WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

I've been a Virgin Media customer for the last 15 years and have never really had any cause to complain, but WTF has happened to their broadband recently?! For the last couple of weeks I've been losing my broadband intermittently and when I do a fault finding check, I keep being told it's something to do with the DNS server having no connection. This only seems to happen in the evenings, which is really puzzling. I did speak to a particularly unhelpful 'customer services' operator who wouldn't offer much help because I couldn't remember what my security password was. I was then asked about recent bill payments and because I was unable to give her an exact figure, but pretty close it turned out, she wouldn't help and informed me that I would have to wait for some 'letter' to be sent out which would take between 7 and 10 days. I'm still waiting for it. Not a happy customer. And yet they have the audacity to come down on you like a ton of bricks if you're monthly bill isn't paid exactly on time, despite the fact you already pay a month in advance anyway.

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

Perfectly acceptable security.

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

Why don't you just change DNS on the devise you are using?

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

I have been a customer of NTL and VM for around 20 years and have always found their services reliable . . . until the last couple of months with short losses of broadband 3 or 4 times a week and occasionally several times in the same day. I was getting converted to streaming but it is no good without broadband you can totally rely upon.

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

In fairness there have been mitigating factors over the last couple of months.

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

next time it happens manually override the dns settings on the device you are using to 8.8.8.8 (google's) and see if it rectifies the problem. VM have these occasional dns issues every year but they will be transparent and you will remain unaffected if you use another provider such as google.

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

I get there have been 'mitigating factors' over the last few months.
I get 'Perfectly acceptable security'.
But, I've never had this DNS issue before. This is a recent thing. My frustration was simply because I wasn't being given any answers to rectify the problem, all because I couldn't remember my security password. I've never needed to use it. Is telling me what I need to do to solve the problem a security issue? I just wanted it sorted out because it's pretty annoying.

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

You have to remember they are trained to be like robots and follow "procedures" no matter how dumb those procedures are.

I have no clue what my password is, so in the rare occasions Im forced to ring them, they first tell me to have a guess, and if Im wrong, I have to answer other questions.

Then, once Im verified, they still wont tell me what the damn password is. Madness.

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

Regarding passwords.

I know my password very well. When the system asks me to hit the phone keys containing the three selected characters I always seem to get it wrong. When I speak to CS they always confirm the password that I know it is. Not sure what's wrong.

Regarding DNS I use 8.8.8.8 in my router so that I don't have to change the DNS on all my devices. I have not suffered the intermittent DNS failures.

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

I tend to find Cloudflare quicker than Google. 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 are the DNS entries to try if you want to go down that path. Virgin's DNS servers have always been awful.

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

But if you are phoning in,there is a prompt to key in three letters from your password on the keypad in order to get to speak to someone anyway.

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

And I always fail at that, so it's a pointless step.

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

I once rang up to ask for my password. The person at the offshore call centre replied "yes, certainly Sir. Can you give me your password please." :dunce:

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

I'm glad virgin won't let people access my account by simply giving a vague guess as to what my monthly bill is. Sounds like the operator is doing their job, there.

If you don't know your password, then change it. You can ask them to do that, you just need to answer some other security questions (usually about your bill). It's not their fault you forgot your password.

And finally, the DNS thing....yes, while I agree it's better to use a 3rd party DNS server than rely on Virgin's, I don't actually think that's the issue that OP is seeing. Being unable to contact the DNS server usually means the connection itself is down, not the DNS server (Even if it's Virgin's).

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

There is something weird going on. Got up this morning - no internet connection on my phone, work laptop or my PC. Work lappy then connected quite happily to the VPN, only way I could get mine to connect was to change the DNS to Googles and my phone connected to the other router (Apple) rather than the Shub3....which incidentally, I have rebooted twice.

Apple router is fine as it's getting an IP from the Shub and internet is good to go. Connect directly to the Shub and it gets an IP but no internet.

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

It sounds like you're running your superhub in Hub mode, while dangling an Apple router off of that. You'd be better switching the superhub to Modem mode and having the Apple router handle everything.

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

If you have got two routers and haven't set them up to work together I imagine you have got some dodgy dealings going on with different subnets, addressing schemes and default gateways. Like Kush said, you would be better off putting the shub in modem mode and just using the Apple router.

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

Well it's been working fine for nearly 10 years (I think off the top of my head)
Apple Time Capsule is fed off the Shub and is setup in access point mode.

I need two due to the size and age of the house.

and although I hate the phrase..... I do work in IT and have plenty of experience configuring switches and firewalls.

Just set it to auto DNS again and all is good. It did go off again on...Thursday or Friday and since then, I didn't have any issues on my phone re: WiFi. Seems like it was a bad config sent down the line to me.

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

:dig: You should know better then dude. I have got a second router downstairs which is a wireless access point but my primary router is still a proper router with the shub doing as little as possible in modem mode. I recommend you do the same and you should understand why.

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

I did consider that but I wasn't going to buy any more kit just so the shub was in modem mode. I've got the shub DHCP up to .100 and the Apple from .151 to 200. Anything in between for the network printes, servers and reservations. As I said, it's been fine with no issues for years.

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

Why would you need to buy more kit? Why not just have the Apple router handle everything?

Re: WTF Is Going On?!!!
 

I know it costs money but if you need a wireless access point or a better wifi signal there are better options. Pretty much any option is better than the shub. Have you tried putting the shub in modem mode and just using the wifi on the Apple router to see if you have the same problem? Many people have been in your position who only had a shub and bought a second router to work alongside and compliment the shub but when they changed the configuration to what we suggested they found that investing in a proper router solved all their problems. The new proper router cured their wifi woes, provided the increased range and performance and they were able to put the shub in modem mode. Another thing you should be thinking about is dns servers.