Virgin Media Community

[MattDarlow]

Basically we've been with VM for 3 years and January 2021 we decided to upgrade the package from VM100 to VM200.

We've never had any issues with the service in those 3 years and our PCs are hard wired to the router and have always speed tested at exactly the speeds we should get or above. 

We work from home and we require internet for to keep our jobs as there is no space for us to work anymore. 

Last week the connection speed started fluctuating drastically. We were getting much slower download speeds than usual (just under 90Mb) which shouldnt be a cause for concern anyway. However, the upload speeds were less than 1Mb which is obviously what was causing the problems. 

I've spoken with people from the call centre and the story is always the same. "Can we get you to enable 5GHz bandwidth mode" and the usual fob off stories. This one doesnt work because we don't use the wireless. After that we get "Ahh I can see that there is works being carried out in your area since January", which conveniently doesn't show up in service outage checker at our end. 

They then proceed to tell us that the works will be compeleted in the next few days. Fast forward to this day and the uploda speeds are still next to nothing. 

Call up again, go through the same ridiculous process, "Oh I can see that there are works due to be completed in the next few days". 

Lets do this same process again shall we. Fast forward to today. Get in touch with staff again. Guess what? The new estimated fix date is 16th June. 

So what I'm asking is does anyone have any experience with cancelling the service without incurring contract early termination fees? This surely has to be some breach of contract right, we are paying for a service that we are not even getting 2% of the guranteed speeds. 

This is seriously impacting our ability to work from home and we are now in a position where we have to start a contract with a new service provider to keep our jobs. 

Is there any legal path we can take to get our contract ended? 

Matt

[MattDarlow]

Here is our BQM link
https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/daddcdca44f938b168ab53c2798aac2746...

[Z92]

That BQM shows a large amount of packet loss, which may be due to an SNR issue in your area.

If you read Section N of the Terms and Conditions, you can see that you need to tell them about the problem (which you have done) and then give them 30 days to fix the issue, then you can go back to them and quote Section N to them. Due to an known fault in your area, this time period may be extended.

Once you have given them sufficient time to fix the problem, if they still don't end your contract you can then submit a complaint, which, after 8 weeks or deadlock, you can refer to CISAS for alternate resolution who will then communicate with VM on your behalf.

[lotharmat]

That BQM looks terrible -

Can you post your Hub status and logs?
Someone should be spot if there is a problem
Navigate to http://192.168.0.1 (or http://192.168.100.1 - if in modem mode)
Don't log in!
Click on 'router status'
Copy/paste the data from each of the tabs. The forum software will remove the MAC addresses for you (you may need to click the 'post' button again).

[MattDarlow]

Cable Modem StatusItem Status Comments

Acquired Downstream Channel (Hz)	331000000	Locked
Ranged Upstream Channel (Hz)	39400000	Locked
Provisioning State	Online

Downstream bonded channels

Channel Frequency (Hz) Power (dBmV) SNR (dB) Modulation Channel ID

1	331000000	2	40	256 qam	25
2	203000000	2.5	40	256 qam	9
3	211000000	2.4	40	256 qam	10
4	219000000	2.5	40	256 qam	11
5	227000000	2.4	40	256 qam	12
6	235000000	2	40	256 qam	13
7	243000000	1.5	40	256 qam	14
8	251000000	0.9	40	256 qam	15
9	259000000	1.4	40	256 qam	16
10	267000000	2	40	256 qam	17
11	275000000	1.9	40	256 qam	18
12	283000000	2	40	256 qam	19
13	291000000	2	40	256 qam	20
14	299000000	2	40	256 qam	21
15	307000000	2	40	256 qam	22
16	315000000	1.7	40	256 qam	23
17	323000000	1.7	40	256 qam	24
18	339000000	2.2	40	256 qam	26
19	347000000	2.2	40	256 qam	27
20	355000000	2	40	256 qam	28
21	363000000	1.7	40	256 qam	29
22	371000000	1.5	40	256 qam	30
23	379000000	0.9	40	256 qam	31
24	387000000	0.5	40	256 qam	32

