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Virgin XGS pon performance

I think they actually built more node cabinets in Lawley to improve capacity and it took forever!

Seems a stable bit of kit the SH5, mine has been in modem mode since Day1 but the pings and jitter are stable.

It did go through a stage of rebooting every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night at 2-2:30am. That seems to have stopped now though.

The VM guy that came out said he tries at all costs to not give the 4’s out now if he can.

Unless you’re on XGS or Gig1 they won’t give you a 5/5X unless you really stamp your feet.
Ah right, that makes sense, I guess they didn't take into account all the build activity in the Lawley area at the time.

I used to have Microsoft Teams freezing all the time when I was on the SH3 and if i was streaming radio on my Alexa, the stream would pause at the same time... I then through a whatsapp chat to retentions I said about the problem and they agreed to send me a SH5.

But yeah, I have heard that you have to ether get the right person, or do a song and dance to get a SH5... I just got the right person in my instance.
 
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I have a post over here, https://community.virginmedia.com/t...uts-and-youtube-buffering/m-p/5545013#M312414

I'm obviously not getting anywhere, :/ you had much luck at all?
Thanks have added to the post, no luck at all - I tried them via whatsapp yesterday and got the generic lines. It's Samknows running hourly on the router but I have no idea how to disable or block it since it's on the router itself. If VM can't fix it or disable the tests I may have to request they drop my speed back down as it's only been so dramatic with hourly latency/dropouts since going 2G/2G.

I've even emailed samknows to see if they can contact VM themselves.
 
Thanks have added to the post, no luck at all - I tried them via whatsapp yesterday and got the generic lines. It's Samknows running hourly on the router but I have no idea how to disable or block it since it's on the router itself. If VM can't fix it or disable the tests I may have to request they drop my speed back down as it's only been so dramatic with hourly latency/dropouts since going 2G/2G.

I've even emailed samknows to see if they can contact VM themselves.
Are you on the latest software too? [Software version: 3.7.4-2306.5] (you might have said before, sorry -.-)
As I believe thats when the issue started for me. I had 2000/2000 on the old software and didn't notice issues, but realspeed only showed around 1400 upload (speedtest.net showed 2000/2000), the update which fixed a few things but also allowed the realspeed to show the full speed seems to be the thing causing issues imo >.<
 
I have had VM/Nexfibre XGSPON Gig 1 installed on July 5th I’m based in Shrewsbury I’ve just uploaded a video reviewing the service
 
I’ve also wrote a series of blogs on the install etc https://fttppro.co.uk/blog/
I’m now using a WAS-110 and my own Router instead of the Hub 5x and it’s been solid.

It would seem from the traceroutes ive done looks like my connection goes via Perry Barr in Birmingham does not go via Telford or Wolverhampton.

Ok my side of Shrewsbury the VM cabs have Shre-X … written on them rather than Telf-X on the other side of town.
 
Zero way for anyone outside VM to know how you get to Perry Barr but it is what it is either way: doesn't run like the cable network but more like other ISPs.
 
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I’ve also wrote a series of blogs on the install etc https://fttppro.co.uk/blog/
I’m now using a WAS-110 and my own Router instead of the Hub 5x and it’s been solid.

It would seem from the traceroutes ive done looks like my connection goes via Perry Barr in Birmingham does not go via Telford or Wolverhampton.

Ok my side of Shrewsbury the VM cabs have Shre-X … written on them rather than Telf-X on the other side of town.
If the cabs have Shre-X it’s making me wonder if VM now have a datacenter / core router in Shrewsbury now.

So you go to Shrewsbury and then straight to Perry Barr.

Never go to Perry Barr in Telford mind.
 
The site references on the Nexfibre cabinets don't relate to VM sites but where Nexfibre are handing the network over. Nexfibre have OLTs and potentially switches in cabinets where VM may interconnect.

They're making use of VM sites too but have no core network of their own: they'll lease it from VM once they get to it if they need a core for anything. They're handing over locally at the moment.

A site name just means optical kit and maybe switches are there. There are no core routers in either Telford or Shrewsbury, Telford is a VM hub site with access and edge equipment, Shrewsbury has Nexfibre OLTs and switches in cabinets with presumably VM equipment connecting to it there or a long distance fibre run to somewhere else.

Without the distance limitations of DoCSIS / cable VM are putting more equipment into cabinets too, switches both to backhaul XGSPON OLTs and mobile masts, and using those in time to bypass and close down hub sites.

Unlikely to go straight to Perry Barr: fibre isn't going to be direct from there to Shrewsbury it'll go through existing network on the way, using as much existing fibre as possible for cost purposes. Probably ends up in the same duct as the Nexfibre cabinets marked 'telf'.
 
