4. Reconnect the nbn Box to Power

If you’ve identified that the internet dropouts are coming from your nbn connection box, it’s time to perform a power circulation.

This method will not reset your box, it will only reboot the system and re-establish the connection with the outdoor unit or service.

Unplug your nbn box from the power for 60 seconds!

Then, reconnect the power supply and verify the power light will come on.

Refer to the Telstra nbn light indications above to check whether any issue has arisen or your box works normally.

Note: Your nbn box may take up to 5 minutes to re-establish the connection after the restart.

5. Check the nbn for Overheating

If your nbn box is constantly overheating and rebooting automatically, your internet will drop out every 20 minutes or so.

Constant overheating can be caused by factors such as direct sunlight, heat conductors, bad spots for the nbn box and steam from kitchen appliances.

To test whether your nbn box is overheating, touch the top of the device with your hand to check whether it’s too hot.

If you suspect that the nbn box is restarting due to overheating, you must undertake a few steps to resolve the problem permanently.

Here’s how to prevent your nbn box from overheating:

Don’t position your nbn in tight spaces.
Dislocate heat conductors near the nbn.
Do not cover your nbn box with anything.
Don’t put the nbn box on a stiff surface.
Avoid direct sunlight onto your nbn box.

If your Telstra nbn is dropping out every few minutes due to overheating, your outages must disappear when your device is cooled down.

If your nbn is not overheating and restarting, but the outages continue, keep reading!

6. Correct the Modem’s nbn Settings

The reason your Telstra internet keeps dropping out nbn service frequently may be because of a problem with your modem’s configuration.

So, you’ll need to log in to your Telstra modem and check whether the settings are correct; if not, adjust them accordingly.

How to Access Telstra Modem?

Connect a computer to the modem.
Go to the “http://mymodem” page.
Sign in using the Telstra credentials.

Username: admin
Password: Telstra

When you’re signed in, configure the nbn settings as shown below:

Internet Connection Protocol/Type: IPoE/Automatic/DHCP
IP Configuration: Obtain an IP address automatically
No username or password
VLAN ID/Tagging: Blank/No/0

When you’re ready, Save the changes and exit the admin tool of your modem.

Then reboot the modem and the nbn box and test whether the Telstra nbn internet will keep dropping frequently.

Note: The network nbn settings are the same for HFC, FTTP and FW.

7. Reset your nbn to Factory Defaults

If nothing helps and it’s clear that the internet dropping is due to your nbn box, it’s time to carry out a factory reset procedure.

This process will entirely revert all nbn settings to default and presumably resolve your problem without any extra steps.

Warning: During the nbn reset, your Telstra internet services will become offline!

Here’s how to factory reset your nbn box in easy steps:

Verify that your nbn box is plugged in power.
Info: Check whether the Power LED is “ON.”
Locate the “Reset” button on the box’s back.
Use a pointy tool to reach within the pinhole.
Hold the Reset button for about 10 seconds.

Note: If your nbn box doesn’t have a reset button, unplug the device from the power for 5 minutes and connect the adapter securely.

Quick Recap:

Hence, whenever the Telstra nbn drops out, power cycle the device and check for any ongoing nbn/Telstra outages.

If the problem continues, test the internet directly from the nbn box, then check if the box is overheating and finally, perform a factory reset process.

Finn Wheatley

Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.