Changing DNS. HUB 4

[337edy2]

Hi all

I recently sent in a complaint to Virginmedia regarding the speed of my internet connection. I have a 500Mb connection and speed checks suggest that it's running as it should although to be honest it doesn't seem any faster than previous internet connections that I've used at anything between 67Mb and 100Mb. The Virginmedia Team haven't come back to me with anything concrete and most of the response I got regarded WiFi only. I have no interest in WiFi and my router is configured to switch my WiFi OFF. I don't use It for anything. I have cat6 installation for my purposes which I much prefer. I've never considered my DNS before but it was suggested by Virgingmedia that my DNS could be slow. As far as I know I use my ISP DNS. I don't know that much about these things but surely if my ISP DNS is slow then my ISP should fix that! I suspect there is a lot more to it than that! I feel the 500Mb I'm paying for isn't all it's supposed to be so my questions are as follows.

Is it safe to change DNS?

Can someone recommend a DNS to use?

Are there any specific DNS I should avoid?

I did a DNS benchmark and the fastest of the ones checked were NTL associated with Virginmedia. It was the only UK based one on the list. All the others were US based. Can someone enlighten me as to what I should be looking for please. Thanks.

[jem101]

Yes it is safe to change DNS, unfortunately the Hub 3 and 4 have no provision to allow you to do that and in any case it wouldn't help your speed issue in the slightest. Who suggested it by the way - VM's offshore call centre staff by any chance?

Can you log into the hubs web management page on 192.168.0.1 and  take a look at the various hub status pages. If you could copy and paste the data into a reply here (the forum software will strip out any personal data such as IP and MAC addresses), please not screenshots as they tend to include all that stuff so won't be approved and in any case can be really hard to read. We can then take a look and see if anything jumps out.

The other thing is to setup a BQM from the Thinkbroadband site which will monitor your connection from the outside (so to speak).

[jbrennand]

Most people I know would use either the CloudFlare DNS - with the reassuring "address" of 1.1.1.1 - or one of Googles 8.8.8.8 - not sure if you can change it on the Hubs though

Whether that sorts the speed issue is another Q.   Are you testing over wifi or ethernet cable connections?  If wifi what does ethernet get out of the first Orbi unit?  Also ethernet cables do fail - have you tried new Cat6a ones?

[337edy2]

Hi

Hope this is the information you require. Thanks.

3.0 Downstream channels

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

1	139000000	18.7	37.6	QAM256	1
2	147000000	17.5	37.4	QAM256	2
3	155000000	17.6	37.4	QAM256	3
4	163000000	16.9	37.4	QAM256	4
5	171000000	15.9	37.4	QAM256	5
6	179000000	16.1	37.4	QAM256	6
7	187000000	16.3	37.6	QAM256	7
8	195000000	15.9	37.4	QAM256	8
9	203000000	17.1	37.4	QAM256	9
10	211000000	17.5	37.4	QAM256	10
11	219000000	17.5	37.6	QAM256	11
12	227000000	17.6	37.6	QAM256	12
13	235000000	16.8	37.4	QAM256	13
14	243000000	16.7	37.4	QAM256	14
15	251000000	16.8	37.4	QAM256	15
16	259000000	15.7	37.4	QAM256	16
17	267000000	16.3	36.6	QAM256	17
18	275000000	15.9	36.6	QAM256	18
19	283000000	14.9	36.6	QAM256	19
20	291000000	16.3	37.4	QAM256	20
21	299000000	17.3	37.4	QAM256	21
22	307000000	17.5	37.6	QAM256	22
23	315000000	18.1	37.4	QAM256	23
24	323000000	17.8	37.6	QAM256	24
25	347000000	18.2	37.4	QAM256	25
26	355000000	19	37.6	QAM256	26
27	363000000	18.8	37.4	QAM256	27
28	371000000	19.3	37.6	QAM256	28
29	379000000	18.8	37.4	QAM256	29
30	387000000	19.4	37.4	QAM256	30
31	395000000	16.9	37.4	QAM256	31

3.0 Upstream channels

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

1	60300000	40.3	5120 KSym/sec	64QAM	1
2	39400000	39.3	5120 KSym/sec	64QAM	4
3	46200000	39.3	5120 KSym/sec	64QAM	3
4	53700000	39.8	5120 KSym/sec	64QAM	2

