Virgin Media Discussion Thread

Associate
Joined
6 Jan 2006
Posts
474
Only tip I can give you is use a decent router since the Superhubs don't have get coverage on wifi

Full Unifi network here :D so no issues with wifi or any of the internal network. The Superhub would be used simply to connect to the outside world, no internal routing or wifi.

It does sound like VM can be a bit hit and miss. Great when it works but a nightmare when it doesn't.
 
Soldato
Joined
29 Dec 2002
Posts
7,176
Full Unifi network here :D so no issues with wifi or any of the internal network. The Superhub would be used simply to connect to the outside world, no internal routing or wifi.

It does sound like VM can be a bit hit and miss. Great when it works but a nightmare when it doesn't.

That’s basically it. Some people have few - if any issues - the upload disparity is an annoyance, but the higher download can offset that depending on your usage pattern and the current DOCSIS upgrades are the first step to Virgin addressing that, generally latency is slightly higher depending on the network type, but if you are in an area that’s OK, it’s fast/reliable. When you aren’t, it’s not fun (apparently). What’s slightly strange is that almost without fail if someone has an issue and it’s a VM connection, it’s suggested they may be in a congested area, even if the facts don’t support the conclusion.
 
Associate
Joined
2 Sep 2016
Posts
888
Swapped from 15/0.7 fttc to m100 last month, mostly been fine had a few hours where random web sites wouldnt load with a dns error, no sign of congestion in my area, sh3 does decide every now and again that nothing will get to use the internet on wifi, my gigabit ethernet connection hasn't ever gone down, min latency increased from 18ms to 19ms fair amount of jitter as well, speed is great hits 118mb download 11mb up
 
Soldato
Joined
22 Sep 2006
Posts
3,324
Swapped from 15/0.7 fttc to m100 last month, mostly been fine had a few hours where random web sites wouldnt load with a dns error, no sign of congestion in my area, sh3 does decide every now and again that nothing will get to use the internet on wifi, my gigabit ethernet connection hasn't ever gone down, min latency increased from 18ms to 19ms fair amount of jitter as well, speed is great hits 118mb download 11mb up

Better off getting a decent router and have Superhub3 in "modem mode"(mine is a rock solid connection ,so no down time unless somebody digs up the fibre optic cables outside again), btw make sure you have child safe off in your Virgin account settings, that does block a few sites. My ping is pretty good between 11ms and 18ms depending what site I use, jitter is between 2ms and 5ms on mine. I do gaming online so need a solid connection.
 
Last edited:
Soldato
Joined
18 Aug 2007
Posts
9,689
Location
Liverpool
I'd take Opeanreach FTTP for the superior upload speed.

Every day of the week, and twice on Sundays. Virgin is 'OK' mostly, especially the 1 gig service. Upload is poor, peering is terrible, and they're very prone to shoddy latency, jitter etc. Bite their arm off for BT based FTTP if you can get it, and enjoy. I'd recommend a decent provider (Zen or similar) for the least hassle. If we could get it around here I'd dig the road up myself.
 
Soldato
Joined
29 May 2005
Posts
11,145
Location
Hertfordshire
Wondered if anyone has any experience of a new install and being connecting up from a fair distance. I can see the green box around the corner from the house and little brown CATV covers on the pavement.

Basically Virgin got in touch with me after I used the form, and a field consultant says he looked at the network and there should be no problem with connecting up. But from what I can see they are going to have to put a trench from around the corner unless it can go under the road and pipes somehow?

I briefly managed to speak to him on the phone but it was moving day so had to be quick, but he said that he has to take direct debit details before they can come and look at the property. My concern is that they will start digging up and charge me a big bill for the work?

