Virgin Media Community

[ckempo]

Hi all,

I upgraded to the 1gb package earlier in the year and am very disappointed with the results. It's now slower (~160Mbps) than the 200MB package that I left (that I routinely tested at ~180Mbps).

I have a Hub 4 in modem mode, with Linksys Velop throughout the house and a series of connected machines on a 1gb network switch. All my speed tests have been from a machine that's cabled, I'm utterly unconcerned about the wifi tbh.

My speedtests were initially OK - I got 875Mbps at one point in April a few days after upgrading (that's the fastest I've ever recorded) but my fastest speed in June was only 179Mbps, July is looking the same.

My hub stats look like this:

Cable Modem Status
Item	Status	Comments
Cable Modem Status	Online	DOCSIS 3.1
Primary downstream channel	Locked	SC-QAM
Channel Overview	Downstream	Upstream
DOCSIS 3.0 channels	31	4
DOCSIS 3.1 channels	1	0

Channel	Frequency (Hz)	Power (dBmV)	SNR (dB)	Modulation	Channel ID
8	466250000	3.6	40.4	QAM256	8
6	450250000	3.1	39	QAM256	6
7	458250000	3.3	40.4	QAM256	7
9	474250000	3.1	40.9	QAM256	9
10	482250000	3.4	40.4	QAM256	10
11	490250000	3.6	39	QAM256	11
12	498250000	4	40.4	QAM256	12
13	506250000	4	40.4	QAM256	13
14	514250000	4.3	40.9	QAM256	14
15	522250000	4.5	40.9	QAM256	15
16	530250000	3.9	40.4	QAM256	16
17	538250000	4	40.4	QAM256	17
18	546250000	4.5	40.4	QAM256	18
19	554250000	4.7	40.4	QAM256	19
20	562250000	4.5	40.4	QAM256	20
21	570250000	4	40.9	QAM256	21
22	578250000	4.4	40.4	QAM256	22
23	586250000	4.6	39	QAM256	23
24	594250000	4.9	39	QAM256	24
25	602250000	3.7	38.6	QAM256	25
26	610250000	3.3	39	QAM256	26
27	618250000	3	39	QAM256	27
28	658250000	1.6	39	QAM256	28
29	666250000	1.1	39	QAM256	29
30	674250000	1.4	38.6	QAM256	30
31	682250000	2.3	39	QAM256	31
32	690250000	1.3	39	QAM256	32
33	698250000	0.9	39	QAM256	33
34	706250000	1.4	38.6	QAM256	34
35	714250000	1.9	39	QAM256	35
36	722250000	2.5	39	QAM256	36

[ckempo]

Channel	Lock Status	RxMER (dB)	Pre RS Errors	Post RS Errors
8	Locked	40.366287	0	0
6	Locked	38.983261	0	0
7	Locked	40.366287	0	0
9	Locked	40.946209	0	0
10	Locked	40.366287	0	0
11	Locked	38.983261	0	0
12	Locked	40.366287	0	0
13	Locked	40.366287	0	0
14	Locked	40.946209	0	0
15	Locked	40.946209	0	0
16	Locked	40.366287	0	0
17	Locked	40.366287	0	0
18	Locked	40.366287	0	0
19	Locked	40.366287	0	0
20	Locked	40.366287	0	0
21	Locked	40.946209	0	0
22	Locked	40.366287	0	0
23	Locked	38.983261	0	0
24	Locked	38.983261	0	0
25	Locked	38.605377	0	0
26	Locked	38.983261	0	0
27	Locked	38.983261	0	0
28	Locked	38.983261	0	0
29	Locked	38.983261	0	0
30	Locked	38.605377	0	0
31	Locked	38.983261	0	0
32	Locked	38.983261	0	0
33	Locked	38.983261	0	0
34	Locked	38.605377	0	0
35	Locked	38.983261	0	0
36	Locked	38.983261	0	0

Channel	Channel Width (MHz)	FFT Type	Number of Active Subcarriers	Modulation (Active Profile)	First Active Subcarrier (Hz)
37	94	4K	1840	QAM4096	728
Channel ID	Lock Status	RxMER Data (dB)	PLC Power (dBmV)	Correcteds (Active Profile)	Uncorrectables (Active Profile)
37	Locked	41	1.8	783817344	969

[ckempo]

