Review of Virgin Media Broadband Size: M
- Up to 2MB unlimited broadband
- Free modem when you sign up online
- No line rental required
- Brilliant introductory price offers
- 30-day moneyback guarantee
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STOP PRESS! This package is now available
for just £10 a month for the first 6 months, saving you £48! Alternatively,
take it with a Virgin Media home phone package (see details here) and get it for £4.50 a month for the first 12 months
(+ £11 a month for the phone package).
EVEN if you don't opt for the Virgin Media special offer on this package, the Virgin Media Broadband Size M deal is still a very well priced cable broadband package that is superbly suited for most web users who want a stable, fast connection and unlimited downloads.
Improved customer service
Additionally, Virgin Media has worked its way out of the doldrums and we're pleased to see that both customer service and quality of service has improved markedly. In fact Virgin Media has been nominated for best consumer ISP at the 2008 ISPA awards (the Oscars of the internet industry).
Like all Virgin Media's major broadband packages, this is a cable broadband product which means that your connection comes through super-fast fibre optic cables that reach to over 50% of UK homes.
No line rental required
You'll have to check to see whether your home is covered (you can do this during signup) and if it is, there is a £30 connection charge but remember, you do not need a BT phone line and so are saving yourself £11 a month off the bat.
So how does Virgin Media Broadband Size M perform? If you've heard scare stories about Virgin Media it is worth keeping an open mind.
The company inherited wholesale NTL/Telewest's notoriously shaky infrastructure and in the first 6 months of its existence it is safe to say that Virgin Media perhaps realised it had bitten off a bit more than it could chew.
Moneyback guarantee
But the general concensus now is that Virgin Media's service has improved considerably and if the cable to your house behaves itself, the quality of broadband is superb.
What's more, as of June 1, all calls to Virgin Media techincal support are totally free, rather than the much-maligned 25p per minute support line.
Fortunately for those of a nervous disposition, Virgin Media's 30-day moneyback guarantee lets you safely try it for yourself and see. We have an inkling you won't be disappointed though.
A little more detail
Broadband
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Special Note.. |
Any good? |
| Package Name: |
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Size: M |
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| Connection Type: |
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Cable |
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| Max Speed: |
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2Mb |
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| Usage Limit: |
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Unlimited |
Fair use policy applies |
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| Hardware: |
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Modem |
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| Anti-virus Protection: |
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Yes |
Part of PCGuard package (which also includes Firewall, Pop-Up Blocker and Privacy Manager) |
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| Firewall: |
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Yes |
Part of PCGuard package (which also includes Anti-virus, Pop-Up Blocker and Privacy Manager) |
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| E-mail Account: |
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Yes |
Up to 15 email addresses |
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| Webspace Provided: |
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Yes |
55MB of webspace |
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| Domain Included: |
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No |
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| Backup Dialup: |
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Yes |
0845 dial backup |
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| Consoles Supported: |
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All major consoles supported |
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Payment, Installation and Contract
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| Payment Method(s): |
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Direct Debit only (other payment methods incur a £5 charge) |
| Activation Fee: |
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Free |
| Installation: |
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From £30 |
| Minimum Contract: |
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12 months |
| Line Rental: |
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No line rental required |
| Support: |
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25p per minute technical support |
Actual User Ratings
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At a Glance
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Bundle details: |
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Phone: Not included |
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TV: Not included |
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Mobile: Not included |
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It is best suited for: |
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Web users wanting a solid, decently priced unlimited cable broadband package with reasonable speeds and a moneyback guarantee |
Customer Reviews
Remember, the customer reviews below are subjective (and are not the opinions of ChooseISP.co.uk).
John from glasgow writes... 14/05/2008 "Since Virgin have taken over from NTL they've taken a flawfless service and ran it straight in to the ground. I live right beside an exchange so in theory I should be getting fairly close to 4Mb, I'm lucky to get 2 most days. Also lately at any point from 4-12 streaming any type of media results in the connection dropping and sometimes taking 15+ minutes to reconnect. Until they get their act together avoid Virgin."
Martin from London writes... 12/10/2007 "Signed up for Virgin Media XL Broadband 20Mb. I don't even get 1Mb most times, usually lower. The customer service is extremely poor and they are all based in India. There is no email based support, only 25p/min tech number."
Gareth Snow from Worthing writes... 03/10/2007 "We recently had broadband, telephone and also TV installed from Virgin Media and they were excellent. Really good value for money. Also we have Virgin Media's V+ service which is superb!"
S.J. from Manchester writes... 08/09/2007 "When Virgin Media was still Telewest it was great. Now the XL package is £37/month, with fair use policy introduced, the speeds are not consistent and the upload speed is ridiculous for todays isp's. The once free tech help is now 25p/min with 10p connection charge (to India!!). If I had a BT line I would try another broadband provider."
Jason Hines from Epsom writes... 12/08/2007 "So far so very good. I signed up to the VirginMedia 3 for £30 bundle in April and so far have been amazed. I had heard bad stories but took the risk as they offer a moneyback guarantee. Thankfully I never had to use it. I still find it amazing that I get all this for £30. Highly recommended."
Hazel Wykes from Birmingham writes... 11/08/2007 "We thought we'd give Virgin Media a try just to see how it compared but were so dissatified with it, that we changed back to BT. We are now on BT Total Broadband Option 3. Its top class, everything about it is excellent. It beats Virgin Media all round."
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