Guide - Getting the most out of your high speed Virgin Media (UPC) 240mb/s service

ED E

Karsini wrote: »

Set it to N only if all of your devices are N capable. You'll only need mixed mode if you have b/g devices.

Using 40MHz carriers will actually degrade performance in congested space. So I'd suggest using 20MHz on 2.4.

+1000 there, 40Mhz sounds great on paper, but in the real world it only works if you live in the middle of nowhere.

mass_debater

Gr1f wrote: »

Question is, is there any benefit to fixing the 2.4 to wireless n only? and/or 20/40mhz?

Yes, if you have no devices that need g. Basically it's setting the wireless to faster speeds only

Gr1f

great, what about MHz? 40?

Gr1f

some interesting info on it here...
http://www.extremetech.com/computing/179344-how-to-boost-your-wifi-speed-by-choosing-the-right-channel

mass_debater

Gr1f wrote: »

great, what about MHz? 40?

Only if all your devices support 40MHz and you have clear channels with no interference. Personally I'd leave this on auto in a built up area

Fuzzy_Dunlop

Hopefully someone can help me with this. Would appreciate it.

I have virgin media 240MB/s (I get this speed when plugged directly in). However with the modem provided the wifi performance is very inconsistent. constantly dropping and only speeds around 20MB/s.


I have a Billion 7800N router (which I got for free) and followed the steps in the original post, but have seen little or no improvement. Is this the wrong type of router for virgin media? Are there extra steps I need to take?

ED E

That billion is still only wireless N without 5Ghz. It may be better than the Thompson/Ubee/whatever by a little bit, but not much.

Most of the benefit in built up areas is from using 5Ghz and to get really high speeds AC is required.

PressTheButton

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=99448222&postcount=5

space2ground1

I have VM broadband and my trouble is getting the range around the house. I have a VM Cisco wireless modem and although its relatively reliable in the same room, upstairs is a disaster. I bought the TP Link extenders that are supposed to use the electrical cabling in the house but its not working very well still. I have full signal upstairs on the TPLink but its mirroring a weak signal and apps/pages load slowly or not at all. I have them on different channels and IDs.

Is the TPLink router compatible with the Cisco router supplied?
I was considering getting an Apple Airport as all the devices I have are apple and I'm a fan of the ease of use and quality. Would it work?

Thanks a lot!

ED E

Homeplugs are compatible alright.

It could be a weak powerline connection between the devices, test yours with a laptop via ethernet first.

space2ground1

ED E wrote: »

Homeplugs are compatible alright.

It could be a weak powerline connection between the devices, test yours with a laptop via ethernet first.

Laptop to the furthest dlink extender?

ED E

Yep

beauf

Try different sockets different rooms. Also try disconnecting other electrical devices. Powerline adapters work best on same electrical loop, and if there's nothing electrically noisy on the same line.

I use the TP Link and work fine with my TC7200. Can't get the wifi sorted though. Still getting poor Wifi even with a newer better wifi router. Might need to upgrade my wifi cards though.

Dandelion6

mass_debater wrote: »

Yep, that's a decent one

Seems to be out of stock everywhere. How is this one?

http://www.did.ie/tp-link-wireless-dual-band-usb-adapter-t2u-prd

Gr1f

Hi Folks,
After a few weeks of trouble free wireless connectivity an issue has raised it's ugly head and I can't work out what the fix is.

Every 5-10 minutes or so the connection drops between the TP-link and the UPC. It stays dropped for about 1-2 minutes then comes back again.

To isolate i've tested an ethernet connection to the UPC box and it's been stable.

Logs on the UPC box seem quite limited but I did see this:
2016-05-29 21:15:13: [Warn] Map Reject - Not Authorized for Requested Downstream Traffic ...

2016-05-27 18:07:15: [Info] TLV-11 - unrecognized OID;CM-MAC=8c:04:ff:a5:51:f9;CMTS-MAC=0...
--- -- --:--:--: [Warn] DHCP WARNING - Non-critical field invalid in response ;CM-MAC...
--- -- --:--:--: [Info] Honoring MDD; IP provisioning mode = IPv4

not sure if its related tho as i'm not seeing entries with the same frequency as the drops.

seems like the UPC box is dropping the TP-links for some reason. Or maybe VM don't want users to extend their POS routers?

Anyway, any help greatly appreciated as it's driving us all insane :-)

ED E

[Assuming by "TPLinks" you mean a pair of homeplugs]


Connect a laptop with an ethernet cable to the remote homeplug(one away from Virgins box).

