virgin upgrade to 60mb

[jetfire]

seems i can have this for free but when i went to fill it in it says i have to have someone come out and install it.

cant i just plug it in my self as the guy aint going to have a clue on setting it up with my network switch ect.

also are the super hubs any good now.

[Apex]

The super hubs are still poor imho but they have continued to update the fw on these devices so it's getting there

Seems odd that they need someone to come out but this could be tied to the fact you would need to move to the "super hub" and so a eng has to be there for it (even if it's a case of them connecting it up and phoneing to register the details of the device)

[snootyjim]

You can turn the super hub into a modem if you want using the new (official) firmwares, and then you can use whatever router you like.

I suspect Apex is right and it's because your current router/modem won't support the speeds.

[GoNz0]

the reason is they may have to change the tap or fit a filter as they dont work the same as the old modems and tend to be more sensitive.

if you have not changed your package in the past 12 months ring retentions and ask why you have to pay when new customers dont, a few mins later and a bit of customer service BS about your account being in good standing they will wave the fees and fit it for free without an activation charge.

[Dareos]

Virgin engineers will not touch your equipment, they will install the modem and check it works (make sure they get the power levels right, some just test that it works and then go). TBH if you have the service then a replacement hub should be all you need. Everything else is done at Virgins end.

As has been said, stick the hub in modem mode, the only ethernet port that will work is the one next to the coax input, no firewalls, no wireless, no DHCP etc.

[Unique]

seems i can have this for free but when i went to fill it in it says i have to have someone come out and install it.

cant i just plug it in my self as the guy aint going to have a clue on setting it up with my network switch ect.

also are the super hubs any good now.

when i upgraded last year from 10mb to 30mb they just sent the superhub to me. in fact they sent it to another address i requested so i didn't need to stay in for the delivery

i just took the cables out the old modem, plugged in the superhub, phoned the phone number that came with it, and in about 5 minutes they activated the new modem and it was working

generally the superhub is better than my last router as it's wireless N and gigabit and i don't need a seperate route and modem, but the wifi signal strength is pretty poor. in my living room the guy downstairs unsecured netgear router has a far higher signal than the signal from the superhub in the other room. aparently it depends on if you use 2.4gz or 5gz as to the quality of signal, but 5gz doesn't work with non wireless N devices

[Steve]

Virgin engineers will not touch your equipment.

Thank you for my new sigquote.

[Dareos]

lol, fair enough mate

[Apex]

but 5gz doesn't work with non wireless N devices

Not strictly true; 802.11a is 54mbs that works on the 5Ghz band and was out way before 802.11n....

[Unique]

Not strictly true; 802.11a is 54mbs that works on the 5Ghz band and was out way before 802.11n....

it says in the settings somewhere it doesn't work with b/g wifi. is that true or what then?

[Dareos]

"a" is not "b/g" and no, it wont work, but then it wont work with any non wireless devices, but I get where you are coming from.

Sounds like you do need to change the channel on your hub tho, instructions are as follows


open your browser, in the address bar type in 192.168.0.1
this will take you to the Superhub config login

username admin, password changeme

click on continue, twice, then select advanced settings, on the top left choose wireless settings and change the wireless channel (2nd option down) to whatever suits your system, i have most luck with 11, then change the 802.11 mode to 145 Mbps. click apply

This should stabilise your wireless connection and give it greater strength, try different channels tho.

[Jayfunk]

Sorry for the uninformed question but do you only get a superhub if you get a 60MB package? I thought it was 10, 30, 50, 100?

[Dareos]

All replacement modems are now superhubs, but if you have an existing service using Motorola 5100,5101(best modem company has done) Ambit 250, 256, or Scientific Atlanta 2100, then you can get up to 20Mb without changing anything.

If you have a DPX100, NTL 100, 200 or Motorola 4100,4200 then 10Mb is pretty much your limit, tbh get the 200 replaced anyways, it can cause issues with low snr feedback on the line (my diagnosis, not virgins).

All of that last lot will be replaced as time goes on, and most agents will replace them if asked anyways (when we create a work order for a tech it automatically gets a replacement request put on system)

The Ambit 300 is the only modem capable of more than 20Mb (technically 25) as it utilises more than one downstream frequency, up to 4, and will do 100Mb, however if you want the new 120Mb service you will need a superhub. I currently personally use the Ambit 300 on the 50Mb and to paraphrase Charlton Heston, they can pry it out of my cold dead hands. Engineers no longer carry them and we cant add them to the system, once they are gone, they are gone.

Theres a new Shub in the works, contract out for tender etc etc, no idea how long or what capabilities etc it will have, will wait and see.

[Unique]

"a" is not "b/g" and no, it wont work, but then it wont work with any non wireless devices, but I get where you are coming from.

Sounds like you do need to change the channel on your hub tho, instructions are as follows


open your browser, in the address bar type in 192.168.0.1
this will take you to the Superhub config login

username admin, password changeme

click on continue, twice, then select advanced settings, on the top left choose wireless settings and change the wireless channel (2nd option down) to whatever suits your system, i have most luck with 11, then change the 802.11 mode to 145 Mbps. click apply

This should stabilise your wireless connection and give it greater strength, try different channels tho.

do specific different channels provide better strength than others? i thought as long as no-one else was on the same channel as you, then all things would be equal? i think i usually set mine to 11 or something. i just check it's different from what everyone around me is on. i think the superhub has something now that automatically selects a channel that's not in use. i have the 145mb setting or whatever the fastest non N setting is, as my older laptop doesn't support N and i haven't got round to finding a tiny nano size dongle that supports a faster speed at a decent price, and i don't use it much on the wifi at home. i think everything else is N apart from the wii which i rarely use

[Dareos]

The Shub uses an auto channel configuration that is at best, problematic. It tends to shift channels a fair bit causing erratic connection issues. Bear in mind that its also the adaptor in your laptop that needs to connect, its a 2 way street, and your wireless adaptor may not like certain channels or have slower speeds on some channels than others, its all trial and error to find out which suits your equipment best. As stated before tho, i would put the hub into modem mode and use a separate router

[Unique]

The Shub uses an auto channel configuration that is at best, problematic. It tends to shift channels a fair bit causing erratic connection issues. Bear in mind that its also the adaptor in your laptop that needs to connect, its a 2 way street, and your wireless adaptor may not like certain channels or have slower speeds on some channels than others, its all trial and error to find out which suits your equipment best. As stated before tho, i would put the hub into modem mode and use a separate router

i use mostly wired connections with homeplugs carrying from one room to another. i used to plug my laptops to ethernet for use but as i don't use them that much i just use the wifi for software updates etc. i just kept it off the N setting so the big laptop would work wirelessly. if i needed faster speed i could just plug it into a cable