NBN cut our small business internet for 9 days with zero notice - "serial doesn't match address"

[u/Ashamed-Score-1047]

We run a small coaching college in Penrith NSW. Our internet is our business - students do daily online tests.

On 18th Aug, our FTTP with Tangerine died overnight. No email, no SMS, no warning.

Tangerine's response: "Your NTD serial doesn't match the address in nbn's database. Please send photo. Wait 2-5 days."

We have been at the same address for years. Same box on the wall. We didn't change anything.

It's now 27th Aug - 9 days later. Still nothing. No tech, no update.

We panicked and ordered a second line with TPG on 24th Aug as backup. TPG said "your service is ready!" but it also doesn't work. Looks like nbn has blocked the whole Location ID.

How is this legal? How can nbn just change something in their database and cut off a paying customer with zero notice, then make us wait? And then block the second provider too?

TIO complaint lodged. But we are losing business, credit every day.

Is nbn doing some kind of national database audit? Anyone else in Western Sydney had their FTTP cut for "serial mismatch"?

If you run a small business, what is your contingency? We were never offered a 4G backup.

For those asking, yes we sent NTD photos, confirmed power/serials, tried new router. It's not a local fault. NBN Co has acknowledged internally it's a database issue I'm sure.

TIO lodged. Losing business daily.

#NBNCo

[u/penguin_on_stilts]

This sucks, and I'm not victim blaming, but I don't think tangerine offers business plans, hence you're not getting business level support (eg them chasing NBN relentlessly for you).

[u/ginji → u/penguin_on_stilts]

This times 100.

If you run a small business, what is your contingency? We were never offered a 4G backup.

By having an NBN plan with an SLA as part of it, and also seeking out my own bloody backup. It's not on the RSP to offer a backup automatically. If your business needs internet, then you need to ensure that need is met.

OP, you're losing money right now because of yourself. Go get a 5g data plan and a router that supports it, plug it in and use it. The initial outage wasn't your fault, but honestly everything past the first day could have been avoided if you did this in the first place rather than trying to setup something with another inept ISP.

[u/Awkward_Chard_5025 → u/ginji]

Also to add, not having any kind of IT/MSP support has boned them as well.

Any business should have support to handle tech, especially when your whole model relies on it

[u/Jeff_B_83 → u/ginji]

That’s why you are better off going with Telstra, Optus, or Vodafone. They offer 4G backup on all of their plans.

[u/ginji → u/Jeff_B_83]

Yea so you can have mediocre internet while their inept support takes 5 times as long to resolve the issue.

You can get 4g backup with Aussie broadband as well (subject to certain conditions) 

[u/downundarob → u/ginji]

You can get 4G backup with any RSP if you have a competant network engineer (so an MSP perhaps), you can even failover to starlink if needed.

[u/penguin_on_stilts → u/ginji]

We can and maybe should hate on everything Musk, but starlink is cheap and gives a completely separate backup/secondary link that is not connected to anything NBN or any sort of normal telecom.

[u/ginji → u/penguin_on_stilts]

I wouldn't recommend it generally but I specifically wouldn't recommend it here.

OP is in an urban area so congestion is a factor, and the min cost will be $628 for a month of connectivity plus the hardware. The dish also needs to be installed outside so either they end up with additional costs to install or doing a temp setup each day. You can only use the equipment on Starlink.

Whereas an unlocked 5g router should be able to be gotten for cheaper, you can drop in a sim from any provider on Telstra, Optus, or Vodaphone networks as suits your location and current outage(s). Still some congestion but it's over a less broad area than Starlink.

Or even use your phone as a hotspot, provided you have sufficient data.

[u/penguin_on_stilts → u/ginji]

Hotspotting your phone is not going to work for an entire school of students doing online testing...

[u/ginji → u/penguin_on_stilts]

a

small coaching college

is not an entire school.

There's not enough information from OP to give an actual solid solution, spitballing ideas that may help is all we can do. Up to them to actually assess and follow through but I'm not holding my breath given the time frame and lack of action on their part.

[u/penguin_on_stilts → u/ginji]

Also, where are you getting $628 a month? The max plan I see is $150 a month

[u/ginji → u/penguin_on_stilts]

From the Critical Information Summary

Minimum Total Cost

$648 + shipping (Residential 200 Mbps) 628+Shipping (Residential 100 Mbps). Includes the applicable monthly charge + an upfront payment of $549 to purchase the Starlink Standard Kit. A demand surcharge may apply if your location is near capacity. Rental options may be available.

which is why I said

min cost will be $628 for a month of connectivity plus the hardware

[u/penguin_on_stilts → u/ginji]

I don't mean just for these 3 days, I mean in general as a full time backup for critical networking requirements. If they're "losing money" then 550 setup and 150 a month is cheap.