Then run:

ping 192.168.1.1 -t

from the command prompt and leave it run. If you see the connection drop periodically there then the issue is with your homeplugs.

The way to diagnose this is to unplug every other electrical device in your house, then plug them back in one by one. Enjoy.

Gr1f

ED E wrote: »

[Assuming by "TPLinks" you mean a pair of homeplugs]


Connect a laptop with an ethernet cable to the remote homeplug(one away from Virgins box).

Then run:

ping 192.168.1.1 -t

from the command prompt and leave it run. If you see the connection drop periodically there then the issue is with your homeplugs.

The way to diagnose this is to unplug every other electrical device in your house, then plug them back in one by one. Enjoy.

Nope It's a TPLink Archer C9 (referenced in the thread easier :-)

n97 mini

Odd issue here, wondering did anyone else experience similar before I call VM.

I was on a 60/6 package till yesterday when I upgraded to 240/24. Modem is the (POS) Technicolor.

Wired connection on Speedtest used to show 60/6 or very close to it. Now it shows 45/24. It has never gone above 50 on the download.

Anyone else had this happen?

beauf

I think at this point I would probably pay to get the top end 360 just to get the new router, then drop back to a lower speed after the minimum term. (How long is that?).

Xpro

Hi, Im thinking aswell of buying a C9 or D9 Archer, is there a definite guide on installing one in conjunction with UPC router. Thanks

ED E

Xpro wrote: »

Hi, Im thinking aswell of buying a C9 or D9 Archer, is there a definite guide on installing one in conjunction with UPC router. Thanks

Only buy a D9 if you're considering moving out to the sticks. C9 has everything needed for Virgin. There's all the info you need in the original post and the bridging threads for each modem.

AH92

Hey,
I am in a dilemma folks and need your advice,
I upgraded to the virgin 360mb deal and got the new Virgin Hub router.
Testing out my wireless speed in the attic gave me 190mb on speedtest on a netgear ac1200 wirelesss usb hooked to my desktop. After a few weeks of owning the usb I noticed the speed suddenly dipped down and is now very erratic at around 40-50 mb on speedtest.
I am pretty sure the wirlesss usb is just failing so I am now not sure whether to get the TP link 1900mbps network card as it is a high end card to suit my 360mb bundle to attach on to my pc or just get a Solwise 1200mbps powerline from their site which also has highly rated from reviews.
Thanks

ItHurtsWhenIP

AH92 wrote: »

Hey,
I am in a dilemma folks and need your advice,
I upgraded to the virgin 360mb deal and got the new Virgin Hub router.
Testing out my wireless speed in the attic gave me 190mb on speedtest on a netgear ac1200 wirelesss usb hooked to my desktop. After a few weeks of owning the usb I noticed the speed suddenly dipped down and is now very erratic at around 40-50 mb on speedtest.
I am pretty sure the wirlesss usb is just failing so I am now not sure whether to get the TP link 1900mbps network card as it is a high end card to suit my 360mb bundle to attach on to my pc or just get a Solwise 1200mbps powerline from their site which also has highly rated from reviews.
Thanks

Download inSSIDer (free trial) and check to see if your wireless LAN is being interfered with by a neighbour's WLAN on the same channel. If you are both using the same channel, the interference will kill your speeds.

Set the wireless channel to either 1, 6 or 11 (whichever one is shown as clear from inSSIDer).

Or you could use the 5GHz frequency (if the gear is capable of it), although this has shorter range, it's less prone to interference.

AH92

MMFITWGDV wrote: »

Download inSSIDer (free trial) and check to see if your wireless LAN is being interfered with by a neighbour's WLAN on the same channel. If you are both using the same channel, the interference will kill your speeds.

Set the wireless channel to either 1, 6 or 11 (whichever one is shown as clear from inSSIDer).

Or you could use the 5GHz frequency (if the gear is capable of it), although this has shorter range, it's less prone to interference.

