NBN E Book

the essential pocket guide series

The NBN Toolkit The must-have guide for every Australian small business

Contents EDITORIAL Editor: William Maher: wmaher@bit.com.au Art Director: Andrew Bennett Creative Director: Sam Grimmer Contributors: Brad Howarth, John Gillooly

4

hy should I care W about the NBN?

Just as there are many questions about the NBN, there are many possibilities for your business

PRODUCTION Group Production Manager: Lucia Zavaglia ADVERTISING Phone: (02) 8399 7603 Fax: (02) 8399 3622 Senior Account Manager: Daniel Baddeley: dbaddeley@bit.com.au Head of IT Sales: Adrian Lloyd Commercial Director: Darren McNally PUBLISHED BY Managing Director: Jeremy Vaughan Publishing Manager: Jasmine Epiro

Bit Essential Pocket Guide Series is published

by Haymarket Media Pty. Ltd. Company registered in Australia, ABN 61 083 063 914. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form in whole or in part without the written permission of the publishers.

LIABILITY: While every care has been taken in the preparation of this magazine, the publishers cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information herein, or any consequence arising from it. Please note that all judgements have been made in the context of equipment available to Bit at time of review, and that ‘value for money’ comments are based on Australian prices at the time of writing, which are subject to fluctuation and are only applicable to the Australian market.

PERMISSIONS & REPRINTS: Material in Bit may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the Managing Director of Haymarket Media. Quotations for reprints are available from the Production Manager. Bit logo is a trademark of Haymarket Media. All editorial items are the copyright property of Haymarket Media. Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.

10 12

W hat will it cost?

Getting the best value on the NBN

onnecting my office C If you want the maximum speed and most value for your money, there are a few important things to know

18 Top 10 tips hat if I don’t 20 Whave the NBN yet?

Tips and advice from real users

Even if the roll-out hasn’t reached your area yet, there are still several other options to get better Internet performance now

26 My bookmarks 28 Jargon buster

A collection of useful links

The tech-talk in plain English

2

bit.com.au

INTRODUCTION

Welcome N

ow is a good time to start thinking about what the future of your business will be in the digital era.

Even if you don’t think of yourself as a digital business, you are probably aware of changes the Internet is bringing.

These changes create opportunities for you. New opportunities to attract customers, save money on your IT bills and opportunities to grow your business.

The National Broadband Network (NBN) promises to help make these things possible for small businesses. While the Australia-wide broadband service is years away for many businesses, when it arrives it will bring (we hope) much more reliable and faster broadband for everyone.

This guide is designed to help you better understand the NBN. It includes tips you can make use of if you are signing up for the NBN now, or if you are getting ready for the future. We hope you find it useful.

If you want to share your experience with the NBN or another technology in your business, you can email me at wmaher@bit.com.au WILLIAM MAHER Editor, BIT (Business IT)

when the NBN arrives it will bring (we hope) much more reliable and faster broadband for everyone

bit.com.au

3

OUTLOOK

Why should I care about the NBN? Just as there are many questions about the NBN, there are many possibilities for your business.

WORDS // BRAD HOWARTH

T

he National Broadband Network will take most of this decade to roll out. But even if your business is located in a region that is in the backend of that schedule, it is important that you start thinking now about your business’s high-speed broadband future. Because even if a change of government results in a dramatically different scheme, Australia’s love affair with the Internet shows no signs of slowing down, and Australian 4 bit.com.au

broadband speeds are only likely to get faster.

Even if the NBN rollout were to stop dead, there are some good reasons for investigating your business’s broadband readiness. According to Nielsen’s Australian Online Landscape Report 2012, 92 per cent of online Australians have some sort of home internet connection, and 93 per cent use the Internet daily. Importantly, as broadband speeds increase, so too does

...the Internet has trained us to expect instant service regardless of where we are

OUTLOOK

time spent online, which Nielsen estimates reached a weekly average of 21 hours and 54 minutes in 2011. And the things we do online – such as banking, booking appointments, and researching and buying products – are also increasing.

Secondly, the Internet is overpowering geography. The world’s stores are now available and customers no longer need depend on local suppliers. That same principle now applies to almost every kind of product and the vast majority of information-based services, such as business administration, design, or marketing. You are not just competing with nearby

businesses; you are competing with businesses around Australia, and around the world. Maybe your business once made good money printing business cards for local companies – now they get that done by VistaPrint.

And thirdly, the Internet has trained Australians to expect instant service regardless of when or where they are, such as banking at midnight or shopping while on the bus. Customers don’t keep to business hours any more.

A presence on the web Of course, all this is happening without the NBN being in place. Which makes now the bit.com.au

5

OUTLOOK

...more than one in five online Australians shops or browses online between 6 and 10pm... perfect time to be thinking about the potential impact of the NBN, because the NBN will accelerate the changes that are already happening, and make the benefits of high-speed broadband available to all.

