Broadband Connection Issues - because of Chromecast?

[jadeirving]

Hi,

I've been a virgin media customer since June 2022 and have had constant issues with my Wi-Fi. I live in a poor signal area, so when the wifi doesn't work, I can't really use the data on my phone or hotspot and it's really starting to affect my work when I'm at home (software developer - 90% remote).

When I do a speed test, I get download speeds of 100Mbps+, which is what I'd expect on my plan. However, sometimes it will report those speeds but nothing will load on social media and then I'll be disconnected from the wifi 2 seconds later, before reconnecting again soon after. This goes on all the time and on multiple devices. When I'm simply scrolling online or more frustratingly when I'm watching something on a streaming platform or gaming. Sometimes I'll have hours without noticing it disconnect, on bad days it disconnects every hour or so. This happens in every room in the house, even when I'm sitting directly next to the router. I've tried rebooting the router, removing and reinserting the coaxial cable etc. but nothing seems to resolve the problem for more than a day or two. I haven't tried moving the router as I only have 1 virgin media coaxial access point and no ethernet points (with access to power nearby) setup in my new home yet, but as I mentioned previously, I have the same issue when sat directly next to the router. 

I have seen in a previous post there was an issue with Chromecasts affecting hub 2 performance, however, this was a post from 2018. I have a hub 3 and the latest Google Chromecast so I'm not sure if this could still be an issue and how it could be resolved. 

I've considered getting a Google nest mesh wifi system to boost the signal, but I don't want to waste nearly £200 and it not solve the problem. Please let me know if you have any ideas that might help me, or if not, how I can speak with someone that might help at Virgin. 

Thanks,

Jade

[-tony-]

start with the basics are all tests via wifi - if so can you connect via a lan cable and see if thats solid

post some info from the hub

log into hub3 - 192.168.0.1 [or 192.168.100.1 if in modem mode] - DON'T SIGN IN, click - click router status [centre of screen] - and post the downstream and upstream figures - to see those press on the grey buttons/boxes labelled - upstream - downstream

its never a waste of money buying a mesh system - the wifi from all vm hubs can be rubbish - the modem side is ok - think of the router side as something you buy from the pound shop and even at that you would expect change from your pound

[jadeirving]

I've just had a look and I've discovered the network log which shows a number of warnings and errors. They all appear to be for the same MAC address which I believe I've identified to be the router itself. Is there a possibility this could be a virgin issue? 

Time Priority Description

13/02/2023 01:47:58	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
12/02/2023 15:33:27	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/02/2023 00:19:27	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
09/02/2023 19:25:40	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
09/02/2023 10:57:28	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
07/02/2023 19:18:50	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
07/02/2023 14:58:1	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
07/02/2023 10:05:5	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
07/02/2023 01:42:57	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/02/2023 19:19:2	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/02/2023 07:09:26	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/02/2023 04:29:51	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/02/2023 02:01:4	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/02/2023 17:05:3	notice	NOTICE ATOM is restarted due to Kernel/oops panic as part of Self Healing Mechanism ;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/02/2023 08:48:36	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
02/02/2023 07:36:20	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/01/1970 00:01:39	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/02/2023 16:54:20	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
30/01/2023 09:17:24	notice	NOTICE ATOM is restarted due to Kernel/oops panic as part of Self Healing Mechanism ;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
29/01/2023 06:39:44	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

Please let me know if there is any further info I can provide that might help diagnose the issue. 

Thanks,

Jade

[jadeirving]

Some speed results:

Downstream bonded channels

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

1	259000000	4.3	37	256 qam	16
2	139000000	5.4	37	256 qam	1
3	147000000	5.3	38	256 qam	2
4	155000000	5	38	256 qam	3
5	163000000	5.3	38	256 qam	4
6	171000000	5.3	38	256 qam	5
7	179000000	5.3	38	256 qam	6
8	187000000	5.4	38	256 qam	7
9	195000000	5.4	38	256 qam	8
10	203000000	5.3	38	256 qam	9
11	211000000	5	38	256 qam	10
12	219000000	4.8	38	256 qam	11
13	227000000	4.6	38	256 qam	12
14	235000000	4.6	38	256 qam	13
15	243000000	4	38	256 qam	14
16	251000000	3.7	38	256 qam	15
17	267000000	4.6	37	256 qam	17
18	275000000	4.5	38	256 qam	18
19	283000000	4	38	256 qam	19
20	291000000	4	38	256 qam	20
21	299000000	3.7	37	256 qam	21
22	307000000	4.5	37	256 qam	22
23	315000000	4.9	37	256 qam	23
24	323000000	5.1	37	256 qam	24

Downstream bonded channels

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

1	Locked	37.6	3935	73
2	Locked	37.6	38375	262
3	Locked	38.6	23985	2386
4	Locked	38.6	14371	134
5	Locked	38.9	11665	1664
6	Locked	38.6	9461	5548
7	Locked	38.6	8440	151
8	Locked	38.9	7536	114
9	Locked	38.9	5965	62
10	Locked	38.9	8867	79
11	Locked	38.6	5857	106
12	Locked	38.9	7228	74
13	Locked	38.6	4861	181
14	Locked	38.6	3907	72
15	Locked	38.6	3853	104
16	Locked	38.9	3072	91
17	Locked	37.6	3348	76
18	Locked	38.6	5130	85
19	Locked	38.6	5166	78
20	Locked	38.6	9095	85
21	Locked	37.3	14984	83
22	Locked	37.6	11544	87
23	Locked	37.6	11103	150
24	Locked	37.6	7428	78

Upstream bonded channels

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

1	23600146	45.8	5120	64 qam	5
2	49600167	47	5120	64 qam	1
3	43100166	46.5	5120	64 qam	2
4	30100058	46	5120	64 qam	4
5	36600188	46.3	5120	64 qam	3

Upstream bonded channels

Channel Channel Type T1 Timeouts T2 Timeouts T3 Timeouts T4 Timeouts

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

[-tony-]

no idea on the log its a mystery and most of it meaningless i think - let others contradict me on that - theres a few pre and post rs errors but they could be historical - reboot the hub to zero them and see if they rise - post back on that 

rest of the levels are good

you make no comment about wired connections - thats the key - wifi has a mind of its own especially wifi from the VM hub

[jadeirving]

Thank you for your fast replies.

Frustratingly, I can't find any of my ethernet cables and most of the devices that have connection issues don't even have ethernet ports. 

After rebooting the router and logging onto the hub manager, I ran the network diagnostic tool and it came back with errors suggesting most of my connected devices have low signal and are too far from the router. My house is small so this seems odd, especially as most of the devices are in the adjacent room to the router, perhaps less than 10m away. 

I will purchase an affordable mesh system to try once I've got some more ethernet ports installed around the house. If that doesn't work I'll have to return it and try harder to speak with someone from Virgin. 

Let me know if you can think of anything else that might be causing this problem. Thanks,

Jade

[Chris_W1]

HI jadeirving, thanks for the message and welcome back to the forums. 

I am sorry to hear that there is an issue with the connection. I will send you a private message so that this can be looked into further. 

Kind regards, Chris.