I started off using the 5ghz connection when I was originally testing the speeds.
Tried testing with a network a few days ago but it was all clear as well saying no interference but connection still crap,
Thanks

Xpro

AH92 wrote: »

Hey,
I am in a dilemma folks and need your advice,
I upgraded to the virgin 360mb deal and got the new Virgin Hub router.
Testing out my wireless speed in the attic gave me 190mb on speedtest on a netgear ac1200 wirelesss usb hooked to my desktop. After a few weeks of owning the usb I noticed the speed suddenly dipped down and is now very erratic at around 40-50 mb on speedtest.
I am pretty sure the wirlesss usb is just failing so I am now not sure whether to get the TP link 1900mbps network card as it is a high end card to suit my 360mb bundle to attach on to my pc or just get a Solwise 1200mbps powerline from their site which also has highly rated from reviews.
Thanks

I wanted to upgrade my router as you can see above in my older post to extend the wifi range and get the max out of my UPC speeds, so I ended up buying a new Tp-Link AC1200 powerline adaptor with Wifi. ( TP-LINK WPA8630P)

I figured out it would probably work better then AC router having a gigabit ports and AC wifi, plus you can place it anywhere in the house.
I'm now getting full 240mb pretty much anywhere in the house via wifi adapter, these things are awesome. PC world in Blanchardstown is the only place in Ireland that stocks them btw.. Check it out

AH92

Xpro wrote: »

I wanted to upgrade my router as you can see above in my older post to extend the wifi range and get the max out of my UPC speeds, so I ended up buying a new Tp-Link AC1200 powerline adaptor with Wifi. ( TP-LINK WPA8630P)

I figured out it would probably work better then AC router having a gigabit ports and AC wifi, plus you can place it anywhere in the house.
I'm now getting full 240mb pretty much anywhere in the house via wifi adapter, these things are awesome. PC world in Blanchardstown is the only place in Ireland that stocks them btw.. Check it out

You getting that speed using your powerline itself by any chance as well without the wifi?

ED E

AH92 wrote: »

You getting that speed using your powerline itself by any chance as well without the wifi?

He has to be(unless he had a really old 100mb device that had been upgraded to AC).

If you can afford it and you want to invest...
unifi ac

shamelessidiot

How do I set a static IP through TP-LINKs console? I can only see the option for DHCP Address Reservation, which isn't strictly identical to a static IP?

ED E

shamelessidiot wrote: »

How do I set a static IP through TP-LINKs console? I can only see the option for DHCP Address Reservation, which isn't strictly identical to a static IP?

DHCP reservation is the equivalent to a static on the DHCP server. A static is set on the device itself.

branners69

Where are people buying their Archer C8 from?

Amazon wont deliver to Ireland, do I have to go down the Parcel Motel route?

Thanks

moonboy52

branners69 wrote: »

Where are people buying their Archer C8 from?

Amazon wont deliver to Ireland, do I have to go down the Parcel Motel route?

Thanks

Your link is to a 3rd party seller fulfilled by Amazon.

To get it shipped direct here, look under sellers for Amazon and there shouldn't be a problem

branners69

moonboy52 wrote: »

Your link is to a 3rd party seller fulfilled by Amazon.

To get it shipped direct here, look under sellers for Amazon and there shouldn't be a problem

I couldnt find any! I just bought the C9 instead! Thanks

moonboy52

branners69 wrote: »

I couldnt find any! I just bought the C9 instead! Thanks

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00OZG8ZDO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

For future reference look under the "new" section below the price

branners69

moonboy52 wrote: »

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00OZG8ZDO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

For future reference look under the "new" section below the price

Fairplay, I'll keep that in mind next time. Thanks.

mass_debater

Guys I'm a big fan of Mikrotik, have been recommending their gear on here for years. I have 2 of these coming from Amazon next week and will let ye know how I get on with them.
http://routerboard.com/RBwAPG-5HacT2HnD
RouterBoard wAP AC Black https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01HY2HWRA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_8t7GxbX3NHPGS

I plan on using Mikrotik Capsman to control them and give true seamless roaming (not letting the end devices do it which is hit and miss). I'm planning on trying to get them setup in much the same way as Ubiquiti zero handoff (just be a little harder to configure), where the access points all use a single channel and all appear as one Mac address to the end device, the controller controls the roaming. This way I can add multiple low power APs, one in each room if needed giving full signal everywhere.

http://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Manual:CAPsMAN

Joo0

Any chance of this appearing on prime day?

mass_debater

mass_debater wrote: »

Guys I'm a big fan of Mikrotik, have been recommending their gear on here for years. I have 2 of these coming from Amazon next week and will let ye know how I get on with them.
http://routerboard.com/RBwAPG-5HacT2HnD
RouterBoard wAP AC Black https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01HY2HWRA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_8t7GxbX3NHPGS

