Virgin Media Discussion Thread

[Ayahuasca]

with these docsis changes its not the actual cable they come out and replace so how far can the current installed cables go?

after all its just copper coax cable been around for decades.

Well, coaxial cables are still involved for those on Gig1? RFoG is used on most new installs, so if it came to it then it would just be a matter of replacing the cable from the box on the wall to the router. However, that won't be needed until we see speeds well above 1 Gigabit it seems. I would hazard a guess that even their current 2.2Gbps trial still uses a small amount of coaxial cabling.

 

[Cyber-Mav]

im just wondering from a long term prospective can copper cable compete with fiber optics? the fiber optic network is not just more modern materials but its a newer infrastructure thats been laid down more recently so theoretically it should be better for the long run.

 

[Avalon]

Well, coaxial cables are still involved for those on Gig1? RFoG is used on most new installs, so if it came to it then it would just be a matter of replacing the cable from the box on the wall to the router. However, that won't be needed until we see speeds well above 1 Gigabit it seems. I would hazard a guess that even their current 2.2Gbps trial still uses a small amount of coaxial cabling.

RFoG is only used where the area has been built or migrated to using fibre, that’s usually new network build areas. Any new customer signing up in a pre-existing copper build location gets copper from what I’ve seen/been told, of course that could vary by region, but you’d need changes to be made upstream.

im just wondering from a long term prospective can copper cable compete with fiber optics? the fiber optic network is not just more modern materials but its a newer infrastructure thats been laid down more recently so theoretically it should be better for the long run.

I’m not sure where you are trying to go with this, it’s already a 10Gb capable medium, are we now worrying about if it’ll handle 40? 80? 100? I mean duct work is duct work, everyone’s gets blocked/caves in daily.

 

[Ayahuasca]

RFoG is only used where the area has been built or migrated to using fibre, that’s usually new network build areas. Any new customer signing up in a pre-existing copper build location gets copper from what I’ve seen/been told, of course that could vary by region, but you’d need changes to be made upstream.

Yeah, this is what I meant by new installs, perhaps should have worded it differently.

 

[Cyber-Mav]

I’m not sure where you are trying to go with this, it’s already a 10Gb capable medium, are we now worrying about if it’ll handle 40? 80? 100? I mean duct work is duct work, everyone’s gets blocked/caves in daily.

just wondering out aloud. think is copper wise the signals still have to overcome the resistance of the wire itself. i dont think thats an obstacle for fiber optics. so just thinking about the pros and cons of the 2 methods to delivery interwebs.

 

[ChrisD.]

Coax is an excellent transmission medium. Sure, it's not as good as fibre, but it's still very capable in this day and age.

 

[Cyber-Mav]

does the coax has longer transmission lengths than ethernet cables?

 

[GhostlyPea]

So, problem started in November here. Current ETR: February 26th (Was November, then December, then January, Then February). Fantastic having to put up with this for 18h/day:

Spoiler: Pings

C:\Users\Chris>ping 8.8.8.8 -t

Pinging 8.8.8.8 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=27ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=41ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=41ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=84ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=123ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=15ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=254ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=351ms TTL=117
Request timed out.
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=90ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=244ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=25ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=27ms TTL=117
Request timed out.
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=448ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=277ms TTL=117
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=117
Request timed out.
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=149ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=96ms TTL=117
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=79ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=59ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=63ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=70ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=58ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=42ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=130ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=53ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=227ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=236ms TTL=117
Request timed out.
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=77ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=60ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=368ms TTL=117
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=139ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=27ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=260ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=138ms TTL=117
Request timed out.
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=127ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=82ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=34ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=147ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=18ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=360ms TTL=117
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=160ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=198ms TTL=117
Request timed out.
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=85ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=494ms TTL=117
Request timed out.
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=99ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=84ms TTL=117

Ping statistics for 8.8.8.8:
Packets: Sent = 68, Received = 47, Lost = 21 (30% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 15ms, Maximum = 494ms, Average = 134ms
Control-C

Ive wasted about 8 hours over he last 3 weeks on hold getting through to them, then had theiur staff lie directly to me over and over again. Then they refuse to handle complaints or escalations. I'm so livid

- GP

 

[HEADRAT]

I hear it's very easy to have an accident with a spade that cuts the coaxial into the house, this would require a Eng. to be sent out to fix.

