# VM Fibre Network - Users, Where are you? [NO DISCUSSION]



## ericd121 (Dec 12, 2002)

As Virgin Media won't issue a street-level map of their fibre network, I thought I'd ask users 
*WHO ARE CONNECTED TO THE VIRGIN MEDIA FIBRE NETWORK *
to post their location here.

I would be looking for the following geographical information:-


Town
Area within town
Street
Post Code

I feel this would give us a sense of where to search for a property before inputting the Post Code into VM's website.

As with Carl's recent threads, this is a NO DISCUSSION thread.

If you feel posting the above information would be an invasion of your privacy, 
DO NOT post here stating your feelings; just don't post here at all.

I am hoping this thread could be a resource for those of us who might be willing and able to move into VM fibre network areas.

If this thread is successful, we may start another thread to discuss how to input this info into some sort of online GIS database and I'd welcome initial PMs regarding that.

Thank you for reading this! :up:

*[Edited to add]* Dropped the NO DISCUSSION from the thread title.


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## Buzby (Feb 21, 2011)

Pretty academic - nobody has fibre to the door. Everyone will have fibre to the main distribution cabinet in the street (these are usually tall, 3-door cabinets). So I'm co-ax from there to by drop wire (which has the phone pair attached). Fibre stops at these cabiets and goes no further, and if truth be told, doesn't really need to go any further.


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## ericd121 (Dec 12, 2002)

You are, therefore, connected to the Virgin Media fibre network then, are you not?


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## Buzby (Feb 21, 2011)

Er no, not in the sense that technology dictates. I'm connected by copper - what's upstream of me is none of my business. BT are supposedly 'wiring' areas of Thamesmead with fibre. It is the fibre that goes to the house, not copper.

Out of interest, how are your respondents going to know if they are connected to 'fibre' if they never see it? I know my urban network is fibre because I saw them laying in (in 1996) but if I didn't it could just as easily be coax-trunks back to the 'exchange', or indeed microwave link. 

The ASA allowed VM to use 'fibre' as an advertising selling point, the only reason they got the OK to do this was because their fibre (usually) got closer to the customer than BT, as their fibre invariably stopped at the exchange and the local loop was 100% copper.

Sure, EVERYONE is connected to a fibre network following your acceptance of VM delivery to the door by means OTHER than fibre, as BT do it too. Only BT has promoted fibre to the customers door, VM most certainly have not. (As I'd want it to replace my ageing ISDN2/Home Highway circuits).


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## M_at (Dec 10, 2000)

ericd121 said:


> As Virgin Media won't issue a street-level map of their fibre network, I thought I'd ask users
> *WHO ARE CONNECTED TO THE VIRGIN MEDIA FIBRE NETWORK *
> to post their location here.


What's wrong with people using Virgin's website?

Or even Sam Knows?

Sam Knows provides a good idea of whether cable is available in your area - for instance http://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange/LWKNE and the Virgin website goes down to property level.

The few hundred / thousand users here won't give you as good a picture as Sam Knows already have - even if they're willing to disclose their home address details to a publicly searchable forum.


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## Mimizuku no Lew (Jan 3, 2011)

Good grief! He's only asking who's in a cabled area for crying out loud.


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## M_at (Dec 10, 2000)

It's a pretty dumb question tbh



> I am hoping this thread could be a resource for those of us who might be willing and able to move into VM fibre network areas.


I know that availability of Virgin cable is pretty low in my list of requirements for a property and if you really really want to move to any of them the full list is here http://www.samknows.com/broadband/cable/virgin

Pick an area that sounds nice, find a property and shove it's post code into the Virgin website!


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## ericd121 (Dec 12, 2002)

M_at said:


> It's a pretty dumb question tbh


That's a pretty dumb statement, to be honest.



M_at said:


> I know that availability of Virgin cable is pretty low in my list of requirements for a property


And what has that got to do with my, and other people's list of requirements for a property?



