Is Hub 2ac still available ?

[Cameramanr]

I've renewed my contract with VM. ( Still in 14 day cooling off.)
Was on M125 on Superhub 1 and was told by retentions I could go to M250 on existing Superhub 1. Broadband cut off after re-provisioning with no internet in spite of Tech visit and 1hr call to customer service. 2nd tech visit booked and pending. Hub 3 turns up out of the blue and internet restored.
My question may be a strange one but would VM swap the Hub 3 for a Hub 2ac ? Or can they re-provision Hub 1 ?
I like / require the network activity lights on hub 1/2 for work purposes and don't care about fast/ long range WiFi. Some WiFi for my smartphone will do for me as I use Cat 5 for main laptop.
The Hub 3 is a frankly awful design with basically white / magenta mains light after initial set up is complete. Tells you nothing.

[Tudor · Accepted solution]

Hub1 an Hub2/2ac are not now being supplied by VM as they are very old and out of date equipment, only the Hub3/4/5 are now supplied.

[Cameramanr]

Thanks for the answer Tudor.
So how would I go back to the situation I was in last Wednesday morning where I had M125 on Superhub 1 ? My Super Hub 1 still connects to VM network but says Network access denied with no config file and no WAN IP address.
I'd be more than happy to be reverted back to M125 from M250 and I'm extremely fed up that retentions lied to me about still being able to use the Superhub 1 just so they could get the sale. And that wasn't the only lie either.
The Tech who came out thought it should be possible but not with M250 speed. I've tried customer service but they're pretty useless unless it's a straightforward query.

[Andrew-G]

---

@Cameramanr wrote:

So how would I go back to the situation I was in last Wednesday morning where I had M125 on Superhub 1 ? My Super Hub 1 still connects to VM network but says Network access denied with no config file and no WAN IP address.

---

I suspect you don't.  For good technical reasons that I won't bore you with, VM want all older hubs off the network, and regardless of the speed you're on they'll simply change the configuration file of the Hub 3.  Whilst in theory it is of course possible to re-provision any hub that was working previously, I'm confident that the systems will have been set up in a way that intentionally stops staff doing that.

[goslow]

---

@Cameramanr wrote:

I've renewed my contract with VM. ( Still in 14 day cooling off.)
Was on M125 on Superhub 1 and was told by retentions I could go to M250 on existing Superhub 1. Broadband cut off after re-provisioning with no internet in spite of Tech visit and 1hr call to customer service. 2nd tech visit booked and pending. Hub 3 turns up out of the blue and internet restored.
My question may be a strange one but would VM swap the Hub 3 for a Hub 2ac ? Or can they re-provision Hub 1 ?
I like / require the network activity lights on hub 1/2 for work purposes and don't care about fast/ long range WiFi. Some WiFi for my smartphone will do for me as I use Cat 5 for main laptop.
The Hub 3 is a frankly awful design with basically white / magenta mains light after initial set up is complete. Tells you nothing.

---

Just curious to know what information you are deriving from the front panel lights on the early (super)hubs (other than a connection exists).

I used a Superhub 2ac for a long while. I have a dim recollection that, when I first used it, the up/down arrows on the front (maybe) used to correspond with my own broadband activity. After VM made some changes to the infrastructure in my area, the up/down arrow indicator on the front panel simply flashed at a constant rate (indicating nothing more than the connection was present).

If you want a router with more info on the front panel you could always put the VM hub 3 into modem mode and buy your own router with more front panel info on display. Or maybe there is an app/utility that you could use on your laptop/phone to show real time network info.

[Cameramanr]

"I suspect you don't."
Thanks Andrew. I feared as much. I absolutely HATE the design of the Hub 3 which mostly doesn't have lights but when it does are just plain confusing. I've just replied to another post where somebody has internet but a red light on their Hub 3. According to other replies; turns out their Hub 3 needs returning as it's a fire risk ! I think I read somewhere that red light "may" mean overheat ? Brilliant. That's about as much use as a fire alarm in a shopping centre that goes beep quietly once.
What with retentions lying to me I despair of Virgin Media.

[legacy1]

M250 likely can be done on the SH1 but VM will likely not do it...at least not yet...I was surprised when they did M125 for SH1 and depending on the hub availability went the next upgrade comes round they may allow it.

If you was using the SH1 in router mode its for the best you got the hub 3

[Andrew-G]

turns out their Hub 3 needs returning as it's a fire risk ! 

Well, that's very worst case, and I don't think I've ever seen a single report of a Hub 3 catching fire, going bang or even smoking.  In practice it usually means a faulty sensor, or the reasonably common problem of a dislodged heat sink.  The hub's CPU is almost certainly throttled if it thinks there's an overheating condition, so the impact on customers is poor hub performance.

The crappy old plug-in wifi boosters VM issued, now they are a fire risk, but VM do nothing about those.  

[Cameramanr]

Thanks for comment goslow.

---

@goslow wrote:

---

---

Just curious to know what information you are deriving from the front panel lights on the early (super)hubs (other than a connection exists).

---

My SH 1 bottom light would Flash to reflect my broadband / packet activity and especially uploading large files which I found very useful. I guess I could use the SH3 in modem mode and dig out an old router but it seems such a backward step. Plus it's extra power, extra mains socket, extra cables extra desk space  etc.

[Cameramanr]

Do the Mods automatically read these threads and raise with Team members ? I have zero confidence that Customer Service will understand what I'm on about. At the moment they have a call for a Tech to physically come out for a second time against this. Seems a waste of money on VM's part. All I need is to talk to somebody technically competent and they could probably remotely sort it one way or the other in 10 minutes.