Virgin media connect app - Can't enable wifi hotspots

[tuckova]

I'm a Virgin Mobile customer and I'm trying to enable hotspot access on my Pixel 4a via the Virgin Media connect app and it's failing every time I click on the "Get set for wifi hotspots" after a short period of time with "no server response" despite a strong wifi and 4g data connection as per the screenshots below.

      

I've followed all the advice I can find like:

• Confirming the hotspot account status and that it is retrieving all my other account details correctly
• Checking for existing saved wifi networks and removing them (there aren't any as it's a new phone)
• Confirmed that the app has the required permissions
• Deleting the app cache/data and reinstalling the app
• Tried activating at multiple time across various days in case it's an issue at the server end

Is there anything else I can try or does the application simply not work on android 11? (note: I've recently installed the app on an android 8 device with a different sim card and that worked fine).

[tuckova]

If you don't have a SIM then I understand the alternative option is the following, although I haven't tried it myself:

1. Choose the WiFi network "Virgin Media"
2. Ensure "EAP method" = TTLS and "Phase 2 authentication" = MSCHAPV2
3. Username is your VM account email, "vmedwifi/*YOUREMAIL*" eg. vmedwifi/myemail@virginmedia.com
4. Password is your VM account password

[tuckova]

Seems like the recent android 11 update on the Pixel 4a has resolved the phone restarting issue with the manually configured hotspots so that's some progress from the Google side. I'm assuming there is no update from the VM team on an update to the Virgin Media Connect app regarding Android 11 compatibility?

[naboo]

Had a small Android 11 update on the OnePlus 8t yesterday and just tried the virgin connect app again but still getting the server error issue

[Kev_B]

Hi,

Sorry it's taken us a while to get back to you. I just wanted to confirm the situation after we've checked on this internally.

We’ve identified an issue with the current version of the Virgin Media Connect app when used on an Android 11 device. This means that the app is currently unable to configure the device for our out of home hotspot service.

We’re working on an update to the Connect app to fix this issue.

If you are using a Virgin Mobile SIM in your device you can connect to the ‘Virgin Media’ hotspots by following the instructions at www.virginmedia.com/wifiprofiledownload.

If you have Virgin Fibre you can use the Connect app to manage a Hub 3, but unless you also have Virgin Mobile SIM you won’t be able to configure your device for our hotspots until the issue is fixed.

[naboo]

Appreciate the update

[HandyHat]

Is there an update on this?

[naboo]

Still does not work with Android 11 based phones so nothing has been fixed as of yet 

[endi]

Hi all, especially the Virgin team,

I've been in contact with the Android engineering team and they told me that this incompatibility is by design because the "Virgin Media" WiFi network uses an insecure, unencrypted authentication protocol, whose support has been removed from recent versions of Android.

Would it be possible to support more secure auth for the hotspots?

Thank you. Best regards, A.

[MikeRobbo]

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@endi wrote:

Hi all, especially the Virgin team,

I've been in contact with the Android engineering team and they told me that this incompatibility is by design because the "Virgin Media" WiFi network uses an insecure, unencrypted authentication protocol, whose support has been removed from recent versions of Android.

Would it be possible to support more secure auth for the hotspots?

Thank you. Best regards, A.

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Ditch the app, it is nothing more than a bunch of cheap apps that have been cobbled together and given a fancy front end.

If you want to check for Wi-Fi blackspots let people complain that it isn't working in 'their area'.

If you remove all the internal walls, water, electronic and electrical devices, metallic pipes and conduits and wrap the whole building in a thick lead shield you will have a good chance of getting decent Wi-Fi from an ISP Hub.

Just a few things that can affect Wi-Fi in the average home …

Blockage (visible) …

Mirrors, furniture, fish tanks, people, radiators, walls, flooring / ceilings.

Interference (invisible) …

Cordless phones, baby monitors, microwave ovens, fridges & freezers, TVs, next doors Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi equipment, DAB transmitters, the list is endless.

My VM Hub 3 Wi-Fi went into meltdown when the local authority / police CCTV camera on the lamppost adjacent to my house was used.

Many people have accepted that the VM Wi-Fi is poor and have purchased third party equipment that is much, much more powerful than the VM supplied kit and once set up have wondered why they waited for so long.

[HandyHat]

Yes, the Hub's WiFi is terrible. But this issue is about the app not setting up hotspots for use outside your house, not about using the app to find blackspots within your house.