BIG problems with Virgin Broadband - what to do?

usignuolo

We use Virgin via a cable modem for broadband access for email and internet. It has been on the blink for over two weeks now and we get hardly any access - just the occasional window when it works. We have spoken to Virgin several times and they acknowledge there is a fault on their server = poor signal caused by noise contention= but they seem unable to fix it. The fix date went out from 11 Sept to 15 Sept yesterday.

For the last two weeks we have had major problems with our Virgin Broadband access (via a cable modem) which we use for both internet and email access. We can hardly ever get a connection. Virgin admit it is their fault - they say it is signal problems at their server caused by noise contention- but seem unable to fix it. They have offered to refund our days lost rental but that is all and my husband works from home AND this is proving a big problem.

Meanwhile Virgin have not recorded it on their website as a local fault (apparently this type of fault does not register as it is not considered a loss of service (!) even though we have virtually no service - and have to dial up to get a connection.

The repair date keeps going out -recently it was moved from 11th to 15th September but that is only an estimate. I know there are other local users affected (I have found them on other forums) but Virgin just seems to be ignoring us - currently their website says there are no service affecting issues in our area. I have emailed them and again just been told it is signal problems at their server caused by noise contention and they are working on it.

Can anyone explain what this problem is why it is so hard to fix? Have they added too many users in my neighbourhood or is it all the upgrades? Up till now the service has been pretty reliable.

(We were Telewest and then Blueyonder. We have a Large Virgin connection and pay full whack. We have not changed our configuration at all and it always used to work fine).
:mad:

exup

if it is copper based cabling - the other is fibre optic. Then it can be affected by "noise". RF signals from electrical equipment can cause interference, also as ethernet cables may carry 4 pairs of wires in them -as these wires are so close to each other a signal going down one wire can induce a false signal in a wire next to it, and vice versa - this is cometimes called crosstalk - and is another form of noise. simply put - noise = loss of data
To help prevent crosstalk some of these pairs of wires are twisted around each other which helps - but where the cables end (terminate) in a jack plug - like an RJ45 connector that plugs into your PC - the wires have to be untwisted and this can create a short area where crosstalk can occur.

Contention as I understand it - is a term describing how users signals are passed through a single line - each user contends with other users to have their signals transmitted . (also depends on the type of network, line, contention method).

I would expect that contention noise is a problem to do with possible noise affecting the node where the contention is taking place. and maybe creating a bottleneck where data is trying to get through..

usignuolo

it is fibre optic cabling - feed in from the road - we also use it for our tv and phone feeds which are currently unaffected. Virgin says the problem is at their server and that it is still an open job, ie not resolved, even though their website reports no o/s problems - ditto their phone message - i wonder how many other faults go unreported like this? Our postcode generally is affected. virgin says we just have to wait until they get round to fixing it - it does make me wonder if it is due to recent upgrades to line speeds or adding more users which has overloaded their server. but as virgin owns the cable, unless i go over to adsl it seems i am stuck.

exup

fibre optic cabling isn't affected by noise at all - so thats one advantage - but if it is terminated poorly then that can cause a big problem , also if there is a tight bend somehwere in the cable (there is a minimum permitted radius which you can bend fibre through). But it also depends on what type of cabling is in place at the contention point- it could be gigabit ethernet or fibre .

try running a tracert on a few IP addresses or websites - it may show any drop outs in signal - better if you can get it to go in different directions too.

for instance my signal usually travels to Huddersfield, then Leeds, but it can go to Wakefield depending on the destination.

if you go to START > RUN type in cmd

then tracert www.google.co.uk (or any other address you can think of)

it will then give you the steps through each node / router and the time in milliseconds to get to each one (like a running ping)
getting to east coast US on a good day would be about 80ms

also tracert 77.74.192.87 (-this is a game server based in London Canary Wharf)


1 2 ms 2 ms 2 ms 192.168.1.1
2 12 ms 17 ms 13 ms *.*.*.*
3 27 ms 11 ms 9 ms hudd-t2cam1-a-v103.network.virginmedia.net [8
154.49]
4 10 ms 9 ms 10 ms hudd-t2core-a-ge-wan62.network.virginmedia.ne
95.182.174.77]
5 10 ms 12 ms 12 ms hudd-t2core-b-ge-wan71.network.virginmedia.ne
0.7.153.14]
6 9 ms 11 ms 11 ms lee-bb-b-so-730-0.network.virginmedia.net [62
.188.213]
7 16 ms 15 ms 16 ms pop-bb-a-as1-0.network.virginmedia.net [213.1
75.130]
8 16 ms 26 ms 14 ms pop-bb-b-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [213.1
74.230]
9 14 ms 16 ms 15 ms tele-ic-2-as0-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.2
84.6]
10 17 ms 16 ms 19 ms 212.250.14.138
11 16 ms 15 ms 17 ms 209.85.255.175
12 32 ms 38 ms 120 ms 209.85.251.190
13 31 ms 56 ms 26 ms 66.249.95.169
14 31 ms 34 ms 36 ms 216.239.49.126
15 46 ms 28 ms 27 ms 216.239.59.99


something like that should happen

3 time results for each line - if you get ** ** ** then the trace timed out at that location..

also a tool we use in the gaming clan to find out problems on the network.
pingplotter