Virgin Media Community

[Sim6065]

Hi,

I'm new to forum posts so please bare with me and if you need further information do say.

Since October I have experienced extreme drops in connection.

High latency and Ping, uncontrollable lag during gameplay.

I have had engineers out where both times they suggest a seperate issue, the reps on the phone aren't too understanding of the issues at hand.

I work from home, in detail I am a streamer and earn a living through it. In these desperate times it has become harder on everyone, im truly feeling the struggle where I am unable to earn my income due to the connection issues. It may not be understood by many but it is my source of income. I feed my family with it. Its my job.

I will do anything to get to the bottom of this issue, please. 

I am at the end of my tether and struggling mentally and physically. These times are tough but I cannot get through to someone who can help, which is making the issue worse and prolonging the losses i have and still endure.

Here is my BQM, every day is pretty much the same 

[url=https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/24ba99faa04bee7a589fbeb4ba36520ebc1e401e-18-01-2021][img]https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/thumb/24ba99faa04bee7a589fbeb4ba36520ebc1e401e-18-01-2021.png[/img][/url]

Here is my router Down/Upstream

Downstream bonded channels

Channel Frequency (Hz) Power (dBmV) SNR (dB) Modulation Channel ID

1	467000000	3.9	37	256 qam	8
2	411000000	5.4	37	256 qam	1
3	419000000	5.5	37	256 qam	2
4	427000000	5.5	37	256 qam	3
5	435000000	6.5	37	256 qam	4
6	443000000	5.8	37	256 qam	5
7	451000000	4.8	37	256 qam	6
8	459000000	4	37	256 qam	7
9	475000000	4.8	37	256 qam	9
10	483000000	4.8	37	256 qam	10
11	491000000	5.6	37	256 qam	11
12	499000000	5.8	37	256 qam	12
13	507000000	4.8	37	256 qam	13
14	515000000	4.4	37	256 qam	14
15	523000000	3.9	37	256 qam	15
16	531000000	4.3	37	256 qam	16
17	539000000	4	37	256 qam	17
18	547000000	4.1	37	256 qam	18
19	555000000	4.6	37	256 qam	19
20	563000000	4	37	256 qam	20
21	571000000	4.1	37	256 qam	21
22	579000000	4	37	256 qam	22
23	587000000	4.8	37	256 qam	23
24	595000000	4.6	37	256 qam	24

Downstream bonded channels

Channel Locked Status RxMER (dB) Pre RS Errors Post RS Errors

1	Locked	37.6	33	0
2	Locked	37.3	49	0
3	Locked	37.6	53	0
4	Locked	37.3	41	0
5	Locked	37.3	41	0
6	Locked	37.3	41	0
7	Locked	37.3	40	0
8	Locked	37.3	34	0
9	Locked	37.6	40	0
10	Locked	37.3	41	0
11	Locked	37.3	28	0
12	Locked	37.3	42	0
13	Locked	37.6	35	0
14	Locked	37.3	19	0
15	Locked	37.6	27	0
16	Locked	37.3	21	0
17	Locked	37.3	26	0
18	Locked	37.6	16	0
19	Locked	37.6	22	0
20	Locked	37.3	14	0
21	Locked	37.6	12	0
22	Locked	37.6	11	0
23	Locked	37.6	8	0
24	Locked	37.6	5	0

[Sim6065]

Upstream bonded channels

Channel Frequency (Hz) Power (dBmV) Symbol Rate (ksps) Modulation Channel ID

1	39400024	42	5120	64 qam	4
2	46200087	42	5120	64 qam	3
3	53700007	43.5	5120	64 qam	2
4	60300007	43.5	5120	64 qam	1

Upstream bonded channels

Channel Channel Type T1 Timeouts T2 Timeouts T3 Timeouts T4 Timeouts

1	ATDMA	0	0	1	0
2	ATDMA	0	0	0	0
3	ATDMA	0	0	0	0
4	ATDMA	0	0	0	0

Network Log

Time Priority Description

18/01/2021 21:26:55	notice	LAN login Success;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
18/01/2021 20:39:28	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
18/01/2021 20:32:33	notice	LAN login Success;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
17/01/2021 19:30:39	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
15/01/2021 09:29:34	notice	LAN login Success;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

PING www.google.com (216.58.206.132): 64 data bytes
72 bytes from 216.58.206.132: seq=0 ttl=118 time=140.000 ms
72 bytes from 216.58.206.132: seq=1 ttl=118 time=1940.000 ms
--- www.google.com ping statistics ---
3 packets transmitted, 2 packets received, 33% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max = 140.000/1040.000/1940.000 ms

Please help

[Sim6065]

[jem101]

Well the good news is that the Hub stats you have given are just fine, the bad news is that the BQM graph is showing a classic case of congestion (usually it's an upstream problem, for reasons that we don't need to bother about now). The cause is simply too many users or too much traffic for the local network segment to handle and a consequence of how cable broadband connection technology works.

The connection isn't actually broken, it's working exactly how it is designed to, think of the connection like a road, if there are too many cars using it, your commute is going to be miserable, but the road isn't broken, it can't be helped by resurfacing the road or getting faster cars, you simply need more road! Unfortunately for an internet connection, increasing the road size (capacity) is neither a cheap or quick process.

Now VM do invest and increase capacity in their systems but not as quickly as everyone might like, hopefully in a few days one of the VM forum team will find this thread, and check what the status is with your connection and advise if any remedial work is planned and the time frame for it  - but, be warned, these estimates can very often slip and you could be looking at many months before anything happens.

