Virgin Media Community

[timothymorris]

I have the M350 package (Hub 3.0), and I'm getting an awful ping 100+ when gaming (csgo). My computer is connected directly to the Hub 3.0 router. Analysis provided below.

Can you please advise how I can correct this issue?

Cable Modem Status Item Status Comments

Acquired Downstream Channel (Hz)	427000000	Locked
Ranged Upstream Channel (Hz)	53700000	Locked
Provisioning State	Online

  Downstream bonded channels

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

1	427000000	-2	37	256 qam	37
2	251000000	-3.2	37	256 qam	15
3	259000000	-3.2	37	256 qam	16
4	267000000	-3	37	256 qam	17
5	275000000	-3	37	256 qam	18
6	283000000	-3	37	256 qam	19
7	291000000	-2.7	37	256 qam	20
8	299000000	-2.4	37	256 qam	21
9	307000000	-2.2	37	256 qam	22
10	315000000	-2	37	256 qam	23
11	323000000	-1.9	37	256 qam	24
12	331000000	-2	38	256 qam	25
13	339000000	-1.7	37	256 qam	26
14	347000000	-1.5	38	256 qam	27
15	355000000	-1.9	37	256 qam	28
16	363000000	-1.7	37	256 qam	29
17	371000000	-1.5	38	256 qam	30
18	379000000	-1.5	38	256 qam	31
19	387000000	-1.5	38	256 qam	32
20	395000000	-1.5	37	256 qam	33
21	403000000	-1.7	38	256 qam	34
22	411000000	-1.7	37	256 qam	35
23	419000000	-2	37	256 qam	36
24	435000000	-2	37	256 qam	38

Downstream bonded channels

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

1	Locked	37.6	787	6728
2	Locked	37.6	394	5880
3	Locked	37.6	439	5904
4	Locked	37.6	391	6066
5	Locked	37.3	362	6189
6	Locked	37.3	332	6168
7	Locked	37.3	328	6186
8	Locked	37.6	301	6510
9	Locked	37.6	253	6564
10	Locked	37.6	207	6589
11	Locked	37.6	227	6731
12	Locked	38.6	297	7038
13	Locked	37.6	240	6945
14	Locked	38.6	219	7010
15	Locked	37.3	320	7008
16	Locked	37.6	249	6978
17	Locked	38.6	202	6921
18	Locked	38.6	244	6897
19	Locked	38.6	286	7130
20	Locked	37.6	322	7274
21	Locked	38.6	257	7398
22	Locked	37.6	318	7228
23	Locked	37.6	325	7440
24	Locked	37.6	950	6373

Upstream bonded channels

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

1	53700000	4.675	5120	64 qam	2
2	39400000	4.675	5120	64 qam	4
3	46200002	4.675	5120	64 qam	3
4	60300000	4.825	5120	64 qam	1

Upstream bonded channels

Channel Channel Type T1 Timeouts T2 Timeouts T3 Timeouts T4 Timeouts

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

[Andruser]

Nothing stands out in those figures, although the error count could indicate problems depending on when the hub was last rebooted.  how long has this been a problem?

Suggest you post the network log, and also visit Thinkbroadband.com and setup a Broadband Quality Monitor.  Let the BQM run for 24 hours and post a link to a shared snapshot chart here.

[timothymorris]

Thanks for the response.

I forgot to edit out my IP, so the image didn't post correctly (thankfully). Ping check from today shown below, and previous days look very similar.

You mentioned rebooting the router, how often should the router be rebooted and how much difference would this make?

[Andruser · Accepted solution]

A DOCSIS hub is a software controlled device, and in my view regular reboots do the temperamental devices good. 

Unfortunately I don't think that is  going to help with your issues, because the BQM looks to my eye like conclusive evidence of over-utilisation in your area.  Basically, VM appear to have sold more contracts in the area than the equipment has the capacity to handle.  They're currently blaming Covid for many of these problems, and there's a bit of truth in that, but the widespread complaints about over utilisation were picking up before lockdown, so I think there's been a policy decision by the company last year to sell more even if that causes problems (not that I can prove that).  

VM rarely invest to fix over-utilisation.  Doing so is slow, complicated and expensive, and the financial returns are not there.  From their point of view better to stick their fingers in their ears to drown out the complaints, maybe issue a fault number that keeps getting shoved two months down the road every time it is due to be resolved, and hope that customers either grow accustomed to the shonky service, or leave in sufficient numbers to bring traffic back within capacity.

There's little you can do to change this.  VM's complaint process won't change company behaviour.  Appealing to CISAS won't help because they can't force VM to make investments.  And you can complain to Ofcom, but they are useless, a true chocolate teapot amongst regulators.

Your main options:

1) Put up with this hoping it gets better.  It may, it may not, and there will be no credible or useful guidance from VM on whether they really plan to invest to fix the fault.  Possibly after lockdown has fully gone then things will improve.

2) Investigate your options with other ISPs.  If this is the way you want to go, and you're in a fixed term contract, you'd need to hope that at the busiest times (as shown on your BQM) that you could run a series of speed tests until they drop below the minimum speed guarantee, and then invoke the speed guarantee policy to leave without paying early termination fees.

Sorry, not what you want the hear, nor what I'd like to advise, but that's how I think the land lies.

[timothymorris]

I had a feeling this was the issue, thank you for your help and explanation.

[John_GS]

Hi timothymorris

Thanks for posting and welcome to the community. I am sorry to hear of the broadband issues, though checking the account there's no congestion issues. The hub has been up for 65 days without a reboot however. Please reboot and let us know if it fixes things,

Kind regards,

[timothymorris]

Thanks for your response John.

I rebooted the router on Sunday, but it doesn't seem to have made too much of a difference to my latency (still very unreliable) - see pictures for Monday / Tuesday.

Would this suggest that Virgin Media is just overcrowded at the moment, and can't supply the consistency required for gaming?

[Tom_F]

Sorry to hear about the ongoing issues timothymorris. As things stand there are no capacity issues logged for the area and everything appears to be OK.

I appreciate your recent experience suggests otherwise though so we'll arrange further checks to try and get to the bottom of this. I'll send a PM shortly to confirm a few details & hope to hear back from you soon.

Tom