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General broadband FAQs

• First up, what is broadband?
• What makes Virgin Broadband special?
• What does unlimited broadband mean?
• Can anyone get Virgin Broadband?
• What about internet security?
• What can I do with webspace?
• Can I control which sites my children see?
• Do I have to use Virgin Broadband as my Internet Service Provider (ISP)?
• What is a NIC (Network Interface card)?
• Why do I need a 1Gbps NIC (Network Interface Card) with 100Mb?
  
• Can more than one computer use my internet connection?
• Can I connect to Virgin Broadband with any computer?

100Mb broadband FAQs

• Where is 100Mb broadband available?

• What does 100Mb broadband let you do?

• Will my old modem work with 100Mb?

50Mb and 100Mb wireless broadband

• I'm having problems with my wireless connection - what do I do?

• Can I still receive 50Mb and 100Mb speeds with wireless?

First up, what is broadband?

It's like dial up's faster, cleverer, younger brother. Your computer doesn't need to make a connection to the network each time you want to use it; it's connected all the time. Plus, you can use your home phone while you're on the internet. Broadband also lets you send and receive large chunks of information faster, which is perfect if you want to send photos or download music and movie trailers.

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What makes Virgin Broadband special?

When you choose Virgin Broadband, you get:   

• A fast, reliable internet connection   

• Unlimited downloads as a basic right. Letting you download more music, movies and TV shows.   

• Internet security features for extra peace of mind.

One more thing: it doesn't matter how far you live from the exchange. Since it's delivered by cable, your download speeds aren't affected by the distance your PC is from the telephone exchange.

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What does unlimited broadband mean?

No download limits. Unlike some of our competitors, you get unlimited downloads as a basic right so you can load up on music, films...whatever you're into.

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Can anyone get Virgin Broadband?

Yes - no problem. Our broadband service does not tie up your TV connection or phone line.

Depending on where you live, there are two ways to get Virgin Broadband:

• By fibre optic cable (on cable)

• Or down your phone line (non-cable)

Either way, you can look forward to a better service and a fairer deal. To see which one is available in your area, check your postcode now.

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What about internet security?

All our broadband packages come with top-of-the-range Virgin Media Security to keep you and your family safe online. It includes a firewall booster, website checker and parental controls. There's anti-virus and anti-spyware protection too.

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What can I do with webspace?

Each Virgin Broadband package comes with up to 55mb of webspace to call your own. You can use it to share your photos, write a blog...or pretty much anything you like.

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Can I control which sites my children see?

Yes. You can pick and choose which sites your children can see with our Parental Control feature in Virgin Media Security.

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Do I have to use Virgin Media as my Internet Service Provider (ISP)?

Yes. When you order any of Virgin Broadband packages, Virgin Media automatically becomes your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

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What is a NIC (Network Interface Card)?

A Network Interface Card (NIC) connects the high-speed modem necessary for broadband to your computer via an Ethernet connection. If you do need an NIC, they can usually be bought from most high street computer shops, who will probably fit it for you as well.

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Why do I need a 1Gbps NIC (Network Interface Card) with 100Mb?

For 100Mb, we recommend your computer has a 1Gbps Network Interface Card. Without this you will not be able to get the full 100Mb speeds on a computer that does not meet this specification.

That said, as the service is designed to be used by multiple users sharing the connection in each home, you will still experience the benefits of the service if you use it in this way, even if you don’t have a 1Gbps NIC on every computer.

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Can more than one computer use my internet connection?

If you have more than one computer at home, and you'd like them to share the same internet connection, the easiest way is to set up a wireless network in your home. You'll need a wireless router (we'll give you one for free¹). Once you're set up, the whole household can get online at the same time - and there's no need for messy cables.

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Where is 100Mb broadband available?

We're busy rolling out up to 100Mb broadband across our fibre optic network, so it won't be available everywhere straight away. When we launch 100Mb broadband it will only be available in some areas, but we are upgrading the rest of our fibre optic network to make it ready for 100Mb broadband during 2011 and 2012. To find out if your street is ready now, check your postcode. Or, you can view our rollout schedule.

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What does 100Mb broadband let you do?

In a nutshell, you'll get a download speed of up to 100Mb, with an upload speed of up to 10Mb. On top of that, you can also enjoy unlimited downloads. If you want to know just how fast 100Mb lets you download, we're talking an entire music album in as little as 5 seconds; a TV show in around 30 seconds; a high quality movie in less than 2 minutes and a High Definition movie in around 7 minutes. Now that's fast.

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Will my old modem work with 100Mb?

As part of taking our 100Mb service, we'll give you a brand new Virgin Media SuperHub  as part of your new package - we'll install it when we come around to your house. This is our new combined modem and N wireless router so that so that you can maximise your wireless speed at home.

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I'm having problems with my wireless connection - what do I do?

If you have any problems with the connection and set-up of your wireless router and/or USB adapter, please call us on 151 from your Virgin phone, or 0845 454 1111* from any other phone.

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Can I still receive 50Mb and 100Mb speeds with wireless?

If your computer is connected to the Super Hub with an Ethernet cable, then yes, but this would mean that you're not actually using the service wirelessly. You'll need a wireless "N" router and a wireless "N" enabled computer to be able to get the best possible wireless connection with our ultra fast broadband services like 50Mb and 100Mb. If your computer doesn't already have wireless built-in, you'll need to use a wireless 'N' adapter - we'll give you one of these as part of your package.

If you use a Wireless "G" enabled computer, your broadband service will still work, but the wireless distribution of the service will be limited to around 20-24Mb.

Because of the way wireless and broadband technology works, you might see a slight reduction in your speed when you go wireless, compared with connecting directly to Super Hub via an Ethernet cable. To experience the full benefits of 50Mb and 100Mb, you'll need to connect to your broadband via an Ethernet cable.

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Can I connect to Virgin Broadband with any computer?

To use Virgin Broadband, you'll need to check that your computer is compatible.

Most are, but it's worth checking that it can deliver the internet connection speeds that our broadband service offers. Check your computer is compatible below.

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See our broadband packages

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