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Author Topic: “Virgin” Media - where are we nowadays ?  (Read 3191 times)

Weaver

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“Virgin” Media - where are we nowadays ?
« on: July 06, 2018, 12:41:06 PM »

I seem to recall reading about grumbling VM users talking about throughput droop at certain times and in certain geographic areas particularly, that plus rumours about upstream being weird and allegations of throttling / shaping. Is any of that stuff true?
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chenks

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Re: “Virgin” Media - where are we nowadays ?
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2018, 12:46:13 PM »

very much true.
and there are still times where an area will lose internet/tv completely for hours/days.
« Last Edit: July 06, 2018, 01:01:28 PM by chenks »
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niemand

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Re: “Virgin” Media - where are we nowadays ?
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2018, 12:47:50 PM »

Throughput yes, though way better than it used to be, upstream throttling was widely advertised and has been turned off, as has shaping.

Neither of those were controversies, both were detailed per Ofcom guidelines.
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nallar

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Re: “Virgin” Media - where are we nowadays ?
« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2018, 01:22:29 PM »

Customer support still sucks.

The provided router is flawed (even when in modem mode) and there's no way* to use your own modem. Getting them to acknowledge that there is a problem is difficult, getting something done about it is nearly impossible.

Speeds are okay for me, on the forums people are still moaning about utilisation issues which get pushed back seemingly forever.
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Virgin Media cable, A&A ADSL. OPNsense router.

Weaver

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Re: “Virgin” Media - where are we nowadays ?
« Reply #4 on: July 06, 2018, 01:58:29 PM »

How much of the network is still straight coax as opposed to the new hybrid FTTx / coax thingummy?
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chenks

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Re: “Virgin” Media - where are we nowadays ?
« Reply #5 on: July 06, 2018, 02:05:51 PM »

How much of the network is still straight coax as opposed to the new hybrid FTTx / coax thingummy?

well most of the network is fibre to the cabinet then coax to the house.
any new network rollout should be fibre to the house (or at least fibre to the connection point in the pavement).
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Weaver

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Re: “Virgin” Media - where are we nowadays ?
« Reply #6 on: July 06, 2018, 02:09:16 PM »

Sorry to be a bit dense, pain drugs, is the fibre to the house (nearly) thing still only a relatively small part of their installed base?
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chenks

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Re: “Virgin” Media - where are we nowadays ?
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2018, 02:22:29 PM »

it'll be any that have been part of the recent network expansion project, or any new housing developments.

for example, my street was recently cabled up, and it's fibre up to the pavement point in front of the house.
i didn't get it installed to can't say for sure what is then dropped from the pavement point to the house, i'd expect it would be fibre rather than coax.
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Ronski

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Re: “Virgin” Media - where are we nowadays ?
« Reply #8 on: July 06, 2018, 02:40:27 PM »

It's fibre all the way to the house. When you have it installed they run a 6mm tube from your house wall and join it to the one in the pavement, then blow a fibre back to the street cabinet. A media converter is then installed on the house wall and coax from there to power injector then to the modem.

I posted some pictures here.

https://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php/topic,19668.msg371093.html#msg371093
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chenks

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Re: “Virgin” Media - where are we nowadays ?
« Reply #9 on: July 06, 2018, 03:03:57 PM »

It's fibre all the way to the house. When you have it installed they run a 6mm tube from your house wall and join it to the one in the pavement, then blow a fibre back to the street cabinet. A media converter is then installed on the house wall and coax from there to power injector then to the modem.

for the new expansion yes, but not for the existing network which is FTTC then coax.
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niemand

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Re: “Virgin” Media - where are we nowadays ?
« Reply #10 on: July 06, 2018, 07:05:15 PM »

How much of the network is still straight coax as opposed to the new hybrid FTTx / coax thingummy?

As of right now split between HFC and full fibre doesn't really matter that much. They both carry the same stuff. Until there is a divergence there they're much of muchness as long as the networks are properly maintained.
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niemand

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Re: “Virgin” Media - where are we nowadays ?
« Reply #11 on: July 06, 2018, 10:08:18 PM »

Please do feel free to check out this video on HFC networks and, specifically, methods to upgrade them.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOAjzKY51-I[/youtube]

You're welcome to PM / email me for extra information if you require it.
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benji09

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Re: “Virgin” Media - where are we nowadays ?
« Reply #12 on: July 06, 2018, 10:17:27 PM »

  We have had a Virgin  box at the bottom of my road that has been open for a month, or more..... Virgin have apparently been informed ages ago about it, but nothing has happened. I am surprised that the local idiots have not wrecked the equipment inside it. That, I think shows Virgin's maintenance at it's best. Incidentally, this is not the first time this has happened.
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Weaver

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Re: “Virgin” Media - where are we nowadays ?
« Reply #13 on: July 06, 2018, 11:21:43 PM »

I suppose the reason they have not got rid of this weird final foot format conversion step is all to do with backwards compatibility or reusing old designs for the kit or something?

Actually, when you look at it the right way, it's perhaps only the same at an abstract level as a 10Gb fibre interconnect between switches that goes down to 1G copper out of the switch ports and no one thinks that is weird, analogy has its weaknesses.
« Last Edit: July 06, 2018, 11:24:54 PM by Weaver »
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Ronski

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Re: “Virgin” Media - where are we nowadays ?
« Reply #14 on: July 07, 2018, 04:47:28 AM »

for the new expansion yes, but not for the existing network which is FTTC then coax.

I know  :P  I was clarifying how it's installed as you were clearly not sure.

@weaver yes they keep the final connection coax so they can use the same hub and set top boxes.
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