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jpress's avatar
jpress
On our wavelength
2 months ago

Hub 4 and connect app problems

Following the request by virgin media to follow government directives and move off superhub 2 which no longer gets security updates, I got a hub 4. First problem, hub 4 doesn't play with my netapp WiFi range extenders that I use to boost the signal to the v6 box which is on a different floor and side of the house.

After nearly an hour I got through to a human (in India) who suggested a pod at an extra £8 a month about which I was very reluctant as I think I already pay them way too much. Apparently I can have up to 3 of these but need the connect app to detect wifi blackspots. However after installing the connect app I found it can't detect the hub 4 on either the main or guest WiFi. Even when I uninstall it and reinstall and yes, my devices can connect to the hub WiFi.

 

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  • Client62's avatar
    Client62
    Alessandro Volta
    2 months ago

    We do not permit the Connect app in our home, we quickly found it constantly modifies our choice of Wi-Fi settings, without warning it re-enabled Guest Wi-Fi and it deleted all the Reserved IP's for our printers and VOIP phones.   The Connect app is 100% non grata.


    VM Smart Wi-Fi aka "Wireless Channel Optimization"  aka Merged Wi-Fi in the Connect app,
    is a repeat offender in the Wi-Fi compatibility gripes on this Forum.   

    We found the VM Hub offers better Wi-Fi compatibility / stability with 
    Smart Wi-Fi disabled and the Wi-Fi Channels fixed ( i.e. not set to Auto ).  

    For 2.4GHz use channel 1 or 6 or 11 only and for 5GHz try with channel 36 or 44.

  • jpress's avatar
    jpress
    On our wavelength
    2 months ago

    Once the Pod arrived and I installed that, I downloaded the VM connect app again and strangely it immediately picked up the Hub 4 and the Pod and I was able to scan each room in the house. I also used Meteor to measure the wifi performance. The strength of the signal now reaching the V6 box at the back of the house (hub is on the 1st floor at the front) is now excellent and I get a strong signal most of the way down the garden, although it falls below 30mbp towards the top of the garden where my wife likes to sit, but I doubt that is covered by the VM wifi guarantee ;-) Not experienced the problems mentioned above, but then I don't use reserved IPs and I use the Guest network for work machines. So far, so good except the £8 per month increase on the bill 

    • Buffer6's avatar
      Buffer6
      Legend
      2 months ago

      It sounds like you're dealing with quite a frustrating situation. Here are a few suggestions that might help:

      Compatibility Check: Ensure that your Netgear WiFi range extenders are compatible with the Hub 4. Most Netgear extenders are designed to work with a wide range of routers, but there can be exceptions.

      Placement of Extenders: Make sure your extenders are placed optimally. They should be within the range of your Hub 4's WiFi signal and ideally halfway between the hub and the area where you need the signal boosted.

      Connect App Issues: The Virgin Media Connect app has been known to have issues with detecting the Hub 4. Some users have found that uninstalling and reinstalling the app, or clearing the app's cache and data, can help4. Also, ensure that your device is connected to the main WiFi network and not the guest network when trying to use the app.

      WiFi Pods: While the additional cost is a downside, WiFi pods can significantly improve coverage and might be a worthwhile investment if other solutions don't work.

      Manual Configuration: If the Connect app continues to be problematic, you might want to manually configure your WiFi settings. This includes setting fixed channels for your WiFi bands instead of leaving them on auto.

      If these steps don't resolve the issue, it might be worth contacting Virgin Media again and requesting a technician visit to check the hub and connections.

    • Sabrina_B's avatar
      Sabrina_B
      Icon for Forum Team rankForum Team
      2 months ago

      Hi jpress 👋.

      Thanks for reaching back out to us, sorry to hear of the issues that you are facing with your Wi-Fi connection. Whilst we only guarantee Wi-Fi within the home we can assist where needed to potentially push the connection to a boundary of a customers garden using additional Wi-Fi Max pods. Please join me in a private discussion to see where we can assist.

      Sabrina

      • jpress's avatar
        jpress
        On our wavelength
        2 months ago

        Thanks for the offer, I might take you up on the offer. Yesterday evening we couldn't even see the wifi when sitting in the greenhouse at the end of the garden which is a sort of garden room. Today I moved things around and found a combination that seems to work. The hub is now closer to the door of the office (box room at front of house, upstairs) which spreads more of the signal inside. The pod is now in a back bedroom upstairs pointing towards the back wall & window. This covers the area directly below it where the V6 is (shows 100% most of the time). It actually gives a stronger signal than having the pod downstairs where I used to have a Netgear extender, probably providing a stronger signal to the pod from the hub.  Being higher up, the signal reaches the greenhouse although with varying signal strengths - I'll have to monitor this as it is border line around the 30mbp mark. Ideally, I feel like there should be a pod downstairs, either in the conservatory (diagonally forwards from the back bedroom) or perhaps the middle of the garage (along the side of the house and seems to get a good signal mid-way where there are some sockets) which extends closer to the greenhouse area. I'll monitor things and let you know.