In their defence, VM never make any claims about latency and would certainly never advertise a product as being ideal and perfect for professional streamers - especially not a domestic internet connection with no guarantees or SLAs attached. 

Not that any of this particularly helps you right here and now, so what I would suggest is that you a) continue to call VM and complain about the poor quality of the connection making if difficult to play games, remote working etc. - don't say anything about losing money over it as that won't cut any ice as explained above, and b) at least start investigating alternative internet suppliers. Yes you won't get as good headline speeds but what's more important, speed or consistency of the connection?

Armed with all that, see what VM have to say about it when they reply and you can make your decision accordingly. Personally, in your shoes, I wouldn't be relying on any one provider. It might well pay you to keep VM for the raw speed and an alternative supplier as a backup and for the lower latency. 

[Sim6065]

Hi there, thank you for the response.

Really appreciate taking the time to take a look.

I think I figured this may be the case as I had hit so many walls trying to assess every area and turning a blank.

I called the other day to leave, but in doing that they warned me of a fee of £150. This was devastating knowing I am stuck here not being able to work and if I tried to do anything about it I would pay to leave and pay to join somewhere else. 

I understand that's the way things are but for an individual in the grand scheme can be very distressing and mentally burdening. Forced to endure the worst without any sign of it getting better.

I look forward to one of the Forum Team assisting here, some reassurance from them would help a little I guess.

Thanks again 

Sim

[Andruser]

Does it make a difference if this is highly likely to be due to Covid related working from home, and therefore will probably ease up over the next few three months or so?

If you really do want to leave, then first off do your research.  What's the alternative?  Can your chosen ISP confirm that there's acceptable speeds and no contention problems on Openreach for your area?  Remember that the large ISPs are much of a muchness, if you want accurate answers and decent service, you need to speak to the ISPs on the top right of this page. Also ask when they could get a line installed.  If it'll take Openreach a couple of months, that early exit fee may be a lot lower.  If low latency is paramount, get the new line as soon as possible, and just don't use the VM connection, let the contract "age-off" and cancel on the 30th day before it finishes.

And if you really want to cancel, and see no reason to pay a fee to VM, then use the VM complaints process (and almost certainly escalate for arbitration at CISAS ) to be released from contract without penalty. If you need to do this, the grounds of your complaint is the poor performance, and your request for release from contract without penalty is twofold: First the Consumer Rights Act 2015 that requires any consumer service to be provided with "reasonable skill and care", and second, the Ofcom Fairness Commitments that VM have signed up to, that states "Customers’ services work as promised, reliably over time. If things go wrong providers give a prompt response to fix problems and take appropriate action to help their customers, which may include providing compensation where relevant. If providers can’t fix problems with core services they have promised to deliver within a reasonable period, customers can walk away from their contract with no penalty."  Note that as far as I can see from what's here, VM haven't yet admitted that there's a problem, nor provided a fix date.  You'd need to use the complaint notifying them of a problem, invoking the clauses mentioned above, and requesting them to fix this in 30 days or release you from contract.  That's similar to the minimum speed rules, but you're not using that - the Ofcom commitments refer to "problems", not speed.  In the complaint, you should request a deadlock letter if they won't fix the fault or release you without penalty, as that deadlock letter allows you to escalate to CISAS (you can without, it's just much slower).

[Sim6065]

Hi there

Thank you for your acknowledgement.

I prefer not to leave, due to being a customer for well over a decade. A few hiccups here and there but never like this so yes, it may be Covid related but that unfortunately does not help not being able to work. Its hard to explain but hopefully this translates well, the longer I stay away from my line of work in streaming, the more I lose not just the income but the support and community I have spent many years working hard to create. 

Yes they will be understanding of the situation I am in but that doesn't help my income.

I really hope the forum team acknowledge this and give me more reassurance about what is happening and hopefully a time scale.

Thank you for all the information I have certainly made note and taken it on board.

Stay safe

Sim

[Andruser]

Ahhh..that puts rather a different context on the matter.  If your brand and "business" is being harmed by this, you need to do something quickly.  I'd park the VM performance issues and deal with them separately, and speak to one of those smaller ISPs to see what they could offer and how quickly they can get a new line in.  Making a guess, even if the VM issues are purely Covid related and will clear up, when will that be?  I can't see that happening before May..would you stake your business on normality being resumed earlier?

Would a Zen Internet connection with 66 down and 17 up work for you?  If it would that's going to be what, £40 odd a month for a one year contract, possibly on top of VM's charges, but how long can you let things plod on as they are?  How does that (assumed) forty quid compare to your monthly streaming income, and the accumulative loss of your audience base if you do nothing?

Don't forget that if you haven't cancelled VM yet, then getting a new Openreach connection in is (other than the modest inconvenience)very low risk, because if it doesn't work properly in the first fourteen days you can cancel and owe nothing under your "cooling off" rights.

[chatmandu]

---

@jem101 wrote:

In their defence, VM never make any claims about latency and would certainly never advertise a product as being ideal and perfect for professional streamers - especially not a domestic internet connection with no guarantees or SLAs attached. 

---

Virgin do advertise their service as being perfect for gamers. They even mention streaming in their advertisements. 

How can they claim it is perfect, when I, personally, am seeing ping and jitter that can exceed 1000ms? 

To me, this is a clear example of false advertising. 

[jem101]

I stand corrected! I wouldn't have approved this, but then I don't work in marketing!