Install this morning, already problems

Kabaal · 16-03-2010, 13:49

I just had my installation of the 20mb service this morning. Both TV and phone setup went fine, however, the modem would sync, flash ready for a while go back to synching, synch, flah read and keep doing this process over and over. So the engineer thought there was something up with the modem and went and got another to try, same thing.

The only other thing he did was phone another installer and ask if his last broadband install this morning had went fine which it had, in another town. Then he decided to tell me that he'd seen a network van 2 doors down from my house earlier so there must be a problem with the network and that it would be fixed within the hour, this was a blatant lie. Then he promptly left.

I waited an hour or so but the modem was still going through the same cycle as above so i phoned 151. After being put on hold a couple of times, taking the mac address from the new router i was told there was a problem with the platform it had been installed on and it had been sent to a higher tech dept and will probably be fixed within 24hrs but might take up to 5 days.

Is this normal, can any of it be true? And what is the "problem with the platform it was installed on"? needless to say i'm a bit wary of what callcentres say, nevermind having been straight up lied to by the engineer beforehand. Not off to a good start.

Should i just wait for the 24hrs - 5 days to pass or is there anything else i can do?

---------- Post added at 13:49 ---------- Previous post was at 12:25 ----------

Posted this on the VM support forum too but don't really hold out much hope for an answer.

Stats from the modem itself in case any use.

Not sure if any of this is useful or not as the problem apparently is on VM's end

Cable Modem Information
Cable Modem : DOCSIS 1.0/1.1/2.0 Compliant
MAC Address :
Serial Number :
Boot Code Version : 1.1.2c
Software Version : 2.111.1001
Hardware Version : 1.9

Cable Modem Status
Item Status Comments
Acquire a Downstream Channel 331000000 Hz Locked
Connectivity State In Progress Upstream Parameters Acquired
Boot State In Progress Unknown

Cable Modem Upstream
Upstream Lock : Not Locked
Upstream Channel ID : 4
Upstream Frequency : 29200000 Hz
Upstream Modulation : QAM16
Upstream Symbol Rate : 2560 Ksym/sec
Upstream transmit Power Level : 61.0 dBmV
Upstream Mini-Slot Size : 2

Cable Modem Downstream
Downstream Lock : Locked
Downstream Channel Id : 5
Downstream Frequency : 331000000 Hz
Downstream Modulation : QAM256
Downstream Symbol Rate : 5360.537 Ksym/sec
Downstream Interleave Depth : taps32Increment4
Downstream Receive Power Level : -7.1 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 37.8 dB

Cable Modem Upstream Burst
Modulation Type QPSK QPSK QPSK 16QAM 16QAM
Differential Encoding Off Off Off Off Off
Preamble Length 64 128 128 200 216
Preamble Value Offset 244 6 6 504 504
FEC Error Correction (T) 0 5 5 5 9
FEC Codeword Information Bytes (k) 16 34 34 78 232
Scrambler Seed 338 338 338 338 338
Maximum Burst Size 0 0 0 19 139
Guard Time Size 8 48 48 17 77
Last Codeword Length Fixed Fixed Fixed Short Short
Scrambler on/off On On On On On

Cable Modem Operation Configuration
Network Access : Denied
Maximum Downstream Data Rate : 0
Maximum Upstream Data Rate : 0
Maximum Upstream Channel Burst : 0
Maximum Number of CPEs : -1
Modem Capability : Concatenation Enabled, Fragametation Enabled, PHS Enabled

Welshchris · 16-03-2010, 16:57

for a start Ur upstream is way to high

Ur Downstream is way to low.

No wonder ur modem isnt locking on

fireman328 · 16-03-2010, 17:11

Do I see John Wayne in the distance ?

Kabaal · 16-03-2010, 17:27

@Fireman, Forgot to check if he arrived in a van or on a horse.

