Understanding Typical Evening Speeds on Your NBN Plan
Published October 9, 2025
As Australians, we have the benefit of being able to access some of the world’s fastest internet speeds via the National Broadband Network (NBN), regardless of where you live. Nevertheless, the speed that you get from your chosen NBN Plan will depend on various factors, such as the kind of connection that you possess and the time that you access the internet.
But what’s your ‘typical evening speed’ for your NBN connection? And how do you ensure you’re making the best of your service through the best NBN provider in Australia?
What Is Typical Evening Speed on Your NBN Plan?
Typical evening speed is the typical download speed you can experience during peak hour (7 pm to 11 pm). It’s an effective measure of the general performance of your NBN connection.
Your ISP should quote a ‘typical evening speed’ range when you enter into the right NBN plans. This is due to the fact that the actual speed you receive can change in accordance with a variety of factors, such as:
- The hour of day– speeds tend to be slower at peak times (7 pm to 11 pm)
- The number of users on your connection at the same time– if everyone is streaming films or downloading huge files, your speed will be slower
- The kind of NBN connection you possess– various types of NBN connections provide different maximum speeds.
How to Test Your NBN Plan Speed?
You can test your actual speed through an online speed test tool
Test your speed at different times of the day as speeds can vary depending on the time of day, it’s a good idea to test at different times to get a better idea of your average speed
- Try the speed on several devices if you have several devices connected to your NBN connection, it is advisable to test the speed on each device to check whether you get any variation in speeds
- Use an Ethernet cable rather than Wi-Fi for best results, it is recommended to plug your computer directly into the router with an Ethernet cable. Wi-Fi connections might be slower and less reliable than cable ones.
What To Do If You’re Not Happy with Your NBN Plan Speed?
If you are not satisfied with your speed, there are several things you can do:
- Ensure your gear is compatible– if you’ve got an old modem or router, it may not be capable of dealing with the speeds provided by your NBN connection. Replacing it with a more modern version should improve your speeds
- Look for any faults– if there are any faults on your NBN connection, then this may be impacting your speeds. You are able to look for any known faults in your area on the NBN Co website
- Look for any congestion– if you have congestion on your network, then this may be impacting your speeds. You are able to look for any known congestion issues in your area on the NBN website.
Tips To Enhance Your Speed
There are a couple of things that you can do in an attempt to enhance your speed:
- Utility upgrade your modem or router– if you’re running a very old modem or router, then it may not be capable of taking the speeds you’re being provided with your NBN connection. Getting a newer model should enhance your speeds
- Compare NBN plans & Adjust – if you’re on a slower-speed NBN plan (such as 12Mbps or 25Mbps), switching to a faster plan may give you a speed boost. Nevertheless, even on the fastest-speed NBN plans, your actual speed will still be influenced by time of day and number of users.
Final Thoughts
Knowing average evening speed is a must to make the best out of your NBN connection. By performing a speed test at various times of the day and resolving any issues, you can ensure you are getting the optimum performance out of your NBN connection.
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