That means all of your customers potentially interacting online. Will you be there to greet them?

The first place to start when planning for the NBN is to look at your company’s web presence. If you don’t have one – and roughly

half of Australian businesses don’t – then get one.

A website is your billboard on the Internet. Start by putting up basic information about your products and services – pictures, descriptions, rates, etc – and provide a response form to collect feedback.

Not all products can be sold online, but the basic rule is that if you can ship it, you can sell it online. But this also applies to many services, such as bookkeeping, graphic design or secretarial services. Adding ecommerce means adding a ‘shopping cart’ to your site, and there are hundreds to choose from. You’ll also need to incorporate a payment gateway, which is available from numerous

HOW CAN I GET A WEBSITE? So you want to get your business online but you’re not sure where to start? Here are 3 simple ways you can get yourself up and running quickly...

MYOB and Google have teamed in an initiative called Getting Aussie Business Online that offers a free basic website.

You can design your own using a simple publishing tool such as WordPress, with hosting available for just dollars a month.

Or get someone else to design one for you, using a service such as 99designs or DesignCrowd – Prices start from under $500.

6 bit.com.au

OUTLOOK

suppliers such as PayPal, POLi Payments or eWAY. Even business that involve physical services, such as pool cleaning, fence repairs or hairdressing, can benefit from an ecommerce site, by allowing clients to book with you online outside of your business hours.

According to Nielsen, more than one in five Australians shops or browses online between 6pm and 10pm.

Put yourself in pictures While the NBN will encourage more Australians to spend more time online, and hence do more online, the higher data transfer speed it provides means businesses can start to invest in more bandwidth-heavy applications such as video.

Creating videos to showcase your products and services is cheap and easy – a high-definition video camera such as the Toshiba

Payment Gateway When a customer buys a product on your site, the transaction is sent to a third party, or payment gateway, which authorises the payment. In a few seconds, they send the details to the bank, then let your website know it’s ok to go ahead with the transaction.

Camileo H30 sells for less than $250. Hosting your video on YouTube or Vimeo is free – and YouTube even offers editing software. Importantly, Nielsen estimates that 59 per cent of the online population watch online videos to help inform their purchase choices.

Finally, even if your business won’t be connected to the NBN for years, you can still take advantage of it. Many useful services are hosted on the Internet itself – these are often described as cloud services, so even if your own Internet service is relatively slow, it could well be faster for your customers.

That also means you don’t have to own your own web server or hire a team of professionals – your service provider will generally take care of all the hard work, and you can simply add more services as you need them. bit.com.au

7

BENEFITS

1

CUT MY PHONE BILL

Long distance call charges should be consigned to the history books. Ways of making calls over the Internet (also called voice-over-IP or VOIP) such as Skype enable you to talk free-of-charge between users of the same service, and to call regular telephone numbers in distant locations at greatly reduced charges. The NBN will improve call quality and reliability.

2

IMPROVE MY ONLINE SALES

The NBN will make it easier for more customers to browse and buy online, meaning you’ll need to be ready for them.

Take advantage of the NBN’s bandwidth and include highresolution images and highdefinition video so customers can really see what they’re getting.

8 bit.com.au

5 3

SLASH MY IT SERVICE CHARGES

Many of the NBN-enabled services will be based in the Cloud, meaning that someone else pays for the hardware (like servers) and operating costs.

All you pay for is the service and the computers you use to access them, such as your PC, smartphone or tablet.

BENEFITS

TRIM MY TRAVEL COSTS

Once you’ve used high-definition videoconferencing, you’ll start to question whether the business trips you make are actually worth the time and cost of flying. The NBN will make two-way HD videoconferencing possible – and affordable – from your desktop, and tools such as Cisco WebEx Meetings and Citrix GoToMeeting are free to trial.

4

WAYS THE NBN CAN HELP MY BUSINESS There’s more to the NBN than faster Internet....

WORDS // BRAD HOWARTH

5

SPREAD MY WINGS The NBN will make it possible for more people to work from home or remote locations using the Internet.

Teleworking gives staff more flexibility, and might enable you to employ workers with special skills who might otherwise be located too far away.

bit.com.au 9

What will it cost?

Getting the best value on the NBN. WORDS // WILLIAM MAHER RESIDENTIAL PLANS PER MONTH

T

here are expensive and cheap NBN plans – just like there are for other types of broadband. The cheapest plan in our table on the right is $35 at 12Mbps with 50GB of data per month.

When you compare this with what you’re paying now, remember a couple of things.

First, you are more likely to get consistent speeds on the NBN. Even for Fixed Wireless NBN, the NBN Co promises you’ll get “relatively steady” speeds, unlike 3G or 4G wireless broadband.

Second, some of these NBN plans have much faster upload speeds than ADSL. Even though data limits look small for some entry level plans, they often jump up drastically on the next most expensive plan – from 50GB to 200GB, in one example.

You’ll also need a telephone service. You can get this over the NBN too, from your Internet provider. You can keep your copper line telephone service for a while, but eventually it will be decommissioned in areas with the NBN over fibre cable (not in areas with NBN via wireless or satellite).

10 bit.com.au

100Mbps / 40Mbps PROVIDER

Cost

Internode

$74.95

Data limit 30GB

iiNet

$69.95

40GB

Optus

$79.99

120GB

iPrimus

$79.95

40GB

Telstra

$91.90

with phone service

Exetel

$45.00

25GB

MyNetFone

$99.95

1,000GB

50GB

(Satellite) Activ8me

–

–

(Fixed Wireless) iiNet

–

–

BUSINESS PLANS PER MONTH

100Mbps / 40Mbps PROVIDER

Cost

Internode

$104.95

Data limit 30GB

iiNet

$99.95

40GB

Optus

$79.00

100GB

MyNetFone

$99.95

1,000GB

Please note: This is designed to be a general guide to the cost of NBN services.

For each speed tier, we have picked the cheapest available plan from each provider.

PLANS & PRICES

Compa more pricre es Click here for ex tra comparison s BIT websi at the te...

50Mbps / 20Mbps

25Mbps / 5Mbps

12Mbps / 1Mbps

Cost

Data limit

Cost

Data limit

Cost

$64.95

30GB

$54.95

30GB

$49.95

30GB

$64.95

40GB

$54.95

40GB

$49.95

40GB

$69.99

120GB

$59.99

120GB

$39.99

40GB

$69.95

40GB

$59.95

40GB

$49.95

40GB

–

–

$81.90

50GB

with phone service

–

–

$50.00

50GB

$40.00

50GB

$35.00

50GB

$69.95

500GB

$59.95

250GB

$39.95

20GB

–

–

–

–

$34.95

6Mbps / 1Mbps

–

–

–

–

$49.95

40GB

50Mbps / 20Mbps

25Mbps / 5Mbps

Data limit

3GB

12Mbps / 1Mbps

Cost

Data limit

Cost

Data limit

Cost

$94.95

30GB

$84.95

30GB

$79.95

Data limit 30GB

$94.95

40GB

$84.95

40GB

25Mbps / 10Mbps

$79.95

40GB

$69.00

100GB

$64.00

100GB

$59.00

100GB

$69.95

500GB

$59.95

250GB

$39.95

20GB

Not all services and providers are listed. Extra fees and conditions such as setup fees (where applicable), contract length, peak/off-peak restrictions are not shown. All prices correct at time of writing, but may have changed. Check with your provider for the latest details.

bit.com.au 11

1. Connecting my building How does the NBN connect to my building and what does the NBN box look like? p14

2. Inside my office Is my office ready for the NBN and do I need a network? p16

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OFFICE READY

CONNECTING MY OFFICE Now that you know how the NBN might help you, let’s get down to the nuts and bolts of connecting. If you want the maximum speed and most value for your money, there are a few important things to know – for example, is your network up to scratch?

WORDS // WILLIAM MAHER

3. Choosing my router From routers to wireless extenders, here are useful devices that will help you get more from the NBN. p17

bit.com.au 13

1. CONNECTING MY BUILDING This is the NBN box that is being installed in businesses and homes across the country.

If you’re being connected by fibre optic cable, as opposed to wireless or satellite, the cable will run down your street either in trenches or strung on overhead lines. Your connection, again either in a trench or via an overhead line, will run to a box called the Premises Connection Device (PCD), which will be attached to an outside wall of your building – the fibre comes into your building via this box.

The fibre then travels to the Network Termination Device (NTD). That’s the box you see on this page. This is the box you might connect to your router, computers and desk phones. You won’t use a DSL modem anymore – for the modem function, at least. This box replaces it.

Let’s take a look at the box. In the photo, the incoming NBN cable connects to the box on the right [A]. From here, a cable connects the NTD to your router via the data port [B]. Note there are four data ports. For example, it might be possible to get Internet access from one provider and perhaps 14 bit.com.au

a video on demand service on a separate port.

On the left are two voice ports [C] – once copper telephone lines are phased out, all NBN fibre-connected buildings will have phones connected over the NBN. If you have a landline telephone, that should plug straight into the voice port on the box.

Keep in mind that the NBN box gets installed by an NBN contractor.

The NTD must be next to a power point, which will be used for the battery backup unit – a separate box that sits next to this one so you can make phone calls if there is a blackout.

For a standard installation, the NTD will be attached to an exterior wall (inside the building, but on an outer wall).

If you need the box in another room, where your router and other equipment are, there is an option for a “non-standard” installation, but you might have to pay.

OFFICE READY

is where the incoming [A] This NBN fibre connects.

can request a voice service [C] You to be delivered through these UNI-V voice ports. Your corded telephone will plug straight in.

NBN Box comes with four [B] The data ports. The battery backup

unit (not shown)will not power these ports in a blackout, only the voice ports.

NBN Network Termination Device (NTD) PRICE: FREE SUPPLIER: NBN CO.

bit.com.au 15

2. INSIDE MY OFFICE How will your computers, desk phones and other devices connect to the NBN box?

Once the NBN is installed in your building and you’ve signed up with your Internet provider for an NBN Internet plan, you’ll need to connect your computers to the NBN box.

[1] WIRELESS ROUTER If you have more than one computer, one way of doing this is to connect them via Wi-Fi to a wireless router you plug into the NBN box. If all you need to do is browse the web, send email, send documents and watch the occasional video, then this might be ok. If you are sending and receiving a lot of very big files though, or you need to regularly watch high definition video or backup large amounts of data using the NBN, then there’s the possibility Wi-Fi might slow things down.

[2] NETWORK CABLE Another option is to connect all your computers to the NBN box with network cable.

This will give you the fastest throughput from the NBN box to your computers. We’re not about to go out on a limb and suggest everyone start planning when to get their floorboards ripped up for cabling, though.

Not only is it an extra expense, running cables throughout your building isn’t a simple job.

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OFFICE READY

3. CHOOSING MY ROUTER WORDS // JOHN GILLOOLY

[3]

POWERLINE NETWORKING

Powerline networking is another option. You plug network ports to the power points in your house.

The system uses the electricity wiring instead of network cables.

It should give you a better connection than Wi-Fi.

WARNING!

One big surprise is that you’re not to install any data cabling yourself if it connects to the telecoms network. A licensed professional is supposed to do the job; badly installed network cable can result in slow speed, dropouts or, in extreme cases, injury. And while there might be electricians with excellent data expertise, it’s a different set of skills and they’re not always the best choice. If in doubt, ask for their registration card, or check with the registrar yourself. The ACMA web site has a fact sheet.

Want more? Click to see photos of common wiring mistakes.

Once you have the NBN, you need a router to spread the Internet to each computer in your building.

You might see ‘NBN ready’ modem routers for sale – this means that the ADSL modem can be disabled once you get the NBN (because the NBN box takes care of that function). But these routers might be designed for low ADSL speeds and may not actually cope with the demands of the highest NBN speeds of 100Mbit download / 40Mbit upload. If your NBN plan isn’t that fast, your router might cope ok, but it is best to think of any ‘NBN Ready’ ADSL modem/router as a temporary solution.

We suggest looking for: Routers that can cope with sustained high-speed transfers. We like ASUS’ RT-N56U, the Fritz!Box Fon WLAN 7390 and Netgear’s DGND3700 N600.

If you’re using Wi-Fi, a dual band wireless router (these will work at the 5GHz band) is ideal, but your Wi-Fi devices must be compatible.

802.11ac wireless routers will work better with Wi-Fi devices, and have the fastest technology on the market, but aren’t a must-have yet.

If you have network cable installed, a Gigabit Ethernet router is ideal.

Fritz!box Fon WLAN 7390

bit.com.au 17

TOP

Tips and advice from real NBN users.

WORDS // WILLIAM MAHER

1

2

PLAN AHEAD

Installation will likely involve holes being drilled in your wall to attach equipment feeds to the cable.

If you work in a heritage building, then this might not be allowed.

It’s generally a good idea to have the NBN termination unit installed as close to your computers and router as possible – everything that connects to the Internet will need to connect to it. This might cost extra.

3

DON’T RUSH IN

Just because your building gets connected doesn’t mean you have to start using the NBN straight away. Generally, the plan is for the copper telephone lines to be kept for 18 months after the NBN is rolled out, before being disconnected. Where the NBN is delivered by wireless or satellite, telephone lines won’t be disconnected for at least 10 years.

18 bit.com.au

GET HERITAGE CLEARANCE

4

DON’T EXPECT THE INTERNET TO BE PERFECT ALL THE TIME Yes, despite all the hype, some NBN users have told us that web browsing on the NBN is sometimes not noticeably any faster than ADSL. Your connection might be fast, but web servers on the other side of the world can still struggle to cope with congestion. On the upside, it should cope much better with several users, uploads should be faster and it should be less prone to dropouts.

NEED TO KNOW

5

6

CHECK YOU HAVE ENOUGH PHONE PORTS

The NBN termination unit has two phone ports.

If you need more phone lines once the copper telephone lines are disconnected, consider switching to a VOIP telephone plan. This gives you lots of “virtual” lines which run through the data ports instead.

7

BE WARY OF CHEAP ROUTERS

Your router will need to be able to cope with NBN speeds, as well as be able to spread the data around your building fast enough. If it doesn’t have gigabit Ethernet (for wired networks) or dual band wireless (for wireless networks) you might want to think about upgrading.

See page 19.

9

GET A BACKUP POWER SUPPLY

Even if you have a battery backup box supplied with the NBN connection, it won’t keep your Internet running during a blackout, only your phone. If data access is critical to your business, even during a blackout, get an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for a few hundred dollars.

8

REWIRE YOUR PHONES

If you have lots of phone extensions in different rooms, it’s still possible to keep using them for phone calls, but the wiring will need to be connected to the NBN box. An alternative is to connect a cordless phone base station to the NBN box.

COMPARE VOICE PLANS

The Internet provider you have a data plan with might give you a better deal on a UNI-V phone service than other providers. But call rates might be cheaper on a phone plan through the UNI-D ports.

10

WATCH FOR BOTTLENECKS

We’ve heard stories of people complaining that the NBN isn’t any faster, but in the end something on their network was limiting the speed – like a wireless router that was affected by interference.

Remember that your own network can cause problems if it’s not set up correctly. Bad cabling can also cause problems. bit.com.au 19

What if I don’t have the NBN yet?

Even if the roll-out hasn’t reached your area yet, there are still several other options to get better Internet performance now.

WORDS // WILLIAM MAHER

S

o you don’t want to wait for the NBN to arrive. You need faster, more reliable Internet now. On these pages we’ve listed ways you can get it without waiting for the NBN. The cheapest broadband is a home plan and they can provide relatively fast speeds if you only have one or two computers. But if your business has grown or you want to connect a small office full of people, business-grade broadband might serve you better.

Generally, business-grade services cost more – anywhere from around the $100-a-month mark, up to $1000 or more.

Yes, the more expensive services can be much faster than a home ADSL service, but download speeds are only one benefit.

Other benefits of a business data service might include: 20 bit.com.au

A commitment that the connection will be working for a certain amount of time.

Eg. “99.95% uptime”.

Fewer customers to share the bandwidth with. This means your connection is less likely to slow down when lots of other businesses are using the network too.

Faster upload speeds than home ADSL. Very important to prevent your connection slowing down if you have several people sending large files at the same time. Upload speeds are very limited on home ADSL services.

Some services include 24x7 technical support.

NBN plans are generally shaping up to be good value compared to what you see on the following pages, but not everyone wants to wait...

SLA A Service Level Agreement is offered with many business data plans. It sets out formal responsibilities of the service provider covering things like how fast they should respond to you if there is a problem, what hours of the day technical support is available, a commitment that problems will be fixed within a certain number of hours and that the service will be running without problems for a certain amount of time.

OPTIONS

HOME ADSL2+ Speed Up to 24Mbps download/ 1Mbps upload (theoretical peak speeds, actual speeds will be slower).

Pros Relatively cheap compared to business services.

Cons Speed depends on distance from telephone exchange. Slow upload speed.

Shared with other users.

Recommended Home office; 1-2 computers; where upload speeds aren’t critical; where consistent speed isn’t critical for day-to-day operations.

speeds will be slower).

Pros Relatively cheap compared to business services.

Much faster potential download speeds than ADSL2+.

Cons Limited to certain cities, upload speeds much slower than download, shared with other users.

Recommended Home office, 1-2 computers, where faster download speeds than ADSL2+ are needed, where fast upload speeds are not necessary, where consistent speed isn’t critical for day-to-day operations.

HOME ADSL2+ WITH ANNEX M Speed Up to 24Mbps download/ up to 2.5Mbps upload (theoretical peak speeds. Actual speeds will be slower).

Pros Relatively cheap compared to business services.

Faster upload speed than regular ADSL2+.

Cons Speed depends on distance from telephone exchange. Shared with other users.

Recommended Home office, 1-2 computers, where faster upload speeds are useful but not critical, where consistent speed isn’t critical for day-to-day operations.

WIRELESS 3G Speed “Typical” speeds up to 20Mbps download/ up to 3Mbps upload (actual speeds could be much slower, speed depends on network type).

Pros You can use it on the move.

Cons Speed varies a lot, depending on where you are.

Speed decreases as more users share network. Latency generally higher than ADSL. Upload speeds much lower than download.

Recommended Secondary connection for accessing email and websites while on the move and where fast upload speeds are not required. Where a reliable connection and consistent speed isn’t important.

