Issues with Virgin Media - anyone having similar problems?

[colbol2010]

Hi. Please see link to article below. The Virgin internet reception in SE21 and SE22 is severely reduced at busy times. They are not telling customers unless they complain, and when you do complain they are refusing to give clear details/fix times/remedies (fix date given is currently April 2016 - it was December 2015 last November!)

They are claiming the issue is 'business sensitive' and are not obliged to explain. Nonsense. Unless as a community we put pressure on them this will just continue. You are also entitled to full compensation. Pass this on to anyone you think may be affected. You can also email the following address if you want a more direct response from Virgin and are not getting anywhere with the customer service team - [email protected]

http://www.southlondonpress.co.uk/article.cfm?id=115387&headline=Media%20trainer%20urges%20customers%20to%20claim%20for%20poor%20broadband%20service

[ednewmy]

Yep, happens to us every Sunday evening pretty much without fail. Internet is so slow as to be rendered unusable.

[colbol2010]

For us it is every day, especially in the evening. It might be worth posting on this thread if you are having an issue so we can all get an idea of the scale of the problem. We are finding the internet speed is dropping off to practically nothing (doing a speed test will help you see this).

[Ruskin]

We've just signed up with BT (rather than Virgin, but that's another story) and the same seems to happen after 6.00pm.

[Penguin68]

Doesn't with my BT service. I have noted lags on some sites in the afternoon (but not on others at the same time) suggesting that it is their service which may be laggy, rather than mine (if it was mine any lagginess should be site independent)

[Caesi01]

We are just about to be connected to Virgin, coming from BT.

BT was alright, but simply did not really live up to the speed. However, never experienced any outages.

Hoping Virgin's fibre broadband will deliver faster speed.

[Huggers]

I had alot of problems with internet last night re virgin.

[James Barber]

Worth going through this Ofcom list of issues and if not resolved by your broadband provider complaining to Ofcom:

http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/internet/problems-and-complaints/broadband-landline-faults/

[Penguin68]

The advice posted from Ofcom is relevant if you have ADSL broadband delivery over your telephone service. If you have cable delivery (Virgin media) or any of the Fibre to the cabinet services (FTTC) (i.e. BT Infinity) then some of the advice is not relevant.

All fixed delivery into the home (i.e. mobile wireless apart) will have infrastructure either from BT Openreach or from Virgin Media. Many internet service providers now have their own racks (terminating equipment) in BT exchanges - although some services will still actually be carried entirely (sub leased) over BT equipment. One problem that is faced is that the arm's length requirement between BT Openreach (who provides the local network) and all service providers, including BT Retail, means that identifying exactly where a single customer fault is occurring (BT Openreach equipment or service provider equipment - or indeed your own equipment) - can be problematic. Bigger service outages are easier to identify.

[Tractorlad]

I have finally lost patience with Virgin Media and I'm getting BT Infinity installed beginning of February, we live on Barry Road. The fix for this capacity issue was promised a various time last year and each time the date approached it was pushed back another 3 months. I first started seeing problems in January 2015. I have zero confidence that what ever it is they need to do in April (I was told May) will actually happen. I am leaving Virgin with no notice required as they have accepted they're in breach of contract. My 100 mbps service regularly drops below 1mpbs. If you're looking to leave, my advise would be to install a broadband speed App on your phone like Speedtest and keep a log of how poor they are which you can use a evidence when you cancel. I've had BT in the past when I lived in Peckham and on balance they were pretty good. My possibly overly simplified view is go to the company that runs the infrastructure. If there's a problem it can be identified and fixed with no buck passing.

[Penguin68]

My possibly overly simplified view is go to the company that runs the infrastructure. If there's a problem it can be identified and fixed with no buck passing.

I am afraid this is over-simplified - the local (telephone based) network is run by BT Openreach as an arm's length operation providing equal service to all retail Service Providers - of whom BT Retail is but one. BT Retail has no more access to BT Openreach than any other ISP - but the buck has to be passed between the two as a matter of public policy. BT Openreach is not allowed to show favourable service to BT Retail over its other wholesale clients.

The Virgin media (cable) infrastructure is wholly separate from BT's phone and internet infrastructure - and doesn't have to offer services to other companies under any terms. In fact Virgin is the one-stop-shop (when using its cable network) rather than BT Retail (from whom you buy service, it then buys services from BT Openreach on your behalf). So it actually ought to be easier for Virgin as a retail operator which owns and manages infrastructure directly to offer better service than BT - forced to operate as two separate companies. Go figure!

[Tractorlad]

Its some comfort to know that who I'm moving to has nothing to do with Virgin Media.

[colbol2010]

Penguin68 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> My possibly overly simplified view is go to the

> company that runs the infrastructure. If there's a

> problem it can be identified and fixed with no

> buck passing.

>

> I am afraid this is over-simplified - the local

> (telephone based) network is run by BT Openreach

> as an arm's length operation providing equal

> service to all retail Service Providers - of whom

> BT Retail is but one. BT Retail has no more access

> to BT Openreach than any other ISP - but the buck

> has to be passed between the two as a matter of

> public policy. BT Openreach is not allowed to show

> favourable service to BT Retail over its other

> wholesale clients.

>

> The Virgin media (cable) infrastructure is wholly

> separate from BT's phone and internet

> infrastructure - and doesn't have to offer

> services to other companies under any terms. In

> fact Virgin is the one-stop-shop (when using its

> cable network) rather than BT Retail (from whom

> you buy service, it then buys services from BT

> Openreach on your behalf). So it actually ought to

> be easier for Virgin as a retail operator which

> owns and manages infrastructure directly to offer

> better service than BT - forced to operate as two

> separate companies. Go figure!

Hi Pengiun. You seem pretty tech savvy. Can you explain what could be done to rectify this situation (in laymans terms) if anything and why it may be taking so long. My dealings with Virgin have been, for want of a better word, odd. They are not being up front, have several different excuses depending on who you talk to and actually were a bit creepy when they started refusing to give any explanations and calling the situation "business sensitive". The exec office who I have now been dealing with seem to be hiding info (it certainly feels that way). Looking back through threads from the past year or so, this appears to be an ongoing issue in the area.

[colbol2010]

James Barber Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Worth going through this Ofcom list of issues and

> if not resolved by your broadband provider

> complaining to Ofcom:

> http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/internet/problems-an

> d-complaints/broadband-landline-faults/

As a local councillor, is this something you could assist us with? (In terms of tackling Virgin, not Ofcom)

[Bic Basher]

Virgin's network in ED (and other parts of London) are over subscribed. So you end up in the peaks, even with Virgin's traffic management system in place during peak times during the evening with a very slow service.

They really shouldn't be selling the service here or offering it at a vast discount.

TalkTalk have had their fair share of problems in the last few months, but at least I get a solid connection and can stream YouTube/Now TV/Netflix even during the busiest of times.

[DulwichFox]

Good luck with BT Infinity.. Tractorlad.. I've been with them for a few months after previously being with

BT broadband since day one...

My infinity is Crap with a capital 'C'.

Internet Explorer hangs. Opera is unusable. Chrome also hangs.. When I search all the entries just have the spinning dots for 30 secodns or so. Watching Youtube videos just do not respond..

cannot scroll in any browser. Just no longer responds after switching to Infinity.

My secondary email accounts constantly crash and repeatedly request passwords to be entered.

Linking to other pages on websites just hang..

DulwichFox

[Penguin68]

Actually my comments were more about regulation than technology. I have no idea what Virgin's trouble is - but I'm guessing it has far less to do with technology than investment. The problems you have described sound very much as if they have too little modern capacity to deliver the data service they have promised (and are charging for). They may need to invest in both cable and 'switch' (actually line-card) capacity - this will involve actual network build - which takes time and money. They may even need to buy more 'big pipes' from BT to push their data traffic out on. Many service providers, particularly mobile, will use BT wholesale network capacity to link their local networks (or mobile cells) to the rest of the communication world - this is offered by BT Wholesale rather than BT Openworld, which offers the same wholesale services, but within the local network, and regulated differently.

The fact that they have put a time-scale in months rather than hours suggests investment, not technical, issues. As investment (or lack of it) is strategic and also commercially sensitive I suspect that's why you're not getting much sense out of them. They would not like to admit investment and build issues as this might have an impact on how their performance against licence is judged.

