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[tickmike]

One of the people that works with my wife phoned me up to ask Why would you need to have a computer available when you have a new internet connection ?.
They wanted to buy a new laptop for there sons birthday (A surprise ! ) so he can use it for his school work, they have not long moved to this house and it does not have the internet and they have not got the laptop yet !.
They have asked 'Virgin' to connect to there fibre which is nearby and they said to them they need a computer there (next Tuesday  ) before they can do the service.

[roseway]

This is Virgin cable, and I suppose that what they offer is an engineer installation only, which would have to include connecting up to the customer's computer, to ensure that the customer gets a fully working system at the end of the visit.

[UncleUB]

I think the first thing they need to do is a bit of research........  

Eric is correct in that Virgin Cable do come to your home and set everything up.They need to run a fibre cable first from the box (which is usually under a small cover on the pavement) up to the property and through the wall into the designated room.This can mean burying the cable under the lawn,or even lifting paving slabs and then relaying once the cable is down.They usually make a very neat job..ie cutting a strip of turf in the lawn,laying the cable and then replacing the turf.Of course these are just examples and every home will be different

[tickmike]

I have no experience with cable ( its only something you dream about in the sticks  )
I did notice what looked like an old cable connection box on there house when I was over there.
How the cable terminated ?, is it a box with an RJ45 socket ?.
They should leave a working connection when they finished the installation or will they come back ?.
Hopefully when they get there laptop delivered they should be able to plug it in and it should connect if not I said I will help them.

[burakkucat]

Walter should be the one to comment on a Virgin Media (co-axial) cable installation and the interface(s) within the subscriber's home. 

[tickmike]

Does anyone know if they will still do the connection even though they do not have a computer, they are thinking they should cancel .
Help.

[UncleUB]

Does anyone know if they will still do the connection even though they do not have a computer, they are thinking they should cancel .
Help.

Perhaps a quick call to Virgin support will answer all their questions..

[tickmike]

Its them who started the panic, probably someone in a far off land reading a script off his screen and saying to them that they have to have there computer ready.
If they can not do an internet connection without the a customer having a computer there then they should not be in business. 

[snadge]

well... not familiar with Virgin Engineer visits but I would reckon that the engineer would have a device that tests the connection anyway>?  I doubt they would need to use YOUR pc to make sure THEIR service is working? what happens if a customer has a faulty network card and its dropping the cable connection?? Virgin cant test it cos they dont have a device to do so?? ...no, I think the rep is probably just confused, unless they insist so they can 'force' crapware onto your PC installed by the engineer ??

NOTE: Its not fibre cable, its copper cable... unlike Virgin would have everyone believe, didnt Samuel L. Jackson say "superfast fibre right into your home"..? lol  Virgin Cable is similar to BT's FTTC except that is uses better quality copper cable from their cab's with RF Amplifiers en route which boost signal.  the cable is a Co-Axial fitting on end (similar to satellite dish cable, same end) , it fixes into the SuperHub off which you can use LAN or Wi-Fi

[tickmike]

I spoke to these people last night and the job was done in about half an hour  , the chap came and found that the people who owned the  home before had there service's and all he had to do was to re-locate some of the internal cable and connect it back up at there street cabinet, he asked once  if they wanted there computer setting up, this is where they told him they had not received it yet to which he told them 'no problem' and he told them how to connect it up to the hub when they get it.

They need to look at there customer service department putting idea's in peoples heads that they MUST have a computer there at the time of installation, this has caused the couple to have arguments about this, "to cancel on not", "are they going to get a big bill if they can not produce a computer when the chap come to connect".
I tried my best to put there minds at ease and told them not to worry  .

[burakkucat]

So it all ended well. Thanks for the update. 

[kitz]

 

[tickmike]

They got there laptop yesterday and I went around last night to show them how to connect it up, I first connected it with a 'RJ45 Lan' cable and it connected straight away  then tried wireless and got that working.
While I was there I changed the Virgin Hub password from the default.

What I was not sure if I needed to change the 'wireless pass-phrase' from the default ?. and it was on WPA setting.!

[roseway]

I think you should definitely change the WiFi security setting to WPA2 with a good password/phrase of your own choice.

[guest]

I think the first thing they need to do is a bit of research........  

Eric is correct in that Virgin Cable do come to your home and set everything up.They need to run a fibre cable first from the box (which is usually under a small cover on the pavement) up to the property and through the wall into the designated room.This can mean burying the cable under the lawn,or even lifting paving slabs and then relaying once the cable is down.They usually make a very neat job..ie cutting a strip of turf in the lawn,laying the cable and then replacing the turf.Of course these are just examples and every home will be different

If you have any sort of paving over the cable route then Virgin will not offer service, even if the cable is already in place and functional. This has been policy for at least 5 years (back to the NTL days). They will continue to provide service for existing customers but if you cancel and then try to get service at some point in the future then they will refuse. At least half a dozen houses on this street are in that position, including next-door who had a fully functional connection, switched to BT (cost) and then tried to switch back. They were told "no service is available to your premises". The UBR here is permanently overloaded so its probably a blessing in disguise

Anyway you should be aware that anything other than soil between the edge of the pavement and the premises will prevent you getting Virgin cable.