Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Smithfield Market D7 Broadband

Options
2

Comments

  • Options
    #32
    mccannio88
    Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭mccannio88


    bk wrote: »
    Virgin Media's service is delivered over TV coax cable, NOT via the telephone connection.

    Are your apartments already wired for some sort of UPC/Virgin TV service? Or perhaps a TV aerial or Sky satellite?

    If it is, then it is possible that this TV coax cable runs back to a central room in the building and therefore Virgin can just put their gear in this room connected to these cables and you in turn just connect the supplied router to the output of the TV connection in the wall in your apartment.

    Assuming this is the setup, then there is no need for a Virgin engineer to visit your apartment, it is pretty easy plug and play.

    Ah This makes sense, there is a Sky satellite in the building and a coax socket in the apartments. If I have sky TV in I presume I'll have to get a splitter in to be able to run both the virgin broadband and have Sky TV, or would this interfere with the service?


  • Options
    #33
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,510 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    mccannio88 wrote: »
    Ah This makes sense, there is a Sky satellite in the building and a coax socket in the apartments. If I have sky TV in I presume I'll have to get a splitter in to be able to run both the virgin broadband and have Sky TV, or would this interfere with the service?

    A good quality coax cable should be able to carry both Sky and Virgin TV and Broadband on the same cable, as they use very different frequency ranges.

    However various issues can stop that from working properly, including bad quality coax, various splitters/filters/multiplexers causing interference, etc. and even who owns the cable (purely political issue).

    So it is technically possible, but unfortunately no guarantee.


  • Options
    #34
    colm_mcm
    Registered Users Posts: 73,389 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    usually unless there's an actual upc socket in the apartment they need to send a technician. no point in ordering self instal unless you have one. a quick look at the upc talk to forum will show you how much hassle it is when this happens.


  • Options
    #35
    willycat
    Registered Users Posts: 387 ✭✭willycat


    After checking with a Virgin Media rep, they've assured that if an Engineer needs to go to these apartments to set up a Virgin Media box for the broadband, they will charge an extra 80€ for that.

    I don't know about you guys, but I am not willing to pay this nonsense fee.


  • Options
    #36
    colm_mcm
    Registered Users Posts: 73,389 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    Virgin Media box is a TV box.

    There is normally a €60 modem fee, and €20 if you choose not to self install, or if you live in an address (like I do) where self install isn't available.

    On the website, they're not charging for the modem, so you'd pay €20.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #37
    willycat
    Registered Users Posts: 387 ✭✭willycat


    I know about the box, I had UPC before in other apartments. There's a box and then the splitter so you have 1 for the Digital TV and 1 for the Broadband. But still an engineer has to come to install it, doesn't matter if you have not purchased a Digital TV package, as it's needed for the Broadband too.

    20€ would not be a big deal. I can cope with that.

    Update: a Virgin Media rep just confirmed me the 80€ (60€ for the box and 20€ for the visit) is a standard charge when an outlet box is not available, so aparently this charge is not related to the router.


  • Options
    #38
    colm_mcm
    Registered Users Posts: 73,389 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    Call them up, tell them the last person you talked to said they would do the install for €20.
    Repeat till you get it.


  • Options
    #39
    willycat
    Registered Users Posts: 387 ✭✭willycat


    I'll give it a try. I know (by some friends) they're offering a 50% discount 6 / 12 months to customers who just ended the contract, to sign again another 12 months contract. Then why the hell wouldn't they do that for new customers? Why penalise people who just wants to contract your services with an upfront fee of 80€ + other penalisations?


  • Options
    #40
    DjTaz
    Registered Users Posts: 345 ✭✭DjTaz


    I just rang asking for an update there as i still don't have anything. He said he believes one of his colleagues told me that there was a 2 week delay , to which i agreed and mentioned that it was now 3 weeks.
    He said he was onto Virgin earlier as someone else had rang about it and is waiting for them to get back to him about it all and will give me a ring later as soon as he has any more updates.

    I know Property Button as stuck in the middle so its awkward for them , but its frustrating for us too when we are told its there and then it isnt - we need solid information . I may ring Virgin myself directly later !


  • Options
    #41
    willycat
    Registered Users Posts: 387 ✭✭willycat


    Hey DjTaz, one Virgin Media rep told me he checked with the Engineers deploying the Fibre line and apparently they expected to have it completed by the end of this week, so orders could start to come over early next week.