> and if you really really want to move to any of them the full list is here http://www.samknows.com/broadband/cable/virgin


No, it isn't. It appears to be the full list, but it is only a list of BT Exchanges which do not correlate to VM's Fibre Network. The one for my area states the VM Fibre is available in some areas, but I know my street isn't one of them.



> Pick an area that sounds nice, find a property and shove it's post code into the Virgin website!


That's what you want to do; I want to find the areas where I can receive the VM Tivo service, and then choose from those "an area that sounds nice". Do you really need me to spell this out for you?



M_at said:


> What's wrong with people using Virgin's website?... the Virgin website goes down to property level.


Punching post codes one at a time would be a slow process, which this thread, had not you and Buzby decided to ignore my request for no discussion, could have sped up.



M_at said:


> even if they're willing to disclose their home address details to a publicly searchable forum.


Let's see. I have your forum id *M_at* and your post code, *E2 0PD*.
Could I send a letter to you? No. Could I follow you from your house? No.
Please tell me in what way the details I have requested means people have "to disclose their home address details"?



Mimizuku no Lew said:


> Good grief! He's only asking who's in a cabled area for crying out loud.


Thanks. I suspected that this might happen, which is why I put "this is a NO DISCUSSION thread." in the first post.


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## ericd121 (Dec 12, 2002)

Buzby said:


> Er no, not in the sense that technology dictates. I'm connected by copper - what's upstream of me is none of my business. BT are supposedly 'wiring' areas of Thamesmead with fibre. It is the fibre that goes to the house, not copper.
> 
> Out of interest, how are your respondents going to know if they are connected to 'fibre' if they never see it? I know my urban network is fibre because I saw them laying in (in 1996) but if I didn't it could just as easily be coax-trunks back to the 'exchange', or indeed microwave link.
> 
> ...


In the words of Morrissey, people like you make me feel so tired.

I can not tell if you're being deliberating obtuse, or just pedantic.

My questions back to you would be:-
Do Virgin Media have a Fibre Network?
Are Virgin Media offering services which allow customers to (eventually) connect to that network?

My answers to both would be "Yes" as I'm not interested in how customers are connected to that network.

My use of the phrase VM Fibre Network Users was meant to elicit response from people who currently receive VM services and could or do have a VMTivo.

BTW Why did you ignore my request for this to be a NO DISCUSSION thread? I'm curious and would like to know.


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## Buzby (Feb 21, 2011)

ericd121 said:


> In the words of Morrissey, people like you make me feel so tired.
> 
> I can not tell if you're being deliberating obtuse, or just pedantic.
> 
> ...


Let's take the answers a step at a time, as clearly things need spelt out:

1) If we're going to be insulting to someone who finds your (original) question confusing and is simply clarifying a misconception in the hope others are not misled, you have a _big _problem. If you actually mean who is connected to VMs CABLE network, then say so. The addition of 'fibre network' is both spurious, and nonsensical. What difference does the technology delivery medium mean to the end user? Nothing! You're either cabled, or you're not. I'm connected to BTs fibre network too. To prevent such misconceptions, only those who are directly connected to a fibre network can reasonably claim they are so connected. At the moment, VM have no residential customers connected in this way.

2) Yes, VM has a fibre network, as do BT, C&W and Kingston Comms to name a very few.

3) Another question that makes no sense when read. They are not offering services that will 'eventually' connect to anything. The fibre is used as a delivery medium to aggregate services (BB/TV & Phone) out to the local DP, it then converts to a local drop wire (not fibre) that carries the services to the customers premises.

4) If you're not interested in the delivery method - why qualify it by saying 'fibre' in the first place? If you want to know who is in a cabled area, say so. A punter usually has no idea if they're connected to fibre or not, but will know a cable connection when they see one.

5) It takes until your penultimate paragraph to see what your original post actually meant. You DID mean cable connections, not fibre.

