How to check your NBN connection type

The internet used to be a lot easier. At first, there was one choice: dial-up internet. Then during the dawn of broadband internet, there was two: ADSL or cable. Nowadays, there are a lot of different broadband options for accessing the internet.

And even though the NBN is a single network, it gets internet into the home by more than a handful of connection types. Here’s what you need to know about checking your NBN connection type.

This may sound counterintuitive given the title of this article but stick with me. In most circumstances, you don’t actually need to know your NBN connection type to sign up for an NBN plan. Input your address below and optionally select a speed you’re after, then hit the ‘Search’ button. You’ll get a curated list of NBN plans for your address from the NBN providers we track in our database.

If you want to know which of the seven NBN connection types you have at your home, there are a couple of ways to do it. Certain NBN providers like Telstra, Optus and Vodafone show your NBN connection type if you input your address on their NBN plans page. Alternatively, visit the NBN Co website and enter your address, then click ‘View results’. On the results page, look for the ‘Technology used in your connection’ section, which will state your NBN technology type and offer links to more information.

There is only one choice for changing NBN connection types, and that’s for homes that want to shift to FTTP. If you live in an FTTN or FTTC home, there’s a good chance your home will be eligible for an FTTP upgrade now or by the end of 2025. To see if your home is eligible, use the NBN Co upgrade page to input your address and view the results.

If your FTTN home is eligible for a free fibre upgrade, you’ll have to sign up for at least an NBN 100 plan. For those in FTTC homes, the free upgrade eligibility is dependent on an NBN 250 plan (or faster).

If you visit the NBN Co website, you’ll find an NBN rollout map, which isn’t particularly helpful these days as the NBN rollout is complete. There is, however, a handy user-created GitHub map by Luke Prior that details NBN FTTP upgrade availability as well as the connection types for suburbs around Australia. You can’t type in a full address, but enter a suburb then find your home to see your current technology type and whether your home is earmarked for an NBN FTTP upgrade.

If you’re in an FTTP home, you can sign up for any NBN speed tier, including the fastest NBN 1000 plans.

These days, HFC homes are functionally the same as FTTP abodes and can sign up to any NBN speed tier, including NBN 250 (and beyond).

FTTC homes can sign up to all speed tiers up to NBN 100.

FTTB connections are typically only in apartment buildings. These homes can sign up to NBN 12, NBN 25, NBN 50 (below) and NBN 100 plans.

FTTN homes can generally sign up to the same NBN plans as FTTB and FTTC homes, except if they’re more than 400 metres away from the NBN fibre node.

Fixed Wireless homes can sign up for NBN 12, NBN 25 and NBN 75 plans, the latter of which is a Fixed Wireless-specific speed tier that’s capable of hitting 75Mbps download speeds.

NBN Sky Muster satellite homes should be able to sign up to metered NBN 12 and NBN 25 plans but may also be able to sign up for faster NBN 50 and NBN 100 plans.