As it a bank holiday I have got to wait to phone back.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
29 Jun 2003
Posts
34,513
Location
Wiltshire
When covering an area they put down the green cabs and between that and your property might be a few access points for them in the pavement, then finally there is a connection to the edge of each property on the pavement. I'm not sure how far the cables are already in place but get the feeling they just connect it from the junction at your property pavement to your house (into a external box on your wall). Generally there isn't any digging as that work was all done months/years ago. As I've got grass at the front they just laid the cable in a cover underneath it in a line from the pavement to the front of the house. Not sure how they did it but I've never noticed the line in the grass, must have some way of cutting a thin slit and pushing it down :)
 
Soldato
Joined
29 May 2005
Posts
11,145
Location
Hertfordshire
When covering an area they put down the green cabs and between that and your property might be a few access points for them in the pavement, then finally there is a connection to the edge of each property on the pavement. I'm not sure how far the cables are already in place but get the feeling they just connect it from the junction at your property pavement to your house (into a external box on your wall). Generally there isn't any digging as that work was all done months/years ago. As I've got grass at the front they just laid the cable in a cover underneath it in a line from the pavement to the front of the house. Not sure how they did it but I've never noticed the line in the grass, must have some way of cutting a thin slit and pushing it down :)

Thanks the access point in the pavement outside the house is not on mine its located about 150 feet away down the road the greenbox is roughly 400 feet away.

I will find out more from the field engineer on Tuesday be nice if I can get wired up.
 
Soldato
Joined
29 Dec 2002
Posts
7,176
Thanks the access point in the pavement outside the house is not on mine its located about 150 feet away down the road the greenbox is roughly 400 feet away.

I will find out more from the field engineer on Tuesday be nice if I can get wired up.

He's not a field engineer, he's a field sales advisor working on commission and trained to a slightly higher standard so he can (theoretically) mark up construction, green box distance is irrelevant, it'll be fed from the nearest CATV access point outside the front of the property even if that's 150 ft away as long as ducting is in place. If it isn't in place, it's less likely they will do 150ft of construction, also 'round the corner' doesn't fill me with happy thoughts, if you are an un-cabled street in a cabled area, it's usually for a reason, though the corner house may be able to take a feed from the cabled street. You will be charged nothing more than (at most) the standard install fee (£35?), the only time excess construction was ever passed onto a customer was if the customer specifically requested it eg they had built a new property at the back of an existing plot and it needed more than the construction budget would provide, in most cases it was usually agreed the builder would trench/duct/rope the run during construction and VM would provide the cable as a compromise, nothing was ever done without agreement before hand and this doesn't seem to apply here.
 
Soldato
Joined
29 May 2005
Posts
11,145
Location
Hertfordshire
He's not a field engineer, he's a field sales advisor working on commission and trained to a slightly higher standard so he can (theoretically) mark up construction, green box distance is irrelevant, it'll be fed from the nearest CATV access point outside the front of the property even if that's 150 ft away as long as ducting is in place. If it isn't in place, it's less likely they will do 150ft of construction, also 'round the corner' doesn't fill me with happy thoughts, if you are an un-cabled street in a cabled area, it's usually for a reason, though the corner house may be able to take a feed from the cabled street. You will be charged nothing more than (at most) the standard install fee (£35?), the only time excess construction was ever passed onto a customer was if the customer specifically requested it eg they had built a new property at the back of an existing plot and it needed more than the construction budget would provide, in most cases it was usually agreed the builder would trench/duct/rope the run during construction and VM would provide the cable as a compromise, nothing was ever done without agreement before hand and this doesn't seem to apply here.

Thanks so I actually found the CATV access point just outside the property but I dont notice anyone else in the street wired up apart from houses around the corner 150 feet away.

The field sales advisor seemed confident on getting it connected up looking at the network I have signed up and waiting to see what happens.
 
Soldato
Joined
29 Dec 2002
Posts
7,176
Thanks so I actually found the CATV access point just outside the property but I dont notice anyone else in the street wired up apart from houses around the corner 150 feet away.

The field sales advisor seemed confident on getting it connected up looking at the network I have signed up and waiting to see what happens.

Sounds pretty straight forward then :)
 
Man of Honour
Joined
29 Jun 2003
Posts
34,513
Location
Wiltshire
Yep sounds like a normal install then, they'll just connect from that point to somewhere outside your house to a box. From that it will then go to where you need it (internally or externally).
 
Back
Top Bottom