6) It is an open forum. As far as I'm aware [NO DISCUSSION] is a request. In view of the wooliness of the question, it seemed a clarification was in order to find out what information you were seeking. As someone once said, if you ask dumb questions, you get dumb answers. VM don't offer fibre connections, (to TiVo customers) so responders would be none, unless they too shared your unusual terminology understanding.

I'll let you get back to Morissey listening, I'm too much of a happy soul to bother with any of his output.


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## ericd121 (Dec 12, 2002)

Do you know something, Buzby?

If you'd said in Post #2 of this thread
"I think 'fibre' is misleading; I think you mean 'cable'"
I would probably have changed it immediately.

However, I would point out that these two users



Mimizuku no Lew said:


> Good grief! He's only asking who's in a cabled area for crying out loud.





M_at said:


> Sam Knows provides a good idea of whether cable is available in your area


managed to understand that I was referring to the cable network whereas you did not.


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

tivocommunity is turning into a troll forum these days  

Eric just wanted to build up an idea of areas of the country tivo owners were in and whether they could all get cable

Google maps makes this kind of thing easy with 5 mins work:

put in your name and postcode here
http://tivocentral.co.uk/virginmap.php

those with privacy concerns can just put the first few letters of postcode, and a nickname if they like.


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## ericd121 (Dec 12, 2002)

Thanks Mike, that's exactly what I wanted. 

Very kind of you to set up the map, and thank you to all who have entered your location. :up:


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

Hmm

I wionder if "Shamus" can _really _get Virgin Media cable in the shetlands? !


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## Brangdon (Feb 9, 2001)

ericd121 said:


> Could I follow you from your house? No.


It did sound to me as though you wanted to move house to the same street as another forum member, to be sure of having cable.

It sounded weird to me. There can't be that many people using this forum, and some of them are probably not posting, so the data you get will be very sparse.


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## M_at (Dec 10, 2000)

mikerr said:


> Eric just wanted to build up an idea of areas of the country tivo owners were in and whether they could all get cable


Not quite...



> I want to find the areas where I can receive the VM Tivo service, and then choose from those "an area that sounds nice".


Eric would like to have a list of streets which get definitely do get cable service so he can choose a place to move to. He's not interested in broad areas and then struggling to find properties that he both likes AND have cable.



> put in your name and postcode here
> http://tivocentral.co.uk/virginmap.php
> 
> those with privacy concerns can just put the first few letters of postcode, and a nickname if they like.


The first portion of a post code provides very little information that is of use to Eric - In some areas it maps to an entire town or village.

There's some pretty good information on post codes and how they're divvied up at http://www.afd.co.uk/news/datanews.asp or you can use Wikipedia for details of where each postcode relates to.

Using Wikipedia you can tell that - from the partial postcodes listed on your site:

BR3 - This expands to Beckenham, Eden Park, Elmers End, Park Langley, Western area of Shortlands
TW2 - Whitton, Strawberry Hill
GU51 - Fleet, Elvetham Heath
PO4 - Half of Southsea
PO16 - Porchester

All have areas where cable is available - now this can be derived from the Sam Knows data that I linked to earlier - yet Eric thinks your idea is great despite it providing a coarser granularity than the data provided, and regularly updated, by Sam Knows.

Only those people providing a full post code are providing any detail toward the street level.

And for those of you who think I'm trolling and having a go - a sensible suggestion from me is to find an area that sounds nice and talk to an estate agent - they'll often know where cable is available and will be more than happy to help if your desire to relocate is genuine.


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## dmeldrum (Jan 3, 2002)

30 seconds on Google finds a high level map of areas covered

http://pressoffice.virginmedia.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=205406&p=irol-whereWeAre

To find out at the postcode level, pop it in the box on this page

http://shop.virginmedia.com/help/switching-to-virgin.html


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## VirginMediaPhil (Nov 27, 2009)

Sorry to break the no discussion barrier, I guess that doesn't matter anymore due to the map that has been setup, but you're actually going to move just to get TiVo?!??!?

