Virgin Media Hub Upgrade Offer

Gadgetman496

Just received an email from Virgin offering to upgrade my modem for free.

I currently have the Cisco EPC3925 and they are offering me the white Media Hub.

https://www.virginmedia.ie/broadband/learn-about-broadband/equipment/

And I can't see any Info in the Spec regarding bridging or port forwarding.

1. Can you bridge this modem\router?

2. Can you port forward on it?

ED E

As posted in other threads: DO NOT ACCEPT IT.

3925 is about 50x the router that this is. Will repost graphs later.

LoGiE

1. This router can easily be set to bridge mode in the GUI.
2. I believe there may be issues with port forwarding if you are using IPv6 & DS-Lite. See https://www.boards.ie/ttfthread/2057617337 but you can ask to be given an IPv4 address

white_westie

Got the same offer myself yesterday, and am unsure what to do!

Currently have the Technicolor TC7200 (over 4 years now and not a bother), running in bridge mode with my own Asus router doing all the donkey work. Only on 120mb service and no requirement to go any faster.
No issues with box, only some small outages due to VM network issues - basically a solid bb service.

Was wondering if you accept this upgrade will you be automatically put onto an IPv6 address & DS-Lite, and therefore lose access to Bridging option? Would then have to try and get them to switch you back to IPv4 - which I assume they will have to stop doing eventually!

@ED_E I know you did some testing earlier in the year, but would you not recommend this upgrade even for a bridged/modem only configuration?

WW

Movie Maestro

In the same boat here, I also got the offer and am not sure what to do. I've got the UBEE router the last few years and it seems to be very stable on my 240mb connection.

Gadgetman496

Here's a comment from ED E re the new Hub on another thread

Flawed device subject to a class action, Intel who make the chip have admitted its f00ked.

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057903649&utm_source=notification&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=digestthread

ellobee

Movie Maestro wrote: »

In the same boat here, I also got the offer and am not sure what to do. I've got the UBEE router the last few years and it seems to be very stable on my 240mb connection.

also if you take the new router you will be tied into a new 12month contract. Vm are doing this because of the roll out of fibre by siro with some great deals being offer by the likes of Vodafone and digiweb for gigabit broadband

Gadgetman496

ellobee wrote: »

also if you take the new router you will be tied into a new 12month contract. Vm are doing this because of the roll out of fibre by siro with some great deals being offer by the likes of Vodafone and digiweb for gigabit broadband

Incorrect, no new contract.

Gonzo

will new customer sign ups be expected to use this new media hub?

ED E

Gonzo wrote: »

will new customer sign ups be expected to use this new media hub?

Definitely. They want to move all CPE to 3.1 compliance and as DOCSIS is shared medium they can't move a segment up until everyone supports the change.

Gadgetman496

Gonzo wrote: »

will new customer sign ups be expected to use this new media hub?

I would imagine so.

That's why I questioned its ability to be bridged and port forwarded. I was thinking if my own Cisco ever goes south I'd have no choice but to accept whatever replacement they forced on me.

That said, because they are a cable company whose equipment must be used due do to the fact it needs to be provisioned, there is nothing to stop them forcing customers to take this crap if they want to offload them?

Why don't companies like this listen to the end users who know what they are talking about and simply provide good equipment? Surely it would save them a lot of hassle in the long run?

ED E

Look who's in this mess with Virgin. Not companies that have a good rep among end users.

ED E

3925 normally is a bit cleaner but had a bit of traffic during that time.

tnegun

Out of interest what are you using to produce the graphs?

ED E

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality

white_westie

Thks ED_E, just remembered your graphs from testing earlier in the year - will try and stay away from hub 3 as long as possible.

Furzy

Interesting .... I got a call from them this morning saying that they needed to replace my Cisco 3925 router and would be doing so early next week. Not an offer - just informed me that they would be doing it and that there wouldn't be any cost or contract implications. Not sure what to do now ....

Gadgetman496

Furzy wrote: »

Interesting .... I got a call from them this morning saying that they needed to replace my Cisco 3925 router and would be doing so early next week. Not an offer - just informed me that they would be doing it and that there wouldn't be any cost or contract implications. Not sure what to do now ....

