The Virgin Install Disc

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24 Dec 2002
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415
Location
Southampton
Just moved house and now have Phone, Internet and TV from Virgin.

Two cowboys came and installed. TV works better now I reset it up using the RGB Scart input and a full Scart lead - they set it up composite video!

I have an internet connection without running the Virgin install disc. What does that disc do, and what extras do I get. I cannot access the Selfcare screens without a email address, and I cannot get and email address without running the disc. But since I use Fastmail IMAP. I don't want their email service so I am very reluctant to run the disc. I once ran an NTL disc and it wrecked my PC, writing all sorts of rubbish everywhere. I have never used and ISP install disc since!

So I repeat, are there any advantages in risking the disc?
 
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If you're already up and running without the disc then don't worry about it.

However when I first got my cable internet I was given the modem, setup CD and pin code. The modem wouldn't work at all without being registered into my account so I had to use the CD along with the supplied pin code. Also I noticed that when logging into the cable modem before it was registered (by going to http://192.168.100.1) the speed it was assigned was something like 128kbps which is obviously all it needs to do the registration. After it was registered to my account it went up to the 10mbit speed it was meant to be at the time.

Since then I've moved house twice and each time I've been given a new cable modem and I have had to do the same thing. The NTL/Virgin setup disc isn't as bad as it once was, but to be on the safe side I still ran it on a VMware session of XP so it couldn't screw with my main install.

In short, check your speeds out by logging into the modem and if you're getting what you're paying for then forget about the disc.

Oh also when the cable modem is running in its limited unregistered state there is one website it can access which is basically what the registration utility on the CD accesses. I recall people saying it was possible to register the modem by just going to the site in a web browser but I never tried it myself.
 
the virgin installers do the modem registration bit by phone now as they have to supply the mac code of the modem by phone to prevent cloning and broadband theft.
 
Aye but being in Reading he's on ex-NTL platform and being a new install they only give out Virgin branded 255 modems :)

Good to know about the engineers registering the modem themselves, saves customers a bit of hassle.
 
Ha, I know a couple of the local installation engineers. They are total cow boys. Don't suppose a tall lad with a few tattoos on his arm installed yours?

Anyway, the disk just registers your modem and installs broadband medic. And of course installs USB drivers but we won't be using USB now will we :o

In terms of registering the modem you can actually do it via

https://autoreg.autoregister.net/start.html

i believe its the only site you can access before being registered.
 
Thanks for your comments.

I did wonder how I had registered - makes sense the engineer did it by phone.

Yes, initially I could only access one site, then it all seemed to come live.

Speed seems fast - very fast. Not checked numbers yet.

The new installation is in Warminster - Telewest country. I will delete Reading from my profile.

Any more tips?

For example, is it best to avoid large downloads at particular times lest I fall foul of the usage police?
 
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