1gbps = 80mbs and +300ms latency

[TehMatis]

I am having issues for more than a month with high latency and terrible speeds.

The customer support claims there is a TV issue in the area, although the house next door with 250mbps contract has 150-200mbps speeds.

Complaining doesn't help, tried to ask for a router replacement but they can't do that unless the area issue is fixed also no refund so i am forced to pay for 1gbps and enjoy the experience of speeds we had 10 years ago.

Anyone else is having issues in Sunbury-on-Thames?

[Client62]

Samknows Realspeed

First call 0800 561 0061 - use the automated service to see if there is a local service issue.

Speed test the service to a Router mode Hub(3/4/5) + your device with the link below.

https://www.samknows.com/realspeed/

Once the test begins click on: Run full test to see all the stats.

The speed at the Hub should reflect your subscription.

The speed any WiFi device draws data at is limited by its data needs and technical abilities.

[jpeg1]

If the message only mentions TV then it's about the provision of specific TV channels, and broadband won't be affected. They shouldn't use this as an excuse to avoid fixing the broadband, but this is Virginmedia...

Do the check advised above, but remember that the speed contract only applies to ethernet connections. You won't get that speed over WiFi, and if you are only using WiFi then you are wasting money on a 1gig service. Spend it instead on a better WiFi router. 

[TehMatis]

Yes there is an automated message for 6 weeks that there is an area outage. Every day on their status page they are "working on it" but at the end they change the date to the next working date.

I got Hub4, asked for an upgrade but since there is an outage they said they can't upgrade my router ?!?!

As for sam speedtest, i got hub4 in gateway mode since even DHCP was timing out since the first day. Few weeks ago i made the router reset and speedtests with the results i mention, now i've configured my network again so not going to repeat this 🙂

My tests are from LAN of course, i wouldn't trust WiFi to get proper speeds.

Sorry but not looking for help to troubleshoot my network, i've done everything i could. I am 200% sure it is the fault on Virgin side, not sure if it is the Router, or the Area outage but for sure it's on them. I got an open complain with them but just getting some automated replies and nothing else.

The question is, anyone else in the same area (Sunbury-on-Thames) experiencing the same issue?

[TehMatis]

Exactly my point, on their status page they mention only TV.
When i spoke with them via WhatsApp to request router replacement, they told me these services are "interconnected" 🤣🤣
So if there are speed problems instead of include broadband they put the problem on TV since streaming is a service that is going to be the most obvious that is affected.

[jpeg1]

You've covered it pretty well then, nothing you can do but wait, and wait. They won't do anything for you until that area fault is cleared, and the dates for that are likely to be pushed back as they often are.

You can make a formal complaint, but they rarely make any difference. 

[newapollo]

If you never get over 100Mbps on a wired connection then it may be a faulty ethernet cable.  Have you tried changing cable and/or ports?

It may also be due to the settings on your third party device.

The upload speed on your FAST speed test is 48Mbps - that is right for a Gig 1 connection (the expected range is 49 - 52 Mbps)

It may also be the NIC on your computer is not negotiating the full speed.  If it's a PC then press the Windows key and type in ethernet. Then select ethernet settings. Then change adapter settings. Double click Internet and it should show the speed.If you need to change it change it, click Properties followed by Configure then scroll down as shown on the right and set the value to 1.0 Gbps Full Duplex.

[TehMatis]

Thanks for the tips:

• Already replaced the cable that goes from virgin router to my router twice, no difference
• Testing from 3 different devices, no way it is NIC related 😄
• The speeds in the network are 1gbit

To give some more insights, i had speeds between 800-900mbps but 5 weeks ago there was an outage in the area. Nothing unusual since this happens at least once per month but after the internet came back i had this terrible speeds. Since then, it doesn't matter what i change in my network, same results.

The worst isn't the speed which is fine but the latency, for example opening 4-5 remote connections for work and someone in the house start streaming then i can't even type without waiting for me to see the text on the console. Reminds me of connections 10+ years ago 🙂

That makes work from home difficult, so not only i am paying for speeds that i don't get but also i have to commute more often to work properly. Of course Virgin is not going to pay for all that, even their terms and conditions mention 48 hours without connection nothing about speeds.

Anyways, i will just wait for 2 more weeks and then open a complain on ofgem hoping they will be able to help. At least to terminate this contract and get on from different provider.

[newapollo]

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@TehMatis wrote:

Anyways, i will just wait for 2 more weeks and then open a complain on ofgem hoping they will be able to help. At least to terminate this contract and get on from different provider.

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I think you mean Ofcom. Ofgem regulate energy, not broadband.  

Ofcom don't help with individual complaints, you need to be contacting the Ombudsman Services as shown on the following page

https://www.virginmedia.com/legal/consumer-complaint-resolution-code-practice 

You may be able to leave without an early termination fee without having to go via the Ombudsman

Info below from https://www.virginmedia.com/broadband/our-speeds-explained 

Right to Cancel - FAQs

How do I end my contract without paying an early disconnection fee?

If you’re having speed issues and we haven’t been able to fix things on our call with you, we’ll set up a few scheduled speed tests for your Hub, beginning on the day after you told us about the problem. You won’t have to do anything – but it’s worth knowing that we’ll only run these tests if we detect you’re not using the connection for anything else.

We’ll let you know the results as soon as possible after we’ve finished the tests.

If the actual download speed you received to your Virgin Media Hub during the test period falls below our ‘minimum guaranteed download speed’ for 3 days in a row (continuously or intermittently), we’ll confirm that there’s a speed fault, and if we can’t fix the issue within 30 days of your report, you may be eligible to leave us without paying an early disconnection fees.

Don’t forget, our minimum guaranteed download speed is to your Virgin Media Hub, not the device you’re using WiFi on. Even when using a wired connection, some older devices might not support our fastest speeds.

We’ll always contact you by email at the end of the 30-day period to let you know what’s happening, and ask you to contact our customer service team to talk through your options.

You can read more about ending your contract in Section N of the terms and conditions. If we don’t provide the ‘minimum guaranteed download speed’ as set out above (i.e. we have not remedied the speed problem within 30 days of your notifying us or we cannot address the problem) then we’ll offer you the opportunity to end your contract immediately, without an early disconnection fee. In exceptional circumstances (for example where you cancel technician visits or miss appointments) we may extend the 30 days but we’ll always discuss this with you beforehand.

When will I be know if I can end my contract without paying early disconnection fees?

Once you report a speed issue to us, we’ll perform checks to try to fix the fault. You need to keep your Virgin Media Hub plugged in, switched on and set to enable us to get speed information from it, which will help us diagnose any problems. We’ll keep you informed every step of the way and within 30 days of you reporting the speed issue to us, we’ll let you know whether we’ve found a speed issue, and if we’ve been able to fix it. If we haven’t been able to sort it in 30 days, we’ll give you the right to end your contract without paying an early disconnection fee.

[TehMatis]

Thanks for the advice newapollo, i assume with the speeds i am getting i should be able to cancel.

The problem is that i can't communicate with them at all:

• Complain: i mentioned that i want to cancel but never replied anything
• WhatsApp: same, they told me they will be able to discuss this after they fix the area issue (make no sense to me)
• Call 150: can't speak with anyone, ending up with an automated message and no option to speak with them

It's nice for them to have FAQ but their clients should be able to speak with them, instead they are hiding behind a mediocre, misinformative status page.