Virgin Media Community

[Jongy]

Like a number of users I have been having big problems with an unreliable connection, drop-outs, getting kicked off zoom calls, very poor gaming performance with constant lag and high ping, and at least one gaming server disconnect each day - all despite having a 350mb connection, with speed tests usually running above 200-250mb. I have tried the online checker, hub reboots etc but the problem persists, and if anything has been getting worse over the last few months.

I have set up a BQM on thinkbroadband, which is available here:

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/c555ba056a7967a5a923a0f208174a19cd6b8aac

I will also post router status details below. 

Reading other posts, this seems to be some kind of congestion/oversubscription issue in my area, but what can I do about that (other than leaving virgin and going with a different ISP, which is what I think my best option is right now....)?

Thanks. 

[Jongy]

Router status details: 

Cable Modem Status
Item	Status	Comments
Acquired Downstream Channel (Hz)	691000000	Locked
Ranged Upstream Channel (Hz)	60300000	Locked
Provisioning State	Online

Downstream bonded channels

Channel	Frequency (Hz)	Power (dBmV)	SNR (dB)	Modulation	Channel ID
1	691000000	3.2	38	256 qam	36
2	507000000	4.4	38	256 qam	13
3	515000000	4.8	37	256 qam	14
4	523000000	4.5	37	256 qam	15
5	531000000	4	37	256 qam	16
6	539000000	4.4	38	256 qam	17
7	547000000	3.9	37	256 qam	18
8	555000000	3.4	37	256 qam	19
9	563000000	4	38	256 qam	20
10	571000000	3.5	37	256 qam	21
11	579000000	3.7	38	256 qam	22
12	587000000	3.4	38	256 qam	23
13	595000000	3	37	256 qam	24
14	603000000	3.7	38	256 qam	25
15	611000000	3	37	256 qam	26
16	619000000	3	38	256 qam	27
17	627000000	3.2	37	256 qam	28
18	635000000	2.9	37	256 qam	29
19	643000000	2.7	37	256 qam	30
20	651000000	2.9	37	256 qam	31
21	659000000	2.7	38	256 qam	32
22	667000000	3.4	38	256 qam	33
23	675000000	2.7	37	256 qam	34
24	683000000	2.2	38	256 qam	35

Downstream bonded channels

Channel	Locked Status	RxMER (dB)	Pre RS Errors	Post RS Errors
1	Locked	38.6	179	131
2	Locked	38.6	8934	156
3	Locked	37.6	7777	213
4	Locked	37.6	8961	241
5	Locked	37.6	6622	243
6	Locked	38.6	5793	128
7	Locked	37.6	5214	229
8	Locked	37.6	4264	238
9	Locked	38.6	3261	237
10	Locked	37.6	2523	236
11	Locked	38.6	1437	227
12	Locked	38.6	1268	240
13	Locked	37.6	1281	151
14	Locked	38.6	679	150
15	Locked	37.6	725	139
16	Locked	38.6	644	229
17	Locked	37.6	447	250
18	Locked	37.6	382	240
19	Locked	37.6	442	253
20	Locked	37.6	385	243
21	Locked	38.6	366	140
22	Locked	38.9	188	241
23	Locked	37.6	298	240
24	Locked	38.6	362	248

[Jongy]

Router status details (2)

Upstream bonded channels

Channel	Frequency (Hz)	Power (dBmV)	Symbol Rate (ksps)	Modulation	Channel ID
1	60300000	40	5120	64 qam	1
2	39400000	38.5	5120	64 qam	4
3	46200000	40	5120	64 qam	3
4	53699983	40	5120	64 qam	2

Upstream bonded channels

Channel	Channel Type	T1 Timeouts	T2 Timeouts	T3 Timeouts	T4 Timeouts
1	ATDMA	0	0	7	0
2	ATDMA	0	0	4	0
3	ATDMA	0	0	5	0
4	ATDMA	0	0	4	0

General Configuration

Network access	Allowed
Maximum Number of CPEs	1
Baseline Privacy	Enabled
DOCSIS Mode	Docsis30
Config file	A,.iyewrkldJKDHSUBsgvca69

Primary Downstream Service Flow

SFID	11652
Max Traffic Rate	402500089
Max Traffic Burst	42600
Min Traffic Rate	0

Primary Upstream Service Flow

SFID	11649
Max Traffic Rate	38500089
Max Traffic Burst	42600
Min Traffic Rate	0
Max Concatenated Burst	42600
Scheduling Type	BestEffort

Network Log

Time	Priority	Description
08/02/2021 17:44:59	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
08/02/2021 12:37:57	notice	DHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt062-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
08/02/2021 12:37:57	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
07/02/2021 15:30:29	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
07/02/2021 14:13:11	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
07/02/2021 14:13:11	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/02/2021 16:02:42	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/02/2021 07:57:20	notice	DHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt062-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/02/2021 07:57:20	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
04/02/2021 15:42:2	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
04/02/2021 14:30:6	notice	LAN login Success;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/02/2021 19:24:29	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/02/2021 04:18:34	notice	DHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt062-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/02/2021 04:18:34	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
29/01/2021 05:27:43	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
28/01/2021 16:18:34	notice	DHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt062-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
28/01/2021 16:18:34	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
26/01/2021 12:35:35	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
25/01/2021 04:18:33	notice	DHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt062-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
25/01/2021 04:18:33	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

[Andruser · Accepted solution]

BQM confirms your suspicions - it is over-utilisation.  And you assessment of your options is likewise correct.  You can tolerate it, and it will probably resolve when lockdown is over, or you get yourself a new ISP.  There's nothing that VM can do that would quickly resolve this.

You can complain or try and book a technician, but that's not going to result in the problem going away, because (even if VM were inclined to try), fixing over-utilisation is a long winded and complex job that requires careful planning and can be expensive.