Virgin Media

[gwrrob]

Had a brochure through my door advertising their product.Reading I realise I can have TV,phone and broadband for £10 less than I pay BT and Orange for their products.Free installation and keep same phone number.I assume you get more TV channels than freeview.

 

Anyone have experience of them.My worry is BT will sting me for leaving.

[PhilH]

I've got the lot through Virgin and have to say that I've been quite happy with it(*). Sky was a bit of a disaster for me as it was ok when it was dry but the picture on the tv broke up when it rained heavily. BT will (should?) only sting you if you are within the agreed contract period. Beware though, they can sneakily start a new contract period if, for instance, you upgrade your broadband speed through one of their offers.

 

 

 

 

(*)apart from having to pay for it............

[jamie92208]

We were originally with ntl which is now part of Virgin and we are very happy with it, particualarly the broadband speed in our village. I have to declare an interest as my eldest is one of their installers in Licolnshire but we have been very happy with them for several years.

 

Jamie

[hayfield]

I have Virgin internet for 4 years, it works fine (except when a cable broke between BT and Virgin and it took them both 3 days to restore the service) and not had any connection or speed problems other than the 1 incedent.

[Ian J.]

Now before the weekend before last I would have said I'd had a good service from Virgin for their Broadband and Phone bundle (no TV), however we had a pretty serious outage in the East London area where I am and it lasted over four and a half days, and I couldn't get a reasonable estimate from them all the time it was out as to when it would be working again. However, since it's been back up and running it's working sweetly and I hope it continues to do so. To be honest I think that any supplier of such services could have an off day(s) and this just might have been one of Virgin Media's.

[Derekl]

BT seem to have a policy of offering upgrades to the phone line package - adding more any time calls in my case, for no extra charge. I realised when the paperwork came through that they did so just before the old one year contract was about to run out, and the effect is to tie me in for another year. Quite clever marketing, if irritating. Doesn't really worry me, though, as I had not intended to leave BT for the land line.

[gwrrob]

BT seem to have a policy of offering upgrades to the phone line package - adding more any time calls in my case, for no extra charge. I realised when the paperwork came through that they did so just before the old one year contract was about to run out, and the effect is to tie me in for another year. Quite clever marketing, if irritating. Doesn't really worry me, though, as I had not intended to leave BT for the land line.

 

 

Thanks for everyones input.

The Virgin package stipulates taking their phone line rental [£11.99]and I assume BT will hit me for leaving them though by how much remains to be seen.

[bertiedog]

Don''t forget the big difference between "Cabled Virgin", and "BT Virgin using the phone line", where the operation is the same as BT may offer on the line, bar small differences. I have used cable for years with little or no trouble, but with BT supplied Virgin it can be in the hands of what BT care to allow on the exchange involved. most back-up is about the same, but BT reportedly are slower to respond to problems, as the larger supplier they do have inertia in the responses, and typically if the problem is down to Virgin will pass the problem on, slowing response.

 

If you can access the cable network, then go for that, the available speeds are reliable and have been up graded at no cost.

Stephen

[Guest]

'Service' with VM is absolutely attrocious - Its all done off shore and to a script ( as well as undecipherable accents.)

When it works it works, but when it fails its a nightmare.

Subject to tight usage constraints as well- 20 minutes of looking at Fotopic can use up your allowance for the next 4 or more hours on the 20Mb package, and a lot less on 10Mb package. Trying to work out just what the 'allowance' is , is more complicated than trying to buy the cheapest train ticket- there is always a get-out clause that stops it applying to you.

Good Luck - You will need it.

[rovex]

I've got Virgin for tv phone and broadband. Can't say I'd recommend it - moved twice in the alst two years and every time setting up the internet has been a nightmare, numerous telephone calls to offshore call centres, wrong advice changing email addresses - mind you I don't think any of the others are any better.

 

rovex

[PhilH]

'Service' with VM is absolutely attrocious - Its all done off shore and to a script ( as well as undecipherable accents.)

When it works it works, but when it fails its a nightmare.

Subject to tight usage constraints as well- 20 minutes of looking at Fotopic can use up your allowance for the next 4 or more hours on the 20Mb package, and a lot less on 10Mb package. Trying to work out just what the 'allowance' is , is more complicated than trying to buy the cheapest train ticket- there is always a get-out clause that stops it applying to you.

