Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

Before reading all the negative posts about the super hub I thought this was what I needed as I was having problems connecting to the internet and thought there was a problem with my belkin Router, also thought it would be good not to have so many cables and need so many sockets. The first time I phoned 150 I was told I could get a hub for £20, the second time they said £75 plus £20 per month, this is not an option for me so my question is Can I purchase my own hub from somewhere else and will it work or do Virgin Media give you routers?

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

You cannot purchase ANY virgin media equipment - Modems or Set Top Boxes, this is always the property of Virgin themselves (even when you pay for an upgrade, Virgin still owns the equipment).
However, you can (And many would recommend you do, even if you do have a superhub) buy your own router. Virgin used to supply these but don't any more. Belkin isn't a very good brand so it wouldn't surprise me if it was causing you issues.

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

Why don't you look at Ebay why should you pay virgin £75 virgin will have to activate your Hub

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

Ignore this advice. If you phone up saying you bought a hub on ebay, the best case scenario is that the person on the phone will laugh at you for wasting your money and the worst case scenario is that the fraud squad will get involved because you've bought stolen goods.

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

as stated you cannot buy a SH elsewhere it would have to be via VM but that doesnt mean your doomed!

can we have a bit more info...

what VM equipment have you got (make,model) ?

what are your connection stats. put this into your web browser

and copy/paste everything in downstream and upstream and operation config. remove any serial numbers, MAC address from the log before posting.

whats the model of your Belkin router?

how much you paying VM?

whats your double ETA? put this into your web browser and enter your postcode....

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

Ignore this advice ?
Funny as i purchased a super hub on Ebay I wasn't going to pay £75 for a Hub phoned virgin gave them the MAC address of the hub they phoned back next day and activated it on my BB account if you don't know what you are saying don't give and post wrong information

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

actually Kushan's right. what youve commited is fraud. and the VM rep has cocked up. well done.

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

See that little piece of text below my name? See that? That says I know a bit more about this than you do.

Still don't believe me? Just look at the T&C's ANYWHERE on their web site:

http://store.virginmedia.com/bundles/vip.html

Whoever sold you that on ebay has committed fraud. I used to sit beside one of the teams that occasionally checked ebay for Virgin equipment and went through the motions of filing takedown notices to ebay and even prosecuting some of the worst offenders.

It is NOT worth the risk, don't do it. OP doesn't need a SHUB anyway, unless they move to a higher package in which case VM will give them one for free.

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

You got lucky, as the rep made a mistake. Virgin do NOT, as a matter of policy, do this.

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

It doesn't hurt VM one jot to act8ivate an ebay'd Sh onto a valid account. Quite the opposite I'd have thought. People should come down from their high horse.

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

Your the one posting incorrect. Information

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

Agreed.

Nor is it fraud to sell equipment VM have left to you and declared yours.

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

Enough squabbling! Thanks to you all for replying. Looks like I should stick with my Router. The only VM equipment I have is their Modem supplied when I first got their broadband in approx 2005. I will let you know the other info when I get home tonight. Thanks

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

no you dont have to stick with anything. please answer all questions i put forward including which modem you have.. later.

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

TH is asking for your modem stats (http:\\192.168.100.1) because of the first sentence in your initial post. The stats might indicate an issue either with the modem or with the circuit - for example if the upstream was maxing out at 61 dBmv power or thereabouts.

Addressing your second point about tider cables, etc, the SH is a reasonable device up to the point where you expect wireless to work well. As a wired router only, with firewall and Wireless switched off, it has the legs and stability to serve your wired devices. If you want to use wireless, that's where the problems begin; not always - but sufficient to fill huge chunks of this forum!

So my advice to you is in any case migrate to a SH but in modem mode with your own router attached. Wires don't matter anywhere near as much as does a decent internet experience.

But we can come back to that after we've seen your modem stats in order to to assess external conditions.

Cheers

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

Firstly I did not want to purchase a VM Hub from Ebay. I wanted to buy another Hub.
Secondly according to my VM account I have just been upgraded to 20MB but have not noticed any difference. Here is the information you asked for: NTL Modem Model E08C007. Belkin Router Model F5D7230-4, Version 7001 uk. Regarding 192.168.100.1 you will have to give me more info on how to do this, did put the number in my browser and just brought up thousands of related issues on the internet, what am I looking for?
My internet access is working at the moment but never confident I will be able to connect.

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

http://192.168.100.1 Click that link to go to the modem configuration page. Your modem is an ambit 256 I believe, so 20Mbit will be fine on it.

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

You stick 192.168.100.1 in the URL box of your browser. then you can follow the modem menu and copy/paste your stats into your reply.