Yeah, that's the start of it now. I reckoned they would start this if the offer was declined...

Bob24

Gadgetman496 wrote: »

Yeah, that's the start of it now. I reckoned they would start this if the offer was declined...

Are they supposed to have offered the replacement to everyone? (I’ve been using the Cisco one for 6 years and haven’t heard from them yet about a replacement)

Gadgetman496

Bob24 wrote: »

Are they supposed to have offered the replacement to everyone? (I’ve been using the Cisco one for 6 years and haven’t heard from them yet about a replacement)

I don't know if everyone not on the new hub got the offer but I received the offer via email last week.

I got another letter Monday advising me that they are also switching off analogue TV in our area on Oct 1st in order to improve their Broadband service.

We also had two outages here in Galway for a few hours on Tue & again at 2.00am this morning for a good while.

I can't recall ever having an outage with them before and I'm a long time with them now.

Not sure what there at to be honest.

djivide_

Gadgetman496 wrote: »

I don't know if everyone not on the new hub got the offer but I received the offer via email last week.

I got another letter Monday advising me that they are also switching off analogue TV in our area on Oct 1st in order to improve their Broadband service.

We also had two outages here in Galway for a few hours on Tue & again at 2.00am this morning for a good while.

I can't recall ever having an outage with them before and I'm a long time with them now.

Not sure what there at to be honest.

As Ed E suggested probably getting ready for a move from DOCSIS 3.0 to DOCSIS 3.1 which requires everyone to have a 3.1 supported equipment which the 3925 is not.

I am in the same boat, currently have the cisco 3925 and did not avail of their "upgrade" but expecting to be told I have to sooner or later.

Bob24

djivide_ wrote: »

As Ed E suggested probably getting ready for a move from DOCSIS 3.0 to DOCSIS 3.1 which requires everyone to have a 3.1 supported equipment which the 3925 is not.

I am in the same boat, currently have the cisco 3925 and did not avail of their "upgrade" but expecting to be told I have to sooner or later.

I guess the good news is that it should allow them to offer faster speeds (at least between the subscriber and Virgin Media, this obviously won’t help with slow peerings).

ArthurG

Whats the expectation on next speed increase?

Mr Crispy

Sorry for hijacking, OP.

So to clarify, we can refuse the "upgrade" and shouldn't have a problem continuing to use our 3925?

Incidentally, can I use the Cisco in bridge mode? I was told I couldn't a few years ago, but wondering if that has changed.

Gadgetman496

Darch Nemesis wrote: »

Sorry for hijacking, OP.

So to clarify, we can refuse the "upgrade" and shouldn't have a problem continuing to use our 3925?

Incidentally, can I use the Cisco in bridge mode? I was told I couldn't a few years ago, but wondering if that has changed.

Yes you can bridge the Cisco.

Yes you can decline the upgrade for now but it looks like they are starting to force it on users according to a poster further up this thread.

Bob24

Darch Nemesis wrote: »

Incidentally, can I use the Cisco in bridge mode? I was told I couldn't a few years ago, but wondering if that has changed.

Yes. I’ve been using it in bridge mode for almost 6 years with 2 different routers and never had any issue.

Mr Crispy

Gadgetman496 wrote: »

Yes you can bridge the Cisco.

Yes you can decline the upgrade for now but it looks like they are starting to force it on users according to a poster further up this thread.

Bob24 wrote: »

Yes. I’ve been using it in bridge mode for almost 6 years with 2 different routers and never had any issue.

Thanks guys.

ED E

Pre 3.1 devices probably have 12-24 months of life left before they start dropping offline. Thats just a guess though.

PixelTrawler

Just checked the mail account we use with VM. They mailed us on the 21st of August I see offering the new hub.

Happy 3925 user here. Had it about 6 years now coupled with an ASUS RT-68U in bridge mode. Have a cooling fan on it because its a solid router but it gets warm and I dreaded it dying...

I work from home so ds-lite would screw me up. Has anyone swapped to it and been placed on ds-lite straight away entailing getting onto support to get IP4 back?

On the old 120 meg plan also.

Edit. Just spotted this on the VM forum in a thread about the hub

"Hi there,

It is completely up to you whether you wish to avail of this upgrade. We do recommend our super Hub modem for the best possible wifi experience within the home. If you are happy with your service at the minute there is no need to change, we can arrange an upgrade if needed anytime in the future."