3.0 Upstream channels

Channel Channel Type T1 Timeouts T2 Timeouts T3 Timeouts T4 Timeouts

1	US_TYPE_STDMA	0	0	0	0
2	US_TYPE_STDMA	0	0	0	0
3	US_TYPE_STDMA	0	0	2	0
4	US_TYPE_STDMA	0	0	0	0

Refresh data

Network LogTime Priority Description

Tue 21/09/2021 10:37:23	6	CM-STATUS message sent. Event Type Code: 24; Chan ID: 159; DSID: N/A; MAC Addr: N/A; OFDM/OFDMA Profile ID: 2.;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
Tue 21/09/2021 11:05:04	3	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
Tue 21/09/2021 11:46:39	6	CM-STATUS message sent. Event Type Code: 24; Chan ID: 159; DSID: N/A; MAC Addr: N/A; OFDM/OFDMA Profile ID: 2.;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
Tue 21/09/2021 11:50:44	3	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
Tue 21/09/2021 11:50:49	5	Lost MDD Timeout;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
Tue 21/09/2021 11:51:05	3	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
Tue 21/09/2021 11:51:09	6	CM-STATUS message sent. Event Type Code: 23; Chan ID: 159; DSID: N/A; MAC Addr: N/A; OFDM/OFDMA Profile ID: N/A.;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
Tue 21/09/2021 12:06:06	5	DBC-REQ Mismatch Between Calculated Value for P1.6hi Compared to CCAP Provided Value;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
Tue 21/09/2021 12:08:26	3	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
Tue 21/09/2021 12:08:56	6	CM-STATUS message sent. Event Type Code: 24; Chan ID: 159; DSID: N/A; MAC Addr: N/A; OFDM/OFDMA Profile ID: 2.;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
Wed 22/09/2021 08:32:37	3	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
Wed 22/09/2021 08:32:43	3	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;

[Tudor · Accepted solution]

Downstream power way way too high and upstream is low. You definitely need an attenuator fitted and probably moving to another tap on the street box. From those stats I would think your property is very near the street box.

Call Customer Services on 0345 454 1111 or if you have a VM landline 150 or wait a day or so for a VM staff member to get to your post and they will arrange a technician’s visit.

[337edy2]

Hi

Thanks for checking my post. Can you tell me about an attenuator? At what point would that be fitted? At box in street? End of line in property before router?

[jbrennand]

In property - between the wall point and the Hub

[asim18]

---

@337edy2 wrote:

Is it safe to change DNS?

---

It's very unlikely, but DNS can be a "vector" for hacking.

If the DNS server gets "hacked" it can send you to fake websites even if you type in the correct URL. Therefore you should pick an established DNS provider, not a basement DNS provider.

Also, when you change DNS the company operating the DNS will know what DNS requests you're making so there is the issue of privacy. So you need to ask yourself do you support the organisation you are sending data to? Do you support the organisation selling your web data to overseas partners? Have you read the privacy policy? Some organisations state that they sell your data to china/russia/etc.

Personally I just stick with VM DNS because they are my ISP and i assume they store their data in the UK. and it's fairly quick and reliable.

Personally I would never switch to Google because they pump whatever data they collect directly into building Artificial Intelligence, and they are too "data rich" which is a bad thing for the internet according to 'A Brief History of the Internet', by Michael Hart. I don't like to support Artificial Intelligence because it's having a negative effect on human intelligence.

By the way changing DNS does NOT increase data rate. DNS speed only affects the initial connection to the server.

The DNS only has one job to do, and that is to point you towards the data you have requested. A fast DNS will take 15ms to point you to the data, and a slow on might take 70+ms. , After it has pointed you towards the data its job is done, it has no effect on the speed at which data gets to you.

[ALF28]

dns

I use my own router so can set the dns to my choise, I am presently using quad9 which is very fast, but was using open dns before and virgin dns.

If using a virgin hub, they fix the dns to virgin, but most computers and tablets allow the dns to be set up by in network adaptor "properties" (ip4) the dns can be set and usually has 2  values,

my quad 9  has dns of 9.9.9.9 & 149.112.112.112.

There are different adaptors for ethernet and wifi so I set both to the same dns provider.

Each dns has its own merits and some are faster than others and some offer better security, virgin has some  web security  settings so is probably ok

It easy to change and try out a few different ones to see which gives the best performance, google dns for advice and options.

Open dns allows some cutomisation and this need a login to open dns with free and paid options.

Many members seem to like cloudfare, I have tried most of them, including google dns and not a great difference which one is used, but I did find virgin dns slow as they have less servers.

alf28

[Martin_N]

Hi 337edy2,

Thank you for your post. I'm sorry for the issues you had with your service.

I have been able to locate your account and can see you have been able to get this resolved. 

Please do let us know if you require any further assistance. 

^Martin