Virgin Media Discussion Thread

Damnation · 17 Feb 2023 at 13:26

I'm currently on volt which includes an o2 sim . I get two separate Bill's, one from virgin and one from o2. I still have about 7 months left on an 18 month contract but I'm just wondering, if o2 put my price up can I just cancel it but still continue with virgin? Also I haven't had anything yet to say virgin are increasing my package price so obviously can't negotiate a better price.
My daughter currently has the o2 unlimited sim and uses about 2 GB a month so I can get her a way better deal for less than £10 and do away with their £27.92 a month.
Thanks guys

Drake5 · 17 Feb 2023 at 14:08

Spoke to tech support again who are now saying the levels in my downstream are off and I have another engineer booked. Can someone that understands these levels take a look please, what should they actually be in the downstream

Downstream bonded channels

Channel	Frequency (Hz)	Power (dBmV)	SNR (dB)	Modulation	Channel ID
1	330000000	6.8	41	QAM 256	25
2	162000000	6.3	41	QAM 256	4
3	170000000	6.1	41	QAM 256	5
4	178000000	6.1	41	QAM 256	6
5	186000000	6.3	42	QAM 256	7
6	194000000	6.8	42	QAM 256	8
7	202000000	6.9	41	QAM 256	9
8	210000000	7.2	42	QAM 256	10
9	218000000	7.3	42	QAM 256	11
10	226000000	7.1	42	QAM 256	12
11	234000000	7.1	42	QAM 256	13
12	242000000	6.8	42	QAM 256	14
13	250000000	6.9	42	QAM 256	15
14	258000000	6.9	42	QAM 256	16
15	266000000	6.9	42	QAM 256	17
16	274000000	6.9	42	QAM 256	18
17	282000000	7	42	QAM 256	19
18	290000000	7.1	42	QAM 256	20
19	298000000	7	42	QAM 256	21
20	306000000	7	42	QAM 256	22
21	314000000	7	42	QAM 256	23
22	322000000	7	41	QAM 256	24
23	338000000	7.1	42	QAM 256	26
24	346000000	7.3	42	QAM 256	27
25	354000000	7.1	42	QAM 256	28
26	362000000	7.5	42	QAM 256	29
27	370000000	7.4	42	QAM 256	30
28	378000000	7.6	42	QAM 256	31
29	386000000	7.5	42	QAM 256	32
30	394000000	7.5	42	QAM 256	33
31	402000000	7.6	42	QAM 256	34

Downstream bonded channels

Channel	Locked Status	RxMER (dB)	Pre RS Errors
1	Locked	41	0
2	Locked	41	0
3	Locked	41	0
4	Locked	41	0
5	Locked	42	0
6	Locked	42	0
7	Locked	41	0
8	Locked	42	0
9	Locked	42	0
10	Locked	42	0
11	Locked	42	0
12	Locked	42	0
13	Locked	42	0
14	Locked	42	0
15	Locked	42	0
16	Locked	42	0
17	Locked	42	0
18	Locked	42	0
19	Locked	42	0
20	Locked	42	0
21	Locked	42	0
22	Locked	41	0
23	Locked	42	0
24	Locked	42	0
25	Locked	42	0
26	Locked	42	0
27	Locked	42	0
28	Locked	42	1
29	Locked	42	0
30	Locked	42	0
31	Locked	42	0

Upstream bonded channels

Channel	Frequency (Hz)	Power (dBmV)	Symbol Rate (ksps)	Modulation	Channel ID
0	49600000	45.8	5120	QAM 64	1
1	43100000	46.3	5120	QAM 64	2
2	36600000	47	5120	QAM 64	3
3	30100000	47.3	5120	QAM 64	4
4	23600000	47.3	5120	QAM 64	9

Upstream bonded channels

Channel	Channel Type	T1 Timeouts	T2 Timeouts	T3 Timeouts	T4 Timeouts
0	ATDMA	0	0	0	0
1	ATDMA	0	0	0	0
2	ATDMA	0	0	0	0
3	ATDMA	0	0	0	0
4	ATDMA	0	0	0	0

Duke · 17 Feb 2023 at 14:25

Power level is a bit high but within spec, can be brought down by engineer moving you to another tap in the green cab or by fitting an attenuator. Rest looks fine.

ChrisD. · 17 Feb 2023 at 14:27

It's likely oversubscription, you'll just be on the engineer merry go round until they either fix the utilisation issue, or you leave.

danielanthony · 17 Feb 2023 at 20:08

I downgraded from the full monty package to only 1Gb broadband @ £62pm rolling contract. I also pay for an EE 5G backup line @ £55pm which connects at 220/60 so paying slightly more for a gig seems ok to me.

They tried selling me an o2 10Gb sim @ £10pm but I pointed out that this is an appalling deal. They then offered unlimited @ £25pm :/

Unfortunately, there is no alternative here despite Gigaclear being based in Abingdon.

Ayahuasca · 17 Feb 2023 at 20:59

That’s a pretty poor price for Gig1 only.

Deleted member 77746 · 17 Feb 2023 at 21:04

ChrisD. said:
It's likely oversubscription, you'll just be on the engineer merry go round until they either fix the utilisation issue, or you leave.

They need to pack this in then, wish there was evidence to support this as I'm sure ofcom would love to hear about it if it was true.

ChrisD. · 17 Feb 2023 at 21:39

GaryTheSnail said:
They need to pack this in then, wish there was evidence to support this as I'm sure ofcom would love to hear about it if it was true.