@Welshchris, the upstream was mentioned to me on the virgin support forum by another helpful fellow too. I tried calling up with that info but wasn't listened to and told to turn off the modem and PC, then instantly told the broadband needed activated. transferred to customer support who thought i meant the install had never been done, told me the engineer was en route even though he'd been and gone hours before leaving the setup with no working broadband lol. When i got that through to him and told him tech had transferred me to get activated he then said there's nothing he can do and that it's the engineer that activates! Indian chaps aren't the easiest to explain to :p

Now i'm resigned to waiting until the 'probably' 24 hours is up in the morning and phoning back with the hope it's a scottish lass like it was in the very first phone call. But from what i can gather from other virgin users, it may take a while to get an engineer out to fix it.

Does anyone know if "problem with the platform it was installed on" would cover the upstream power level being too high? It would be nice to know that they already know what the problem is but not holding out much hope that they do.

Edit - just in case the error log highlights anything that someone thinks of before i call again in the morning :

Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) MAP w/initial maintenance region received
Time Not Established Time Not Established Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) MAP w/initial maintenance region received
Time Not Established Time Not Established Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) MAP w/initial maintenance region received
Time Not Established Time Not Established Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) MAP w/initial maintenance region received
Time Not Established Time Not Established Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) MAP w/initial maintenance region received
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) Beginning initial ranging...
Time Not Established Time Not Established Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) MAP w/initial maintenance region received
Time Not Established Time Not Established Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) MAP w/initial maintenance region received
Time Not Established Time Not Established Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) MAP w/initial maintenance region received
Time Not Established Time Not Established Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) MAP w/initial maintenance region received
Time Not Established Time Not Established Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) MAP w/initial maintenance region received
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) Downstream sync ok
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) Beginning initial ranging...
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) downstream time sync acquired...
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) Downstream sync ok
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) starting ds time sync acquisition...
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) Locked on the downstream. Waiting for UCDs...
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) Downstream lock ok
Time Not Established Time Not Established Critical (3) SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC f...
Time Not Established Time Not Established Critical (3) SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/Q...
Time Not Established Time Not Established Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Time Not Established Time Not Established Information (7) MAP w/initial maintenance region received
Time Not Established Time Not Established Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out

Pantsu-san · 16-03-2010, 18:13

Personally, if it was me, I'd mention that as a first time customer you won't be waiting 5 days. You should have a cooling off period on your contract that allows you to cancel within a certain time period (7 days?). I'd tell them that if they don't fix it within 48 hours then the next time Virgin call at your door will be to collect all the equipment as you will be cancelling.

As a first-time customer of any company, being treated like that would give me serious doubts about being locked into a 12 month contract with them. If they treat you with contempt from the very first visit then it doesn't bode well at all.

If you do wait it out, then I would insist on them sending you a senior cowboy next time and that a 'inconvenience' credit should be applied to your first bill as way of an apology.

Sephiroth · 16-03-2010, 18:15

.... and make sure your view is put in writing in good time for the cancellation period by emailing their CEO neil.berkett@ ***********.*** (as others have done).

Kabaal · 16-03-2010, 18:33

I got a bit ****ed off and gave in and phoned again via the installation option on 151 and got an english fellow. He had me on and off of hold while he went back and forward between the install engineer department and IT.

Turns out that the engineer did two things wrong, a)shouldn't have left until the modem was locked on and b) input the wrong work codes, both of those meaning they couldn't do anything to fix it from their end. It sounded like the engineer is in a pile, but hard to tell whether that's just to appease me or not.

Anyway, result is that IT will phone me within 24 hours to arrange an engineer out asap to fix it. It sounded like i won't have to wait 5 days, but we'll see when the call comes tomorrow.

Pantsu-san · 16-03-2010, 18:40

Well, I hope for your sake you get it sorted quick-smart.

If you decide to stay with VM and were charged an installation fee then demand it be waived as an apology for the original balls-up as it sounds like the monkey they sent initially couldn't even install a USB mouse.