TechRadar Verdict
Vodafone’s 5G home internet service is a good option for anyone looking for an alternative to a landline NBN connection. I enjoyed a stable connection throughout the review period and even managed to double the plan’s maximum download speed on several occasions. This isn’t a definitive guarantee for all customers, however, but the 100 Mbps speeds promised by the Premium plan, combined with a relatively affordable price, should please many. Some other telecom companies offer faster 5G alternatives, so I encourage you to consider all your options before signing up.
Benefits
- +
Wi-Fi 7 and mesh router included
- +
Stable connection
- +
Potential for faster speeds than specified
Disadvantages
- –
Not great for gaming
- –
Speeds capped at 100 Mbps
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If you live in an area that isn’t served by the National Broadband Network (NBN) or you’re unhappy with your current internet service, there’s a good chance you can connect via an alternative such as 5G home broadband.
The “big three” telcos, TPG, Optus and Telstra, all offer 5G home internet packages, with a few subsidiaries also offering services using the aforementioned trio’s networks.
Vodafone is one such TPG subsidiary that offers a selection of 5G home internet plans cheaper than its NBN counterparts. There are a few caveats, like the fact that Vodafone’s 5G plans max out at 100Mbps – compared to plans going up to gigabit via the landline NBN – but as I discovered during my three-week review period of the top-tier plan, there’s some potentially sensational value to be had.
Additionally, all Vodafone 5G home internet plans come with a Wi-Fi 7 modem and separate mesh node to help provide network coverage throughout your home. While some other 5G home internet providers also provide a Wi-Fi 7 modem, the fact that Vodafone includes a mesh node represents great value.
If you sign up for Vodafone 5G Internet and find that the service does not meet expectations, as long as you return the modem, you will only have to pay for one month of service. In the case of the Premium plan reviewed here, this represents AU$60 if you are not a Vodafone mobile customer, and AU$55 if you are.
If you are considering upgrading to a 5G home internet plan, read on for my experience using the Vodafone 5G 100 Mbps plan at home.
Vodafone 5G home internet: plans and prices
- Three shots
- Up to 100 Mbps
- Additional savings for Vodafone mobile customers
Vodafone offers three 5G home internet plans. They are:
- Basic 5G Home Internet (18 Mbps TES) | AU$50/month (first 6 months, then AU$60/month)
- Home Internet Plus 5G (TES 50 Mbps) | AU$55/month (first 6 months, then AU$65/month)
- Premium 5G Home Internet (100 Mbps TES) | AU$60/month (first 6 months, then AU$70/month)
If you’re a Vodafone mobile customer, you can save an extra AU$5 off the introductory cost for the first 6 months of your service.
Either way, Vodafone’s 5G home internet plans are cheaper than the NBN equivalent. A Vodafone NBN 100 plan, for example, costs AU$74/m for the first 6 months, then AU$94/m continuously for non-mobile Vodafone customers.
All Vodafone 5G home internet plans come with a Wi-Fi 7 modem and mesh node. Both of these services are free if you stay connected to a plan for 36 months. If you cancel your service before the end of the 36 month period, you will need to return the modem and node to Vodafone within 30 days. If you fail to do so, you will be asked to pay a non-return fee, calculated at AU$11 per month for any remaining period during the 36 months.
As you can see from the plan details above, all Vodafone 5G home internet plans have their speed capped, up to a maximum of 100 Mbps. Given that some other 5G home broadband providers, such as Optus and Spintel, offer an uncapped speed tier – which has the potential to deliver near-gigabit speeds depending on environmental factors and distance from the nearest tower – this may make Vodafone’s option less attractive.
It’s also worth noting that TPG also offers 5G home internet access which uses the Vodafone 5G network, but charges considerably less for comparable plans. Using the 100 Mbps plan reviewed here as an example, TPG charges AU$44.99/m for the first 6 months, before increasing to a regular ongoing cost of AU$64.99/m. The Vodafone equivalent is AU$10 more each month.
Vodafone 5G home internet: availability
As is the case with any 5G home internet service provider, the biggest barrier to getting connected is availability. Just because an area has 5G mobile coverage doesn’t mean it will always have 5G home internet coverage. Indeed, Internet service providers (ISPs) must limit the number of active connections in an area to avoid traffic jams.
