Virgin Broadband really 20mb?

PROLIANT

isotonic_uk wrote: »

I am on 20mb, but I never seem to get the speeds, Quite disappointing really.

Go for a lease line?

stphnstevey

Leased????????

amcluesent

I can use a Contivity(?) VPN for accessing the company network on Virgin OK.

My experience on 2M Virgin is that peak hour throughput is rubbish, you could be on dial-up (almost!). Then they hit you with traffic shaping if you actually use the network in the way it was originally sold. I've never bothered with 4,10,20Mbit services as obviously my local cable/head-end is saturated every evening.

devils_advocate

I'm on Virgin 4mb/s. Out of the last dozen or so tests I've done since early April, highest download 3989 kb/s, lowest 128 kb/s !!!!, and average 2713 kb/s. For uploads, highest is 366 kb/s, lowest is 20 kb/s (again !!!!) and average is 272 kb/s.

When I've tried to complain, they all deny responsibility, and tell me to phone another number which is then (a) out of service or (b) knows about as much as the first number and tries to give me yet one more number or (c) tells me to phone their premium cost line (who incidentally know nothing about it either!

When I have more time, I'm going to move. Shame really that the speeds drop away to eff all, and that customer service is dross.

[Deleted User]

Test 1: 1024K took 490 ms = 2089.8 KB/sec, approx 17220 Kbps, 16.82 Mbps
Test 2: 1024K took 375 ms = 2730.7 KB/sec, approx 22501 Kbps, 21.97 Mbps
Test 3: 1024K took 424 ms = 2415.1 KB/sec, approx 19900 Kbps, 19.43 Mbps
Test 4: 2048K took 895 ms = 2288.3 KB/sec, approx 18856 Kbps, 18.41 Mbps

Overall Average Speed = approx 19619 Kbps, 19.16 Mbps

Not bad...

stphnstevey

Its a Cisco client VPN that I need to connect with

Thanks everyone for letting me know that they can connect with their VPN's - much appreciated

richt71

stphnstevey wrote: »

I just want to make sure I am comparing like for like, thats all.

So I can compare BT's 8MB speed to Virgins 20MB speed - ie if they both performed to the maximum capacity, Virgin would be about 2.5 times faster???

Incidently, for example say I wanted to download 100MB of data, how long would that take if I had full speed from Virgins 20MB?

Ok the speeds you are quoting are unlikely the speed you'll get. With ADSL (BT and any other phone line broadband) your speed is effected from how far you are from your local exchange and the radio of users per hub (usually 30-1) whereas if you have cable broadband the speed isn't effected by distance from your local hub just the number of people connecting to your local hub at busy times (again 30-1 is usual).

stphnstevey

spud17 wrote: »

Don't worry about it, that's for their tech support, they have to draw the line somewhere.

I'm on VM and typing this on my "test" PC (lol), 350mhz/128mbRAM/tinyme linux OS/ genuine German keyboard and a mouse out of the Ark.

Guess what ? It's really flying, RP614 router and no AV to worry about.

I am hoping to cnnect two computers to the Virgin inernet connection and not quite sure how to do it.

Previously with BT Broadband I have connected the laptop I have from work to the wireless router from BT either by ethernet cable or wireless. No problems there as do exactly the same with the Netgear router Virgin supplies.

However the other computer is a lot older (10yrs+ now), no ethernet port only USB and running on Windows Me. So far I have connected it to the internet by an older BT Broadband USB modem. However as I connect it to the same line as the wireless router, but in a different room, I can't use both at the same time.

So I have two problems
a) Can I still use the BT Broadband USB modem to connect to Virgin? It allows you to enter a username and password.
b) Should I upgrade in some way - could I get a USB wireless dongle and use it that way to connect the older computer?
Do all dongles work with all wireless routers?
I am getting the XL Broadband at 20MB - Netgear donlgle says will allow up to 54 Mbps - therefore I should get full speed via a wireless connection?
The older computer only has USB 1 ports - will this be limiting?
Will I be able to connect both computers at the same time and will the speed be split between the two?

Nilrem

A: You cannot use a BT (ADSL) modem with the Virgin cable service
B: Yes you can get USB wireless dongles, or (and my personal preference) a cheap network card for the old machine, and length of CAT 5 networlk cable to the netgear router (suitable network cards are only about £2-5 and easy to fit, with the network cable depending on the length required).

USB1 ports will limit the data transfer to 12mbit.
It's also worth remembering that wireless speeds drop the further you get from the router, or if there is any intereference.
With the router you can use bothe machines at once, but if you're downloading a lot on one it can affect the other (same as ADSL), unless your router has a setting to limit the maximum speed per machine (most routers don't). However for any general use both machines should get a good speed - i've got our Virgin connection here shared between 4 machines and they all get a good browsing speed, and reasonable download speeds (it's only if one of us downloads at very high speeds it tends to affect the rest).

superjaggybunnet

I am on the Virgin 4mb package that was meant to be updated to 10mb.

I have checked their website and it says the work in my area is completed but I am still only getting 4mb.

I have called Virgin and they don't know why I am still only getting 4mb. Their suggestion is that it may be a gradual rollout throughout my area!

I switch the modem off and on again at least 5 times a day to see if it updates. It hasn't yet.

Anyone else got this problem? What did you do about it?