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HUB 4 Port Query

markmcg
On our wavelength

Ok, I have just received a HUB4, installed and activated, no problems.  The advertised speed is ~1100mps, the most I get is 950mps.

I know it is fast!!! but still 150mbs (about 15%) less than advertised.  So I thought ok, I need a new NW card...so bought and installed a 2.5Gbps PCI-E card also bought a CAT 7 cable and linked directly to HUB4...still no faster 😞

Question is...are the ports on the HUB4 ONLY 1Gbps?

So you will never reach the advertised speeds!

Thoughts on HUB 4 ports please? 🙂

22 REPLIES 22

Its a failing on the part of Virgin Media not to put in 10Gb ports into the Hub 4.  even mid to high end PCs are now coming with 10Gb onboard NICs I wonder if there is a restriction on the "WAN" side of the router or if it will accept any speed Virgin flings at it?

BenMcr
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person

@markscottuk wrote:

Its a failing on the part of Virgin Media not to put in 10Gb ports into the Hub 4.  even mid to high end PCs are now coming with 10Gb onboard NICs I wonder if there is a restriction on the "WAN" side of the router or if it will accept any speed Virgin flings at it?


Most residential ISPs will use custom versions for existing hardware designs from their commercial partners. In Virgin Media's case (and their parent company Liberty Global) this is currently Arris / Commscope. None of their currently available gateway devices include 10Gbit Ethernet.

Commscope have fairly recently started to include 2.5Gbit Ethernet, but this was after the Hub 4 and it's originating parent device was designed around 3/4 years ago. The same is true for other suppliers Virgin Media have used in the past such as Netgear - 2.5Gbit is now becoming more mainstream but wasn't when the Hub 4 was being designed.

I'm personally not aware of any residential modem or router that comes with 10Gbit - it's either 1Gbit most of the time or 2.5Gbit, and sometimes only one 2.5Gbit port too.

**********************************
I work for Virgin Media - but all opinions posted here are my own

markmcg
On our wavelength

Hi dl12345,

That was an excellent article & explanation, thx 👍

It could work out quite costly for the kit for home use...cheaper if the HUB4 just had a faster port 😁

I will probably explore that option just to see the speeds!! 😁

markmcg
On our wavelength

Hi BenMcr,

Interesting summary, thx 👍

I know the speed currently offered by VM is great, however, perhaps one day the full speed will be offered in the HUB5! 😁

You say there is a residential modem/router available with 2.5Gb port...from VM?

Anonymous
Not applicable
no nothing with 2.5g ports from VM. you can't use anything other then the hub 4 on the giga package

BenMcr
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person
No not from Virgin Media for either the Hub 3 or Hub 4.

But for any future Hubs they can now select devices from their suppliers that have 2.5Gbit options. No idea when that'll be though or for what services.
**********************************
I work for Virgin Media - but all opinions posted here are my own

Yeah - looking into it myself.

I agree - the HUB4 should just be a more capable piece of kit. I wish Virgin would let us use our own equipment which would solve these issues. I can partially understand the decision not to put in 10Gbe or even 2.5Gbe ports, as at the time of design it probably added a a not-insubstantial amount of money to the bill of materials on a router they give away free....and would be willing to forgive the decision if only they let me use my own modem.

You're right, it is eye-wateringly expensive, even though that Mikrotik kit is very capable and great value for money. I've been considering putting in a > 1Gbe backbone throughout my house and the amount of equipment necessary makes me gulp. 

My cable connection comes in under the stairwell, where I have two internet links - one is VM and the other is a backup VDSL connection. These connect to a managed switch with two VLANS, which then have a single cable running into my office to another switch on the WAN side of my router and then into the two WAN facing ports on my router. Then the LAN side of my router connects to another managed switch for my LAN. Into this switch is a MoCA 2.5 network connecting all my Ubquiti APs currently running at 1Gbps but capable of 2.5Gbps and all of my wired machines, of which there are 3, my server, my desktop and a custom NAS box. 

So I'd need 1x 10Gbe 2-port SFP+ PCI-E network card in my router (it's a custom x86_64 router), another 3x 1 port version of the same for my wired machines, two of those four port Mikrotik 10Gbe switches for the stairwell and WAN side of my router and then one of their 8 port switches for my LAN backbone. That's already ~£1000 excluding the SFP+ transceivers and cabling....ouch. 

But then, I'll probably still do it just for the hell of it 🙂

Adduxi
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person

@dl12345 wrote:

<snip>   So I'd need 1x 10Gbe 2-port SFP+ PCI-E network card in my router (it's a custom x86_64 router), another 3x 1 port version of the same for my wired machines, two of those four port Mikrotik 10Gbe switches for the stairwell and WAN side of my router and then one of their 8 port switches for my LAN backbone. That's already ~£1000 excluding the SFP+ transceivers and cabling....ouch. 

But then, I'll probably still do it just for the hell of it 🙂


I used to think like this at one point, then I discovered I'd rather sit out in the sun with a nice cold beer !    🙂

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markmcg
On our wavelength

Hi apcyberax,

Thought so...pity 😞

markmcg
On our wavelength

Hi dl12345,

You've thought about this more than me 😁

I have HUB4 in modem mode, linked to an Orbi RBK50 mesh & CISCO switch, which works for me atm 😁 (though all my ports are 1Gb, so I bought a CAT7 cable & 2.5Gb NW card, but obviously won't get the speed 😐 )

I would have liked to try to get full speed straight from HUB4...and may explore the option sometime?  Would have been easier if the HUB4 (maybe HUB5!!) just had a faster port 🤔...maybe!!

Though ORBI kit is just PnP (meant to be), can't really 'play' with settings 😊, it just works!