Before they leave you can insist that your service it working without problem, get the Eng. mobile number, keep calling him back until it fixed.

 

[GhostlyPea]

You have no idea how tempted I am. Unfortunately the little I have managed to glean indicates its capacity, I assume its simply them being tight and waiting as long as possible to increase the capacity at the POP. Honestly, the worst bit if their poor customer service more than anything. I'm moving into my new home in about 2-3 weeks, I am going to have to order VM there as its the only provider with a decent service until we get FTTP. They are great when it all works and abysmal when it doesnt - this is really making me hate the idea of paying them more money

- GP

 

[Avalon]

does the coax has longer transmission lengths than ethernet cables?

While it varies in some regions, generally it's fibre to the bomb in the pit, so the copper runs are usually kept to a minimum.

 

[majestyk]

Can you still terminate your contract if they recind the increase?

 

[Caged]

While it varies in some regions, generally it's fibre to the bomb in the pit, so the copper runs are usually kept to a minimum.

AFAIK there's not a fibre to coax transition that happens on the VM network in pavement chambers. HFC areas are thick copper cables linking each distribution cabinet back to a large cabinet where the active equipment lives, and the RFoG areas use little cabinets with the microducts in, a bit like CityFibre.

I guess with the fragmented nature of cable TV in the UK it could vary by region though.

 

[hellarda]

Currently paying £64/mo for M350 and the "bigger" TV bundle. Had the email saying it's going up to £68. Called up to "cancel" and immediately got offered an automated discount of £4 which is actually outrageous, just preying on people who don't phone up.

Our contract is up for renewal in March, and just wondered if anyone knew if taking the discount constitutes to renewing your contract? Don't want to take the £4 discount if I could have negotiated for something better come renewal in March.

 

[ChrisD.]

I'm moving house in a few months to a VM area and I currently have Sky TV which has 14 months or so remaining on the contract. I'll be using VM for broadband since the FTTC offering is a lowly 30/6 which I'm doing to struggle to work with.

I notice VM do massive discounts for also taking their TV services. My question is: how do they work when I'm part way through a broadband only contract? Are they likely to bolt on TV and put on savings or would I have to wait until the broadband contract is over and then sign up in my mrs name?

 

[wellibob]

I believe if you move doesn't matter how long your fixed broadband services are you can terminate it. I'd definitely say I'm moving abroad though, this cuts them off cold. Good luck.

 

[ChrisD.]

I believe if you move doesn't matter how long your fixed broadband services are you can terminate it. I'd definitely say I'm moving abroad though, this cuts them off cold. Good luck.

My broadband is with PlusNet and it's out of contract, but that wasn't part of my question.

 

[Ayahuasca]

We got the most basic TV package when I signed up with them last year, they rang up 3-4 months later and offered all the other channels (barring sky sports and sky cinema) for an extra £1 a month lol. I took it simply because it included BT sport (including the ultimate channel) as I watch football.

If you want SS or SC with them it's expensive. They've rang me a couple of times trying to get me to buy SS and the lowest price was £15 a month extra. It doesn't include UHD though as Sky aren't allowing Virgin to offer their UHD channels.

 

[ChrisD.]

I don't think UHD makes a huge amount of difference, for me at least. It's so badly compressed compared to native 4k. I do however want SS and BT Sports (for Football, Formula 1 and Rugby Union).

 

[Ayahuasca]

Not tried Sky UHD so wouldn't know. There's a noticeable difference on BT Sport though, plus you get Dolby Atmos on the ultimate channel which is nice if you have the setup.