Why can I not have a hub 5?

[ILuvNips]

I’ve had my hub 3 for quite a few years and recently it’s developed a fault where the Wi-Fi just randomly stops working. I’ve been through the reboot and reset the hub and the problem is still there.

So this afternoon I decided to contact Virgin, on the phone I get the we’ll send you a text and eventually I chat with somebody on WhatsApp’s. Explain the issue and she agrees that she’ll arrange for a new hub but it can’t be a hub 5 as it’s not compatible with my service and to get the hub 5 I’d need to upgrade to the 1gbs service.

Looking through these forum it seems that the hub 5 would work with my measly 125gbs service and the only reason I want the hub 5 is because it has better Wi-Fi coverage.

If this is an improvement then why can’t I take advantage of this and have a hub 5? Not happy as Virgin looks to have tiered the service whereby unless you’re on their gig service then you can’t have the Wi-Fi improvements which have nothing to do with the speed of service that I’m on!

[jbrennand]

They will supply you with a Hub that is fit for your service.  New 1GB customers get Hub5's - so they are preserving stocks for those customers.  If yours is faulty they will replace it with either another Hub3 (refurbished) or a Hub4.  If better wifi coverage is your aim...  think about getting your own Wifi6 Wireless Access Point or wireless router that would be a quantum leap better than any VM Hub's wifi.

[Client62]

We have a Hub 3 on M125 & it works fine - provided Smart Wi-Fi disabled, and Fixed Wi-Fi Channels are used.

If customers had to pay for Hub upgrades 95% of the requests would vanish.

[ILuvNips]

Ok understood.

My request isn’t ad-hoc it’s because my current hub has a fault so thought I’d get the latest and greatest, suppose I was a bit disappointed when they told me that my current speed isn’t worthy.

[Client62]

Hub 5 drawbacks, there are a few...

In Router mode, Wi-Fi 6 compatibility can be very problematic, the Wi-Fi fails if both SSID are changed, the DHCP server fails with great regularity, DNS queries are intercepted, DNS queries to some AWS hosts fail regardless of the  choice of DNS server, applications that use an RTSP stream crash the Hub 5.

Hub 5 is fine as a modem. But as a Router ... No No No !

[ILuvNips]

So the best outcome might be to get a re-furbed 3, what is the 4 like?

[carl_pearce]

Or stop using inferior, rented, kit and invest in your own that can used by your current, and any future, ISP.

By the time you've been pulled into the 'rent pods for £8/month' blurb you'll be glad to be using your own kit! 

[ILuvNips]

Well my replacement hub arrived and … drumroll … it’s actually a hub 5 😀, looks like it might be refurbed but I don’t care providing it works which it has been doing since I installed it.

[carl_pearce]

With it being rented kit it's not always new.

[Client62]

Having been issued a Hub 5, now would be an excellent time to buy a Wi-Fi Router !