(Probably the most amount of question and exclamation marks combination I have ever used)


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## frostbitten (Nov 29, 2009)

Would this help? Select the Cable Modem Serviceability button
http://www.virginmediabusiness.co.uk/files/tlw105-VRB.html


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## Tony Hoyle (Apr 1, 2002)

VirginMediaPhil said:


> Sorry to break the no discussion barrier, I guess that doesn't matter anymore due to the map that has been setup, but you're actually going to move just to get TiVo?!??!?
> 
> (Probably the most amount of question and exclamation marks combination I have ever used)


It's Tivo!

Move, Bribe, Kill... whatever it takes


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## Buzby (Feb 21, 2011)

ericd121 said:


> However, I would point out that these two users
> 
> managed to understand that I was referring to the cable network whereas you did not.


Which proves? I come from a technical background and avoid PR puffery like the plague. The fact that VM promote their 'fibre' network as if nobody else has one is just part of the misdirection! Unfortunately, those of a less technical nature dont understand and see the terms as interchangeable, which (as you now see) generates is own problems!


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## Buzby (Feb 21, 2011)

dmeldrum said:


> 30 seconds on Google finds a high level map of areas covered
> 
> http://pressoffice.virginmedia.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=205406&p=irol-whereWeAre


Actually, that map is nonsensical. 100% coverage of cabled streets in NI...? They wish! The map shows their allocated franchise areas, not where service is available, which, although within the highlighted areas, is considerably less where physical plant is installed.


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## cyril (Sep 5, 2001)

Afaik for nice parts of London

Holland park
Belgravia
Parts of north Fulham, barons court
South Hampstead


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## dmeldrum (Jan 3, 2002)

Buzby said:


> Actually, that map is nonsensical. 100% coverage of cabled streets in NI...? They wish! The map shows their allocated franchise areas, not where service is available, which, although within the highlighted areas, is considerably less where physical plant is installed.


Well it has value in identifying those areas that are absolutely not cabled.

Once you get to the red areas, there is a chance of cable, but I agree you then need something at a lower level.


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## frostbitten (Nov 29, 2009)

*cough* post #19 *cough*. You can make it show the actual cabled areas.


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## Tony Hoyle (Apr 1, 2002)

frostbitten said:


> *cough* post #19 *cough*. You can make it show the actual cabled areas.


It still only shows (very) rough areas, and you can't zoom far enough to make it useful.


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## ericd121 (Dec 12, 2002)

VirginMediaPhil said:


> Sorry to break the no discussion barrier,


Oh, is there a no discussion barrier? 



> you're actually going to move just to get TiVo?!??!?


Your question implies an intention, whereas for me it's an aspiration.



Tony Hoyle said:


> It's Tivo!
> 
> Move, Bribe, Kill... whatever it takes


What he said. 

I want cable.

Some people move house so that their offspring can attend a reputedly 'good' school, so why is my moving house any different?


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## ericd121 (Dec 12, 2002)

M_at said:


> Eric would like to have a list of streets which get definitely do get cable service so he can choose a place to move to. He's not interested in broad areas and then struggling to find properties that he both likes AND have cable.
> 
> The first portion of a post code provides very little information that is of use to Eric - In some areas it maps to an entire town or village.
> 
> ...pretty good information on post codes...


Broad areas are fine as long as a confirmed cable user is in them. Thanks for the Post Code info. :up:


> All have areas where cable is available - now this can be derived from the Sam Knows data that I linked to earlier - yet Eric thinks your idea is great despite it providing a coarser granularity than the data provided, and regularly updated, by Sam Knows.


Sam Knows is based on BT Exchange information and is very useful for that. It's less useful for VM cable. For instance, Milton Keynes and Leicester are listed but, in MK and parts of Leicester, the cable is analogue and therefore can not get Tivo.