This was for a customer using a combined horizon box so maybe its already 3.1 capable?

derekbro

PixelTrawler wrote: »

I work from home so ds-lite would screw me up. Has anyone swapped to it and been placed on ds-lite straight away entailing getting onto support to get IP4 back?

On the old 120 meg plan also.

I had a horizon box and changed to the new hub last week. got a new IP address but wasn't put on ds-lite. Wifi is definitely better than the horizon box, internet would cut out intermittently so made sense for me to get the hub.

Mrnew

I was thinking about getting this new hub as a new customer, is there anything better out there atm tho ?

Gadgetman496

Mrnew wrote: »

I was thinking about getting this new hub as a new customer, is there anything better out there atm tho ?

As a new customer you won't have any choice.

ED E

PixelTrawler wrote: »

This was for a customer using a combined horizon box so maybe its already 3.1 capable?

Its not, they just aren't ready to go live with 3.1 for a good while.

PixelTrawler

Wow. That superhub is not good. Its fundamentally flawed. I can't understand why a company like VM persist with its rollout.

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2018/02/quick-update-virgin-media-hub-3-router-latency-fix.html

Also Tech Radar did a review of it and listed it as Docsis 3.0 but not sure if thats accurate

Theres no way I'm giving up the 3925 unless I really have to.

Sounds like I'd have terrible trouble even in model mode.

ED E

Long running history of shipping equipment thats worse than even Eircoms, a very low bar.

PixelTrawler

ED E wrote: »

Long running history of shipping equipment thats worse than even Eircoms, a very low bar.

Yes, I really should have said why am i not surprised now that I think about it. Ive been a BB customer of theirs since about 2006/7 and Ive pretty much always added my own wifi routers

Mr Crispy

So having read this thread and others, I decided to refuse using the new hub (it was offered, rather than forced upon us - my dad said yes when they cold-called him about it). It arrived on Thursday evening. Shortly after, our broadband went down. It hadn't come back on by Friday (yesterday) morning, so I called VM to find out if there was another outage that I hadn't heard about. Instead they tell me they had actually disconnected us in preparation for our installing the new Hub. I told them I didn't want to use it having read about all the problems, at which point the CC rep said that was understandable, and they had been receiving a lot of complaints about it. Anyway, he said we'd be reconnected later in the day.

Nothing. Called them again this morning to find out that the engineers who were needed to reconnect us were "unable to get it working" yesterday before knocking off time, so now we wouldn't be reconnected until Monday. I explained why I thought this wasn't acceptable, so the CC rep helpfully suggested that I could still connect up the new modem if I was "desperate" for BB over the weekend.

Really not happy about this. I've had to scramble around trying to get online to get business done (bills paid, university registration completed etc), and had a PlayStation arrive yesterday that's now unusable until we're back online. Don't want to hook up the new modem either, in case they say they can't reconnect us using the old one (I don't have the technical knowledge to question what they're telling us). Pain in the hole. But hey, they offered €10 off the next bill.

PixelTrawler

Typical, they are receiving lots of complaints but yet continue to roll it out. You'd have to feel sorry for the CS staff knowing they have to support that.

irishgeo

does apply to the FTTH model as well, anyway around the issue?

how do i check if i am on ds lite?

Gadgetman496

irishgeo wrote: »

how do i check if i am on ds lite?

http://ip6.me/

ED E

irishgeo wrote: »

does apply to the FTTH model as well, anyway around the issue?

What are they shipping for FTTH? The arris/intel board wouldnt make sense for non cable service so no reason for the same vendors.

tsue921i8wljb3

ED E wrote: »

What are they shipping for FTTH? The arris/intel board wouldnt make sense for non cable service so no reason for the same vendors.

AFAIK their FTTH is not like SIRO and Openeir in that they bring fibre to the home but convert it to coaxial outside the premises and use the existing CPEs. They are also using RFoG I believe. The only indication that you have FTTH is the psu that powers the media converter. This is it on the right


https://i.imgur.com/LtJHsXU_d.jpg?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=medium


This is the optical to coaxial converter