nbn Fixed Wireless lights and checks

This guide is for nbn Fixed Wireless only. Summit also runs its own fixed wireless network across Melbourne, which uses different equipment. If you’re on Summit Fixed Wireless, skip this guide and log a fault or call 1300 049 749 straight away. Not sure which you have? See which nbn connection do I have.

nbn Fixed Wireless sends the internet by radio from an nbn tower to an antenna on your building. That antenna is about 45 cm tall and points straight at the tower. A cable runs from it to an nbn connection box inside, and your router plugs into the box.

Safety first

• Don’t climb on the roof to check the antenna. Look from the ground. If the antenna is more than 2 metres up, leave any closer inspection to us.
• Don’t try to move, re-aim or repair the antenna, and don’t remove the covered antenna cable on the connection box.
• Never use a damaged power cable on the connection box. Tell us about it straight away.

What the lights mean

The lights are under the cover of the nbn connection box. There are two versions of the box with slightly different lights, but the meanings are the same.

Light	What you see	What it means	What to do
Power	Green	Power is on	Nothing
Power	Off	No power	Check the box is plugged in and switched on at the wall
Status	Flashing green	Working normally	Nothing
Status	Steady green	The box is in test mode	Nothing
Status	Flashing amber	Starting up or installing an update	Wait
Status	Red	System fault	Contact us
Status	Off (while Power is on)	Something unexpected is wrong (newer boxes)	Contact us
Outdoor unit	Green	The antenna is online	Nothing
Outdoor unit	Flashing green	Data is moving	Nothing
Outdoor unit	Red	The antenna is offline	Contact us
Outdoor unit	Flashing red	The antenna has an error	Contact us
Signal strength	Green / amber / red (older boxes), or three, two or one green lights (newer boxes)	High, medium or low signal	Nothing on its own. Low signal isn’t a fault, but mention it if you’re having problems

Watch the lights for about 60 seconds before you decide anything, so you know they’ve settled and aren’t mid-restart. Write down each light’s colour and whether it’s steady or flashing.

If you can’t connect

1. Check the lights. If Status or Outdoor unit is red, contact us. You don’t need to do the other steps.
2. Power cycle in the right order:
   1. Turn off the nbn connection box, your router and your computer.
   2. Wait 2 to 3 minutes.
   3. Turn on the nbn connection box first. Wait until its Power and Status lights are green again.
   4. Then turn on the router, and wait until all its lights are back.
   5. Then turn on your computer or device and test again.
3. Check the cables. Your router should be in the data port labelled UNI-D 1, unless we told you otherwise, and that port’s light should be green. Make sure each Ethernet cable clicks in firmly. Replace any cable that’s cut, frayed, kinked or sharply bent. Also check the antenna cable where it meets the wall plate.
4. Check the weather and outside. Storms and severe weather can affect the service. From the ground, look for damage to the antenna from wind, fallen branches, birds or animals. If anything looks damaged, or new trees or buildings may now block the antenna’s view of the tower, take a photo from the ground and contact us.
5. Test without the router. Unplug the router’s cable from the nbn box, plug a laptop straight into that port, and repeat the power cycle. If the laptop gets online, the router is the problem.
6. Try another device. If another phone or laptop works on the same connection, the problem is with the first device, not the service.
7. Still not working? Log a fault or call 1300 049 749.

For more general checks, see internet down: first checks.

Slow, dropping out or buffering

• Busy time on nbn is 7 pm to 11 pm, so some slowdown then is normal.
• Turn off any VPN and run a speed test with a computer plugged into the nbn box by cable. Repeat at different times of day and keep screenshots with the date and time.
• Keep the router raised, central, clear of thick walls and away from microwaves and other electronics.
• Note when dropouts happen (time and day), and whether they follow bad weather.

See slow or dropping out for the full checks.

Other things to know

• Power cuts: nothing on nbn Fixed Wireless works in a blackout. If the tower also loses power, it can take longer to come back after your power returns. A UPS or generator keeps your own equipment running, and a surge protector is a good idea. Keep a charged mobile handy for emergencies.
• New connections: a new service can take up to 24 hours to become active after installation.
• Equipment upgrades: if nbn upgrades your antenna or box, expect to be offline for up to two hours.
• Building or renovating: talk to us before external works that could move or block the antenna, and again afterwards so we can check the signal.
• Spare ports: don’t plug other devices into unused ports on the nbn box. They’re for additional services.

Before you call us

Have this ready:

• Each light’s colour and whether it’s steady or flashing, after watching for about 60 seconds
• The nbn connection box ID, which is on top of the box next to the nbn logo
• What you’ve tried, especially the power cycle and the laptop test
• When the problem happens, and whether it follows bad weather
• A photo, taken from the ground, if you think the antenna is damaged
• Whether the whole office is down. If it is, we treat it as urgent.