Good Luck - You will need it.

 

Don't quite understand this - Virgin sells it's broadband on an unlimited download basis, subject only to a fair usage policy. I have never, repeat, never had any problems as outlined above, and I use, and download from, broadband a lot . Service, when needed, has been good, so I can only commend it.

[beast66606]

Have a read of my posting and the follow up comments

[Guest]

Don't quite understand this - Virgin sells it's broadband on an unlimited download basis, subject only to a fair usage policy. I have never, repeat, never had any problems as outlined above, and I use, and download from, broadband a lot . Service, when needed, has been good, so I can only commend it.

The fair usage policy is such that 20 minutes of image downloads is all you get at peak times , and peak times are from 8am to 10pm . After that you are limited to 5Mb/s , and will be lucky around the Midlands to achieve 4.5Mb/s.

 

Here's the link for all the details- good luck if you can work it out. One clue....%throttled in the list is how much you lose, not what you are throttled to ie 20Mb/s throttled at 75% is 5Mbs ( not 15Mb/s as you would think.)

http://shop.virginmedia.com/help/traffic-management.html

 

Uploads are similarly limited , so if you run a website like Fotopic etc you are similarly 'clipped' after being classed as a heavy user.

 

'Unlimited' means in VM language, Unlimited quantity of data - BUT NOT at the the maximum speed you have paid for- most of it will be at 20% by their deliberate throttling , plus any reduction locally because others in the area are using it . See what happens at 3.45pm when the kids get home. It drops typically to 1Mb/s on a 20Mb/s contract for the next couple of hours.

[beast66606]

Traffic management trial

 

We are currently undertaking Traffic Management trials in the following areas:

 

Preston

Acton

Aldershot

Wigan

Blackpool

 

Which one of them is the Midlands referred to ?

[Guest]

Which one of them is the Midlands referred to ?

That is dated May 2009 - Traffic management was implemented nationwide within a month of the 'trials'.

Try asking VM - Ohhh you can't now , they're shut even for reporting faults or complete failures.

[PhilH]

The fair usage policy is such that 20 minutes of image downloads is all you get at peak times , and peak times are from 8am to 10pm . After that you are limited to 5Mb/s , and will be lucky around the Midlands to achieve 4.5Mb/s.

 

Here's the link for all the details- good luck if you can work it out. One clue....%throttled in the list is how much you lose, not what you are throttled to ie 20Mb/s throttled at 75% is 5Mbs ( not 15Mb/s as you would think.)

http://shop.virginmedia.com/help/traffic-management.html

 

Uploads are similarly limited , so if you run a website like Fotopic etc you are similarly 'clipped' after being classed as a heavy user.

 

Are we talking Virgin cable here? I'm just curious as I download hd films etc. and have never experienced throttling or any other apparent slowdown in my service (I'm on cable)

[Guest]

Are we talking Virgin cable here? I'm just curious as I download hd films etc. and have never experienced throttling or any other apparent slowdown in my service (I'm on cable)

Applies to ALL Virgin Media Broadband, EXCEPT their top package of 50MB/s , as a tempter to pay for a full TV , Broadband and phone package. It has been mooted that Traffic Management was to be introduced , quietly, in the not too distant future as more people subscribed to what is effectively a seperate broadband , high speed network. I can't tell you the exact details of the 50Mb/s package , as its a service I have no interest in except to see the number of 'failures' in the VM forums.

 

Join the Newsgroups , try news://free.virginmedia.discussion.broadband and here was the latest post I've just found..( NOT ME I will add)

QUOTE

After many complaints to Virgin, I finally got hold of someone who confirmed

that they do use bandwidth throttling during the evening between 19:30 and

00:30.

 

In my case, I find that I can barely get a web page up and I am severely

restricted at the very time of day that I most want to use the connection.

 

I am not a high user, as I pay for the connection 12 months of the year,

when I am only here for 7 months maximum. (Medium package)

 

If anyone else is having the same problem, and wants to add their name to my

complaint to Offcom, please post a follow up and I'll get in touch.

