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Author Topic: Home Hub by Virgin Internet  (Read 12161 times)

Tug-Kenny RIP

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Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« on: October 09, 2012, 03:12:24 pm »



My new 20 meg Home hub has just arrived.  Has anyone any experience of these please. ?

I shall be off air until it's wired in and working.  Hope I can get back on.     %)


Ken
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Bob K

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #1 on: October 09, 2012, 03:23:18 pm »

Hi Ken,

A few months ago we had BT Infinity installed.  Fibre optic from the exchange to our nearest BT street connection box (not that close oddly enough).
Claimed to be "up to" 20 Mips, our Broadband speed has increased from a pathetic 1.4 Mips on regular BT wires to only 2.7 Mips, and that's on a good day !

It's high time suppliers were forced to to use actual speeds in their adverts, and I doubt anyone is getting the advertised speed unless they live next door to the exchange.  It is almost like being sold a car claimed to do "up to" 78 mpl only to find out it is really only 7 mpl.
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grendel

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #2 on: October 09, 2012, 03:32:11 pm »

I am on standard BT, on a new bt home hub 3 and we manage up to 13Mb/s on a standard line - we are fairly close to the exchange and we have had our area upgraded to fibre optics.
at times our internet slows (early evenings mostly).
Grendel
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essex2visuvesi

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #3 on: October 09, 2012, 04:05:51 pm »

If you read the small print it does say in most contracts that the speed you are paying for is the maximum attainable for that line on a best effort basis... This is generally not the spee dyou you can expect tho some people are lucky and do get the quoted speed, most don't

Finnish law regarding broadband is different.... If you order a 2Mb line, then you Must be able to acheive sustained speeds of 2Mb.  So in effect you pay for a 2Mb line and get a 4Mb

At home we have an uncapped fibre (a perk of working for a comms company) and theoretically can see speeds of up to 1Gb. (and yes I still get timeouts on here lol)
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Netleyned

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #4 on: October 09, 2012, 04:08:59 pm »

My Sky broadband was advertised at 8Mps when I signed up and now they are claiming 14Mps
I am averaging 7.5Mps.

Ned
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F4TCT

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #5 on: October 09, 2012, 04:19:42 pm »

luckily I live right next to the exchange so i probably get the best speed in the whole of the town.

It reaches 16mb later in the evening and usually 6-8mb during the day, all through a phoneline.

There's talk that virgn are laying fiber here in 2015.

My mate has 100mb fiber internet and its rapid to say the least.

In Hartlepool, it seems BT fiber optic are using virgins infrastructure - underground conduit and possibly their cable aswell.

I must say, i've been with a few adsl companies while living here, and virgin is by far the best - always upgrading and increasing speeds free of charge (i took my contract out on a 8mb line)

Its time this country changed, we are soooooooo behind the times on most things.

Look at DAB for example. The country doesn't have that much of the spectrum free to run it at a quality we all want to hear. The only other alternative is DAB+ which is doubly efficient due to the codecs the stations use over in Europe.

Despite being the leaders in sound quality (in my opinion), the BBC still are with the rest of the countries stations - using MPEG2 which by today's standards is out dated. DAB+ wont work with MPEG2 and therefore a massive swap out of hardware and software is needed to get this country changed over to it, thus allowing double the DAB stations whilst maintaining its current bitrate/quality. The BBC have the upper hand as such with them having their own nationwide multiplex. They can chop and change bitrates of stations in order to fit others on their network.

The other issue is the transmitters themselves, which tend to be lower power than fm, as care must be take not to have two multiplexes with different stations on crossing over each other.

If you have a DAB radio in your car, switch between the same station but using DAB and FM and then hear the difference. FM allows more of a bitrate, but because DAB doesn't, it often sounds horribly compressed, with lack of depth.

I can't see them ever switching FM off, as its a huge issue. Mainly as some car manufacturers categorically refuse to install DAB radios into their cars and so where does it leave people then? Even people now with relatively new cars are likely to keep them for some time, so if in 5 years, fm was switched off, they would be knackered for a signal.

