Virginmedia modem bin it or Ebay it?

retiredin2011

A few months ago my old Virginmedia modem decided to stop working so I contacted Virginmedia and got a new Netgear VMDG280 wireless modem.

My internet is supposed to have been upgraded from 10 mbs to 20 mbs in December so I finally decided to contact Virginmedia as to why I was still only getting 10 mbs.

Their answer, I needed a new super hub modem.

So is my 6 month old Netgear VMDG280 wireless modem worth anything to anyone on Ebay or should I just bin it?

Virginmedia don't want it back.

kwikbreaks

It is unusable as a cable hub in any legitimate was as VM will only activate equipment which they supply themselves.

There are uses for parts of it though...

Examples...
It has a dual band WiFi card inside which could be removed and used (I forget the type).

VM frown on mods to their kit so I have used a spare superhub case to fit pigtails allowing me to fit 2 external antennas as the PCB patch antennas inside are pretty inefficient. Of course I had to dismantle my active hub and put it in the modded case but if I have to I can put it back in the standard case and that will be a lot less noticeable than two sma connectors

Some hackers like to get hold of just about any hardware for experimenting.

roddydogs

Superhub has many problems, apparently. Cant you keep it & if the superhub is as bad as people say, use it in "Modem Mode" only & then use the old wireless modem?

pledgeX

roddydogs wrote: »

Superhub has many problems, apparently. Cant you keep it & if the superhub is as bad as people say, use it in "Modem Mode" only & then use the old wireless modem?

Not sure on the superhub being naff, but I'd always keep a spare router/modem. Luckily I've only ever had two problems with my internet service, and both times when I rang up they instantly claimed it was the router and they'd send me a new one.

As I had a spare one kicking around, both times I said I'd already tried another and it was still broken so they bypassed this step and found the actual problem nice and quickly. Had I not had a spare one kicking about, I would have had to wait a few days for the router to arrive, only to find out it's still broken and I'm in the same boat, albeit 2-3 days without internet!

kwikbreaks

pledgeX wrote: »

Not sure on the superhub being naff, but I'd always keep a spare router/modem.

You can't have a spare cable modem because only registered modems will work on cable and VM only allow one per customer. Once a Superhub is struck off the customers account it is only fit for use as spares because it will never work as a modem again.

When VM supplied separate modems and routers keeping a spare router was fine (not a modem though). Now that they supply combined modem/routers the whole unit becomes unusable.

The reason is simple - if any old modem would work you could simply tap into a neighbours coax and get the service for free.

keyser666

kwikbreaks wrote: »

You can't have a spare cable modem because only registered modems will work on cable and VM only allow one per customer. Once a Superhub is struck off the customers account it is only fit for use as spares because it will never work as a modem again.

When VM supplied separate modems and routers keeping a spare router was fine (not a modem though). Now that they supply combined modem/routers the whole unit becomes unusable.

The reason is simple - if any old modem would work you could simply tap into a neighbours coax and get the service for free.

It could be a unbranded one which they will team with the MAC addy of that device if you ask

retiredin2011

So it's bin time then.

Thanks.

kwikbreaks

keyser666 wrote: »

It could be a unbranded one which they will team with the MAC addy of that device if you ask

100% wrong.

The ONLY modems VM allow on their network are the ones they have supplied to the specific customer using them. Routers they don't care what you use and you don't need to call them to use any cable router you care to.

retiredin2011 wrote: »

So it's bin time then.

You aren't supposed to put any electronics goods in a bin destined for landfill and in fact VM are duty bound to take it back for recycling - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_Electrical_and_Electronic_Equipment_Directive Good Luck with explaining that to VM customer support though so in practice yes it's bin time if you've no use for any of the components.

retiredin2011

I've been waiting for them to take their cable box back for the past 4 years, they wanted that back but are not bothered about my old modem