I plan on using Mikrotik Capsman to control them and give true seamless roaming (not letting the end devices do it which is hit and miss). I'm planning on trying to get them setup in much the same way as Ubiquiti zero handoff (just be a little harder to configure), where the access points all use a single channel and all appear as one Mac address to the end device, the controller controls the roaming. This way I can add multiple low power APs, one in each room if needed giving full signal everywhere.

http://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Manual:CAPsMAN

Ok, I got these and posted my review here
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=100418444&postcount=321

st0nk

Hi,

- I used to have only 120MB internet, now upgrade to 240 mb + TV
- I installed the horizon box alone, I connect to wifi network but i don’t get internet access
- If I connect up my old router (possibly will get one soon from virgin media) and the horizon box together I get internet in my old router
- I live in a small flat and do not connect more than 4 devices.

- The old router UPC gave me a download speed of 30mb. I bought a router TP-LINK WIFI and improved download speed to 70MB using 2ghz (i can’t use 5ghz because my devices do not support it)

My questions are:

- Is it possible to use only one box (horizon) to use internet and tv?
- How would this affect the internet/tv connection speed/stability


Thank you

ED E

Don't do it, the Samsung box used for Horizon is a dire router.

st0nk

ED E wrote: »

Don't do it, the Samsung box used for Horizon is a dire router.

Sorry could you explain yourself? thanks

ItHurtsWhenIP

st0nk wrote: »

Sorry could you explain yourself? thanks

The Horizon box is a complete pile of shyte with wi-fi that could be surpassed by morse code.

If you want good wi-fi, most people either connect their own wireless access point or put the VM router in bridge mode and use their own good wi-fi router. Search back through this thread for further discussion on how to do this.

ED E

Thoroughly unimpressed with the C8. Tempted to send it back from whence it came.

ItHurtsWhenIP

ED E wrote: »

Thoroughly unimpressed with the C8. Tempted to send it back from whence it came.

Really? Why so?

ED E

Very mixed performance. It would appear the WNDR3800 (oooold) performs better (though they are in slightly different settings).

I want to test with other clients to be sure though.

illingworth22

I upgraded to the 360 service when it first came out so I could bridge to my own router. Anyway all was well for several months and then the mobile app on my TP Link / C9 stopped working. I was forced into updating the firmware on my router.
Since upgrading my whole network had to be reconfigured. My C9 went from 192.168.1.xxx to 192.168.0.xxx and the Virgin router I.P. has also change from 192.168.0.1 to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
So after resetting all my static I.P. addresses I now find the speed tests, WiFi ookla, have dropped from an constantish 290 download and 37 upload to a dismal 74 down and 37 up.
Any ideas why the speeds may have dropped? I know I am not doing an accurate speed test via Ethernet, but I used to check my speed regularly and 290 to 70 is a big drop.

Nobbo1980

Hi,
Wondering if anyone can help? I am not very technical but sense something is wrong with my broadband. Essentially I have Virgin 240mb broadband. My download times aren't great and I get a bit of buffering on streaming services. So I decided to do a speed test. Now I know they may not be accurate and I did it wirelessy but it came in at 21.0 mb. Bit of difference. Anyone have any ideas why? Is this normal?

beauf

What's the spec of the network card your connecting to the router. Have you turned off WiFi.

That speed sounds like a bad WiFi signal. Not a bad wired one.

moonboy52

Nobbo1980 wrote: »

Hi,
Wondering if anyone can help? I am not very technical but sense something is wrong with my broadband. Essentially I have Virgin 240mb broadband. My download times aren't great and I get a bit of buffering on streaming services. So I decided to do a speed test. Now I know they may not be accurate and I did it wirelessy but it came in at 21.0 mb. Bit of difference. Anyone have any ideas why? Is this normal?

Are you sure Nobbo you are not confusing your bits with your Bytes:

240Mb is about 30MB/s, so maybe that is where you are getting your 21MB/s?



The buffering is a known issue (at least on the users end), plenty of people complaining about YouTube buffering in the Talk to Virgin sub-forum

T-b0n3

I stumbled upon this guide a few weeks ago and it helped me a lot, so thank you bk great post

I recently upgraded to the 360mb package and got the new Hub which was a big improvement with the WiFi speed and signal strength around the house.

But following the guide, I'm embarrassed to say that I've had an older CAT5 wire connected from my router to my main PC for ages, complete bottleneck! Easy fix thankfully, but sick that I didn't didn't even notice for so long.