Moving home with your internet and keeping sane in the process

I, dear reader, am in the process of moving house. The move is just a short one, but no less painful. And of course, among the unending list of things to do, making sure the internet is hooked up and ready to roll from day one is absolutely critical.

So, to make sure everything gets done amongst the chaos of moving, I asked our super cool customer support team for help and found out some useful tips on how to move house, get your internet connected, and stay sane in the process!

Moving to a property already connected to the NBN

As the government has declared the NBN rollout now complete and operational, with only upgrades on the horizon, if you’re moving into a pre-owned property in a metropolitan or regional area, you’re probably going to have an NBN connection already set up. (If you’re not sure, type in your address here to find out.) This means that you need to get the NBN switched on in your new place.

But, unfortunately, it’s not as simple as just flipping a switch and internet appears.

The first piece of information you need to know is what type of NBN connection is available to the property. That is, is it Fibre-to-the-Building (FTTB), Fibre-to-the-Node (FTTN), Fibre-to-the-Curb (FTTC), Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP), or Hybrid Fibre-Coaxial (HFC).

Knowing this will determine two things:

• Which plans are available to you
• How long it will take the NBN to get your connection set up

Just because you’ve got the NBN line running to the property, doesn’t mean it’s automatically ready to turn on.

If you’re not sure what type of connection you have or what the place you’re moving into will have, again, just type your address here and all the eligible plans will appear.

When I started apartment hunting, whenever I went on an inspection and I fell in love with a place, the first thing I would do -- even before I applied -- was type in the address to find out what kind of internet I needed to prepare myself for. It actually helped me decide on a place too because I was lucky to snag an apartment with FTTP.

Sadly, apartment blocks are a bit hit-and-miss when it comes to the different NBN connection types, so finding a place I loved that was also FTTP felt like fate.

Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) connections

If you’ve got an FTTP NBN connection, then you’re in luck! Most FTTP connections have the widest range of broadband plan options and speed tiers available and are generally the fastest to hook up.

If you’re already a Superloop customer, to transfer your service to your new property, just give our friendly customer service team a call and they’ll organise the connection so it’s ready for you when you move in.

In many cases, it may take less than an hour between your call and the internet magicing alive in your new place (we’ve had people tell us it took five minutes, which is pretty cool!). But it’s still a good idea to call well in advance of your move date just to make sure the connection process runs smoothly.

You can book ahead too. When I knew my moving date, I called up to let the team know when I was planning to move in, and because it creates a new account, you can get the internet going in your new place while still connected to the old place. You just need to remember to cancel the internet at the old place once you’ve moved out. Easy!

If you’re new to Superloop, all you need to do is sign up online and our team will get your internet sorted. Make sure you also contact your previous internet provider to cancel your service and account with them.  

Fibre-to-the-Building (FTTB) & Fibre-to-the-Node (FTTN) connections

FTTB and FTTN NBN connection types all get the NBN close to your property but not quite all the way there. That means that you may be limited in the range of broadband plans and speed tiers available to you and you may need an NBN technician to come to your property to get your internet happening. And that takes time.

If you’re an existing Superloop customer, similar to an FTTP connection, you will need to call our customer service team to transfer your service across to your new home.

If you’re a new customer, you can just sign up online.

However, in both instances, it’s likely that you will need an NBN technician to attend the property so they can connect your service. And while our team will automatically book you in for the soonest available time, there can sometimes be up to a four to six-week wait for appointments, and it gets trickier around holidays and peak periods too. Sadly, this part is well out of our control.

So, if you’re moving to a property with an FTTB or FTTN NBN connection type, definitely make sure you organise your internet well in advance.

Hybrid Fibre-Coaxial (HFC) & Fibre-to-the-Curb (FTTC) connections

With HFC, your internet connection comes to you through an NBN Network Termination Device (NTD) at the property. If you have an HFC connection and you’re moving out, do not take the NTD with you. That device stays with and is tied to the connection at that property, so it won’t work anywhere else.

As far as speed tiers and broadband plan availability goes, HFC and FTTC connections can be a bit of a mixed bag. Some customers will be able to access the full range of plan options and speeds, while others may have a more limited selection, like those of FTTB and FTTN connection types. To find out, you’ll just need to input your new address in our address-checking tool, and it will show you what’s available.

For existing customers, give us a call so we can transfer your account to the new address and sort out the details.

For new Superloop customers, again, just sign up online and we’ll organise the details.

In both instances, most customers won’t need to book a technician visit but we will instead need to send out a Self-Install Kit (SIK).

Our team suggests it’s a good idea to organise your order in advance to give yourself enough time for the SIK to arrive. You can set a future connection date but the NBN won’t post the SIK out until the day the order is set for, so it’s best to organise it for a few days before you need internet at your new house. This allows you to factor for postage and your SIK will arrive when you need it.

The SIK is super easy to install too. It’s just a plug and play deal with automatic configuration. But, as always, if you need assistance, our team is there to help.

Moving to a property NOT connected to the NBN

Whether it’s a new build or a rural area that the NBN has overlooked, not all properties are automatically hooked up to the internet.

If you’re moving to a remote or rural area without NBN, I’m sure you’re fully aware that your options are limited.

As an alternative to the NBN, Superloop offers a Fixed Wireless service that runs on our own infrastructure. With Fixed Wireless, we install a dish to your roof and connect your property up to receive internet over a radio signal. In some areas, you can even get symmetrical upload and download speeds -- something the NBN has yet to match.

Superloop’s Fixed Wireless and Fixed Wireless Wave are only available to customers in parts of South Australia and Western Australia. Type in your new address here to find out if you’re eligible for a Fixed Wireless service.

If your place is brand new and just been built, you may need to pay an NBN New Development Fee (NDF). This fee is an NBN requirement and it registers the property with NBN so they can complete pre-install work.

When you’re signing up with Superloop or transferring your internet connection across to the new address, our team may ask for proof of this payment. You can read more about the NDF here and here.

Keeping sane

Connecting the internet to a new place can be confusing, and with all the other things to remember during the moving process, it’s a hassle that you can’t afford to leave to the last minute.

To keep your sanity, be sure to plan well ahead of time. NBN connections can sometimes take longer than you anticipate, so it’s a good idea to get in touch with your internet service provider sooner rather than later.

As for me, as I drown in boxes and things I forgot I owned but will still move to the new place and continue to forget of their existence, I’m excited to finally move into an apartment with an FTTP connection so I can check out the sick speeds I keep annoying you all about!  

To everyone else about to move house: good luck out there!  

To learn more about moving your internet connection, check out our Help Centre articles.

Check out our specially curated (by me!) Spotify playlists to get you in the packing mood!