The site references on the Nexfibre cabinets don't relate to VM sites but where Nexfibre are handing the network over. Nexfibre have OLTs and potentially switches in cabinets where VM may interconnect.

They're making use of VM sites too but have no core network of their own: they'll lease it from VM once they get to it if they need a core for anything. They're handing over locally at the moment.

A site name just means optical kit and maybe switches are there. There are no core routers in either Telford or Shrewsbury, Telford is a VM hub site with access and edge equipment, Shrewsbury has Nexfibre OLTs and switches in cabinets with presumably VM equipment connecting to it there or a long distance fibre run to somewhere else.

Without the distance limitations of DoCSIS / cable VM are putting more equipment into cabinets too, switches both to backhaul XGSPON OLTs and mobile masts, and using those in time to bypass and close down hub sites.

Unlikely to go straight to Perry Barr: fibre isn't going to be direct from there to Shrewsbury it'll go through existing network on the way, using as much existing fibre as possible for cost purposes. Probably ends up in the same duct as the Nexfibre cabinets marked 'telf'.
Yeah I was a bit vague with the straight to Perry Barr comment.

What does seem apparent is Virgin now seem to have some kind of handover / POP in Shrewsbury for Nexfiber, something they didn't have before. The RFoG/HFC areas in Shrewsbury go back to the UBR in Telford.

Perhaps Nexfiber have plans for other areas near Shrewsbury so having a POP there makes more sense.

The 2ms response to the second hop would also point to Shrews if he is getting 6-9ms to the wolves-core.

Either way, well done on getting around the Hub5X. I wish I could bin my Hub 5 off and use my own ONT.
 
I think it’s most likely to be as @XGS_Is_On describes where the backhaul is sent to Birmingham.

I get the same ~2.8ms latency to my gateway and the Perry Barr core router if it was hitting a hop in Shrewsbury first I would expect more nearer 1ms latency.

2.8ms is about right for latency between Shrewsbury and Birmingham

My parents BeFibre connection also on Shrewsbury gets 3.9ms to Manchester as it’s going out via FF Manchester gateway at LINX Manchester.
 
I think it’s most likely to be as @XGS_Is_On describes where the backhaul is sent to Birmingham.

I get the same ~2.8ms latency to my gateway and the Perry Barr core router if it was hitting a hop in Shrewsbury first I would expect more nearer 1ms latency.

2.8ms is about right for latency between Shrewsbury and Birmingham

My parents BeFibre connection also on Shrewsbury gets 3.9ms to Manchester as it’s going out via FF Manchester gateway at LINX Manchester.
Oh I thought you said you have 6-9ms to wolve-core?
 
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Oh I thought you said you have 6-9ms to wolve-core?
Yup I do well more like 7-9ms to Wolverhampton and Telford:
1 cpc1-nrwh14-0-0-gw.4-4.cable.virginm.net (86.2.32.1) 2.747 ms 2.503 ms 2.872 ms
2 perr-core-2a-ae22-11.network.virginmedia.net (86.0.108.0) 2.876 ms 2.386 ms 2.874 ms
3 * * *
4 wolv-core-2a-ae14-0.network.virginmedia.net (62.254.84.150) 8.358 ms 8.143 ms 7.509 ms
5 telf-cmts-14-pc1-650.network.virginmedia.net (82.2.246.62) 7.637 ms 7.848 ms 7.501 ms
 
Yup I do well more like 7-9ms to Wolverhampton and Telford:
1 cpc1-nrwh14-0-0-gw.4-4.cable.virginm.net (86.2.32.1) 2.747 ms 2.503 ms 2.872 ms
2 perr-core-2a-ae22-11.network.virginmedia.net (86.0.108.0) 2.876 ms 2.386 ms 2.874 ms
3 * * *
4 wolv-core-2a-ae14-0.network.virginmedia.net (62.254.84.150) 8.358 ms 8.143 ms 7.509 ms
5 telf-cmts-14-pc1-650.network.virginmedia.net (82.2.246.62) 7.637 ms 7.848 ms 7.501 ms
Interesting.

I get the same ping time in Telford to wolv-core2a.

I'll try pinging perr-core later and see what response I get.

Your overall ping as expect is a lot lower than mine from what I have seen you post. I get around 13-14ms to BBC.
 
nsmhd is going to Telford and indeed Wolverhampton via Manchester. Just how the routing falls. You're direct which explains the shorter route.

I suspect he'd find the route to telf-cmts-14-pc2-650.network.virginmedia.net somewhat faster.
 
Yeah I was a bit vague with the straight to Perry Barr comment.

What does seem apparent is Virgin now seem to have some kind of handover / POP in Shrewsbury for Nexfiber, something they didn't have before. The RFoG/HFC areas in Shrewsbury go back to the UBR in Telford.

