Virgin Media signals major Wi-Fi expansion

[qasdfdsaq]

Originally Posted by Chris

If they implement it in a similar way to BT's wifi sharing service, then you will find only a modest portion of your overall bandwidth is used by someone connected to your pubic hotspot, and if you are maxing out your own connection, the public hotspot will decline connections from other users.

Given the OP says VM will be using their own street cabinets, it's nothing like BT's service and doesn't share any of your bandwidth at all.

---------- Post added at 15:37 ---------- Previous post was at 15:35 ----------

Originally Posted by Stop It

"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"

The general user would be more like "I hereby do not understand anything you just said but I will click Agree because I WANT MOAR SPEED"

[Broken Hope]

I've just had an email saying it's coming to my area and a link to this.

http://store.virginmedia.com/discove...i-sharing.html

[Kushan]

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Given the OP says VM will be using their own street cabinets, it's nothing like BT's service and doesn't share any of your bandwidth at all.

It's both street cabs and superhubs.

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Given the OP says VM will be using their own street cabinets, it's nothing like BT's service and doesn't share any of your bandwidth at all.

Given that you have clearly only read half the OP, I think you're somewhat wide of the mark.

[Kushan]

Originally Posted by Chris

Given that you have clearly only read half the OP, I think you're somewhat wide of the mark.

Oh my god, does this mean that qas was......wrong...about something?

[roughbeast]

From what I can work out there is an implicit recognition that the hotspot within your Superhub has the potential to reduce your bandwidth when someone logs on to it. The speed upgrades are a trade off. Mind you our street has a residents-only parking scheme weekdays and Saturdays until 6:00 pm. Not many folk are going to be logging onto my superhub for any length of time!

How will it work in modem only mode? I don't know the Superhub architecture at all, but I am assuming that the trick is in the firmware upgrade which will be able to switch on WiFi just for the purposes of providing a hotspot, but will not switch on a private WiFi network if you don't want one.

I also note that if you don't want to participate in the network you can opt out. I doubt if this will affect your entitlement to the speed upgrade.

[thenry]

Theres no way a bandwidth trade off will occur on the customers SH itself. Stressing the SH is something else but available or set bandwidth wise if anything it will be traded off VM networks side.

[Kushan]

There won't be a sacrifice of bandwidth, however there will be a sacrifice in wireless performance if you're using the superhub as a router.

[roughbeast]

Originally Posted by thenry

Theres no way a bandwidth trade off will occur on the customers SH itself. Stressing the SH is something else but available or set bandwidth wise if anything it will be traded off VM networks side.

By trade off I meant that VM is offering speed upgrades to sweeten the use of your SH to create a hotpot.

If someone chooses to stand outside my house downloading shed loads it will affect was is available to me unless, as you say, VM design the software so use is made of bandwidth available in the common coax. However, if that is the case why , are VM talking about the speed upgrade and the WiFi network in the same breath?

[thenry]

Because they want to go big. And why not. The two upgrades to the network should not be interlinked as The Telegraph suggests. Confusing or scaremongering consumers as that piece has done to you will only be a hindrance to a massive operation.

The change is expected to come with a free speed boost to encourage users to share their capacity

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...expansion.html

that is misleading if you believe your set tier will be eaten into by the hotspots. what will be eaten into is your local VM network, local capacity but that will be eaten by people who pay for VM services unless username and passwords are shared willy nilly!

The speed upgrade is purely to keep in line with demand. Faster speeds are the way forward. Streaming and all is extremely popular.

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by thenry

Because they want to go big. And why not. The two upgrades to the network should not be interlinked as The Telegraph suggests. Confusing or scaremongering consumers as that piece has done to you will only be a hindrance to a massive operation.



that is misleading if you believe your set tier will be eaten into by the hotspots. what will be eaten into is your local VM network, local capacity but that will be eaten by people who pay for VM services unless username and passwords are shared willy nilly!

The speed upgrade is purely to keep in line with demand. Faster speeds are the way forward. Streaming and all is extremely popular.

Virgin mobile customers are also included. I live in an area with a lot of flats around. Several neighbours could have a mobile broadband dongle for just £5.12/month and use my WiFi and Broadband connection that I pay a lot more for. Passers by and short term light use is one thing but the potential for longer term heavy usage is another.

If you are a Virgin Mobile customer, we will automatically verify your device once we have checked that you have a Virgin Mobile SIM.

[thenry]

BT have the same allowances although BTs hotspots are capped. We're are all talking either customer tier or unlimited bandwidth available for the hotspot which is just not true. The question is how much bandwidth will be allocated to each connection to a VM hotspot?

[JPAC]

I foresee gangs of teenagers hanging around wi-fi enabled cabinets, could be a new social phenomenon?

[thenry]

will legal action be taken if a local resident installs an anti-loitering device

[roughbeast]

Originally Posted by thenry

will legal action be taken if a local resident installs an anti-loitering device

For instance, a large dog.