Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicosia
Thanks for that bit of info  it looks like I will be upgrading to the 120mbit connection once the 30-60 upgrades are done then if its not too expensive to do so.
was it speed and internet being dropped problems? |
The way things used to work, was your modem would make "1" connection and that was it, it's what they call DOCSIS, sometimes DOCSIS1 or DOCSIS2. These days, multiple connections are made at once (the "channel bonding" that you might have seen people talking about, it's what makes DOCSIS3 great), which is how such fast speeds are possible - each connection is good for about 50mbit, so when you tie 4 or 8 together, you've got plenty of headroom for bandwidth.
The problem is that when you have multiple channels, it's a bit more prone to disconnects if things like power levels and such are a bit off. With just one channel, you've got a bit more headroom for errors, but as you add more, the issues can become more apparent.
Periodically dropping a channel can mean lost packets, which can mean sites become unresponsive even though running a speed test might show full speed. In gaming, it's a right nightmare as that one dropped packet can mean the difference between shooting first and standing still. So because it's a "premium" product, Virgin is careful to ensure that those who take it aren't given a bad experience thinking "My old connection was fine, this so-called upgrade wasn't worth the effort!", which can cause bad press and results in less people taking the more expensive packages.
Most customers are on the lowest tier packages, but Virgin makes a lot more money from the higher tiers so it's worth them ensuring they work better.