Learn More About The NBN
What is National Broadband Network (NBN)?
The NBN is an Australian Government initiative to provide high speed Internet access to most Australians. It is one of the major infrastructure projects undertaken by the Government, involving the rollout of optic fibre cable all over the country to upgrade and enhance the aging copper network.
Different technologies are employed to get the NBN to everyone. Whether in the city, the suburbs or remote areas there’s an NBN technology for you. NBN Co refers to these different technologies as the NBN Multi Technology Mix or MTM.
This video goes into detail about the NBN Multi Technology Mix and explains the different DrayTek routers suitable for each type of NBN.
Click here to view on YouTube.
For some people, the optic fibre will run all the way to their premises using a technology called Fibre to the Premises (FTTP).
For others, a technology called Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) will be available. In this case the optic fibre runs up to device called a Distribution Point Unit (DPU) located inside a pit outside the premises less than 200m away. The last few metres is run over the existing copper wires using a technology called VDSL (Very-high-bit-rate Digital Subscriber Line) but may be upgraded eventually to another technology called G.fast.
For the majority of suburbs, a technology called Fibre to the Node (FTTN) will be provided. In these cases optic fibre runs to a location called a “node” inside a cabinet within 1.6kms of the premises. The remainder of the distance utilises the existing copper wires using VDSL. The nodes also usually contain backup batteries to keep services active during power failures.
For multiple dwelling apartments, a technology called Fibre to the Building (FTTB), sometimes called Fibre to the Basement, is employed. FTTB is a similar technology to FTTN, also using VDSL, except in this case the node is inside the building, usually inside a room in the basement.
In cities with a Cable TV network, a technology called Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) may be used. In this case the connection to the customer premises from the fibre node is run over the coaxial Cable TV network.
In remote areas, or areas with difficult terrain where it is not feasible to run optic fibre, fixed wireless technology or a satellite service called Skymuster is offered.
Why do I need NBN?
High speed Internet through the NBN enhances many aspects of our daily lives. More and more applications to take advantage of the faster speeds are being developed almost every day. The future for business, transport, home entertainment, health and education is beginning to look very different.
Almost all telephone services will eventually switch over to the NBN using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) instead of the older copper telephone network. This will make switching to the NBN vital for most Australians in the near future.
Faster Internet means greater efficiency and effectiveness when conducting business. Staff, customers and suppliers can communicate with each other more efficiently, even using video conferencing with plenty of bandwidth to spare, resulting in better coordination and stronger relationships.
Online learning, e-shopping, e-health, gaming and streaming music and video is now common and even expected in homes thanks to the NBN. Many of these online activities are now even regarded as core household services like electricity and water.
How to connect to the NBN
Once NBN services are available in your area, all you need to do is to contact an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to get connected. There are a number of ISPs who provide NBN Internet services.
The NBN Multi Technology Mix (MTM) means that how you connect to NBN will depend on the technology available for your premises.
In most cases, NBN Co will install an NBN utility box outside of your home and an NBN connection box inside. There is some variation, but the NBN connection box, also called a Network Termination Device, will usually have four RJ45 Ethernet ports and two RJ11 telephone ports, as shown below:
Your NBN ISP will often supply a router or gateway to connect to one of the Ethernet ports to allow your private network to get online but it can be replaced with another router if it does not meet your needs. However, in many cases the telephone will connect to the ISP-supplied router rather than the NBN Connection Box. In these cases some extra steps will be necessary when replacing the ISP-supplied router.
Which DrayTek Routers work with the NBN?
The type of DrayTek router you will need to connect to the NBN connection box can be split into two groups:
1. NBN connections requiring a VDSL2 modem.
2. NBN connections requiring an Ethernet WAN port.
Some Draytek products do either one or the other while some models can do both. The Venn diagram below shows the overlapping products that can do both.
