Intermittent internet connection after Virgin upgrade
- Thread starter RubyToogood
- Start date
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
They try and make you think they're going to disconnect you the minute they give you the MAC code, but they're not allowed to.
All you need is the MAC code, then you can go and switch over to Zen or whatever.
The law says that they have to give it to you within 5 days, but you can read for yourself what it's like trying to get Virgin to comply with that: http://www.maccode.org.uk/feedback/virgin_adsl.aspx
You shouldn't terminate your contract until you've got a new ISP set up, so you keep any downtime at a minimum.
If this router doesn't arrive on Tuesday, I really am going to ...(been with Virgin since the mid 90s btw)
All you need is the MAC code, then you can go and switch over to Zen or whatever.
The law says that they have to give it to you within 5 days, but you can read for yourself what it's like trying to get Virgin to comply with that: http://www.maccode.org.uk/feedback/virgin_adsl.aspx
You shouldn't terminate your contract until you've got a new ISP set up, so you keep any downtime at a minimum.
If this router doesn't arrive on Tuesday, I really am going to ...(been with Virgin since the mid 90s btw)
Just checked out that link...
*sigh*
Oh well, 'forewarned is forearmed', I suppose!
Cheers.
RubyToogood
RubyTwobikes
Virgin haven't always been this shit have they? I've not really had problems like this with them before, it's mostly been reasonably trouble-free for the last 4 years. Did they take too many other companies over and make too many people redundant?
RubyToogood
RubyTwobikes
BTW threatening to the support people to change providers I found did nothing (they just said to me "Well, that's your decision"). I had to do the option 4 thing as cesare says - that's the "If you're thinking of leaving us" line. That was the only useful call I made during this whole fiasco. I simply asked what the procedure for cancelling my account was.Being a terrible procrastinator
Mañana, as ever...
RubyToogood
RubyTwobikes
Nice one. My connection isn't really any faster that I can tell, but they did tell me that I wouldn't get much benefit on this operating system.
Oh, and even that cringeworthy email from Branson seems to have been a cockup as I got another a couple of days later saying "sorry, we sent round the wrong email, here's the right one". Not that it looks any different to me. Incompetent pricks.
Oh, and even that cringeworthy email from Branson seems to have been a cockup as I got another a couple of days later saying "sorry, we sent round the wrong email, here's the right one". Not that it looks any different to me. Incompetent pricks.
Yes, I got that too. Plus another one today, with details about new terms and conditions as of 1st April (-including changes to the charges for switching/disconnecting).
<...studies the small print...>
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
I'm not getting any emails at all from them, which is weird.
The connection's faster, but not that much faster btw. I did a speedchecker before and after, and although it's improved a bit it's not making a great deal of difference. Having said that, it's reliability which is the issue for me cos I'm not a big downloader of stuff.
The connection's faster, but not that much faster btw. I did a speedchecker before and after, and although it's improved a bit it's not making a great deal of difference. Having said that, it's reliability which is the issue for me cos I'm not a big downloader of stuff.
I get the feeling they probably roll stuff out in batches rather than to everybody at once, but still...
I don't understand those speedcheck things. Lately they tell me I'm getting the same speed I was getting before the dreaded upgrade, yet when I looked at my download speed when I was d/l a file, Firefox was showing it as only something like 20kbps. All the while, the modem is showing a speed of anywhere between 4 and 6 Mbps. I'm really not IT-minded, and I just get confuzzled by it all.
Same here. I'm not downloading loads, I don't do torrents or whatever, so I don't need it to be superfast. I just want to know that I can actually do the basics (email, youtube, read webpages, stream radio, etc) whenever I need/want to.
I wish Virgin had just left it alone as it was.
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
I'm convinced that there's still a problem with my account, sunspots, which results in a problem with authentication at the radius servers. They're not having it though. Yet it would explain why I'm not getting emails from them, and I can't log in to their website. Ah well, let's see how it goes from here.
There's a pretty good speedchecker thing here: http://speedchecker.org/?page=speed_test
I should still be getting loads better connection. Even though it's been a hassle, at least I can now go back to Virgin with a supported router if the problems persist.
There's a pretty good speedchecker thing here: http://speedchecker.org/?page=speed_test
I should still be getting loads better connection. Even though it's been a hassle, at least I can now go back to Virgin with a supported router if the problems persist.
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
Update
Every third or fourth time the phone rings, I lose the connection again. Though it's just for 30-60 seconds before it sorts itself out. And it's gone down once needing me to unplug it and plug it back in again (no on/off switch on the router, how weird is that).
The speed's a bit better but not that much. Noticeable but not remarkable.
Every third or fourth time the phone rings, I lose the connection again. Though it's just for 30-60 seconds before it sorts itself out. And it's gone down once needing me to unplug it and plug it back in again (no on/off switch on the router, how weird is that).
The speed's a bit better but not that much. Noticeable but not remarkable.
I've still not switched ISP yet, because I've seen a noticeable improvement in the last couple of weeks.
I now seem to be getting a reliable connection at all times of the day. Nothing super fast, but much better than it was a month ago. Whether that's down to something Virgin might have done at their end, or because I took it upon myself to strip out some (-apparently surplus) wiring from the main phone socket a couple of weeks ago, I don't know.
Interesting you should mention the phone-related disconnections though. I never used to get this, but recently it's been happening, just as you describe...
I still don't know whether I'll stick with Virgin long term though. Part of me wants to switch ISP just to stubbornly deny Virgin any more of my custom, while (-for other more fundamental reasons) another part of me is toying with disconnecting from the internet altogether...
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
I've still not switched ISP yet, because I've seen a noticeable improvement in the last couple of weeks.
I now seem to be getting a reliable connection at all times of the day. Nothing super fast, but much better than it was a month ago. Whether that's down to something Virgin might have done at their end, or because I took it upon myself to strip out some (-apparently surplus) wiring from the main phone socket a couple of weeks ago, I don't know.
Interesting you should mention the phone-related disconnections though. I never used to get this, but recently it's been happening, just as you describe...
I still don't know whether I'll stick with Virgin long term though. Part of me wants to switch ISP just to stubbornly deny Virgin any more of my custom, while (-for other more fundamental reasons) another part of me is toying with disconnecting from the internet altogether...
I think I've always had the phone disconnect, but now the router is sitting where I can see it I can actually see the connection go down as and when it does. I wonder why it does that.
As a result of all the trouble + because I've been with Virgin forever, they've halved my monthly bill for 6 months. So I'm sticking with them for now just to see what happens ...
Sunray
Its sunny somewhere.
I suggest you get better ADSL filters. I've had ones that cost 2 quid that were shocking quality.
Some good quality filters should prevent the phone signal interfering with the DSL signal.
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
Do you mean the splitter? Cos I'm now using the one they supplied, just in case, like.
RubyToogood
RubyTwobikes
Oh have they? Perhaps I should write that stiffly worded letter of complaint after all. I've sort of given up now it's all working again. But really that was the most shocking customer service I've ever encountered.I think I've always had the phone disconnect, but now the router is sitting where I can see it I can actually see the connection go down as and when it does. I wonder why it does that.
As a result of all the trouble + because I've been with Virgin forever, they've halved my monthly bill for 6 months. So I'm sticking with them for now just to see what happens ...
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
You might as well try - don't ask, don't get etc.