Downstream bonded channels

Channel Locked Status RxMER (dB) Pre RS Errors Post RS Errors

1	Locked	40.9	27	0
2	Locked	40.3	12	0
3	Locked	40.3	27	0
4	Locked	40.3	9	0
5	Locked	40.9	22	0
6	Locked	40.3	13	0
7	Locked	40.3	12	0
8	Locked	40.9	11	0
9	Locked	40.3	15	0
10	Locked	40.3	14	0
11	Locked	40.3	10	0
12	Locked	40.9	30	0
13	Locked	40.3	20	0
14	Locked	40.3	14	0
15	Locked	40.3	12	0
16	Locked	40.3	28	0
17	Locked	40.9	35	0
18	Locked	40.3	28	0
19	Locked	40.9	29	0
20	Locked	40.3	28	0
21	Locked	40.3	16	0
22	Locked	40.3	9	0
23	Locked	40.3	16	0
24	Locked	40.3	9	0

[MattDarlow]

Upstream bonded channels

Channel Frequency (Hz) Power (dBmV) Symbol Rate (ksps) Modulation Channel ID

1	39400000	46.5	5120	64 qam	2
2	25800000	45	5120	64 qam	4
3	32600000	46	5120	64 qam	3
4	46200000	46.5	5120	64 qam	1

Upstream bonded channels

Channel Channel Type T1 Timeouts T2 Timeouts T3 Timeouts T4 Timeouts

1	ATDMA	0	0	0	0
2	ATDMA	0	0	0	0
3	ATDMA	0	0	1	0
4	ATDMA	0	0	1	0

General Configuration

Network access	Allowed
Maximum Number of CPEs	1
Baseline Privacy	Enabled
DOCSIS Mode	Docsis30
Config file	9834ncxv9873254k;fg87dsfd

Primary Downstream Service Flow

SFID	182
Max Traffic Rate	230000061
Max Traffic Burst	42600
Min Traffic Rate	0

Primary Upstream Service Flow

SFID	181
Max Traffic Rate	22000061
Max Traffic Burst	42600
Min Traffic Rate	0
Max Concatenated Burst	42600
Scheduling Type	BestEffort

[MattDarlow]

Network Log

Time Priority Description

02/06/2021 20:09:16	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
02/06/2021 17:12:13	notice	Received REG-RSP while in REG-HOLD1 state;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
31/05/2021 16:06:12	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
30/05/2021 19:58:44	notice	DHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt060-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
30/05/2021 19:58:44	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
28/05/2021 18:44:59	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
28/05/2021 17:35:42	notice	LAN login Success;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/01/1970 00:01:57	Warning!	ToD request sent - No Response received;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
28/05/2021 17:22:2	notice	SW download Successful - Via Config file
28/05/2021 17:19:24	notice	SW Download INIT - Via Config file
28/05/2021 17:19:12	Warning!	TCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/01/1970 00:01:39	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/01/1970 00:02:4	Warning!	ToD request sent - No Response received;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
26/05/2021 12:38:59	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
25/05/2021 14:16:33	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
25/05/2021 14:16:33	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
25/05/2021 14:16:22	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
25/05/2021 14:16:22	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
25/05/2021 14:16:20	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
25/05/2021 14:16:20	Warning!	Lost MDD Timeout;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

Posted in multiple as it wouldn't let me do it in one.

[lotharmat]

Power levels and stats look ok.... A couple of T3 Timeouts that *can* cause issues if there are a lot of them.

I see that the hub got a SW update on 28/05 - Have you rebooted it since then?

(May be also worth doing a pinhole reset)

Make sure you can read the settings password on the bottom of the hub:

Unplug all ethernet cables

With the power on and the co-ax connected; press and hold the reset switch with a paperclip or sim removal tool for at least 60 seconds.

Allow 10 minutes to reboot, reset and stabilise


Looking at the BQM, I'd say that there is a real noise issue somewhere in the circuit causing all the dropped packets!

[MattDarlow]

So the SW update on the 28th was the first timeI called about the issue we are having.

That person got me to give the hub a pinhole reset and then it must have updated again.

Should I do another pinhole reset? 

[lotharmat]

How long did you hold in the reset switch?

Needs to be a full minute!