Troubleshooting

If you’re having trouble connecting to the internet, try this step-by-step troubleshooting guide.

1. Have you been connected yet? i.e. have you received confirmation by email/text that your connection was completed?

If yes: Move to step 2.
If no: We will send you an email/text when your order is completed. If it’s been 24 hours since your scheduled connection timeframe, please call us on 0800 401 373 to discuss further.

2. Check for planned/unplanned faults

ADSL/VDSL connections:

• Chorus – chorus.co.nz/outages

Fibre connections:

• Chorus (most of NZ) – chorus.co.nz/outages
• Enable (Christchurch) – enable.net.nz/
• North Power Fibre (Whangarei) – northpower.com/fibre/faults-and-outages
• Ultra Fast Fibre (UFF) (Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki) – Contact will be notified of any outages in UFF areas by email, so please call us on 0800 401 373 and we’ll let you know of any faults.

3. Confirm wiring and lights are correct

Check your wiring matches the wiring in your modem user guide. If wiring is incorrect, please fix this.

• If you have a Contact branded modem, take a look at this User Guide.
• If you have a Huawei modem, take a look at this User Guide.

If you are on fibre, check the lights on your ONT are as below:

If any of the ONT lights don’t look right, please check the cables are connected as below:

If you are still having issues with your ONT, follow instructions on step 5.

4. Complete an isolation test – ADSL/VDSL connections only (if you’re on fibre, skip to step 5)

An isolation test will rule out whether your equipment or the jackpoint is the reason behind the fault.

• Unplug all devices from all jackpoints in your house (phones, modems, splitters, extension cables and adapters etc). Note that some monitored alarm systems may be automatically triggered if unplugged, so contact your alarm provider first.
• Plug your modem into a jackpoint. Test it without the use of a splitter and turn it on. If the light labelled ‘DSL’ lights up, it means your modem has reconnected. (Note: it may take up to 10 minutes to connect).
• If your modem successfully reconnected - it means that your devices/equipment (e.g. computer, mobile etc) is the reason for the loss of service. Plug your devices/equipment back in piece by piece, checking the connection. When the problem returns, you’ve found the piece of equipment that is the problem.
• If your modem did not successfully reconnect – the problem may be your modem, jackpoint or phone cable. Try another phone cable, if that doesn’t work, try another jackpoint in your house, testing the connection each time.
• If you have another modem try the above steps with it, to rule out your existing modem being at fault.

5. Power cycle the ONT – fibre connections only

• Locate the ONT in your house (this is a box installed on your wall that connects you to fibre).
• Unplug the power supply of the ONT for 10 seconds.
• Plug the power supply back in.
• Check that the ‘power’ light on your ONT is green.

6. Complete a power cycle on your modem

Power cycle the modem by turning off the power button on the side of the modem. Wait 30 seconds, and then turn this button back on. After 5 minutes, test to see if the problem has been resolved.

7. Complete a hard reset (factory reset)

Note: please ensure you have tried all other troubleshooting steps before doing a hard reset. A hard reset will wipe the existing modem username/password, connected devices, and network settings. If you have any concerns, please contact us.

Hard reset the modem by inserting a pin or paper clip into the hole on the back of the modem that says 'reset'.

Keep the pin or paperclip inserted in the hole until the power light on the modem turns red. This can take about 15 seconds to change from green to red. (Once the light turns red, you can remove the pin or paperclip from the reset hole.) 

This can take up to 5 minutes to fully reset. After 5 minutes, test to see if the problem has been fixed.

8. Contact us to discuss further

You can call us on 0800 641 502.

Our broadband speeds show how fast your internet should be able to download and upload data - but it’s not an exact science.

A few factors can slow things down. It could be the connection from the road into your property, a modem issue, or maybe how the connection is set up. The whole tribe using devices at the same time can affect the speed too.

How to check your broadband speed

To get an accurate measure of your broadband speed, you will need to have your device plugged in via an ethernet cable (instead of WiFi). The best way to do an accurate speed test is by completing a quick speed test.

