It's a hassle, but at least the mobile hotspot function is now available. At which point, it may be more cost effective to buy a decent router or your own mesh system. Required fields are marked *. Virgin WiFi Boosters can help tackle WiFi blackspots and are perfect for places where your existing home network won't reach. So, the big test! My maximum speed has dropped, but that's a fair sacrifice for vastly improved speeds elsewhere. I'm also not sold on the mesh concept. . The Boosters are paired correctly if the connection lights (arrows) and the WiFi light are off. To verify click here. they look like plume pods, wouldnt be surprised if someone has reflashed them to a generic firmware. In order for plume pods to work effectively, the SSID cant be split. (Turns out there's already a bookmark in there called My Account.) Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year. WiFi Pod Compatability. The aim of these Pods is to extend the reach of Wi-Fi within the home and make speeds more reliable and faster. Virgin Media has been lagging behind the competition, providing just a single router and optional wireless boosters that run over your homes power lines. Call: 0345 454 1111 Follow these instructions to set up your Plume with modem-router combo box: Download the HomePass app and sign up to start the setup. Dual 100/1000Base-T Ethernet with autosense WAN or LAN configuration. Take the smaller one first and plug it into a mains socket, next to the Hub. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. When ready to be paired, the Connection light will flash red. Use a pen tip to press the rest button for 7 seconds on all the Boosters in your home. If you can get / afford multiple pods, they should form a mesh network to create a higher throughput backhaul. How to setup or install virgin media pod in your home or office? Some general googling and the FAQ here hasn't explicitly answered my question so here we go. But those features are unavailable. Read ~6,781 times. Make sure you choose an internal wall, free from obstructions, such as: cupboards and shelves with lots of ventilation. 18 month contract. You could also connect the Pod via ethernet cable as a backhaul, and this will negate the need for the Pod to be close to the Hub. As part of the Plus service, you get a WiFi Pod for an additional 5/month. The big limitation is that both your 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi SSIDs need to have the same name and password. Virgin will remotely log in to your SuperHub and forcibly rename your 5GHz network to be the same as your 2.4GHz one. In practice, tri-band systems are much faster. They are paired with the Virgin SuperHub. Mesh networks were originally developed for enterprise settings like offices, shopping malls but have since gained popularity at home as people invest in more devices and want total coverage throughout the home. If you move the Pod too far away it will loose connection. And on 2.4GHz. Now, press the sync button on the second Booster for 3 seconds. The video guide also displays instructions that come along. For those who live in high-rise flats, this should be particularly important. The Virgin Intelligent WiFi Pod is a solid option for Virgin Media customers with Hub 3 and Hub 4 routers looking to boost Wi-Fi speeds and stability around the house. Disconnect your old Hub (note: the coaxial cable will need to be unscrewed). It can be moved between rooms at a later date. Step 5: Tap Settings > Cellular and you should see a Personal Hotspot option. Plume Setup. Thats meant once reliable speeds and coverage arent quite as robust. Youll know when the copying process is done as the wireless light on the larger Booster will stop blinking and go off. Would changing my Wifi creds to match his fool the Pod into thinking its still in his house? Amazon Eero mesh Wi-Fi review: a true rival to the Google Nest Wi-Fi? Hard reset router for at least 30 seconds when it loads back up give the pods 24 hours and see if that improves. This light will also flash quickly. If you have a big home, put a pod in every room and you'll have fast WiFi broadcast everywhere. Virgin's Intelligent WiFi Pod is here to wipe Wi-Fi blackspots from existence, Kob began his career at What Hi-Fi?, starting in the dusty stockroom before rising up the ranks to join the editorial and production team as the Buyers Guide editor. Volt M250 Fibre Broadband . Need to contact Virgin Media Customer Services? Got one of our newer WiFi Pods instead? So my questions. Virgin Media customers suffering from less than average speeds around the home can look forward to boosting it with the WiFi Pod. If you've requested an upgrade, you'll receive a new Virgin Media WiFi Hub in the post. It comes at a cost of 5/month, and in the short-term thats easy to accept; over the course of a few years it might sound a little too steep. Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. That is a solid increase, reaching levels in the furthest part of the house similar to those from a couple of metres away from the router. Simply plug it in, turn it on and let it do its #job In the next video, I will explain with what you can do to create a chain of #wifiextender in order to build a #cloud #wifi that your neighbours can benefit from too, if of course you want to help. Up to 3 WiFi Pods if needed. Upon receiving the parcel, youll only need to plug the node into the mains socket. Theres an Ethernet socket for a hardwired connection, while visual touches are restricted to a red Virgin logo on the top surface and an almost imperceptible LED light. I've been mostly satisfied with Virgin Mobile service on my iPhone 5S , especially the $30-per-month price tag for nearly unlimited everything. Whereas before my top speed was over 