> Only those people providing a full post code are providing any detail toward the street level.
> 
> And for those of you who think I'm trolling and having a go - a sensible suggestion from me is to find an area that sounds nice and talk to an estate agent - they'll often know where cable is available and will be more than happy to help if your desire to relocate is genuine.


But I want cable.

So a sensible strategy would be to find out where the cable is, and then "find an area that sounds nice and talk to an estate agent".


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## ericd121 (Dec 12, 2002)

frostbitten said:


> Would this help? Select the Cable Modem Serviceability button
> http://www.virginmediabusiness.co.uk/files/tlw105-VRB.html


I'd already seen that. But thanks anyway.


frostbitten said:


> *cough* post #19 *cough*. You can make it show the actual cabled areas.





Tony Hoyle said:


> It still only shows (very) rough areas, and you can't zoom far enough to make it useful.


What he said.

Thanks for making my point for me!


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## VirginMediaPhil (Nov 27, 2009)

ericd121 said:


> Some people move house so that their offspring can attend a reputedly 'good' school, so why is my moving house any different?


Education is a hugely important part of life. It shapes your future.

Frankly, having TiVo does not. ;p


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## Tony Hoyle (Apr 1, 2002)

Having adequate communications is a hugely important part of my life. It shapes my present *and* future. Hence I live in close proximity to an exchange, and in a cable area, and in an area with good mobile coverage. All were key factors when I moved.

I left school years ago.. education is of no relevance to me.

We don't all have the same priorities.


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## ericd121 (Dec 12, 2002)

Tony Hoyle said:


> Having adequate communications is a hugely important part of my life. It shapes my present *and* future. Hence I live in close proximity to an exchange, and in a cable area, and in an area with good mobile coverage. All were key factors when I moved.
> 
> I left school years ago.. education is of no relevance to me.
> 
> We don't all have the same priorities.


What he said.



VirginMediaPhil said:


> Education is a hugely important part of life. It shapes your future.
> 
> Frankly, having TiVo does not. ;p


Having a TiVo does, and has, shaped my life. It has meant that I can go out and not miss TV that I really want to watch.
Television (and radio) is now my main source of education. 
Having a TiVo allows me to filter out dross and enjoy programmes that inspire, inform and entertain me.

I am not unique, but neither am I the same as you.


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## VirginMediaPhil (Nov 27, 2009)

Eh? I wasn't talking about communication. I was talking about having a TiVo box. You don't *need* a TiVo box at all. I've lived with the V+ for 5 years and had no problems. I'm not exactly sure how the TiVo box will change my life. It's just another PVR.


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## ericd121 (Dec 12, 2002)

VirginMediaPhil said:


> I was talking about having a TiVo box. You don't *need* a TiVo box at all.


I don't remember saying that I did.

As previously stated, I want cable.

Using my school example, parents don't need to send their children to a particular school. They want to do so.



> I'm not exactly sure how the TiVo box will change my life.


That's because you haven't had it long enough to tell. 
Or don't have it yet.



> It's just another PVR.


It really isn't.



> I've lived with the V+ for 5 years and had no problems.


Do you have, or have you ordered the VMTivo?


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## VirginMediaPhil (Nov 27, 2009)

ericd121 said:


> I don't remember saying that I did.
> 
> As previously stated, I want cable.
> 
> ...


No I haven't ordered it yet, but I will because you lot keep telling me it will change my life!


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

Rightmove seem to have cottoned on to the idea that broadband is important for housebuying too:

Rightmove to list broadband speed of all its homes
..though based on BT speeds, not whther they get cable or not.


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## ericd121 (Dec 12, 2002)

Interesting, though as commenters on that page point out, the link up is with BT: it doesn't look like it will know anything about Virgin Media.

Incidentally, I was called by BT the other day to offer me "a fibre optic Internet connection with BT Infinity".

I said I would prefer to have VM fibre as they have Tivo.


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