Virgin Media slow/ intermittent broadband

christinam_2

I live in the Wigan area and have been utterly unable to use my internet for the last few days.

I used the 'check your service status' on the website yesterday - said broadband in my area was poor. Updated today, said good - I quote 'There are no known problems affecting your broadband service'. However, my internet was still unusable.

So I phoned customer services to find out what was going on. Again they said there was a 'local fault' and offered me £10 credit on my account. Then when I enquired how long it would take to fix the fault, the guy contacted technical services and told me the estimated date was the 24th of August!!!!!!! I was gobsmacked!!!

Later this evening, having checked VM's complaint procedure I decided to 'escalate' my official complaints made today to a manager (you can't bring CISAS into it until you do). This is where is gets fun!!!!

Apparently the fault is that there are 'too many people on the local server' (direct quote!). On the 'plus' point, VM are creating a new server - they need to lay new cables, etc. BUT they haven't got planning permission from the council yet!!!!! Hmmmmm, 24th of August seeming a bit optimistic here?!!

I would like to know a few things! I am pretty sure that our cable network hasn't been updated since the mid 90s Telewest days - why have VM taken on so many new customers knowing that their network cannot support this?

Why haven't the great business minds running this company used their common sense to plan ahead (most large businesses should have a 5 year plan - seems more like 5 minutes here!) and update the network before it becomes a problem? Surely they know how many customers they have, and have projected growth over a number of years for geographical areas?

Why have they decided to undertake this update during the school holidays when internet traffic is notoriously high?

Why haven't they informed their 'valued' customers? Even now their check you service status website says it is 'good - no know problems'. A letter 4 -6 weeks ago saying something along the lines of 'Unfortunately there will be some disruption to your broadband service between July and August. This is because we are updating our network to give you an even better experience' would appease most customers. But no ... not a word. Even trying to hide it on their website - if I didn't already have 2 other official complaints on my account they'd have probably tried to palm me off with the old switch your router on and off routine!!!

It is clear to me that they just don't give a **bleep**. They bought the network off Telewest, have never updated it, provide appalling and intermittent services, try to disguise this by providing no information and employing customer service reps who don't have a clue about anything internet related (have to been told to move my furniture and been asked what peer to peer networking is before now!! - not the individuals' faults, just poor training, and I believe VM prefer to keep it that way!) and just take our money.

I am providing this information on this forum so other people from the Wigan area actually know what's going on with their paid for services, and that VM customers in general knowhow poorly they are being treated, and how undervalued they are as customers. It may be happening in Wigan now, but it could be you next!

christinam_2

I posted a similar message to the one above in Virgin Media's support forum yesterday.

This morning it had been deleted!!!

Plus, the check your status service still claims by broadband is 'good - no known problems'!!!
:mad:
Just goes to show ......

spike7451

Apparently the fault is that there are 'too many people on the local server' (direct quote!). On the 'plus' point, VM are creating a new server - they need to lay new cables, etc. BUT they haven't got planning permission from the council yet!!!!! Hmmmmm, 24th of August seeming a bit optimistic here?!!

I would like to know a few things! I am pretty sure that our cable network hasn't been updated since the mid 90s Telewest days - why have VM taken on so many new customers knowing that their network cannot support this?

I take it you're on a cable network & not DSL?..What they say is possible but at the same time inaccurate.For one,the is no local server.All the servers ect are in what we call the Head End which can be many miles from you.What is sounds like to me is the street cabinet you are connected to has reached capacity or even exceeded it.Sometimes,if we ran out of the Tap & Ports,then we would have to split a feed of one that is in use.Although due to factors like signal strength ect,you can't just say "That one will do.."

Now if that is the case,then they may have to run a new distribution cable from the nearest Mux/DA (Distribution Amp) which are two boxes next to each other.Because of the way the cable is ran,it might be required that they have to open up the roads hence getting the permission from the council.The date that they gave you came from the council,not VM.They're not creating a 'new server',they're installing a new Tap & Port bank.

This is the inside of a Telewest cabinet;
http://chriswoods.co.uk/2010/01/photos-inside-a-virgin-media-cable-street-cabinet/

At the rop,you can see the Magnavox Amplifier,directly below are the Tap & Ports for the BBand & TV & to the right is the phone connections.You can see how full the cabinet is,I've seen cab's many times as bad as this,especially in student areas.
HTH,

Spike

christinam_2

Thank you Spike :money:

Love this forum!! Get much more useful information about services and products than you do form the actual providers.

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