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

VIRGIN MEDIA O2 has launched a new customer support service to remotely detect Wi-Fi issues at home and send out a fix.

The company says it hopes the free ‘smart service’ will stop customers from having to phone in to report faults – taking frustrating caller queues out of the picture.

1

If your streaming service is buffering – or your game is lagging – over poor Wi-Fi, customers will no longer have to pick up the phone and go through the traditional support process.

The network provider says the smart support system keeps an eye on the behaviour of customers’ Wi-Fi routers – or Hubs as Virgin likes to call them.

Smart support will evolve over time, reducing hassle for our customers and further improving connectivity for those that need it to offer a best-in-class service for all

Gareth Lister, director of Connectivity at Virgin Media O2

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

It will then flag issues to be fixed overnight – “often with customers not needing to do a thing,” according to Gareth Lister, director of Connectivity at Virgin Media O2.

While it’s not quite a miracle cure for all Wi-Fi ailments, customers will be sent advice on how they can resolve their issue themselves, if the suspected issue can’t be fixed remotely.

If this is, again, an unsuccessful attempt, the customer will be invited to book a free engineer appointment at a time that suits them.

For now, smart support will be available to just 300,000 Virgin Media customers.

But the company says it plans to roll the system out across its entire customer base in future.

Lister says the smart system will get better over time, so the service may have some issues that are soon to be ironed out.

“Smart support will evolve over time, reducing hassle for our customers and further improving connectivity for those that need it to offer a best-in-class service for all,” he said in a statement.

Not getting the speeds you pay for?

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

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

If you’re not getting bang for their buck, the network provider promises a free, W-Fi boosting gadget, or a £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 tip from Virgin Media

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.

This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk