I would be interested to know how many people are having RFI issues with the NBN boxes that are taking signal from towers? The one I have can wipe out an AM radio at 3 metres, it is not the only device here transmitting RFI mine is not the only one doing it so there must be more?

I gather that there are (or have been) a number of different models of those boxes installed since the beginning of the NBN rollout.

A photo of yours would be helpful.

It is labelled WNTD-CL12. It stopped working yesterday. I turned it off for an hour or so after a Telstra Tech & I came to the conclusion it was it that stopped.

Once turned back on it started working again. It is mounted horizontally with the vents in the ends, so not only do we have no understanding of radio propagation, as there is no evidence of a cooling fan, thermodynamics may be, something else that has escaped.

NBN will only approve the system if it on ans "Approved" fixture on a roof. This ensures that several installations that should be on a masthead, will never have a decent signal due to avoidable obstructions, not being avoided.

The RFI is interesting. At 3m from the unit the higher end of the AM band is wiped out totally & it even impinges on the strongest stations. The FM antenna is actually a home made omni directional coil type out side the building. It has no issues bringing in FM stations 50Km+ away.

It is naturally, not the only RFI generating item let in by authorities that appear to be not doing their job. Even its Switchmode PSU radiates & can be read with athe counter fitted with a short antenna

It is labelled WNTD-CL12

So yours is a wireless NBN service. The NTDs I've seen installed for fibre are monstrosities with huge battery box units beside them. Would not be surprised if the battery chargers in those emit bulk RFI.

not the only RFI generating item let in by authorities that appear to be not doing their job

.. and installed by a government authority to boot!

The NTDs I've seen installed for fibre are monstrosities with huge battery box units beside them. Would not be surprised if the battery chargers in those emit bulk RFI

If the Department of Communications was quizzed about this they'd simply (and arrogantly) claim their network termination equipment meets all of their requirements to the letter and that there's no way anyone from a dunny cleaner to a rocket engineer would be able to do to prove otherwise.

Government departments always make these outrageous statements when either there is revenue to be raised or soft underbellies to protect. Never mind the issue of credibility or a lack thereof. Look what happened when speed cameras came out. People proved they were not always accurate so the government gazetted them as 'instruments' which meant that forever more all speed cameras would be infallible under statute. Now the only time a speed camera can be challenged is when something wild happens, like the time about four years ago the camera on the steep incline heading to Mosman from the Spit Bridge clocked a 35 year old fully laden Mercedes Mk II bendy bus at 85km/h on the uphill run. Even then the RTA still forced the bus driver to take the matter to court instead of just waiving the $2,200.00 fine. Bureaucracy gone mad is a light-hearted way of putting it, especially when the on-TV demo proved that those old buses couldn't go uphill that fast even without the passengers on board.

I've never been one to give in to government stupidity though I do know one thing - RFI is here to stay and it probably radiates down the two Cat 6 leads that plug into the device too.

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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

This not the only place where issues of RFI from NBN devices either wireless or cable have been discussed.

When I had a landline phone connected was standing beside the Telstra tech as he struggled to get a reliable working pair at the pit which is just outside my place.

He remarked these were very ancient cables probably 40 or more years old and nearly all were noisy.

Probably put in during the 60's. Telecom labelled pits, risers etc.

Noted that the pair selected had some noise, crackles etc on the phone and after a year had the phone disconnected.

Just use the mobile phone now.

So when NBN comes they will shove the data down these ancient lines and tell everybody the big propaganda joy story of how wonderful it all will be.

I have a Telstra 3/4G wireless connection which I can use either at home or carry around with me when out camping.

Don't stream music or watch movies or on line games and the 3/4G is quite sufficiently fast for my needs.

Can watch Youtube videos on occasion with no problems.

Quite frankly could not give a hoot (could use more colourful words but this is a polite forum) about the wonderful NBN.

Apart from the RFI who pays for the 10 watts of power the NBN modem draws 365 days a year ?

I hope the mob around here does go to NBN and wish them the joy of it.

It will leave more channels free on the 3/4G network, there are a few times mostly during the school holidays when things slow down a bit.

I see no point at all in having a NBN connection which I regard as a technological white elephant.

Have been reading through various NBN documents (eg http://www.nbnco.com.au/content/dam/nbnco/documents/preparation-and-installation-guide-for-sdus-and-mdus.pdf) to see if they will accept my preferred location (garage, coolest un-airconditioned place in the house).