The digital switchover was supposed to happen in 2007 wasn't it? finally 5 years later we are there but not without problems and missing channels (probably down to multiplex bandwidth)

Bottom line is that this country is behind the times.

Look at this row over the 4G stuff. Quite simply, it wont work, again because there is a fixed spectrum for mobiles and 4G. When every man and his dog logs on with their ipads etc, streaming videos off youtube, then the network grinds to a halt, just like 3g does at the moment. I guess the ratio of increase in network speed, compared to more people using it and them using it for bigger files etc, then really we are no better off having 4G over 3G...

Dan
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F4TCT

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #6 on: October 09, 2012, 04:23:33 pm »

If you read the small print it does say in most contracts that the speed you are paying for is the maximum attainable for that line on a best effort basis... This is generally not the spee dyou you can expect tho some people are lucky and do get the quoted speed, most don't

Finnish law regarding broadband is different.... If you order a 2Mb line, then you Must be able to acheive sustained speeds of 2Mb.  So in effect you pay for a 2Mb line and get a 4Mb

At home we have an uncapped fibre (a perk of working for a comms company) and theoretically can see speeds of up to 1Gb. (and yes I still get timeouts on here lol)

The only service to guarantee a speed in the UK is ISDN as far as i know. Its used by broadcasters, such as radio to link stations using usually 8-14 channels (so 8 isdn lines @ 50kbs) or for outside broadcasts where satellite isn't available etc..

Dan
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malcolmfrary

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #7 on: October 09, 2012, 04:25:24 pm »

Quote
It's high time suppliers were forced to to use actual speeds in their adverts, and I doubt anyone is getting the advertised speed unless they live next door to the exchange.  It is almost like being sold a car claimed to do "up to" 78 mpl only to find out it is really only 7 mpl.
I don't see how they can tailor the ad for each potential customer, but there should be a test procedure on the way to becoming a customer that consists of an actual test rather than just a look-up in a profile database, and pay level should be on results rather than promises.  If they offer a cheaper rate for lower performance, and all they can supply is lower performance, that is what they should be paid for.
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F4TCT

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #8 on: October 09, 2012, 04:26:58 pm »

My Sky broadband was advertised at 8Mps when I signed up and now they are claiming 14Mps
I am averaging 7.5Mps.

Ned

I had a company round saying they can supply 20mb through the phone line (this was around 18 months ago). I thought ok lets have fun with this chap..

I questioned and questioned about guarantees that it was going to be 20mb and he was like "yeah yeah yeah..."

I then mentioned the fact that I know someone who works in the exchange and that i happen to know the exchange hadn't at that point, had some switch gear upgraded to allow the 20mb stuff and the best that would have been achieved was around the 8mb mark.

Needless to say he left lacking a sale and with a red face...

 <*<
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Tug-Kenny RIP

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #9 on: October 09, 2012, 04:59:18 pm »


Well I'm back.  My, that was fast.

The conversion was painless and a guy talked me through it.  We'll have to do some speed checks and see what it's all about.

The new device has a hub which allows me to sit in the lounge on the laptop, but we cannot get it to recognise the signal. My Sony can see it but won't connect, so I'm busy cleaning out the disk to smarten it up a bit. I haven't used it for over two years and the battery is probably duff by now.    %)

Keep you posted

ken
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barriew

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #10 on: October 09, 2012, 06:08:47 pm »

I signed up for BT's standard up to 8Mb service when we moved here 3 years ago. I used to get 6+Mb, and that was OK for my usage. A few months ago they said they were doing some work to the exchange and we may see varying speeds for a while, we did but its now settled down to about 18Mb. This is still with a Mk2 Hub. Wirelessly I get about 15-16 Mb.  I'm very pleased with that :-)) :-))

Barrie
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Circlip

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #11 on: October 09, 2012, 06:45:53 pm »

Good ole Cir Richard put the charges up a couple of months ago to maintain the standard of service we were getting. When objecting to this, I was informed that the broadband connection was being speeded up in a few months but they wouldn't wait to increase the charges until this happened. (Did the same thing with cable, switching off the terrestrial service four years before auntie Beeb did).