Edited to add - I have not had the problems described above with BT Infinity. My PC does occasionally hang and drop out - but when checking my phone and tablet connection I note there are no problems, suggesting the issue may very well be at my end.

[edweller]

I am over 50 and totally incapable of understanding information technology. My wife is not much better, believing that our many Virgin Media internet speed drop-offs are caused by too many people in our house trying to access the internet at the same time, usually kicking-off a shouting match with one or both teenage sons. Is this really an issue, or as discussed on this thread is it just a lack of local infrastructure and/or over-selling by Virgin Media to blame? Whatever the answer I'm not telling the boys. Any excuse to get their heads out of a screen and actually talking to us is fine by me.

[Bic Basher]

edweller Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I am over 50 and totally incapable of

> understanding information technology. My wife is

> not much better, believing that our many Virgin

> Media internet speed drop-offs are caused by too

> many people in our house trying to access the

> internet at the same time, usually kicking-off a

> shouting match with one or both teenage sons. Is

> this really an issue, or as discussed on this

> thread is it just a lack of local infrastructure

> and/or over-selling by Virgin Media to blame?

> Whatever the answer I'm not telling the boys. Any

> excuse to get their heads out of a screen and

> actually talking to us is fine by me.

Everyone on the net in the household certainly doesn't help if your VM speed is already slow.

Personally I'd cable everything that is possible to do so, such as the PC, Laptop and Smart TV using Ethernet cable. You get the full speed given by Virgin, where as you lose some of the speed via wi-fi. The further away from the router, the slower it is.

[offspinner]

>Personally I'd cable everything that is possible to do so, such as the PC, Laptop and Smart TV using Ethernet cable. You get the full speed given by Virgin, where as you lose some of the speed via wi-fi. The further away from the router, the slower it is.

That's good advice. If using ethernet cable isn't practical, powerline connectors such as these:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/tp-link-tl-pa4010kit-av500-powerline-kit-n20nr

may be a good solution. They use your existing mains wiring to carry internet information.

[mima08]

Just spoken to Virgin, they still say issues are due to oversubscription but my area (Goose Green) will be fixed as part of their investment program by 30 Mar. Not holding my breath, but got ?10 of monthly bill, including backdated for 2 months when it started being an issue here...

[DadOf4]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Good luck with BT Infinity.. Tractorlad.. I've

> been with them for a few months after previously

> being with

> BT broadband since day one...

>

> My infinity is Crap with a capital 'C'.

>

> Internet Explorer hangs. Opera is unusable.

> Chrome also hangs.. When I search all the entries

> just have the spinning dots for 30 secodns or so.

> Watching Youtube videos just do not respond..

> cannot scroll in any browser. Just no longer

> responds after switching to Infinity.

>

> My secondary email accounts constantly crash and

> repeatedly request passwords to be entered.

>

> Linking to other pages on websites just hang..

>

> DulwichFox

There are 1001 reasons why you may be expereincing these issues - that may be nothing to do with your broadband.

Do a speedtest - see what it is. If the speed looks reasonable, call an IT guy to come and look at your machine

[Bumpkin]

We've had ongoing issues with Virgin as above and they have continually stated a date 3 months hence for the capacity issue being fixed (we're opp G Green). Take no notice, come 30th March they will be promising the upgrade from 30th June..

[colbol2010]

Ha. Yes. I have now had the date moved from March 30th to April 7th!! (Seems very specific, considering it has been changed so many times I've lost count). I am getting calls from the 'Exec Team' (whatever that means) who are not giving any specifics, but I'd describe their communication as bullish. I quoted Penguin above to him, re not wanting to admit liability as it could affect performance against licence judgement. He went silent on that one, and then tried to backtrack. I have demanded that they give me more specifics or I'm taking it further. Their whole attitude and customer communication is disgraceful.

[Penguin68]

I am amused that in this thread (or another) they (Virgin) are 'blaming' over subscription as a cause of their problems - which is actually the equivalent of saying - 'well, we've sold stuff we didn't have, so now we're going to have to build it, at some time, when we get round to it'. 'Over subscription' is another way of saying 'over-trading'. At least BT generally tells you you're going to have to wait for services they don't yet have available in your locale, rather than selling them, billing you, and not having them (really) to deliver - and hoping to get away with it.