Virgin media router...

Mythril1976

Mythril1976

Mythril1976

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I'm with Virgin Media for internet and I'm currently having a play with a Raspberry Pi 5 and AdGuard Home. I've got it working but only on my PC and phone at present. There's many devices in the house that connect to the net and I want them all to route through my Pi.

The router Virgin gives you is about as much cope as chocolate fireguard as I'm unable to set a DNS of my choosing. So, my question is, what's a good router that's available for my connection ? I'm fibre to the house.

Thanks
 
Mythril1976 said:
I'm with Virgin Media for internet and I'm currently having a play with a Raspberry Pi 5 and AdGuard Home. I've got it working but only on my PC and phone at present. There's many devices in the house that connect to the net and I want them all to route through my Pi.

The router Virgin gives you is about as much cope as chocolate fireguard as I'm unable to set a DNS of my choosing. So, my question is, what's a good router that's available for my connection ? I'm fibre to the house.

Thanks
Click to expand...
I'm using a TP link AX3000 for mine, does a decent job and virtually never needs a reboot beyond occasional updates.
 
Steveocee said:
You need to turn dhcp off on your virgin router and run dhcp via your pihole. That will allow you to set it as your dns.
Click to expand...
You can't do that on the newest virgin routers. Yes, they really do suck that badly. To advise the OP properly, we need to know what virgin router he has.
 
You can try to disable the DHCP as Steveonce said, as use your PI as a dhcp server.

In 2025, users report that while you can uncheck the DHCP option in the Hub 5x settings, it may not disable the service "completely" at a network level.



Key Observations for 2025
  • "Phantom" Advertising: Even with DHCP disabled, the
    Hub 5x
    may still advertise itself as a DHCP server. Some third-party routers or servers (like those running dnsmasq) may detect this "rogue" server and shut themselves down to avoid conflicts.
  • The "Force" Requirement: Because of this "phantom" advertising, you often need to enable a "Force" mode in your third-party DHCP server (such as Pi-hole) to ignore the
    Hub 5x
    and continue operating.
  • Firmware Bugs: The
    Hub 5x
    firmware is widely considered buggy. Deleting reserved IPs can sometimes trash the entire DHCP table, requiring a full factory reset to restore management access.
  • Virgin Media Pods: If you use Virgin's Wi-Fi Pods, they strictly require the
    Hub 5x
    DHCP server to be active to stay online. Disabling it will cause the pods to drop off after a reboot unless you perform a complex "re-sync" procedure every time.



Summary Recommendation
You can technically disable the DHCP server so it stops handing out IP addresses, but you must be prepared for the following:
  1. Use "Force" on Pi-hole: Ensure your Pi-hole is set to force its DHCP server to stay active despite detecting the
    Hub 5x
    .
  2. Avoid VM Pods: If you rely on custom DHCP/DNS, it is recommended to retire Virgin's mesh pods and use a retail mesh system (like TP-Link Deco or eero) instead.
  3. Stability Warning: The
    Hub 5x
    may lose all reservations after a power cycle, making it safer to use your Pi-hole for all IP management
 
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