Recommend you check your download speed by following these hints:
- Check for broadband problems in your area on the Service Status webpage.
- Disconnect any home networking equipment you have (eg. a router) and only connect directly to the cable modem with a single computer.
- Reboot your pc.
- Close as many applications on your computer as possible, in particular any P2P, streaming or IM programs.
- Start 2 simultaneous downloads from the VM demo games server plus 2 simultaneous downloads of Zen test files. That's four file downloads happening at once!
Now add up each of the four download speeds to get your accurate download rate.
- If you believe that your connection has been Traffic Managed (also called STM, traffic throttling or shaping), check your *upload* speed -- if you're uploading faster than 128kbps (or 16kB/s) for M (2Mb) and L (4Mb) connections or 192kbps (or 24kB/s) for XL (20Mb) then the slow-down you are experiencing is almost certainly not due to being STM'd.
(Also see the Traffic Management trial statement -- some areas (and probably all of us soon) have limits on the amount you can download at full speed from 10am-9pm.)
If the multiple-file download speed test shows that your connection is performing badly then you'll need to contact VM's Tech Support either by phone (on 0906 212 1111*),
online report form or the Tech Support newsgroup. Many users have found the newsgroup to be the least stressful method. And it's free!
If you've not already setup access to newsgroups on your pc, you may find VM's
step-by-step guide to using newsgroups with Outlook Express useful (but beware: the graphics show the old blueyonder.co.uk news server). The server
does not require you to log on -- in fact, you won't be able to connect to the server if you add your Account name and password!
The Tech Support group is 'virginmedia.support.broadband.cable' on news.virginmedia.com or text.news.virginmedia.com and is monitored between 8am and 10pm every day. You can usually expect a response within a few minutes but, if the staff are exceptionally busy, it might take as long as 4 hours.
When reporting a problem in the newsgroup, as well as the speed you obtained from the multiple-file downloads test, ideally the Tech Support staff would also like to see the results of the following tests:
- Your netstat -a (see notes at Q05 )
- A ping to www.bbc.co.uk (see Q06)
- Two trace routes to www.bbc.co.uk (see Q06)
- Your modem logs and signal levels (see Q07)
- And a good description of your exact issue
- Make sure that you also mention your VM alias (that's the part of your VM email address before the @ symbol) so that TS can identify your account details on their system.
All the notes (and more!) have been ripped from Annie's excellent Broadband FAQ: well worth further reading when you've some free time and bookmarking for future reference!
If you're frustrated and angry with the quality of your service, try not to take it out on the Tech Support staff who are only there to try to help!
(*Calls are charged at 25p per minute. There is a 10p connection fee from Virgin Media landlines. Charges from mobiles and other networks may vary. From June 1st, VM will be changing back to a free (from a VM phone) number.)
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