Optus outages and service status in Portland, Victoria

Problems in the last 24 hours in Portland, Victoria

The chart below shows the number of Optus reports we have received in the last 24 hours from users in Portland, Victoria and surrounding areas. An outage is declared when the number of reports exceeds the baseline, represented by the red line.

Community Discussion

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Optus Issues Reports

Latest outage, problems and issue reports in social media:

• 
  Horrible Lizard (@horriblelizard) reported 5 minutes ago

  isn't this like the third major nationwide outage where "oh **** people couldn't even dial 000" from telstra and optus in like two years

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  Bruce Goodwin (@zzbrgood) reported 7 minutes ago

  @lodo25 @Ausbobsmit I’m usually in favour of government owned utilities but in my opinion the only privatised function that appears to work is communications. If there was only Telstra we’d be paying top dollar with no alternatives. I’m with Optus and my wife with Telstra so there wasn’t a problem.

• 
  John Lang (@jdhlang) reported 11 minutes ago

  @EVERALDATLARGE Agree Everald. Yes there was a system fault, and yes 000 Failed. And Yes after the Optus problems the Labor Minister for Communication put in place to hopefully fix the problem. Calling for government to leave is a bridge too far. It will take time to fix. It’s not down every day

• 
  Jack The Aussie (@hammerofleft) reported 14 minutes ago

  @amagickeagle999 Listen up ********. She's not expected to run it. She is expected as the responsible minister to oversee the regulatory framework and take the necessary legislative steps to protect consumers and ensure service standards are maintained. She promised tougher oversight after the two Optus outages last year and has done nothing, **** all. Over 600 triple 0 calls failed, lives at serious risk let alone the economic damage. Get it through your thick skull - She dropped the ball.

• 
  BRODA (@RazeBannon) reported 18 minutes ago

  Ask Grok: Can ISPs block VOIP? Yes, ISPs can block Voice over IP (VoIP) traffic at their network level, and many do so in practice. This is technically feasible using tools like port blocking, deep packet inspection (DPI), and other traffic management techniques. How ISPs Block VoIP ISPs control the core network infrastructure, so they can inspect and filter traffic before it reaches customers. Common methods include: Port-based blocking**: Traditional VoIP often uses specific ports like UDP 5060/5061 for SIP (signaling) and a range of ports (e.g., 10000–20000) for RTP (media/voice). ISPs can simply drop traffic on these ports. Deep Packet Inspection (DPI)**: This examines not just headers but packet contents, signatures, packet sizes, timing, and protocol behavior to identify VoIP even if it uses non-standard ports or obfuscation. DPI can dynamically detect and block SIP, RTP, or app-specific patterns (e.g., Skype, WhatsApp calls). IP address or domain blacklisting**: Blocking known servers of VoIP providers. Protocol anomaly detection or traffic shaping**: Dropping or throttling UDP-heavy, low-latency streams typical of voice calls. Real-World Examples Certain countries and carriers (e.g., in the Middle East, Morocco, Philippines, or places with state telecom monopolies) block VoIP to protect traditional phone revenue or for regulatory reasons. Mobile providers like Optus 4G or others have blocked SIP traffic. Corporate/school networks or bandwidth-limited ISPs sometimes block or deprioritize VoIP to conserve resources. China has historically blocked VoIP, though workarounds emerged over time. Limitations and Challenges for Complete Blocking Encryption and obfuscation**: Modern VoIP (e.g., over WebRTC, HTTPS, or apps like Signal/WhatsApp) is harder to detect reliably. DPI isn't foolproof against randomized ports, variable packet patterns, or VPN-like wrapping. VPNs and tunnels**: Users can often bypass blocks by routing traffic through a VPN, which encrypts and hides the VoIP signature. Evasion techniques**: Providers and users adapt with port hopping, STUN/TURN servers, or proxies. False positives**: Overly aggressive blocking can disrupt other UDP-based services (gaming, video streaming). Complete, unbreakable blocking is difficult long-term without also harming general internet performance, but partial or effective blocking for most users is very achievable. Why ISPs Do This Reasons include protecting legacy telephony revenue, complying with regulations, managing bandwidth, reducing congestion, or enforcing content policies. In summary, yes—ISPs have both the capability and precedent for blocking VoIP, primarily via DPI and port controls, though motivated users can often circumvent it. If you're dealing with a specific ISP or scenario, details could help narrow down options. TCP/IP allows spam filters at the node level. This is one small example. TCP/IP remains neutral and ethical.

• 
  Jeremy (@jez99) reported 20 minutes ago

  What an absolute joke from Telstra today. Changed companies to them from Optus over their outage a few years ago and it still happens. Had no connection all morning.

• 
  Ash 🇦🇺 (@TheInspectorAsh) reported 22 minutes ago

  @JacintaAllanMP We saw similar issues with Optus. There is supposed to be redundancy that allows emergency calls to be carried over any available mobile network. If our emergency communications and critical infrastructure are meant to be resilient, why do single network outages continue to have such widespread impacts? It’s time to review whether our redundancy is truly independent, or whether we’re relying on backup systems that share the same points of failure.

• 
  Mick (@SirMickW) reported 22 minutes ago

  Is #Optus NT #Darwin experiencing connectivity issues last few days ?

• 
  Digby’s mum (@CallieBuddy) reported 24 minutes ago

  @externallylaws Can confirm the outage impacted the wilds of NT - where there is no Optus service.

• 
  Cameron Holt (@Strikerminime) reported 25 minutes ago

  @Optus are the worst telco on the planet. You’d think that after over 30 years of loyalty they’d be willing to negotiate a compromise and maybe even a little leniency to someone in financial hardship, but no. They don’t care. It’s all about the money. Stay away from @Optus