    Of course being Ireland and being UPC you can just multiply this values by 2 or 3, so I think we can aim at 1st / 2nd week of December as a reasonable date for Virgin Media being actually available there.

    To be fair, Property Button shouldn't have sent these ads claiming UPC was available, as they sent them 1 month ago and UPC is still not available now. It's their fault for sending them before UPC being actually available.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #42
    DjTaz
    Registered Users Posts: 345 ✭✭DjTaz


    willycat wrote: »
    Hey DjTaz, one Virgin Media rep told me he checked with the Engineers deploying the Fibre line and apparently they expected to have it completed by the end of this week, so orders could start to come over early next week.

    Of course being Ireland and being UPC you can just multiply this values by 2 or 3, so I think we can aim at 1st / 2nd week of December as a reasonable date for Virgin Media being actually available there.

    To be fair, Property Button shouldn't have sent these ads claiming UPC was available, as they sent them 1 month ago and UPC is still not available now. It's their fault for sending them before UPC being actually available.

    I have to agree , and every time i ring them they say One more week (i signed up on the 28th of last month and still nothing). Last time i rang i was told everything is now in place and they are beginning the installs but i have a feeling that was a delay tactic as ive heard nothing and rang monday and tuesday.


  • Options
    #43
    willycat
    Registered Users Posts: 387 ✭✭willycat


    Hey DjTaz,

    Looks like VirginMedia is finally available there (since Monday, if you enter your apartment details, it shows as available). I have already placed my order, and an engineer is coming over the next few days to install it.

    Just to confirm: Installation cost is 20€, as self-installation is not available. But not 60+20, just 20.


  • Options
    #44
    notonlyhuman
    Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭notonlyhuman


    Just as an update, I called Property Button today to ask if my order is still on the way. They called Virgin Media and I received an email from Virgin Media stating the engineer is coming tomorrow. Fingers crossed...


  • Options
    #45
    willycat
    Registered Users Posts: 387 ✭✭willycat


    I already got it since last friday :D I ordered the Boards Offer (50€ voucher) last Wednesday, and Friday got it installed. They're using the optical fibre connection available in the apartments, so the installation is really quick and no extra wires are needed, they just install the box where the optical fibre is, and that's it. 242MB line :)


  • Options
    #46
    df3n5
    Registered Users Posts: 4 ✭df3n5


    willycat wrote: »
    I already got it since last friday :D I ordered the Boards Offer (50€ voucher) last Wednesday, and Friday got it installed. They're using the optical fibre connection available in the apartments, so the installation is really quick and no extra wires are needed, they just install the box where the optical fibre is, and that's it. 242MB line :)

    Could you post speedtest results? Very excited about this.


  • Options
    #47
    willycat
    Registered Users Posts: 387 ✭✭willycat


    Here :)

    I was getting "only" 135 MB at first (lol ONLY, I am coming from a 6MB line) when my router was on IPV6.

    As I need port forwarding (which does not work with IPV4) I contacted Virgin Media reps and asked them to activate IPV4 for me. After it was done, my line was at 243 :)

    This is of course using a wired connection. If you use Wi-Fi, you would get between 80MB (using 5GHz wifi mode) or around 35 (using 2.4GHz wifi mode).


  • Options
    #48
    df3n5
    Registered Users Posts: 4 ✭df3n5


    Thanks. I am ordering now. Getting 3Mb at the moment, this will change my life.


  • Options
    #49
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,510 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    willycat wrote: »
    I already got it since last friday :D I ordered the Boards Offer (50€ voucher) last Wednesday, and Friday got it installed. They're using the optical fibre connection available in the apartments, so the installation is really quick and no extra wires are needed, they just install the box where the optical fibre is, and that's it. 242MB line :)

    That is new and interesting.

    The first FTTH install I've heard of from Virgin!

    Can you take pictures of the setup?

    Is it a fiber connection going into one box and a coax cable coming out of that and then into the router?

    Or is the fiber connection going directly into the router?


  • Options
    #50
    willycat
    Registered Users Posts: 387 ✭✭willycat


    It's the same as all UPC boxes out there have (like the one I had before in my former apartment), just now it says Virgin Media instead of UPC.

    Not sure if it's FFTH or not, but I'd bet it's exactly the same type of connection they've been installing for years.


  • Options
    #51
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,510 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    willycat wrote: »
    It's the same as all UPC boxes out there have (like the one I had before in my former apartment), just now it says Virgin Media instead of UPC.

    Not sure if it's FFTH or not, but I'd bet it's exactly the same type of connection they've been installing for years.

