Nothing quite kills the excitement of moving into a new place like realising, box cutter in hand, that you have no internet. No WiFi to look up the nearest pizza place, no way to stream something while you unpack, and no connection for whoever in the household needs to work the next morning.
The good news: with a bit of planning, you can walk into your new home with the internet already switched on and waiting for you. The key is understanding the actual order process, and getting it started well before moving day. Here's exactly how that works.
First: Do You Need a Transfer or a New Plan?
Before you place any order, it's worth knowing which of these situations you're actually in, since it changes what happens next.
A straightforward transfer applies if you're staying with the same provider and your new address can support the same or a similar plan. In this case, you're not signing up from scratch. You're moving your existing service and billing across to a new address, and in many cases keeping the same plan, price, and account.
A new plan is needed instead of a simple transfer in a few common situations:
- You're switching providers. If you're using the move as an opportunity to change providers, a very common and sensible time to do it, you'll need to sign up as a new customer rather than transfer an existing account. There's no exit fee to worry about if your current plan is month-to-month, so it's a sensible time to do it.
- The connection type at your new address is different. Moving from an FTTP address to an FTTN or HFC address (or vice versa) usually means a different plan structure, since the speed tiers available depend on the connection type at that specific address. nbn Co's guide to connection types covers the differences in more detail.
- Your new address can't support your current speed tier. If you're on a higher-speed plan and your new address can only support a lower tier (or vice versa), your plan needs to change to match what's actually available there.
- The address has never been connected before, such as a new build. There's no existing service to transfer, so this is treated as a new connection from the outset.
If you're unsure which situation applies to you, that's fine. When you place your order, checking your new address against your current plan is one of the first things that happens, and you'll be told clearly whether it's a transfer or a new plan before anything is finalised.
The Order Process: What Actually Happens, Step by Step
This is the part that actually matters for avoiding a gap in service, so here's exactly how it plays out.
1. Check your new address. Before anything else, check what connection type and speed tiers are available at your new address, and whether it's been connected to the nbn® network before. This single detail determines almost everything about your timeline. You can check this yourself using nbn Co's address checker, or your provider will confirm it for you when you place your order.
2. Place your order and choose your connection date. You don't need to wait until you've got the keys. You can place your order and select a future connection date, right down to your actual move-in day, weeks in advance. This is the single most useful thing you can do to avoid arriving with no internet.
3. Your provider checks whether a technician is needed. If the address has been previously connected and the nbn® equipment is still there, your service can often be activated remotely, sometimes in as little as fifteen minutes to a few hours once the order is processed. If the address needs a technician visit, because it's never been connected before, the equipment is missing, or it's a new build, you'll be offered the earliest available appointment window.
4. You'll receive a confirmed activation date, or appointment window. If a technician is required, someone over 18 will need to be available at the property during that window. If it's a remote activation, no one needs to be home.
5. Your old service is disconnected on your chosen date. If you're transferring or switching providers, this is coordinated so there's no unnecessary overlap paying for two services, and no unnecessary gap in between.
6. On the day, plug in and go. If the address was previously connected, find the nbn® connection box, plug your modem in, and give it a few minutes. If it was activated ahead of time, it will often just work as soon as you power it up.
As a general guide: for a previously connected address, a few days' notice is usually enough. For an address that needs a technician visit, aim to place your order at least two weeks ahead of your move if you can, since appointment windows fill up quickly around common moving periods.
What Your Provider Handles For You
Once you've placed your order, here's what should be managed on your behalf rather than left for you to chase:
- Checking your new address against the nbn® network to confirm connection type, available speed tiers, and whether it's previously connected.
- Booking any required technician appointment, and keeping you updated on the confirmed date and window.
- Coordinating the timing between your old and new service, so you're not left with an unnecessary gap or double-paying for overlapping services.
- Confirming activation, so you know your connection is genuinely live and ready before you arrive, rather than finding out on the day.
- Flagging any additional charges upfront, such as the one-off $300 New Development Charge that applies if you're moving into a property that's never had a fixed internet connection before. This is passed through from nbn Co under Australian Government policy, and you should be told about it at sign-up rather than finding it on a bill later.
With Ezi Broadband, all of this is handled as part of placing your order. You give us your new address and your preferred connection date, and we manage the rest.
Don't Take the nbn® Box With You
This trips up more people than you'd expect. The small nbn® connection box at your current address, the one with the nbn logo, usually mounted on a wall or sitting near a power point, is registered to that address and won't work anywhere else. It's easy to assume it's part of your own equipment and pack it along with your modem and cables, but it needs to stay behind for whoever moves in after you. nbn Co runs an ongoing reminder campaign about exactly this, since it's such a common mix-up.
If you do take it by mistake, nbn Co will provide a free reply-paid satchel to send it back. But avoiding the mix-up in the first place saves everyone a headache, so it's worth mentioning to whoever's packing up the study or the cupboard where it's installed.
What you should absolutely take with you: your modem, any WiFi extenders or mesh units, and your cables. None of that is tied to the address, and all of it is yours to keep.
What About Your Modem?
Whether your existing modem works at your new place depends on whether the connection type is the same.
If your new address has the same connection type (for example, you're moving from one FTTP home to another), your existing modem will generally work without any changes.
If your new address has a different connection type (moving from FTTP to FTTN, for instance, or vice versa), your modem may need reconfiguring, or it may not be compatible at all. This is worth checking before moving day, rather than discovering it once you're trying to get set up.
If you're not sure, flag it when you place your order. We'll confirm your new address's connection type and let you know if anything about your existing setup needs to change.
A Few Extra Things Worth Checking
Landlord or property manager consent, if you're renting. If your new rental doesn't already have an active connection, it's worth confirming with your property manager that installation work (if a technician visit is needed) is permitted before your move-in date.
Your phone number, if you have a home line. In most cases, you can keep your existing number when you move, provided you're staying within the same general area. If you're moving further afield, you may be assigned a new number, and your provider should confirm this with you before the switch goes ahead.
The Bottom Line
The biggest cause of moving-day internet stress isn't the connection process itself. It's leaving it until the last minute, and not knowing whether you actually need a transfer or a new plan. Once you know which situation applies to you, placing your order early and locking in a connection date is what makes the difference between arriving to a working internet connection and arriving to an empty one.
With Ezi Broadband, you can place your order, confirm whether it's a transfer or a new plan, and schedule your move-in date well ahead of time, so instead of arriving to an empty internet connection, you arrive to one that's already sorted.
Check your new address and schedule your connection today.
Ezi Broadband is a 100% Australian owned and operated nbn® provider. No lock-in contracts, no hidden fees, and real local support when you need it.