Broadband Quality Trial
 

VM are doing a broadband quality trial in conjunction with SamKnows.

You can register your interest in joining it here...

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

I have registered for it...

always get my full speed anyway but may aswell give this a bash lol

plus, i want to see the wee bit of kit lol

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Its a little silver box with lights on it.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Does it just plug into a spare ethernet port on the router.
Or does it connect on the cable that comes from the modem to the router?

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Into a spare ethernet port

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Does anyone know if I signup to it, and it slow my connection down, is there any get out or am I stuck with it for the 12 months?
I know it say it shouldn't but we are talking about VM here.

Just reading the Terms and I see

So it looks like you can withdraw from it

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Actually we are talking about Sam Knows - the people who are doing the UK Broadband Quality report for OFCOM. The equipment is theirs.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

It just sits there not slowing down your connection it just collects stats and does speed test.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

So it got nothing to do with VM other then my connection?

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Yes VM are using Samknows equipment to test your connection, so the only thing to do with VM si your connection as Ben said samknows own and designed the equipment.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Does this kit need mains power or will it be powerered via the router connection?

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

If it's anything like the other trial they did last year it will need power, as that was based on a modded Linksys router...

http://www.samknows.com/broadband/pm/faq.html#faq-10

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

You need a mains connector and spare ethernet port in your router.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

VM have asked SamKnows to independently test their network for them.

SamKnows have previously been asked by OFCOM to do the same for multiple ISPs

Virgin have no control over the SamKnows kit and cannot infulence the outcome.

The only thing Virgin are doing is running the broadband as normal and signing people up to the testing

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Id do it if they payed me £200 for doing it. Why anyone would willingly want to plug a third party peice of hardware into their network for free is beyond me

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

It not going to effect your connection tho, what would the £200 do for you if it did effect your connection, if it did you could get yourself off the trial.

Virgin Media need people to trial things so they can improve things, if they didn't nothing would get tested or trialed.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

I've signed up for it. Although my connection runs lovely.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

I signed up earlier. Intrigued to see how it works, what it does. IIRC from previous trials they used a modified netgear router. I wouldn't mind betting it's the same router, just with a subtly different firmware/configuration. And hey, if there's prizes going begging, I'm all for it!

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

They could give me a free upgrade though. Why should I go through all the agro for nothing or a "prize draw"? Its using my electricity after all.

Do you have to manually initiate it to do a speed test and send it back to VM? If its automatic/random then surely the results would be meaningless as it won't have any idea if you're downloading or not.

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Why should I do anything for nothing? VM limit my connection which I pay for if I use it what do I owe VM? Its upto the individual but I aint doing it for nothing

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Then we can all kepp moaning how rubbish the connection is ect and nothing is ever done to improve it:rolleyes:

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Peter M at Chetnet seems to know what this is about, see http://www.chetnet.co.uk/portal/foru...ead.php?t=9076 and how it works

Interesting point "If you want to raise pointless whinges and criticisms just for the sake of it don't apply - no one is forcing you to participate "

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

If only the same could be said about STM

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

"Pointless whinge"; did you consider changing your broadband supplier? I assume no one at VM is forcing you to stay with VirginMedia and STM?

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

The people up north in the STM trial areas didn't get much choice.

P.S. What a pointless whinge is to you, isn't to everyone else. OK?

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

I assume "up north" includes the "North West" where I live?

As I asked "did you consider changing your broadband supplier?" you seem to prefer whinging to actually getting off your a$$ and doing somthing! In my book that attitude rates a zero. Or is it only you that is is entitled to an opinion, "OK?"

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Perceptive of you. Where VM normally trial their STM, in Preston etc. Did they volunteer for STM? Where they even told without having to check the VM website daily for updates?

I was never in a STM trial area, so the point is irrelevent.

I really don't give a toss that you rate my attitude at "zero", but I personally think you can do with removing that sizeable chip from your shoulder. This thread is about VM trials and you seemed to want to make it a personal attack on me.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

No it's not - it is about a Sam Knows broadband quality test being run at the request of VM.

The results of which I would have thought everyone on here would be interested in seeing

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Reading the info about this it seem that participants will be able to view data thats collected & transmitted back to Virgin. Does this mean that my total download amounts will be seen? At present I use Net Meter, this will only record the download on the PC that it's running on. As I have a desktop, laptop & 4 internet radios will I be able to check the total download? I can't do that at present.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

How do I contact Virgin about this? I registered yesterday & now wish to be REMOVED from the List.

Only now do I realise the is NOT all that easy.

You need a Power Plug (that I dont have free near my PC/Router) then they say on that other link I have to disconnect all my router & wire the NEW Box direct & then all my stuff via the new box.

Not just as it was first described on the site.

So I with to REMOVE myself from the Trial.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

As far as I am aware you just registered your interest in taking part. Even if you were to be chosen to be on the trial I don't think anyone can force you to install the hardware. :shrug:

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Just thought I'd point something out, and play devils advocate...

I don't believe anyone actually has "fiber optic broadband", its certainly not a fiber coming into my house... So, perhaps its worded like that to allow them to negate the results if it doesn't go in their favour?

:doh:

One other thing, the application form.. It asks for your customer account number, yet its not protected by ssl. Its a standard http://. Not very secure is it?

Double :doh:

In any case, I've registered.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

This thing won't be knowing how much bandwidth you've used, it's just a small device that runs a few tests on your connection when it's not being used heavily.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

It is an internal site and within the Virgin network hence no www at the beginning.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

did anybody recieve any notice of acceptance for this trial?

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Not yet...

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We're all waiting with bated breath!

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I applied about a week ago heard nothing

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They will start the trial soon they need to make sure the hardware is fully approved.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

You sure? I was able to open the form (although I didn't fill it in and submit it) and I am not connected to virgin's network.

Just had a look at the <form> tags and it appears to be submitting to the same server. I wouldn't recommend filling out the form.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

As a sysadmin, part of my job is setting up nameservers and apache vhosts. Sorry Moldova, the presence or absence of a www means nothing, and the absence of it it certainly does not mean its an "internal network".

In fact, one of the servers I configured last week, is configured to respond to both the http://www.<domainname>, AND http://<domainname>. Does that mean its an "Internal Network"? No, it doesn't.

The form submits to a virginmedia server "http://allyours.virginmedia.com/cgi-bin/formactions/mail.pl" to be exact. Its calling a mail script written in perl. However, this does not mean that its an "internal network" or "internal site".

On balence of probabilities, it probably is an internal site, and that my traffic does not get routed outside of the VM network. However, I feel it is misleading to state that the absence of a www means its an "internal site", as others without an indepth knowlege of the domain name system, vhosts etc, would probably believe exactly that, and think that any domain without a www is an "internal site".

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

got the kit today - piece of cake to fit, took 1 minutes tops.

Also you get the chance of winning a £100 voucher just for applying, see the Ts and Cs Application is linked from http://www.virginmedia.com/myvirginm...lity-trial.php

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Did it just turn up, or did you get an email from them prior?

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Excellent in that case i should get my kit soon as well.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

You will most likely get chosen then!. I've chosen to do it becuase then they can see just how realistictly unstable there network is.

If they really want to see the majority of problems they are having they will be gutsy enough to choose mine.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Received acceptance email today. Just need to reply and wait for kit.

In the T&C of the trial there is a no disclosure clause.

Pretty standard I assume.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Does that mean you shouldn't tell people you are on the trial?? :)

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

recieved my acceptance email and replied.

how long does it take from accepting before you recieve the gear?

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Got my acceptance and replied. Hopefully it will highlight the very eratic 50 Mbit service.

There is a link to part of Samknows website within the acceptance email. You need to login in using the email account you registered with. However it does not recognise mine!

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Received my acceptance and replied so just awaiting the equipment.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Would this in anyway be able to monitor or know what websites i've visited?

---------- Post added at 19:33 ---------- Previous post was at 19:29 ----------

was it a modified Linksys WRT54G in the end?

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Snap :)

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And for my email to be recognised by their system so I can log in.:D

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From the VM website:

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

My connection had been down for over 3 days these past few weeks and now, just before I go on the trial, my connection is rock solid at 20meg. There are some perks to this after all. ;)

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Something I am struggling a bit with. Given that VM have BADGER etc why do they need someone else to tell them how their network is running?

If VM are handling sign ups one would suggest they most certainly can influence the outcome. Avoiding connections in known problem areas is far from impossible. If you think for a second that VM don't pay special attention to the CMTS cards that Epitiro monitoring stations for example live on I can assure you you're being naive. These are treated as an extra high priority.

Then there's the issue of VM staff being on the trial. This shouldn't be happening. If things go wrong staff can pull string, perhaps monitor their own connections, etc, and their experiences of the service will not be representational of a normal punter. This is nothing to do with VM per se, no ISP should have its' staff anywhere near the Samknows performance monitoring network.

VM have comprehensive statistics on every single interface on their network. If they are handling signups it's too prone to abuse for my liking. I totally understand why a DSL ISP would want this - they do not control their products end to end there is the involvement of BT and/or other 3rd parties for backhaul and the access network, but as far as VM go I sense a publicity stunt in the making.

We'll see when the results are announced but looking at the people accepted that I know about I have seen a few staff, a couple of VM's fanboys, and a few Joe Average punters. I would hope that the actual breakdown is somewhat more of a cross-section.

Perhaps I'm just getting cyncial in my old age having watched VM's PR offensive get more and more intense and ever more flexible with the truth but I honestly see this as nothing more than a PR exercise and I hope that we can see stats from Samknows including and excluding the VM signed up peeps, no offense to any of you of course but I would appreciate it to eliminate exactly these games from VM. Anyone working for them at any level wouldn't put it past them for a second to play games with this trial.

Disclaimer: I'm grumpy at my poor excuse for an internet service being down yet again.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

I am staff and I have signed up because I am also a customer and I will just let the test run as per anyone else.

It should be a cross section of all customers regardless of their status.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Maybe it’s just coincidence but my 50 mbit connection speed quality has picked up significantly over the last week. D/l from newsgroups is consistently maxing out and holding that level for hours.

This improvement comes right at the time I’ve been accepted onto an independent speed monitoring trial! Mmm.

Is it just me or has anyone else on the trial noticed any recent improvement in their service?

Take this with a pinch of salt maybe I'm just a conspiracy nut ;)

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

People have every right to question broadband quality trials when they involve staff though. Regardless of what you actually will do and I have no doubt that you aren't going to do anything untoward the appearance is bad.

---------- Post added at 22:50 ---------- Previous post was at 22:50 ----------

Heh look a couple of posts up from yourself.

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/34831472-post55.html

This has potential to turn into a Phorm quality conspiracy.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

its propaganda and when the results prove on the whole VM's networks is sound we will all know its bull plop propaganda ;)

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Hey maybe my road will benefit from improved performance as I am on the trial:D:D

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Strange my internet has been going for a few days and I am on the trial, I should email them and say don't put me on the trial as people might see a true reflection on VM's BB lol

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Any staff here who aren't on this trial? :p:

---------- Post added at 00:15 ---------- Previous post was at 00:15 ----------

Going where? Try again please! :)

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

I signed up for it guess they don't want me :(

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

me!

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Well I meant its **** the SNR levels are low sometimes its fine sometimes it isnt

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Yep, same here. I've received no confirmation email and I signed up very promptly. :(

Ed.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Same here also, even signed up again last week again just incase but still nothing and I'm on the 50mb service, I feel left out :(

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

they are being choosy - deal with it ;)

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

For those on 50 Mbit and on the trial I've put up a poll to gauge your BB experience over the last week or so.

Interested to see if those with issues suddenly found those issues go away!

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Er - part of the terms of the trial is you can't discuss being on the trial!

See post 46

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

The first rule of fight club ...

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Not sure if this was related to me but I'm not breaking the rules which say

"not make any public announcement, press release, communication or statement concerning the Trial"

and

"agree that you will treat as confidential all and any information which we may disclose to you during the Trial in relation to the Trial and/or your broadband internet service and that you will not disclose any such information in whole or in part to any third part."

Nothing there about asking people who are on the trail (with 50Mbit), by way of a poll, if their service has improved or not over the last week! I am asking about conditions that existed before the start of the trial.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Yes but by anyone answering the poll, they identify they are on the trial - which you are not allowed to do ;)

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

It's not a public poll, and they are using online names, which we cannot traceback to them (easily).
Only the mods/admins could do so.

Summed up: Very unlikely anyone will know who they are.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

The T&Cs do not say that you can't admit to being on the trial. They say that you should not discuss any aspect of the trail itself.

Which I haven't won't.

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They say 'the trial is confidential' and that you cannnot make any communication concerning the trial - which I would say covers saying you are ON the trial!

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Does it really matter tho Ben?

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As I said I will not discuss aspects of the trial but just saying I've been accepted is not breaking the T&Cs

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

I do not think they will be able to find out the identities of everyone that has posted on all the forums saying that they have been accepted for the trial, very very unlikely.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

I'd better shut up then or I'll be kicked off the trial and my super improved connection will go back to its normal erratic self ;):D

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Just signed up to this myself. Can't do any harm...

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Got another email today saying that the stuff would be here in a few days.

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As I can't talk about the trial (not even admitting I'm on it) so not going to say anything about receiving the equipment today and installing it 5 mins ago ;)

Also those of you that use more than 2 ethernet ports are in for a shock.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

So Blenky you have the kit and you have installed it, good to know people are starting to recieve the equipment.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

I cannot confirm or deny that ;). However if I could I would say that installation was easy but the equipment only has two ethernet ports. I was using three on my router but luckily the third wasn't important.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Oh so it is placed inline (to measure connection and ensure that it's not being used when it wants to run its' testing scripts) like the old Linksys Samknows perf network kit was..

I'm still amused at the amount of people who post to say 'Yay I'm on this trial'. Err, guys, you get this box, attach it to your kit and it sits there. It's hardly exciting. If you were trialling 200Mbit down or 10Mbit up that is interesting, attaching a box that runs periodic tests on your connection then phones home at Samknows HQ with the results isn't really overly fap-worthy ;)

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Oh I get it. The shock was that it has four. Good one.:erm:

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Kits in
Linksys WRT54GL which is piggybacked onto my linksys BEFSR41 V3 which I have had for 4 yrs.

Able to log on to the virgin\samknows site and it gives various information such as blah blah blah, de blah blah and then it goes on to blah de blah blah de blah.

Anyways I have disconnected the aerials for the wireless as I already have a belking wireless

**EDIT**

Im having problems with a script running on the site and adobe flash player 10 my browser grinds to a halt.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

No problems here, lots of interesting stats on Samknows!

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Ahh I see there's a different bit of kit for those on 50Mbit, not surprising given that the WRT54GL isn't suitable for 50Mbps.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Anybody know the address for the unit as want to log on and make sure the wireless connection is secure rather than leaving it open even though I have taken the aerials off.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

I don't think it has wireless enabled on it but is running a custom Linux distro.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

I doubt you will be able to log into it anyway

BTW amazing how well the confidentiality clause is working

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

LOL I spose specifics arnt being discussed just general chat that would be ok.


So the wireless part has been disabled then I take it?

Surprised they didnt just use a non-wireless router then like my other linksys.

Re: Broadband Quality Trial
 

Indeed so much to discuss. 'I plugged this grey / black box in and lights flashed...' ;)

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Whats with the aerial anyway? Instructions say to connect it which I did.

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Anyone know if you can access the router directly?

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Pay more electricity per month to have a 3rd party device on my home network with no benefit to myself? Sure thing...where do I sign?

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Login via TFTP gets a username/password prompt though I have no idea what they are