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

VM will only activate equipment they supply.

have you got a message in MyVirginMedia that offers a SuperHub? it was said on here by VM staff or on the Virgin Media forum that 10meg will go to 30meg eventually. you could call in and ask. they might put you on a new 12month contract.

how much you paying right now and for what?

that will only be configured for 20meg so youll need a SuperHub for 30meg.

that range has common faults of dropping the connection. it also has lifetime product warrantee. get intouch with Belkin, they should replace it for you. use the Belkin UK support site.

already answered by Seph and Kushan above

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

Cable Modem Downstream
Downstream Lock : Locked
Downstream Channel Id : 4
Downstream Frequency : 586750000 Hz
Downstream Modulation : QAM64
Downstream Symbol Rate : 6952 Ksym/sec
Downstream Interleave Depth : taps12Increment17
Downstream Receive Power Level : 1.8 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 36.4 dB

Cable Modem Upstream
Upstream Lock : Locked
Upstream Channel ID : 2
Upstream Frequency : 22000000 Hz
Upstream Modulation : QAM16
Upstream Symbol Rate : 2560 Ksym/sec
Upstream transmit Power Level : 39.5 dBmV
Upstream Mini-Slot Size 2

Cable Modem Operation Configuration
Network Access : Allowed
Maximum Downstream Data Rate : 21480000
Maximum Upstream Data Rate : 1180000
Maximum Upstream Channel Burst : 8160
Maximum Number of CPEs : 1
Modem Capability : Concatenation Enabled, Fragametation Enabled, PHS Enabled

This what I came up with, does this help?

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

That's running at 20Meg all right (Maximum Downstream Data Rate : 21480000). What do you get on www.speedtest.net? Keep in mind, doing it via wireless will not give a good result, you're best doing it connected via Ethernet to the modem or router.

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

your connection stats are good. your configured for 20meg download, 1meg upload.

have you done a direct test so modem to PC direct with no router to test speeds?

your Belkin router sucks. either get intouch with Belkin and tell them its dropping the connection (common fault) or buy a new router. you can ofcourse get a SuperHub in...

...how much you paying VM and for what? have you worked out your current deal is better than deals on the site for 30meg?

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

QAM64 downstream channel? That means the total capacity for his whole area is just 40Mb

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

hmm..

parkinsj whats your double ETA? put this into your web browser and enter your postcode..

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

Speed test done. Modem to PC: Download 18.92 Mbps, Upload 1.13 Mbps, Ping 26ms.
As a long standing customer I am told I get a good package. Broadband, basic TV and Basic phone roughly £30 per month as long as I don't make any calls during the week.
Thanks to everyone for your help. By the way my original question was Can I buy a Hub independentlyl that would work although I think my best bet would be to get a decent router, What's a good reliable make and do I have need to buy one that is especially for cable customers?

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

depends what the router will be used for? you could get a free upgrade from Belkin as i pointed out above.

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

To develop what Qasi has advised:

QAM64 modulation (6 bits/symbol) means that the infrastructure you're on is regarded by VM as somewhat noisy. That said, your SNR is adequate for that modulation.

I recall that when I first took the 50 meg service, upgraded from 20 meg, my modulation was QAM64 (it had previously been QAM256 - 8 bits/symbol). Eventually they cleared up the infrastructure, moved me onto a newer UBR and the modulation moved to 256QAM.

For a 20 meg service, VM won't give you a SH unless your current modem fails. You haven't described (from my reading) what "having problems connecting to the internet" entails. If you're getting through with the Belkin now, it most likely won't be Belkin playing up although final judgement can be reserved until you descroibe your problem in greater detail.

Sweeping statements like "your Belkin router sucks" are not helpful unless there is evidence to support that in your case. TH has asked what the ETA for your upgrade is. You've had the first upgrade; AFAIK, your circuit will end up at 30 meg and then they'll send you a SH.

So, we await your better description of the problem now that we know your modem stats are fine.

Cheers

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

Dont think VM give free Routers unless you upgrade then they give you the Super Hub. Just use it for surfing, and want to stream movies, email etc.

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

I take it the Belkin router is dropping the internet connection? or does your modem go down? If its the router and if you got that Belkin router from VM then call in and tell them its dying. VM don't supply stand alone routers anymore so you'll be sent standard kit which is the SuperHub, a combined modem/router.

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

Like I said, a proper description from the OP as to what problems connecting to the internet actually entail would now help greatly before offering the next advice.

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

My problems with connecting to the internet are not always the same. I have had problems for months, always used to be Wednesdays or Thursdays regularly, then when I resolved to phone VM the next day, everything was ok. Got a new Tablet for Christmas and could not connect on Christmas Day, only managed an hour on Boxing day. Sometimes I unplug modem then re plug and this works, but not always. Sometimes works if I plug cable directly to my laptop and on other occasions nothing works, is usuallyl resolved the next day. Has been ok for the last week so really don't know what the problem is. Thanks so much for all your help. Signing off for now.

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

did VM tech support go over the flashing and solid lights on the modem? the light thats solid sync i think does that flash during these outages?

best thing you can do is make a thread on the Virgin Media forum explaining everything in detail. staff on there will look deeper into the problem and advise you.

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

Considering also the minislot size, there is the possibility that the OP is still provisioned from a legacy Cisco7246VXR chassis as well? ;)

Just for the record I'm only 5' 2" ;)

Re: Can I Buy my Own Hub?
 

You might be, but what about your horse?