I tried Vodafone’s 5G home internet service and found it to surpass expectations, but perhaps don’t get your hopes up

If you live in an area that isn’t serviced by the National Broadband Network (NBN) or you’re not satisfied with your current internet service, then there’s a good chance you can connect via an alternative such as 5G home broadband.

The ‘big three’ telcos of TPG, Optus and Telstra all offer 5G home internet plans, with a smattering of subsidiaries also offering services using the networks of the aforementioned trio.

Vodafone is one such subsidiary of TPG that has a selection of 5G home internet plans cheaper than its NBN equivalents. There are some caveats, such as the fact that Vodafone’s 5G plans max out at 100Mbps – compared to up to gigabit plans via the fixed-line NBN – but as I found out during my three-week review period of the top-tier plan, there is potentially sensational value to be had.

What’s more, all Vodafone 5G home internet plans come supplied with a Wi-Fi 7 modem and a separate mesh node to help provide network coverage throughout your home. While some other 5G home internet providers also supply a Wi-Fi 7 modem, the fact that Vodafone includes a mesh node represents great value.

The service isn’t without its faults, with the main one being that you’re capped to a maximum download speed of 100Mbps. While I was able to achieve faster speeds than this, and Vodafone says it is theoretically possible for other customers, it’s in no way a guarantee. If you want a 5G service that rivals even the fastest NBN plans, then I would encourage you to check out services from either Spintel or Optus.

If you do sign up for Vodafone 5G internet and find the service doesn’t live up to expectations, then as long as you return the modem, you’ll only need to pay for one month of service. In the case of the Premium plan on review here, that’s AU$60 if you’re not a Vodafone mobile customer, and AU$55 if you are.

If you’ve been considering switching to a 5G home internet plan, then read on to find out my experience using the 100Mbps Vodafone 5G plan at home.

Vodafone 5G home internet: plans and pricing

• Three plans
• Up to 100Mbps
• Extra savings for Vodafone mobile customers

Vodafone offers three 5G home internet plans. They are:

• 5G Home Internet Basic (18Mbps TES) | AU$50p/m (first 6m, then AU$60p/m)
• 5G Home Internet Plus (50Mbps TES) | AU$55p/m (first 6m, then AU$65p/m)
• 5G Home Internet Premium (100Mbps TES) | AU$60p/m (first 6m, then AU$70p/m)

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.

In either instance, Vodafone’s 5G home internet plans are cheaper than the NBN equivalent. A Vodafone NBN 100 plan, for example, costs AU$74p/m for the first 6 months, then AU$94p/m ongoing for non-mobile Vodafone customers.

All Vodafone 5G home internet plans ship with a Wi-Fi 7 modem and mesh node. Both of these are free if you remain connected to a plan for 36 months. If you cancel your service before the 36-month period ends, you’ll need to return the modem and node to Vodafone within 30 days. If you don’t, you’ll be asked to pay a non-return fee, which is calculated at AU$11 per month for any time remaining within 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 100Mbps. Considering some other 5G home broadband providers, such as Optus and Spintel, offer an uncapped speed tier – which has the potential to provide near-gigabit speeds depending on environmental factors and distance from the nearest tower – it can make Vodafone’s option less appealing.

It’s also worth noting that TPG also offers 5G home internet that uses the Vodafone 5G network, yet charges considerably less for comparable plans. Taking the 100Mbps plan on review here as an example, TPG charges AU$44.99p/m for the first 6 months, before increasing to a regular ongoing cost of AU$64.99p/m. Vodafone’s equivalent is AU$10 more each month.

Vodafone 5G Home Internet: Availability

As is the case with any provider of 5G home internet services, the main obstacle to connection is availability. Just because an area has 5G mobile coverage doesn’t always mean it will have 5G home internet coverage. This is because internet service providers (ISPs) need to limit the number of active connections in an area to help avoid congestion.

To check if your home address can connect to the Vodafone 5G home broadband network, you can enter your address on Vodafone’s website.

I tested the Vodafone 5G modem at three different locations in Sydney, with an apartment in Alexandria being the authorised home address. I also tested at an apartment in Homebush and the TechRadar office in Sydney CBD, as both were eligible to connect to the 5G home internet network. As I’ll explain in the performance section, however, each location experienced vastly different speeds.

Vodafone 5G home internet: modem design and setup

All Vodafone 5G home internet plans are supplied with Vodafone’s new Super Wi-Fi modem and mesh node with Wi-Fi 7 support. Neither are the most visually appealing units, adopting a simple black box design, but I do like how the node is small, almost like a book, that can be easily tucked out of the way. There’s no screen to indicate signal strength, as you’ll find on the Optus 5G modem that’s supplied with Optus and Spintel 5G home internet plans.

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 x 2.5Gbps WAN port and 2 x 1Gbps LAN ports, and the mesh gets 2 x 1Gbps LAN ports.

Setting up both the main 5G modem and the mesh node was incredibly simple. Once you’ve installed the SIM card in the base of the modem, plugged it into power and turned it on, it will begin to search for a signal. You’ll then need to install the My Internet Connection app on your phone to access modem settings and add the mesh node.

The login details for the router are found on a label on its underside, and while it is great for security purposes, I would recommend changing the login password to something secure after setting it up. The supplied password is long and made up of various characters and numbers. There is a check box to remember the password, but I found that when logging in after a few days of inactivity, the password hadn’t been remembered. You can’t store the password in your phone’s password manager either, so you’ll need to type the whole thing out again to access the app.

Vodafone 5G Home Internet: performance

Download speeds

After testing the modem and mesh over the period of a few weeks, my speed test data was surprising to say the least. This is because, despite the Vodafone plan being capped at 100Mbps, I regularly achieved over 200Mbps download speeds at the Alexandria address that the service was set up for.

In fact, from 14 tests, I only recorded a speed below 100Mbps on one occasion, where I got a measurement of 80.10Mbps. Admittedly, this result was taken at 6.39pm, so encroaching on the busier evening hours of 7pm to 11pm. Two tests were above 100Mbps but below 200Mbps – 154Mbps and 189Mbps at 8:35 am and 11:23 am, respectively, so far removed from the typically busier hours. A further test at 10.39 pm returned a speed result of 156Mbps – and all others were above 200Mbps. The average speed I achieved was 201.74 Mbps.

I mentioned that I was experiencing well above the expected plan speeds to our Vodafone representative. They said, “It’s not unusual for customers on our 5G Home Internet plans to experience speeds above the advertised minimum, especially when conditions are ideal.”

“Factors like being close to a 5G tower, strong network capacity and good modem placement all contribute to faster performance. While speeds over 100Mbps aren’t guaranteed, they are possible in some cases and the speeds you're enjoying are within the range of what customers may achieve under optimal conditions.”

Indeed, the speeds I recorded at our office location in the Sydney CBD were much, much slower at around 10Mbps, while at the Homebush location, we recorded an average download speed of 118.15Mbps.

Upload speeds

Upload speeds also fared well, particularly at the Alexandria address. The maximum possible upload speed of the Home Internet Premium plan is 20Mbps (it’s the same for the 50Mbps Home Internet Plus plan, and only 2Mbps for the 20Mbps Home Internet Basic plan). I achieved an average upload speed of 18.08Mbps from my tests, and managed to break the 20Mbps barrier on five occasions.

As was the case for download speeds at the Sydney CBD address, upload speeds weren’t that great, hovering around 10Mbps. In Homebush, things actually got worse, with an average upload speed of just 7.70Mbps.

Upload speeds are important for anyone who intends to live stream content or upload large files, and so if this is you, you may find that the Vodafone 5G home internet service won’t be able to service your needs. I was able to carry out a video call with the TechRadar team largely without issue. I did experience some buffering, but not to the point where I had to switch back over to my regular home internet connection, which has upload speeds of up to 100Mbps.

Connection

I was very impressed with the connection I experienced to the Vodafone 5G modem and the 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 walked into my bedroom, my phone seamlessly switched over to the mesh node, and it continued to deliver similar speeds to those experienced when connected to the main modem.

You can easily see which devices are connected to which access point within the My Internet Connection app.

Vodafone 5G Home Internet: Gaming

Accessing web pages, social media, and streaming video content shouldn’t pose much of an issue to the Vodafone Home Premium 5G internet plan, but what about gaming? Avid gamers rely on fast connection times to game servers and, because of the inherent nature of wireless internet connections, they can 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 conduct a ping test, and compared the results achieved via the 5G connection against my regular Gigacomm home internet connection.

Here’s how Vodafone’s 5G internet ping rates compared to my fixed-line connection. All tests were carried out on a laptop connected to each modem via an Ethernet cable.

I handed over the main 5G modem to my gamer colleague who lives at the Homebush address, and while they could connect and play games, they added that it was “very laggy and cuts out frequently, particularly when experiencing higher ping speeds”.

Based on this statement and the ping speeds, the Vodafone 5G home internet service isn’t likely going to be a good option for hardcore gamers.

Vodafone 5G Home Internet: Extra Features

With the exception of Optus, which includes a standard Netflix subscription with its top-tier uncapped 5G home internet plan, you won’t find any extra perks bundled in with a home broadband plan.

Vodafone mobile customers stand to benefit the most from a 5G home internet service with the telco, as they can save AU$5 per month ongoing 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. Firstly, you’re required to pay a minimum of one month of the service and the monthly fee is charged “until the end of the month in which you notify that you 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’ll be charged a device payment calculated at AU$11 per unused month in a 36-month period. The maximum cost of the modem if it’s not returned is AU$396. If you remain 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 tricky to find many reviews from customers for Vodafone's 5G home internet service. However, of the accounts I can find, via Reddit and Whirlpool, the general consensus is positive, with people claiming they get good 5G signal and decent speeds.

As for Vodafone as an internet provider on the whole, however, things are much less positive. The telco's NBN service receives generally negative reviews on sites such as Product Review, with a 2.1-star rating out of 5, from 544 reviews at the time of publishing.

Given the fact you're able to return the 5G modem to Vodafone within 30 days of cancelling a service to avoid paying the modem device fee, I would still recommend signing up to Vodafone 5G home internet, as you can effectively trial it for a month and only pay AU$60 for the 100Mbps plan.

Vodafone 5G Home Internet: Verdict

Based on my experience using the Vodafone 5G home internet plan, I can recommend it for anyone considering signing up for the non-NBN alternative. I would, of course, recommend you check your area for network coverage before signing up.

Plan pricing is competitive, especially if you are able to achieve download speeds faster than those advertised. This isn't a guarantee of course, but a nice bonus.

I also appreciate the fact that Vodafone will waive the modem device fee if you return it within 30 days of cancelling your service. Considering some other providers, such as Optus, don't offer the same benefit, it makes Vodafone's service the more attractive option.