Hub 3 Wi-Fi poor coverage

[Jon1951]

Anybody got any tip to extend the Wi-Fi coverage , it’s a hub 3 that will not reach the room my pc is in, I live in a bungalow, the hub has approximately 1 meter of cable, so moving the hub is not an option. 
would a virgin Wi-Fi booster help ?

the signal drops to 1 maybe 2 bars , very poor signal strength in this room, 

used virgin connect , scan room , result , ok but poor signal.

any help welcome.

regards Jon. 

[Andrew-G]

VM will supply "pods" that work with the hub like a mesh wifi network, but there's other options:

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Networking-and-WiFi/Black-spots/m-p/4976008#M468130

[Jon1951]

As I thought, I’m stuffed, the hub has a poor reputation for coverage,
Been with virgin many years
On a yearly contract, paying plenty but no solution from virgin,

[Corey_C]

Thanks for your post and welcome to the Community Forums, Jon1951,

There may be several factors that can impact wifi signals such as, where the hub is located, objects surrounding the hub, wall density, reflective surfaces, radio interference from other electrical devices and others. These things will not be picked up by diagnostics, only that the hub is working and configured properly. In some instances,  our wifi pods may be needed based on these factors. see here: https://www.virginmedia.com/shop/broadband/intelligent-wifi-pods-new

Cheers,
Corey C

[jbrennand]

Also see this...
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If it is a wifi only issue, then on a Hub3/4/5, you can 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/Smart wifi” “ 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 Hub users get better wifi performance - but its still no substitute for getting better kit 🙂

To address the wifi issues, VM now supply “wifi Pods” (no longer doing cheap and cheerless “boosters”). However, their Pods are only free to customers on the 1GB, Ultimate Oomph or Volt packages - is that you? If so they are worth trying - they should work for you.

If not… you will be charged £5/month. Its a simple solution and should work for you. However, you would soon pay off that cost by buying your own wireless solution that will be yours to own and use forever, but it isn’t the simple plug and play option of the Pod(s).

You would need to get either a… (1) Mesh System, (2) Wireless router, (3) Wireless access point (4) Powerline adapters (+/- inbuilt Wifi,) (5) A combination of (2,3,4).

[Jon1951]

Many thanks for all the reply’s , all is well on my Amazon devices in the same room, and about the house, my conclusion is that I have an old pc that has an old network device, it works on my pc if I restart my pc, Wi-Fi locks on,

I have had this hub now for a long time, it’s just not fit for purpose, money for nothing, a lot of money for nothing,,
I hub is just a get by, 

just give me a better more effective, better coverage hub,

that’s not going to happen, but virgin will still charge me for a device that’s not fit for the service I pay my pension to.

no fix for me , enough.

regards Jon,

[Pbx2021 · Accepted solution]

Any supplier provided equipment is quite literally pants. Buy yourself some decent equipment, stick the hub in modem mode and never worry again. D-Link COVR’s are £99 for a two pack and are WiFi 6 compliant, you don’t need the most expensive gear but ANYTHING is better than these guns. 3/4/5 doesn’t matter, they are all rubbish.

[Jon1951]

Why should I be forced to pay for something else that should be supplied by the company  I pay to supply me with devices that work, 

If I did buy a new fit for purpose device do you think that virgin would reduce my monthly bill? 

I think not, 

No answer to this problem for me and many many others.

JON

[jbrennand]

The VM Hubs work just fine for 95% of their >5m customers - my pal around the corner thinks the Hub4 is the finest wifi router money can buy! I, and others, who know that the "tear-down" component cost is about ten quid.... think otherwise 🙂

But VM's all powerful Marketing Department will never sanction issuing better quality and more expensive equipment just to give increased "satisfaction" to the 5%. Their solution is to supply pods for sorting the wifi issues and they do work well for the vast majority of the remaining 5%.  Only those living in Faraday cages or mansions with thick stone walls or have leaky Microwave ovens (like my new Panasonic ☹️) and similar... will remain with poor wifi coverage.

So its down to costs...if you are on  higher package then Pods are free, otherwise you do have to pay an extra £5/month for pods - but that is still half the price that BT charge their customer's for a "Whole Home Wifi", solution.  For your tenner a month BT give you 3 of their "Discs"... but... a 3-pack of these can be bought on Amazon for ~£100.

The maths say that for any ISP you go with buying your own wifi gear makes economic sense and preserves your sanity - I did that in 2001😎

[Jon1951]

So if I fall in the 5% that have poor coverage, I will have to live with it, pay an extra £5 a month for a pod ? Or leave virgin, 

if all 5% did leave because of poor hub coverage, would virgin act ? I think not,

end of topic,

it has no viable solution, just an expensive cost solution to me , 

Jon