500Mbps on WiFi, it has now dropped to about 480Mbps. The following screen instructs you to "Go to Settings/System > System Update > Update Phone," but iOS has no such option. Tap it, then sign in using your Virgin account number and PIN. The WiFi Pods are part of Virgins rollout of its Intelligent WiFi Plus service, available to Virgin customers with Hub 3 and Hub 4 routers. Here, Virgin uses dual-band wireless technology (speeds not disclosed), rather than a tri-band design, such as with the Netgear Orbi RBK50, where one wireless channel is dedicated for communication between satellites. So your phone or laptop will seamlessly connect to one network without you having to fiddle around with anything. They do broadcast the SSID that they were set up with and you can connect to that and use it (if you have the password). The weakest area in the house is on the first floor and out towards the rear garden (the Hub is closer to the front of the house). Your WiFi password, network name and other details can be found printed on the underside of the router. Incidentally, those numbers spell out UPDATE. Its important to leave the Boosters alone during this time, so that everything works properly. It can be used to extend WiFi coverage throughout the whole home. (That . The Hub 5s casing is made from 100% recycled plastics, so not only is it our most advanced Hub yet, its nicer for the planet too. Up to 3 WiFi Pods . Step 3: There's only one option here, and it's $5/250MB Daily Mobile Hotspot. the combo of new Hub features and Wi-Fi Pods provides a step change in . The power light (dots) will stay on. When you click Finish on the final screen your wireless set-up is complete. (That may not seem like a lot of data, but consider that the average user typically consumes less than 1GB in an entire month. Plug the larger Booster into a mains socket, in the same room, and switch it on. You can now unplug the larger Booster and move it to where you need in your home. HSn0]zmZ`Y+ Rwv9 I ran each test a few times at the same time of day. Place them no more than one floor or two rooms away. Intelligent WiFi reduces WiFi traffic by automatically finding quiet channels to use. Step 3: There's only one option here, and it's $5/250MB Daily Mobile Hotspot. Thankfully, the carrier now offers that capability, as $5 buys you a day's worth of using your handset as a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to five devices. 2 0 obj The way it works is simple - the VM supplied SuperHub broadcasts 5GHz and 2.4GHz WiFi. I usually split the names so that I always know which network I'm connected to. Instead, Virgin should automatically push an update to your phone. Then switch the power on. They're useful, but come with some annoying limitations. Confusing info about that? Virgin media pod is an intelligent #wifi extender . Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. The domestic airwaves are already saturated with WiFi signals from your neighbours. Virgin Ultimate Oomph and Gig1 customers can, however, sign up at no extra cost. Connect the coaxial cable Now insert the Virgin Broadband Wireless Set-up CD into your computer's CD drive. Other software improvements rolling out to Hub 3 and Hub 4 owners include: Virgin Media has dubbed its new software and WiFi Pod bundle Intelligent WiFi Plus. They're also meant to come with ad-blocking and speed-testing. Theres some room for confusion between Virgins Intelligent WiFi and its WiFi Plus service. WiFi and Internet speeds are fickle beasts. ), Preview: Virgin Media's Intelligent WiFi Plus Pods. Tap to select that option, and then tap Update. Additionally, there's no plug pass-through, so this will take up a socket in your home. M250 Fibre Broadband. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). The pods virgin uses seem to be rebranded plume pods: https://www.plume.com/homepass/shop They're known as wifi mesh systems - most of this sub seems to swear by the tp link deco m5: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071241G3R/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_6HDVMMHTW57F2PNBATAQ badservice21 2 yr. ago Press and hold the WPS button on the larger Booster for about 10 seconds and release it. A WiFi router enables you to connect wirelessly to the internet from anywhere in your home on any internet-enabled device. Is this booster on some kind of subscription? Available with M50 broadband or faster. If I'm next door to the Hub, and on 5GHz WiFi, I get these speeds: New pod arrived and looks exactly the same as . We expect you to get full satisfaction from our Mobile Deals and Broadband, TV, Landline Packages, and that is why weve worked hard to put together a learning and help space where all of your problems can be resolved quickly and efficiently - today. So whether it's technical issues, hub problems or you need support, we'll help you with our complete set of general help guides and answers - like our billing and payments help guides. He gave it to me and said I just plug it in and it works. The sounds of stroking and scratching the cardboard. Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories? Powerline networking is great - but I get that it struggles to reach the speeds offered by cable modems. That means you will need to manually reconnect things which used the old name. The Hub 4 is packed with Gig1 Fibre broadband giving you the speed you need to stream, zoom or game to your hearts delight. If youve requested an upgrade, youll receive a new Virgin Media WiFi Hub in the post. (See below if you run into trouble.). Then follow the steps to set them up again in our installation guide. Further exclusions & legal stuff apply. But the basic tech works. Basically none. Virgin Fibre Areas only. TV 360, home phone, Volt benefits and WiFi Guarantee not currently available in 2022/23 network expansion areas. Here are the most common and what to look out for: Use power sockets on internal walls, but dont use extension cables. If you find its blinking consistently and for longer than usual as happened to me on one occasion Id suggest rebooting the main Hub to get them back in sync. It is an improvement, but this isnt the fastest wireless mesh system. Founded in 2004, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased Virgin is also using the older Wi-Fi 5 technology, rather than Wi-Fi 6, as used on the far more expensive Orbi RBK852. 