Regarding the ring main, depends how the house is wired. Often upstairs and downstairs sockets are on different circuits, in my own house there's two rings that serve the sockets, but serving both upstairs and downstairs, split north/south side. Personally I'd avoid powerline boosters, but as VM don't (publicly) offer them now it may not matter.
If you're planning to call VM about the pods, be aware that if your package doesn't allow you them free, then they'll charge you £5 a month per pod, for a system you'll never own. On the plus side that's continually warrantied and supported, on the minus side its a very well padded price. A decent mesh system like the one I use is around £100-130. So even with a single rented pod - which with the hub is a two node system - within 21 months you'd have paid as much as buying a standalone system with three nodes.
There are no "wrong answers" on this. If you're the sort of person that chooses British Gas boiler servicing and maintenance plans and don't quibble on the price, the VM pod system is for you, and that's fine. If you're the sort of person that concludes a Skoda is a cheaper Volkswagen, just built more carefully, then buying your own mesh system is the way forward. Guess what car I drive!
I'm a Very Insightful Person, I'm here to share knowledge, I don't work for Virgin Media. Learn more
Have I helped? Click Mark as Helpful Answer or use Kudos to say thanks