CABLE INTERNET Speed Up to 100Mbps download/ up to 2Mbps upload (theoretical peak speeds. Actual

WIRELESS 4G Speed “Typical” speeds up bit.com.au 21

to 40MBps download/ up to 10Mbps upload (actual speeds could be much slower).

Pros You can use it on the move. Higher upload speeds than ADSL2+ and 3G are possible.

Cons Speed varies a lot, depending on where you are.

Speed decreases as more users share network. Theoretical upload speeds slower than download (though not always the case in practice). Limited to Telstra and Optus at time of writing.

Recommended Secondary connection while on the move and where faster upload speeds than 3G are required for transferring large files. For connecting several gadgets (tablet and laptop) to the Internet at the same time.

Where a reliable connection and consistent speed isn’t important.

BUSINESS ADSL2+ Speed up to 24Mbps download/ up to 2.5Mbps upload

DATA SPEED COMPARISON DOWNLOADS/UPLOADS HOME ADSL2+ HOME ADSL2+ WITH ANNEX M CABLE INTERNET WIRELESS 3G (PEAK “TYPICAL” SPEED) WIRELESS 4G

(PEAK “TYPICAL” SPEED)

BUSINESS ADSL2+ BONDED DSL SHDSL ETHERNET OVER COPPER ETHERNET OVER FIBRE NBN (FIBRE) NBN (FIXED WIRELESS) NBN (SATELLITE) 0Mbps 22 bit.com.au

10Mbps

20Mbps

30Mbps

OPTIONS

with Annex M (theoretical peak speeds. Actual speeds will be slower).

Pros Relatively cheap compared to other business broadband services. Might include priority support, Service Level Agreement (SLA), better contention ratio.

Cons Speed depends on distance from telephone exchange. Upload speed much slower than download.

Recommended Home office, 1-3 computers, where upload

DOWNLOAD UPLOAD

speeds aren’t critical, where consistent speed isn’t critical for day-to-day operations.

BONDED DSL Speed Typical speeds up to 30Mbps download/ up to 2.6Mbps upload with Annex M (by combining copper lines) (actual speeds could be slower).

Pros Faster speeds than ADSL2+ possible. Relatively cheap compared to other business broadband services.

Please note: The information on these pages is intended to be a general guide only. Exact speeds and other factors can differ between providers.

Check these details with your provider before purchasing a data service. Unless otherwise noted, we have quoted maximum potential speeds: real life speeds can be significantly slower (especially for wireless and ADSL), and maximum potential speeds can vary according to which technology variant your network uses. Note: For wireless 3G and 4G we have followed the lead of carriers and quoted the maximum “typical” speed you are likely to achieve, not the maximum theoretical speed.

Some of these services will not be available at a certain point after the NBN is connected in your area. For example, in areas where fibre cable is installed to connect customers to the NBN, copper telephone lines will be decommissioned 18 months after the fibre is connected. HFC (cable Internet) networks are also expected to be decommissioned in each area once the NBN is rolled out.

40Mbps

50Mbps

100Mbps

1000Mbps bit.com.au 23

Might include priority support, Service Level Agreement (SLA), better contention ratio.

Cons Speed depends on distance from telephone exchange. Upload speed much slower than downloads. Two telephone lines needed.

Recommended Home/small office that needs faster speeds than ADSL2+, or can’t get fast enough ADSL2+ speeds because of distance from telephone exchange. Where having the same upload/download speed isn’t necessary.

SHDSL Speed Up to 4.6Mbps download/ up to 4.6Mbps upload Pros Same upload and download speeds. Speeds are guaranteed. Usually includes priority support, Service Level Agreement (SLA), better contention ratio.

Cons More expensive than ADSL2+. Download speeds offered often slower than theoretical ADSL2+ peak speeds.

Recommende Office that needs faster speeds than ADSL2+, especially where upload speed is crucial for videoconferencing, regularly sending large files, multiple Voice over IP telephone lines, or connecting several offices.

Where fibre isn’t available. Where consistent speed is critical.

24 bit.com.au

ETHERNET OVER COPPER (MIDBAND ETHERNET) Speed Up to 40Mbps download/ up to 40Mbps upload (by combining copper lines).

Pros Same upload and download speeds. Much faster upload speeds than ADSL2+ available. Usually includes priority support, Service Level Agreement (SLA), better contention ratio. Cheaper overall than fibre.

Cons More expensive than ADSL2+.

Recommended Office with many people at the same time regularly sending large files, videoconferencing, backup, hosted applications, VPN, using VOIP or connecting to servers in other offices. Where fibre isn’t available or is too expensive.

Latency ETHERNET OVER FIBRE Speed Up to 1000Mbps download/ up to 1000 Mbps upload.

Pros Same upload and download speeds. Much faster speeds available than other services. Usually includes priority support, Service Level Agreement (SLA), better contention ratio.

