PSA: If your NBN speed is mysteriously capped at ~100 Mbps, don't let them overlook the NTD
For the last two months I've been paying for a 500/50 plan with LeapTel but could never get more than 90–100 Mbps download speed.
I contacted LeapTel support five separate times. We did countless speed tests, tested directly from the NTD, swapped Ethernet cables, tried different devices, the whole lot. LeapTel kept telling me they could see my router syncing at 500 Mbps and even wanted to post me a test router (at my $50 expense for shipping), despite all the evidence suggesting the problem wasn't my equipment.
After a lot of pushing, they finally booked an NBN technician.
Upon arriving, the technician immediately decided the issue was "noise on the line" and spent the next two hours replacing cabling around my apartment. I mentioned that a speed cap of almost exactly 100 Mbps often points to a faulty NTD or its ports, but he dismissed that idea very quickly because "the orange light was flashing". He even insisted I switch from LeapTel to Aussie Broadband, claiming that would solve the issue.
After two hours of rewiring... my speed was still ~90 Mbps.
I insisted that the NTD be replaced, even though he initially said it wasn't the problem. He eventually swapped it out, left, and once it booted up my download speed jumped straight back to 550 Mbps.
The only thing that fixed the issue was replacing the NTD.
If you're stuck at almost exactly 100 Mbps on a plan that should be much faster, and you've already ruled out your own cables and devices, don't let everyone send you in circles. Ask for the NTD and its Ethernet port to be properly checked or replaced before spending hours chasing other causes.
Has anyone else had a similar experience?
EDIT: This is an HFC connection in an apartment building.