Broadband guide

Virgin Media routers

Monday 30 April, 2012

By Duncan Heaney

Take a look at Virgin Media's typical wireless router, and what you need to get online wirelessly.

Routers allow you to connect all of your home computers, as well as other devices such as games consoles, smartphones, internet radio or printer to the internet and each other using a broadband connection. Traditionally, you would need a modem to receive a broadband connection and a separate wireless router to establish a Wi-Fi network and connect wirelessly. You can also get all-in-one routers, which combine both into a single device for extra convenience.

Virgin Media Super Hub

The Virgin Media Super Hub router - front view

The Virgin Media (www.Virginmedia.com) Super Hub is designed to work with Virgin’s high-speed cable broadband service. It’s an “n” wireless router, which means it broadcasts a wireless signal at a good range.

It’s pretty chunky as routers go, approximately 19cm wide, 2cm deep and 18cm tall. It’s designed to stand upright, so make sure you place it somewhere with enough room.

On the front of the device is a big round button emblazoned with a light-up Virgin Media logo. This isn’t just decorative - it allows for Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), which means the Super Hub can connect to certain devices without the user having to enter a password. If the button is flashing, the router is searching for compatible WPS. Once a connection has been established, the logo should go blue.

The button has some additional functions. Holding it down for six seconds will shut down the wireless signal altogether. This is really only recommended for advanced users, however, and Virgin Media recommends you leave the settings as they are.

The Virgin Media Super Hub router - side view

The router’s indicator lights can be found on the side of the device. The top button, with the double-headed arrow, is illuminated when it detects data moving back and forth across the network.

The second button, marked with a tick, lights up when the Super Hub detects it is successfully connected to the Virgin Media network.

The lowest button, with the aerial logo, switches on when the Super Hub is able to make a wireless connection, and start surfing on any Wi-Fi-enabled device.

On the other side of the router are the reset and power buttons. Using these to restart or turn the router on and off again are likely to solve the majority of connection problems you experience when using the router.

All the main connection points are clustered together on the back of the router. The four yellow sockets are ethernet ports. It’s possible to link four computers to the router with ethernet cables (Virgin supplies one with the router) for a wired connection. A wired connection is faster and more reliable than using wireless, but that comes at the expense of mobility.

The Virgin Media Super Hub router - back view

Next to the ethernet ports is the connector for the coaxial cable, which runs from a cable point in the property and screws into this socket. This is how the router connects to the internet, and the cable should be screwed in tightly with the spanner Virgin supplies in its welcome pack.

To the side of the cable port is the socket for the power cable.

Above all the ports is the sign-on details for the internet connection. The first set of details are the default wireless settings, including passphrase and pin (certain devices may request this instead). These details can be changed if necessary. The second username and password are used to access the router’s administrative settings.

Features

The Virgin Media Super Hub is designed for Virgin’s superfast broadband service. The router is a necessity for customers who want to take advantage of broadband speeds greater than 20Mb.

The device has a “Push ‘N’ Connect” feature that uses WPS. After pressing the button on the front of the router, WPS compatible devices can connect without entering a password, making it faster to set up a wireless network.

Set-up

When Virgin Media is setting up its cable internet service in your house, one of its engineers will handle initial set-up. However, should you want to do it yourself, it’s straightforward using the guides provided. These are also available online.

Virgin Media does not provide a setup CD.

What do I need for a wireless router?

Your computer will need a wireless adapter to establish a connection with the router. If your computer doesn’t have a built-in adapter, you may need to buy one separately. You could also order one directly from Virgin Media (www.VirginMedia.com).

Wireless adapters come in two forms: USB adapters and plug-in cards. A USB adapter plugs into a spare USB port on your machine, whereas a plug-in card slots directly into your desktop or laptop.

How wireless routers work

With wireless broadband, you can access the Internet anywhere in your home, without wires or cables. The router acts as an intermediary between your computer and the Internet, connecting to the World Wide Web and sharing the connection with your computer and other wireless devices.

Wireless routers use radio waves to send and receive information, in much the same way as mobile phones and walkie-talkies. However, they transmit at frequencies of 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz, which is considerably higher than frequencies used for mobile phones and walkie-talkies. This allows them to carry more data.

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