Virgin Media Internet Speed test and troubleshooting
Virgin Media broadband Speed test
Click on the “Go” button on the Ookla Speed Test to check the internet speed of your Virgin Media broadband connection.
Information on how to troubleshoot problems with your Virgin Media broadband can be found below the Ookla Speed checker widget.
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How to troubleshoot Virgin Media internet performance problems
Before you start troubleshooting the speed of your Virgin Media internet connection, we suggest that you run a Virgin Media Internet Speedtest to confirm your current broadband speed.
It is also a good idea confirm the minimum download speed that you have subscribed to from Virgin Media.
You can get this info by checking your Virgin Media broadband bill, your Virgin Media contract or by contacting Virgin Media.
Common causes of Virgin Media’s slow internet performance
Is it your Virgin Media internet connection that is slow or is it your device (PC/laptop/phone)?
You need to check how many apps are running on your device.
The performance problem may be due to the over-utilization of your device’s resources e.g RAM/CPU and as opposed to a problem with Virgin Media’s broadband connection.
If you’re on a computer then you may use the task manager to check your Processor and Memory usage.
On any other device, you could try restarting the device which hopefully should shutdown all applications that may have been hogging system resources.
Run the Virgin Media Speed checker on your personal computer and your mobile phone to check how the speedtest results differ between the 2 devices.
This should hopefully give you some information to work with in terms of if the problem is with your PC/Smartphone or the Virgin Media broadband connection.
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Is your Wifi the problem?
The cause of the performance issue could be your wireless and not the Virgin Media broadband internet connection.
You can rule out the wireless network by connecting your PC directly into the Virgin Media broadband router with an ethernet cable and run the Virgin Media Speedtest again.
If the speed test result is better when you’re connected using a network cable, this shows that the problem could be with your wireless network.
A few other things to check:
- Are the WiFi channels that you’re using for your Wi-Fi network network (SSID) overlapping with your neighbours?
- Is your wireless signal from the broadband router obstructed?
- Does your speed get better when your are standing right infront of the Virgin Media internet router?
Who is connected to my wireless network?
Have you checked that your Wi-Fi network password has not been shared? Do you have an un-secured Wifi network? How strong is your Wifi network password? It may be time to change it.
Others could be using your Wifi network and eating up all your Virgin Media speed by downloading, uploading or even streaming music or video on your Virgin Media internet connection! Worse than that, they could be conducting illegal activities over your Virgin Media broadband connection.
Here are three apps that you can utlise to analyze your Wi-Fi network to see who’s connected:
- Windows users can use Wireless network watcher
- IOS users can use whoFi (who is on my Wifi)
- wifi network troubleshooting tool WiFi Analyzer
The above software scan your Wi-Fi network and produce a list of the connected devices.
Do I need a wireless network booster for my Virgin Media broadband?
You may discover that you have Wifi black holes in your house, a wireless network extender also known as a wireless Booster is the best solution to strengthen your Wi-Fi signal to cover any black holes.
The Wifi booster picks up the existing wireless network signal as it is becoming weaker and re-transmits the wireless signal to increase it’s coverage.
Place the wireless network booster where your Wifi network signal from your Virgin Media broadband router is becoming weaker.
Place it near where your wireless signal drops down to two bars. Walk around your house with a mobile phone to try and establish where this is.
When did you last upgrade the Virgin Media broadband router?
The Virgin Media and broadband infrastructure, in general, are frequently updated to support new features and improve performance as technology evolves. Ensure that the Virgin Media broadband internet router is running on the most up-to-date software.
Most Virgin Media internet routers allow you to carry out the software update by simply logging on the Virgin Media broadband router and simply clicking a button to start the upgrade.
If you can’t do this, contact Virgin Media and they will be able to perform the upgrade for you or alternatively, talk you through the process.
As well as updating the software, if you have had the same hardware for a long period, it is worth talking to Virgin Media to request for a router upgrade.
Is the fault outside your property (at the exchange)?
This is probably the most likely cause for Virgin Media broadband performance issues in your home and is more common for broadband connections that are delivered through copper phone lines.
If you are unsure if this is relevant in your case, you should contact Virgin Media who will be able to run the relevant line tests to check if there is a issue on the Virgin Media broadband connection.
Is the issue because of Virgin Media Internet congestion?
If you’re finding that the Virgin Media broadband connection speed in your area is slows down during certain periods i.e. over weekends and during the evening, then it may be due to congestion during peak hours.
You should speak to Virgin Media to find out your guaranteed speed.
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Re-testing your Virgin Media internet connection
After the problem has been fixed either by yourself or Virgin Media, re-test your broadband connection using at least two independent Speedtests to ensure the problem is fixed: