For families trying to stay close across suburbs, states or countries, technology can either bridge the gap or create frustration. A grandparent waits for the call. The grandkids are ready. Someone has found the right app. The screen lights up. Faces appear. Then the picture freezes. The audio cuts out. Someone talks over someone else. A child gets distracted. A grandparent becomes flustered. What should have been a beautiful family moment suddenly becomes frustrating.
Check your internet plan first
Seven Network technology editor Shaun White said one of the simplest problems is also one of the most common: many Australians do not actually know what internet plan they are on. “The thing that still surprises me is when my own family or friends ask, ‘Oh, how do I get faster internet?’ And I say back to them, ‘What plan are you on?’ And they actually don’t know,” he said. “That is the basic thing that I would be checking.”
White said the starting point is simple. Check your provider’s app or website and look for the speed number attached to your plan. “You’re just looking basically for a number, NBN 50, NBN 100, and what that number is is the maximum speed,” he said. He compares that number to a water pipe. “The bigger the number, the wider the pipe is and the more that can come through, so you have that faster internet,” he said. “I think getting the speed right and knowing your plan is definitely the starting point to make sure that you can connect with people.”
Run a speed test to verify your connection
But knowing the plan is only part of the answer. White said families should also run a speed test at home to make sure the connection they are paying for matches what they are actually getting. “If you’ve got a plan that’s NBN 100 and you do a speed test and it’s regularly hitting 40 or 50, there’s an issue there, there’s a problem,” he said. “So I’d be getting in touch with your provider.” And for anyone worried that sounds too technical, White said it does not have to be. “You can do this really simply,” he said. “You just go into Google and say run an internet speed test. It’s as simple as that.”
Router placement matters
Then there is the router. For many households, the router has not moved since the day it was installed. It might be hidden in a cupboard, tucked behind furniture, or sitting in a bad spot where the signal struggles to reach the rooms people actually use. White said that can make a huge difference, especially when grandparents are trying to make video calls from a particular chair, bedroom or living area. “It needs to see a lot,” he said. “It should be in an open area, it shouldn’t be in a cupboard — I know a lot of people won’t love that because they like the design and aesthetic and they want to hide it away — but it needs to be able to see different rooms and not be blocked.”
For bigger homes, one router may not be enough. “If you’re on your phone in a dead spot, because if you have a two-storey house, that’s not going to work and you could be getting signals dropping out while you’re talking to the grandkids,” White said. He said some families are now turning to Wi-Fi extenders or mesh systems to help spread the connection through the house. “You’ve got to think of it like a cohesive ecosystem,” he said. “It needs to spread throughout the whole house. So if you do have a bigger house, one router may not do the job that you need it to.”
Restart your router regularly
But not every fix is complicated. White said families should also treat their router like every other device in the home. “If it’s on too long, it starts to play up a bit,” he said. “So you should be regularly restarting it.”
Why connection matters for older Australians
For older Australians, getting the technology right is not just about smoother video calls. Chris Grice, CEO of National Seniors Australia, said being connected online was now a major part of ageing well. “These days, being connected online is really about having a confident and really comfortable retirement,” he said. “And devices are just playing such an important role in being connected not only with family, but being connected with just general services — whether that be government or corporate Australia.”
For families separated by distance, that connection can be everything. “For regional and rural parts of the country, that tyranny of distance, sometimes the device is the difference between spending time with a loved one or not,” he said. For adult children, technology has also changed the way they support ageing parents. They can help organise appointments, research services, check in more often and guide their parents through online safety, even when they cannot physically be there.
Grice said telehealth had added a completely new dimension to the way families care for older relatives. “For older Australians, health is obviously a consideration and using devices to provide support, whether that’s for appointments or even just doing research in terms of who should they be talking to,” he said. “Technology plays a huge role in being able to support parents that otherwise they would have had to physically be there.”
Ask for help, even from the youngest
White said older Australians should not feel overwhelmed by technology, and should start by asking the people around them for help. “The more people you talk to, especially within your own family unit about what’s going on, the more help you can get,” he said. “Talk to your provider, but talk to your family members, ask them what they’re doing as well.” Sometimes, White adds, the best tech support might come from the youngest person in the room. “Even your kids’ kids,” he said. “Because they probably know more than anybody.”
This series is sponsored by nbn. As Australia’s broadband network, they’re here to help you get the most from your internet connection. Check what’s available at your address and learn how to optimise your internet set up at nbn.com.au.