It seems that they will, but in reading the various documents I remember no reference to measures required if minimisation of RFI is required, though I was not looking for them. However there are guidelines for what is called a home distributor the prime purpose of which seems to be installations in dusty environments.

Home distributors can be a small cabinet of metallic or nonmetallic construction with specified ventilation and other requirements. The metallic cabinets need to be earthed, and maybe this would minimise RFI from the battery back-up and NBN modem (NTD). Doesn't help with your own wireless router though which can't go in a metallic cabinet.

The commercial home distributors cost over $200, though I did see a couple of damaged ones on eBay which were snapped up for $90.

My provider is Optus. They provide an option for them to install at cost covering special requirements beyond their standard installation- perhaps minimising RFI could be a special requirement. Haven't yet been informed that NBN is ready for final connection - will enquire then.

I think we have quite a distance to go to get reliability & coverage within telecommunications. At the moment we are so far advanced with digital technology that it is back the Medieval signal fires on a hill. In order to get the messages through we need towers on every hill.

I am only about 8Km as the crow flies from one Telephone tower 4G (fourth go at getting it right) is hopeless & the 3G wireless modem I put a co-linear antenna on to get a usable level of signal. Brother tried one of their overpriced whizzbang Yagi's & it was a waste of metal.

No wonder some people make their own antennas.

landline here has buried, connectors & they fail about every five years. I have said to the linesman that if it fails again we dig from the pit to the break, & like all of my other old & new phone connections, it will be joined above ground & water level.

Marc

The Vasoline-filled scotchlock is pretty much the backbone of the copper network and is sometimes enhanced by the humble Coke bottle or shopping bag when linesmen run short of the correct junction box parts and seals.

As for the NBN, it would be great to see this country one day convert totally from copper to fibre, regardless of where people live. However there is certainly no national emergency because it isn't in place at this time. A standard, well-developed web page with no ad campaigns and no junk code loads perfectly fine in a second or two on a bog-standard 24Mbit ADSL connection, even when such a connection is cut back to around 15Mbit due to the subscriber being on the fringe.

Those who have connected to a fibre network tend not to notice websites loading significantly quicker and only notice a marked improvement in bandwidth-hungry situations like viewing streaming video. People who believe that Australia is lagging because fibre is not an option for most of us are those craving for the new online video content providers like Stan and Netflix but seriously, I think we already have enough options. Whilst there's nothing illegal about watching video sourced from the Internet we already have more than 20 channels of free-to-air television in most viewing areas and most of what the TV networks broadcast is junk - foreign-sourced crap that should have never made it onto celluloid in the first place. The same applies to pay TV. Dozens of channels of unwatchable crap that we have to buy first before optional sport and specialty channels can be ordered.

Then, when do any of us get the time to consume the programming that either we ourselves or advertisers pay the networks to broadcast? I certainly don't have much time at all to spend on it and I'd be lucky to watch two hours of television a week and I only receive the free-to-air networks.

So all up, I think converting to fibre is a good idea but it should be done over time and not in the bull-in-a-china-shop mode that was previously the case. It will in time be important but isn't necessary right now.

I'm not sure what else to say about RFI. It is indeed a problem and we can't change the situation at any time soon. One case in point is my role at work. I sometimes use an F Set to trace Cat 6 cabling and most often can barely hear the warbling noise over all the RFI injected by the IT network as a whole plus the digital telephone network in the building. If all the cabling was Cat 7 shielded then it might make a difference - not sure.

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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

A few weeks ago noticed a team of cable layers with their machines and large drums of optical cable. S

Guess it will be only a matter of time before the sprukiers with the big announcements and the wonder of NBN will be door knocking so as to drum up trade.

Think I will lay low and say nothing and stay with my existing wireless connection.

Have noticed my wireless receiver picks up about half dozen or so other wireless modems in operation in my area so it will be interesting to see how many disappear.

The more that go to NBN the less competition for wireless channels during busy times which means quicker log on times for those still with their wireless modems.

This will make me very happy.

For me if fibre was run to every house then NBN would be a realistic option although the RFI issue which is a real concern would be something to consider.

Apart from AM vintage radio hold a ham radio licence and there is enough RF crud floating about on the airwaves without adding more.

That is what I love about being where I am. I am 600m from the nearest road & the WI-FI is inside a metal shed. Outside the shed the new faulty phone cannot find it, even if its on.

Marc

Interestingly there are only 3 frequencies allocated country wide for NBN fixed wireless, hence why you wont see cells on tops of hills