 

Basically, if you leave all your lights on at home, the electric company

don't drop the supply voltage down to 175 volts at night, just to spite you.

We should be getting the bandwidth we pay for irrespective of the time of

day.

AND A REPLY

We've been here many times before. The language used in the advertising

is "Newspeak", and, in the past, OFCOM and/or the ASA have ruled that the

cable ISPs' use of the adjective falls foul of no "rules".

 

"Unlimited", apparently, does not now mean what you and I, and most of

the rest of the English-speaking world, think it means. At least, not

when it's Virgin using it.

--------------------------------

However this is not a Virginmedia forum, Its a Model Railway forum, and I've said more than I intended. My lips are sealed on the subject now, before I have to take more blood pressure tablets..

 

A case of buyer beware- all that glitters is not Branson....

[PhilH]

Interesting, I'll keep an eye on it.

[bertiedog]

The restrictions mentioned basically do not apply to the Virgin Cable installations, I used to work for BT and know the background, Only excessive usage will incur any form of restriction at present. The speed of cable broadband does not alter at different times of day, it may vary minute to minute on number of users though. This line is 10meg, and tests 8.9 average, and peak usage does not alter the average figures.

The help lines do vary between cable and BT Virgin, different numbers, free help calls at all times with cable,, and cable to cable numbers are unlimited, the limitations where forced on Virgin by Oftel and BT in respect of phone line broadband, and cable to other provider restrictions came from BT.

The "throttling" of speed is also to try to get round the load imposed by the widespread use of TV over the net, far more than cutting back individual customers.

 

Stephen

[chris p bacon]

Have to say I am on the 20mb service with TV and phone (cable) and have never experienced any problems with downloading, I check regularly and it runs at 95%+ which is much better than friends providers, If the service is a bad as made out I'd change.

 

Only problem we encountered was with the set top box (from NTL days)and this was changed in a couple of days.

 

I'm not a fan of the bearded wonder and had no problem with NTL.

[cunningduck]

I've used Virgin Media in both of my student hovels now, for cable internet (20MB), they have been effective, I'm pretty sure the last call centre operative I spoke to was a Geordie, and I have never had any issues with download limits or the speed being turned down. They were quick to send out an engineer when my flatmate complained about the internet being slow, even if the poor guy was too polite to point out that using wireless internet 50metres from the router will only end up in slow internet!

[Guest]

Virgin Media announces ( leaks? ) more details on further usage curbs. You can still upload and download unlimited quantities of data, it just takes longer !

 

See The Register

 

and see the links at the bottom of that page.

[Pinkmouse]

Another vote for VM, I have the 20meg cable package and have never noticed any slow down or throttling. Can't comment on their customer support, as I've never needed to use it apart from initial installations or moves, (three of), and that was fine. As for service, I've been with them since it was Telewest, and have only had two days downtime, and that over five years ago and south London wide due to a fire in a datacentre. Recommended.

[45156]

What has to be borne in minc as well here is that Virgin Media's fibre optic cable service is only available where they choose to run their cables, as they are permitted to pick and choose, and they (or their predecessors) chose to cable up mainly in urban areas and not into the wilds of the country areas, so those who live in non cabled areas get the Virgin "piggy back" service which uses the existing Openreach copper landline and picks off the broadband (and possibly calls) at the Openreach exchange - one needs to be sure which service is supplied - normally the Fibre Optic service carries Phone, TV, and Broadband, whilst the service on the copper is normally Broadband and/or calls only with the main line rental from one of the other retailers (BT, Talk Talk etc), and the issues of throttling and broadband speeds may differ between these different service offerings.

[Jenny Emily]

We've got the full package (phone, TV, internet) and have never had any issues. We swapped from BT who were a pain in the neck. The only issue we have had is when the water company managed to cut the underground cable and decided to bury all evidence of their actions rather than have it repaired. It took a week of digging for Virgin's engineers to find the problem, and we got a refund for the time we weren't connected, plus free call forwarding to my (admittedly Virgin) mobile that allowed us to still have incoming calls without any costs incurred.

 

We have never experienced throttling of linespeed, and we watch TV over the internet as well as both of us working from home and being on the computer a lot by way of our work. They've always been all right for us.