To check if your home address can connect to the Vodafone 5G home broadband network, you can enter your address on the Vodafone website.
I tested the Vodafone 5G modem at three different locations in Sydney, with an apartment in Alexandria being the permitted home address. I also tested in an apartment in Homebush and the TechRadar office in Sydney CBD, as both were eligible to connect to the 5G home internet network. However, as I will explain in the performance section, each location experienced very different speeds.
Vodafone 5G home internet: modem design and configuration
All Vodafone 5G home internet plans come with Vodafone’s new Super Wi-Fi modem and Mesh Node with Wi-Fi 7 support. The most visually appealing units aren’t either, adopting a simple black box design, but I like how the node is small, almost like a book, which can be easily stored out of the way. There’s no screen to indicate signal strength, like you’ll find on the Optus 5G modem that comes with the Optus and Spintel 5G home internet packages.
The main 5G modem measures 215.9 x 125 x 125 mm (HWD), while the mesh node measures 170 x 60 x 140.4 mm (HWD). The main unit has 1 2.5Gbps WAN port and 2 1Gbps LAN ports, and the mesh has 2 1Gbps LAN ports.
Setting up the main 5G modem and mesh node was incredibly simple. Once you have installed the SIM card in the modem base, plugged it into the mains and turned it on, it will start searching for a signal. You will then need to install the My Internet Connection app on your phone to access the modem settings and add the mesh node.
The router’s login information is on a label underneath, and while this is ideal for security reasons, I would recommend changing the login password to something secure after setting it up. The password provided is long and consists of various characters and numbers. There is a checkbox to remember the password, but I found that when logging in after a few days of inactivity, the password was not remembered. You also can’t store the password in your phone’s password manager, so you’ll have to retype everything to access the app.
Vodafone 5G home internet: performance
Download Speeds
After testing the modem and mesh for a few weeks, my speed test data was surprising to say the least. Indeed, despite capping the Vodafone plan at 100 Mbps, I regularly achieved download speeds above 200 Mbps at the Alexandria address the service was configured for.
In fact, out of 14 tests, I only recorded one speed below 100 Mbps on one occasion, where I got a measurement of 80.10 Mbps. Admittedly, this result was taken at 6:39 p.m., therefore encroaching on the busier evening hours, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Two tests were above 100 Mbps but below 200 Mbps – 154 Mbps and 189 Mbps at 8:35 a.m. and 11:23 a.m., respectively, so far away from typically busiest times. Another test at 10:39 p.m. gave a speed result of 156 Mbps – and all others were above 200 Mbps. The average speed I achieved was 201.74 Mbps.
I mentioned to our Vodafone representative that I was experiencing speeds much higher than expected. They said: “It is not uncommon for customers on our 5G home internet plans to experience speeds above the advertised minimum, particularly when conditions are ideal. »
“Factors such as proximity to a 5G tower, strong network capacity, and good modem placement all contribute to faster performance. While speeds above 100 Mbps are not guaranteed, they are possible in some cases and the speeds you experience are within the range of what customers can achieve under optimal conditions.”
Indeed, the speeds I recorded in our Sydney CBD office were much, much slower, at around 10 Mbps, while at Homebush we recorded an average download speed of 118.15 Mbps.
Download Speeds
Download speeds also performed well, especially at the Alexandria address. The maximum possible download speed of the Premium Residential Internet plan is 20 Mbps (this is the same for the 50 Mbps Residential Internet Plus plan, and only 2 Mbps for the Basic 20 Mbps Residential Internet plan). I achieved an average download speed of 18.08 Mbps in my tests and managed to break the 20 Mbps barrier five times.
As was the case with download speeds at the Sydney CBD address, upload speeds weren’t that good, hovering around 10 Mbps. In Homebush, things actually got worse, with an average download speed of just 7.70 Mbps.
Download speeds are important for anyone intending to live stream content or download large files, and so if this is your case, you may find that the Vodafone 5G home internet service will not be able to meet your needs. I was able to make a video call with the TechRadar team largely without problem. I experienced some buffering, but not to the point where I had to revert to my regular home Internet connection, which has download speeds of up to 100 Mbps.
Connection
I was very impressed with the connection I experienced with the Vodafone 5G modem and mesh node. I had the modem setup in my main living space and the mesh node at the other end of my apartment in my bedroom. When I entered my room, my phone seamlessly switched to the mesh node and it continued to offer similar speeds as when connected to the main modem.
