Help for when your broadband is slow or not working

If you're experiencing problems such as websites not loading properly or online videos are taking forever to load, then your broadband internet is unusually slow. If you can't connect to any websites or access your email, there’s probably a problem with your broadband connection.

Is there a broadband outage in my area?

We update any known outages on our service status page.

If there's no known outage and you're experiencing broadband issues or your internet has stopped working, try the handy troubleshooting steps below.

What can I do if my broadband has stopped working?

If you're having trouble with your broadband, here's some handy troubleshooting steps to try with your 2degrees modem.

ADSL/VDSL

Sometimes a reboot is all that is needed. Unplug your modem from power, or turn it off at the wall for 30 seconds this can help to reset the system and can sometimes solve connectivity issues. After 30 seconds, plug it back in and wait for the lights to stabilise. Test your internet connection and if it's still not working, read on.

• If the WLAN light is OFF when the lights stabilise, very briefly press the WLAN button located on top of the modem. The WiFi should turn back on.
• If the Power/DSL light is OFF: check your power cables and try an alternate power point.
• If the Power/DSL light is BLINKING
• Test a different cable between the DSL/TEL port and your jack point on the wall.
• Test a different jack point in the house.

Fibre

You'll need to check both your modem and the ONT (Optical Network Terminal) Fibre box that is fixed to your interior wall.

• If the Power light on your ONT box is OFF: check the ONT power cables are intact and not damaged in any way.
• If the WLAN light on the modem is OFF: very briefly press the WLAN button located on top of the modem. The WiFi should turn back on.
• If the LAN1 light on the ONT is OFF: check that the ethernet cable between the modem and ONT is secure. Test a different ethernet cable between the LAN1 port on the modem (or WAN port if you have a 2degrees Fritzbox 7590, or if you're using your own modem) and Port1/GE1 on your ONT. If the cable was originally plugged into Port2/GE2 on the ONT, proceed to plug the cable in Port2/GE2 and check the LAN2 light instead.
• If any of the following lights on your ONT are RED, there may be an outage in your area or an isolated fault. Please call us for further assistance.
• Optical/PON
• Alarm/LOS

If you've tried the above steps and can't get online, give our technical team a ring on 0800 022 022, option 9. Please ensure that you're home, so our agents can troubleshoot with you. Our Customer Care team are avalaible from 8am to 8pm NZST, Monday - Saturday, and 10am to 8pm Sundays and public holidays.

In some circumstances, if we can't sort out your broadband connection when you call us, we'll keep you connected with added data to your mobile phone to see you through. We call this Backup Broadband.

How can I check my broadband speed?

To check your broadband connection speed, make sure only one device is connected and

if you're using a laptop, connect it directly to the modem with an ethernet cable; this will ensure you get the most accurate result.

Once you're connected directly, close all other applications (as you don't want them working in the background), and visit this website dedicated to testing broadband speeds. Follow the instructions to see if your connection is slow.

There are many factors that can influence broadband speed including the time of day, so it's good to test this a few times.

What makes my broadband speed slow?

There are many factors which can influence your broadband speed,

For an ADSL or VDSL (copper) connection these can be:

• The distance from your connection to the copper exchange
• The quality of the copper cable
• Your internal wiring
• The number of jack points you have in your home

For all connections these can be:

• Your wireless signal quality and strength
• Where your modem is located in your home. It should be in an open space and away from other electronic devices that can cause interference, such as microwaves or fridges.
• Which frequency you're connecting to 2.4GHz or 5GHz. At 5 GHz, your data speed is fast, but the range is limited and the wireless signal may not penetrate through walls. If you connect through the 2.4GHz frequency, your data range is further but the data travel speeds are slower than 5GHz.
• Interference or any nearby wireless network
• If you're using a wired connection, speed can be affected by the category of the ethernet cable you're using; for example, CAT6 is faster than CAT5
• The age of your modem and the technology it supports
• The age of the device (such as your laptop or phone) you're using and the technology it supports.
• The software supported by the device you're using
• Your connection speeds can also be limited by the other parties you're connecting to, for example, the person you're skyping or the website you're connecting to

What can I do to increase my broadband speed?

Remember, speed on a broadband connection can vary due to a range of factors.

Tips for increasing the speed of your ADSL or VDSL (copper) broadband connection

• Place the modem in a central location closest to where most devices are used
• Use the shortest possible cable between the jack point and the modem.
• Move the modem and any cabling away from any sources of interference such as dense walls, microwaves or fridges. If you have a newly-built home and have a metal comms cabinet, it may interfere with the signal.
• Upgrade to a VDSL or Fibre broadband connection if it's available in your area.
• If you have a monitored alarm or Home Phone basic, you may want to pay to get a DSL master splitter installed it's a piece of equipment that separates your broadband signal from the other things that run over your copper line. Give us a call to find out if this is the right solution for you.

Tips for increasing your WiFi speed:

• Move the modem away from the source of interference or obstacles. Any metal object larger than a dinner plate can interfere with the WiFi signal. An example of an obstacle might be a hot water cylinder, flat panel TV/screen, mirror or filing cabinet.
• Move the modem to the location where it will be used the most as the signal is stronger closer to the modem. If the wireless is used from multiple locations around the premises, then try to keep it as central as possible.
• Place your modem away from your microwave. When in use, microwaves emit 2.4Ghz, which is the same frequency as most WiFi operates on, and why your wireless devices often lose internet connectivity whenever the microwave is running.
• Purchase a wireless repeater or access point to reduce access holes.

If you have ongoing issues with your broadband connection, we'll help you out and can even provide Backup Broadband.

Backup Broadband: if we can't sort your broadband connection, we'll give your phone a data boost

If you have a business account with us, please check out our Backup Broadband for Business page. If you are having trouble with your broadband connection at home, read on.

We're here to keep you online, all the time. If something happens to go wrong with your broadband and we can't sort it out when you give us a bell, we'll add 50GB of data (valid for 30 days) to your 2degrees mobile to see you through, no worries.

Backup Broadband data will be used first so your plan allowance is safe. You can share and hotspot all you like so everyone in your house stays connected while we get it sorted. After all, we can't leave you hanging at your final episode of Jack Ryan now, can we?

You'll be able to see the Backup Broadband data balance on your 2degrees app. If you run out of Backup Broadband data and your broadband still isn't working, just give us a call and we'll be happy to top you up again. Once you use up all of your Backup Broadband data or it expires, you'll start using the regular data allowance of your mobile plan again.

How do I get Backup Broadband?

If (on the off-chance) your broadband does go down, call our Care team on 0800 022 022. We'll do our best to fix it for you straight away but if we can't, we'll sort you out so you don't get caught out while we solve the problem as quickly as possible.

Who is eligible for Backup Broadband?

All 2degrees home Broadband customers with a 2degrees Pay Monthly plan or 2degrees Prepay Carryover plans are eligible for Backup Broadband. We'll apply the data to one 2degrees mobile in your house, which you can then hotspot or data share with your crew. Remember, data sharing is free with 2degrees.

How do I share the Backup Broadband data with the rest of my home?

We know that sharing is caring, especially in times of trouble (thanks, Mum!), so if your household is without broadband, you can share the Backup Broadband data with your nearest and dearest with a One-off Allowance.