  Got a nee mail from them today asking if I would fill in a questionairre about the new high speed service????????? When did that happen??? was it the two breakdown in services over the last seven days?

  Must have been busy worrying about the rip Rail problem he was having.

  Regards  Ian.
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TheLongBuild

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #12 on: October 09, 2012, 07:38:38 pm »

Yes I have the Supa Hub, Just been boosted from 30mb to 60mb  last week, its great on the main pc as hard wired last test showed 74mb !.

Bob K

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #13 on: October 09, 2012, 08:13:27 pm »

I just checked it again.  BT Infinity, fibre optic to nearest BT box in street.

Download speed 2.62 Mbs    Upload speed 4.01 Mbs.  Total waste of time.  I have complained but just get excuses.
Even BBC News clips pause whilst the loading logo goes round.
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AT Boatyard

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #14 on: October 09, 2012, 08:18:07 pm »

Hi everyone,
We had a promotional letter today from Virgin and inside the envelope was a stripey bag with
cardboard sweets in it promoting their watch it again service.
Maybe if they stopped wasting money on silly little things like this and spent the money on their
services it could be even better and cheaper.

regards
Debbie ( Alan's wife)
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richald

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #15 on: October 09, 2012, 08:19:55 pm »

Just tested mine .... (Plusnet) 1.884Mbs  >>:-(

it'd be faster using semaphore!

Everybody is wittering on about 4G - we haven't even got 1G round here ....

Richard
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Shipmate60

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #16 on: October 09, 2012, 08:34:23 pm »



BT Infinity, the slowest download speed for ages.

Bob
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TheLongBuild

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #17 on: October 09, 2012, 08:48:55 pm »

I have just checked using 3 diffenet checkers and get diff ranges of 29mb to 56, the first one I tried twice this came in at 29 and then 48 so Can these be trusted ?.

Artistmike

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #18 on: October 09, 2012, 09:24:25 pm »


We down 'yer in t' countryside do 'ave this modern steam generated internet, but t'ain't that speedy to be 'onest.  Mind you I can't get to and from t' Maidenhead that fast in the tractor to be 'truthful....... {:-{

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debssnal

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #19 on: October 09, 2012, 09:43:54 pm »

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richald

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #20 on: October 09, 2012, 11:18:01 pm »

 

Cr*p despite Plusnet's Claims!

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pettyofficernick

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #21 on: October 09, 2012, 11:30:08 pm »

Well I must have the slowest of the lot, 1.31 Mb/sec download,  0.32 upload. 2 miles from exchange, promised 8, excuse? you are at the maximum range of the servers. Talk Talk. >>:-( >>:-( >>:-(
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philk

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #22 on: October 09, 2012, 11:43:43 pm »

i have virgin cable 30mb service and average 32mb/s so no complaints here

phil
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TheLongBuild

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #23 on: October 09, 2012, 11:53:24 pm »

I'm Down as up to 60mb

Intresting that Bob can get uploads of 16mb, where Virgin media is about 3-5 (I believe some can get 10)

 

grendel

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Re: Home Hub by Virgin Internet
« Reply #24 on: October 10, 2012, 12:03:22 am »

I just checked it again.  BT Infinity, fibre optic to nearest BT box in street.

Download speed 2.62 Mbs    Upload speed 4.01 Mbs.  Total waste of time.  I have complained but just get excuses.
Even BBC News clips pause whilst the loading logo goes round.
BT's overseas operators are useless, they were telling me it was my faulty equipment when I had the bt hub plufgged into the test socket behind the front plate, thus eliminating anything internal to the house, when the engineer came out, there were several waterlogged joints between us and the bt box, plus since the fibre optic upgrade the hub we had was now incompatible with the new network, thus limiting our bandwidth. the home hub was replaced for free as it was an upgrade fault (their words) and the cap on our line speed due to the bad hub was removed, and we went from 1Mb to 12 overnight.
keep on at them and if you are on infinity and your download is slower than your upload there is definately a fault, keep pushing for them to get an engineer out - the engineers are excellent and basically test from scratch as they dont believe anything the call centre guys say.
Grendel
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