BT or Virgin ?

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GHD
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Re: BT or Virgin ?

Post by GHD »

Hmm, I have had no problems with their router. It connects perfectly my W7 and XP machines and to the net from both.

Edit. My TV also links to the WiFi output.
Last edited by GHD on 06 Jan 2019, 00:34, edited 2 times in total.
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Charlie Bravo
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Re: BT or Virgin ?

Post by Charlie Bravo »

With Virgin, you can use your own router but it has to be linked to the Virgin Superhub which has to be set to modem only mode.

With BT Infinity, or any other phone line based fibre, you can use your own modem and router.
You'd either get a router with a modem built in or if you wanted to use one of the latest mesh systems, you'd get your hands on a 2nd hand modem for around £15 on eBay and then plug the mesh system into that.

Mesh is the way to go if you have signal issues in the property or simply want better coverage throughout.
I've recently dropped my £120 TP-Link router for a Google WiFi unit which has proved to be quite a bit better. I haven't found the need to have a 2nd Google WiFi unit to create a mesh network, but the option is there should I need it.
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Paul K
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Re: BT or Virgin ?

Post by Paul K »

Thanks gents - this is opening up things I've never had to deal with, but may have to when I move. Mesh? That's a new one on me, so I'm looking it up. :)

ChrisHunt
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Re: BT or Virgin ?

Post by ChrisHunt »

it`s to keep your washing in Paul. I`m with BT and for about 9 months have near daily drop outs. I've gone back to my own router and the original BT DSL modem to prove to OpenWretch that it's not a hub issue. I've had so many engineers visit, usually to repeat the same old tests, that I'm getting to know some of them quite well. I said months ago that the likely problem was a bad joint and it seems that BT's own software backs that up but will OpenWretch do the right thing and get in the pits and check them out - not so far.

When the line is good it's very very good and when it's bad it's horrid - now where have you hear that before? :lol:

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Charlie Bravo
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Re: BT or Virgin ?

Post by Charlie Bravo »

Have you tried emailing the CEO of Openreach, Clive Selley?

[email protected]

I've messaged him before and he was very helpful.
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Re: BT or Virgin ?

Post by Buggyman »

We were informed that our line was Fibre ready and got a good offer price-wise to change. They (BT/Open Reach) guaranteed a minimum of 70mbs. Come the day the Open Reach guy came, connected everything up and...……………. it died. After 2 hours and a couple of trips to the exchange 2 miles away he thought it was sorted and then the phone rang and it dropped out again. He left us with a non working phone line and no internet connection saying that he was no authorised to go underground to check whatever. Over the next week we had a number of BT engineers attempt to solve our problem In the end we clocked up around 20 hours of engineer time and ended up back to steam power.

Throughout, the BT guys had nothing nice to say about Open Reach and there seemed little if any signs of them working together. So, after 2 routers and lots of wasted time we went back to our original plan and have been until this week. The new router arrives today and we go 'live' on Friday which means either a weekend of exploring high(er) speed broadband or no services at all.

The suspense, be still my beating heart...………

ATB


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Paul K
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Re: BT or Virgin ?

Post by Paul K »

ChrisHunt wrote:
08 Jan 2019, 21:47
it`s to keep your washing in Paul.
:lol: :lol: Seems a bit pricey for £50 a month. I could just use an old carrier bag.

Chris, Allan, sorry to read of your woes with BT. I've been with them since day one on the internet, and have found them pretty good over the years. I went through 7 days of no connection at all, which a new hub sorted out, and then a period of intermittent dropped connections which BT couldn't fathom out ( we dunno, says them ) but eventually rectified itself ( see ? we mended it ). Other than that, no problems.

You chaps certainly seem to have had your share of bad luck with them, however. My elder daughter is with Virgin in south London, and she's very happy, so I think I will look closer at their reviews.

Chris, do you intend to stick it out with BT or change ISPs ?

Allan, please let us know how it goes on Friday when you hopefully go live.

Buggyman
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Re: BT or Virgin ?

Post by Buggyman »

Will do.

I'm optimistic this time as BT have installed a magic green junction box in the village and 4 of our 7 neighbours have taken up BT Fibre with little or no problem.

Fingers crossed then.


Allan

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Re: BT or Virgin ?

Post by simondix »

I am with Sky but the lines round here are BT. I used to be with Virgin but I found their Customer Service to be bad to the point of rudeness so I changed provider. I have had no serious problems although it can be a bit slow during peak times downloading.
Virgin are faster but after my experience with them, despite they keep offering inducements to tempt me back, they can sod off.
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ChrisHunt
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Re: BT or Virgin ?

Post by ChrisHunt »

Going underground. I've heard many an engineer tell me they're not "underground qualified" but underground in this case is accessing a couple of cable pits no more than a metre deep. I suspect that the engineers have to confined space trained before they are allowed to access these pits. All a cable pit typically holds is a bunch of cables with lots of joints and it's one or a pair of these joints that's been (and still is) causing our problems.

I'm going to be sticking with BT Paul, at least until the problem is solved then we'll see. Any other supplier would have to use the same set of wires so best to get things fixed whilst I have a case handler on the job.

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