Virgin Media Community

[phcjpp]

Hi All,

On Friday last I had 2 new v6 boxes installed (swapped out 2 existing Tivo boxes). On the same day my house alarm started playing up. My home alarm (Texecom Premier) uses wired and wireless components. We called out the alarm company and they confirmed that something is interfering / jamming the wireless frequency that the alarm is using for some of its sensors. They asked what has changed in the house - the only thing was the new V6 virgin boxes. It seems likely that the new radio remotes that the virgin supports are operating on the same frequency (Texecom support conformed this can happen - they mentioned NEST heating controls for example.).

So to my question - is there a way to turn off the radio remotes (we are using IR)? I am hoping there is maybe an engineers mode on the V6 box that allows this.

Best

Chris

[GarethF]

Take the batteries out of the remotes. press a few buttons and leave for an hour or so and put the batteries back in, this will unpair them and turn them back to IR remotes. You'll need line of sight to the box then.

[apcyberax]

I'm be more worried about your alarm.
Get the engineer out with a spectrum analyzer and get the channel changed the alarm system uses.

If they can be radio jammed by a tivo remote you have bigger problems. Are you going to make anyone next door not get a tivo so your alarm works.

Any alarm that can be jammed that easy isn't worth having.

[nodrogd]

V6 remotes work on Bluetooth technology, so I wouldn't think this would cause any problems.

[BenMcr]

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nodrogd wrote:

V6 remotes work on Bluetooth technology, so I wouldn't think this would cause any problems.

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It doesn't, it uses RF4CE (also known as Zigbee) which operates on 2.4Ghz frequency.

However RF4CE is a full approved and published standard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZigBee , so it shouldn't interfere with any other devices as devices built following approved wireless standards should be able to co-exist with it appropriately, and ZigBee devices should know how to co-exist with other wireless devices following approved wireless standards.

[GarethF]

Here's some proper instructions on how to reset the remotes

https://help.virginmedia.com/system/templates/selfservice/vm/help/customer/locale/en-GB/portal/20030...

[phcjpp]

Thanks for the many replies.

@apcyberax - With respect, Texecom Premier is one of the more common alarms in use today in the UK - IIRC it won alarm of the year 2016 for the wireless version!

The 'jamming' appears as a fault on those zones it effects and stops the alarm from being set in the first place. That is, the alarm it fails gracefully.

Many thanks
Chris

[Baz]

With RF4CE the STB won't be transmitting (except during the pairing operation) and the remote will only transmit when a key is pressed. So if the alarm is having a problem when it is being set, ie you are leaving the house, there shouldn't be any transmissions from the new kit.
Is your V6 connected to the SuperHub by Ethernet or wireless?
The alarm sensor may be operating at the limit of its range as (according to the website)  it relies on mesh connections between multiple sensors to extend the range. Changes in the weather and overall RF environment from other devices, neighbours etc may have pushed it over the edge. If you have a movable sensor (eg PIR movement detector) try positioning it between the problem sensor an the main control unit and see if that helps.
BB

[phcjpp]

Thanks - that's helpful advice.

Chris

[Elmobluffer]

I have had a similar experience with the v6 box. From the day I had it setup it has caused terrible interference of my netgear 5G wireless network. My 2.4ghz network appears unaffected but 5g is unusable, the moment I unplug the v6 box the netgear 5g wifi network is perfect again! I believe the v6 has a hidden 5g wireless signal that it uses to connect to other v6 boxes, this I think is causing issues...