Poor Wifi

[mmc1978]

So my Internet connection has always been poor! Can't get reliable connection in my bedroom to watch Amazon Prime or Neflix on the Firestick, so I've always had to pay for a 2nd box & watch it that way 🙄.

I recently complained again as the WiFi pod promised to me still hasn't been sent out...apparently that's on it's way, so fi gers crossed it will work & I can cancel the box & cut unnecessary costs! The TV is often freezing or not working either due to loss of connection to the Hub!!!! Grrrrrrr!!!! 

When an engineer came out to fix my home phone last week, he told me that the Hub 4 that I have wasn't reliable & that I should insist on getting a Hub 5 installed & that would solve all my problems. My VM stuff was initially installed 16+ years ago & the wiring is old & there are several splitter boxes within the flat which apparently don't help the quality! The engineer told me even if he replaced my Hub 4 I would still experience the same issues! Considering the VM price increase & the fact that the home phone is now linked through WiFi (possible making that unreliable too) what reason is there for me to stay with VM if I'm not getting what I'm paying for & they're not willing to help me get it?? 

VM told me that getting a Hub 5 isn't possible as I would need to upgrade & pay more to have 1GB service. I didn't understand but my main point was that I couldn't afford to pay more at all. 

I checked my contract. This is where i need some help as I'm not at all technical minded.....

It says....my current package is the Ultimate Volt Bundle. It says I have Volt Gig1 Fibre Broadband & WiFi Guarantee with WiFi Max & WiFi Pod 1 & WiFi Pod 2! 

Does this mean I should have 2 WiFi Pods?? And can anyone confirm what Hub i should have please?? I just want a reliable connection!!!

Many thanks,

Maxine.

[jbrennand]

You wont get a Hub5 at the moment as they are in short supply and being prioritised for new customers getting 1GB packages. Home phone is not over wifi - its VOIP and connects down the VM cable - not by wifi.

The newer pods are Pod2's. You get them 1 at a time. After a week with pod1 - if they issue is not sorted you can order a second - and the same for a third. Meant to stop everyone just demanding 3 off the bat.

See... https://www.virginmedia.com/wifi-max

See if they sort the issue for you - if not there are other solutions to solve the issue. You could use a pair or powerline adapters to connect the TV directly to the Hub on ethernet cables. Although disliked by many on here - my lad has used a pair for yesra to connect his gaming compouter directly to the Hub and they work fine for him.

Or you could just bite the bullet and invest in a good Mesh system to provide good wifi coverage across the whole property which is yours to keep and use forever with any BB provider you may end up with in the future

Have a browse at this as an example - if the pods dont do it for you....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Deco-S4-3-pack-Beamforming/dp/B0851D6MXY/

[mmc1978]

Hi John

Thanks for that. 

I'm just stating what the engineer told me regarding the phoneline now. He said it relies on WiFi so if you know better then that's one less issue for me to be concerned about. 

Thanks for explaining about the Hub 5's

 VM always seem to treat new customers well..shame they don't look after existing customers just as well! I has cancelled last Summer when I got a phonecall to offer me a better package than before and to guarantee me a more reliable service! That has not been the case as not only is the WiFi sketchy around my small 2-bed flat, the TV services are often not availed either so it's become really frustrating and I bitterly regret giving them another chance!

Also thanks for the suggestion of running extra cables but it's not ideal and not something I should have to do really! 

So could you clarify that if I was a new customer with the package I have now, I would be given a reliable Hub?? The service has been worse than ever since they gave it to me last Summer (I have been a loyal customer since 2006 so I have had years to evaluate). When I called VM to relay what the engineer had told me, I was told because I don't have the 1G package I wasn't eligible. When I checked my contract it appears that is what I have....that's what confused me.

Thanks again,

Maxine.

[jbrennand]

If thats the same engineer who said the phone connects to the Hub on wifi - then take anything he says about the Hubs with a large pinch of salt! It plugs into a port on the back of the Hub via an adapter.

Your Hub - whatever model will be reliable - assuming its not just broken/failing or your connection has issues - but the Tech must surely have at least checked that.

So that just leaves the possibility that its an old Superhub and playing up - but again, I would expect any Tech to swap that out within 2 minutes of coming in.

So, what model of Hub is it - its printed on the base sticker.

[mmc1978]

Haha okay 😄. I'll disregard anything he said. I'm glad I haven't rated him yet in that case 🤣 

The engineer was out to fix the phoneline as that hadn't worked since Xmas/New Year time. He didn't check anything else, but of course I vented about the unreliable Internet while he was there! 

It's a Hub 4. The engineer said they were unreliable and were recalled soon after they came out. I am 100% certain that it is connection  issues as I'm constantly having to reset the Hub...and I mean every couple of days! I get all kinds of messages and codes. It is more the connection seems okay but cuts out a lot. My bedroom is next to the lounge where the Hub is but that's the worst room. As I mentioned previously I can't even use a Fire Stick to watch a series or a film as the connection is lost! I have to pay for a box so I can watch Netflix or Prime. When that fails I resort to watching stuff on my phone which is ridiculous but my only option! 

[jbrennand]

OK - are the issues only evident on wifi connections or do you see them at the same times on devices connected on ethernet cables? If you don't know, can you check to help diagnose whether it is just a wifi issue or it could be network connection/Hub related?

Then can you do this...

Post up your Hub/network connection details and someone will check to see if there is a problem there.  In your browser’s URL box type in http://192.168.0.1 (or http://192.168.100.1 - if in modem mode) (DONT click these links) - and hit return. Then login on the first page up.

Then Navigate to these “data pages” in the settings and just copy/paste the normal “Formatted Text” (not images) 3 FULL sets of data onto here – 2 tables from the Downstream, 2 from the Upstream, & the Network Logs page. Don't worry too much about the formatting it can be easily read & DON’T include personal data or MAC addresses - blank them out - if you copy/paste the data, the board software will do this for you (you may need to click the "submit" button again). If character limits are “exceeded” - just do two posts
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Also, If you haven’t already, set up a free, secure and “offlsite” - “Broadband Quality Monitor” to continually monitor the state of your connection and record any true network dropouts , latency issues, packet drops, etc - it will thus allow you to differentiate between those and simple wifi dropouts. It does it 24/7/365 and it keeps a visual record of any/all of your network disconnections, useful data to have to match to the Network logs (in your Hub settings) and also in discussions with VM - note it will take a few hours to start seeing a sensible picture - post up the “link” to the “share live graph”. Click the lower link (Share Live Graph) then, click generate. Copy the text in the Direct Link box, beware, there may be more text than you can see. On here click the Link icon (2 links chain to the left of the camera icon) In the URL box paste the link you copied and then click OK

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality




- we can look at the connection in some detail if you can do this...
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