Terrible connection on VM 30Mb service

Stonedofmoo · 17 Dec 2011 at 16:09

Hi guys

In the last month or so gaming on my Virgin media 30mb cable connection has been near impossible.

Here is a snapshot of what my pings look like right now to BBC, a site with a healthy connection in London.

Pinging www.bbc.net.uk [212.58.246.95] with 32 bytes
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=142ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=281ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=202ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=37ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=70ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=195ms TTL=53
Request timed out.
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=363ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=95ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=182ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=149ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=102ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=159ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=130ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=303ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=291ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=325ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=236ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=379ms TTL=53
Request timed out.
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=193ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=232ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=53
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=93ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=81ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=55ms TTL=53
Request timed out.
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=35ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=18ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=111ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=151ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=99ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=98ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=119ms TTL=53
Reply from 212.58.246.95: bytes=32 time=145ms TTL=53

As you can see they're all over the place, and mostly rubbish. Packet loss also which means I can barely play games because of this.

Now the annoying thing is I called Virgin, and despite confirming the issue by doing pings from the superhub they still decided it 'could be malware' on my computer, but decided to send me a new superhub anyhow which arrives next week.

Has anyone had this before or have experience with poor performance like this on VM? They insist their network is fine and I'm highly doubtful a new Superhub is going to fix anything. Surely it will either work or it won't?

Wyrdo · 17 Dec 2011 at 16:12

See the 50mb thread, loads of people with similar issues. I'm on 100mb and the service has been terrible recently, I'll be leaving Virgin soon.

KIA · 17 Dec 2011 at 18:02

@Stonedofmoo Can you get FTTC?

https://www.btwholesale.com/pages/s...unity/Coverage/ADSL_Availibility_Checker.html

Orcvader · 17 Dec 2011 at 19:10

KIA said:
@Stonedofmoo Can you get FTTC?

https://www.btwholesale.com/pages/s...unity/Coverage/ADSL_Availibility_Checker.html

Technically he's already on Virgin's FTTC.

Does it happen on certain times of the day? If it happens in the evening, it could be congestion in the area due to too many virgin users.

Duke · 17 Dec 2011 at 20:06

Tend to get a quick reply on the vm support forum. Try posting the model stats on there.

Stonedofmoo · 18 Dec 2011 at 09:05

Mmm well my replacement Superhub has arrived head of schedule. I'm yet to plug it in though because right now at 9am the connection is silky smooth, I have a hunch by midafternoon that will have changed as the world wakes up.

A new modem is not going to fix that..

Efour · 18 Dec 2011 at 11:59

They sent me 3 superhubs, none of which changed a thing surprisingly.

set up a monitor at http://www.thinkbroadband.com/ping

you will be able to see when the traffic is so much that it becomes packetloss central

take that graph and a copy and paste of the VM line stats to the offcial VM forums http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Up-to-30Mb-broadband/bd-p/30mb

wait unto 5 days for a fault ticket/response

escalate that to retentions and stop paying until it is upgraded.... im 99% positive it will be either a local fault or over subscription that will take MONTHS to fix.

Hope im wrong, good luck getting it fixed.

Stonedofmoo · 18 Dec 2011 at 14:30

Thanks for the advice; I have the graph running now. I'll get a few days of data and then go to the VM forums.

KIA · 18 Dec 2011 at 16:25

Stonedofmoo said:
Thanks for the advice; I have the graph running now. I'll get a few days of data and then go to the VM forums.

Post the live graph here.

Stonedofmoo · 18 Dec 2011 at 17:33

KIA said:
Post the live graph here.

As requested, check out the lost packets *sigh*. Even browsing this forum is bloody slow! BTW this graph has been running from the point I activated the new Superhub, so as predicted it made no difference at all.

It's annoying because until 7-8 weeks ago I've had 4-5 years of excellent broadband with no complaints. In fact thinking back around 7-8 weeks ago we also lost internet for a few hours during the day. I can't help wondering if the events are connected and if I've been 'moved' to a oversubscribed router. Ever since then the performance has been shocking.

numatic.nathan · 18 Dec 2011 at 17:35

Virgin have gone down hill, we had the 10Mb, we've come off it now, hated the throttling, defeats the point of having 10Mb..

MagicUK · 18 Dec 2011 at 20:32

I'm with 50mb package and mines been fine since being installed a few months ago. Virgins cable network is so hit and miss. Hope ya get it sorted.

Stonedofmoo · 20 Dec 2011 at 20:01

Cheers. No reply from them yet on my forum post. Connection is once again unusable tonight. Can anyone see the pattern emerging on the graph? *sigh*

mrk · 20 Dec 2011 at 23:56

Is that gay option in the supernub still on that blocks packets because it thinks it's being protective?

The hub is rubbish though, full stop.

I'd request a modem only from their head office. It is so much better than the hub. Modem only here and on 30Mb and not a single problem since plugging the modem only in.

KIA · 21 Dec 2011 at 10:14

mrk said:
Is that gay option in the supernub still on that blocks packets because it thinks it's being protective?

Flood protection? I doubt it's the cause of peak time packet loss. BQM isn't as "aggressive" as pingtest.

janp · 21 Dec 2011 at 10:35

It could be a problem with your exchange, I've got a friend in Portsmouth that's also had a terrible connection recently, I'm connected to the Cosham exchange which seems fine.

Qu3 · 21 Dec 2011 at 10:35

They insist their network is fine and I'm highly doubtful a new Superhub is going to fix anything. Surely it will either work or it won't?

Go ask your neighbours, if they are also having issues then yes it may be a network issue, a local one at that but if they aren't they chances are its your super hub.

KIA · 21 Dec 2011 at 12:17

janp said:
It could be a problem with your exchange, I've got a friend in Portsmouth that's also had a terrible connection recently, I'm connected to the Cosham exchange which seems fine.

This is cable, not DSL.

Qu3 · 21 Dec 2011 at 13:52

KIA said:
This is cable, not DSL.

Same thing applies really...

mp260767 · 21 Dec 2011 at 14:11

Qu3 said:
Same thing applies really...

yup, virgin have got problems around the country because they've overloaded their network in places, if you get lucky you get on a quiet UBR.

Op shows as being in portsmouth, so possibly student areas might be on the same connection which wont help matters.