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
 
Orifice said:
Or bypass the 5x completely. I did this a few weeks ago.

fttppro.co.uk

Replacing the Hub 5x with a WAS-110 SFP+ Module on Virgin Media’s XGS PON broadband - FTTP Pro

In my previous blogs I have documented the journey to getting Virgin Media's XGS PON powered broadband installed and as you will see from reading them the inculded Hub 5x is limited in features and at the time of writing (21/7/24) does not have Modem Mode working properly which makes using your...
fttppro.co.uk fttppro.co.uk
Click to expand...
I'm about to go down the same route and would be really interested to hear how you are getting on with this.
Currently I've got a couple of TP-Link Decos in AP mode which work fine, but I'd prefer to use a better router (either the Decos or something new) and looking at either a cheap switch with SFP port or a new router (e.g. TP-link ER7206 or microtik RB5009 which might be overkill).
 
wonko said:
I'm about to go down the same route and would be really interested to hear how you are getting on with this.
Currently I've got a couple of TP-Link Decos in AP mode which work fine, but I'd prefer to use a better router (either the Decos or something new) and looking at either a cheap switch with SFP port or a new router (e.g. TP-link ER7206 or microtik RB5009 which might be overkill).
Click to expand...
I've had no issues at all. I took the lazy option of buying the SFP+ unit pre flashed with the 8311 firmware from Better Internet, then it was simply a case of putting the PON serial in (They can also do that for you if you have it already). Plugged in the fibre and worked immediately.

Router is Ubiquiti Dream Router 7 so already had an SFP+ port. Just had to set a static route to the SFP+ port to use the management interface on the stick. Some people have reported needing to spoof the MAC, but I didn't need to.
 
I’m still running two routers (one being the terrible Hub 5x) with double NAT rather than getting the SFP module and things seem fine. I VPN into my home ok from outside using UniFi teleport.
 
Orifice said:
I've had no issues at all. I took the lazy option of buying the SFP+ unit pre flashed with the 8311 firmware from Better Internet, then it was simply a case of putting the PON serial in (They can also do that for you if you have it already). Plugged in the fibre and worked immediately.

Router is Ubiquiti Dream Router 7 so already had an SFP+ port. Just had to set a static route to the SFP+ port to use the management interface on the stick. Some people have reported needing to spoof the MAC, but I didn't need to.
Click to expand...
Many thanks, encouraging to know and interesting that you've not had to do anything with setting the WAN MAC or VLANs. Can I ask how hot the module runs? There are comments about it needing forced cooling.
I was also going to take the easy option of getting a pre-configured module, and am just deciding on whether to go for a cheapish switch with SFP+ port (SODOLA 2.5G 6 port has been noted to work) or put that cost towards a better router that can do WAN fail-over (I've got a 5G modem and SIM so might as well use it) plus other stuff like spoofing the WAN port MAC (if needed) and VPNs.
I've managed with the Hub 5x for 18 months so TBH this is more for fun than necessity. VM is the only FTTP option at the moment and I have just signed-up for another 2 years, so it seems a good time to do it.

@alex24 - Thanks - I know double NAT works OK in many cases but I'm pretty sure it would mess up remote access to Plex (amongst other things).
 
you can put the hub 5x into modem only mode
you just have to put the URL into your browser as virgin have not added it to the GUI


some people have said it didn't work for them.
I had an issue with my connection dropping out, but I don't know if it was down to a line issue (line was brand new at the time) or modem mode causing the issue.
Ultimately I decided to double NAT instead and it has been rock solid since, I am tempted to try it in modem mode again, but double NAT'ing hasn't caused me any notable issues.
 
MassiveJim said:
you can put the hub 5x into modem only mode
you just have to put the URL into your browser as virgin have not added it to the GUI


some people have said it didn't work for them.
I had an issue with my connection dropping out, but I don't know if it was down to a line issue (line was brand new at the time) or modem mode causing the issue.
Ultimately I decided to double NAT instead and it has been rock solid since, I am tempted to try it in modem mode again, but double NAT'ing hasn't caused me any notable issues.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately mine is in the "didn't work" category :(
 
The modem mode work around has been completely removed from newer versions of the 5x, the page just doesnt exist anymore so I couldnt even try it.

The module does run hot, without active cooling CPU runs at 65c and fibre at 55c. With a small amount of cooling (i'm using a 25cm fan pushing 1cfm) it drops to 51c and 41c.

The UDR7 has WAN failover and pretty much every other feature. Cheap switch supposedly works fine, just avoid a media convertor as apparently they can cause issues.
 
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