My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

So now I am at the end of my tether, my patience is exhausted and I've had enough, so I am posting this to let people know, if they don't already, that VM broke their most excellent interent when they did the Double Your Speed upgrades recently.

I've had intermittant internet since MAY, in summary...

1. Pre May 2012, 30Mb package on a Virgin Media DOCSIS 3.0 Modem PERFECT SOLID INTERNET

2. May 2012 NO internet for 2 weeks and resricted TV service

3. VM Upgrade my 30Mb to 60Mb while I am offline, nice salt/wound etc.

4. May 2012 drop cable from house to box replaced and v3.0 Modem replaced with the Superhub, internet is ONLINE but intermittant

5. May - Jul 2012 Intermittant internet, 5 minute outtages most days, so gaming, banking, shopping ANYTHING is a nightmare. Speeds are WAY worse than the rock solid 30Mb I used to have earlier this year.

Inbetween all that, I've had missed appointments so wasted annual leave waiting in for a non existant booking, two or three days annual leave for techs to arrive, senior tech telling me one thing, this forums web support telling me another etc etc etc.

If I could turn the clock back and have the 3.0 modem, Dlink router, and 30Mb I would, but NO, I have this utter rubbish that doesn't deliver.

So now I am making a collage of how poor VM broadband really is, so I can spread the word, in pictures o)

Here's what I end up staring at trying to game on the iPad, or collect gmail or watch LoveFilm etc etc.....

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2012/07/40.jpg

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

youve probably been asked before but can you post your connection stats. and are you on the new firmware?

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

Is this what you are looking for (note, upstream power level is apparantly at the top end of acceptable, but the senior tech who did the last house call said there is nothing they can do to lower it.)

Standard Specification Compliant EU DOCSIS 3.0
Hardware Version 2.00
Software Version V5.5.2R30
CM Certificate Installed

Startup Procedure
Procedure Status Comment
Acquire Downstream Channel 299000000 Hz Locked
Connectivity State OK Operational
Boot State OK Operational
Configuration File OK
Security Enabled BPI+
Downstream Channels
Lock Status Modulation Channel ID Max Raw Bit Rate Frequency Power SNR Docsis/EuroDocsis locked
Locked QAM256 37 55616000 Kbits/sec 299000000 Hz -3.8 dBmV 38.7 dB Hybrid
Locked QAM256 35 55616000 Kbits/sec 283000000 Hz -4.3 dBmV 38.2 dB Hybrid
Locked QAM256 36 55616000 Kbits/sec 291000000 Hz -4.3 dBmV 38.1 dB Hybrid
Locked QAM256 38 55616000 Kbits/sec 307000000 Hz -4.4 dBmV 38.1 dB Hybrid
Locked QAM256 39 55616000 Kbits/sec 315000000 Hz -3.9 dBmV 37.6 dB Hybrid
Locked QAM256 40 55616000 Kbits/sec 323000000 Hz -4.6 dBmV 36.9 dB Hybrid
Unlocked Unknown 0 0 Ksym/sec 0 Hz 0.0 dBmV 0.0 dB Unknown
Unlocked Unknown 0 0 Ksym/sec 0 Hz 0.0 dBmV 0.0 dB Unknown
Upstream Channels
Lock Status Modulation Channel ID Max Raw Bit Rate Frequency Power
Locked ATDMA 4 20480 Kbits/sec 35800000 Hz 55.5 dBmV
Unlocked Unknown 0 0 Ksym/sec 0 Hz 0.0 dBmV
Unlocked Unknown 0 0 Ksym/sec 0 Hz 0.0 dBmV
Unlocked Unknown 0 0 Ksym/sec 0 Hz 0.0 dBmV
Primary Downstream Service Flow
Downstream(0)
SFID 19976
Max Traffic Rate 66000000 bps
Max Traffic Burst 3044 bytes
Mix Traffic Rate 0 bps
Primary Upstream Service Flow
Upstream(0)
SFID 19975
Max Traffic Rate 3072000 bps
Max Traffic Burst 8160 bytes
Mix Traffic Rate 0 bps
Max Concatenated Burst 8160 bytes
Scheduling Type Best Effort

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

you should be moved at the cabinet. this border line stuff means nothing to me. if you can be moved at the cab you should be. mine was 51 and asked to be moved at the cab which made a huge difference. my connection was then a lot more stable after sitting at 45max.

have you got an attenuator fitted? splitter?

---------- Post added at 21:56 ---------- Previous post was at 21:48 ----------

your currently on r30 firmware. the new r36 should be with you this week, i cant remember which day? try a reboot now, power down for a minute then power up the SuperHub. the new firmware stabilizes the SuperHub alot, its able to handle the connection a lot better than when its running r30. that said your upstream still needs lowering. call out a senior tech and ask to be moved at the cabinet. if you have no joy email the CEOs office...

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

Thanks for the help thenry.

The splitter that sits at the wall where the cable comes into the house has been changed to one of those that plugs into the power supply, is that what you mean?

The upstream being at the top end of the tolernace is why the virgin support forums kept sending out a tech, when I insisted on a senior tech, he came out and said words to the effect :-

"there's nothing we can do about your upstream level, its at the absolute high end of acceptable, it's alright for the webteam to say it needs lowered, but around here, that is the level it sits at and there is nothing I can do about it."

HE then said the slow speeds I get at peak times are due to capacity and he said someone would call back. I did get a call back confirming that my UBR was busy, but I do not know if they moved me or not.

I need to call support and find out if I have been moved UBR, - is this what you mean by moved "at the cab"?

I'll post back when I see the R36 is online, thanks for the info.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

hmm... are you able to locate your street cabinet and state what it looks like, a picture would do nicely and how far away it is from your home, picture not needed just distance?

also whats the ETA you get from VMs speed doubles checker?

your high up levels are your main concern at the moment. capacity issues unless rightly found could just be an excuse. first and foremost the connection needs to be stable.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

55 is the limit, thats not borderline, its over the limit

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

There's always something that can be done - if it's on the tap with least attenuation already then it needs lower loss coax from the cab - in other words a re-pull. Alternately some amp or other on the way back to the optical node is on the blink and needs replacing. Of course neither solution comes cheap so that's why you aren't getting either.

It may well be that fixing the levels wouldn't solve the problem anyway if it is caused by congestion. The solution to that is even more expensive.

Have you considered upgrading to ADSL? Maybe you should call retentions and tell them you've had enough and if it isn't fixed you'll be doing that.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

I agree that it is your high upstream power causing your intermittent connection probs. I won't bother repeating the corrective steps mentioned above. All I would say to them is if it working fine before, what have they done/changed since then which could cause these problems.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

I've already had a cable pull, and a senior engineer out, so I'll get back on to them and ask what they are going to do to get my power level down.

@thenry, I've seen inside the underground box that my drop cable goes to. It's about 30 metres away and inside my cable goes into what I can only describe as a 6 way splitter box, each connection feeding a house in my street. That "splitter" has been replaced and is brand new. My drop cable is brand new.

That box goes to a cabinet about 10 metres away, which stands about half a metre tall. Inside there was the main cable that feeds the underground box, but the network guy said it was kinked so he did something to it, I did not see what.

Then there is a larger green box that I commonly see VM guys at, it sits at the top of my street about 300 metres away and looks more like a convential telephone cabinet inside with loads of small sires in it.

Still need a photo? :op

---------- Post added at 11:40 ---------- Previous post was at 11:37 ----------

I know what they have done, (1) done the double your speed upgrade and (2) replaced my modem with a superhub.

One engineer that came out said that since the upgrade they are chasing their tails running around customers because the upgrade screwed up power levels all over.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

the SuperHub can just about handle decent power levels with r30 firmware. it hasnt got a chance if the levels are out of whack. with r36 you may see change, abit of stability but time will tell. you should get the new firmware this week.

which modem/VM equipment did you have prior to getting upgraded and what speed was you on?

with regards to the cabinet. i just wanted to see if its one of the really old style tiny boxes. that could give an indication as to whether its part of the cabinet upgrade plans. have you seen inside the cabinet, did you see any grouped connections beside numbered tags? you say theres 1 feed from the cabinet then onto a splitter in the road underground? then onto properties? sorry if ive misunderstood.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

1. Pre May 2012, 30Mb package on a Virgin Media DOCSIS 3.0 Modem PERFECT SOLID INTERNET.

That's the shiny black modem with blue lights light looks like a superhub lying flat.

AFAIK it was one big cable (2" maybe) from cabinet into the UG box with the lableled house connections, yes.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

maybe you'll see stability with r36 then. like i said r30 can't handle the connection correctly with levels within limit let alone out.

i don't really understand your cable, cabinet etc. it should be your own cable straight from the cabinet to your property

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

R30 handles power levels better, they go weird under R36

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

does it?

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

yeah quite a few people reported significant power level changed in the beta forum (i thought you were on it?)

Mine increased by about +6 on the downstream, others reported strange changes

Either way, I dont trust the figures it reports

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

mine stayed the same

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

Are there any splitters before the powered amplifier or after?

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

No. Coax comes through the wall, into the powered splitter, from there, one cable into the tivo, one into the Superhub, then the superhub wired into the desktop PC.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

can you please explain the cable feed from the cabinet and a picture of the cabinet ?

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

Just to note my power levels also remained pretty much the same going from R30 to R36. Maybe under 5% difference which surely could just be down to rebooting and resynching generally?

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/2686/91940920.th.jpg

click on the image, then click on it again to get it full size correct orientation.

---------- Post added at 16:59 ---------- Previous post was at 16:22 ----------

That's wierd, I thought I needed a blue light on the Superhub for internet, I have 3 greens now and the net is still working... usually a top green light means the connection has dropped.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

the cabinet needs upgrading and cables need to be correctly put on a correct tap. doubt its an amp fault or the levels would fluctuate ?

the top green means no bonding. if you login and check out connection stats youll see only 1 down channel.

reboot your SuperHub, you might pull r36 if its not already loaded. your power levels and stuff are on the login page top right. no need to login.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

So that green cabinet needs upgraded? What would I say when I phone up?

---------- Post added at 17:13 ---------- Previous post was at 17:12 ----------

I logged in and at the main meniu it says

You are currently in Router Mode. To change to Modem Mode, go to the Super Hub Settings section

Huh?

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

you dont phone up. you fire off an email to the CEOs office

---------- Post added at 17:15 ---------- Previous post was at 17:13 ----------

are you in modem mode? close it or do a pinhole reset. has the web interface changed? if so logout then top right itll say router status i think.. there will be connection stats.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

Okay I did a reset and I am now on the R36 version, new menus etc. I'll see if I can find the device stats, power levels etc and post hem if the connection stays up long enough.

Next to the advanaced settings button on the main menu it says

You are currently in Router Mode. To change to Modem Mode, go to the Super Hub Settings section.

Is this how it should be?

Thanks for your help.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

ignore the modem mode info if your happy running it in combo mode. for connection stats you dont need to login. logout then on the login page look top right corner for router status. easiest to find.

theres also info within advanced settings under network.

not sure how copy and paste will look. print screen or type up

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

I'm back to 3 green lights instead of 1 blue and 2 green.

Power Level (dBmV) 58.0 dBmV

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

not surprising. its not stable at all! i had those problems when my connection become unstable but it was more a network fault rather than power levels. nonetheless its unstable. 58 up... fry an egg!

have you checked out BT infinity?

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

Oh dear :wtf:

There is nothing in that cab except a line amplifier, and there are no taps with different power levels within that type of architecture........

So what is going to but upgraded?

What tap is going to be used when they are all preset and all have the same level? If that level is within tolerance at the tap in the street, then network will do nothing.........

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

i dont understand. theres no levels of attenuation?

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

Quite.

All the taps have the same preset network power level, you don't have different power levels you can choose from, so your advice is kinda flawed....

If as i said, a network tech who is probably the ONLY person who can solve this problem, if a repull etc has already taken place, comes and checks all the levels at the slot on the footpath where the OP's cable runs to, and everything is within spec he will do nothing other than toss it back to service who will then need to arrange another repull etc etc.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

so theres no different taps and rather 1 fixed power range? ive come across a few threads now where these sort of cabs are causing high levels.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

Power Level (dBmV) 58.0 dBmV

Isn't that over specification? When it was reading 55, VM support said it was too high and sent out a tech, who did nothing other than confirm the reading. If it is, what are the options for getting it within spec and hopefully a more stable connection?

My download speed is currently less than 1Mb/sec, on a 60Mb connection?!

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

Yes your upstream power level is far too high and this is why i said a NETWORK tech is probably the only person who can solve your problem.

If your repul was done properly and this is not at fault then your way forward will be for your normal service tech to refer your fault to the network techs.

These are the guys who look after all the amps etc in the streets, where as your normal service tech only works from where your drop cable terminates in the street to your house/equipment.

HTH

---------- Post added at 18:51 ---------- Previous post was at 18:49 ----------

With this type of architecture that is correct, the levels are preset.

Remember that not all areas have the same type of network build.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

On the phone to support now, thanks for the advice.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

No problem, just get a tech to come out and when he turns up, makesure that the job gets passed to network, then you should hopefully be on the way to getting your problem sorted.

The above advice is asuming that your repull was done properly and there is no other fault on any other bit of equipment on your line.

It might take sometime, but this would be the path you need to follow and to be fair the network guys normally get stuff sorted when they get on to it.

Good luck

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

ok. generally you say steps of repull then amp check. could networks not check the amp straight away rather than do a repull (waste money) ? unless ofcourse the cables are old or damaged that needs replacing.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

Erm didn't the OP say he's already had a repull?

Network will not get involved in any fault unless everything else has been checked first.

Example.

Service tech turns up and passes a job to network claiming that the upstream power levels are too high. The network tech turns up and checks the levels at the tap/amp/cab to only find everything is ok, the job will then get tossed back to service as no fault found.

The real problem could be a damaged drop cable, a bad connector, a bad tap etc etc etc all these things should be checked by the service tech in the first instance as the fault is not with the network as such.

Remember that while all this is going on, the customer is getting told loads of things and will not be seeing their fault fixed and will be getting fed up.

Network won't come out just to check an amp or something else unless the job is passed to them by a service tech or there is an outage etc.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

ok. i meant to ask generally. thanks for the example.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

Before any job can be passed to a network tech by a normal service tech, all other possible problems should have been checked first, that’s just how it works.

As i said though, if there should be an outage in an area, for example there is low snr/noise on the upstream and a large amount of customers get knocked offline and a large amount of them call up, then it will get logged and a network tech "should" then automatically get sent out.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

Pat "the network guy" was out in May and ordered the new drop cable pull which was completed on 25/5/12 (yeh, over a month ago).

After that, I had to call them out again, apparantly because the drop cable guys didn't know how to properly screw a coax cable into the splitter properly.

Anyway, I just spent 30 minutes on the phone with "Bushan" and he did a pretty comprehensive check on my PC by remoting in and checking speeds (7mbit LMAO!), safe booting, netstating, all sorts, before deciding "you have a problem". Nice.

So engineer is booked on Saturday morning, coming with a new Superhub.

I'm still online with three green lights though, this is a new thing since the firmware upgrade went through today though. No blue light, but still got internet (treacle slow though).

I'll update on Sat.

Thanks for the help all.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

did he disable firewall? :rolleyes:

you got intouch with the CEOs office right? when they get in touch ask for them to confirm theres a tech booked. offshore just done textbook stuff. i wouldnt be shocked if a tech hasnt been booked :dozey: and ask the perrson from the CEOs office to monitor what happens keeping your ref number open.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

Oh, I've been through all that booking malarky before.

* Stayed at home for a non-existant booking CHECK
* Stayed at home for a AM booking that was actually a PM booking CHECK

And yes, he dicked around with the hardware firewall on/off check download speeds.

I'll wait until the network guy has been out before I go all CEO on them.

He also changed wireless channels, when this is a wired setup.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

ok. id advise you to call in tomorrow during the day and just get confirmation theres a tech visit booked

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

OKay here's the update.

Cable guy came out, "not coming in to your house, read the history, you have high utilisation area and high power level issue, so I just need to check the tap in the u/g box"

So off we went, he hooked up to the tap with his cable/test superhub and linux netbook, waited for his new hub to update firmware, and checked the upstream power.

33.5 dBmV

I was like "eh? That's not right, I've been on 55+ for over 6 weeks"

So I went back to the house, checked my levels at my Superhub, Power Level 55.5 dBmV.

So then he took my cable off the tap, and plugged it into the same connection he had tested on, and my upstream in the house immediately went down to 33.5 dBmV.

Remember, that is a brand new tap in the footpath.

So the only conclusion is that the new tap was faulty, and I happened to be plugged into the faulty port, what are the chances?

If the power level stays the same over the next few days then fair enough, all I need to get sorted out is the high utilisation, which I was told today was up as high as 95% yesterday. Getting switched onto another UBR is not easy according to this guy, but that will be by next thing to resolve!

Any advice on that?

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

SCRATCH THAT
Connection dropped again 10- minutes ago, ie about 3 hours after this mornings tech visit.
Going off my head now.

Phoned 0800 support and tried to stay cool.

They say I am only locking onto 1 downstream at the moment, hence grren light instead of blue.
Upstream power level is still at 38

Edit>

2pm update.

Another new face came out and ran some diagnostics, all levels perfect. But only one downstream.

He noticed a coax connection behind my PC that I didn't even know was there, could have been loose, so he changed that, and the cable, and replaced the superhub.

On a speedtest (both on VM network and speedtest.net) got 40Meg down, I suppose acceptable for a saturday afternoon.

About the congestion, he advised me that in our area there is only one upstream freq, rather than two, so the whole area is sharing one upstream, hence the 95% congestion.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

Reading your original post was like a complete reciting of my experience.
VM has been pretty much flawless prior to August. On Scientific Atlanta Docsis2, I was getting 20mb down, with a consistent connection.

Suddenly the whole connection dies, phone support don't have a clue, keep telling me to reboot the computer, after 2 engineer callouts both cancelled with automated cancellation messages as "faults have been found in the area", yet both of these faults were apparently fixed, and still no internet.

After a long couple of weeks, an engineer finally turns up (a day later than booked, with no explanation or apology) he storms into the house, rips out the Scientific Atlanta and chucks in a 'Super'hub, I've experience with these things before so was pleading to let me buy a motorola surfboard, or just keep my scientific atlanta, but no go.

He tells me it's cause they upgraded to DOCSIS3 (yet not one of the support techs knew of this) and the only device Virgin will authorise is a 'super'hub.

He installs the hub, runs off as fast as he possibly could (Scientific Atlanta under-arm), and now I get the crappiest connection I've had in 10 years.

This picture kind of summarises how bad this is now:

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2012/09/50.png

(That's wired by the way.)

I guess all I can do is switch to BT Infinity?

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

If it is available then yes that's probably the way to go.

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

My intermittant servcie with the connection dropping every few hours was down to a loose co-ax connection right next to the PC that none of the other techs had noticed.

The poor download speed has been put down to network congestion which is due to our area only having one upstream channel. I have ben promised a fix by September, which is now. Until then I am ony getting around half the advertised speed. So this issue is unresolved still.

For your ridiculious speed surely there is something they can do with that. Have network been out and checked the cabling and boxes in your area?

Re: My awful experience with Superhub and 60Mb - in pictures
 

Get a email off to the CEO's office.

Threaten to leave to BT and they will sort.

If they cant (network usage etc) they will let you leave if still in contract.

Don't mess about calling the help desks any more, they are a waste of time in cases like these, all they do is blame a "virus" or some other some other scripted answer.