It’s 9pm in the first week of the summer holidays. One child is gaming, another is streaming in their room, someone’s on a video call and the movie in the lounge has just frozen.
Our Queensland state schools finish for the year on Friday 11 December 2026, which gives Gold Coast households about five weeks to get the home nbn connection ready.
In a 2025 network update, nbn Co reported that internet activity increases during school holidays, with the busiest hour typically falling between 9pm and 10pm. That’s when movie night, online games and group chats all compete for the same connection.
A ten-minute check now can spare your household a summer of buffering.
Why the connection slows down in the evening
Two things share your internet in the evening: the people in your house, and the neighbourhood around it.
Inside the home, multiple devices compete for the available internet bandwidth. A 4K stream, a large console download and several video calls running simultaneously can put considerable demand on the connection.
Outside the home, internet traffic also increases during the evening as more Australians stream, game and browse online. nbn Co’s same update noted that its two highest download peaks of the year coincided with Fortnite updates. If a big game update lands while the kids are home, the whole house will feel it.
A speed test at 9pm tells you more than one at lunchtime
Testing during the busy hour shows how the connection holds up when it matters. A free internet speed test shows the speed you’re actually getting, and two back-to-back tests tell you the most:
- one on a laptop plugged into the router with a network cable
- one on Wi-Fi, from the room where the kids usually stream or game.
If the wired result is close to your plan’s typical evening speed but the Wi-Fi result is considerably lower, the problem may be with your router, wireless coverage or device. If both results are low, check for background downloads and repeat the tests. If speeds remain below expectations, contact your provider to investigate the connection.
Give the router a better spot
A router in a cupboard, the garage or behind the TV has to push its signal through walls and furniture before it reaches anyone. A few small changes can help.
- Move it somewhere central and off the floor, such as a bookshelf in the living area.
- Keep it clear of thick walls, metal cabinets and large appliances.
- Restart it and check for firmware updates before the holidays begin.
- In a two-storey home or a long single-level house, a mesh Wi-Fi system can help extend coverage to distant bedrooms and other areas where the signal is weak. The number of units needed depends on the size and layout of the home.
Check your nbn plan still suits the household
Has your household changed since you last looked at your plan? A speed tier chosen when the kids were toddlers may not keep up with teenagers who game, stream and study online. nbn Co suggests households check their plan still delivers what they want, and talk to their provider if it doesn’t.
Speed also depends on how your home connects to the nbn. If your home has Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) or Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC), you may be able to access nbn plans with download speeds of up to 2,000 Mbps. What’s available depends on your address and internet provider. Fibre to the Node (FTTN) connections can access plans of up to 100 Mbps, but the speed you actually get depends on the length and condition of the copper line running to your home. When comparing nbn plans on the Gold Coast, the typical evening speed for each tier and the number of people it’s designed for are the figures to look at. These figures help you assess whether a plan is suitable for your household during the busy evening period.
Schedule the big downloads
Large downloads are easier on everyone when they happen while the house is asleep.
It’s worth checking console and PC settings for an option to download updates in rest or sleep mode, which moves those multi-gigabyte files out of the evening rush. Before a road trip to the Sunshine Coast or Byron, downloading shows and films the night before saves mobile data and car-seat negotiations. Cloud photo backups can also be paused during the day if someone is on a work call.
Six quick fixes before school breaks up
- run a speed test at 9pm, cabled and on Wi-Fi
- move the router somewhere central and raised
- restart the router and update its firmware
- set consoles and PCs to update overnight
- compare your plan’s typical evening speed with how many people will be home
- consider mesh Wi-Fi for upstairs or far bedrooms.
Running the 9pm test this week leaves time to move the router or change plans before the summer holidays put your Gold Coast nbn connection to the test.