Cons Generally the most expensive option – can cost several thousand dollars a month. Limited availability.

Recommended Large offices with many people at the same time regularly sending large

Sometimes refers to the delay between sending data and receiving a response.

Higher latency is a disadvantage when using certain applications like videoconferencing.

Latency is generally higher on satellite and wireless networks such as 3G, although 4G has a theoretical lower latency than 3G.

OPTIONS

files, videoconferencing, backup, hosted applications, VPN, using VOIP or connecting to servers in other offices. Where a reliable connection and consistent, very high speed is critical for day to day operations.

NBN (FIBRE) Speed Up to 100MBps download/ up to 40Mbps upload (fastest plans available at time of writing. Faster speeds theoretically possible in future).

Pros Much faster speeds available than ADSL2+, including much faster upload speeds.

Provides minimum peak speeds, unlike ADSL2+. More reliable than ADSL. Business plans can include priority support, Service Level Agreement (SLA) (though residential NBN plans might not include this). Generally much cheaper than other business services with comparable speeds.

Cons Very limited availability at time of writing.

Recommended Where several users need to send/download large files, videoconference, backup, use hosted applications, VPN, use VOIP or connect to servers in other offices at the same time. Where a reliable connection and consistent speeds are critical. Where much faster download/upload speeds than ADSL2+ are important.

NBN (FIXED WIRELESS) Speed Minimum 12Mbps download/ up to 1Mbps upload (Faster speeds planned) Pros Unlike mobile 4G and 3G networks, “relatively steady” speeds are promised.

Cons Very limited availability at time of writing. Upload speeds much slower than download. Top download speed currently much slower than NBN fibre and some other business services.

Recommended Where ADSL2+ isn’t available or is unreliable or slow. For home office or small office where very high download/upload speeds aren’t critical.

NBN (SATELLITE) Speed Up to 6Mbps download/ up to 1Mbps upload (12Mbps download speeds planned for 2015) Pros Better speeds than some locations could otherwise get.

Cons Top download speed relatively slow compared to NBN fibre and theoretical peak ADSL2+ download speed.

Upload speed much slower than download speed. Higher latency than fixed line services. Generally smaller download limits than ADSL2+ and fibre.

Recommended Locations that don’t have access to other broadband. Where fast upload speeds aren’t needed. Where latency-sensitive applications like VPNs aren’t required. bit.com.au 25

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MORE INFO

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k in plain En

The tech-tal

glish

Annex M ›› An add-on feature that some ADSL Internet providers offer to increase the speed of uploads. iiNet, for example, says that customers will get a theoretical maximum upload speed of 2.75Mbps.

Contention ratio ›› A term used to indicate how many users have to share the same bandwidth. Generally, the lower the contention ratio, the better.

Business grade broadband can sometimes have better contention ratios than home broadband.

Bonded DSL ›› By combining several phone lines, higher broadband speeds are possible.

Unlike SHDSL, upload speeds are still a lot slower than download speeds.

Copper ›› The public telephone lines, also used for broadband services like ADSL, SHDSL and Midband Ethernet. Data services over copper reduce in speed the further your building is from your local telephone exchange.

Brownfield ›› Premises that have already been built. The focus is on connecting brownfields in regional areas to the NBN first, so people currently with the worst broadband get it first.

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Cat6 ›› Category 6 cables are recommended for Gigabit Ethernet speeds in an office network.

Cloud ›› Instead of buying and installing software on your own business’s server, a cloud company owns and runs the server hardware and software – you pay to access it over the Internet.

Examples include Microsoft Office 365, Salesforce, Gmail and Dropbox.

ATA ›› If you want to use a VOIP telephone service, and don’t have a suitable VOIP router, your VOIP provider can provide this adapter, which you plug your telephone into.

Business grade broadband ›› Can cost more than home broadband, but can include guaranteed uptime, service agreements and sometimes your

data will travel over a separate network, meaning less traffic congestion.

Brownfield

Dual band wireless ›› Dual band wireless routers can use two frequency bands (2.4GHz and 5GHz) to send and receive data, unlike some wireless routers which can only use 2.4GHz. This

JARGON BUSTER

can mean faster speeds, but the tablet, phone or laptop you are using needs to work on 5GHz or you won’t see any difference.

Ethernet ›› A network protocol often used for networks inside your building, but can also be used for data services delivered over copper telephone lines or optical fibre cable. Ethernet broadband services generally have same upload/download, as opposed to ADSL. Exchange ›› Can refer to Microsoft Exchange, software which runs on a company’s server and operates their company email, or a telephone exchange.

