120M new install: what are they doing?

ianch99 · 18-08-2014, 08:18

We have a new install scheduled for Wednesday (for the in-laws) and although the house has an existing cable box on the (house) wall:

existing box.jpg

VM have sent someone to drill through the garden wall and put a coil of new cable through:

new cable.jpg

and fixed this new cover on the pavement side of the garden wall:

new cover.jpg

Anyone know what they are doing here? If there is a cable already in place, why on earth drill through the wall? Surely they should test the existing cable first?

MJPS · 18-08-2014, 08:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by ianch99

We have a new install scheduled for Wednesday (for the in-laws) and although the house has an existing cable box on the (house) wall:

Attachment 25659

VM have sent someone to drill through the garden wall and put a coil of new cable through:

Attachment 25660

and fixed this new cover on the pavement side of the garden wall:

Attachment 25661

Anyone know what they are doing here? If there is a cable already in place, why on earth drill through the wall? Surely they should test the existing cable first?

Hi
I'm sure other people will be able to give you a more difinitive answer. My guess is that the cable has been remotely tested and shown to be not upto spec.

The cover is probably part of their health and safety routine.

ianch99 · 18-08-2014, 08:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJPS

Hi
I'm sure other people will be able to give you a more difinitive answer. My guess is that the cable has been remotely tested and shown to be not upto spec.

The cover is probably part of their health and safety routine.

There is no VM kit in the house, just an unconnected cable .. previous owner was on BT. Wouldn't you just test existing cable and if ok, use it?

Kushan · 18-08-2014, 09:21

I'm guessing that the cable box you're looking at is ancient (From the analogue days, maybe?) and simply not able to handle the current services. May as well be an entirely different cable, so a new one needs to be installed.

NuttehButteh · 18-08-2014, 09:22

Does Depends,

VM have in the past used new cable at my old house even though several people had service when they lived there. The same argument I guess could also be said for superhubs etc. They are replaced like water when they could be left in situ and reused.

BenMcr · 18-08-2014, 09:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by NuttehButteh

They are replaced like water when they could be left in situ and reused.

Except that the SuperHubs have default wireless details, which most people don't change. Leaving them in place would leave a potential security hole in customer's networks.

SuperHub 2's are required to be returned when services are disconnected, and I'm pretty sure that there would be a refurbishment process for those that are returned - same as there is for TiVo boxes.

NuttehButteh · 18-08-2014, 10:14

Would it though? based on the assumption only the people who have physical access to the hub would know these details?

That makes sense but I just don't think it's necessary. We all want VM to save money somewhere so they stop putting the bills up as many times a year as they can get away with.

Kushan · 18-08-2014, 10:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by NuttehButteh

That makes sense but I just don't think it's necessary. We all want VM to save money somewhere so they stop putting the bills up as many times a year as they can get away with.

You're underestimating the lengths that Virgin goes to in order to save money. There's a viable reason for upgrading people to superhubs in terms of getting them on DOCSIS3, which improves the network as a whole. There are viable reasons for replacing Superhubs in the event of a fault and they don't just throw away the old ones, they refurb them. Or at least until the device hits EOL.

It's actually more costly to leave old equipment in place like what you're suggesting. The old Ambit 300 modems that some people still love actually cost Virgin a fortune as they have to pay extra for out of band updates to its firmware.

BenMcr · 18-08-2014, 10:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by NuttehButteh

Would it though? based on the assumption only the people who have physical access to the hub would know these details?

Exactly - if they were left in place as part of a blanket policy, anyone who had lived in the house when VM had services there would know the details.

As I said, I'd expect the SH2 are refurbished, so VM aren't really losing money by getting re-usable kit back at disconnection, and issuing new kit for each new install.

NuttehButteh · 18-08-2014, 10:44

the passwords are pretty hard to remember without writing down but i see your point

General Maximus · 18-08-2014, 10:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kushan

The old Ambit 300 modems that some people still love

I still wish they made a firmware update for 8 ds channels. May my vmng300 rest in peace

qasdfdsaq · 18-08-2014, 11:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenMcr

Except that the SuperHubs have default wireless details, which most people don't change. Leaving them in place would leave a potential security hole in customer's networks.

That's a very good point. I know of plenty of "casual users" (i.e. not hackers, technophiles, or deliberate intruders) who could well be tempted to driving past an old address if they knew they could still use free internet there - many people would even do so by accident by not deleting their old wireless details from the saved list on their laptops/iPhones/etc.

---------- Post added at 11:18 ---------- Previous post was at 11:11 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenMcr

As I said, I'd expect the SH2 are refurbished, so VM aren't really losing money by getting re-usable kit back at disconnection, and issuing new kit for each new install.

Just a case of reflashing it and printing a new password sticker tbh. Automated processes will almost certainly be in place for that. That said historically VM hasn't had a particularly strong track record of re-using equipment, plus looking at the SH2-AC/upcoming SH3, a lot of returned SH2s will be becoming redundant soon enough as well.

At the end of the day though, in volume, these devices cost a few dozen pounds at most, which is far less than the introductory discounts VM offer on most of their tariffs anyway so a negligible cost.

Kushan · 18-08-2014, 12:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Just a case of reflashing it and printing a new password sticker tbh. Automated processes will almost certainly be in place for that. That said historically VM hasn't had a particularly strong track record of re-using equipment, plus looking at the SH2-AC/upcoming SH3, a lot of returned SH2s will be becoming redundant soon enough as well.

Is the SH2 not like the sH1, where they can literally just swap out the wireless chip for a different one? Seems like a cheaper way of upgrading the SH2 to a SH2AC rather than scrapping it and sending out a completely new one. Though I suppose Virgin is under no obligation to do that either, Wireless-N is still more than enough for 152Mbit.

Though you're right about the upcoming SH3.

DJSADERS · 18-08-2014, 13:18

it boils down to old "forgotten" if you like accounts, after x amount of years the account number resorts back to ending with 01, which means its a new install i.e. never served before.

you could say its a safety net, so after say 8 years of no use someone orders virgin, then a new cable is installed as the old one "may" have been removed,

DOT COTTON · 18-08-2014, 13:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJSADERS

it boils down to old "forgotten" if you like accounts, after x amount of years the account number resorts back to ending with 01, which means its a new install i.e. never served before.

you could say its a safety net, so after say 8 years of no use someone orders virgin, then a new cable is installed as the old one "may" have been removed,

They didnt put new wires in for me, even though my GREY box outside says 'CableTel' lol