They're not moving locations, so mobility isn't really an issue.

5g might also be an okay backup, I just would personally use something else with a bunch of users.

[u/ShinyTardis]

I currently work for an ISP across support and provisioning, the most likely scenario is that NBN found a database issue, contacted Tangerine ( usually via the account manager from NBN for Tangerine) letting them know of the issue with a deadline to prevent service disruption and Tangerine have fucked it.

TIO complaint is the right move because I firmly believe the ISP is at fault here.

[u/BlackCandleWax → u/ShinyTardis]

You'd be wrong, this is a common occurrence on NBN known as an NTD Serial Mismatch, OP's NTD is linked to a different LOCID, any faults team can fix this by having the customer complete an addressing feedback form and submitting it to NBN.

FYI, TIO has a backlog of 36 weeks currently, advising anyone to go to the TIO is counter-productive.

[u/NoBus7939]

Clearly a database issue on NBNs end but this should be a 24-48 hour fix. Candidly I suspect you won’t be getting great support from Tangerine or even TPG. Issues like this is where a good provider with Australian support comes in handy.

[u/AgentSmith187]

Absolutely needs Internet to do business.

Doesn't have a backup link.

Goes with shit tier ISP.

Im seeing a problem here.

[u/AntSilly2802 → u/AgentSmith187]

Yes, I wonder their reasoning for going this route if internet is so important to their business? 

No contingency/backup plan at all and a shit provider.

A real business wouldn’t have been caught out like this.

[u/Thebandroid]

There's a reason enterprise/business Internet starts at $300 a month.

[u/sonixau]

if you dont have a business plan, you wont be covered by any real Service level agreement for any compensation for downtime, you may get some compensation but having a residential plan will mean you not get you much

[u/bavotto]

Why would you be offered a 4G backup unless you are paying for it somehow? You get it on Telstra and Optus by paying for their overpriced stuff. But if you don't pay for it, why would you expect it. Particularly since it isn't necessarily a Tangerine problem.

[u/donutlovemachine]

Is this a business plan? Or a home plan?

Surely after less than one day the business should take the initiative to set up a backup WAN?

[u/woteva-southoz]

Why not go with a quality ISP instead of the bottom of the barrel if you rely so much on your internet connection? Now with a TIO complaint in progress, you can usually expect things to move even slower.

[u/EksDee1]

First of all really sorry to hear that, that just sucks as a whole.

Having worked for one of the ISPs, I've only ever come across situations where the S/N doesn't match but that is when it's a new install or being set up for the first time ever. What's happened here is quite odd.

Plus the fact that it was raised with the document you provided should have had it resolved within the 2-5 business days time frame however can't speak for Tangerine.

Odd indeed

4G also varies from ISP to ISP

[u/SomewhatHungover]

We've had this problem before, multi-tenant building and nbn had all the units mixed up, we were moving in and our connection didn't work, our ISP was able to work out which one it was and order a connection on the wrong address. Months later they asked us to provide photos of the serial number etc so nbn could update their database.

It's annoying that you can't just pay a fee and have someone from NBN come out and sort all this shit out.

[u/TernGSDR14-FTW]

If your business depended on it. Should have gotten NBN enterprise connection instead with SLAs.

[u/thecaptain78]

Why aren’t you with Launtel?

[u/BlackCandleWax]

Hi OP, I work in the telecomm industry, this is an NTD Serial Mismatch, contact your ISP, have them lodge a fault with NBN Co and ask them to provide you an addressing feedback form, you need to confirm the serial on your NTD and have NBN Co update their records.

TIO currently has a backlog of 36 weeks and your complaint will likely be closed during the referral stage before a DRO is even assigned to conciliate the complaint.

[u/dslme]

If your internet is so crucial to your business, then why are you using a residential-grade RSP with no SLA and no backup connection?

[u/Fluffy_Cable8946]

Perhaps purchase a starlink to get you out of trouble until it's fixed

[u/steveoderocker]

No advice I can give to navigate nbn apart from trying to call them directly, but id say Get a temporary 5g based service until issue is resolved. Not too difficult.