Virgin Media signals major Wi-Fi expansion

[Ignitionnet]

The WiFi service will not use the customer's bandwidth, it will have its own.

The tier uplift isn't related to the WiFi service.

I must ask some questions about this tier uplift. I understood it would come with 'conditions'.

[Kushan]

As long as the "conditions" don't include STM or worse

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Kushan

As long as the "conditions" don't include STM or worse

Indeedy.

[Synthetic]

"Conditions" Sounds exactly like STM...

[SnoopZ]

Originally Posted by denphone

Well there will definitely be a speed boost because l have just got a email saying its coming.

http://store.virginmedia.com/special...d-upgrade.html

I may have missed it as on mobile but what speeds are tiers going upto?

[denphone]

l don't know yet as it just says speed upgrades are coming but some of the other lads might have a better idea of what speeds might go up SnoopZ.

[Skie]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

The WiFi service will not use the customer's bandwidth, it will have its own.

The tier uplift isn't related to the WiFi service.

I must ask some questions about this tier uplift. I understood it would come with 'conditions'.

Yup, at the bottom of the vm blurb is:

Originally Posted by Virgin

We will start the upgrade programme on 1 October which will offer a free upgrade to our base. This will roll out to 90% by the end of 2015 and the remaining will be completed in early 2016. As an area of the network is upgraded we will write to all of our customers in that area letting them know that their upgrade is ready and all they need to do to accept the upgrade is log on to their account online to confirm and we will then increase their speed. By writing to them we are not forcing the upgrade upon them and if they want to stay as they are they can. If they decide not to take it at that time then the customer is able to log into their online account to take the upgrade at any time before the program is completed in 2016.

[thenry]

Originally Posted by SnoopZ

I may have missed it as on mobile but what speeds are tiers going upto?

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/10...00-300-mb.html

[nomadking]

The current London Underground setup doesn't require a mobile SIM. It is also available to VM broadband customers.
Link

Choose Virgin Media Broadband customer, or Virgin Mobile customer and enter your username and password.
...
Once you've activated Virgin Media WiFi (either as a customer or with a WiFi Pass), your device will automatically pick up our WiFi signal when you're in a WiFi enabled station.

The Wi-Fi Buddy app isn't just for VM mobile. Eg it works on my Hudl2 tablet. With it at home, I can see another VM broadband customer, a Sky customer and a BT WiFI with FON setup all within range.

Originally Posted by Hans Gruber

I wonder if this will work while in modem mode? I'd like to be able to use wifi when I'm out and about (and don't mind sharing some of my own) but I'm quite happy to keep using the router I have.

On BT, you can't generate a BT Wifi or a BT-With-FON hotspot unless you are using a BT HomeHub. Having said that, if you opt in to the service, and then use a third party modem/router that doesn't generate a public hotspot, they don't detect this and you don't lose the ability to use hotspots while out and about.

None of which directly answers your question, but if I was speculating, I would say that some pretty specific settings would be required in order to generate a different hotspot and route it differently, and that VM would almost certainly insist on delivering all that via the Superhub.

[Stop It]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

The WiFi service will not use the customer's bandwidth, it will have its own.

The tier uplift isn't related to the WiFi service.

I must ask some questions about this tier uplift. I understood it would come with 'conditions'.

I think VM support wish one of the conditions would be for all customers to sign the following waiver:

"I hereby understand that although headline speeds will be increased, it is not possible for a 2.4ghz, 802.11n 1x1 stream wifi card on a mobile device to receive 300mbps, ever"

It's bad enough to see people complaining all the time that they can't get 152mbps on hardware that is never going to be capable, I hate to see it when people on even some higher end equipment moan when a 300mbps link speed doesn't get that in reality.

Of course, for the Wi-Fi service itself, I imagine it'll be capped at a level not exceeding 30mbps, probably.

[Kushan]

Honestly, tiers like 300Mbit are not really intended for single-user use anyway.

[nomadking]

I hope use of the hotspot facility will be restricted to VM broadband customers only and not include VM mobile. Otherwise a neighbour could be with VM mobile and not broadband but still have access to broadband via somebody else's(eg my) Wifi. They wouldn't need to bother with paying for their own VM BB.

[SnoopZ]

Originally Posted by nomadking

I hope use of the hotspot facility will be restricted to VM broadband customers only and not include VM mobile. Otherwise a neighbour could be with VM mobile and not broadband but still have access to broadband via somebody else's(eg my) Wifi. They wouldn't need to bother with paying for their own VM BB.

Absolutely agree.

[Kushan]

I don't particularly care who it's restricted to or not, that's Virgin's business, as long as it doesn't impact my own connection.

I'd say the wifi speeds will be limited to a couple of Mbit anyway.