Studying from home requires that the internet is on all the time, especially for streaming online lectures, downloading work and uploading responses. We are all having problems with Virgin internet one way or another. The thing is that Virgin promotes that they care but in our experience they don’t, principally because they run a monopoly. On the other hand, the increased number of people working from home plus of course all the students studying at home means that the demand is huge.
Five main problems:
1. Too many Devices connected – For every device taking power from the wifi, the speed for each device will decrease. So, if there is 200mbs at the hub then if 2 devices are connected then for two devices, each will receive 100mbs, for three devices 66mbs each and for eight devices 25mbs each. It is therefore crucial to disconnect devices at crucial times, like when streaming online lectures.
2. Speeds vary during the day – Speeds are OK at some times in the day but then at other times the speed decreases for no reason and the internet is useless. The low speeds at problem times of the day like 09.00 until 10.30 are caused by everyone, who logs on at home and crashes the network. Another bad time is after 17.00 until 20.30 when people arrive home and log on. At these times there are basically too many on the network and Virgin cannot cope with the demand.
3. Low internet speed – If the speed is always low, this will be because of a poor signal from the sub-station or too many people logging on whatever the time of the day. Sometimes this can be resolved with a reset of the hub/router – see below for Solutions 5 and 6 but probably you need a Virgin technician to test the sub-station and the supply cables.
4. Fluctuating speeds – if the internet speed goes up and down like a yo-yo, within a few seconds of each measurement taken on your phone, this is invariably due to a poor connection from the sub-station, an old hub/router or a hub/router having a problem. This can sometimes be resolved with a reset of the hub/router – see below for Solution 6 and 7.
5. Poor house coverage – if there is not enough coverage in the house or the coverage is unequal, this is normally caused by the weak hub/router that Virgin supplies. They only guarantee up to 4 to 5 metres. This means that the room(s) furthest from the hub/router is outside the wi-fi zone created by the hub/router and an extender/booster is required.
NOTE 1: if this is the case please contact Blue i Properties on 01332 371661 and we will fit a TPS LINK extender or a more powerful router.
NOTE 2: If a Virgin Technician visits you, make sure that you get him to measure the speed at your hub/router and let Blue i Properties know so we can compare it with the contract.
Two Simple solutions
6. Switch the hub off for about 30 seconds and then back on to allow it to reset itself. Please leave it at least 10 minutes for the resetting process.
7. Also, have you pressed the small RESET button found just below the cable connections at the back of the Virgin hub/router? If you haven’t pressed this with a ballpoint pen, then please press it and wait another 10 minutes.
Please Ring Virgin
8. If the solutions above have not made any difference, please ring Virgin 0345 454 1111 to complain about the lack of service.
NOTE 1: You must be in the property when you ring.
NOTE 2: They will try to fob you off with an initial online test and say that it is fine and then they will disconnect.
NOTE 3: The phone menu changes, depends on how many times you rang and when.
Reset your own hub/router regularly
If you do this before you ring them, it will speed things up as first of all you might not have to ring and if you do turn it off and on and it doesn’t help, you can tell them that you have already done it and it has made no difference. They can then go to the next stage of organising a visit of a technician.
Waiting for up to an hour…
Please note that you might have to wait up to an hour to be dealt with. During this hour you will have to listen to a rerun of the same music over and over again!! Please remember that you will invariably be put through to a call centre in Mumbai or Manilla, which are where Virgin have contracted their Customer Handling.
Customer Service levels
Please remember that wherever you are answered from, especially if it is an overseas Customer Service staff – Mumbai or Manilla – they will be reading from a script and so have very little idea of your particular situation.
Get a Virgin Technician to visit
Please remember that the idea of you ringing is to arrange for a Technician to come out to test the local signal sub-station, measure the speed and strength of your cable and check your hub/router.
NOTE 1: Even if they say you have got a good speed, you must try to press for the latest hub/router, so that you have the most up-to-date specification. This will ensure that you have the best chance of a good, fast, solid connection.
When the Technician arrives
It is crucial that you keep asking for the signal strengths, as we are paying for you to have up to 350mbs, 24 hours per day. This does not mean that 15mbs at 9am, 28mbs at midday and maybe 200 at 2am in the morning is acceptable. You should get 350mBs all the time.
NOTE: For you to have the strongest case you must take speed readings at different intervals during the day in every room, as per the attached reporting form.