These products can connect to all types of NBN:
Vigor2765 Series
VDSL2 35b/ADSL2+ routers with 1 x configurable GbE WAN/LAN port, 3 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and 2 x VPN tunnels including 2 x SSL-VPN
Vigor2766 Series
VDSL2 35b Supervectoring / G.fast routers with 1 x configurable GbE WAN/LAN port, 3 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and 2 x VPN tunnels including 2 x SSL-VPN tunnels
Vigor2865 Series
Multi-WAN VDSL2 35b/ ADSL2+ routers with 1 x configurable GbE WAN/LAN port, 5 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and 32 x VPN tunnels including 16 x SSL-VPN
Vigor2866 Series
Multi-WAN routers with 1 x VDSL2 35b/G.fast/ADSL2+ modem, 1 x configurable GbE WAN/LAN port, 5 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ax Wi-Fi (ax model)/ 802.11ac Wi-Fi (ac models), VoIP (Vac model) and 32 x VPN tunnels including 16 x SSL-VPN
Vigor2865 LTE Series
Multi-WAN routers with a Cat.6 4G LTE modem & 2 x SIM card slots, 1 x VDSL2 35b/ADSL2+ modem, 1 x configurable GbE WAN/LAN port, 5 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ac, and 32 x VPN tunnels including 16 x SSL-VPN tunnels
Vigor2866 LTE Series
Multi-WAN routers with 1 x Cat.6 4G/LTE modem, 2 x SIM card slots, 1 x VDSL2 35b/ G.fast/ ADSL2+ modem, 1 x configurable GbE WAN/LAN port, 5 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ac Wi-Fi (Lac model), and 32 x VPN tunnels including 16 x SSL-VPN
These products have VDSL modems which are needed for FTTN and FTTB:
Vigor2765 Series
VDSL2 35b/ADSL2+ routers with 1 x configurable GbE WAN/LAN port, 3 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and 2 x VPN tunnels including 2 x SSL-VPN
Vigor2766 Series
VDSL2 35b Supervectoring / G.fast routers with 1 x configurable GbE WAN/LAN port, 3 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and 2 x VPN tunnels including 2 x SSL-VPN tunnels
Vigor2865 Series
Multi-WAN VDSL2 35b/ ADSL2+ routers with 1 x configurable GbE WAN/LAN port, 5 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and 32 x VPN tunnels including 16 x SSL-VPN
Vigor2866 Series
Multi-WAN routers with 1 x VDSL2 35b/G.fast/ADSL2+ modem, 1 x configurable GbE WAN/LAN port, 5 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ax Wi-Fi (ax model)/ 802.11ac Wi-Fi (ac models), VoIP (Vac model) and 32 x VPN tunnels including 16 x SSL-VPN
Vigor2865 LTE Series
Multi-WAN routers with a Cat.6 4G LTE modem & 2 x SIM card slots, 1 x VDSL2 35b/ADSL2+ modem, 1 x configurable GbE WAN/LAN port, 5 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ac, and 32 x VPN tunnels including 16 x SSL-VPN tunnels
Vigor2866 LTE Series
Multi-WAN routers with 1 x Cat.6 4G/LTE modem, 2 x SIM card slots, 1 x VDSL2 35b/ G.fast/ ADSL2+ modem, 1 x configurable GbE WAN/LAN port, 5 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ac Wi-Fi (Lac model), and 32 x VPN tunnels including 16 x SSL-VPN
These products have Ethernet WAN ports which are needed for FTTP, FTTC, HFC, Fixed Wireless and Skymuster:
Vigor2135 Series
Broadband routers with 4 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and 2 x VPN tunnels including 2 x SSL-VPN tunnels
Vigor2927 Series
Dual-WAN broadband routers with 1 x configurable GbE WAN/LAN port, 5 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and 50 x VPN tunnels including 25 x SSL-VPN tunnels
Vigor2927 LTE Series
Multi-WAN routers with a Cat.6 LTE modem & 2 x SIM slots, 1 x GbE WAN port, 1 x configurable GbE WAN/LAN port, 5 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and 50 x VPN tunnels including 25 x SSL-VPN tunnels
Vigor2765 Series
VDSL2 35b/ADSL2+ routers with 1 x configurable GbE WAN/LAN port, 3 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and 2 x VPN tunnels including 2 x SSL-VPN
Vigor2766 Series
VDSL2 35b Supervectoring / G.fast routers with 1 x configurable GbE WAN/LAN port, 3 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and 2 x VPN tunnels including 2 x SSL-VPN tunnels
Vigor2865 Series
Multi-WAN VDSL2 35b/ ADSL2+ routers with 1 x configurable GbE WAN/LAN port, 5 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and 32 x VPN tunnels including 16 x SSL-VPN
Vigor2866 Series
Multi-WAN routers with 1 x VDSL2 35b/G.fast/ADSL2+ modem, 1 x configurable GbE WAN/LAN port, 5 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ax Wi-Fi (ax model)/ 802.11ac Wi-Fi (ac models), VoIP (Vac model) and 32 x VPN tunnels including 16 x SSL-VPN
Vigor2865 LTE Series
Multi-WAN routers with a Cat.6 4G LTE modem & 2 x SIM card slots, 1 x VDSL2 35b/ADSL2+ modem, 1 x configurable GbE WAN/LAN port, 5 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ac, and 32 x VPN tunnels including 16 x SSL-VPN tunnels
Vigor2866 LTE Series
Multi-WAN routers with 1 x Cat.6 4G/LTE modem, 2 x SIM card slots, 1 x VDSL2 35b/ G.fast/ ADSL2+ modem, 1 x configurable GbE WAN/LAN port, 5 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, 802.11ac Wi-Fi (Lac model), and 32 x VPN tunnels including 16 x SSL-VPN
Vigor2962 Series
Dual-WAN broadband routers with 1 x 2.5GbE WAN/LAN port, 1 x 1GbE combo SFP/Ethernet WAN/LAN port, 2 x GbE WAN/LAN ports, 2 x fixed GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall, and 200 x VPN tunnels including 50 x SSL-VPN tunnels
Vigor3910
Octuple-WAN broadband router with 2 x 10Gb SFP+ Fibre WAN/LAN Slots, 2 x 2.5GbE WAN/LAN ports, and 4 x GbE LAN ports, SPI Firewall; supports 500 x VPN tunnels including 200 x SSL-VPN tunnels
How to connect DrayTek routers to the NBN and retain the phone service
One problem that can come up when replacing an ISP-supplied router with a DrayTek router is how to retain the new ISP-supplied telephone service. The solution is to use a DMZ. This video explains the configuration process in principle.
Click here to view on YouTube.
This video explains the configuration process in detail.
Click here to view on YouTube.
For more information see our Knowledge Base Article “Connecting a DrayTek router to NBN and UFB”.