VM CORE NETWORK FAILURE {URGANT}

[RR-IT-GUY]

Good afternoon all.

I want to bring to the attention of Virgin Media ASAP that there is an issue with the core network configuration.

It has been brought to my attention by a member of the Thinkbroadband forum that the "BGP is incorrectly configured and rather than going via Liberty Global /Aorta some traffic is going via LINX direct to VMO2" 

This poses an issue since there is a lack of capacity through this routing.

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/9195-bqm-showing-peak-time-latency-issues-for-virgin-media-users

This is causing issues with the core network within the last few days.

Please refer to the article attached.

MY BMQ's for reference

LIVE BMQ 

8/04/2022 

09/04/2022 

10/04/2022 

11/04/2022 

12/04/2022 

Kind Regards

RR_THE_IT_GUY

[RR-IT-GUY]

When I traceroute I normally end up either going through Manchester or London (I am based next to A1 inline with cambridge)

Not sure why the routeings changes every other week, it's a bit weird, the core network is turning into ZEN's (random routing to overcome lack of capacity, even if it increases latency by choosing a location far away)

[Luke_113]

There's work due in my area, Reading, on 27th apparently. I'd like to think this might solve the local capacity issue but unlikely.

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/bc73a9b9e2a14a5bea4bcd6d37a8869785...

When FTTP is available more widely, Virgin are gonna go out of business or have to drastically rethink the service they provide.

[jgtimperley]

---

@Anonymous wrote:Yup. The time it was down for tells a tale. VM did nothing, that was some action on the part of NetConnex.

---

Agreed. I saw the loss on my AAISP BQM as well as my Virgin BQM, but *not* to my Plusnet BQM. My L2TP tunnel from Virgin to AAISP had no loss at all.

In fact, during all this time, the AAISP tunnel has been a godsend. Thankfully the route between Virgin and AAISP has not been affected by this congestion, which has meant I've bypassed the problem completely.

[Adduxi]

Yes, same here.  Both VM BQM's showing problems and the short disconnect.   My BT BQM was not affected. 

[Anonymous]

---

@Luke_113 wrote:
There's work due in my area, Reading, on 27th apparently. I'd like to think this might solve the local capacity issue but unlikely.

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/bc73a9b9e2a14a5bea4bcd6d37a8869785...

When FTTP is available more widely, Virgin are gonna go out of business or have to drastically rethink the service they provide.

---

VMO2 have announced they'll be overbuilding their entire network with symmetrical full fibre over the next few years.

[Anonymous]

---

@jgtimperley wrote:

---

@Anonymous wrote:Yup. The time it was down for tells a tale. VM did nothing, that was some action on the part of NetConnex.

---

Agreed. I saw the loss on my AAISP BQM as well as my Virgin BQM, but *not* to my Plusnet BQM. My L2TP tunnel from Virgin to AAISP had no loss at all.

In fact, during all this time, the AAISP tunnel has been a godsend. Thankfully the route between Virgin and AAISP has not been affected by this congestion, which has meant I've bypassed the problem completely.

---

I'll elaborate on the post of mine quoted tomorrow. Want to test a theory.

[Andrew-G]

@Anonymous VMO2 have announced they'll be overbuilding their entire network with symmetrical full fibre over the next few years.

From the sound of it that won't include the droplinks to customer properties, which sound as though they'll only be put in when the customer installs some new (paid) service - which follows VM's approach with D3.1.  

But in any event, VM seem to be working hard on many fronts to drive customers to OR or altnets long before the VM XGS-PON roll out gets anywhere near a commercial offer.  I might have VM FTTP on offer sometime between now and 2028, I'll have OR FTTP available in 18 months, and there's an altnet announced imminent plans for the town I live in.  You'd need to really feel the love for VM to stay with the ageing DOCSIS technology and wait on VM's jam tomorrow promises. 

[Luke_113]

I never believe anything VM say publicly mate because they advertise that gaming on Virgin Media is about the speed…when in reality gaming is about stability, something Virgin have shown they struggle to do consistently, couldn’t tell you of the last time I had an evening where I wasn’t rubber banding around (not all night but every night it’ll happen several times), so you’ll understand I’m absolutely sceptical of absolutely anything they say publicly. Or the random DNS drops they have that renders what feels like half the internet unreachable until I either turn a VPN on, or wait it out the 5-10 mins that you can’t do half the things you’re in the middle of.

[Anonymous]

---

@Andrew-G wrote:

@Anonymous VMO2 have announced they'll be overbuilding their entire network with symmetrical full fibre over the next few years.

From the sound of it that won't include the droplinks to customer properties, which sound as though they'll only be put in when the customer installs some new (paid) service - which follows VM's approach with D3.1.  

---

Well, yes, they aren't going to go to several million homes, remove the coaxial and replace with full fibre en masse. That was never on the table as it's utterly insane. People will have to either order new products or be regraded to provide for a gradual migration. Some users will be offered upgrades first to get them off the HFC network, freeing up resources for remaining customers, but for the foreseeable no-one is going to be forced to move.

At some point there'll be a stop sell of HFC products, followed by compulsory migration or disconnection, but that's quite a way away yet.

[Anonymous]

---

@Luke_113 wrote:

I never believe anything VM say publicly mate...

---

Me either but I do believe what they announce in shareholder calls and presentations as people can end up in jail if they aren't honest in those.