about:benjie

Random learnings and other thoughts from an unashamed geek

Dear Virgin Media…

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I think I do have fibre optic at my house already, even though it does not show up on your system. The previous resident had V+HD, and they left their equipment, so I’ve plugged it in to show the system working:

The cable comes out of the wall:

image

And then via a splitter:

image image

To the V+HD box:

image image image

Note that the “online” LED is lit up, suggesting the system might be online? And the modem:

image

(it’s not clear here because my flash drowned it out, but the “enet”, “sync” and “ready” indicators are all green, and the “recv” and “send” indicators flash when I load the website below.)

image

(It’s an ambit 256 modem)

image

(Note that cable plugs in the back.) Here’s what happens when I connect my laptop to the modem:

  1. I am given an IP address of 213.107.40.198 (I have proof this is an NTL/Virgin Media IP address at the bottom of the post)
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jem@jem-laptop:~$ ifconfig
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:22:15:8f:a5:50  
          inet addr:<strong>213.107.40.198</strong>  Bcast:213.107.40.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          inet6 addr: fe80::222:15ff:fe8f:a550/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:10 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:43 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:2
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:2606 (2.6 KB)  TX bytes:9440 (9.4 KB)
          Interrupt:28 
lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:12 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:12 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 
          RX bytes:800 (800.0 B)  TX bytes:800 (800.0 B)
  1. I am taken to the following screen, asking me to activate broadband image
  2. When I click the link, it asks me to choose between Virgin Media and ntl/telewest image

  3. I choose virginmedia and the page asks me to phone you: image

    Here’s what I see from the V+HD box:

    image image

Here’s a video of the V+HD box in action, showing the terrestrial channels delivered over cable, but the premium channels cannot be viewed because I don’t have a subscription: The radio channels also work for me through the V+HD box as I guess they are unprotected.

In conclusion: please believe me now that I do in fact already have fibre optic at this house and let me sign up!

Proof that the IP address I was given is a Virgin Media (NTL) address:

$ whois 213.107.40.198
% This is the RIPE Database query service.
% The objects are in RPSL format.
%
% The RIPE Database is subject to Terms and Conditions.
% See http://www.ripe.net/db/support/db-terms-conditions.pdf

% Note: This output has been filtered.
%       To receive output for a database update, use the "-B" flag.

% Information related to '213.107.40.0 - 213.107.45.255'

inetnum:        213.107.40.0 - 213.107.45.255
netname:        NTL-BIA-LONDON-BROMLEY
descr:          NTL Infrastructure - Southampton
country:        GB
admin-c:        NNMC1-RIPE
tech-c:         NNMC1-RIPE
status:         ASSIGNED PA
mnt-by:         AS5089-MNT
source:         RIPE # Filtered

role:           NTLI Network Management Centre
address:        NTL Internet
address:        Crawley Court
address:        Winchester
address:        Hampshire
address:        SO21 2QA
phone:          +44 1633710142
admin-c:        MH22007-RIPE
admin-c:        NR731-RIPE
admin-c:        CW1083-RIPE
tech-c:         MH22007-RIPE
tech-c:         CW1083-RIPE
nic-hdl:        NNMC1-RIPE
mnt-by:         AS5089-MNT
e-mail:         [email protected]
source:         RIPE # Filtered

% Information related to '213.104.0.0/14AS5089'

route:        213.104.0.0/14
descr:        NTL-UK-IP-BLOCK-4
origin:       AS5089
mnt-by:       AS5089-MNT
source:       RIPE # Filtered

% Information related to '213.107.0.0/16AS5089'

route:        213.107.0.0/16
descr:        NTL-UK-IP-BLOCK
origin:       AS5089
mnt-by:       AS5089-MNT
source:       RIPE # Filtered

% Information related to '213.107.0.0/17AS5089'

route:        213.107.0.0/17
descr:        NTL-UK-IP-BLOCK
origin:       AS5089
mnt-by:       AS5089-MNT
source:       RIPE # Filtered

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