Virgin Media UK to Deploy R37 SuperHub Update to Fix Corrupt Downloads

Cable ISP Virgin Media UK has begun preparing the final R37 Firmware update for their traumatised SuperHub (NetGear) wireless router / modem kit, which claims to fix the notorious corrupt downloads bug on their superfast broadband service. Not to mention a few problems with wifi and unexpected rebooting.

The SuperHub, which is now roughly two years old, seems to have experienced no end of problems since its introduction. Slow speeds, unstable wifi connectivity, random rebooting and most recently the corrupted downloads bug (seemingly introduced with the R36 firmware in July 2012) have all plagued the device at one time or another.

Thankfully Virgin Media, which said last month that it had been “working at the highest priority to develop new firmware to help address the issues reported by some of our customers“, now claims to have received “positive feedback” about NetGear’s latest R36T13 test update, which alongside a few extra fixes looks set to become the official “R37 production build firmware“.

The R37 Update Includes 4 Key Changes from R36T13

• Fix for corrupt downloads issue (R36T2 turned off NAT Acceleration, with this fix NAT Acceleration is switched on).
• Fix to resolve interoperability issues with some VOIP SIP phones.
• Fix for short disconnections and wireless connectivity issues for some mobile devices which require a Super Hub reboot to resolve.
• Improvements related to issues that cause the Super Hub to reboot.

The ISP and NetGear are now said to be “undertaking full scale testing of the new R37 build“, which will take several weeks before the official roll-out can begin. But anybody who registered to help Virgin trial R37 will start to receive the new firmware on Friday 26th October 2012. The trial scheme itself will remain open to new applicants until the same date (signup here).

Afflicted customers will no doubt be looking forward to a future where they don’t have to switch the SuperHub into modem-only mode and use a different router in order to get a reliable service.