    So not FTTH so, probably Fiber to The Basement and then coax up to each apartment.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #52
    willycat
    Registered Users Posts: 387 ✭✭willycat


    Yes, they connected my apt end with the building's node, so as you said it's just the regular Fiber to the node, then individually to each apartment who requests it.


  • Options
    #53
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,510 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    willycat wrote: »
    Yes, they connected my apt end with the building's node, so as you said it's just the regular Fiber to the node, then individually to each apartment who requests it.

    Tanks for the info. Works the same way in my apartment building and basically the same way it works for all Virgin customers in updated areas.


  • Options
    #54
    DjTaz
    Registered Users Posts: 345 ✭✭DjTaz


    just got mine installed as well - 220MB on cable speedtest - 40MB on wireless through the actual box.
    I have an AC router but didnt have time to connect to that but ill do all that tonight

    Damien is fantastic in fairness , he will prob be doing most of the installs in smithfield , great guy.


  • Options
    #55
    willycat
    Registered Users Posts: 387 ✭✭willycat


    Remember that if you connect yours directly to the TC7200 from Virgin Media, you'll be on double-NAT, which is far from ideal and terrible for stuff requiring good ping, like gaming.

    For the Wireless, use the 5GHz WiFi instead of the 2.4GHz if you can, you'll get up to 80MB instead of 35-40. But maybe older devices can't see the 5GHz one.

    If you want to use your own router, then you'll need to contact Virgin reps, ask them to enable IPV4 on your router, and then you have to take some manual steps on your TC 7200 to enable bridge mode, as Virgin Media has removed the option to do that from the TC7200 control panel. You can try here (check comment number 1) or here (a different longer way). Remember, this won't work if you don't have IPV4 enabled instead of IPV6 in your router.


  • Options
    #56
    DjTaz
    Registered Users Posts: 345 ✭✭DjTaz


    willycat wrote: »
    Hey DjTaz, one Virgin Media rep told me he checked with the Engineers deploying the Fibre line and apparently they expected to have it completed by the end of this week, so orders could start to come over early next week.

    Of course being Ireland and being UPC you can just multiply this values by 2 or 3, so I think we can aim at 1st / 2nd week of December as a reasonable date for Virgin Media being actually available there.

    To be fair, Property Button shouldn't have sent these ads claiming UPC was available, as they sent them 1 month ago and UPC is still not available now. It's their fault for sending them before UPC being actually available.
    willycat wrote: »
    Remember that if you connect yours directly to the TC7200 from Virgin Media, you'll be on double-NAT, which is far from ideal and terrible for stuff requiring good ping, like gaming.

    For the Wireless, use the 5GHz WiFi instead of the 2.4GHz if you can, you'll get up to 80MB instead of 35-40. But maybe older devices can't see the 5GHz one.

    If you want to use your own router, then you'll need to contact Virgin reps, ask them to enable IPV4 on your router, and then you have to take some manual steps on your TC 7200 to enable bridge mode, as Virgin Media has removed the option to do that from the TC7200 control panel. You can try here (check comment number 1) or here (a different longer way). Remember, this won't work if you don't have IPV4 enabled instead of IPV6 in your router.

    Thanks Willycat , i havent had time to look at it as i had to go to work , so ill take a look later , i could just let the thompson box do all the router work and use my 5GHz as an access point (disable dhcp and everything else) and leave it at that - ill check it all later.


  • Options
    #57
    willycat
    Registered Users Posts: 387 ✭✭willycat


    Sure! Just remember the TC7200 is Dual, it has the 2.4GHz antenna and the 5.0GHz as well, so you can just switch to 5GHz and there's no need to use an access point (if you don't want to). Actually, this router is capable of broadcasting both signals at the same time but VirginMedia has disabled this option (God knows why).


  • Options
    #58
    Dandelion6
    Registered Users Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭Dandelion6


    Still waiting on mine and I swear Digiweb has got slower and slower over the past week :(


  • Options
    #59
    Dandelion6
    Registered Users Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭Dandelion6


    Got it! 60.23 on wireless :cool:


  • Options
    #60
    td2008
    Registered Users Posts: 478 ✭✭td2008


    Have all the blocks got this now lads? I'm in block c - I can't find any smithfield addresses on their site checker

    *nevermind - had just selected dublin , sweet :)


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #61
    gambler12
    Registered Users Posts: 54 ✭✭gambler12


    MOD WARNING: Discussions of illegal means of receiving TV services aren't allowed on boards.


Advertisement