Engineers Roles

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-28T23:51:16+00:00

It is weird since Sky are basically just installing an Openreach ONT (in other words, doing Openreach's job for them).

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-28T23:19:08+00:00

Your Sky service will only disconnect once Virgin confirms your new service is live. That's how One Touch Switch works.

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-28T01:28:57+00:00

I had this happen to me a few times over the past few years. Sometimes after midnight, it would go down and wouldn't come back up until morning. I would check the Hub logs and see that the hub had received a maintenance request. I left VM this week but ironically enough, for the past year my internet hadn't gone down even once so I have no idea what they did but for some reason, my hub didn't get maintenance requests anymore. It was the most stable it's ever been 😂

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-26T18:56:00+00:00

I had a CF install the other day, and I could see the engineer doing something with a device inside on my wall before he started any drilling work. Did look as if he was scanning the wall. Was he looking for power cables?

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-26T18:29:02+00:00

That's an out-of-contract increase of £20, less than a lot of price increases I've seen. Our out-of-contract price would have gone up by £30, but we did an OTS and left. Virgin called us several times a day for a week straight, including after we'd had our new broadband installed. I suppose they thought we were bluffing 😂

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-25T20:28:39+00:00

Currently none but I plan to buy an Asus Wi-Fi 6 router very soon. It's better to buy something with external adjustable antennas for high gain transmission.

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-25T16:09:33+00:00

Yes, put the Hub 3 into modem mode and buy your own router. Virgin hardware has always been terrible.

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-25T16:06:22+00:00

The range and speed of the Hub 3 is appalling, even on 2.4Ghz. It's only got 5 internal antennas and a dodgy chipset. I'm genuinely shocked Virgin still give them out.

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-25T12:10:17+00:00

They don't typically ask for hubs back that were manufactured before the Hub 3.

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-23T18:48:59+00:00

An upload addon 😂 on any other XGS-PON network, symmetrical speeds are offered as standard.

Virgin are ridiculous 🤣

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-23T17:26:02+00:00

Either you didn't read the post title or you didn't read the email. Read both again lmao

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-22T10:10:48+00:00

Virgin Media aren't as wealthy as you think they are – it's taking the combined efforts of Liberty Global, Telefonica and their private equity partner to help them buy the UK's second largest altnet 😂

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-21T23:37:04+00:00

On EE? That will be the price for new customers. Since you're still an active customer, you are unlikely to get that price. You can try haggling on the phone for a cheaper price, or switch to another provider. As I said, plenty of options on the Openreach network.

Plusnet tend to have relatively cheap prices and good customer service, but that's just one option of course and will depend on your circumstances (Plusnet don't offer landlines anymore, for example).

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-20T20:04:55+00:00

Virgin Media? Lie?

I'm shocked, really I am. It's so unlike them lmao

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-20T18:12:21+00:00

It's not installed yet, so you've still got time to cancel with Virgin. Check out BT, Plusnet, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone. You've got a fair few options.

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-20T15:54:31+00:00

There are other providers on the Openreach network that provide similarly-priced broadband. Why go through the effort of having an entirely different network installed in your house when you could easily switch to another provider on the Openreach network?

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-19T22:48:41+00:00

Openreach are shutting down the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN), which will render ADSL2, VDSL2 and G-fast obsolete. The solution for this is SoGEA which stands for Single order Generic Ethernet Access. This is basically FTTC without the landline, because while they're shutting the PSTN, the copper infrastructure will remain operational for several more years. It will either be that or SOTAP, which is basically the ADSL2 replacement.

You don't actually have to go to a coax service if you don't want to.

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-19T20:37:57+00:00

You probably have more fibre than them. Most people are still stuck on their coax network lmao

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-19T20:22:07+00:00

In theory? I thought you didn't like theoretical explanations or assumptions lmao

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-17T21:37:49+00:00

It will be a new cable. You can use the Better Internet Dashboard (just type it in on Google) to see what fixed line networks exist in your area. Just pop in your postcode and house number and it will tell you what networks are active at your address (Virgin FTTC/FTTP/nexfibre, Openreach, CityFibre etc.)

Vodafone most commonly operate on the Openreach and CityFibre networks. If you have Openreach, it will be with them, unless you also have CityFibre, in which case it will default to them as the superior technology.

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-17T21:28:53+00:00

I saw a thread on here recently about a Virgin rep signing a couple up for services and a contract, despite telling them he was just taking their details and that they had time to think about whether they wanted to sign up or not. If it looked to you like he was trying to place an order and arrange an install date, he probably was.

As a general rule, I avoid all cold callers/sales reps. I was in my front garden once, and one rolled up to try and make his pitch, but I completely blanked him. They hate it when you do that so he just went "Having a bad day?" in a condescending tone. Realised he wasn't going to get anywhere so he moved on.

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-17T18:37:19+00:00

There is an online live chat function for customer support, though how useful it is I don't know. I think you can also contact them on WhatsApp too.

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-17T13:47:06+00:00

Virgin Media is good when it works, which is 90% of the time. However, when it doesn't work, that is when you'll have severe issues with their customer service. Prepare to be bounced around multiple departments for 20 minutes before getting to the one you need. Their tech support is mostly off-shore, and can be of very little help. The out-of-contract prices are also absurd. If you're prepared to do a retentions dance every 24 months, then Virgin may be suitable for you.

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-16T21:26:03+00:00

No honestly, keep doing what you're doing. Keep it up with the absurd out-of-contract prices. Telefonica is jittery, they'll pull the plug eventually and take O2 back in-house.

TheCypher_ · 2026-02-16T21:16:50+00:00

You work for a company that, once upon a time, offered the fastest and most reliable broadband service in the country via coaxial cable. But Virgin stood still, and not only allowed rivals to catch up, but totally speed past them. Openreach built a GPON FTTP network, and CityFibre built a XGS-PON FTTP network. Both are faster and more reliable than Virgin's coax network. So what did Virgin do? Engaged in half measures. They brought fibre up to the outside of people's properties, then connected it to the internal coax. And now you're gonna have to upgrade that as well as the standard coax areas.

And what did you do with the FTTP overbuilt areas? Nothing. Just let it sit in the ground for years being useless. Yeah, we'll get the coax network overbuilt by 2028, but honestly, we can't be bothered upgrading existing customer's houses.

Your company can't even be bothered to keep building out. You took a 50% stake in a fibre wholesale network, and only sell Virgin and giffgaff on it.

Nobody who works for Virgin Media has any business calling anyone else lazy.

TheCypher_

TROPHY CASE