They’ve been doing it for at least a decade.

Deleted member 77746 · 17 Feb 2023 at 21:48

ChrisD. said:
They’ve been doing it for at least a decade.

Trying to find evidence, I guess it goes by area as I know my area doesn't have many subscribers since it's a new install area.

"Your area is not oversubscribed...honestly"

Could somebody please explain how the clear spikes in latency at 3pm and 6pm do not correspond with oversubscription? The above is for today...how about a previous Sunday: I have been told repeatedly that the area is not oversubscribed. Can somebody from Virgin please explain to me why my...

community.virginmedia.com

ChrisD. · 17 Feb 2023 at 21:53

GaryTheSnail said:
Trying to find evidence, I guess it goes by area as I know my area doesn't have many subscribers since it's a new install area.

I had it in 2012, perhaps earlier. My connection was garbage and they kept me in an engineer visit loop, it's fixed it, oh no let's send another one merry-go-round for about 3 months before I gave in and submitted an executive complaint. I was released out of my contract and they admitted it was oversubscription. The same happened in 2014.

Deleted member 77746 · 17 Feb 2023 at 21:59

ChrisD. said:
I had it in 2012, perhaps earlier. My connection was garbage and they kept me in an engineer visit loop, it's fixed it, oh no let's send another one merry-go-round for about 3 months before I gave in and submitted an executive complaint. I was released out of my contract and they admitted it was oversubscription. The same happened in 2014.

That's shocking, disgusting. What they should do in this case is limit the amount of people per area that can connect at any one time. Go back to 12 month contracts and allow people to come out of a contract if something isn't fixed fully as well.

This over subscribe thing needs to stop by VM. These ISPs must be making enough profit now surely.

ChrisD. · 17 Feb 2023 at 22:04

True. The issue is the only measurable thing ISPs can be held accountable for is minimum download speed, which is actually only a recent thing. Yet they can prioritise traffic to Speedtest servers and put YouTube etc into a lower priority and get away with it. It's disgusting as you say.

Disco_P · 17 Feb 2023 at 22:07

To any business, oversubscription is literally the opposite of a problem.

rumple9 · 17 Feb 2023 at 22:41

I heard they are putting all prices up on 1st April but I entered a new 2 year contract 12 months ago, so will mine go up too?
Also in the last 2 weeks I have had VM sales ringing me every 2 days saying the prices are going up and trying to sign me up to a much more expensive tv package and mobile phone contract for £80pm (I currently only have 150mb broadband and landline I don't use for £26 per month)

Deleted member 77746 · 17 Feb 2023 at 22:46

rumple9 said:
I heard they are putting all prices up on 1st April but I entered a new 2 year contract 12 months ago, so will mine go up too?

Wait and see. There's no way I'm paying that cost for net that's for sure. I don't entertain TV packages.

It's a no from me.

Rainmaker · 17 Feb 2023 at 23:58

Duke said:
Power level is a bit high but within spec, can be brought down by engineer moving you to another tap in the green cab or by fitting an attenuator. Rest looks fine.

What are the power specs for Gig1? I seem to recall the downstream can be up to 9dB, or did I dream it? Some of my DS channels are around 8.5 and I see packet loss some days. Latency is up and down like a professional's underwear too, day by day. Openreach are 'building at my exchange right now' and I'm out of contract with VM, so I'm literally mentally willing them to hurry TFU. Meanwhile, it'd be nice to improve the Gig1 connection until I leave.

Vertigo · 18 Feb 2023 at 09:14

beachBOYken said:
Yep, but for me VM is not crap and I don't have the option for FTTP. Maybe that will change one day though as its good to have choice.

In the same situation.

Whilst Openreach have done my general area, they won't come down my cul-de-sac as apparently the cables here are "direct buried" and they have no plan for this.
Meanwhile Cityfibre have stopped just round the corner.

Whilst I'd love the choice, I'm actually very grateful that I can get VM (been on it since moving here 21 years ago) and that I've had very few problems with it. Even the latency has been good since late November when they clearly upgraded something.

I have friends who live in affluent suburban areas who still can't get anything other than ADSL2 and are stuck around the 30-40Mbs area, which is ridiculous in 2023.

Vertigo · 18 Feb 2023 at 09:16

Rainmaker said:
What are the power specs for Gig1? I seem to recall the downstream can be up to 9dB, or did I dream it? Some of my DS channels are around 8.5 and I see packet loss some days. Latency is up and down like a professional's underwear too, day by day. Openreach are 'building at my exchange right now' and I'm out of contract with VM, so I'm literally mentally willing them to hurry TFU. Meanwhile, it'd be nice to improve the Gig1 connection until I leave.

I had all manner of issues with power levels late last year. Eventually an engineer came out and said I had the worst signal drop he'd ever seen and authorised a new cable pull from the cabinet which completely sorted it.

As per my post above, my latency also got totally sorted in late November. There was one specific moment when my connection went down for a few hours and, ever since then, latency graphs on Thinkbroadband have been pretty much perfect.

uvarvu · 18 Feb 2023 at 09:38

Netomnia are laying fibres outside my house and have been doing some more work over the last few days, hopefully I’ll be able to leave before I receive a price increase.

IvanDobskey · 18 Feb 2023 at 10:11

Received a price increase email yesterday. Good luck with that virgin, I've already left