You can easily see which devices are connected to which hotspot in the My Internet Connection app.
Vodafone 5G home internet: games
Accessing web pages, social networks and streaming video content shouldn’t pose too many problems for the Vodafone Home Premium 5G Internet plan, but what about gaming? Avid gamers rely on fast connection times to game servers, and due to the inherent nature of wireless Internet connections, they may suffer from a greater amount of interference.
I’m not a gamer myself, so to test the Vodafone 5G service’s gaming credentials, I pointed my web browser at Game Server Ping to perform a ping test and compared the results I got over the 5G connection with my regular Gigacomm home internet connection.
Here’s how Vodafone’s 5G internet ping rates compare to my landline connection. All tests were performed on a laptop connected to each modem via an Ethernet cable.
Drag to scroll horizontally
|
Server location |
Vodafone 5G Home Internet |
Gigacom |
|---|---|---|
|
Sydney |
53ms |
12ms |
|
Melbourne |
57ms |
23ms |
|
Singapore |
138ms |
105ms |
|
California |
219ms |
157ms |
I handed the main 5G modem to my fellow gamer who lives at the Homebush address, and while they could connect and play games, they added that the system was “very slow and frequently cuts out, especially when you experience higher ping speeds.”
Based on this statement and the ping speeds, the Vodafone 5G home internet service is unlikely to be a good option for hardcore gamers.
Vodafone 5G Home Internet: Additional Features
With the exception of Optus, which includes a standard Netflix subscription with its leading uncapped 5G home internet plan, you won’t find any extra benefits built into a home broadband plan.
Vodafone mobile customers will benefit the most from a 5G home internet service with the telco, as they can save AU$5 per month as long as the mobile service remains active.
Vodafone 5G home internet: cancellation and hidden fees
As per Vodafone’s terms and conditions, you are free to cancel your service at any time, but there are some stipulations. First, you must pay for a minimum of one month’s service and the monthly fee is charged “until the end of the month in which you notify your wish to cancel.”
As long as you return the modem and mesh to Vodafone within 30 days of cancellation, you won’t have to pay for it. If you return it after 30 days, or if you don’t return it at all, you will be charged a payment for the device, calculated at AU$11 per month unused over a 36-month period. The maximum cost of the modem if not returned is AU$396. If you stay connected for 36 months, the modem is free.
Vodafone 5G home internet: reputation
- Few customer reviews for 5G home internet
- NBN customers leave negative reviews
It’s hard to find many customer reviews of Vodafone’s 5G home internet service. However, among the accounts I can find, via Reddit and Whirlpool, the general consensus is positive, with people saying they get a good 5G signal and decent speeds.
When it comes to Vodafone as an Internet provider, things are much less positive overall. The telco’s NBN service receives generally negative reviews on sites such as Product Review, with a rating of 2.1 stars out of 5, from 544 reviews at the time of publication.
Since you can return the 5G modem to Vodafone within 30 days of canceling a service to avoid paying modem fees, I would still recommend signing up for Vodafone 5G Home Internet, as you can actually try it for a month and only pay AU$60 for the 100 Mbps plan.
Vodafone 5G home internet: verdict
Based on my experience using the Vodafone 5G home internet plan, I can recommend it to anyone considering signing up to the non-NBN alternative. I would of course recommend checking the network coverage in your area before signing up.
The plan is competitively priced, especially if you can achieve download speeds faster than advertised. This is of course not a guarantee, but a nice bonus.
I also like that Vodafone will waive the modem fee if you return it within 30 days of canceling your service. Since some other providers, such as Optus, don’t offer the same benefits, Vodafone’s service is the most attractive option.
Senior Editor, Home Entertainment & Broadband (APAC)
Max is a senior writer for TechRadar covering home entertainment and audio first, then the NBN and pretty much everything in the third area of consumer electronics. He is also passionate about e-commerce, especially when it comes to finding the latest coupon codes for various publications. He has written for TechRadar’s sister publication, What Hi-Fi? as well as Pocket-Lint, and he is also editor of Australian Hi-Fi and Audio Esoterica magazines. Max also branched out into the men’s lifestyle publishing business, but is now firmly rooted in his first passion, technology.