12.00 a month *. Port 53 is open on the device - but doesn't seem to respond to anything. Theres also the Virgin Connect app (iOS/Android) to check on the health of the home Wi-Fi as well as search for any blackspots. Otherwise set-up is a case of plugging the Pod in and waiting itll automatically see your router settings and network conditions, joining and extending your wireless network wirelessly, creating a mesh network. We follow the IPSO Editors code of practice to underpin these standards. Good luck. But, yeah, if you need WiFi in your attic or shed, they'll do. Pretty good! Video guide prepared by Luqman Khanhttps://www.luqman.euHere is with how to self install virgin media pod. Update or delete your post and re-enter your post's URL again. You can unsubscribe at any time. So, for example, if you fire it up at 9 a.m. on Monday, you've actually got until midnight on Tuesday -- effectively giving you two days for the price of one. Tap it, then toggle it to on. From setting up new or existing Boosters, to fixing any troubleshooting issues, here is your step-by-step guide. If youre using an extension youll want one with at least three sockets. Well update this article when we hear about exactly how WiFi Pods compare with the existing Pods available from Plume in the United States. Unlike traditional boosters, these new systems allow you to move around the house on a FaceTime call without dropping signal. It will be available now to all Ultimate Oomph and Gig1 customers at no extra cost. With the WiFi Pod plugged in, speeds jump to an average of 69Mbps upload and 75Mbps download. I pay for 500Mbps and I get it. And the more speed your Hub gets, the more your WiFi can do. For those who live in . The 5GHz barely connects and the 2.4GHz is a bit wobbly. Depends what you mean by "work". How to set up a Virgin Media Hub . Plan ahead. Enjoy great WiFi coverage thanks to four built-in antennas that extend and maximise your WiFi coverage around your home. Obviously, if your walls block WiFi, there's a limit to what the pods can do. Nice! Both of these boosts, designed to improve speeds to all devices in your home, will be available free to some customers while others will need to cough-up 60 a year for the privilege. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Two additional WiFi Pods can be added for those with bigger homes. First up, the new WiFi Pods will bring a so-called mesh network to your home. Provide ventilation as the Boosters can get very warm while in use. Can't find the setting on your iPhone? Unlike traditional boosters, which create a separate Wi-Fi network that youll need to join to benefit from the boosted signal, mesh networks seamlessly move your device between the nodes throughout your home. It then rebroadcasts them - using the same name and password. A couple of devices kept losing connectivity completely. They work! It also means it cant speed up the performance of Sky Q boxes/mini boxes as they have their own Wi-Fi connection they converse in, although you can follow our guide to fixing Sky Q connectivity issues if you do want to run the system over this mesh network. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. BeakerUK 1 yr. ago Thanks, seems to have done something.. the pod had a double flash and has now stopped. Update: Want to get a little more bang for your buck? endstream endobj 4 0 obj That makes no sense to me as previously I'd have to set up routers to act as wifi boosters. I havent encountered any issues, but then my speakers arent in close proximity to the Pod either. The pulsing blue light indicates that it's ready to be set up in the Google Home app . If they sourced a decent hub with external antenna - rather than the crappy Arris product they use - their customers would have better WiFi without the need to pay for more gadgets. Easy to set up, coverage has been better, wireless range extended and there have been fewer connection drops. But there's one feature I've missed: mobile hotspot. , Your email address will not be published. From there, youll be good to go! Press and hold the WPS/Virgin Media button on the Hub until the lights start blinking. Trusted Reviews is supported by its audience. I had my old hub 3 plus booster pod and 1 v6 box replaced last weekend, after new hub was installed it took 3 days to appear in connect app, my pod would not connect and after a phonecall we were told we needed a new pod due to compatability issues with the old pod and new hub. The Connection light will start to flash very quickly. The Boosters will then start copying the Hub's details. Virgin Media have provided me with a test unit of their new Intelligent WiFi pods to review. To try again: Founded in 2004, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy. Then scroll down to Manage Mobile Hotspot and tap it. Some reading suggests that these pods come pre-configured from Virgin (they configure it to your own SSID's before it's posted out.) then google it, you'll probably find that it is the same thing. This pod plugs into a power socket and listens for WiFi signals from the hub. Cheers for your help and apologies if I've got this completely wrong.