Appalling WiFi coverage with hub 3

[Chicks]

I have made multiple calls to Virgin about our appalling wifi coverage with the hub 3. I have literally done everything I have been asked to do regarding troubleshooting all to no avail. I keep being told the issue is with coverage and to invest in their boosters. I am paying £60 per month already and I expect to be able to get coverage in my living room, seated 3m away from the router. I have asked for a technician to be booked several times but unfortunately there seems to be a total reluctance to offer this service. I am literally pulling my hair out as I need decent, reliable WiFi to work from home. PLEASE can someone from Virgin arrange for a technician to be booked! 

[jbrennand]

VM (like all ISP's) dont actually guarantee wifi connections. If you take one of their "wifi solutions" they will all charge extra (BT charge £10/month). They will not send a Tech to purely wifi issues unless it is proven to be actually faulty.

Can you also say... what is the signal like if you are sat close and in line of sight to the Hub?

What make/model of devices are you using to connect?

I guess you will have tried this but, is the Hub out in the open or in a cupboard or behind a TV, etc., - if so... can you move it around a foot or two and see if that helps?

Did you also try separating the SSID's of the 2.4 and 5 GHz wifi bands by renaming them in the settings and at the same time switch off "channel optimisation" apply and save the settings. All wifi devices will need reconnecting to the best SSID at each location. Also use a wifi scanning App to find the best wifi channels to use (just select and use channels 1,6,11 on 2.4GHz) - this often helps Hub3 users get better wifi performance.

Finally, are your issues only over wifi? That is, what are connections like on devices connected on ethernet cable. If you dont know are you able to test that? Different solutions will be needed depending on that outcome.   If the ethernet connections are problematic then it suggests there is an issue with the connection and not the wifi and a Tech may be needed

[Chicks]

Many thanks for your reply, really appreciate it. The wifi is really hit and miss even within close range of the hub at times. We moved it to the other end of the desk so that it was more out in the open but still an intermittent issue. It's in the living room and at times we can't connect to wifi when we are in the same room. We bought a Devolo Magic to try and get wifi in our cabin at the bottom of the garden (approx 25m from the hub) but major issues. Wifi upstairs is bad. We use iPad, MacBook Air, various iPhones etc to connect. On the back of the hub where my iMac connects via ethernet, the green light flickers the whole time. One call operator said this was fine, another said it meant the connection was not stable. When I tried to run some diagnostic tests on my iMac (connected to hub via ethernet cable) via the Virgin website, it said it couldn't even detect the router. I am totally baffled and fed up 😞 

[Megan_L]

Hi Chicks, 

Thanks for using the forums to get this issue with your broadband services looked into, I am sorry if this has been causing some frustration. I would be more than happy to look into this for you.

I have already taken the time to look into your services on my side, I've checked your downstream/upstream levels and they are all within spec. However, there are some issues with your in-home WIFI coverage which needs attention!

Usually this kind of WIFI issue is caused by congestion on the WIFI bands, if one or more devices are on the wrong WIFI channel (2.4ghz & 5.0ghz) it can cause congestion which materialises as intermittent connection and slow speeds. 

• 2.4ghz - This channel is more suitable for low impact devices, so things like mobile phones, tablets, in-home PA systems etc. The things that don't need a huge amount of bandwidth to work effectively. 2.4ghz has a lower capacity, but it's signal reach has a wide radius, so even if you go upstairs it will still be able to connect (unless you live in a mansion! lol)
• 5.0ghz - This is a channel for the more heavy hitter devices like PC's, Consoles and laptops that you may use for gaming, streaming and other heavy usage. 5.0ghz has a smaller signal radius, but it's capacity is much better. The radius can be boosted by using our WIFI Pods so even if you have a PC in another room, you can still connect to 5.0ghz.

I have seen on my side that there may be devices on 5.0ghz that either need to go on 2.4ghz or connect them to an Ethernet.
In order to keep congestion in check, you'll need to follow the steps on this link - Change WIFI Channels - this will show you how to change them if any devices are on the wrong band.

A good way to see if this is improving things is to set up a BMQ graph which basically gives us a visual representation of what your internet is doing over a 24 hour period. You can also share this as a link with us as well so we can see exactly what you're experiencing.
Please have a go and we'll see if the slow speeds improves over the next few days 🙂

Thanks,

Megan_L

[jbrennand]

The Devolo's are very good powerlines for wifi. But powerlines require a "connected" electrical circuit to work. Is your Cabin's electrical circuit the same one as where the unit plugged into the Hub is on? If not they wont work

[Chicks]

Hi Megan,

When we were told to reboot the hub 3 a few weeks ago we reverted back to the factory settings and although we have still have two channels showing, the 2.4 and the other one starting VM470, we cannot connect to the 2.4. I'm assuming the 5 is the one starting VM470? If I select 2.4 on my iMac, iPhone or iPad, it says no internet connection. I switched the hub on and off as shown in the video to try and divert channels but still no luck trying to connect to 2.4. I'm happy to set up a BMQ graph. I have called multiple times over recent weeks as there is definitely an issue with coverage but I have felt fobbed off and disappointed with the service considering we pay £60 pcm. I appreciate you taking the time to look into this for us. I'll set up the BMQ graph now. 

Hope to hear from you soon.

Best wishes,

Charlotte

BMQ graph just set up.

[legacy1]

All hubs wifi go to heaven at random times in their life ask for a new hub or get your own wireless router and use the hub in modem mode.

[Akua_A]

We further apologise for this experince @Chicks  and we want to do our best to help.

Just to confirm did you try the steps seen here https://www.virginmedia.com/help/virgin-media-changing-your-hubs-wireless-channel to see if you can connect to the 2.4?

Also please set up the BMQ graph and post the results after 24hrs so we can best assess your service.

Thanks,

[Chicks]

I just turned it on and off again as recommended in the video as it said not to set up manually. Should I try to do it manually? I'll pass on BMQ results in 24 hours. 

[Akua_A]

Please try doing it manually and let us know how you get on.

Thanks,