Thousands of Virgin Media customers receive free ‘game-changing’ Wi-Fi upgrade that boosts their broadband speed

VIRGIN Media is helping more customers get the very best out of their broadband with the continued roll-out of a “game-changing” smart support service.

The telecoms giant started the free speed boosting and connection monitoring in April.

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It’s designed to help find and fix faults before customers phone in to report them.

The new service works by keeping an eye on the behaviour of customers’ Wi-Fi routers.

In doing so, the system should spot any hiccups in your connection, such as speed drops and disconnections.

If a fault is detected, an overnight fix will be deployed to try and resolve the issue.

Should that not resolve things, the firm will send customers advice on what to do themselves.

And failing that, Virgin Media says it will “proactively invite” the customer to book a free engineer appointment.

Smart support has helped diagnose and resolve potential connectivity challenges for more than 200,000 households since starting in April.

A further 150,000 customers are expected to benefit before the end of the year.

The service is limited to fibre broadband only for the moment but it Virgin does hope to roll it out to its entire network eventually.

“We’re committed to giving our customers the very best broadband experience, that’s why we’ve invested in accelerating the roll out of smart support so even more homes can benefit from the service at no extra cost each month,” said Gareth Lister, director of connectivity at Virgin Media O2.

“Smart support is a unique benefit that no other major network offers.

“This game-changing technology will give our customers extra peace of mind, without them having to lift a finger.”

Not getting the speeds you pay for?

Virgin Media customers can receive a free Wi-Fi booster if they’re not getting the speeds they’re paying for.

1Gig, 2Gig and Volt broadband packages comes with a Wi-Fi guarantee at no extra cost.

The company promises download speeds of 30Mbps in every room.

If you’re not getting bang for your buck, the network provider promises a free, W-Fi boosting gadget, or £100 in bill credit.

Wi-Fi boosters essentially pick up the connection from your normal router and spit it out into further flung corners of the home.

Wi-Fi tips from Virgin Media

Gareth Lister has previously revealed some pro tips for Wi-Fi boosters to The Sun.

“Similar to a mobile phone or a hub, avoid putting your pod in direct sunlight,” says Lister.

This means avoiding window sills, especially during the warmer months.

Leaving any bit of tech in the sun puts it at risk of overheating.

But its particularly bad for Wi-Fi routers and boosters because they are always switched on.

You should also deter any pets – namely cats – who fancy using the booster as a cosy seat.

Overheating can slow down the efficiency of the device, reduce the speed of Wi-Fi and in the worst cases, stop extending your connection altogether.