FSAM ›› A group of up to 3,000 buildings connected to the NBN. Gigabit Ethernet ›› If you are using Ethernet cable to network your office , Gigabit Ethernet will provide faster speeds (1Gbps) than Fast Ethernet (100Mbps)

Greenfield

include servers to run your email and website, as well as hosted applications that users access over the network. You can also hire a “managed service provider” to setup and run your own IT. Latency ›› Sometimes refers to the delay between sending data and receiving a response.

Higher latency is a disadvantage when using certain applications like videoconferencing. Latency is generally higher on satellite and wireless networks such as 3G, although 4G has a theoretical lower latency than 3G.

LTE

LTE ›› Higher speed wireless broadband, used in the latest generation of smartphones and if you are getting the NBN via fixed wireless. Much faster speeds than ADSL are possible, but latency is much higher than optical fibre cable, meaning it’s not suitable for videoconferencing. Sometimes referred to as “4G”.

Continued over page

Greenfield ›› New housing developments. Many of these streets will receive the NBN before Brownfield locations, as they will be connected on a demanddriven basis. Developers apply to have the NBN connected in their development.

Wireless Router

Hosted IT ›› Instead of buying and installing IT equipment yourself, you can use another company’s servers. This can bit.com.au 29

PCD

Midband Ethernet ›› Provides up to 40Mbps over multiple copper lines. Unlike ADSL, you get the same upload and download speed, but cost is usually several hundred dollars a month.

NTD

NTD ›› Network Termination Device. This is supplied free and is attached to a wall inside your building. It takes the place of a modem when you get the NBN. This is the box your router and phones will plug in to.

Payment gateway ›› Used if you want to let customers buy products from your website.

When a customer buys a product on your website, the transaction is sent to a third party, the payment gateway, which authorises the payment with the bank.

PCD ›› Premises Connection Device. This is a small box that is attached to an outside wall of your building when you are connected to the NBN via fibre cable. The NBN fibre cable runs through this box to the inside of your building, where it connects to the NTD. Powerline network ›› If a wireless router isn’t enough to spread your Internet connection 30 bit.com.au

around your business (due to brick walls or multiple stories), and having Ethernet cables installed is too difficult, another option is a powerline network. An adaptor is plugged into each power point, and data can be sent through the building’s internal wiring.

PSTN ›› The public switched telephone network. The copper network your analogue telephone connects to.

RSP ›› Retail Service Provider.

Another name for an Internet provider, such as Telstra, Optus, iiNet or Internode. Once your building is connected, you can contact an RSP to pay for an Internet plan and start using the NBN.

PCD

Server ›› A central computer that other computers on a network connect to. A server might be in your own building, providing a central location so all your staff can access the same files from their computers, or an Internet server to which you connect to, to access web sites or other services.

SHDSL ›› Unlike ADSL, SHDSL provides the same upload and download speeds. Speeds up to 40Mbps are available by combining several phone lines, in the form of Extreme SHDSL. SIP ›› A protocol used in devices for delivering multiple VOIP telephone calls at once.

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SLA ›› business-grade broadband contracts can include a Service Level Agreement – the provider commits to providing a certain level of service (99.5% Internet uptime, for example).

UPS ›› Uninterruptible Power Supply. A device that plugs into your server or computer, so that it can continue to run if the main power supply stops.

VOIP ›› Voice over IP. Unlike regular telephone services, VOIP telephone calls are converted to data and travel over data networks. Call rates can be much cheaper, though call quality can suffer if your VOIP service and your broadband connection aren’t suitable.

Synchronous ›› The same upload and download speeds.

Midband Ethernet and SHDSL are synchronous, but ADSL services are not, meaning upload speeds are much slower than download speeds.

UNI-V port ›› A port on the NBN network termination device (NTD) where you plug in a telephone.

Alternatively, if you use a VOIP telephone service, your telephone can be plugged into a wireless router with a VOIP feature, which then plugs into the data port on the NTD. Battery backup unit ›› A separate box supplied free with your NBN connection that is installed alongside the NTD on a wall inside your building. This unit lets you continue to make telephone calls during a blackout, if you are using an analogue phone running through the UNI-V port.

Upload speed ›› If you use applications that send data, such as videoconferencing and sending large email attachments, as opposed to downloading large files and watching videos, then look for an Internet service with higher upload speeds.

UNI-V port

VPN ›› A secure way to upload and download files to and from your office’s internal network drives and servers, when you are not in the office (eg. at a hotel, or from another office).

WAN ›› Wide Area Network.

Offices in different towns, or cities can be connected via the same WAN.

Battery backup unit

Wireless Router

Wireless extender ›› If you already have a wireless router, this is a separate device which plugs into a power point and extends the range of the signal.

Wireless N ›› Compatible routers are recommended for spreading your Internet connection around your office wirelessly. Will be superseded by the faster 802.11ac standard, but there are not currently many compatible laptops and devices that will connect at 802.11ac speeds. bit.com.au 31

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