Virgin Broadband really 20mb?

Nilrem

About the only thing you can do for now is to wait - the way cable works is each modem type gets one of 3 config files that set it's working speed.
If the speed update has been activated for your area the modem should get the correct config file when it boots up/reboots or renews it's connection, if it's not been activated yet then it won't get the new file (they can't have 4mb & 10mb active in your area for your modem at the same time as they have the other speeds).

About the only thing I can suggest is turning the modem off for a good half an hour, and if that doesn't work checking that the modem is suitable for the 10mb speed, as some older ones weren't (from memory).

I've got a feeling that STB modems are also limited to the lower speeds.

From what I can recall of the last couple of updates we got, it took a couple of days after they were rolled out for us to receive them.

superjaggybunnet

I have used the link on the Virgin website that checks the modem and it says everything is okay equipmentwise to take the upgrade.

I will just need to keep doing the switch off procedure until it kicks in.

What a bummer - they announced in February that they were going to upgrade and it still hasn't happened yet!

stphnstevey

Nilrem wrote: »

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).

A network Card is just to add an Ethernet port to the computer? That sounds good as there is a telephone port for the modem nxt to the old computer as well (it's in a different room to where I have the newer laptop). That way I could connect via ethernet cable to the old computer and then through wireless for the laptop (which has built in wireless)?

How easy is easy - I fitted a DVD writer but that took a few days of fiddling after as I didn't get it quite right!