Perhaps Nexfiber have plans for other areas near Shrewsbury so having a POP there makes more sense.

It isn't a POP, it's cabinets and an underground chamber or a switch in the Openreach exchange. VM have no hub site in Shrewsbury and aren't going to build one. VMO2 and Nexfibre are not the same entity: I thought you were saying earlier that Nexfibre had cabinets with Telford and Shrewsbury on them. That would've been weird but I ran with it.

The RFoG and HFC stuff has to go back to Telford: it needs CMTS to terminate cable modems on with the set up as it is right now and that's where they live. No specialised equipment needed for PON, from OLT it's Ethernet.
 
It isn't a POP, it's cabinets and an underground chamber or a switch in the Openreach exchange. VM have no hub site in Shrewsbury and aren't going to build one. VMO2 and Nexfibre are not the same entity: I thought you were saying earlier that Nexfibre had cabinets with Telford and Shrewsbury on them. That would've been weird but I ran with it.

The RFoG and HFC stuff has to go back to Telford: it needs CMTS to terminate cable modems on with the set up as it is right now and that's where they live. No specialised equipment needed for PON, from OLT it's Ethernet.
There are Nexfibre XGS PON SD1i cabs and AFNs with Telf-x written on them this is a picture of an AFN I took in Abbey Foregate area of Shrewsbury https://fttppro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/24-01-06-15-58-14-5056-1536x2048.jpg

On my side of town Copthorne the cabs and AFNs have Shrew-X written on them this is a picture of my AFN https://fttppro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/IMG_5659-1536x2048.jpeg.webp

This does suggest that in parts of the town where XGS PON equipment is labelled Telf-X is possibly sent via Telford?

It could also be a labelling policy change mid build.
 
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There are Nexfibre XGS PON SD1i cabs and AFNs with Telf-x written on them this is a picture of an AFN I took in Abbey Foregate area of Shrewsbury https://fttppro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/24-01-06-15-58-14-5056-1536x2048.jpg

On my side of town Copthorne the cabs and AFNs have Shrew-X written on them this is a picture of my AFN https://fttppro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/IMG_5659-1536x2048.jpeg.webp

This does suggest that in parts of the town where XGS PON equipment is labelled Telf-X is possibly sent via Telford?

It could also be a labelling policy change mid build.
It isn't a POP, it's cabinets and an underground chamber or a switch in the Openreach exchange. VM have no hub site in Shrewsbury and aren't going to build one. VMO2 and Nexfibre are not the same entity: I thought you were saying earlier that Nexfibre had cabinets with Telford and Shrewsbury on them. That would've been weird but I ran with it.

The RFoG and HFC stuff has to go back to Telford: it needs CMTS to terminate cable modems on with the set up as it is right now and that's where they live. No specialised equipment needed for PON, from OLT it's Ethernet.
The project lightning part of Shrewsbury is on RFoG. As you said, that has to go back to a UBR / CMTS, Telford. That is the reason some parts of the town have TELF- on the cabs.

Not sure why Virgin didn’t finish the rest of the town off but Nexfiber have and that isn’t being routed to Telford.

Well aware of VM and Nexfiber not being the same entity but Nexfiber joins the VM core network and is sold, by VM.

There wasn’t a VM presence in Shrewsbury at all until 2020.

Popping to Bridgnorth soon so will see what the SD1i’s have written on them there.

Is a VM switch connecting to VM’s core not point of presence? Not being facetious, just curious.
 
Interesting.

I get the same ping time in Telford to wolv-core2a.

I'll try pinging perr-core later and see what response I get.

Your overall ping as expect is a lot lower than mine from what I have seen you post. I get around 13-14ms to BBC.
9 ms 9 ms 8 ms wolv-core-2a-ae63-650.network.virginmedia.net [82.2.246.45]

9 ms 8 ms 9 ms perr-core-2a-ae22-11.network.virginmedia.net (86.0.108.0)

15 ms 15 ms 15 ms cpc1-nrwh14-0-0-gw.4-4.cable.virginm.net (86.2.32.1)


CMTS Telford 8 ms 8 ms 7 ms (10.53.35.233)


I would say we're definitely routed differently.
 
9 ms 9 ms 8 ms wolv-core-2a-ae63-650.network.virginmedia.net [82.2.246.45]

9 ms 8 ms 9 ms perr-core-2a-ae22-11.network.virginmedia.net (86.0.108.0)

15 ms 15 ms 15 ms cpc1-nrwh14-0-0-gw.4-4.cable.virginm.net (86.2.32.1)


CMTS Telford 8 ms 8 ms 7 ms (10.53.35.233)


I would say we're definitely routed differently.
I ran a trace route to goo.nl and that does go via perr-core……different IP to the one above, 14ms 😮

Got to love Docsis!

35ms the overall route.
 
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