Use an ethernet cable (the cable that came with your modem)

Consider plugging your devices into your modem using an ethernet cable to provide better performance. One end of this goes into your computer and the other end goes into one of the yellow Ethernet ports on the back of the modem.

Avoid peak times

Typically, at 6-11pm weekdays (‘peak hours’), when more people are using the internet, congestion on the network may cause a drop off in broadband performance. If you find this keeps happening, and you need to download large files, like software updates, consider downloading them outside peak hours.

This is particularly noticeable on ADSL and VDSL connections, but fibre connections can also be affected by peak times.

Upgrade to fibre

It's best to be on a fibre connection when possible. Fibre is the fastest, most reliable and highest capacity broadband you can get in New Zealand.

Tips to improve your modem’s performance

Location, location, location. Put your modem in a central place, ideally within the line of sight of where you use the internet most. The modem needs to be off the ground and away from electronics such as microwaves, cordless phones and baby monitors.

Certain materials can cause issues for WiFi such as concrete, steel, brick, marble, water, glass, wood and plaster. Neighbours Wi-Fi networks can also cause issues, meaning those in dense areas can have problems.

Modems also don’t talk to devices through water very well. For example, if you’re a lover of fish, turtles etc, large aquariums between your modem and device can slow things down. Who would have thought!?

Modem to device - keep it short

Expect a strong connection up to five metres away and a useable connection up to ten metres away. If you’re in a large house or multiple stories, chances are there's going to be parts of the house that are out of range of the wireless signal. WiFi signal weakens as you get further away from your modem.

Slow WiFi or WiFi drops out

If you are experiencing slow WiFi or WiFI drops out, try changing your WiFi channel.

About WiFi Range Extenders and Powerline Adapters

Here’s explanation of some of the equipment that could help with WiFi speed:

Range extenders relay the WiFi signal wherever installed and can help extend the distance that the WiFi reaches.

Powerline Adapters use the internal copper wiring to transmit the signal (almost like using the internal electrical wiring of your house as an Ethernet cable). These are particularly useful in large or concrete house.

Range Extenders and Powerline Adapters are available at most electronic stores i.e. Noel Leeming, JB Hi-Fi, PB Tech etc.

Using your ethernet cable

1. Restart the modem

Soft Reset the modem by turning off the power button on the side of the modem. Wait 30 seconds, and then turn this button back on.

2. Do a speed test.

Firstly, your device will need to be plugged into an ethernet cable. Open your internet browser and do a speed test. We recommend using speedtest.net. Before pressing “Go”, check that you are using “Devoli” as the server:

Compare the download speed to what connection type/plan you are on.

If you are on an ADSL or VDSL connection, visit www.chorus.co.nz and type in your address, it should give you an estimate on your download speed.

If you are on a fibre connection, you should be getting a download speed close to the plan you have chosen. (E.g. if you chose the Fibre 100/20 plan, you should be getting a download speed of 50mbps or more download and 10mbps or more upload.)

If the result of your speed test is less than half of what you’re expecting, please call us on 0800 641 502 so we can help. Have a screenshot of your speed test on hand (example below) to make things quicker.

Using your WiFi connection

1. Make sure only one device (preferably a laptop) is connected to WiFi

Type 192.168.20.1 into the address bar of your web browser. This will bring up a dialog box asking for a username and password. These are both 'admin' by default.

Once you are on the NetComm Wireless menu, select Device Info on the left hand side and then DHCP.

This will list the devices currently connected to the network. You’ll need to locate and turn off the WiFi on all devices other than the single device you'll use for testing.

Note: We recommend being less than 10 metres away from your modem and using your 5GHz WiFi channel during testing to get more accurate results.

2. Do a speed test

Do a speed test. Compare the download speed to what connection type/plan you are on.

If you are on an ADSL or VDSL connection, visit www.chorus.co.nz and type in your address, it will likely give you an estimate on your download speed.

If you are on a fibre connection, you should be getting a download speed close to the plan you have chosen. (E.g. if you chose the Fibre 100/20 plan you should be getting a download speed of 50mbps or more download and 10mbps or more upload.)

If the result of your speed test is less than half of what you’re expecting, follow these instructions to change your WiFi Channel.

Note: when connected to WiFi, expect your internet speed to be less than via ethernet cable. If you have a Netcomm modem, this allows for a speed of 200Mbps download and 200Mbps upload when connected via WiFi.

My internet is working but I’m having some WiFi issues 

I can’t connect specific devices.

Here are some ideas to help:

1. Try to connect to another WiFi channel available

• Your modem will generally have two WiFi channels set up (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz)
• This will show as separate WiFi connections in your settings. For example, if your WiFi name is “contactbroadband123”, you will see another one available that looks similar to “contactbroadband123-5G”
• Connect to the other WiFi channel. The password should be the same for both channels unless you have customised this in your modem settings.

2. "Forget this network" on your device and re-connect again

3. Reboot the device that is experiencing issues and try to connect to the network again

I have an internet connection but can't view webpages or email. What can I do?

1. Clear your browser’s cache and browsing history. (We suggest searching on google.com for the most up-to-date process for your particular browser)
2. Restart your browser (close and open a new one)
3. Use an alternative browser to ensure it’s not a specific browser issue
4. If this issue is only on one device, restart that device

I updated my device and now my WiFi isn’t working. Urgh

1. "Forget this network" on your device and re-connect again

2. Try to connect to another WiFi channel available 

• Your modem will generally have two WiFi channels set up (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz)
• This will appear as separate WiFi connections in your settings. For example, if your WiFi name is “contactbroadband123”, you will see another one available that looks similar to “contactbroadband123-5G”
• Connect to the other WiFi channel. The password should be the same for both channels unless you have customised this in your modem settings.

3. Reboot (turn on and off) the device that is experiencing issues and try to connect to the network again

How to change your WiFi password

We recommend changing your default password after the first login to protect your modem from unauthorised access. It’s also a lot easier when friends and family come to visit and ask for the password.

On the base of your modem, find the section called Admin IP Address with a number address, 192.168.20.1, and the default user name and password of admin/admin.

1. Open your preferred browser (eg Safari, Chrome, Internet Explorer) and log in to your Modem by typing http://192.168.20.1 into the address bar. This is your Admin IP Address.
2. Enter your admin username and password into the login window that appears (the default for name and password is admin).
3. Once logged in to your modem, go to Management > Access Control > Passwords.
4. To change the password enter admin under Old Password and then enter your new desired password under New Password and Confirm Password.
5. Once completed click on the Apply / Save button.
6. When you update the password, be sure to write down your new admin password and keep this somewhere safe.

How to change your WiFi channel

Type 192.168.20.1 into the address bar of your web browser. This will bring up a dialog box asking for a username and password. These are both 'admin' by default.

Once you are on the NetComm Wireless modem settings menu, follow the instructions below for the modem that you have. If you aren’t sure which one you have, look at the top-left-hand side of the menu screen.

NetComm NF18ACV

1. Click on 'Wireless"
2. Click on 2.4 GHz
3. Click on 'Advanced'
4. Change the bandwidth to 20 MHz. (It's important to do this step before moving to step 5)
5. Change the channel to either 1, 6 or 11.  Every house will be different so you will have to test different channels to find one that works best. (It will most likely be set to auto by default). We recommend using a “WiFi analyzer” app and choosing an available channel with the least WiFi names
6. Click 'Apply/Save'

NetComm NF4V

1. Click on 'Wireless"
2. Click on 'Advanced'
3. Change the bandwidth to 20 MHz in both bands. (It's important to do this step before moving to step 4)
4. Change the channel to either 1, 6 or 11. Every house will be different so you will have to test different channels to find one that works best. (It will most likely be set to auto or wlcfgadv94 by default)
5. Click 'Apply/Save'

1. 1. After 30 seconds, turn your modem off and then turn it back on again using the power button at the side of the modem
2. After the modem has fully rebooted, try testing the WiFi. You may need to repeat steps to change the channel until you find a WiFi Channel that works for you
3. Note: If this does not improve performance, try using the 5 GHz band (only applicable on the NF18ACV). This is usually less congested with neighbouring Wi-Fi connections and offers higher potential speeds

Can I add a homeline service?

Yes, we provide homeline services using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). You can add our homeline service from just $10 a month for unlimited national calls not including mobile. Give us a call on 0800 401 373 and we can set this up for you.

What is VoIP?

VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol is simply a way of using the internet for the transmission of voice calls. You can operate VoIP and related services with any modern home phone.

The main difference between a standard landline and VoIP is that VoIP uses your internet connection whereas a standard landline is connected to the copper network.

If you have services such as a medical alarm and monitored alarm that often require a standard landline, please let us know so we can make sure to recommend the right set-up for you.

Can I keep my current home phone number?

Yes! You can keep your existing home phone number when you sign up to a homeline service with us. Just let us know and we can move it from your existing provider. You will also need a phone with a telepermit sticker (shown below) which you can plug into your modem to access our homeline service using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service.

Optional add-ons for your phone line

• Top 10 international calling package – 100 hours per month to fixed landlines only, in Australia, UK, USA, Canada, Ireland, South Africa, South Korea, India, Hong Kong and China – $10.00 per month. (Please note this is for landline to landline calls only, standard rates apply for mobiles, please refer to rates below.)
• NZ mobile 100 calling package – 100 minutes to NZ mobile phone numbers – $5.00 per month
• NZ mobile 200 calling package – 200 minutes to NZ mobile phone numbers – $10.00 per month

What are the rates for Local and International Calls?

Standard Local Rates are shown below.  View our International rates.

I don’t want a homeline anymore – can I discontinue the service? 

Yes. We offer a product called Naked Broadband – it means you’ll no longer have a homeline. If you used to have a home phone, it will stop working on a Naked Broadband package and you will not be able to use it to call anyone including 111 emergency services from this phone. We strongly recommend that you consider keeping a back-up device, such as a charged mobile phone, for emergencies.

If you have a monitored or medical alarm, please contact your alarm provider to ensure the alarm will continue to work with a VoIP phone connection.

How do I set up and check my voicemail?

Give us a call on 0800 401 373 and we can set this up for you. Alternatively, if you are using the voicemail functionality on your home phone device, please check the manufacturer’s instructions on how to set this up.

How do I check my voicemail?

Dial 222 from your phone, enter in your phone number (start with the country code and area code - for example, it is 649 if you are based in Auckland, New Zealand), then enter the PIN you were given when your voicemail was set up. This will enable you to check your voice messages and manage your mailbox.

Can you add my number to the next phone book?

Yes, we can arrange this. Please email us at broadband@contactenergy.co.nz or call us on 0800 401 373 and tell us what your account number is and how you’d like your name to appear in the phone book.

Can you delete my number from the next phone book?

Yes (provided the entry was added by Contact). Please email us at broadband@contactenergy.co.nz or call us on 0800 401 373 and we can arrange this. If your number was added by an old provider, you will need to contact them to have it removed.

My home phone is not working

If your home phone isn’t working, try this step-by-step troubleshooting guide.

1. Check wiring

Make sure broadband is working first as the phone requires an internet connection before it will work (refer to broadband troubleshooting if broadband isn’t working). Then make sure the phone is securely connected to telephone port 1 on the modem.

2. Check the phone is VoIP compatible 

To do this, look for a ‘Telepermit’ Sticker. If you can’t see one, it might be a good idea to contact the manufacturer to enquire if the phone is VoIP compatible.

3. Complete a power cycle on your modem

Power cycle the modem by turning off the power button on the side of the modem. Wait 30 seconds, and then turn this button back on. After 5 minutes, test to see if the problem has been resolved.

4. Call us on 0800 401 373 to discuss further

To help us resolve your issue quickly, we recommend having these details on hand when you call our Customer Service team.

• Your account number.
• Does your phone have a dial tone?
• If you’re having issues with outbound calling, three examples with the dates/times you have attempted the calls and the phone numbers you are trying to reach.
• If you’re having issues with inbound calling, three examples with the dates/times of the calls affected.