Channel	Frequency (Hz)	Power (dBmV)	Symbol Rate (ksps)	Modulation	Channel ID
1	25800000	51	5120 KSym/sec	64QAM	8
2	32600000	51.5	5120 KSym/sec	64QAM	7
3	39400000	49	5120 KSym/sec	64QAM	6
4	46200000	48.8	5120 KSym/sec	64QAM	5
Channel	Channel Type	T1 Timeouts	T2 Timeouts	T3 Timeouts	T4 Timeouts
1	US_TYPE_STDMA	0	0	1	0
2	US_TYPE_STDMA	0	0	1	0
3	US_TYPE_STDMA	0	0	2	0
4	US_TYPE_STDMA	0	0	0	0

Network access	TRUE
Maximum Number of CPEs	1
Baseline Privacy	TRUE
DOCSIS Mode	3.1
Config file	cmreg-vmdg640-bbt076-b.cm
Primary Downstream Service Flow
SFID	1319406
Max Traffic Rate	1200000450
Max Traffic Burst	42600
Min Traffic Rate	0
Primary Upstream Service Flow
SFID	1319405
Max Traffic Rate	55000270
Max Traffic Burst	42600
Min Traffic Rate	0
Max Concatenated Burst	42600
Scheduling Type	bestEffort

[ckempo]

I appreciate that there's a bit of an info dump up there but I'm hoping that someone with a bit of engineering knowledge or similar might spot an issue - or, confirm that there isn't one so advise what else to check? I'm convinced it's Virgin's side, all my equipment is brand new (converted a room to a home office during lockdown) and there's evidence that it DID work at rapid speeds once, without anything changing. Things have just got worse each week to the point that I'm now fed up.

Am also happy to share speedtests, my broadband quality monitor and anything else if it helps in getting me towards the speed I'm paying for.

[risc19]

Hi,

Most of the hubs data look normal.

However the only thing that stands out is that your upstream powerlevels are near or at max.

Thats the first thing I think needs attention and adjustment.

Also, just to rule everything else out; connect just ethernet device to the hub, reboot the hub and try the samknows real speed test.

That will let us know 1. It's not your equipment/cables

2. the hub is actually capable of achieving the 1gig speed.

[ckempo]

@risc19 - cheers for the reply.

I've taken the hub out of modem mode - back into router mode as is requested for the SamKnows test - and attempted to get a result on there; I can't, am continually met with the "Your SamKnows enabled device is offline" message:

However, whilst in router mode I've attempted the "old" speedtest - the one that doesn't test the hub like realspeed does - and that's showing slightly better results than recently:

Am going to slap it back into modem mode and see if this slight improvement remains. I know the kit can do the full speed in modem mode as things were fine on exactly the same hardware after install in April:

Shall report back when back to modem mode etc.

[ckempo]

OK, another reboot later and I'm back on my own hardware, hub is in modem mode etc.

Just had a speedtest report a download speed of 599.64Mbps, so something has improved. Perhaps the hub just needed a reboot? Nonetheless, I'm still not convinced that it's as fast as it could be - can I do anything else, re: power levels etc?

[risc19]

Well speed wise you should be getting 940mb via an ethernet device, so yes it should be faster.

After the reboots has any of the hubs data changed?

Aside from virgin sending out an engineer the only thing that YOU can try is a pin hole reset..

Just hold down the tiny button recessed at the hack of the hub for 30 seconds or so.

It will completely remove all settings so you'll have to get it back into modem mode etc.

However I'm still convinced your powerlevels need adjusting.

[Lee_R]

Hi @ckempo thanks for posting and welcome to our community.

I am sorry to hear you're having slow and inconsistent download speeds.  I have had a look from this side and cannot find any issues as to why this is happening.  I have located your account and am going to send the information to a field based manager to see if we can do an investigation.

Regards

Lee_R

[ckempo]

@Lee_R - thanks, I really appreciated this - the engineer was on my doorstep the very next day!

So here's what we found:

When I downgraded my TV package and lost a box from upstairs, that should have been a visit from an engineer to change my 1-in-3-out splitter to a 1-in-2-out one, but that never happened (was just told to unplug and return the box and that was that). As things were, I had the signal split to a box upstairs that was no longer there - it was likened to a leaky tap, where pressure (or signal) is being lost in the system because it's not capped off. So that was changed.

Then there was some fiddling in the cabinet outside due to my upstream power level not being quite right. I suspect that this is what @risc19 was concerned about.

Finally - it was established my Hub 4 wasn't responding as expected, so that was changed for a new one.

Would like to recognise James (the engineer) for his efforts, if that can be passed on in some way.

As of now, I'm achieving ~630Mbps to my hub. Honestly, it's better but I'm still convinced that it isn't fast enough, all things considered - remember, the first week after install I hit the best ever recorded speed of 875Mbps, so I know that the existing infrastructure can deliver better than at present.