Hub 5: Our first ever WiFi 6 broadband router

[Kei_M]

Back in October we announced the launch of the new Hub 5 and we’ll be offering this to customers at no extra cost as part of a phased rollout.

Our next-generation Hub works alongside Virgin Media’s ultrafast broadband network to deliver peak WiFi performance, thanks to WiFi 6.

This latest future-proof WiFi standard, which will work with Virgin Media’s existing DOCSIS 3.1 technology, is designed to power the next-generation of connected devices – including modern smartphones, laptops, tablets and next-gen games consoles.

With this latest technology and even more WiFi antennae than its predecessor, the Hub 5 will be able to support more devices, connecting at the same time, while expanding coverage and stability which improves WiFi performance.

It means the new Hub 5 boasts increased WiFi speeds, lower latency and can help reduce interference from neighbouring hubs and devices.

The Hub 5 has been designed to support multi-gigabit speeds and comes with a 2.5Gbps ethernet port alongside three additional 1Gbps ports.

FAQ

How can I get a Hub 5? / I’m on Gig1 Fibre and need the Hub 5 to maximise my service

We've started to offer the Hub 5 as standard to new Gig1 customers as well as existing customers without a Hub 4 who upgrade to Gig1. Currently there is no other way to get a Hub 5.

Temporarily, due to stock levels at the end of last year and the start of this year. Some Gig1 customers expecting a Hub 5 may have received a Hub 4 instead. We'll be contacting these Gig1 customers to offer them a Hub 5 via email.

What are the specs?

-Broadband – DOCSIS3.1/3.0 Broadcom 3390S

-WiFi:

• 5xAntennae
• 4x4 MiMo 5Ghz Broadcom 6715
• 3x3 MiMo 2.4Ghz Broadcom 6710
• WiFi 6 (802.11ax)

-Ethernet:

• 1x2.5Gbps Broadcom 54991EL
• 3x1Gbps Broadcom 3390S

[TeddyTRK]

I'd say around 30-40% of 1gig customers have a Hub 5. I have had 3 replacements for it already. As it stands, speeds are better but the Hub is not finished, it took a full day just to update for me yesterday. It also flashes blue i stead of red when it has no WiFi lol. It is more stable after this update, and I believe the update was for Upload Speed increases in the near future. 

VM are lying that you need to wait for an email, its been available on Hub 5 packages for 2 and a half months now. It even says on the VM website "Comes with VM Hub 5" on 1 gig packages. The hub 4 and hub 5 - other than over wifi speed increase and (to some, not most) Ethernet speed increase - it's just not worth atm. I wouldn't atress too much unless you really need it (try saying you have a fault or something is wrong with your Hub and it needs replacing)

[szymek1976]

You're right that they're lying but I didn't want to talk longer. Maybe they keep hub 5 for new customers to tempt🤔 not for customers like me. I've been with VM for a years. Currently I have hub4 and Gig1 speed is very slow. I have 4 months until the end of the contract, maybe it's time to change the provider🤗

[TeddyTRK]

Make sure you check for other fast speed providers local first, I wanted to leave a while back...other than VM it's Sky and thats only 68 mbps sadly

[szymek1976]

Thanks i have look👍

[marekthomasx1]

I have seen a LOT about things with hub 5, and I’ll have to say there’s a couple of key facts to highlight around the state current.

Key things I would like to highlight as known currently:

1) If you are on a hub 3 or 4 and upgrading to G1, you are usually sent a hub 5 by default, and Virgin has changed their broadband tier compatibility per hub to become streamlined (as it makes more sense to have for example a hub 4 for a 350/500 connection and 600/Gig1 to have a hub 5) 

2) Gig2? sure! sometime in the future. and yes! It wouldn’t surprise me with XGSPON we get GigX within 10/20 years 

3) XGS-PON will be here by 2028 (probably) across the entire network, with somewhere in the region of 100 pounds for a docsis/FTTP swap from what i read on ISPReview. (unless a new install is needed for 2 man, i presume), so bye-bye latency? maybe!

4) Since the dawn of DOCSIS, it’s a known fact that latency will be higher, as with Cable connections all over the world there is quite a fair bit of latency, and I can see peoples anger. again, XGS-PON is the way! to be honest, with VMIE taking the wholesale approach in the future with VodafoneIE already, there’s good things in the works (bar OR’s Equinox proposition for others, like VM wanting to do wholesale)

5) honestly, had 0 issues with my SH5 as of yet, and i switched back to VM pods and got rid of my mesh network, and back into router mode. i genuinely prefer it. 

6) DOCSIS as I understand it currently is VERY hard to make Symmetrical, purely because of the type of standard it is, again, XGS PON wont be 10/20:1 presumably 🙂

I don’t think many realise that yes, VM do listen, and they do help. I get it, a lot of people may not be well versed and you will get people who may not know as much as broadband routers and specifics as much as you, the reader, and I, but sometimes it is based on issues prior, or maybe just they’re not sure, nobody’s perfect. but some people are really passionate about it, and that’s great! 

I can tell you that there is a genuine implementation for customers upgrading to a Gig now by default, which is great. If the forum team do pick this up, if the community does have a suggestion box, my two cents would be to make Hub upgrades either available like they are with Tivo>V6>360 etc, or Adapting the Hub Swap help.virginmedia.com page? i don’t know. just a thought. anyway, that’s my peace 🙂

[snout]

I've been in contact a couple of times now, but everytime it's never an English based call. Ive explained several times now I'm on the 1 gig package and would like to get an hub 5. mainly for WiFi 6 range to the bottom of my garden in the pub shed. they still tell me it's not available. I've got a couple of pods but it's just not doing it. however I'm just getting by with my mesh system for now. just want to swap 4 to the 5 oh well I tried.

[TeddyTRK]

Does anyone have a number that almost guarentees you to get an English Operator on the other side of the phone? Maybe a certain time of the day we need to call up? I'm really trying to be respectful but 99% of the time I get nothing done with foreign operators as they try and follow guidelines given to them via Virgin Media and most don't even understand what they're saying. 

Most people on this Forum would also like to know too, it really is a pain.

[szymek1976]

Hi

@snout Try web chat. In my case, one day they told me that it was not on the stock and the next day, as I wrote on the web chat, they already had it🤔 ... Today I will have it

[marekthomasx1]

@TeddyTRK, the answer put simply? as for someone who used to work the phones, simply put “no.” i see why you’d say this though. I’ll be realistic, call centre staff from different teams I cannot comment on and quite frankly nor do I wish to as there are some great people from everywhere i’ve seen. to reiterate, I work for VM but all opinions are my own. as with anywhere, sometimes you do want to get annoyed with certain things, and a lot of things are picked up. If we see a high level of something, a team usually look at it quite rapidly.

I can’t comment purely on stock availability because certain departments may well get messages broadcasting that we don’t have enough available. it depends on many factors, Your Area ref and your local red-shed or RFC having stock, yodel timings, and to be honest, especially if you’re looking for better performance I would not have a QS, purely because an engineer testing my power levels first, SNR, the likes and tuning my line if i was having a hub swap (also the fact that if you replace a hub you have to re-pair pods to said hub, etc.) 

[ThruSST]

Will it still do the hub4 random reboot or have they sorted it out with the 5?

[carl_pearce]

What HUB 4 random reboot?

I had a HUB 4 for several years before recently replacing with a HUB 5, and no random reboots on either, just scheduled firmware upgrades.

[Deryk]

I had that problem with my previous hub 4, Finally they sent someone to have a look, he discovered that the hub was at fault, had no hub 5 to give me, called a few of his mates servicing the area and they had no spare, they even suggested calling other people for the 5, they had none, he did all this on speaker phone as he was re cabling to see if that would help.. he replaced my hub4 with a hub 4, problem went away, until last Sunday, everyday I have to restart the hub, ethernet speed drops to anything between 1-5 mbps,if restarting doesn't help I have to consistently reset with the pinhole to get nay speed at all..  ask for help on twitter, and got, " I hope your situation improves" I actually don't have the fight in me to insist, getting the service I pay for shouldn't be this hard, and to me it feels like a slap in the face that I can't get the hub5 but people who upgrade to gig1 can, but as an existing gig1 customer I have to put up with this rubbish hub4 and lacklustre service,

I just can't wait to leave at this stage, I have asked if I can downgrade and then upgrade again to gig1 to get the hub5 and they told me that as an existing customer- i'm an existing customer, so I wouldn't get the hub 5 until its 'in my area' (who do they think believes that) and as I've mentioned in previous posts, the guy that actually came to my house put in the service notes that he wanted a hub5 for my house, would have given me one and he himself asked for one to be sent out, the lady on the phone confirmed she could see this, but as an existing customer i'm not eligible ... not eligible to have my service working or a hub5, it took me something like 8 days to get a technician booked, they just wouldn't do it, 

i'm done, just get me away from Virgin Media, 

[thebatfink]

Im literally less than 3 months away from my 18 month contract finishing now 🙂 can’t wait.

[Dasein]

 Couldn't get a Hub 5 even in changing contracts at the time of renewal, they even said I would 😕 

 I guess even though it's 2023, people who were on the Gig 1 package prior to the wider release to other cohorts aren't going to get the upgrade option. Even if offering to pay extra for it. 

[Crazyforcats]

Hub 5 might sound great but what is not said is that your current landline phone might not be compatible with the new VOIP setup - so expect to spend out on a compatible VM Hub 5 VOIP phone, that's if you can find out which phone are compatible.

[nad_haque]

I’ve had issues with Hub 5 that my internet drops out completely then comes back on then goes off again. Engineers have investigated and found that there are currently issues with Hub 5s and there are not going to supply them to the engineer themselves until issues are resolved. I’ve gone back to Hub 4 and connection is reliable. Looking forward to go back on Hub 5 once it’s out probably around February or end of this month when supply starts again.

[thebatfink]

Just another reason to get rid of this service. First we got the puma craziness, now even after dishing out the hubs for almost 1.5 years they still got issues.

[IllLustration]

Yes, well, I'm keeping my options wide open. Hub 4 isn't ideal but I can make it work, do (very occasionally) use PSTN emulation, and nothing they offer is ever going to be as good as self-purchased equipment anyway. Anyone know why they don't just let you buy the cable modem for yourself? Seems like that'd be the best solution for demanding types like us surely?

[andrewmm]

you ask reason why not allowed to purchase our own kit 

possibly

a) Control. Virgin have access to all the back doors in the hubs

b) firmware update , virgin can / do so remotely, so they "know" what you have / they can control

c) may be the big one , There paranoia about one bit of kit breaking the network for all

[IllLustration]

Mmm. I note that other cable nets don't do this, for instance those in the US including Cox/Comcast. Still, at least we have "Modem Mode", although it doesn't really make up for the weak hardware specs, sadly.