What to do in an NBN outage

There's nothing worse than having your Internet crash when you're working, studying or binge-watching your favourite TV show.

Before giving in to the chaos that comes with going offline all of a sudden, find out what's causing the NBN outage.

Is it an actual NBN outage?

Your first step should be to find out if the NBN is down for other customers or if the incident is only affecting you.

There are multiple ways to action this using your mobile Internet:

• Check your NBN provider's app or status page for notifications or updates.
• Use a third-party website such as Down Detector to track outage reports from other users.
• Head to your provider's social channels such as Facebook and Twitter for updates or your local community group for chatter.

We've linked to status pages for some of the most popular providers below:

What if there is an outage?

If you discover there's a network outage in your area, there's little to be done about your Internet connection. You'll need to wait until the NBN is back up and running.

In the meantime, if you really need the Internet, consider:

1. Hotspotting

Your home Internet connection might be cooked but your mobile Internet connection should be unaffected. You can hotspot or tether your phone connection to other personal devices such as your laptop and tablet on both Android and iOS systems.

• Keep in mind that you will be using up data. Pay attention to how much you have left on your mobile plan for the month before browsing or streaming away.

2. Visiting a local cafe or library (if it's open)

If all else fails, you can head to your local cafe, library or anywhere that offers public Wi-Fi until your home connection is back up and running. It's probably your best option if you don't have enough mobile data for hotspotting.

What if it's just affecting your Internet?

If the issue is isolated to your household only, there are a couple of steps to try to get it working again:

1. Restart your modem

Sometimes it's just as easy as that. Unplug your modem, wait 2–3 minutes and then plug it back in.

If the light turns green, you've hit gold and should be good to go. If not, it could be worth calling up the big guns.

2. Call your NBN provider

Contact your NBN provider's technical support team and see if they have any solutions. There could be a problem from their end.

Frequently asked questions

• How do I check if the NBN is down?

  There are a number of ways to do this:

  1. Check the official website from NBN Co where you can see the network status at your address. It should notify you if there's a widespread outage in your area.
  2. See if your NBN provider has updated its website or social channels reporting a network issue.
  3. Visit a third-party site like Down Detector to see if other users in your area are experiencing the same problem.

• Why is my NBN not working?

  There are a few reasons for losing your Internet connection:

  • Power outage. When the lights go out, the Internet connection automatically gets disconnected as well unless your NBN comes with a back-up battery.
  • Scheduled maintenance. There's a chance you might have missed a notice from your provider about upcoming maintenance works.
  • Network congestion. Too many people online at once can overload the network and cause problems too.
  • Natural events. Rain and wind, among other weather conditions, could bring down a signal pole. This will require maintenance teams to get onsite and assess the problem.

• Is there anything you could do to prevent an NBN outage?

  NBN outages can't really be avoided. However, modems with 4G backup can come in handy during these times.

  These modems kick in when your NBN is down. Just keep in mind that the connection is usually limited to speeds of 12Mbps.

  Currently, only 4 providers offer NBN plans with 4G backup – Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and iPrimus.

  None of them require you to pay extra fees for the feature except iPrimus. It charges $10 a month over 18 months or you can buy the modem outright.